Diedrek

I leave Kyla in the room fast asleep, closing the door as quietly as I can. I hope I can make things right, and not have to go through with what I agreed in the end. I cannot lose her in any capacity. Shaking my head, I clear the disturbing thoughts plaguing my mind now.

Walking down the hall, I try to focus on the meeting at hand. I may finally have the answers we all need to solve the mystery of which vampire bloodline Kyla is a part of. Darius is already in the living area, sitting in his usual chair. "Thought you left?" He only grunts at me.

"Would have thought I'd have to call for you." I tell him honestly. I know how pissed he is, but his attitude towards me now is doing nothing for my sour mood.

"This is how it's going to be, my friend? You're not going to speak to me? Only giving me grunts as answers?" I fold my arms across my chest glaring down at him. He doesn't look at me, but I know he can feel my stare.

"What does it matter? You won't listen to what I have to say. I may as well just sit here looking pretty and doing as you say when you give me demands. That's what you expect us all to do is it not?" He asks with fire in his eyes.

"I need you now more than ever and you want to be petty?" I ask with a wave of my hand.

"I need my best friend, my real brother, to stand by my side during this trying time. That is why I told you about what was discussed." I say with a sigh. "I need you, my brother." I say in a low tone, with my arms at my sides. Showing how defeated I truly feel.

He stands from the chair abruptly, "You need me?"

I give him a nod looking into his eyes. His face is so close to mine I can see every emotion he, himself, is feeling. "Then, what the hell were you thinking, agreeing before even discussing it with me?"

I begin to answer him, but he slashes his hand in the air cutting me off. "We could have discussed options." He walks away from me and to the fireplace. "You agreeing to this will not only break her heart to the point of pain, but it could cause possible death." I growl at him when he speaks of her death.

"Did I hit a nerve brother? I'm only speaking the truth. That if you go through with this she could very well die. You know more than anyone how the blood bond mating works. You witnessed it first-hand." With a shake of his head, he leans his body against the stones of the fireplace.

We stand here in silence for a moment. The only thing I can hear in the room is our heavy breathing. Darius moves from his spot to the window. Giving me his back, he leans against the windowsill looking out at the night sky. His entire body is shaking with so much fury. I lean my head down facing the floor, trying but failing to calm down my own fueled emotions.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what else I can do. He told me that I must agree to father's conditions, or the human woman was to stay with him until father returned." I quietly say.

His head whooshes my way, his eyes hold rage and fear in them. "You've got to be kidding me?" He says in a deathly voice.

"No, my friend I'm not. I couldn't let that happen." I say indignation filling my tone. "I wish I could stop him from being able to do that, but I'm not at my full power yet, and father has assigned him in charge during his absence." I shake my head thinking back to the earlier conversation I held with my abrasive younger brother.

"Who knows just what my psychotic brother would do to her if she was placed in his hands? I made the decision to say I will agree with everything he wants of me." I walk over to the door slowly.

With my hand on the knob, I turn my face to the side to look at him. "If you can tell me what else I should have done at that very moment, I am all ears' brother." I give him my full attention. Awaiting, for his response.

His shoulders sag in defeat and he shakes his head. "I've got nothing brother. Honestly, I guess you did what had to be done in the moment." I give him a nod in the affirmative.

"It doesn't change the fact that if you go through with it that she will be destroyed." His eyes beg for me to listen to reason.

"I know, believe me I do. I couldn't imagine doing this to her. I just need some time to figure it all out. It's a big mess." I look up to see him nodding his head in agreement.

"You got that right brother." He speaks.

I open the door and walk out to the hall, but before I can close it, I hear him whisper, "I don't want you to lose who you are if you lose her." I close the door and make my way out of the castle. His words fluttering around in my head.

I know he's right and that's why I must figure this out, and most importantly keep my evil brother away from my mate at all costs. Unfortunately, he told me he's going to be staying for the next couple of weeks, on father's orders.

I cannot think about that right now though. I need to focus on what's happening right now, at this moment. I need to get to the witches and find out what they know. I'll get all my questions answered about my mate. Who her father is and what happened to her mother?

I make my way into the dark forest, walking to the cabin that lies within. The hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up alerting me I'm close. Once I break through a sprout of trees, I can see the cabin.

Taking a deep breath, I straighten my shoulders and make my way to the door. Once I get on the run-down porch of the cabin the door opens on its own.

"Come in, sire." One of the witches says from within with a cackle.

Walking in I see them in the shadows, hiding under their cloaks. "What have you found out?" I stand in the threshold of the door. I don't want to have to go in further if I don't have to. Plus, I want to be able to run out as soon as I can to get back to Kyla.

"It was remarkably interesting. Your human is not a human at all." One says from my right. Their words gain my full attention. "Not human at all? How is that possible?"

"There isn't an ounce of human blood in her body. She is half vampire as you very well know, but the other half is witches' blood. She comes from a line of powerful witches just like us.

My eyes widen with their words. "How is that possible? Her family are rebel humans." I say out loud.

Bunny makes her way out of the shadows and removes her hood to look me in the eyes. "What we speak is the truth. She is a descendant of the Spiralnus Witch Tribe, from her mother's side. As is her uncle. He has been lying to the humans for years. Holding his powers back, and not allowing his sons to use theirs at all. To hide among them."

I take a moment to process all this new information. It's incredible! We all thought the Spiralnus Witch bloodline had vanished hundreds of years ago.

"And what of her father? Who is he?" Bunny smiles at me with a twinkle of delight in her eyes.