Reign Of The King The Falcon Ridge Series Book 10

After learning of vamps on American soil, I had to have a conversation with the head Vampire, himself.

I burst through the doors of my council chamber in London. My robes flowing behind as my broad steps cross the floor.

My head is tilted and there’s a power in my eyes that resonates and fills the entire room.

I stop at the foot of the grand room. My head scans the High council as they look on.

“Zander. Why are we here?” Damon asks in his usual bored tone.

My eyes slowly turn to him. “Why don’t you tell me, Damon.” I walk to my throne, spin and sit. Crossing my leg and leaning on the arm of it.

“Tell you what? You called this meeting.” He adjusts himself.

I arch my brow. “Tell me, Damon. Are any of your hive missing?”

He sits up and chuckles. “No. Of course not. That would be against the laws.”

I sit straight. “Yes, it would. Tell me. Why do I have a vamp eating wolves on American soil?”

“What?” Andrew sat up.

“Zander, are you certain?” Victor says.

I turn to him. “Yes. Quite certain.”

“This is disturbing, Damon.” Rednick arches a brow.

“Don’t look at me…I don’t keep track of everyone.” Damon smirks.

“There are barely fifty vamps in your hive. This vamp is not from the common nations. It’s from yours. So I will ask again. Who is it?”

“I assure you, Zander. Everyone is accounted for.” Damon says.

I tilt my head forward. “Good. Then you won’t mind my guards entering for inspection.”

“I will not allow that.” Damon says smugly.

I lean forward. “A little too late. My guard has been in your hive for over an hour.”

“WHAT?!” Damon stands his face twisted in anger. I do not flinch. “HOW DARE YOU?!”

“If you have nothing to hide, Damon. You should have no problem with my decision.” I tick my head with a smug look on my face.

“Zander. You know the kingdom cannot abuse its power on sovereign nations.’ Andrew reminds.

I stand. “It can when the Kings life was threatened and the treaty broken. You will comply, Damon.”

“Your life was threatened?” Redrick says.

“Yes. I was attacked while I slept. By an ice wolf who seems to be getting its power from only one creature. A vampire.” I eye Damon.

“I WILL NOT TOLERATE THESE ACCUSATIONS, ZANDER!” Damon yells.

“YOU WILL COMPLY OR I WILL REMOVE YOUR HEAD, DAMON!!” My voice booms across the room. My size increases and my eyes glow white.

His shoulders heave. His pupils glow green. He bares his two rows of several fangs as he hisses at my wolf who has surfaced.

Redrick stands. “Alright. Settle. Damon, Zanders right. If an assassination attempt was made, he has full right to conduct his investigation. If that leads to you, you cannot fight the throne.” He holds his finger up to Damon.

Damon sits back down. “Fine. Conduct your investigation. You’ll find nothing.” He says straightening his jacket.

A guard comes into the chamber and kneels.

“Come.” I bark.

He walks over to me with a slip of paper. I wave him away and he leaves.

I stand and walk across the floor. The men watch me.

I read the paper and stop. My head rolls to Damon.

In a moment, I have him by the throat. I lift him off his chair and into the air. I slam him into the floor.

“ZANDER!” Victor growls.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Andrew shouts.

I’m on one knee and I lift a finger to them and eye them to stay where they are.

My head turns slowly to the vampire on the floor, struggling against my grip. My wolf power holding him down. Damon flashes his fangs as he fights.

“There isn’t one vampire missing is there, Damon?” I speak low and quiet.

“No.” He growls. “There are five.” He grins.

I lift him up and slam him into the floor. “Why?!” I yell.

“Like I’d tell you.” He kicks me and I fall back, sliding across the floor. He gets up and hisses and I rise to my feet.

He looks up and jumps. He sticks the walls by the large windows. He jumps and grabs the stone window frame and puts his feet through it.

“GUARDS! CAPTURE HIM!!” I yell to my guards outside the chamber door.

“Redrick!” I look over my shoulder.

Redrick joins me and we both run out. The guards are running in wolf form to the trees.

“It’s daylight. He can’t of gone far.” Redrick says as we round the tall, old stone building.

I look to the window and the broken glass below. I look out across the rolling open grass fields and forest on the other side. I take off my robe. I look at Redrick. “Shift.” I say.

“You sure.” Redrick says.

“Yes. I have locked his scent. He won’t get away.” I burst out of my clothes to my white wolf and Redrick shifts to his black wolf with white ears.

Our wolves run across the fields into the forest trees where there’s plenty of shade.

Damon is stronger, more agile and more tolerant of sunlight, but he’s still affected by it. He’ll hide in the trees until sundown. I just have to find him before then.

We search the forest. Following his scent trail through the trunks.

The search was proven to be harder than I thought. Damon is crafty. He's most likely thrown his scent which is meant to confuse us.

My wolf stops and scans the trees.

Redrick’s wolf stands beside me. He turns to me. “He gone, Zander.” He links.

I look to the treetops. “I’m afraid so.”

His wolf turns to mine. “Go back to America. Find the missing vampires. We’ll search for Damon.”

“Agreed. If Damon shows his face, contact me right away. Get information, but don’t kill him.” My wolf turns and lowers his head. “I’ll be the one to drive the stake into his heart.” I run out toward the council building.

****

A day later, I’m walking the halls of Falcon Ridge Security Unit. Soldiers are running through the halls around me as I walk with my hands behind my back.

I stop Grey in mid run with a hand on his chest. He looks at my hand and looks at my face.

“What is happening?” I side eye him.

He rubs his nape. “Red Rock was attacked by five vampires. We got one, but the others got away.”

“Show me.” I run with Grey to the prison unit. He flashes his badge and announces me. The guard takes us to the Vampires cell.

I walk with anger and power on my face to the front of the glass.

The vampire has dark, slicked back hair and pasty, white skin. He’s thin. He’s hungry. His jaw ticks. His long black coat hangs to his ankles. His light hazel eyes stare into mine.

“Wade.” I growl.

He lowers his head. “Zander.” He growls back.

I step to the glass. “You look hungry. Have you eaten?”

“You know I haven’t.” He eyes me.

“Why kill the wolves?” I ask.

He shrugs and walks along the glass. I follow. “Why not?” He smirks.

“What’s Damon’s plan?” I ask as we turn and walk back the other way.

He stops and I do too. “You know I won’t tell you.”

I step even closer. “Wade. Have you ever witnessed a vampire starve to death.” I look into his cold dead eyes. “You see, first the vamp thinks he can handle it. It’s just a little hunger, but then, the blood lust takes hold. The mouth waters. The hunger grows.”

I hold my head high. “He thinks. It’s just a little blood. It won’t hurt as he slits his own wrist. But it does hurt. It hurts so much, you cant stomach it, but you’re still hungry. So you try again. Again, you’re stomach violently empties. Again, you eat yourself until you finally starve and die. It’s excruciatingly painful. So, if you don’t want to eat yourself to death, you’ll tell me what I want to know.”

I stare into his eyes who looks like he wants to challenge me. Test my will. But I can see it. The fear. I can hear the hunger in his stomach. I can see him swallow his nerves. As one of Damon’s generals, he knows my word is stone. Especially when it comes to vampires.

“Blood first.” He grits.

I nod. “One half cup only. You get more when I’m satisfied, agreed?”

His mouth goes small and he nods.

I turn my head to Grey. “Human or animal. Must be relatively fresh.” I order.

“Would a lab rat work?” He looks between the two of us.

I look to Wade and arch a brow.

“Yes.” He nods.

“OK. One lab rat. Coming up.” Grey says and runs to the labs.

A while later, Grey comes with a jar of blood. “Is this enough?” He asks.

I nod. I take the jar and slip it into the food tray exchange door.

Wade takes it with a shaky hand and unscrews the lid. He throws it. His eyes glow green as he tips the jar back. Guzzling the warm blood down his throat. Blood pours down the sides of his mouth and drips off his chin to his shirt and jacket.

He clumsily drops the jar back into the food tray door and I pull it out. Handing it back to Grey. I don’t take my eyes off Wade.

His head is lowered as his power is restored some. The silver in the walls and glass are enough to hold him back.

“Now. What is Damon planning?” I ask again.

He shakes his head. “I don’t know the details. I know it has something to do with the treaty.”

“He means to break it.” I state.

He nods. “I think so, yes. But there’s something else. Something he’s not sharing.” He eyes me.

“You have no idea?” I ask.

“No. Only that it’s huge. Like change everything. Even you, Zander.” He says.

“How could he change me?” I arch a brow.

“I don’t know, but I’d watch my back if I were you.” He says.

“Who ordered the assassination?” I tilt my head to him.

He shakes his head. “I’m unsure.”

“Where’s the rest?” I ask.

“Get me more blood and I might tell you.” He crosses his arms.

I mimic his posture. “We’ll see how you feel in a few days.”

I motion to the guard. “Close all these vents. He doesn’t need air to breathe. We can’t have him tricking his way out of here.”

I walk away.

“You can’t keep me here forever, Zander! Damon will win and break the treaty. Then we will be free!” He yells to my back as the door to the prison hall closes behind me.