The Darkest Eternities

XIX. Haunted

Jasper

The blood was everywhere. It littered the entire hallway, from one end to another. There were even splashes of it on the goddam ceiling, the fucking ceiling. He had made quite a mess. Some of the locker doors were broken and one of the drinking fountains had been disconnected from the wall.

I would have applauded if not for the fact that this was a school with children, human children.

Slowly, I approached Ivanov. He was knelt on the floor by the dead body...whatever was left of it anyway. The stench of death filled the room but there was something else. There was a taint on the blood, a tincture of sin, though well hidden, it was still there.

A vampire, I concluded mentally.

I didn't think a vampire could have so much blood. This one was...well fed. By the stench of it, it fed on young blood, fresh too. This was no clan vampire.

I heard footsteps approaching. Without bothering to turn my head I knew who it was. The Sallow boy quickly moved towards me -well, as quickly as he could. He stopped right behind me, probably out of fear.

I could smell the fear in the atmosphere but it was not coming from the Sallow boy, this fear had been there when I came in. I was very familiar with the stench of cowards, many times I had inflicted it on people, especially when fighting the wars of man.

"Ivan?"I only referred to him because we were so close we were practically born of the same woman. I was his right hand man, his beta, his brother. Had I not been, I would have received a harsh punishment for referring to him so, as if his w my kin.

He looked up at me. His eyes were filled with darkness, anger and pain.

His fists were clenched so hard I worried he would break his own bones. Blood leaked out of his hands. His claws were out and as he fisted his hands they broke through his palms.

I could tell that at the moment the pain was the only thing keeping his inner beast at bay. Control was something all of us struggled with, especially Volk who were the most impulsive and animalistic species of lycanthrope. The fact that he had not already gone on a killing spree across the town was worthy of an applause.

" My Lord...Alpha?...Ivan..."

A painful grunt was his only response.

From the clues in the room I had a good idea of what happened. This was his beloved's high school meaning she must have been there. There was a dead vampire on the floor meaning the vampire attempted to feed on the girl and Ivan stopped him. But there were still a few missing links. Where was she? They must have been together earlier, her scent was heavy on him, coated with lust and arousal.

Then I remember that she was human.

He hadn't told her. I had been sure that he had told her. He promised me he would.

"You can't put this off forever? People are beginning to talk. They know you found her. The people celebrate. They await their queen... " I told him.

"She is not ready," he responds, staring out into the Kingdom.

"No, you are the one who is not ready."

I had known this would blow up in his face soon enough and he had been too stubborn to realise it. Another thing about Volk: they were stubborn as hell, good thing Ivan was the only one. I only had to deal with one of his kind.

I made my conclusion. She had found out and ran away leaving him angry and pained. Yet another thing about Volk: do not run away from them especially if they have become territorial and possessive over you.