Blood of The Beast

ix

Alastair:

    "You're taking Allison with you," her father ordered when she told him what we planned. Agathos approved of the decision. He wants to see more of us he explained.

    "I don't need a babysitter," she groaned packing up some clothes into Versace suitcase.

    "You think I don't pick up on the heat off you, Scylla? You know you're going into a fight. Do you think these vampires are going to go out of their way to protect you? No offense," he said looking at my sire. She sighed placing her hand on her hips. It's cute.

    "So, your plan is sending a servant girl with her?" Agathos asked.

    "Don't call her that," Scylla warned without looking back at him. "Will you drop this if I take her?"

    "Yes," her father promised.

    "Can she come?" she turned to ask me. I looked over at the girl. She's a nervous wreck, biting her nails, almost shaking where she stood.

    "If that's what you want," I offered to. Her dad let out a sigh of relief.

    "Ally go," he instructed. She rushed out.

    I looked over to my sire. His confusion matched mine. There has to be something we're missing about that girl. She waited for us when we all walked out to the cars. Henry ready for travel. I was handed the keys as Allison put our luggage in the back and climbed into the back seat.

    "Do you have everything you need?" her father asked handing her two phone batteries.

    "Yes, daddy. I don't know why you're being like this is hardly the worst situation I've run off to," he sighed.

    "That man scares me more than yours does," I smiled at that. I love it when that's admitted. "He scares me more than you do,"

    "Well put it like this. We scare the s**t out of you individually. Combine it because we're all kind of on the same team right now," the immediate spike in his heart rate made me laugh.

    I motioned her to get in. My sire doesn't like to wait. She gave him a kiss on his cheek and tossed something to her beta before going around and climbing into the jeep. I gave him a nod and climbed into the driver's seat. I turned back to see my brother Erebus.

    "Erebus?" I asked. He grinned. I didn't know he had come.

    "Alastair, you trouble maker. Look what you've gotten yourself into now," I smiled at Scylla as I started the jeep and began to follow behind the other cars. "Hello, beautiful. I'm Erebus, but when my brother and I are together we're known as..."

    "Castor and Pollux. I know," she beamed. "I'm Scylla,"

    "Like the sea monster?" he asked. Her face flushed in embarrassment.

    "Exactly," she beamed. "That's my guard. Her name is Allison,"

        "Scylla as in Scylla Narolin who wrote the piece on my brother here?" she nodded.

    "The original is much more satisfying," I informed him.

    "That is devotion. You, my dear, are the first Vampire Fangirl to get her man," she giggled in a way I never heard her giggle. There is playfulness and shyness in there.

    "I can teach you how to wish that hard," she joked making my brother laugh.

    "We have a live one here. You stand no chance against this one Alastair," I rolled my eyes shaking my head.

    If I didn't know any better I'd say they were flirting. She was genuinely interviewing him and he was gladly making an ass out of himself in the process. Who doesn't stand a chance now? Erebus is like the kid brother I had always wanted. We had found him in the slave ranks when he was thirteen. I had wanted to save him then. The only person I had ever wanted to save before the little girl in the seat next to me.

    Agathos gifted the boy to me thinking I had wanted to drink him. I taught him the same way Agathos had taught me with the exception of turning him. I had been Twenty-seven when he had turned me. I had wanted to wait that long for him as well, but fate changed in his favor when he got sick. I had been too young to sire him myself so Agathos turned him for me.

    He took a liking to him when he saw just how much potential he had once he was one of us. Erebus and I are the only ones that were turned into the house of Malacoda. Together we were renamed The Gemini Twins, He is the Castor to the Pollux in our story.

    "What's your real name?" she asked once Erebus fell asleep. I looked at her playing a violent game on her phone.

    "My birth name is Naloc,"

    "Kind of Ironic isn't it," Erebus chuckled in the back making me smile at her.

    "What is?"

    "That your name means Sun and you're now a vampire," she grunted something at her game. "How did you get the name, Alastair?"

    "My sire's wife at the time. They argued a lot over me. She gave me the name,"

    "It has two understandings in Greek Mythology. The first is the God of Family Feuds and the second is Protector of man,"

    "She named me after the first," I smiled and she nodded cursing her game. "What are you doing over there?"

    "What are you doing?" she shot back Erebus laughed again.

    "I'm driving,"

    "Are we almost there yet?"

    "I have no idea," I answered. She's impatient. "I hope so. The sun will be up soon,"

    "I'm playing this stupid temple run game. I hate it, but I can't stop playing it,"

    She turned back to look at Allison who is sound asleep. She hadn't made much noise. The occasional snicker at my brother's fuckery, but that was it. There's something I'm missing about her and I can't quite figure it out. What am I missing?

    "What's your real name fake asleep?" she asked.

    "I never had one," he said sitting up.

    "I think we're here," I said.

    "What do you mean you never had one?" she asked.

    "I was a slave when Alastair found me. Mother named me Erebus because of my past,"

    "Darkness?" she whispered. "Allison,"

    "Alpha," she said her eyes snapping open like she had never been asleep. Erebus leaned away from her a little startled.

    "We're here," Scylla announced settling into her seat.

    "You're scary did you know that?" Erebus asked Allison. Scylla laughed.

    "You don't know the half of it," she murmured looking out the window.

    The darkness here is thick, pitch black. Her heartbeat is steady as she looked around almost as if she could see through all of this. All I could see was the lights of the cars up ahead. Whoever is upfront has a hell of a pair of peepers cause I can't see s**t.

    "Are you picking up on anything?" I asked my brother.

    "No," he said looking out the window.

    "That's a good thing. It's better that way," Scylla whispered looking around.

    "What is it monster girl?" Erebus asked.

    "Alpha, we shouldn't be here," the girl sounds terrified her heartbeat accelerated. Her stale fear penetrating the cabin of the jeep.

    "Cover her eyes," Scylla instructed. Erebus reached over to put a hand over her face. So much for being her bodyguard.

    The cars all came to a stop. A light above opened up in the form of a doorway. Several figures walked out with flashlights and came over to us. Scylla jumped into the back seat and began to whisper sweet nothings into the girl's ear. When our doors were pulled up we were handed flashlights.

    "I'm going to need you to walk. I can't walk in there with you in my arms do you understand?" her tone is harsh now. I'm guessing the girl nodded because we all climbed out.

    "Keep the lights down. It'll anger them," a guard warned.

    We were all escorted inside. Scylla stood her ground when walked into the light. Immediately we were surrounded by my kind. Agathos stood upfront by the grand staircase. I had never seen a place like this.

    Each step is a piece of steel held by two bars protruding out of the white wall they curled in the separate direction of each wing of the manor. I tensed as Genevieve and mother appeared on opposite sides of the staircase. Agathos cleared his throat before he let out a laugh.

    "Napad Nacin," I heard Scylla whisper.

    All of a sudden Allison's heartbeat became even and steady. She bowed her head for Scylla, her eyes glazed silver just like Scylla's had been when she attacked the Order's watchdog.

    "No one touches him," she said looking up ahead. Allison didn't reply as she went to stand behind my sire.

    "What the f**k?" Erebus blurted voicing my own confusion.

    "What is this?" Agathos asked when the two women came to a standstill in front of him. Erebus went around to stand at our sire's left. I had always ranked his right.

    "You've been a naughty boy," mother said. "This invitation wasn't for you. I knew they wouldn't allow you to come here alone,"

    "We needed you to bring the boys home," Genevieve said. She reached for my sire. The warning growl that came from Allison startled even me. She was ready to pounce on her.

    "You boys keep the neatest company," mother said looking her over. She snapped her fingers in front of Allison's face, she didn't even flinch. Her complete attention on Genevieve.

    "I didn't think you cared," Agathos smirked looking back at Scylla. She growled at him.

    "Mother?" Erebus asked stepping forward.

    "My baby," she beamed pulling him into a hug. "My word I have missed you. You too Alastair,"

    "Mother," I greeted her.

    She placed her hand on my face knowing I didn't like to be gripped like my brother did. She let out an angry growl when she saw the mark on my shoulder. She pulled my collar and ache started when she put her hand there. Scylla's snarl made her jump back fear swirling in the air around her. Scylla came over to me pulling me to her.

    "Mother this is my mate. Scylla," I informed taking her hand. Scylla's hand flexed a bit retracting her claws as her demeanor calmed from primal to civilized.

    "Mate you say?" she asked looking her over. "You're Aphrodite's daughter yes? Curious,"

    "Is this your new toy Archibald?" Genevieve asked stepping away from Allison.

    "She's mine," Scylla said. "No one touches him or they lose a limb. Push and she'll kill anything in her way,"

    "This is the infamous Split," Mother smiled. We all turned to look at her. She held the same glazed over look. Her heartbeat is calm as she stared at Genevieve. She moved back a little more. "How did you get your hands on her?"

    "Almar," Scylla answered both Genevieve and mother hissed. Whatever that meant.

    "What's Almar?" I asked.

    "I'll tell you later. Are we going to have a problem? I can switch her off,"

    "You protect this f**k? Why?" Genevieve asked.

    "Don't call him that and it's simple. He's my mate's sire. No Archibald means no Alastair. I like Alastair where he is," Agathos laughed.

    "Not anymore. You're fully mated. He's his own person now," Genevieve said. That's news to me.

    "Then call it loyalty by default. He's family now," something in me warmed at her words.

    Agathos approved of her. His chest lifting, his eyes wide with excitement, the almost-smile on his face didn't go unnoticed by everyone here. I know that look he'd shown it to me throughout the centuries when I did something that made him proud. He finds pride in my mate and the fills me with joy. Something that hasn't been too familiar with me in a while. Genevieve waved her hand and we were left alone. Even my maker's guards dispersed.

    "Call her off then,"

    "On bi trebao vikati u pomoć ti ga zaštiti," (Should he call for help protect him) she whispered. She leaned into her and if I hadn't been as close as I was I wouldn't have heard her. "Ja vas otpustiti," (I release you)

    Allison took a deep breath slowly the glaze over her eyes vanished. She blinked looking around until her eyes met Scylla's. Scylla smiled opening her arms to her. Allison hugged her with a smile before she looked around and saw that they weren't alone. Her heartbeat started up again in the nervous wreck she usually was.

    "Did we win?" she asked looking herself over.

    "There was no fight. Just a precaution," Allison nodded.

    "What language was that?" Genevieve asked.

    "Croatian," Scylla answered. "She was born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia,"

    "Why don't we show you all where you will be staying. I have a task for the Gemini Twins," Genevieve said. Scylla visibly sighed but didn't say a word.

    I looked at Allison as she followed close behind her. That had been the missing piece. She's similar to Scylla. Where Scylla has had practice with what she is this girl doesn't know or rather stored the fearsome part of her in a different part of her being. Stuck between two. The beast and the beauty. A split.