THE FALLEN PRINCE

Chapter Five: Commotion

Vanessa had developed a habit of going to clubs for parties almost every night. This routine had become a part of her life, and her parents had never interfered since she always returned safely. However, her friend Alexie had recently been caught again. Alexie's parents threatened to cut off all of her allowances and bank cards if she continued going to parties. Vanessa and Alexie had no control over the situation and had to accept their fate. Despite being a partygoer herself, Vanessa now found herself partying alone.

While dancing to the rhythm of the music, a man approached Vanessa and boldly grabbed her waist, even going as far as smelling her neck. Vanessa forcefully pushed the man away and glared at him with anger in her eyes.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she snapped.

"I'm Kelvin, and you?" the man teasingly responded.

"That's not how you approach a beautiful woman," Vanessa playfully teased back, biting her lip as she looked into his eyes.

"You look incredibly hot while dancing, did you know that?" Kelvin remarked.

"I'm well aware. Among all the women here, I am the hottest," she confidently declared, biting her lip once again.

"You're so attractive," Kelvin said, grabbing her waist once more.

"Leave me alone," Vanessa forcefully pushed Kelvin away, this time with such strength that it sent him crashing into the wall, capturing the attention of everyone around. Fueled by anger, Vanessa's eyes turned red. She had the urge to grab the man by the neck and drink his blood. However, due to the commotion, Vanessa swiftly left the club. Utilizing her power of speed, she quickly got into her car and drove away.

What just occurred was an enormous error. It marked the first instance in which she displayed her strength in front of a crowd, and to make matters worse, it was witnessed by humans. This mistake poses a significant threat to her kind, and it may even expose her parents.

"That was a colossal mistake!" she exclaimed.

While driving, a man suddenly obstructed her path, seemingly appearing out of thin air. She immediately sensed that he was also a vampire, just like her. Vanessa promptly exited her car.

"Who are you?" she asked curiously. The man was unfamiliar to her.

"I witnessed what you did," he responded calmly. Despite appearing to be in his forties, the man's vampire nature suggested that he may be centuries old.

"I know, I know," Vanessa replied with frustration.

"I have a proposition," he stated. It was an offer.

"What is it?"

"Kill all those human and dispose of their bodies by throwing them into the ocean to be devoured by sharks," the man smirked.

Vanessa did not like the idea proposed by the man, but she recognized that it was a prudent decision to conceal their identities in order to protect her parents.

"Or else, you and your family will be dead by tomorrow. I have lived for a hundred years, and I can assure you that there are trained humans who hunt our kind and all other creatures. I am certain that they are secretly searching for us, just like him!" The man utilized his speed to walk away and swiftly return to Vanessa, bringing Kelvin's lifeless body with him. "This man is a hunter, and he has been observing you for several nights," the man added.

Vanessa was utterly shocked. She had no idea that there were hunters out to kill them. "Who are you?" she managed to inquire.

"I am Ashton. I was present during the war between humans and our kind. However, I chose to observe them rather than join in the fight," he explained.

"But why?" Vanessa was aware of their history, as her mother had shared it with her.

“Because I wanted to live forever in this world. Not even in the other world,” the man said coldly.

"Is there another world?" she asked, her curiosity piqued once again.

"You have so many questions. Go home and protect your family. The hunters are getting ready to track you down," the man vanished in a hurry.

Vanessa reacted swiftly. She immediately hopped into her car and drove off. Upon arriving home, she used her abilities to enter the house. Her parents were sitting together, listening to music.

"Mom, Dad, we need to leave this place," she informed them, but they didn't respond. Her mother's eyes welled up with sudden tears. Vanessa sensed that they were not alone in the house. "Oh no!" She used her speed to dodge a gunshot. She quickly located the hunters. Although her fighting skills were lacking, Vanessa was determined to save her parents.

She swiftly grabbed one of the hunters by the head and sank her teeth into his neck. She tasted the blood, which initially seemed pleasant, but soon turned into poison. Her senses dulled and she felt like she was choking. Just before Vanessa lost consciousness, Ashton who had killed Kelvin appeared. She heard a cacophony of voices and everything faded to black.

Meanwhile, Gabriel and some of the palace guards were tirelessly searching for the creature that had attacked Diana. The woman described it as a large, hairy animal. They searched day and night, as it had become Gabriel's mission, bestowed upon him by his father. Gabriel was determined not to disappoint his father and vowed to capture the monster.

Gabriel assured the guards, "There's no sign of anything unusual happening here, and there's definitely no suspicious smell." He then suggested, "Let's venture deeper into the heart of the forest." However, the guards seemed hesitant to follow his lead.

"It's against the rules," Simon, one of the palace guards, said. Simon had long hair and a tan complexion. His father used to be a palace guard as well, but he retired due to old age.

"I'm aware," Gabriel replied, looking at Simon with seriousness. "This mission was assigned to me, and this time, you have to trust me. It's only the witches who have created these taboos in our kingdom, and I don't appreciate it. Just follow my lead." Reluctantly, the palace guards decided to follow him. Gabriel felt nervous, but he knew he had to be strong. Right now, he was the alpha. No matter what happened, he would protect these guards, even if they had to protect him.

As they ventured further into the dense part of the forest, they suddenly heard a woman's scream. Without hesitation, Gabriel and the guards transformed into werewolves and rushed towards the source of the sound. When they arrived, they saw a massive monster carrying a lifeless woman. The monster caught sight of them and quickly fled. They couldn't allow the monster to escape with the woman's body. Among the group, Gabriel was the fastest runner and managed to sink his teeth into the monster's neck. However, the monster's strength was overwhelming, and it threw Gabriel aside with a powerful swipe of its hand.

Although Gabriel managed to injure the monster, weakening its ability to run, the other guards swiftly joined the fight and attacked the creature. With their combined efforts, they were able to overpower and capture the monster.

While ensuring that the monster couldn't escape, Gabriel noticed the figure of an old woman perched on a large tree branch. The woman seemed to have noticed him and then vanished into thin air.

"An elder witch," Gabriel murmured to himself.