The Princess and the Two Dukes

Can We Talk

“Zari...”Demetrio uttered a name that somehow foreign and familiar at the same time.

  The young woman looked up from her phone, but it immediately slipped out of her hand when her eyes fell on Demetrio.

 “Demetrio.”

  Zari felt her lycan Andromeda froze. It seems like it wasn’t just her who didn’t expect to see Demetrio there. But at the same time, she also felt Aeliana stir as if she was waiting for someone to arrive.

“You know each other?” Calie asked and Zari was taken back.

  As if she was pulled out of her thoughts, Zari realized that everyone in the table is all looking at her. She cleared her throat and then she bent down to pick up her phone. And when she looked back at Demetrio, she realized that he is looking at her like a stranger.

“Uhm, I heard you mentioned his name I just repeated it.”Zari said.

“Oh. Who knew you’d be keen on listening since you are pretty much preoccupied by your phone.”Zab sassed.

  Zari ignored her mother and cleared throat.

“Lord Demetrio here is asking for help to find his beloved.”Camilla said, and Zari immediately felt like she was trapped.

“Since I am now married to Alpha Zeke, and having a baby it’s most likely I’ll be staying here in Hobart. So I will be passing the commanding position to my niece.”Calie said, and Zari whipped her head towards her.

“What?”

“That’s a great idea. I’m sure my daughter is up for it.”Zab said and then she looked at her daughter.

“Me?” Zari asked and Zab gave her a deadpan look.

“Why? Do I have any other daughter that I should know of? Of course I meant you.”Zab said and Zari pursed her lips.

“What do you think Zari?”Camilla asked her.

  Zari gulped.

“Well... It’s a big thing. A great opportunity but I do have huge shoes to fill in.”Zari shyly said, looking down at her phone.

“I’m sure you’ll do great.”

  Zari looked up when she heard Demetrio. She looked up and then she saw him looking at her and smiling. She gave him an awkward smile which Ivan find weird.

“You are acting weird.”Ivan blurted and Zari looked at him with wide eyes.

“Wha- What are you blabbering about?”Zari asked her cousin, and Ivan looked at her with narrowed eyes.

“You look flustered, your heart is racing and –“Ivan was cut off when Zari slapped her palm over his mouth.

“Excuse us.”Zari said and then she dragged Ivan away from the table.

  And while she was dragging Ivan away, they went passed through their other cousins and she motioned them to follow them. They went straight towards inside the pack house. Into the Alpha’s office to be exact where Zari locked the door behind them.

“Okay, what’s up? Why are you dragging poor Ivan?”Shanaia asked Zari and then patted Ivan’s head. Something that Shanaia loved doing on Ivan since he’s the youngest among them.

“He’s here.”Zari hissed.

“Who?”

“Demetrio f*****g Petrovak is here! And he’s with mom and the others!” Zari told everyone.

  And then their eyes widened as well, and the girls looked excited.

“OMG! He found you!”Lysandra squealed but Zari slapped her hand on her mouth as well.

“Shut up.”Zari whisper yell and it confused her cousins.

“What’s up with you? Aren’t you supposed to be elated? He’s alive and he found you.”Fiero asked.

  Before Zari could answer, Ivan beats her to it.

“Before you answer, can you all explain why the hell are you acting like that? You are pretty much a mess in front of the vampire Duke. And you know each other?”

  Zari let out a sigh and then she plopped down the couch. And then her cousins followed and took a seat as well.

“When we went back in time, we met Lord Demetrio there. He’s one of our great grandma’s council.”Lysandra answered Ivan’s queries.

“And he happened to be my mate.” Zari blurted and Ivan was gobsmacked.

“What?”He asked.

“You heard her.”Zander said.

  Ivan furrowed his eyebrows, confused of everything that is happening.

“Okay, humour me. When you went back in time, you met this Demetrio dude and he is your mate?”Ivan asked and Zari nodded.

“Did you two bonded? Mated or whatsoever? Because looking at him earlier, he’s a total stranger when it comes to you. He should’ve jumped in joy when he saw you but he didn’t. So what now?”He asked and Zari shook her head.

“How can that happen when it’s pretty much messed up in the past. Demetrio was betrothed to our great grandma before she met great grandpa. Not only that, even Demetrio’s older brother, Davorin was once betrothed to the Queen and he is also Zari’s mate.” Seb blabbered.

  Ivan blinked twice before he turned to look at Zari.

“You are mates with brothers like Aunt Roe?”He asked.

“Not really. My dads are twins with so many similarities that they are practically one person in two separate bodies. But in Zari’s case, Davorin and Demetrio are brothers that are totally opposites and they argue all the time.”Fiero said.

“Davorin was actually the beloved of my angel, and that made me his second chance mate.”Zari added and Ivan’s eyebrows were knotted together.

“Demetrio is some sort of an ass while Davorin is okay. That’s from my perspective.”Zander said, and Ivan nodded.

“Okay, but why are you indifferent at him earlier?”He asked, and then everyone’s eyes were on Zari.

  Zari groaned and then she leaned back.

“He seems different. He looks at me like I was a stranger earlier and it didn’t sit well with me. Even Andromeda was confused and didn’t like how are mate is acting. Something is up with him, like he doesn’t even know me. So as much as possible I don’t want anyone to know that we are mates, for now.”Zari explained.

“I have pointed that out already. But he was looking for his beloved, and that is you. Do you think you can keep it a secret? Grandma and your mom can read minds.” Ivan said, and then Zari got up and went straight towards the Alpha’s liquor cabinet and grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

  Zari uncapped the bottle and began chugging down its contents, which surprised and confused her cousins. Then Zander stood up and took the bottle from Zari.

“Okay, what the hell is going on with you?”He asked his sister.

  Then Zari noticed that all eyes were on her, and he felt as if the whole room was closing in on her. She began heaving and then she took the bottle from Zander and started chugging down everything.

  Once she downed the whole bottle of whiskey, Zari looked flustered as she looked at her cousins.

“I think something is wrong, and I don’t feel good about it.” She uttered before her eyes rolled back and she fell unto Zander’s arm.

  Everyone shot up from the couch as Zander carried Zari out of the office and brought her to the room she was using. And once they secured Zari on her bed, the girls sat on the edge of her bed while the boys stood around the bed.

“What could possibly be wrong that Zari was all shook up?”Lysandra asked while Shanaia checked up on Zari.

“She seems okay but her heart was racing really fast. It’s quite alarming.”Shanaia told everyone.

“Maybe because she just met her mate again?”Seb asked.

“I don’t think so.”Crane said and then he looked at Zander.

  The two of them remembered the encounter they just had.

“You guys, do you remember the old librarian that led us to the journal about the truth behind Massimo?”Crane asked.

“Of course. I’ll never forget that lady; she whacked my head with a book.”Seb said.  

“What about her?”Fiero asked.

“She was here earlier.”Zander told them, and his cousins all looked at him as if he grew another head.

“How can that happen? You guys met her during when we were in the past. How is she even here?”Lysandra asked.

“Yeah, and besides didn’t Delta Magnus just told us that they don’t have a librarian? We already thought that she is a ghost.”Seb paused and then he looked like he realized something.

“Maybe she is indeed a ghost and she followed us here!”Seb exclaimed and Fiero slapped the back of his head.

“Well, did you even ask her what she was doing here?”Shanaia asked.

“Her exact words are, ‘can’t I attend my children’s wedding’?”Crane told them.

“Her children?”

“But what more important is she gave us a forewarning.” Zander told them.

“What what is it?”Ivan asked.

“She said that there are trouble that lies ahead and a whole new world will open its doors to us. We should be patient, be careful and most important of all, and be strong.”Zander answered.

  Everyone was confused of what Zander said.

“And what’s more freaky is that the old lady suddenly transformed into a beautiful young woman before disappearing into thin air.”

“What?’

“Are you two drunk?”

  Crane groaned.

“We are not drunk. We just thought that whatever that lady said has something to do with what Zari just said.”Zander said, and then they all look at Zari.

  There was a moment of silence between them when Ivan remembered the ongoing party.

“We should head back. Our parents might be wondering where we are.”Ivan said.

“Yeah I agree, and Zari just said she is not that keen to tell everyone that they are mates so at least we need to make sure it doesn’t happen.”Lysandra said.

“I’ll keep my eyes on Demetrio then.”Zander volunteered.

 “And I’ll stay here and monitor her. I’m not really enjoying the party.”Shanaia said and the others gave her a curt nod before they went out the room.  

  When Ivan went back to their table, Zander was with him and they saw their parents chatting with Lord Demetrio.

“Where were you? And why did Zari drag you out just like that?”Zab asked Ivan.

“Uhm...” Ivan was lost for words and didn’t know what to say.

“It’s a secret!”Zander blurted and everyone’s eyes fell on him.

‘Secret? That’s the best you can come up with?’ Ivan hissed at Zander through their mind link.

‘You got any better idea?’ Zander hissed back.

“And what is this secret? I hope you are not into anything mischievous because I swear I will skin you alive.”Calie warned, and Ivan just gave her a sheepish grin before taking as seat.

  While seated, Zander was looking intently at Demetrio, and Alex noticed it.

“I believe you two are not yet introduced. Zander, this is Lord Demetrio; one of the original councils.”Alex said.

“So I’ve heard. My name is Zander by the way.”Zander said.

“He’s my youngest child.”Zab said, giving Zander a stinky eye as he’s being rude to the guest.

  Demetrio smiled at him.

“Nice to meet you Zander.”Demetrio said, smiling to conceal the uneasiness he felt from Zander’s hostile look towards him.

  Demetrio cannot understand but somehow he felt like he knew the man in front of him.

“Anyway what was it you’re saying about your territory Lord Demetrio?”Camilla asked, pulling Demetrio from his thoughts.

“Uhm yeah that one. You see your majesty; there has been a numerous attack towards the humans within my territory and the nearby villages. The attack was not made by a vampire or a werewolf. We have no idea what kind of creature was attacking the humans, but because of that there is a group of vampire slayers formed and they began killing my people.”Demetrio explained.

  Everyone in the table fell quiet, and they all have that serious look on their faces.

“A newly formed vampire slayers and an unknown creature hmm...”Camilla trailed as her mind was pretty much occupied by different kind of scenarios.

“Do you want us to check up on it? The Elites I mean.”Zab asked.

  Demetrio remembered that the Elites are now transferred to a new leadership. And that was the blue eyed beauty that ensnared his heart. 

“If what was happening is causing too much havoc in your territory then maybe it’s high time that the Elites get involved.”Camilla paused and then she looked around looking for Zari.

“And where is Zari?”She asked.

“Zari’s a bit unavailable at the moment. She’s asleep in her room.” Zander said and sipped his wine.

  Demetrio suddenly felt empty.

“In that case, if you are not busy tomorrow Lord Demetrio we’ll have a talk with my granddaughter.”Camilla told Demetrio.

“If you wish your majesty.”Demetrio said.

**********************************.

  At the end of the party, and when guests are about to leave; Zander called out Demetrio as he was about to leave too.

“Can I talk to you my lord?”Zander asked.

  Demetrio furrowed his eyebrows when he looked at the prince. Then Zander led Demetrio towards the dark corner of the parking area, with Roko standing nearby.

“What is it that you want to talk about young prince?”He asked.

“What do you think about my sister when you saw her earlier?”Zander asked and Demetrio was taken back.

“What?”

“You heard me. You heard my question, so please answer it truthfully.”

  Demetrio stared at Zander, and then he sighed.

“You see, for years I dreamt of something, no more like someone. It’s really hard to explain that dream of mine, for that dream felt like a memory but I am not sure. But to make it short, the dreams that I was having always involved one person only. And it gives me a strong hunch that she is my beloved.”Demetrio told him.

“And?”

“And I came here to ask for her majesty’s help to decipher what’s in my head, or what was happening to me, because honestly it’s frustrating. But earlier, those dreams were finally cleared when I met your sister.”

“And?”Zander asked again, and it made Demetrio roll his eyes. Then he sighed before answering.

“Your sister is my beloved.”

  Zander just stared at him and then he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Very well. Can I just ask you to keep it to yourself and don’t tell anyone from our family. Talk to my sister first, she doesn’t like it when other people get ahead of things where she is involved as well.”Zander told the vampire Duke.

“Is that an advice young prince?”Demetrio asked, and Zander scoffed.

“Take it whatever you like Lord Demetrio. Zari can whoop your ass like the last time if you get ahead of things without talking to her.”Zander paused and then he patted Demetrio’s shoulder.

“Have a safe trip, my lord.”He added and then Zander walked away leaving Demetrio confused.

“What does he meant by the last time?”