Hunting His Vampire Princess (Book 6 of the Avec Series)

Chapter Three

      Ten years later...

  "Evelyn Grace Krev," the headmistress called. The blonde girl lifted her head, her silver eyes held a tinge of red. Evidence that her blood lust was fading, her appetite satiated. 

    "Yes ma'am," the young girl whispered. She knew what she had done, and she was immediately sorry for it. She was still learning to control herself outside the castle walls. 

    The headmistress looked down at Evelyn and couldn't hold her scowl, she could see the remorse in the young girl's eyes. She smiled softly at her, she understood how the young woman felt. "You need to do better than this." 

    The young woman looked down, "Yes, ma'am." She felt horrible for taking the fairy's life. The scent of her blood was entirely too sweet. She had only wanted to taste it, but her blood lust took over. 

    "Tell me, how do you feel about this?" The headmistress of the vampire boarding school Evelyn's father had enrolled her in asked her gently. She folded her arms across her chest. There was no way she could explain this away. She knew that the king wouldn't want her to be remorseful she was, after all, a vampire princess. He wanted her to have everything and anything she wanted. even at the expense of others. He could be very selfish when it came to his only child. His most precious daughter. 

    Evelyn swallowed, "Terrible," she whispered. 

    The older vampiress took Evelyn by the arm and guided her into the office. She sat the teenager down, "Look, I know that this isn't easy for you." 

    Evelyn sighed heavily, "You've got that right, Miss Ward." She was tired of her father doing everything for her and constantly trying to protect her. It was getting old. She knew she was capable of so much more than he expected her to do. 

    "Is everything all right at home?" Miss Ward lifted a few of her books and stacked them neatly on the corner of her desk. She peered over her glasses at Evelyn, she didn't really need them since she was a vampire. But she loved the way they made her look. It gave her a seductive look that made a certain science teacher want to show her a few experiments.  

    Evelyn smiled, "Yes, it is." She knew that she would have to tell the truth. The thing is, things were fine. She was just wanting to stretch her wings, show her father what she was made of. Ever since those hunters had found her mother and killed her, he was so overprotective she thought she would never be able to be free. It was as if he was trying to put her in a gilded cage and just look at her. Not raise her, and allow her to grow into the vampire princess she knew she could be. Growing pains weren't something 'wrong' at home. Not even if they were royal ones. 

    "Well, if you need anything," Miss Ward began. 

    Evelyn smiled, "Yes, ma'am. Right now, I'm just trying to find my place." She stood and made her way to the door. She felt she might be able to trust the headmistress soon enough, but just not yet. 

    "Okay, well, then young lady. Get yourself to class." She shooed Evelyn away with her hand while giving her a charming smile. 

    Evelyn scooted out the door and walked down the hallway of the boarding school. She could barely wait until tonight when she could speak with her best friend. She was from the worse part of the vampire realm and had it way worse than Evelyn did, but she always treated her like an equal and not someone that needed to be revered. 

    ***********

    Tracker was playing football with the kids at the school he was currently attending. This was the fifth time in the ten years he'd been living in the United States that he had moved. He was tired of it but smiled with his friends. 

    He caught the oblong ball easily. He was about to throw it back when his phone beeped, telling him his aunt was almost there. 

    "Think fast," he called releasing it into the air. 

    The teenage wolf at the other end of the grass caught it. "Man, you should join our football team!" He called. 

    Tracker shook his head, "Sorry man, no can do! My aunt needs me." The lie came out easily, the reason he wouldn't join any of the teams was that he didn't want to get attached. He couldn't stand the thought of making close friends and then having to leave suddenly because they found them again. Leah wasn't even his aunt, he just had to keep that story straight because he needed to protect his cousin. He sighed, he wished he could find his mother. His memories of her were beginning to fade more and more, which made him worry. He didn't want to forget his father or his mother. Knowing that they may be alive was one of the things that kept him going. They had started on the west side of the country slowly moving east as the people they were running from would come closer to them. 

    Leah made sure to remind him daily that his parents and Jade's father loved them dearly. He was hoping that a pack would take them in soon, but they were all leary when they saw their coloring. It frustrated him that they were being judged like this. He just wanted to go back home, he scoffed inwardly at his own thought. He could barely remember his own lands. What home? He was in the middle of his own pity party when the prettiest girl in the school walked up to them. 

    "Hey, Tracker," she cooed, batting her eyelashes at the teenager. 

    "Oh, hey Charlotte," he greeted her with a smile. She was pretty enough, but he simply wasn't interested in her.  

    She batted her eyelashes at him again, she really wanted to spend some time with him. He was absolutely gorgeous! He stood taller than all the other males in the school, and just had this amazing aura around him.  "I'm going down to the library to study for our history test, would you like to join me?" 

    He gave her a half-smile, "Sorry, Charlotte, but I have to get home. Jade will be here soon and I'll have to take her home." 

    Charlotte stomped her foot in an attempt to look like she was sulking cutely, "Ugh, why do have to be her babysitter? She's old enough to walk home herself." She attempted to lean herself into Tracker's chest. He stepped back, he didn't want her invading his space. 

    He shook his head, "She's my cousin, and I need to be there for her." His voice sounded firm, he promised his mother that he would always protect his cousin. And he would do anything in his power to keep that promise. 

    She was about to argue some more when Jade showed up, "Hey, Tracker!" she greeted enthusiastically. "Are you ready to go home?" 

    Tracker smiled warmly at his cousin, "Sure thing cuz!" His greeting was hundreds of times warmer to his cousin than it was to the girl shamelessly flirting with him. 

    Charlotte huffed and rolled her eyes, she wanted to spend time with him! How dare that girl take that time away from her! Tracker turned and walked away from Charlotte, not even bothering to look back. He obviously didn't feel the same way about her as she did about him. 

    She narrowed her eyes as they walked away, she would make him hers. She just had to devise a plan to do it. 

    Jade looked up to Tracker, in more ways than one. He was like a big brother, father figure, and best friend all wrapped up in one. "Sorry I was running late today," she apologized. "Sam was going to try to trick the math teacher today. I had to talk her out of it." 

    Tracker chuckled and shook his head, "She is going to be in so much trouble if we ever have to leave." 

    Jade sighed loudly, "I hope we can stay here, at least until I graduate!" She was just as tired of the moving as he was. 

    Tracker put his arm around her and pulled her into a half hug. "So do I cuz," he agreed. They walked the rest of the way to the tiny cottage they shared with Leah. Tracker sniffed the air, he looked at Jade, "Stay out here." 

    He stepped cautiously onto the porch, his nose working overtime. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest. He was struggling to calm himself down, someone was on their porch recently. He didn't recognize the scent. All he could tell was it was a male. He stepped closer to the door, he could hear his aunt groaning. 

    He turned to Jade, and motioned for her to stay put, but be ready to run in case things went badly. Tracker pushed open the door, with a low growl emanating from his throat. "OH, Sweet Jesus, Leah!" Tracker cried covering his eyes. 

    Leah was blushing furiously over the fact that her fifteen-year-old ward walked in so fiercely while she was in the throes of passion. She hadn't seen her mate in ten years and he had found her. They couldn't contain themselves. She rushed to cover herself, "Tracker! It's uh, it's okay!" 

    Tracker was keeping his eyes covered, "You could have texted me!" 

    Joseph chuckled, "At least I can see she was well protected until I found you three!" 

    Tracker, his eyes still covered, grinned broadly, "Of course I would! Leah, are covered?" 

    Leah laughed, "Yes, I am Tracker." 

    He uncovered his eyes and studied the man in front of him, he looked him up and down. He could barely remember the man, but his mind was telling him that this was indeed his guardian's mate. He turned to Jade, who was waiting outside unsure of what was going on. 

    Jade walked up the stairs cautiously, her own heart beating in her ears. She couldn't remember the man in the room with Leah, but she knew that she was safe. Leah looked at Jade, "Jade, this is Joseph, I don't know if you remember him." 

    Jade shook her head, "No, I'm sorry. I don't." She was only three when her whole world got turned upside down. Her childhood was filled with moving and hiding from people that wanted to hurt them. Now at thirteen, there was a man in her living room, apparently boinking Leah, claiming to be her mate. 

    Leah could see the confusion running across Jade's face. "I promise, he's safe." She did her best to comfort the teenage girl. 

    "I need to go upstairs," Jade said, she wasn't sure of her feelings. 

    Tracker sat down on the sofa, but immediately sat back up when he could smell their scents all over the whole room, "Really? On the sofa?! Gross!" He exclaimed dramatically. 

    Leah blushed so deeply she glowed. Joseph, on the other hand, laughed heartily. He clasped his shoulder, "You'll understand someday, son." Tracker looked at the man but said nothing. He wasn't his son, and he really hoped that he would remember that. He had a father, and he was going to find him. 

    Leah looked so happy, Tracker didn't want to do anything to ruin it, he would just keep his eye on this man. "I'm going to check on Jade, " he said walking towards the small staircase. He turned to the amorous couple, "Please use your room, Leah. I don't want to sit where you guys, uh, well," he shook his head. He couldn't bring himself to say that the woman he thought of as his mother, was having s*x with a man. 

    Joseph laughed and Leah just turned even redder. He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around his mate. He inhaled deeply, oh how he had missed her! He had been searching for her ever since he woke up. Nothing could keep him from finding her, ever.

    She turned in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder, a silent tear escaping her eyes. Worry began to fill her heart, she would have to do better at hiding from those packs until she could get those two back to their rightful packs. 

    Once Tracker made sure Jade was okay, he went to his own room. He would have to sort out his own feelings. He was doing his best to stifle his feelings of hope that his own family was still alive. He couldn't help but worry that if Joseph could find them, then so could the others. And that wouldn't be such a happy reunion.