The Vampires Torment

Chapter Four

423 Park Ave, New York, NY

Cyrus Penthouse.

"The b***h got me good," Xander hissed, sounding more pitiful than fierce, as Jasmine tended to his wound. The Luna wolf Mecca had left a deep, bloody claw mark down the left side of his face. We were in one of the many lounges of my penthouse.

The Luna wolf had somehow broken free from her chains and attacked Xander on the way from the airport, a feat that defied logic. She shouldn't even have had the strength to lift her head, let alone mount an assault.

Nicklaus and I had done well in keeping her weak. We'd starved her, kept her dehydrated, and pumped her full of lethal doses of silver.

By all accounts, she should have been dead.

"Don't be a p***y," I joked, taking another sip of my drink. Jasmine's blood was sweeter than any whiskey, one of the reasons she was my chosen w***e. The taste of her blood always made my desires stir.

"p***y," Xander retorted, flinching as Jasmine continued to clean his wound. Her hands trembled; all the slaves trembled in the presence of The Cold-Hearted King, and for good reason. "Why don't you let one of those mutts claw you and see how it feels?" he spat, sounding more and more pathetic.

"Not going to happen," I said, placing my glass back on the table. "Those mutts will never get close enough."

"Their balls are growing by the second," Nicklaus growled from the other side of the room, pacing furiously. His anger was palpable. He hadn't stopped pacing since he saw his brother's face. We were going to have some fun today. If we had our way, the werewolf species would be extinct by tomorrow.

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of two heartbeats approaching. We all turned towards the door.

"You may enter," I instructed before one of the humans had the chance to knock.

Two slave girls walked in, carrying trays of food, their eyes downcast, well-trained and obedient. Their hearts pounded with fear. One of them, Abigail, was one of my best slaves. I'd been tempted to replace Jasmine with her more than once.

She was a tiny, sexy thing with bright blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. She was well-mannered and shy, which was a plus in my book.

Something about a shy woman excited the monster inside me.

In other words, she could have me anytime she wanted. Unlike the other humans, she didn't throw herself at the vampires. If anything, she tried to avoid us. Maybe I should kick Jasmine to the curb and claim her as my Chosen.

The other human laid her tray's contents in front of me with shaky fingers. She was a plain-looking girl with short brown hair and pale skin. Usually, I wouldn't spare my slaves a glance, but this one was the boy Nicklaus almost drained's friend. Oh, that reminded me.

"How did she get so close to you?" Nicklaus demanded, snatching a glass of blood from Abigail's tray.

"How did she find the strength? Before we left, I had the guards take care of her." He seemed to be talking more to himself now.

Nicklaus and I had been testing a theory. We used different amounts of silver on the wolf to see how she reacted. Initially, it weakened her, and we thought we were onto something until one of Nicklaus's foolish guards tried to assault her. He wasn't around to tell the story. Nicklaus concluded she was immune. I thought she got lucky, so we increased the silver dosage.

Her attack on Xander meant one thing. Nicklaus was right.

"How am I supposed to know?" Xander snapped, making Jasmine jump and drop the bowl of water. Clumsy girl. She dropped to her knees immediately. "My apologies, Sire," she said loudly and clearly. Another reason she was my Chosen. She knew her place.

"Clean it up now," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Then head to my chambers." I needed to release some tension. Jasmine was always a good outlet.

She cleaned the mess and left the room. "That's how a human should behave," I teased Nicklaus, knowing he was still angry about his human, Claire.

Claire was Nicklaus's Chosen, though he pretended otherwise. She was feisty, with a sharp tongue, and never backed down. She challenged Nicklaus constantly. Despite being human, she belonged to him.

He refused to admit it, which amused me. I'd keep teasing them until he did. "Says who?" Nicklaus responded. "Your Chosen is a waste of life. Mine would kick yours' ass."

"There's no doubt about that," I shrugged. "She'd best Jasmine in anything, especially in bed. Maybe the slave boy should try his luck. He is good at seducing the slaves." The brown-haired slave shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sure your Chosen would welcome him."

In a second, Nicklaus was in front of me, eyes blazing. "Watch your mouth," he spat. See, that girl was definitely his beloved.

"Or what?" I challenged, standing up. I couldn't help myself. This was too much fun.

"You killed another slave in front of Claire," Xander hissed. "What's wrong with you? She's traumatized from your last stunt."

"I didn't do anything," I defended. "But I did take her to the dungeon on his orders."

Nicklaus rolled his eyes and walked to the window. "It was for Claire's protection. It was either kill Claire or the human. I chose the human."

"Unbelievable," Xander snapped, throwing his glass. He was always dramatic. He'd requested the enslavement of the human race because of a broken heart. Dramatic indeed. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"In the highest room in my tower," I answered sarcastically. Nicklaus chuckled.

"You both need to grow up," Xander hissed, storming out. "Make sure a slave delivers her pancakes," Nicklaus called after him.

"Shut up," Xander yelled, slamming the door. Brothers!

"That went better than expected," Nicklaus said, returning to the table. "I knew he'd be pissed, but damn."

"Yup," I replied, as Abigail refilled my glass. "You two are dismissed." The girls bowed and left quickly.

"It seems you and Xander have a thing for that human," I noted once they were gone.

"Enough about Claire," Nicklaus said. "We have bigger problems, like the wolf. We need to find her before they do."

He was right. "Commander Ravana is scouting the city," I informed him.

As if on cue, my adviser, Speck, entered the room, as usual, unannounced. She wore boy jeans, a horrid graphic T-shirt, and one of her choker pendants. Her dark roots and blue-ended hair were pulled back. Despite her fashion sense, she was one of the most beautiful immortals, with mocha skin, long lashes, thick brows, and dark eyes.

"And what brings you here?" Nicklaus sneered. They hated each other. Centuries ago, they had a thing. Nicklaus liked her, but she liked Xander. It was a classic love triangle.

"Why is he here?" she ignored him, addressing me.

"He is your King," I reminded her. "And my best friend. Now, do you have important matters to discuss?"

"Commander Ravana reports the mutt has contacted her pack," Speck said, grinding her teeth. "Our men spotted a group heading towards the city."

"They wouldn't dare," I snapped, jumping up.

"I told you their balls were growing," Nicklaus added smugly. He loved their newfound bravery. It was another excuse to wipe them out. "Where were they spotted?"

"Heading towards The Northern Village Quebec," she replied, not looking at him. "Reports say they were in a white truck with tinted windows."

Nicklaus and I burst out laughing. Werewolves in an SUV instead of on four paws? What was the world coming to?

"This isn't funny," Speck interrupted. She was always serious, despite her fashion choices.

"Yes, it is," Nicklaus laughed.

"Agreed," I added, still laughing.

"Blood Goddess, save me," Speck prayed dramatically. "It means they are with a group of Lycans."

Our laughter died. "The Luna would meet them there," I said.

"The Northern Pack warriors will be waiting at the border," Nicklaus added. We felt stupid.

"Obviously," Speck said. "There's a team ready to intercept, following the SUV. What are your orders?"

"Tell them to lay low," Nicklaus answered for me.

"Why would I do that?" Speck questioned.

Nicklaus growled. She quickly dropped to one knee in submission. I watched with boredom. She was my subject, but a King is a King. None of us liked being challenged.

"My apologies, Your Highness," Speck said through clenched teeth. She hated kneeling.

"Save it," Nicklaus dismissed. He knew her apology was bullshit. "As I was saying, lay low until you get there," he told me.

"Until I get there?" I questioned.

"Yes, until you get there," he replied. "You wanted war, let's declare war."

I smirked. I'd declare war and burn their towns down, starting with Quebec.

"Prepare my transportation. I leave in an hour."

"The jet is ready, Your Highness."

Even better. I stood, ready to leave.

"Have fun," Nicklaus called. I felt his excitement.

Oh, I certainly would.