Blood Queen

The Treaty

Chapter 2

>>>Atticus' POV<<<

After almost a decade of searching for her, I found her by accident. I didn't know who she really was, but I had tasted her blood and that was enough to make me crazy. Many years ago, I had sat in a hospital bed in my coven hospital, healing from an attack from hunters. I was able to save all of my coven members from our picnic that evening, but I took a solid iron rod through the chest to do it, narrowly missing my heart. With the rod still sticking out of me I laid all of those hunters to waste, before I took myself to the hospital. When they removed it, blood splattered everywhere and I was losing so much blood the doctor became desperate. 

The IV infusions weren't enough and he looked at me with terrified eyes. "There might be another way." He said as his eyebrows knitted a scarf right in front of me. "I have special blood in my lab, I'm studying it." He fidgeted, "I do not know its source, only that it heals Ankara extremely fast, and I do not have much. He brought me a bag of blood, "Drink it." He ordered.

I popped the bag on my fangs and gulped it down, her scent swarming my mouth as my entire body told me it was our mate's blood, and waves of orgasmic euphoria washed over me, I had a soul mate, and now that I've tasted her, I had to have her again. Her blood was sweet, and filled me with new energy and life, and like a drug, I needed to find its owner so I could have more. To satiate my blood lust, to claim what is mine. My wounds healed in seconds, and I felt better than ever before. 

"Where did this blood come from?" I demanded, he looked scared. "Speak!"

"It was taken from a wolf pup. I don't know who, but she was sick, and then her blood changed and she was no longer sick. I've been trying to recreate her healing blood in the lab for hospital use. I really don't know the identity of the specimen, only that it was a juvenile female wolf. I obtained the specimen from our sister coven, who stole it from Karden hospital when they noticed it was different." He told me, and I searched his eyes for lies and found none.

I put my coven on alert to find the donor, but we kept coming up short.

The last couple of years, the whole area had been having more hunter attacks, Ankara, Vampire and Wolf alike. I wasn't a vampire, and while we have a lot of those in the coven and we're often confused, we call them changelings, those of us with pure blood hold higher status. Being an Ankara held better perks. We were stronger, faster, and weren't dead. Positives in my opinion. They weren't technically dead, I guess; they had a heart beat but what it pumped through their veins wasn't blood anymore. A weird plasma that glowed yellow when it hit the air filled their bodies, and the heart pumped it otherwise, yeah, the whole rigor mortis thing and they'd lock up. They breathed air, but I'm pretty sure it was just reflex from when they were human, because I've sunk a vampire for insubordination in the mote overnight and he was fine in the morning. Pissed, but alive.

Alpha Zen Sky had a small pack that had been ravaged, but his lands were the most strategic to hunt the hunters back, and that's what I had planned to do. The Thunder Mountain Pack was nestled in a valley between two large mountain ranges, and they claimed the mountains and the valley between them. I needed access to his land, he needed protection from the threats that increased upon him. I could have asked for anything. 

He had invited me to his pack to discuss things, and possibly come to terms for a treaty. I entertained the idea only because the access to his land would be beneficial to me. I arrived in the morning, and after a brief discussion, he showed me his lands. I saw her, sitting in the courtyard drawing, and I just knew it.

Ankara are not like wolves, aside from the obvious, we know our mates instantly, no matter how old they are. Even if they haven't been born yet, we can feel them once we see them.

I did my best to keep my composure and walk away from her with the Alpha without a second glance as we entered his office to draw up the treaty. It hurt my heart for a moment, but the moment I sat down, it was all business. "I'm willing to sign a treaty with you. I'll give you all the military support you require, and in return, I'll have free access to your pack lands for hunting purposes, not feeding, of course, and a female of my choosing to serve me." My eyes were steady on him.

He blanched, "Your Majesty, we value our females on this pack very much. I could never force one to go with you."

"I was going to ask for 10, but very well." I stood and turned to leave, baiting him. He bit.

"Wait!" He paused as I turned around, his brow furrowed hard. "Do you know who you wish to choose? She must be at least 16 and unmated." He said through a grimace.

"I'll decide after supper. Once I can see them all." I lied, I knew exactly who I wanted. The alpha nodded his agreement, but wouldn't meet my gaze. He felt ashamed, and he should. He just sold me someone's daughter.

At dinner, I scanned the pack looking for her as everyone ate, oblivious to their Alpha’s betrayal. She was standing in the corner of an alcove looking out the window by herself. Her long red dress was beautiful, hugging her curves, and showing bare shoulders speckled with freckles. Her long wavy red hair was piled in ruffles on her head and pinned. A ruby jewelry set in white gold hung from her delicate neck and ears and her full deep red lips pulled into a line. Her green eyes held sadness as she looked at the brewing storm, and she wrapped her arms around herself, hugging tightly. I wanted to go to her, but I couldn't yet.

Alpha Zen sat beside me, pulling the treaty papers out for us to sign. I read them quickly and when everything was in order, we both signed. He looked down at the paper in his hands. "Have you made a decision, Your Majesty?" 

I feigned boredom, I had to keep up appearances when I wanted to scream that I had. "I think," I paused for a moment, dramatically, as I took a look around the room. "I'll have her." I said pointing to the redhead by the window. 

His eyes flashed anger and then concern, but he held himself steady. "That's my eldest daughter, Your Majesty." As if begging me to change my mind. 

"Is she at least 16?" I asked. He nodded his reply slowly. "Is she marked and mated?" He shook his head slowly, knowing where this was going. "Then I choose her. Inform her. I'll meet you at your office at 9 to collect her."

"Your Majesty, please reconsider." He asked.

I got close to him, so no one else could hear what I had to say but him, "You were ready to sell off any woman in the pack for peace, but now that it's your daughter you don't have the stomach? Is she not a part of this pack like everyone else? Or do you give this princess special treatment? 9 o'clock, or our treaty is void." I left the table abruptly, my guards right behind me.