Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“So vampires have broken into your prisons?” Mac grumbled. “Not to be a rude-ass, but what does this have to do with us. It seems to be a vampire problem.”
Justice kept his voice low, but Alek could hear the anger in his tone, “Vampire troubles are now our troubles. Wick is my mate. If he has a situation then we all do, and vice versa. When we were under attack by the rebellion that’d had a stronghold in the Ruby Dome, let’s not forget who it was that took care of that situation. It was Wick. And he wouldn’t hesitate to protect us again. I’d hoped my pack would be the first to volunteer to come to his aid.”
Mac looked chastised, and more than a little guilty. “Agreed. But, how can we help, Justice? Certainly we can’t fly, and traveling by sea would take way too long.”
Wick raised a hand in Mac’s direction. “I wouldn’t dare ask Justice to send any of his pack so far away. We’re not even going to ask the lone shifters that live in the UK, since they most likely wouldn’t want their wolves let out. Therefore, I’m going to send our elite soldiers with Belleron and Ramon to sweep in and contain the situation before it becomes public.”
“We’ve barely extinguished the fire from the last incident where a human police officer lost his life over a frivolous feud between shifters and vampires. We want to continue to show our united fronts,” Justice added. “Members of my pack and neighboring ones will be canvassing the territories and Wick’s remaining guards will be closely monitoring the covens, ensuring there’s no copycat activity on this side.”
“I didn’t think there’d be any more uprisings, Justice. Everyone knows now that your mating is real, and both species have chosen to follow you. And we’ve all seen what Wick can do. The only vampire who can shift into a different animal than a wolf. Who would do this? Take this kind of risk?” Farica frowned.
“We’re not sure.” A vampire stood and nodded first to his king and Justice, then to the rest of his siblings. His suit was crisp and fit his slim frame nicely. He didn’t look a day over thirty but his weary obsidian eyes told of years of experience. “I am the King’s lead intelligence officer, Orwin St. Charles. I’m honored to be here with you all… despite the ungodly hour.”
St. Charles received a few chuckles for that, his smooth British accent somehow lightening the dreary mood. “We appreciate the accommodations, Alphas. You’ve been more than thorough in ensuring our safety.”
Alek noted that not only were the large windows covered with heavy sun-blocking blinds, but with drapes as well. There was dim artificial lighting inside. Shifter and vampires guarded the entrances to make sure no one entered and allowed in unwanted sunlight.
Justice returned St. Charles’ smile. “Your safety will always be my priority. Thank you for coming. We need to come to a quick resolution. Wick and I need strong advisors like yourself to govern our species. And rest assured.” His brother gestured to the vampires still standing along the wall. “We will be doing far more meetings in the evening hours than at this time.”
“That would be appreciated,” Bell inserted.
“With that said,” St. Charles continued. “We thought we’d seen the last of a rebellion for at least some time. The general consensus about you and the king’s mating has been positive across the board. The old and new generation are eager to see what the new king is capable of. Vampires want to be accepted into society just like shifters. We don’t want the evil stigma that’s become customary of our kind. That’s why this recent act has come as such a surprise. Regardless, we’re prepared to tackle this issue.”
“And what do you propose is our best course of action?” Bell was speaking to Ramon, the Lord Protector, going about his business, completely unaware of Alek’s inner battle. Bell couldn’t feel him either.
“The most we saw were fifteen vampires on the last video. I say you lead a sixty-man team, Lord High, into the Yorkshire Dales and cut them off at the pass or disrupt what they’re doing, if already there. We want a low-key approach to keep this quiet and from reaching this continent. Things have been going so well for vampires in the states.”
Wolf shot up inside Alek so quickly that it jerked him forward in his chair. Heads turned his way, and Alek coughed and pounded on his chest a couple times as if he’d swallowed wrong. Bell didn’t appear fooled.
“We need to leave the majority of the army here. The covens in the United States make up eighty-five percent of our total population, and we’ll still need to heavily police them. Our Lord Generals will continue to head up that mission. The army based in London and the reserves will be on standby to provide Belleron with any back-up, if needed. But we don’t anticipate that happening. Our elite services are the best,” St. Charles looked proudly at their commander, “and there is no greater warrior than our own Lord High.”