Chapter 2

• The rumored Mafia boss, Romeo Martakis, is dead - The New York Times
• The CEO of Martakis Holdings has been successfully found dead in his penthouse - The Newshour
• Romeo Martakis found dead in a pool of his blood - The Gossip Tab
• Another newspaper or notification would send Alpha Luca over the edge, and he would find every editor before killing them in the most gruesome manner. Imagine waking up to a piece of news splashed everywhere about your friend's death, and you both know that killing him is like moving a mountain. Almost impossible.
• "Killing Lord Romeo is almost impossible, and we would have felt his soul leave the supernatural bond. Everything isn't adding up.
• "Not like the vampire had any good thing to do; he better be dead for real," Beta Ryan scoffed before leaning to pick a cup of cappuccino on the table. Before she could say jack, she was pinned against the wall by a furious Alpha Luca Castillo, who had pressed both fingers over her neck, preventing her from breathing.
• "Don't you dare say a fucking word against Romeo, do you understand me?" He asked through gritted teeth, and a choking Ryan nodded rapidly. He released her before she slid down the wall and returned to his former position. She rubbed the sore neck while she tried to regain her breathing.
• "You have a terrible attitude Luca; the poor girl was airing her opinions. Plus, she's correct; Romeo is nothing but trouble. I would rather have Valentine than Romeo," Hera added with a click of a tongue, and Alpha Luca picked his cup of black coffee before heading out. A team of beta Ryan and his sister wasn't one he was willing to contend with.
• "You hate to admit it, but it's the truth," Hera shouted at his retreating figure, earning a chuckle from Ryan. Alpha Luca shook his head with a soft smile on his face. Things were about to change, and he could feel it deep in his bones. His troublesome sister was back in town, and Romeo was off the grid and declared dead by someone he had no idea about. He had to call Lord Valentine Morris.
• ___________
• "Thank you for coming, but I remember asking you to come alone, not with your monitoring spirits," Lord Valentine grumbled, making sure to whisper the last part, and Hera flipped him off before moving to his fridge to find something to eat. Ryan shook her head because she knew a lot of dramas were about to start.
• "Damn you wolf, get the hell away from my fridge," Valentine shouted, but it was useless because Hera pulled out a giant chocolate cake serving before biting down on it. She raised her head, and she moaned at how good the cake tasted, making Lord Valentine grumble the more. He was keeping the cake or later.
• "Just ignore her, and let's focus on why you invited me here for something you couldn't say over the phone." Alpha Luca cut in, and Lord Valentine walked him to his office chair. Ryan walked closely behind them, and she stood behind her alpha as he took his seat.
• "I think Romeo has been kidnapped by some forces who want to control the supernatural realm. I don't think they are true supernaturals since Romeo has a thing for turning people when he's drunk," Lord Valentine started, and Luca began to think in the same direction. Only a turned supernatural will have the guts to overthrow their sire and want to rule the realm without knowing how it worked.
• "For them to declare him dead and we not being able to feel him means they have drained his blood, and he's in a tranquil state. That means we only have a short time left before he is moved into the ancestral state, they might be able to kill him in that state, and the vampire realm would be upturned," Alpha Luca added, and Lord Valentine nodded.
• "Explaining this to the vampire realm might be harder because those stupid things are only good at being stubborn and drinking blood. I ain't about to end up with fangs buried deep in my neck." Lord Valentine grumbled, and Alpha Luca burst into laughter. They all knew it was true, and Ryan was grateful she wasn't the only one who shared the intense dislike for the blood-bending nightwalkers.
• "We will go together as a team, and we will pick only our trusted and strongest men. We would explain to them in plain terms or forcefully. Either way, I'm not letting my friend die in the ancestral state without peace." Alpha Luca stated, but Lord Valentine had already gone to the fridge to stop Hera from eating other valuables he had kept for later.
• "What do you think, Ryan?" He asked quietly, and Ryan shook her head. She felt like they were underestimating these people, and for them to kidnap a whole vampire lord successfully meant they had a lot of plans in place. People don't just wake up to overthrow an existing realm lord.
• "This is a trap, more significant than we are imagining. Newly turned blood-benders don't just wake up with the plan to cause uproar in the realm. It means someone is fuelling their anger, and the person is sitting at the top of the chain. Kidnapping a powerful vampire lord doesn't happen by chance unless someone who did it is very close to him. We are going against a well-versed enemy, and we need more than a team of trusted warriors. We need a solid plan that can eliminate the threats forever." Ryan's speech was ended by Valentine clapping vigorously.
• "Ain't you a hybrid? Please come home. We would be proud to welcome you," Lord Valentine replied, and Ryan smiled before looking down. She knew they were already sold by the idea, considering how Alpha Luca was in deep thoughts. He knew he was weighing her words in his head.
• "I think Beta Ryan is correct; we would pretend as if we have no idea we are dealing with a traitor here. Maybe we could ask the coven to lend a hand or two. Romeo is our brother, and we can't watch the vampire realm go down in flames." Alpha Luca said, and everyone agreed with him.
• "Can we not go on without involving those creepy creatures? My last encounter with Sasha is still etched deep into my memories, and I ain't about to relay that." Hera retorted, and Alpha Luca gave her the stink eye, shutting her up immediately. Hera rarely got along with anyone; it's a surprise she's a wolf and not a witch.
• "So we send a representative to the vampire realm and all other supernatural realms. We requested an urgent meeting because I'm sure they all saw the news. We meet, and we say that we don't believe Romeo can be dead. We would all brainstorm ideas and find a way to save him. We keep important notes and watch the vampires closely; then, we meet in the wolf realm a day after the meeting with Romeo, of course. Anyone have anything else to add?" Lord Valentine and Ryan waved their hands. He gave her permission to speak, and she did.
• "Getting other realms to attend the urgent would be hard since the majority are not on talking terms with the vampires, Lord Romeo especially. He has a reputation for sleeping with their redheads. We would have to go by ourselves to show the importance, and they don't like getting on the bad side of Alpha Luca." Beta Ryan added, and everyone agreed with her. Lord Romeo was a douche, and everyone knew it. He had the highest sleeping rate with virtually anything from any realm, as long as it had a redhead.
• "Let's go back home; let's meet at the wolf realm by nightfall. Such an important message should only be done at night, and we would still go with our trusted warriors. I'm edgy, especially about the witches. I don't want someone to turn me into anything currently" He added the last part jokingly, and everyone laughed.
• "If you have a weapon that can kill supernatural beings very fast, please do bring it along. We better not take chances." Lord Valentine replied, and everyone seemed to agree with him. They still had no idea which kind of people they were dealing with, and going with heads into this meant only one thing; they were willing to risk it all for Lord Romeo Valentine.
• "I'm not a big fan of vampires, and I would rather not turn special agent Hera for him. Romeo has never been a big fan of mine, so he won't even appreciate my presence on the spot. I would love to sit here with Valentine and help finish his food." Hera reported, and everyone wanted to laugh with the murderous look on Lord Valentine's face. He looked like the only thing keeping him from killing Hera was Alpha Luca. The said man watched the exchange between both of them with an amused expression; he knew they were going to get along very soon with the way they've been at each other's throats. He was here for it.