Dr. Luna
Demon War: Rise of the Alpha Chapter 53

Ciana walked around greeting the people who were out and about. Jin was being kept close near Jason otherwise she would be bouncing around the people as well. Everyone they talked to was very happy. They didn't look at their relationship with the vampires as a burden or hindrance. To them they were close friends and family. Someone had someone mated to a vampire. Or some of them have been turned into vampires. Freya and Wyatt spoke to a few children who were running around and playing. The children talked about how awesome the vampires were and how they always brought them back cool toys and treats.

"What about when they bite you guys?" Freya asked with a frown. The one little girl shook her head.

"They never feed on any of the kids. We have to be at least eighteen and even then have to give consent. I can't wait until I am old enough." Freya's eyes widened. "You want someone to feed off of you?"

"Sure, why not? Who knows maybe I have a vampire husband out there." The little girl grinned and took off running towards some other kids.

"I hate to admit it but they all seem... happy." Freya whispered as she looked over the place.

"No one seems to be kept here against their will. They even talk about how they travel and leave all the time. I guess this is just the way of life they chose. It does keep them protected." Wyatt shrugged. If this is what they wanted, then who was he to interject. He turned his head and looked behind him. "What do you think that is about?"

Freya followed Wyatts gaze to Jester and Irene. The two were talking at the edge of the village. It seemed to be a serious discussion, but they didn't appear to be arguing.

"He is probably asking how his brother has been. He had not seen him in a while. I am sure he is curious how things have been here." Freya shrugged it off. She trusted Jester so whatever the conversation was it was his business.

Wyatt looked over the village. "We haven't had any run-ins with the vampires. I can't remember even my father talking about fighting with them. It seems things have really changed around here from the stories we have been told." He looked at the people. At one point he would have looked at this like the vampires keeping cattle. The people were their livestock. But it wasn't the case. From what he could tell the vampires cared for them and took care of them. Some of them even loved the other. It was just another type of partnership. If this is the type of environment the King and Queen of the vampires have created, then maybe forming an alliance with them was not far off. A truce between the werewolves and the vampires would help solidify a peaceful life for both species. Wyatt turned and looked at Freya who seemed to be pondering something. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking how civil this all is. I have never had to drink blood. I can eat normally. But for those who need it as much as I would need water... I was just thinking that this is a nice, organized way for it. You know besides storing it in milk jugs or something." Freya grimaced a bit and gave Wyatt a crooked smile.

"So how are the humans turned into vampires?" Wyatt asked curiously. He changed with just a bite from Freya.

Freya smiled and reached up to trace her mark on Wyatt. "This is different. This is a mark. The vampires can feed off of the wrist. A bite on the neck would be considered a mark for a mate. And if someone was going to change someone without claiming them as a mate then they would have to drink vampire blood."

Wyatt nodded thoughtfully and then looked around. "It doesn't look like there is any issue here. I guess it is time to move on to what we came for."

Freya looked over in the distance. "It looks like the welcoming committee is already here."

A group of ten men walked into view. Though these were not just men. They were vampires and from the looks of them they were their guards. Wyatt pulled Freya so that she was slightly behind him at his side as the men approached. Jason, Jin and Ciana also made their way to Wyatt.

Jester and Irene quickly walked in front of Wyatt and Freya, standing between them and the soldiers.

"We are here to escort you to the King and Queen." One of the men spoke clearly.

Jester chuckled. "Did my brother think I would get lost on my way there? Or is there another reason for the escort?" He looked over the men as he studied them. But true to their elite nature they didn't give anything away. He looked back to Freya and Wyatt. His eyes met with theirs and they both nodded to him. "Alright then. We are ready. Lead the way."

Irene walked up past the guards and led the way. Jester's predatory gaze followed after her as they followed her lead. Freya sized up every guard and analyzed how strong she thought each one way. She was always preparing just in case. If they had to fight their way out she wanted to have some sort of game plan in her head.

They followed a white gravel path through a clearing that led to a covered pine forest. In the middle of the forest was a dark stone castle. There were two dark brown wooden doors with bronze handles. Two men standing guard opened the door for them as they came closer.

Freya was surprised with how well lit up the insides of the castle was. She always pictured vampires living in a dark cave or something. This was nothing like that. The black marble floor sparkled under the bright lights as they entered a large opened room. At the end of this room was another set of doors that were already opened waiting for them. And through those doors she could feel a strong power. Wyatt's arm tightened around her as they entered the room. His eyes were fixed on the two people standing at the end of the room.

Jester walked up to them. He lowered his head showing respect to the two people. The man reached out to Jester and wrapped his arms around him. He pulled him in a deep embrace and his voice whispered out, "You've been gone too long." Jester patted the man's back. "I've missed you too, Alaric." He then looked over at the woman and nodded his head. "You look incredibly well, Willa."

"As do you. You have been gone for so long. You should really think about sticking around." Willa said in a serene voice.

"So who have you brought with you?" Alaric looked past Jester and looked over the guests. His eyes swept over each person until they landed on Freya. There his gaze rested. "Well would you look at what we have here. Gilberts' daughter." Freya felt her breath hitch hearing her father's name. She had forgotten about her father's past. She knew he was a vampire and had left his kind to live with her mother. But it just now clicked that this is where he left from.

"There is a lot of energy emanating off of you. Though I guess given who your parents were that makes sense. Still..." Alaric's eyes focused on her in confusion. "Where did the wolf come from?" His gaze then shifted to Wyatt. He stared at him and focused harder until realization hit his face. "Now isn't that something." He looked over to Willa and nodded his head towards Wyatt. "The werewolves have finally gotten their king."

Wyatt was a bit stunned. The vampire king was very perceptive, but he guessed when you have lived as long as he has it was only natural to be knowledgeable. He didn't like how Alaric's eyes rested back on Freya. He could see that he was deep in thought as he looked at her and his wolf was lowly snarling. He didn't like how intense his mate was being studied.

"When your father left it was quite a shock to us. Your father was someone very important in our society here. Think of him as a top aristocrat. His departure was a heavy loss. We would have allowed him to stay here with his mate. Even if she was a witch." Alaric met with Freya's eyes. "You have his strength and determination. I see him in you." He then looked back to Jester. "So what do we owe this grand appearance of my long lost brother and the werewolf King?" His eyes then met with Wyatt's silver eyes. Wyatt took a step forward, keeping Freya behind him. "We are here to seek an alliance with the vampires. I wish for our species to exist alongside one another in peace."

"Oh? And this would have nothing to do with the demons asking us to join the war on their side?" A small smile spread over Alaric's lips.

"Surely you are not considering such a thing." Jester furrowed his brows as he looked at his brother.

Alaric shrugged. "Perhaps I was and perhaps I wasn't. But maybe I am considering something else now." His eyes drifted over Freya once again. "My mate and I have something to discuss in private. We will summon for you once we have made a decision." "You aren't even going to let us argue our case?" Freya took a step forward and boldly spoke. Wyatt immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her back to his side.

Alaric smiled as his eyes snapped back up to Freya. "Such a commanding voice you have there. You will be a good Queen for the werewolves to have." He glanced back to his mate and locked eyes with her. "There is nothing you can argue that I wouldn't already know. The decision we make will be the one we feel is the best. Please feel free to wait in the great room."

Jester gave his brother a hard look before he shook his head and sighed. "Guess we are going to have to stick around a bit longer." He walked back to Wyatt and Freya and placed his hands on their shoulders. "Come on. Nothing else we can do here." He ushered the group out back into the room. Irene was standing in there waiting for them.

Freya watched Irene and noticed how Jester's eyes immediately met with hers. It was then Freya put it together. "She's your mate." Freya said with an ah ha tone. She tilted her head to look at Jester for conformation.

Jester chuckled and then walked over to Irene's side. "Yes, she is. I had given up on meeting my mate." He looked at Irene.

"Do you also accept him?" Ciana asked curiously looking at Irene.

Irene looked down at the floor. "I haven't really been around others a lot. I usually stick to myself and work alone. I don't really know how to be a mate, but..." She lifted her eyes to look at Jester who was smiling at her. "If he still wants me despite that than I'm willing as well."

Freya leaned into Wyatt's side. This girl was a lot like her. She felt the same way. Maybe had Wyatt not forced himself on her she would have been the same way about accepting a mate. She would have agreed if that is what Wyatt really wanted. In her case he made that blatantly obvious by immediately marking her.

"What do you think your brother wishes to discuss?" Jason said getting back to the matter at hand. He was still wondering if they were going to have to fight their way out of here. There wasn't room to feel sentimental.

"I'm not sure actually. He did seem intrigued by Freya. Maybe he likes the idea of the queen of the werewolves also being part vampire. I guess we will find out soon enough. At least it seems like he never made an agreement with the demons. That can only be a good thing." Jester looked up at the door that was now closed. He wasn't sure what his brother was thinking. But now that he found Irene, he planned to settle down here again. Irene wanted to continue to live here, and he could tell that his brother had missed him as well. And to be completely honest with himself he had missed things about this place.

Jin stayed quiet as she observed everything. She leaned herself deeper into Jason's side with a small frown on her face.

"Jin? Is everything okay?" Jason whispered lowly to her.

"I don't like how he was looking at Freya. Maybe we should get her and Wyatt out of here." Jin whispered barely audible to Jason. Her green eyes looked up at him with worry. She felt like it was more than just an interest. There was more he was planning to talk about with his mate.

Jason smiled at her and nodded. "We know, Jin." He glanced up to Freya and Wyatt who stood confidently together looking at the closed door. "They know it too. They are seeing it through though. They can't leave now. All we can do is be ready to fight if we have to." Their quieted whispers were still no match for the keen hearing of Jester who wasn't far from them. He walked closer to them with Irene and met with Jason's gaze. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to them. I might have been gone but I still have some clout here."

"Did you know about Freya? Who her father was?" Jin asked which drew the attention of everyone else. Freya was also curious about this.

Jester nodded his head. "That was the first reason I started watching over her. I knew it the moment I met her she was Gilbert's daughter. Well that isn't entirely accurate. I suspected it at first. Then the moment I talked to her I knew it. Gilbert was not just any vampire. He was special. He had original blood in him." Jester sighed and looked up to Freya. "Even allowing your mother to live here Gilbert knew it wasn't a good idea. Because of the purity of his blood, they would want him to strengthen it with another pure blood. You have no idea how special you are Freya."

Jester looked around the room. "But my brother does know. He can feel it from you. Normally when vampires take a non-vampire mate their offspring are weaker. This is not the case with you. You have ended up stronger. I can recognize your blood when I am close to you. That is how I knew you were Gilbert's daughter. Your blood was never diluted down. Instead, it was mixed stronger."

"What do you think he wants from Freya?" Wyatt felt unnerved as he held her protectively next to him. He would destroy the world in order to protect Freya. He would order all the werewolves to protect their queen. She was his first priority.

Jester pondered quietly for a moment and shook his head uncertainly. "I don't quite know what he is thinking... He might want some of Freya's blood to study it. I honestly don't know."