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Charles slipped down the stairs of the mansion, careful not to be seen or heard. He was sipping his usual bloody sangria, the metallic taste like heaven on his tongue, a good book on his lap and no noise from Alex and Lando bickering over silly things. The glass a gift from Sebastian for the anniversary of his creation, an engraved glass goblet that the Ancient had commissioned from one of the most renowned Bohemian craftsmen. Reaching the roof, he settled in to relax. But his day off had lasted very little. There, he noticed a figure emerge from the forest and begin climbing the hill toward Lewis' mansion.
He was not transformed, but he was clearly a wolf. And he was entering Lewis' territory.
If he had had a heart, it would surely have skipped a beat or two. Not that he feared for their safety; it was a single wolf, and the mansion was home to an entire clan that would have no trouble getting rid of him. But it was their territory, and a wolf was invading it. There was no need for another war. The balance between the creatures had been stable for several centuries now, and a war over territory was not necessary.
He started to head downstairs, intending to raise the alarm and knock on Lewis' door to warn the clan leader about the intruder. But he paused on the stairwell, reconsidered his approach, and instead shifted his focus to observe more closely by peering out through a nearby window, sharpening his eyes and concentrating on the scene below.
He was not a stray wolf; he had a scent registered in the creature registry, which could be both positive and negative at the same time. If he had been a stray, they would have sent a patrol to determine if he was lost, and they would have eventually redirected him to a pack. If he had been a loose cannon looking for trouble, they would have dealt with him quickly without resorting to legal action. Considering that he was instead registered, he was potentially even more trouble. As the wolf fell under the protection of a pack leader who could then deal with this rebel if he was a madman who wanted to jeopardize the Agreements. If, on the other hand, it had been the first in a series of targeted attacks, it would have been a big problem, as it would have been the first frontal attack in the last 300 years, since Fernando had thought it wise to challenge Lewis and had paid the consequences. Charles was only a fledgling during the last war and did not actively fight. He remembered helping to treat the wounds of the vampires who fought alongside another fledgling, Lando. The war claimed too many lives. The only positive thing it brought was George into the clan and a much better mood in Lewis, who had become increasingly harsh and grim in the previous centuries.
He walked out the door and down the hill, heading toward the wolf. He needed to assess the situation. He knew it was foolish to approach a wolf that invaded their territory alone, but he wanted to avoid potential disasters of major proportions, such as an angry Lewis forced to get his hands dirty over trivial matters. If things went wrong, he would confront him on the hill, without letting him reach the mansion. The chance of not bringing trouble to the clan was worth the risk. Over the years, he trained extensively with both his peers and Sebastian. He believed in himself; he could handle a single wolf.
He quickly climbed a tree. The wolf would pass by shortly; the scent trail did not lie. He had the advantage because he could smell the wolf and see him from above, while the wolf was blind, deaf, and isolated compared to a creature like Charles, who made no noise and had no scent. The wolf entered Charles' direct field of vision, walking slowly and looking around, but he didn't seem lost. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, but with a bit of uncertainty or nervousness. He was not transformed but in human form, a young and rather muscular guy. His body language did not suggest he intended to attack -This is vampire territory- The wolf jumped in surprise and immediately assumed a fighting position. He was fast, certainly not unprepared, but Charles had an advantage if he had to face him; he was in his league. Lewis, but also Sebastian, would have killed him before the wolf even realized he had someone nearby, but that was another matter.
-I come in peace-
-If you came in peace, you would have followed protocol. I am not aware of any letter of request having arrived for Lewis.-
-I am not here for the clan leader Hamilton-
-All correspondence goes through our clan leader. You can't come without authorization- Charles rolled his eyes. The wolf wasn't slow on the reflexes, but he wasn't particularly bright either -Go home, wolf, send a letter with your reasons, and wait for your invitation-
-I came for George, to talk-
-Ah, you must be the wolfie he used to sleep with a while back. Interesting- Charles replied vaguely. That complicated things, and not just a little
-Did he talk to you about me?- asked the wolf. Charles detected a small change in scent. The wolf was slightly pleased, even if he didn't want to show it. Not only was he not very bright, but he was also quite pathetic, almost making him smile. But he was a pack leader. George mentioned it once. He had to send him away as soon as possible, firstly because the invasion of a pack leader was an even more serious matter, and soon someone would come out of the villa to meet him. And secondly, because it meant that Charles probably couldn't deal with him, or at least not as easily.
-A couple of times while we were in bed, let's say-
-Are you Alex?-
-Charles-
-You've been mentioned a couple of times-
-Reasonable, I'm quite unique- the vampire joked, trying to ingratiate himself with the wolf and play his cards right
-So can I talk to George? I told him I love him, and he hasn't come to see me since-
-Max- Charles became more serious and used his name, the one the wolf did not introduce himself with, but which George told him -You have to go home and forget about George. He hasn't come to see you because Lewis found out and punished him. There's no way he is letting him out-
-I'll talk to Lewis then. George is my other half. I can't live without him- replied the wolf, perhaps a little too impulsively. George was punished because of him. He had to go and save him.
-Are you an idiot?- Charles blurted out those words before biting his tongue. Perhaps calling the pack leader he was trying to ingratiate himself with an ‘idiot’ hadn't been the best idea -Max, the best thing that could happen to you is that he laughs in your face and takes it as a joke. With all due respect, I have nothing against you, but to Lewis, you are all stinking dogs. Do you think he would let you touch his creature again? The most realistic outcome of an encounter with Lewis would be you coming back alive but with your hands cut off. And that's only if Lewis is in a good mood. Go home, Max, George is bound-
-George is bound to me, he is my destined mate. If I have to, I'll face Lewis in a duel- said the wolf, raising his voice. Charles jumped down from the tree and then onto the wolf, covering his mouth with both hands
-You're an idiot. I repeat, you're an idiot. Do you think this is the way to shout something like that in Lewis' territory after you crossed it without permission?- whispered Charles, visibly agitated -You should know the Agreements, you're the pack leader. I'm trying to send you away without getting you killed, in case you didn’t notic-
-I can't leave, Charles. How can I call myself a wolf, an alpha, a pack leader, if I don't fight to the death for my mate? That's what I teach my pack-
-You have to teach them to read the room and save their asses when there's no hope. Do you want to leave your pack without a leader?-
-My mate comes first, Charles. With all due respect, you can't understand a concept like that-
-Just as you can't understand the relationship between a creature and its creator. Do you think that if faced with a choice between you and Lewis, George would ever choose you?- Charles pointed out and Max was silent for a moment, genuinely thinking about it. He wasn't ready for that question. He had only thought about his own feelings for George because he knew that George couldn't have feelings for him -Max, Lewis could mistreat him, torture him, leave him bleeding on the brink of death every night, and he would still go back to him like a little dog because the relationship between creature and creator is the only feeling similar to love that exists for us-
-Love cannot hurt. I have to save him from this cage- Charles shook his head and took Max's arm
-Come on, I'll take you back to the border. I'll give you a couple of reasons why it's a good idea to go home-
Max followed him. Charles would never let him pass without a fight, and he would cause a commotion in the mansion too. He had to get more information from Charles and come up with another solution. He left his house with peaceful intentions and high hopes, but Charles was not wrong. The Agreements were involved, and he would involve his pack in a war.
-I understand what you're saying about your bond with George, but I also think you understand that this feeling is only yours towards him. I don't know you, but I believe you're a good person; otherwise he wouldn't have come back to you several times. However, this doesn't change the fact that Lewis will always come before you- Charles paused. It wasn't easy to explain that kind of relationship without using words belonging to the realm of human and wolf emotions. And after all, Charles may have been devoid of feelings, but he had enough tact to tell someone who did have feelings that they were not loved -In our nature and our culture, the only thing we could compare to what you call ‘feelings’ are those between a creator and his creature. When creation occurs, everything is shared. It is like giving life again, like a human mother with a child, but without ever ceasing to be a single entity. You talk about finding your other half as if you were a half in search of something that, when added to you, makes a whole, something you have never had but are looking for in order to be complete. Think of the relationship I am describing as the whole of the creator dividing himself and the other half becoming the creature. These two entities cannot be divided even if they try, it is not natural. A wolf may never meet his other half, but a vampire could never be separated from his-
-I understand what you're saying, but the situation still seems terrible. You mentioned torture, confinement, being on the verge of death. This is a toxic relationship, I can't allow my mate to live like this. It is just as unnatural for a wolf to let his mate suffer. If necessary, I will confront Lewis and I intend to return victorious-
-Max, you have many noble intentions but also a poor ability to weigh up situations. Let's be certain that the second you challenge Lewis in a duel, he will slice you up and reduce you to wolf meat. Even if, absurdly, you were to succeed, George would mourn him for the rest of his life. It would be like tearing out the heart of a human who cannot die again and again. He has no feelings for you, but he does for Lewis. Do you think he could develop them after you took his creator away from him? Try to reason, he will not even want to live anymore-
-I can accept not being loved back and live in pain, but I can't accept him suffering. He'll have a better life without being tortured- Max insisted again, trying to make his case.
-It doesn't work that way, I'll say it again. Even just thinking about not having Sebastian, my creator, causes me immense physical pain. Being away from Sebastian causes me immense physical pain. If one day Sebastian were no longer here, I would let myself die of grief. We share not only blood and venom with our creators, but also powers, feelings, and often even thoughts. You can't separate two entities that cannot live without each other. Go home, lick your wounds, and save your life. Don't die needlessly- Charles said goodbye to him at the property line, and Max indeed returned home.
He wouldn't be able to get what he wanted, not that day at least. He had to figure out a plan to get to George. He would talk to him, convince him to run away with him somewhere where no one knew them and where no one could smell him. They would start a new life on the other side of the world, blending in with humans, living like ordinary people, moving house when people started to notice that they weren't aging. He just had to find a way to get into that villa, if George couldn't get out, and manage to take him out.
He would write his will regarding the succession in the pack, and when he decided to act, he would no longer do so as pack leader. He would pass everything on to Checo, his right-hand man. The Mexican wolf already had a perfect understanding of the pack, what Max did every day, the critical issues, and what to do in the immediate future. He already had a mate, and that would only bring stability to the pack's hierarchy; they would be in good hands.
He had to sort out the paperwork and date the abdication document so that when he acted, he would do so as a stray wolf, without endangering the pack and the Agreements. He would not start a war with the vampires over a personal matter.
He would save George from his tormentor one way or another. Or he would die trying.
He waited for nightfall, hiding at the foot of the hill, just before the border. He deliberately left his scent in various parts of the city, so that if anyone decided to keep an eye on him, they would have a tough nut to crack. He already planned how to get out of the city quickly and contacted someone discreet to produce false human documents once they arrived overseas. He followed the trajectory of the first vampires who left the hilltop grove and went into town in search of fresh blood. Max also thoroughly analyzed their routes, studied the organizational chart, and identified the most ancient and powerful members of the clan, those with the keenest sense of smell who would locate him as soon as he approached the villa. The Ancients always hunted together, the clan leader and his three loyal followers, always leaving an hour after the younger vampires to give the fledglings more time to choose their dinner. He waited patiently with his sharp gaze until he saw Sebastian emerge from the woods and venture into the city streets.
He sneaked out of his hiding place, trying to cover up his scent as much as possible in the previous hours. He left his will in an envelope on his office desk after tidying it up obsessively and emptying it of his belongings. The bare necessities for survival once he crossed the ocean had already arrived at their destination in a safe deposit box.
He quickly climbed the hill, trying to blend in with the vegetation and make as little noise as possible. Charles had seen him from afar because he climbed up without regard for the risks, with the best of intentions to talk to George. This time, however, he was going to take him away from his family while they were out. He was practically going to kidnap him and couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
George's room was on the third floor, the highest before the loft. His room was the last one down the hall, next to Lewis' office. He knew that because George had once told him that his room was on the floor above the large terrace, which was the second floor, home to the younger vampires and fledglings. On the ground floor, there were a few rooms belonging to other vampires, but mainly common areas and the offices of the Ancients. George had told him on another occasion that Lewis' office was connected to his room by a hidden door, so that the clan leader could visit him whenever he wanted without even having to go out into the hallway. He had to climb up to the terrace and then climb from there to George's window. With a little luck, the confinement he was forced into was only due to a respected ban on going out and not an actual blocking of the windows. In the worst-case scenario, he would have to enter through another window and access the room from the inside. He sincerely hoped to avoid that, as it would waste time and risk making noise. Most of the vampires were out hunting, but that didn't mean the mansion was empty. He quickly climbed up to the second floor, trying not to misstep or make any noise. Even though vampires' hearing was not as highly developed as that of wolves, that did not mean he could make as much noise as he wanted. They were still supernatural creatures with superior hearing compared to humans. He landed on the terrace and crouched under the railing for a moment, unsure if anyone was guarding the mansion or if anyone would return early from the hunt. He crawled under George's window, recognizing it by the blue curtains he could see from the outside. The other windows had white curtains, and only one had deep purple curtains, which must have been the room of someone more eccentric.
He sighed for a moment. That was the point of no return. He had already become an enemy of the vampires when he first set foot on their territory uninvited. There, he had been lucky to meet Charles, who, in his attempt to send him home, had enlightened him on the need to come up with a better plan. At that moment, he entered there as an individual, just Max, no longer Max the pack leader. If he wanted to back out, that was the time to do it, to rush home, hoping not to be intercepted and burn the letter he had written to Checo. But he couldn't. It was against the nature of a wolf to turn his back on his mate, even if his love was unrequited. He would take George away or die trying, but he would not retreat without fighting to the end. If he had to face a swarm of angry vampires, he would do his best or die looking at the person he loved for the last time.
Another sigh, the time had come, he couldn't waste any time. If the Ancients returned, he would die without even trying. He was neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the plan's success, trying to remain as objective and realistic as possible. In the best-case scenario, he wouldn't have to break the window open, George would be in his room and happy to leave, and they would manage to escape without a hitch. In the intermediate and more realistic scenarios, he would encounter some issues along the way, and the plan was not guaranteed to succeed. There could be difficulties getting in, resistance from George, and even having to fight some vampires. In the worst-case scenario, he would have faced the Ancients or the clan leader Hamilton himself. He would fight, but he knew the odds were not in his favor. Perhaps he had a chance against one of the Ancients, but he would come out badly anyway. He was not afraid to die; he was more afraid of living a long and lonely life. Fate had presented him with a difficult challenge, and he would give everything to win.
With one last sigh, he moved. He reached out a hand to the window frame and pushed it up slowly, trying not to make any noise, mentally thanking the well-oiled hinges. He climbed up and slipped into the dark room.
The best-case scenario had already failed to materialize. Although he managed to get in without any problems, George was not in his room. He would have to go out and look for him, which would not only waste a lot of time but also potentially expose him to the possibility of having to search many unfamiliar places and therefore encounter other vampires. George's room was starched, like something out of a furniture catalog, the bed was made perfectly, not a wrinkle on the blue sheets. It looked like no one lived in that room, or at least not recently. It was like a hospital room, no clothes on the chair, no objects on the desk, no books on the nightstand.
-What you're looking for isn't here- Max turned his head sharply toward the voice. Leaning against the wall opposite the window was a figure in dark clothes. The door didn't open; he had been there watching him the whole time. Clearly, nothing went according to plan. He had hoped it would when he found the window open, but that was probably a clue to the trap he was falling into. Finding himself face to face with clan leader Hamilton was the worst-case scenario. He would die, and he would do so without being able to see George one last time.
-I come as a stray. The pack has no responsibility-
-I know-
-Where is he?- Max asked then. It was useless to wonder how the clan leader knew about the letter for Checo. He should also have wondered how long the clan leader had been watching him, if he knew about his attempted visit a few days earlier, how he knew he would sneak into the mansion that very day. But that would have distracted him from the only thing that mattered. He came for George. If he couldn't take him away, he at least wanted to see him one last time, to say goodbye properly before surrendering to the inevitable.
-Safe-
-With you? I doubt it-
-Perspectives- the clan leader wasn’t even looking at him, his eyes fixed on his own hands as he slipped off the sparkling silver rings that adorned all his fingers -It was stupid of you not to listen to Charles. You could have saved your life-
-Did he tell you I was coming?-
-Charles doesn't need to tell me your intentions, I already know them. If he was able to come to you and try to save you from being killed, it's because I didn't stop him- Max was silent for a moment. The vampire knew all too well. Max knew that the Ancients were powerful, but the clan leader seemed like some kind of omnipresent and omnipotent deity. He never stood a chance from the start, but he would still try to reach George, so that he would know that at least he tried, that he fought for him.
-I want to see him-
-Your eyes are not worthy of my creature-
-Then I challenge you to a duel in open combat. To the death, as the Ancient Law requires. It remains my right, even after the Agreements- Max tried. His chances of victory would not have increased much, but in open combat, he could transform freely, whereas in George's small room, he would only have made himself a bigger and slower prey. Furthermore, duels had to be regulated by witnesses and deeds. George, being the object of the dispute, would have to be present, and if he won, he could take him away legally without having to hide. If things went badly, he could see him one last time.
-Stupid dog. I've been around longer than you, and you think you can fool me with a ploy like that? You lost your right to a duel the moment you crossed the threshold of my house. According to the Old Law and the Agreements, you are now my property, and I can do with you as I please. And I might add that you entered my home to steal George, who, as my creature, is also my property. I would have the right to have you executed without trial, but I wouldn't enjoy killing you with my own hands- As he spoke, the vampire removed the last of the silver rings and placed it with the others on George's desk.
Then he vanished from Max's view, and he only saw him again when he found himself sprawled on the floor with the clan leader's sharp fangs a few inches from his face.