5

Rey's Pov

It all made sense now. All these years of mental training, of hardcore sessions with Luca and facing countless challenging situations, were all leading to this single moment. Shaking the hand of the Solntse clan's lord without crashing his bones. I had no way to be sure that he was the one but that's the only explanation for his presence today.

Despite all my efforts, I might have squeezed his hand harder than intended when I remembered what Advica said yesterday. The lord lifted a brow, surprised by the added strength in the supposedly diplomatic greeting, but didn't comment. He just stepped aside and introduced the two other lords, observing our interaction silently.

"I'd like to see Advica first." He said when we started walking, making me stop. Thankfully, I had my back turned otherwise he would've seen my eyes turn black. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that this was not about me, that there were lives at risk here if I ever decided to pursue my wolf's desires. Damn Luca and his duties and responsibilities speeches.

"As you wish, Lord Birkoff. Two of our enforcers will escort you to there." He nodded, exchanging a meaningful look with the other two lords before walking away. We resumed our walk to the meeting room where two council members were waiting there for us. "Lady Marie, Lord Ladislav, would you like something to drink while we wait?" I ask as I walked to the coffee machine and electric kettle set on a separate table by one of the windows.

"Thank you, head enforcer." They followed and insisted to prepare their own tea. I was a little surprised by their humility, they were both clan lords after all. I took it as a good sign, and I needed all the good signs I could get. The last thing I wanted today is to get on their bad side or end up in any kind of hostile situation. I just need to get over with the joined investigation talk and move on to 'my mate' talk. I sighed, wishing I could just run after Lord Birkoff and challenge him. Well, I could but I won't.

I cursed silently as we drank our beverages with a light conversation. What's taking him this long? What are they doing? I should've gone with him, but how could I face her? After the initial shock of her declaration yesterday, the feeling of betrayal melted into resentment and rage. My wolf wanted to take over and forcefully mark what was his. I had to walk away as far as possible before I could lose control of the angry beast howling inside my head. 

I excused myself to text Luca for the tenth time asking him where he was only to receive the same answer he's been giving me for the last hour 'Almost there'. What's taking him this long? I exchanged a couple of words with the councilmen about the meeting, trying to distract myself. Is she telling him about us? How did he react? I was starting to get nervous. I was about to link the two enforcers I sent with the lord when they linked first informing me that they arrived.

The door opened and walked in the first man I ever hated this much, holding my mate in his arms. My wolf was furious again. The way her arms were wrapped around his neck was natural and a sign of mutual trust and closeness. Something she didn't share with me, her mate, not yet. The Lord gave me a look that confirmed my suspicion. He knows, she told him. I looked away, finally noticing the two other rescued vampires walking inside and toward their respective lords. Focus Reymond!!

I wanted to start the meeting as soon as possible to initiate the negotiation of my mate's freedom from her chosen lord. I needed to keep repeating that to my wolf. She was not abducted or forced into this. It was her choice and decision, made of her own free will. Last night's discussion proved it. This is not a rescue mission, this is unfortunately a negotiation that would probably end with a lot of pleading.

Then again, in less than twelve hours my hope scattered again. She was not Lord Birkoff protégé, no, She was Leonardo Anetti's protégé, Duke Leonardo Anetti. The vampire King's cousin and trusted general. My heart sank as I watched him stand with my mate in his arms, intending to leave. I tried to stop him when her startled eyes looked at me. But I had to stop talking when my king ordered me to through the mind link. He wanted him out of his hair and I couldn't blame him. He has always been intimidated by him since he was young, we all were.

I saw her desperately looking back at Lord Birkoff, asking for his help. The man opened his mouth but before he could make a sound, the door busted open, and walked in my savior. I've never been this happy to see Luca before. The man walked straight to the vampire and offered his hand. Luca and the Duke knew each other from way back, like centuries back. A gasp made me look away. The king and queen were frozen in their spots, gasping at the sight of Maya entering behind Luca. The sleeping beauty is finally out of her tower.

She ignored everyone and skipped toward me with a bright smile. She hugged me tight, reminding me of Eliane's words. Her hugs were indeed like an energy booster. I couldn't help the smile that crept into my face. I wasn't alone anymore. She kissed my cheek, winking before sauntering toward Luca, just in time to be introduced. I dared to look back at our royalty just in time to see the king help his mate to one of the chairs. Soon, my mind was bombarded with hundreds of questions, giving me a headache.

'I apologize, your highnesses. But you'll have to ask Head enforcer Santis directly.' I almost snapped back at them. Thanks to their ramblings and questions, I missed the ongoing conversation. They were all looking at Maya with different expressions while she was giving the vampire a pointed look. I refocused in time to meet a shilling glare from the Duke, scaring the shit out of me. But thankfully, Maya's giggles got everyone's attention back on her.

"You don't know? He's Luca's hidden child!!" Oh no!! My eyes went to Luca who was as shocked as I was by her statement. I told him, I warned him so many times that letting her spend that much time with Rain was a very bad idea. That stupid Beta made his mission to fill her head with all the absurdities he believed in. A heavy silence fell on the room. The vampires and even the two councilmen were looking between Luca and me.

"No need to compare them. He got his good looks from his mother. Thankfully". Luca slapped his forehead. Everyone in the room was beyond shocked. Hearing the echoes of these nonsense rumors spread by gossiping servants or low-ranking enforcers is one thing. But hearing it from the Lycan's mate's lips is something else. My head started throbbing from just imagining the repercussions of her statement.

"Love, That's not true!" Luca tried to reach her but she stepped aside, avoiding his hand.

"Well, my friend. looks like we have a lot of catching up to do." The Duke finally spoke, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Vivy, you don't mind, right?" 

"No, of course not! I'm actually hungry." Her bright smile warmed my heart. I dared to hope that she was as happy as me to be staying.

"Fine then. Please lead the way." I swallowed the growl that threatened to leave my throat as he carried her in his arms again, "Young King, it's always a pleasure to visit your pack" The Duke said over his shoulder as he exited the room. The other lords followed suit, bowing before walking out. I rushed behind them, ignoring my king and queen's exasperated state.

We walked in silence until we reached the Lycan's private quarters. Everyone was invited to sit comfortably in the leaving area. I volunteered to prepare the tea and coffee. I was like a giddy teen excited to have an excuse to talk to my crush, asking her what she wanted to drink. Lady Marie offered to help, but Lord Bircoff and Lord Ladislav stopped her.

"Please rest, Lady Marie, and allow us to serve you," Ladislav said with an exaggerated bow, making the Lady smile.

"As charming as ever," The lady smiled and sat back next to the other women. The two lords and Joseff followed me to the kitchen and started preparing the beverages and snacks to be served before lunch. We were halfway through with it when Luca walked in. He nodded and started preparing what I could recognize as Maya's big iced Latté. He was still annoyed by Maya's attitude. She was pissed about something and he was paying the price.

We went back into the leaving room, holding several trays. Maya, Eve, and Lady Marie were sitting side by side, whispering with sly expressions. My eyes roamed the room looking for my mate and her Lord. They were missing and I was starting to panic. Luca squeezed my shoulder, giving me a reassuring look before he walked toward Maya. His peace offering was accepted with a smile, making him release a sigh. He looked back at me and nodded toward one of the guest rooms. 

Anxiety filled me again. Is she informing him, now? How would he react to that? Why do we have soundproof rooms at all? I felt the urge to rush to her. I needed to know that she was safe. I needed to see her eyes to make sure that she was alright. Her beautiful dark eyes spoke louder than any word. Every single time I talked to her, I could guess her answers just from the sparkles in her eyes.

I drowned in this feeling of dread for about an hour. An hour of pure torture of not knowing what was going on on the other side of that guest room. But no one around me seemed worried or even curious about the two missing persons. They kept talking and enjoying themselves. Especially Maya, she was drawn to the vampires and their tales. And the feeling was mutual. The three clan lords were enjoying her company.

The clicking of the doorknob interrupted the ongoing conversation. All the heads turned toward them. Duke Anetti walked out first with an unreadable expression. His eyes met mine for a second. A mere second was more than enough to let me know what he felt about me. A single look made me stand, ready to fight for my life. My survival instincts kicked in and were urging me to shift. But everything melted away when she walked out next.

My breath hitched at the sight. She was healed, completely recovered. There were no more bruises or cuts on her tanned face. She walked easily, not needing anyone's help anymore. Her busted lip was mended and the swelling was gone. She looked fresh and healthy as if she was never held captive or starved for a couple of days. Her eyes have finally met mine when she reached the couch. They were slightly red. She cried, again!! I turned toward the culprit and growled, not able to hide my displeasure.

 "Easy, Rey! Don't forget he is here as my guest." Luca warned me from his seat, making the Duke laugh.

"I think what he shouldn't forget is how easy it is for me to rip his heart out." He walked casually to an empty loveseat.

"Leo!!", "Please don't!!" Advica and Maya spoke at the same time. The first one pleading while the other sounded annoyed. He glanced at his protégé before giving his full attention to Maya.

"My apologies, lady Maya." He bowed his head before sitting down. Maya sighed looking between the two of us.

"Would you like a drink before lunch, your grace?" Maya stood up ready to prepare whatever his answer would be.

"Thank you for your offer, lady Maya. But I already had my fill." His eyes were on me as he said those words while he licked his lips. In a split second, Luca was standing in front of me, holding me back from attacking him. The raw anger and rage were bubbling under my skin again. Drinking from her blood is something I expected but flaunting it to my face was another.

He may be her lord and the one I'm reluctantly grateful to for healing her and shortening her suffer, but it didn't make it easier for me. No matter how strong-willed I was and how much self-restraint I was exerting, It didn't mean that I was not bothered by his closeness to my mate or that I wouldn't react to his provocation. He knew it too and he was doing it on purpose.

"How could you!?" I growled at him

"Rey, my friend, try to calm down." Luca pushed me a couple of steps back.

"Why not? She's mine." He smirked, leaning back on his seat.

"Leo, stop talking!!" Luca growled, pushing me farther away.

"She was hurt and starved for two days!! Couldn't you wait for a day or two?"I tried to get past Luca, but the damn Lycan was too strong for me.

"Now that you mention it, yes I could've waited but....no, she was so tempting," He taunted me again, but this time he reached for her hand and made her sit next to him.

"Leo, stop it!!" Lord Bircoff surprisingly asked him

"No!! This pup thinks that he can show up, claim what's mine, and walk out!!" He hissed, eyes glowing red.

"She is my MATE!!" I yelled back, making him sit straight.

"Too late!! She is already my protégé!!"He smirked, pulling the hand he was still holding to his lips and kissing it without breaking eye contact with me. 

"That can be changed!!" My voice turned beastly. My wolf was fighting me for control and was so close to taking it.

"And how are going to do it? By marking her without my approval?" He stood slowly, taking a step aside to hide her from my sight.

"All I need is HER approval." As soon as I said the words, the vampire snorted. He let go of her hand and walked calmly toward me. He nodded at Luca, making him let go of me. He stood in front of me, looking me straight in the eyes.

"But she already made it clear!" My heart dropped to my stomach and my wolf whined. He knows. "But let's ask her again!! Vivy dear, who do you want to stay with?" 

Slap! Slap! Our heads bumped by the sheer force of Maya's back head slaps. The anger, frustration, and especially the mutual murderous intents were suddenly replaced by pure shock. Maya just hit Duke Anetti without batting an eye. Before we had the time to react, she grabbed us by our forearms and pinched hard.

"Idiots!! Are you both out of your minds!! You want to start a stupid fight in here. Look at her!! Do you really want her to witness something like that?" We both turned toward Advica. She looked pale, barely holding her tears from spilling. Lady Marie and Eve were at her side holding her shaking hands. Maya let go of us and grabbed a glass of water for her.

"Do you really want to start a war, Leo?" Luca asked him with a frown.

"I wouldn't call it a war. It's a sure win. It's six against three, after all," The vampire shrugged, looking away. 

"Leave my mate out of this," Luca warned him.

"As if, it's actually four against three," Maya added, nodding toward Lady Marie and Eve.

"With all due respect your grace, I don't want to take part in a pissing contest!!" Lady Marie said without budging from her spot.

"Maya, please stay out of it!!" Luca begged her, tagging at her arm.

"Women!!" The Duke snorted and looked back at me.

"three against three!! Count me out! I don't want to be hated!!" Lord Bircoff chimed in and went to sit next to women. He ignored the duke's baffled expression.

"Now!! Let's sit calmly and talk like the adults we're supposed to be. By the way, how old are you?" Maya asked him, crossing her arms. I don't know if she's doing it on purpose or not, but all the tension was gone. He looked at her with amusement before turning to Luca.

"You, my friend, got yourself a one of a kind. I guess we both are blessed when it comes to our Humans." I growled, hating the fact that he was calling her his. He turned to me, holding his hand up before giving his attention back to Luca. "Let's eat first and then we can talk business."

"Are you open to negotiations?" Luca asked him.

"We have bigger problems than that, Believe me." His expression turned solemn.

"How big?" Luca's expression mirrored his.

"Big enough to risk my protégé's safety," He glanced back at her with a look of guilt and regret. She smiled at him, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" I asked, dreading the answer. He looked back at me, all emotions gone from his face.

"Vivy was intentionally exposed for those kidnappers."