Treachery

"I've got five members of the directory board on our side; two more and we shouldn't have to worry about the company's ownership," Ariel said to Raul and he nodded.

"And the members of the pack?" Raul asked Ariel.

"I'm working on it. Quite a number of us are rooting for you to be our leader and not some goddamn woman, who knew nothing about the brotherhood? I mean how can a werewolf rule the vampire kingdom because of a certain transformation?"

"Totally stupid! This is why we must work together to ensure Jasmine doesn't get to sit on the ruler's seat. What if their goddess plays a round on us and mates her as the wife of the werewolf boy?" Raul asked begrudgingly. 

"Then she'd sell us out to the werewolves and make them use us as slaves!" A third voice spoke from behind the curtains and immediately, Raul and Ariel turned to look at the intruder. Two weeks had passed since Arturo made that suggestion at the dinner table and it had been two weeks since neither Raul nor Ariel rested. They were working restlessly, ensuring things were in their favor to get Raul as the next Vampire King. 

Jasmine on her own hand has swept the issue under the carpet and was working relentlessly with Athens, Loretta, Drake, and Arturo to finish their investigation and attack plan. Unknown to her, a group of people had risen to fight against her.  To Jasmine, avenging Kyle's death at that moment was a top priority on her list and every other thing was secondary. 

"That would be over my dead body, though! It will never happen; not under my watch," Raul replied to Marcus who finally made himself be seen. Unlike every other vampire that could only teleport,  Marcus could make himself completely invisible —an ability he enhanced when he was locked up in the dungeon because of Jasmine. 

"And mine too, which is why I've decided to pledge my alliance to you and make sure it is you that gets your seat on the Emperor seat and not some two-blooded cursed being," Marcus said 

"I mean if she could betray her own blood; her lineage what is the assurance that she won't do the same to us?" Ariel added. 

"We don't have any! But one thing we know for sure is that that woman is not fit enough to be our ruler. We must find a way to take her outside the picture! Let the drinkers of the sacrificial black owl blood be the ones to offer the rituals," Marcus and Ariel nodded in agreement. Raul was still speaking when something occurred to Ariel. 

"What about her son? Undoubtedly, he is the only and true heir and only offspring of Kyle. Jasmine will have more power over us legally if we fail to make you ruler before he is born." 

"What happens when the child is born, Raul?" Marcus asked willing all his attention to Raul. 

"The child should probably not be born, don't you think?" Raul said a sly smirk dancing in his mouth. 

******

Jasmine has draped in her a white cotton robe and her hair is wrapped in a white towel. She had just finished bathing and was on her way to the walk-in closet when her phone beeped. 

"I'll be leaving the hotel for the werewolf kingdom and I'll be taking Rob with me. We've spoken about it and he agreed but wants me to seek your permission or else he won't go." Dominic's text read and Jasmine smiled at her son's cleverness.

"Tell him I'll come over to tell him what my answer is." Jasmine felt joyed. Ever since she returned from her vacation, her schedule has been so tight that she has not had the chance to go visit Rob. She was going to kill two birds with a stone by going over to meet Rob before he went to stay in the werewolf's kingdom. "I'll be there in twenty minutes. Hold on," Jasmine hurriedly typed in another message to Dominic. She was midway into finishing her after-bathing skincare routine when she heard a knock on her door. 

Thinking it was Loretta, Jasmine didn't ask who it was and went ahead to open the door.

"Jasmine... Hi... Can I come inside?" Raul stuttered. Jasmine was reluctant for a while because she didn't want to delay Dominic more than she had asked for. After a while, she finally opened the doors wide enough. 

"Are you going out?" Raul asked her after he threw the first leg into her bedroom 

"Yes, I am. How may I help you?" Instead of answering the questions like he should, Raul's eyes sauntered over the exposed part of her body. Jasmine was looking at him confused at how he was staring at her. "Raul?" She called again but Raul's attention was zeroed on the upper part of Jasmine's breast that was outside. Unknown to her, the knots on getting robe had loosed. 

Subconsciously, Raul's tongue swiped over his lips before, biting and licking them, with his eyes still fixed on Jasmine's chest. 

Eventually, she noticed the opening on her robe and made quick work to adjust it. 

"What do you want, Raul?" Jasmine asked, her voice getting stern. Raul didn't answer, rather he took closer steps to her, and for every space he covered, Jasmine was sure to create again until her back came in contact with the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you, Raul?" Jasmine said her nostril flaring as anger began to seep through her vein. 

"Since Kyle is dead, it is only right that everything that was once his becomes mine as the second in command —everything including you," Raul said and dipped his face closer to Jasmine's in an attempt to kiss her. 

Suddenly, Jasmine felt a movement in her stomach which caused strong energy to pulsate through her vein—the green of her eyes turning bright red. Her fangs elongated and her fingers puckered out. Everything because pitch black as she grabbed him by on his neck and lifted him up

"Jas... Jasmine" Raul called out weakly as foam gushed out of his mouth.