'The king will be pleased with me."
And that sentence alone from Belmor's mouth had Viktor's hackles raising.
Belmor had an unusually smug smile. He was clothed in ostentatious blue robes, his dark hair groomed but mostly untamed. There was this wild-eyed look he had.
Viktor knew immediately that the idiot must have messed something up. Belmor was looking at him as if just begging Viktor to ask him what he had done.
Viktor let out a small sigh.
"What have you done, Belmor?" Viktor asked.
"Well, I gave those mutts a push," Belmor started. Viktor tensed.
"So I released a forsaken out in the lands, just outside—"
"You did what?" Viktor exclaimed, his eyes widening at the implications of what Belmor had said.
"I hope the forsaken will take one of them out soon either way…"
"You have ruined the treaty, Belmor—"
"Yes… I—"
"YOU." Viktor's tone shut Belmor up.
"DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS?" Viktor was almost shouting now.
He had gotten up to start pacing.
Belmor had the gall to look surprised by Viktor's anger.
"Did you consider what betraying them on their own turf would mean, or did your folly tell you that you could escape a pack of them unscathed?"
Belmor seemed to only have considered the possibility at Viktor's words.
"W… well—"
"No, you did not consider that, did you?"
Viktor continued to pace.
"Where did you even get a forsaken? Those pests were supposed to have been eradicated."
"It was not my idea at first, the alpha came to me and…"
Belmor trailed off under the weight of Viktor's gaze.
"Keep speaking, Belmor," Viktor said menacingly.
"The alpha seeked me out. He proposed… we wanted the same thing, we came up with the plan."
Viktor mulled the words over.
"So you were manipulated," Viktor said dryly, and the amount of disdain in his eyes made Belmor feel smaller than he'd ever felt in his night life.
"No, no, I was not. I could not be manipulated by a mutt." Even as he said the words, it dawned on Belmor exactly how he had been played.
Belmor bowed his head in shame.
"His name," Viktor asked simply.
"I… I do not know," Belmor replied.
"Can you identify him?" Viktor asked.
"He used obfuscating magic… I… no, I can't," Belmor replied.
A few seconds passed.
"Leave me. I need to think," Viktor said, his voice less harsh.
This time Belmor left without protest.
Rafael was frantically walking to his mother's room.
I don't know where he is, Rafael. His mother's voice echoed in his head through the pack link.
I TOLD YOU TO WATCH HIM! His mind was unintentionally louder when he spoke next. He felt his mother withdraw a bit.
The stress and panic turning to annoyance.
He needed his mate for goddess' sake.
He just needed—
"Rafael!"
He skidded to a stop when he heard Julian call him. Rafael turned back.
The relief hit him hard.
"Julian, where were you?" he said as he let out a breath.
Julian looked down. "I… well," he started.
"I went for a walk," he said finally.
Rafael walked back to him.
He bent and hugged Julian. "You scared me, Julian," he said as he buried his nose in the crook of Julian's neck. He inhaled Julian's scent and felt himself calm immediately, all the tension of the day flowing out, all the burdens out of reach.
Just him and his mate.
Julian's smell was like a warm spring day, it made Rafael think of happier times.
He held Julian closer, ignoring as best he could the pain it elicited, pulling on his stitches. Julian held him closer too.
Until he stiffened and pushed Rafael away.
"You are hurting, Rafael," Julian said, and he looked at Rafael like he wanted to take the pain away.
"You need to rest," Julian said.
Rafael just nodded and let Julian pull him to his room.
Rafael made a note to ask Julian later if he could move in with him. He wanted to, but what if he was rushing Julian, and that would make Julian uncomfortable, and Julian wouldn't want to tell him no?
His thoughts stopped when he entered the room.
"You shouldn't be working so hard already, when you're wounded, Rafael," Julian murmured, but Rafael heard every word.
He looked down at Julian, who was pouting so adorably.
"I am strong, Julian, I can do it," Rafael replied softly.
"Strong?" Julian's voice sounded angry. He looked Rafael in the eyes, his green irises alight with sudden anger.
"Were you strong bleeding out today?" Julian said.
Rafael's eyes widened in shock.
"No, you are mortal like the rest of us… mortal… and you can die." Julian said the last part quietly. "You can't leave me. I will not allow it."
His voice was barely audible, but Rafael heard it.
The pain and fear on Julian's face was so plainly written. Rafael wanted to wipe it away, and it pained him that he was the reason it was there.
He pulled Julian closer and hugged him again.
"I'm here, Julian," Rafael said, resting his chin carefully on soft, fluffy red hair. "And I am not going anywhere."
Yet even as he said the words, a part of him wondered if he should make such promises when it seemed they were at the brink of war.
Julian sniffled but pulled away from Rafael's hold.
"I know that you're shouldering everything because I'm too weak and useless to help you," Julian said.
Rafael was already shaking his head to refute, but Julian raised a hand.
"It's okay, I know it. But I will be stronger, Rafael. Better. Soon I will be worthy to be your partner."
"You don't have to be, little one. I am your alpha, it is my duty to shield and—" He was silenced by the look on Julian's face.
"Ok, become stronger," Rafael said, even though he knew he would have loved Julian either way. "I will wait for you."
Julian nodded solemnly.
"Now rest, Rafael."
Then Rafael felt a tug in his chest.
There was a knock on the door. Julian and Rafael looked at each other.
Somehow, they both knew who it was.
The Vampire Lord, Viktor.