Mortal Flames

Dragon Falls

Black Tridax Territory

"I thought I said you should come alone," Alpha Xeres said, standing before General Drake: the leader of a vampire coven called the Orion Star Coven.

He was a strong and rugged man who had lived to see several centuries, though he looked like he was in his mid-forties.

He had broad shoulders that brought out the beauty of his armour. His face was a very pale one, and a sharp contrast his voluptuous red lips. His jaws were like one that had taken years to carve judging by the outline, and his strong jaw lines.

"Oh, what of your men hiding behind the pillars." General Drake smiled, and looked back at his men standing in alert behind him.

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk." Xeres sounded, and his men hiding behind the pillars slowly came out of hiding.

"So what did you call this meeting for?" General Drake asked, intertwining his large fingers at his back.

"The empty councillor's seat at the grand council," Xeres replied, and pressed his light pink lips into a tight line, with his leg tapping at a continuous rhythm on the floor.

"Look who's happy about the death of councillor Stark." Drake chuckled, "and how the hell do you plan to achieve that?!" Drake's countenance changed suddenly to a fierce one, with his eye color turning a mesmerizing twilight color.

"If you're talking about Alpha Zayn, his son, then don't worry. I have a plan," Xeres said, "it's not like I'm even afraid of him, or are you?"

"What makes you think I won't try to take the position for myself?" Drake asked, scrunching his nose upward.

"Don't deceive yourself, we both know the rest of the council will never allow you because of your past bad actions," Xeres retorted, "you killed several humans, you instigated a massacre, and you even tried to kill Stark." Xeres licked his tongue, and pressed them into a tight line.

"Fine, what's in it for me?" Drake asked, supporting his jaws with his clenched fist, and Xeres smiled before replying.

"The liberty and power you've so much desired."

***

Red Crescent Territory

"That's it for today Liam, see you tomorrow," Jaden said to Liam, who immediately realized Jaden's reason for cutting the lesson short on spotting Alpha Zayn approaching.

"Okay, you've got tell me what you really see in that kid, what?" Zayn asked, but gets no reply from Jaden.

Jaden had put Liam under his tutelage, and instead of allowing him to be trained by one of the senior combatants, he had opted to train Liam himself.

They walk through the field behind the pack's mansion. Trees and shrubs were evenly spread out to the sides, waving a greeting as a gentle wind blew in the air.

Directly ahead was a waterfall, the clear crystal droplets of water pouring down the ancient rock into a gentle, flowing stream below. Pigeons could be seen taking their bird baths, chirping in delight from the descending water.

"He reminds me of dad." Jaden let out an exasperated sigh.

Zayn understood what Jaden meant. Stark had treated Jaden like his own son, even though they had found Jaden outside the pack mansion when he was just a baby.

Silence remained for a few minutes before Zayn spoke up.

"You know, for some time, I was always envious of you. The way dad treated you. Maybe because of your strange abilities," Zayn said, and looks up to the clouded sky, "at some points, I even began to fear you'll become the next Alpha."

Zayn's statement caused Jaden to look at him in surprise, but the surprise soon fades away as fast as it came, with his expression returning to a calm one.

"I guess you never really had to be. He died and your legitimacy was there for you." Jaden flicked off a dry cordant leaf that had fallen on his shoulder before.

"You say it as though I am overjoyed at his death," Zayn hollered at Jaden, who walked past him.

"Do you think you are innocent after all that happened that night, do you?" Jaden asked, at the top of his lungs, and tries to calm himself. Zayn didn't reply, but Jaden could sense the guilt and remorse coming off of him.