Ch 57: A Familiar Scent

Just outside in the mall's parking lot. Kai got a text saying Victoria was staying. "Ivan, call up more guardians. I want them stationed around the mall."

"I'll do that," replied Ivan, performing just that on his phone in a group text message.

As Kai nodded at him, "Ace, I wanna talk to your wife tonight on the roof."

Ace kinda raised a brow at his request to see his wife, Rose. "Is there a reason why?"

"Yes, I need to talk with her about Victoria," Kai said, seeing the odd stress on Ace's face. "You know Rose is your mate, not mine. What Rose and I had is long gone. Victoria is the only one I've ever loved."

Ace gave this unusual expression that seemed eccentric as he said. "I'll inform her, Kai. Just to be clear, I wasn't worried about your past relationship before I marked Rose. She and I are mated together perfectly, this isn't what you're thinking."

"Then why are you always acting odd about Rose each time I mention her?" Kai questioned, giving Ace a scolding look.

But Ace made a gesture with his shoulders denying it. "I haven't."

Of course, Kai knew he was lying but he wasn't in the mood for this.

"Let's look for these hunters that are harassing my fiancee," Kai demanded with aggression.

"The Sheriff and those other high authorities working for your father will take care of it," Ivan reminded Kai.

But Kai didn't wanna hear it and said in an icy stern voice. "No! My father's men and the sheriff along with those other higher authorities have domesticated themselves! My father's guardians let four males and their Alpha named Rex slip right past them! With that happening, I want you Ivan, and Ace to stay with Victoria. The rest of the clan will be here shortly."

Ivan asked before Kai got in Rome's car. "Where are you going? You should stay here with Victoria."

Kai took off his shades showing his blood-red eyes when he opened the skyline's door. "I'm going after Rex to make sure he takes his clan away from here." He then got in and shut the door. "Let's go, Rome."

Rome started the car and backed his car up before leaving everyone else sorta speechless. Ivan, Ace, and their other seven friends kinda looked at each other. They had thought he'd wanna be with Victoria from how scared he was to learn she was cornered by this other Alpha. But as usual, Kai's anger got the better half of him. His high ego rather picks a fight to protect his mate. Not give her the affection that she needed.

"Well, I guess we will make a perimeter around the mall," an attractive male vampire named Jack said.

"Yeah, you guys do that, backup will be here shortly," Ace said before they each disappeared taking off.

"Kai can be such a pain to deal with!" Ivan ranted as he turned around following Ace. "This was his chance to show Victoria she could count on him and he blew it!"

Ace shrugged his shoulders with his hands in the pockets of his black pants. "Eventually, he'll get it."

Ivan only huffed annoyed until they reached the bridal store from inside the mall. His frustration falters the second he sees Mia helping Victoria shop for a wedding dress. The way Mia smiles put him in such a daze. Ivan had forgotten all about being mad and flustered with Kai.

"Aren't guys supposed to be with Kai?" Mr. Collin came up and asked Ivan and Ace.

"Kai ordered us to be here and more of us are coming to help keep Victoria safe," Ace replied.

"Humm," Mr. Collin hummed when thinking to understand they couldn't disobey a command from Kai. "I suppose Kai is going after Rex?"

"Indeed," replied Ivan, rolling his eyes. Now he remembered why he was so mad. "He thinks the males in your clan are too domesticated to handle the job."

Mr. Collin held the urge to grit his teeth and show his fangs hissing. To even think, that his son Kai insulted him like this was appalling to him.

There were too many humans around to show that anger. So Mr. Collin cooled down his scorned ego. Then it helped him more to see Victoria was smiling as she shopped.

"That Victoria is a strong girl to be able to move on after what happened to her today and within the week." Mr. Collin acknowledged this about her.

"She will be a strong Queen someday," Ace agreed.

"To put up with and handle Kai she'll have to be," Ivan's comment made them chuckle. They each knew Kai was something else and quite difficult to manage.

~~~

The night rolled in fairly fast. With having no luck in finding Rex or his clan. Kai made the call for the males in his coven to turn back home. After making sure Victoria was sound asleep. He went above the rooftop that was above his bedroom. From the roof edge, he dangled his legs sitting. He looked up at the clear sky shining brightly.

Until Kai catches a familiar scent lurking in on him. It was a scent he once crushed on and loved but that all changed. The day he had his first dream about Victoria. That first dream he had of his mate was her being a tiny infant. After that first dream about Victoria. He woke up no longer feeling anything for Rose. His mind changed about marking Rose as his alpha Queen of their Coven clan. He remembers being very cold with Rose after that dream. One of his last memories between him and Rose wasn't pretty when he was frigid with her.

The last time he saw Rose nothing was good between them from the heartache he put her through.

Now more than eons later, the same Rose he once considered to make his queen of their coven. Took a seat on the roof edge next to his right. Surprisingly, her heartbeat was calm but Kai sensed a second heartbeat that wasn't hers. Now Ace's strange behavior toward his wife made sense.

"You're pregnant," said Kia sighing. "Why don't you go rest."

Now Kai understood why Ace increased his feeding during their hunts. Ace wasn't only feeding for himself but for Rose and the growing offspring she carried. Since Rose was resting more rather than hunting, she fed off of Ace's blood.

Rose chuckled, "Ace, said you wanted to speak with me."

"Yeah, but he failed to mention you were pregnant," Kai said calmly with understanding yet he flustered as to Ace didn't tell him at least.

"Not even my family or his family knows," Rose informed. "I wanted to keep it that way. This way I had peace before everyone wanted to overbear me with nursery ideas and everything else that comes with prepping for a new baby."

"Humm," Kai hummed to understand she liked her privacy.