**Ch 344: Stern Father

The next day, I went back into my time-gap after breakfast. I found myself inside a gorgeous palace that appeared to be brand new. Crazy enough, I was right where we made camp, which was in ruins in my present time. In the past, all the architectural pillars connected to the ceiling and the limestone floor were a pristine golden color, plus, the floor and walls are in mint-clean condition without the moss and ferns flourishing over them.

Standing off to my right side, in the back, was a row of Headmasters as Morbius and Vlad stood in the center between everyone. Coming in from the left were a handful of other vampires. Walking in the middle of everyone, I recognized Mr. Mill, Mr. Collin, Dwight, and Mr. O'Donnell, who was Ava's dad.

"Welcome home! I assume you bring good news from your travels, Aaron." Vincent O'Donnell's broad voice greeted them by Vlad's right.

"Indeed, Father, we have excellent news," announced Aaron, Ava's dad.

"Let's hear it, Gaston," Vlad demanded as he eyed Mr. Collin intensely, and I could tell there was a coldness between them.

"Why is your grandpa being real stern with your dad?" I pondered outwardly for Kai to hear me.

"My dad was the firstborn young Clan leader, so my grandfather expected greatness from him. Quite frankly, my grandfather has always been strict with any Royal male born in the Collin Coven." Kai replied, and I do remember Evan had hinted at having a rocky relationship with Vlad.

"With the Lights' help, we settled affairs in the other worlds. As of now, they divided the lands equally. There will be no war," replied Gaston.

Only silence dawdled time until the Headmasters clapped their hands to appraise their success at stopping the war in the other worlds.

"This was before the first war?" I asked.

"Yes, in otherworldly dimensions, they were starting chaos with wanting each other's land. My dad and the other Headmasters' sons went to these planets to try to get things under control before the war would cross here," Kai shared.

I frowned since the palace had fallen to ruins. "But it didn't work."

"No, we didn't have a choice but to leave this planet," Kai revealed.

Vlad praised proudly. "Well done, my son! I am proud of you. As Clan leaders, you've each proven your respect to do treaties."

"You should be proud of yourselves." Morbius praised them. "You're all dismissed."

Everyone bowed before they walked away or disappeared.

"Gaston, I wish to speak with you alone!" Vlad called before Mr. Collin could weasel away with Mr. O'Donnell. As he walked to him, Vlad didn't say anything until he knew everyone was gone.

"I meant what I said about being proud of you." Vlad genuinely smiled.

"Thank you, Father," Gaston gave a smaller smile.

"Now that you have returned, I expect a wedding this week," Vlad mandated, and Gaston seemed to bite the inside of his cheek.

"I only got back–" he tried to speak until Vlad raised his hand for him to hush.

"Everything is already prepared." Vlad sternly lectured. "You are thirty years old. It's time for you to put aside the mistresses and be faithful to your future wife even if you aren't destined mates, you are to be loyal to her. That is my Coven rule. I don't care how Morbius runs his Coven. You are a Collin, so you will respect my rules."

"What's he talking about?" I was slightly confused.

Kai explained. "Morbius doesn't have Coven rules that would forbid any unmated vampires to take mistresses. If they didn't have a destined mate, he didn't feel it was necessary to control whom they shared a bed with. That's why Orlando is a huge player. Vlad felt differently."

"I never knew your father had mistresses while he was engaged to your mother," I replied, and Kai didn't say anything back to me.

"I don't share my bed with mistresses!" Gaston protested his father's assumption.

"Like I don't know what you did during your travels!" Vlad scowled at him before he walked away, disgusted.

"Touch my dad's arm before he jumps," Kai forewarned.

Mr. Collin sighed before I touched his wrist, and my body hopped from there, and I now found myself in a corridor.

"Follow my dad, no matter who you see. Stay with my dad." Kai directed, and I did that.

"I never knew I could do that in my time-gap." I noted as I followed behind Mr. Collin.

"There is a lot you can do," Kai proclaimed, but he didn't specify what.

At random, Mr. O'Donnell pounced in like a lion, and he wrestled Mr. Collin on his back until they both stumbled to the floor.

"I've heard someone is getting married!" Aaron raved. Mr. Collin pushed Mr. O'Donnell off of him before they got up.

"You're such a spy!" Gaston accused. "Did you tell my dad about that vampiress?"

"Of course not! Your dad sent eyeballs to spy on us!" Aaron chuckled with a tease.

Mr. Collin punched his shoulder as he briefly laughed. "It's not like it meant anything, and it only happened once," Gaston stressed as he vented.

"You mean three times," Aaron reminded him as he chuckled.

"Fine! Three times, but who's counting aside from you? I'll marry her and be faithful from this day forward." Gaston sighed with shame, and Aaron laughed at him.

"Your dad cheated on your mother three times!" I piped because I never knew about this until now, but Kai had no remark.

"You can do that, or you can tell your dad the truth. Tell him you don't love her anymore." Aaron recommended, and I couldn't disagree with that.

"But I do love her." Gaston sighed, and Aaron briefly patted his bare back.

"In a different way, but you are not in love with her. You've cheated three times now. She's twenty-six, and she's more than ready to have your offspring. But you've been delaying the wedding since she's turned twenty," he pointed out.

"Because I don't want to get married!" Gaston gruffed. "I wish my dad wouldn't push this on me. You're thirty-one, and your dad doesn't pressure you about getting married."

"My dad is making sure his sons don't have destined mates," Aaron informed. "But your dad has his heart set on this marriage."

Gaston expressed from his heart. "I'd wished my dad understood that I do not wish to get married. Every time I go around any humans from these other planets, all I see is their death, thanks to my first gift. They're all killed by a war that vampires start."

"We changed that." Aaron eased him. "There won't be any war."

Gaston grimaced, "According to my first gift, we only temporarily stopped it, but it won't make a difference before too long. We shouldn't be having families. Instead, we need to prepare for war."

"We should talk to our dads about it," Aaron advised.

"Gaston, you've returned home!"

My jaw plummeted to the floor to see a familiar vampiress come leaping into Mr. Collin's arms, and then she passionately kissed his lips.