Allies And Enemies

Kai had been watching from a distance, with his arms crossed as Anya and Zephyr practiced. He noticed how patient and supportive Zephyr was, constantly reassuring Anya as she grew frustrated with her struggles.

Kai smirked to himself, thinking how different his approach would have been. He had no patience for whining, though he had to admit, Anya's complaints did amuse him.

He watched as Zephyr's gaze lingered on Anya. It was clear as day that his brother had fallen for her. Zephyr was clearly in love with Anya; Kai could see it in his brother's eyes, the softness that only came when he was around Anya. It made Kai smile slightly. 

But then, as if his mind had betrayed him, memories of his own moments with Anya flashed before him— how her lips felt and tasted, even after she had witnessed him feed violently on a human. The way she hadn't pushed him away, the way she had helped ease his troubled mind. He wanted to feel that again, but she had moved on quickly, brushing it off as if it never happened nor mattered.

But now wasn't the time for that. There were bigger problems on his plate. Anya's dream haunted him. Two faceless cunts were after his life, and he couldn't let that slide. They had to be dealt with before they made their move.He couldn't afford to be distracted by the past.

Kai finally decided to walk over to where Zephyr and Anya were standing. He approached with his usual smug demeanor, shaking his head as he watched Anya struggle.

"You're pathetic," Kai said bluntly, looking at Anya. "You won't get anywhere if Zephyr keeps coddling you like you're a five-year-old."

"Kai!" Zephyr's face hardened with disapproval.

But before Zephyr could continue, Anya raised her hand. "Zephyr, let him be," she said, glaring at Kai. "He's just a bitter person hoping to get a reaction from someone who doesn't give two shits about him."

Kai raised an eyebrow, with a smirk on his lips. "Oh really? If you didn't give two shits about me, why did you heal me when you could've let your blood weaken me until I died?"

Anya inhaled deeply before speaking. "Because I'm not a horrible person like you. I actually have a good heart. That's why."

Kai scoffed, taking a step closer. "And what about your dream, huh? You tried to fucking save me from those faceless bastards. If you didn't care, why didn't you just let them kill me?"

Anya rolled her eyes. "I tried to save you because I'm not heartless, not because I care about you, Kai. And for the record, if it were Zephyr in the dream, I wouldn't have given up as easily as I did for you."

Her words cut deeper than Kai expected, even though he didn't show it. He felt the pain of her rejection, whether he liked it or not.

"Alright, that's enough!" Zephyr interrupted, stepping between the two of them. "Both of you, cut it out.This isn't helping."

Anya crossed her arms. "He started it."

"And I'm finishing it," Zephyr replied, turning back to her. "Look, I'm spent for now, and maybe Kai's right. Well, not about the pathetic part," he said, shooting a glare at his brother. "But maybe switching things up will help you get where you need to be faster."

Anya's eyes widened. "You're not seriously suggesting I train with him?" She gestured toward Kai, who stood there with a smug expression on his face.

Zephyr sighed. "Kai's my brother, Anya. He's not as horrible as you think."

Kai smiled tightly at Zephyr. "See, even he knows I'm not all bad."

Anya looked at Zephyr with disbelief. "I don't want to be left with Kai. I can't stand him."

"Trust me, Anya. Kai might have a different approach, but he's not your enemy. And he might just be able to push you in ways I can't."

Anya glanced between the two brothers. After a long pause, she finally relented, though her tone was reluctant. "Fine," she muttered. "But if he gets too annoying, I'm out."

Kai's smirk widened as he looked at his brother. "Don't worry, Zeph. I'll take good care of her."

Zephyr smiled back with a warning look in his eyes. "Just don't push her too hard, Kai."

Kai chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it."

—————-

Kaylor paced around the living room in circles as she waited for her brother to return. Just then, the door opened up, and in walked a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark brown hair and striking amber eyes. 

He had a rugged handsomeness about him--sharp jawline, defined features, and the kind of presence that commanded attention. His name was Harlan Stonehart, and he was every bit as powerful as his name suggested.

At twenty-eight, he was every bit the image of a future alpha, though he was only a beta of the North Clan up in the city for now.

He dropped his leather jacket over the back of the chair, with his muscles flexing as he moved. "What's going on, Kaylor? I heard you've got some news. I left an important pack meeting for you, so it better be good."

Kaylor, who had been anxiously pacing the room, stopped and looked at him. "It's about Justin and his Aunt Lizzie." She bit her lip, trying to gather her thoughts before continuing. "They went out to the outskirts of Burdly. They were looking for signs of magic… and they found something."

Harlan's brow furrowed. "Found what?"

"A mansion. A big one. Justin said they were greeted by a man whose face was as pale as marble. But before he knew it, Aunt Lizzie was on the ground, unconscious."

"And this man?"

Kaylor hesitated. "He said the man compelled him to forget… everything he saw."

"Classic vampire compulsion. They wipe the memory so the human can't recall what happened."

"He doesn't even know it was compulsion. He thinks his memory's just foggy." Kaylor chipped in.

Harlan frowned with confusion. "But how does Justin not realize what he encountered?"

Kaylor shrugged, crossing her arms as she stood beside him. "His aunt never told him much about the supernatural world, even though she was a witch. He has no real knowledge of vampires or their tricks. He's confused. Hell, he even thought about filing a report with the police."

Harlan raised an eyebrow. "The police? What good would they do against a vampire?"

"I talked him out of it," Kaylor replied quickly. "We don't need hunters sniffing around Burdly."

"Good move." Harlan's voice softened. "The last thing we need is drawing attention to this place. I care about your safety, Kaylor and vamps in Burdly is bad news."

She nodded, but Harlan's mind was already shifting gears. "A vampire in Burdly, though… that doesn't sit right with me. They've mostly been keeping to the city, laying low, especially after Juran Crimson's death. What are they doing here?"

Kaylor shook her head. "I don't know."

There was silence for a while. Until Harlan took a deep breath, then asked, "But how does Justin remember any of this? Did the compulsion not work? Is he on vervain?"

"He's not on vervain. And vervain hasn't been grown in Burdly for years," Kaylor replied.

"Then how the hell did he counter a vampire's compulsion?"

Kaylor thought for a moment before answering. "It might have been Aunt Lizzie's shop. He went back there after they encountered the vampire. Since she's a witch, maybe something washed the compulsion away."

Harlan's eyes narrowed. "That could explain it. Is Justin awake?"

"Not yet," Kaylor said, glancing toward the closed bedroom door. "But he's been restless."

"Let's go see him then," Harlan suggested.

They walked toward the bedroom. Kaylor followed, her hands were fidgeting as they entered the room. Justin was lying on the bed, then his eyes fluttered open.

"Kaylor?" His voice was groggy and his brow furrowed as he blinked at her and Harlan.

"Hey, Justin," Kaylor said softly, sitting down beside him. "How are you feeling?"

Justin rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly. "I… I remember something."

Harlan stepped closer, his eyes were fixed on Justin. "What do you remember?"

Justin hesitated, glancing between the two of them. His hands trembled slightly as he struggled with the memory. "The mansion. I remember the mansion. At first, it was just a blur, but now... I'm sure of it!"

Kaylor leaned forward. "Where, where  was it, Justin?"

He swallowed hard. "The place I saw…. It's called Crimson Estate. That's where we were, right outside the gates."

Harlan froze, the name riled something up in him. "No fucking way…" His voice was low, but the words carried disbelief and dread.

Kaylor frowned as she watched her brother's reaction. "Harlan, what is it?"

"No fucking way," Harlan repeated, his eyes wide as he stepped back, shaking his head as if refusing to accept what he'd just heard. "No… no, no, no!"

"Harlan!" Kaylor's voice was loud now, with panic in her tone. "What's wrong?"

Harlan ran his hand through his hair, pacing the room. "Fuck!" He cursed under his breath before finally stopping, turning to face her.

"The Crimson brothers… they're back."

Kaylor's eyes widened, her panic began to intensify. "What do you mean, back? I thought they were—"

"They were gone. But if Justin is so sure that who he saw at Crimson Estate was as pale as marble, and used compulsion on him… it means they're bloody back."