Quinn
Ethan was right. The food was delicious. I could feel my mouth watering already the moment we stepped into the dining room. He hadn’t been lying when he said he had told his men to go all out and they had done so.
His subjects really loved him and respected his orders. Now that they all had put the past behind them, they were with joy treating him as the king they had once loved and respected.
It would have been a fairy tale if it hadn’t been for the attacks by unknown sources that they were facing and didn’t know what to do with it. I sighed as I looked at Ethan, hoping that this could be resolved as fast as they could. He was trying to be strong but I could see that he was really bothered by the events that were going on. His eyes were filled with fatigue and worry though he tried to soften them with his smiles.
I snorted. He had to try harder. He couldn’t fool me. He was in pain and he didn’t have to hide that from us.
What was the problem? That was all I could wonder and think of all through the meal, even as delicious as the meal was.
“We have a lot to catch up on.” Ava smiled and winked at Mia.
Mia chuckled and placed her glass on the table. “Tell me about it.”
I smiled to myself as I picked at a piece of meat with my fork. I could already tell what they would say to each other without being part of the conversation. Ava would tell her that she was pregnant and Mia would share with her that she had become a baroness.
I knew that she was pregnant. I could tell the moment we walked into the palace. Vampires were always pale but a pregnant vampire looked paler than normal and there was no how that would be missed except they were in a group of unobservant people or people who didn’t know a lot about them, like Mia.
I didn’t think that Mia knew much about vampires to be able to identify a pregnant one. I could already imagine her screams of excitement when Ava tell her about the pregnancy and I could hear Ava’s scream as well when she found out that her friend had become a baroness.
It was about to get louder in the next few minutes and the whole palace was about to look around in surprise and wonder what was wrong with their queen and her guest. Just the thought of that made me smirk.
Ethan chose that time to raise his head and he saw me. “I think something is funny to you. I’m glad you seem better than the mood you were in before we all came for dinner.”
The other looked at me, wondering what could have made me smirk. I knew they were curious and almost groaned out loud. Why did Ethan have to talk? I wouldn’t be in this position if he hadn’t.
I smiled awkwardly at the group. “Don’t mind me. Nothing is funny. I just had a random thought as I was eating. You know how these things are, sometimes?” I asked, giving them a mock grin and a nervous shrug.
They looked at me for minutes which felt like an eternity as they debated if they should believe me or still pursue their curiosity. Finally, they decided to leave me and looked away, focusing on their meals.
I breathed, grateful that they had done so. The girls would tear me out to pieces if they realized that I had been laughing at them.
Finally, the meal was over and I was the happiest that it was. The five of us excused the ladies who were already chatting away at the table and followed Ethan to his study.
He waved at us to settle in chairs and make ourselves comfortable as he settled in his chair. The scene made me remember when my brothers and I would be in dad’s study, waiting for his instructions.
“This is what we have been going through.” Ethan said and passed a photograph to me and also to my brothers. I shuddered as I looked at the photograph, glanced and saw that my brothers also did and realized that we were all looking at the same photograph. I wondered how many of it he had made duplicates of.
“Who did this?”
“My guess is another vampire clan but stronger than us as not anyone could have done this to my men. Some of them were ambushed when they had gone hunting and beaten up as you can see. The men said they didn’t see who it was or we would have found out exactly who did this. We might all be vampires and there are a lot of clans surrounding us but there is a way to identify the vampire clan each person belongs to by looking at their faces.”
I nodded. It was the same way with werewolves as well. There was a certain tell that gave a wolf out and showed the pack he belonged to and by the color of the eyes, one could tell his position in the pack.
Ethan continued. “Another group was beaten up that same day in another location and we realized that it wasn’t a coincidence but a planned attack. The other group didn’t see the eyes of the men who beat them up as well. The way they were badly beaten tells us that clan is stronger than we were and had dangerously trained men in their army. The planned attack during our hunting time also showed us that the clan had infiltrated our land and knew all about us and how we do things even though we know nothing about them.”
I nodded. That explained the heightened security at the border.
I sighed. “What is the meaning of all that?” I scowled in annoyance.
“It only means war. It’s a signal from the other group that they would be coming to invade our land and that is why I had to quickly send a message to you to come as fast as you can.” Ethan looked at the three of us, his eyes pleading. “I need the three of you to help me. It’s not like I don’t trust Rudolph but it’s obvious that this clan is stronger than we are. We need an edge on our side and that is the three of you. Having werewolves fight with us during the war which I believe is not that far anymore would help us. Moreover, the three of you are trained officers. I would like you to train, drill and prepare the men for the incoming war if it’s not too much of a burden to ask.”
I looked at my brothers to ask what their response would be. I already knew what it would be that they were thinking the same way I was but I had to make a show of seeking their approval before speaking up on behalf of the group.
“We will do it. Don’t worry.”
He heaved a sigh of relief and I could see Rudolph’s tense shoulders relaxing as well.
“Thanks.” Ethan grinned at us. “I have been so worried before you came. I don’t know how I would have survived if the war happened and I didn’t have any hope for it. If I could do it, I don’t want it to happen at all. I don’t want to put Ava through stress at all because of the condition she is in.” His eyes sparked with delight as he spoke. “She is pregnant.”
“We know.” I grinned.
His eyes arched up with surprise. “How did you know?”
I chuckled. “A pregnant vampire isn’t much of a secret, is it?”
He started chuckling. “No, it isn’t. I can still remember how rattled Ava had been when a maid had smiled warmly at her and brought her tea she didn’t ask for, telling her that she thought the heir would like it.”
I smiled. I could imagine that. It was the same way Mia had been uncomfortable when she had found out that my brothers and my dad knew we had slept together. It wasn’t easy knowing that others knew what you never told them but that was the world that we lived in.