AN: I told you a new story would be headed your way soon. I rarely do doubleheaders, but I felt like I kept you waiting long enough. I hope you read, review, and of course, enjoy!
Chapter 1
Marcus glided down the stairs and headed toward the north tower of the Volturi castle in Volterra. Two guards flanked him as he entered the underground chamber where the main surveillance system was located. The guards in the room turned to face him and gave a bow in acknowledgment as he made his way down the aisles lined with computers. Alexander and Roman bowed their heads in greeting when Marcus joined them in front of one of the massive flat screens. Videos of current events and raw footage from surveillance cameras around the globe were displayed before them and Marcus pointed to one of the feeds.
"How is the Mongolian Coven settling in," questioned Marcus.
"I received word from the leader and they believe Tavan Bogd will suit them well. They are used to the mountains of Russia and hope to find peace in their new location," answered Alexander.
"Good, I am glad we could be of assistance. The sheer amount of technology and surveillance used around the world is making it harder for our kind to go unnoticed. The more populated an area becomes, the harder that seems to be, so I am relieved the coven chose to move to a new location on their own accord and were open to suggestions. The mountains will keep them hidden. Speaking of surveillance, any sign of Merek?"
"I am afraid not. I have checked all over the world. It is as if he just vanished," replied Alexander.
"I suppose when a vampire of his intelligence decides to end their existence, they can find a way to do so. Roman, any updates on Kazakhstan," asked Marcus.
"Nothing out of the norm as far as the supernatural goes. Iris and I alerted the vampires in the country to beware of their surroundings now that the humans are speaking of war. Many of the vampires seem to be excited about the opportunity to feed more often thanks to the battles breaking out. They know to be careful though," informed Roman.
"Human battlefields are a natural feeding ground. If the humans continue to resolve conflicts in such a way, there will be vampires ready to take advantage of the situation to claim their prey. As long as they are not seen or adding to the conflicts, they can do as they please," said Marcus.
"Iris and I can go check on the situation again if it would please you," suggested Roman and Marcus smiled knowingly at him.
"You have a wedding to prepare for and should be on your way. Why are you procrastinating? This is a joyous occasion," said Marcus. Roman sighed.
"I know it is and I like Caleb, but Sofi is still my baby sister. I am not exactly looking forward to giving her away," admitted Roman.
"Change does not come easy for our kind, but Sofi and Caleb are practically married already. This is simply a formality. You and Iris should head to Isola Marcime tonight. We can handle everything here. Caleb's mother should be arriving soon. You should spend time with her. You will be family soon," suggested Marcus and Roman rolled his eyes.
"How exactly is that going to work? She is human. She shouldn't even know about us," reminded Roman.
"Well, we can thank the Quileutes for that. Caleb's mother became aware of our kind during Caleb's rebellious streak. Learning about us was an unfortunate consequence of that, but it works in Caleb's favor now. His mother should be in attendance at his wedding and this will give your families a chance to get to know one another."
"Are you sure we can't just postpone the nuptials until….."
"They have waited long enough. This will be fun. You will see. Why don't you head to the island with Iris and spend some time in Porto Rotondo? You can share a nice meal as a family," suggested Marcus.
"Fine, but I would like to be kept in the know about Kazakhstan," grumbled Roman and Marcus chuckled.
"If the status changes, you will be the first to know. Now, go," urged Marcus and Roman begrudgingly left the surveillance chamber. Alexander shook his head in amusement as he stared at the screen.
"He really needs to loosen up. Caleb has been Sofi's mate for a while now. He should be accustomed to their relationship," said Alexander.
"You of all people should know that it can be hard to let a sibling make their own choices. How are Nilas and Tyra doing?"
"Good, Lena and I are planning a visit to the British Isles very soon."
"You two deserve a vacation. Speaking of which, have you given any thought to who should be promoted to second in command?" Alexander averted his eyes.
"No, it hasn't really crossed my mind."
"Alexander, we have been over this. Connell has been gone long enough. It is time to choose who will be in control when you are not available."
"I am always available. Lena and I are forever at your service."
"It is not fair to you or her to always be on duty. You need to be able to take a vacation without worrying about being called back. There must be someone you trust enough for the job. What about Joaquin?"
"He is too young," grumbled Alexander.
"Since when is 124 too young," teased Lena as she entered the chamber. She tenderly kissed her mate.
"Marcus is right. It is time. Connell is not coming back. He is happy with Tia in Ireland and we cannot keep monitoring every situation in the vampire world," explained Lena.
"Listen to your mate, Alexander. Joaquin has proven his worth to the Guard and deserves a chance. Besides, we all have a wedding to attend soon and the last thing we should have to worry about is being on duty," said Marcus. Alexander's demeanor changed as Didyme entered the room and all of the guards bowed to her with serene smiles. Marcus held his arms out to his wife and she happily hugged him.
"I have finished the last minute arrangements for the wedding and the island is prepped for arrivals. Alexander, you and Lena should depart with us. We should leave soon, which means Joaquin will be left in charge just like he has been in the past. Maybe it is time to give him the honor and title that comes with that responsibility," suggested Didyme and Alexander smiled at her.
"As you wish, I suppose it is time," conceded Alexander. Didyme beamed with happiness, causing her aura to wash over them.
"Good, now that we have settled that matter, is there anything else we need to do before we leave for the island," asked Didyme. Joaquin briskly walked into the chamber with an apologetic smile as he glanced over at Alexander. The Brazilian was close in stature to Alexander, but was still intimidated by the man. He bowed to the group before speaking.
"I do not mean to interrupt, but we do have a matter to tend to before you leave."
"Joaquin, just the person we wanted to see. Is everything alright," asked Marcus.
"Unfortunately no and this issue cannot wait, sire. Luca Zolotas is missing," revealed Joaquin and Lena frowned in confusion.
"The Prime Minister of Greece, what has happened," questioned Lena as Joaquin entered a code onto the flat screen. A news bulletin appeared, along with a picture of the missing human.
"His disappearance has gained international attention. Humans have no clue where the prime minister is, but we already know he is dead. The body was brought to us this morning. It has been drained of its blood," informed Joaquin and Marcus gritted his teeth.
"Just what we need, a dead diplomat, do we know who is responsible," asked Marcus.
"We have a witness and two suspects waiting for you downstairs," said Joaquin.
"Then let's head that way," instructed Marcus as Didyme, Alexander, Lena, and Joaquin followed him out of the chamber. Joaquin handed Marcus and Didyme each a small device.
"I uploaded their information for you."
"Good work, Joaquin. You should be present for this. After all, you are our new second in command," announced Marcus and Joaquin beamed with pride.
"Really," he asked and Alexander slowly nodded.
"Yes, I could think of no one better for the job….besides Connell," mumbled Alexander and Lena nudged him.
"What he means is that with Connell's absence, there is a void we need to fill. You were the obvious choice," assured Lena.
"Thank you, this is an honor and I will not let you down. You have my word," vowed Joaquin.
"We know you will do a fine job. Now, what do you know about these nomads," questioned Marcus as he stared at the images Joaquin found.
"Naeva and Callista are not part of a coven. They are from Greece and met recently, but were changed by different creators. Pace is the vampire that found the body in Tripoli and alerted us to the issue. I already spoke with him about everything he knows about the situation," informed Joaquin.
"Meetings are in session in the capital this month. Why was the prime minister in Tripoli instead of Athens," questioned Alexander.
"It seems the prime minister was living a double life. By day, leader of Greece, but by night, client of an underground human trafficking cell," revealed Joaquin and Lena smirked.
"Sounds like he was in the right place at the right time then," said Lena.
"Don't you mean wrong place at the wrong time," asked Didyme.
"Depends on how you look at it," quipped Lena.
"She is right. I cannot believe humans still practice such things. Didn't we get rid of all the known rings," asked Marcus.
"It seems one managed to resurface. Lena and I will head to Greece to rectify that situation," said Alexander.
"No, you have a wedding to get to. Let Joaquin and some of the other guards take care of this one. Joaquin, you know what to do," instructed Marcus.
"It would be an honor. We'll find the underground ring and round up the criminals. I am sure there will be plenty of vampires in Greece that would be happy to dispose of them for us while enjoying a meal," said Joaquin and Alexander gave him a curt nod.
"Just make sure you are not seen by the victims or…."
"I know, Alexander. I will leave the rest of the humans behind and alert the proper authorities. I can do this," assured Joaquin. Lena giggled.
"Forgive him, Joaquin. It will take him time to relinquish control. Don't take it personally. So what about the nomads," asked Lena.
"Let's talk to them and find out how this happened," suggested Didyme. Joaquin opened the double doors leading to the chamber where the two female nomads were nervously waiting for them. Four guards eyed them carefully as Naeva crumbled to the floor and bowed at the feet of the rulers.
"Your majesties, please spare me. I had no hand in this," begged Naeva and Callista's eyes widened in horror.
"You treacherous backstabber, how dare you put this on me!" Naeva glared up at Callista.
"I warned you about going after humans in such a way!"
"I didn't know he was the prime minister! No prime minister would dress like that. He looked more like a beggar than a politician," defended Callista.
"Your meal will cost your life, but not mine," yelled Naeva and Marcus put up his hand to halt their argument.
"That is enough. The killing of a prime minister is unacceptable. This has brought international attention and we cannot allow such things. Callista, I see here that you have been around long enough to know better than to be so careless. How did this happen," questioned Marcus as he sifted through the records pertaining to the vampire.
"I needed to hunt, so I went into the city just like I have done time and time again. I went to the red district in downtown Tripoli. It was past two in the morning. There was no reason for me to think the prime minister would be there. He was waiting in an alley. I didn't recognize him." Didyme slipped her hand into her mate's and communicated silently with him as he mulled over their options.
"While my mate would like to spare you since it seems you were not aware of the status of your prey, I am afraid it is not that simple. The government of Greece is looking for him and humans want answers. Those answers could lead them to us if we are not careful. There are extenuating circumstances to consider and I would like some time to take everything into account before making a decision. You are to return here in a week's time for our ruling and ordered to stay in hiding until then as to not do anymore damage," announced Marcus before gliding out of the room with Didyme. Lena gave Callista a menacing glare.
"We will find you no matter where you go, so don't try to run. I enjoy the chase, but we have other things to do. Return to the castle in a week or I will personally end you myself. Are we clear," asked Lena and Callista quickly nodded.
"I will be here," assured Callista.
"Will my presence be necessary? This does not involve me," said Naeva as Callista glowered at the woman.
"No, I suppose it does not since she did not mention your presence during the hunt. You are free to go," said Alexander before leaving with Lena. Callista hissed at Naeva.
"Couldn't wait to betray me, could you?"
"You are not my responsibility and I am not going to die because of your idiotic behavior. When we agreed to travel together for protection, I warned you about your hunting style. You didn't listen and now you will pay the ultimate price."
"I am not dead yet. I can turn this around. They know I didn't do it on purpose. Maybe if someone spoke in my favor and I helped them clean up this mess, they would spare me."
"Well I hope for your sake you can find someone, but I am finished here. You are on your own," said Naeva before darting from the castle.
Marcus and Didyme returned to the surveillance room to wait for Alexander and Lena. The mates entered and immediately got to work. Lena refined the news stations to only coverage about the prime minister as Alexander pulled up the camera feeds located in Tripoli.
"The prime minister didn't want to be followed, so he isn't on any of these cameras around Tripoli. I will have Joaquin make sure the same applies to Athens," informed Alexander.
"We have to make this look like an accident. If any foul play is suspected, the humans will look to blame someone. We cannot let other humans take the fall for this," warned Didyme.
"Things are tense enough between Greece and Albania. We don't want to add to it with speculation that Albanians killed the prime minister," agreed Alexander.
"We need more information about the Zolotas. I am sure he has plenty to hide. Find a way to use it against him. Let Joaquin take the lead, but as usual, you and Lena will make the final decision," instructed Marcus.
"What about the nomad? What she did was wrong, but I believe she did not intend to kill a known human," said Didyme.
"I meant what I told her. I am not sure how to proceed yet. Let's see how this plays out before making a decision. In the meantime, how about we try to enjoy ourselves on the island? Sofi and Caleb are getting married and we get to meet the newest member of the Cullens. There is much to celebrate," informed Marcus. The four of them exited the chamber, knowing there was much to do in Volterra, but also a wedding to focus on.