Background: This story takes place in Styria, which is a country. It is broken into 4 main sections, 3 of which are run by high houses. The high house in the East is the Cahira Pack which is made up of elite shapeshifting wolves whose current Alpha is Danny Lawrence. The high house in the West is House Iris which is currently run by the Hollis Royal Family who are faery born. The high house in the North is House Vordenberg which has been ruled for centuries by Lord Vordenberg and his vampire clan. The South is known as the lowlands. The lowlands were destroyed in the last great war when Lord Vordenberg's sister attempted to overthrow the other high houses.
Part I.
Cahira Pack (East Styria)
"Carmilla!" Kirsch yells as he tries to wake up his best friend. "Dude! You need to wake up! Real shit is about to go down!" Kirsch says frantically while attempting to shake his friend awake.
"Kirsch, I'm not getting out of bed to talk Lawrence out of kicking your ass again." Carmilla mumbles while stretching slightly, her body refusing to wake up fully.
"No dude- you don't understand!" Kirsch yelps. "Members from House Iris are here! faeries are here- on our pack grounds!"
"What?!" Carmilla asks frantically, causing her to stumble out of her bed. "Kirsch, if this is one of your lame jokes again I'm literally going to kill you!" She spits out, suddenly happy that she fell asleep in her ripped jean shorts and black tank top instead of her usual nakedness.
"It's not! Danny sent me to get you- she wants you to meet her outside of the meeting house now!" Carmilla doesn't need further clarification. Her wolf is prowling under her skin and she can feel Danny, the pack alpha, calling her. Without another word, Carmilla springs to the door and breaks out into a sprint while her body sets on fire, her wolf demanding a shift.
"Dude, don't wolf out! The Fae's requested a formal meeting!" She faintly hears Kirsch call out behind her. She lets out a guttural growl, her wolf angry at the thought of not being free, of not being able to protect the pack and their Alpha. She tries to concentrate on her surroundings in an attempt to gain control on her wolf. She focuses on the smell of burning wood, oak trees and the light dew that now covers the pack grounds as dawn attempts to break through the darkness that currently engulfs her. As she makes her way down the path to the meeting house she notices her pack members standing on their porches, their wolves bristling at the edge of control. She whines lowly as she passes them, letting her own alpha pheromones loose in attempt to steady the pack. The pack members mew and whine in response, most of them have already shifted, waiting for an order or a fight.
"Stay with your omegas and your betas!" Carmilla barks at the other alphas in the pack. "Your duty is to protect them! Do not attack until you hear from me!" she continues while releasing an unrelenting amount of pheromones over the pack. Her wolf is riding every part of her, demanding to shift in the presence of other alphas.
"What the fuck are faeries doing on our lands unannounced?" Carmilla grumbles to herself while steadying her pace towards the meeting hall. Danny Lawrence, Wilson Kirsch and her have grown up on the Cahira lands since they were pups and not once had any faeries, vampires, or other wolf packs entered their lands, especially without requesting an audience before hand. There are strict laws governing all packs, clans, and head houses.
"Danny!" Carmilla breathes out when she sees the Alpha safe and unharmed. "What's going on? How did they get on our lands?" She questions quickly while she surveys her surroundings and the voices that are echoing from the meeting hall.
"They stopped at the front gates of our grounds and spoke with our guards" Danny mumbles softly, eyeing the windows of the meeting hall. "They requested an audience with me and our elders…" She begins to pace, clearly uneasy over the current situation.
"And you just let them in…" Carmilla trails off in shock. "You know that there are laws regarding meetings between head houses!" She says sternly; the Alpha's uneasiness hitting her senses in waves.
"I'm aware of Styria's laws." Danny hisses while inching closer to Carmilla in attempt to keep the conversation hushed.
"Good, then you know that meetings between head houses need to be requested formally, months in advance, with all head houses included." Carmilla whispers back in an effort to gain control over the current situation. "So you do realize that House Vordenberg is clearly NOT HERE and there was NO written letter from House Iris requesting an audience with us!" Carmilla eyes her Alpha, trying her best not to lose control. "The last thing we need is Vordenberg vampires on our land! As your second in command, you must see how risky this is!"
"Something is going on- I can sense it." Danny rushes out while washing Carmilla over with soothing pheromones. "The King and Queen of Iris sent their daughter, who is the only royal heir to the throne, and two of their closest advisors here to meet with us. Why would they risk sending their only heir here in secret if something serious wasn't going on? The Faeries are peaceful creatures, they wouldn't…"
"Danny!" Carmilla rolls her eyes; effectively cutting off the Alpha. "You can't be serious! You know faeries have powers. They might be peaceful creatures now, but we were all educated in how strong and powerful they are, especially in the Great War.. You know it's a risk to bring them here! We don't even know what kind of powers this princess has, especially as a high born…"
"Carm, I just need you to trust me on this." Danny says. "I've already discussed this with our elders and they agree. They're inside waiting for us with the Princess and her counsel."
Carmilla knows she's lost this battle. The pack Alpha has the final say in everything and Carmilla is aware that the only reason she could even have an argument with Danny is because they're best friends and Danny has always taken her opinions in account. "Waiting for us?" Carmilla questions, knowing that she usually is not part of the Alpha's meetings with the elders, nevermind a royal faery princess.
"Yes, you're my second in command and commander of our pack's warriors. Judging by the secretive nature of this meeting, they're most likely seeking some form of protection." Danny says knowingly. "Even if they aren't, it would put my wolf at ease to have you in there with me."
"Lead the way." Carmilla says, nodding her head toward the meeting hall doors. Danny takes the lead without hesitation and Carmilla trails the Alpha closely, scanning the area ahead of her and letting her wolf pick up the scents surrounding them. As they near the entrance door she picks up a new scent, one she's never smelt before. She takes in a deep breath, letting the smell of vanilla, flowers and the most beautiful earthy scents wash over her. Her wolf groans as the scents flood through her body, causing her to nearly buckle over.
"Are you alright?" Danny asks, turning to look at her best friend who is now leaning on the railing that leads up to the meeting hall door. She can feel Carmilla's wolf prowling uncomfortably under her skin. "Your wolf is unsteady…"
"Do you smell that?" Carmilla growls out as her grip tightens on the railing and her teeth begin to elongate. She knows she's almost mid-shift at this point.
"It smells like vanilla…" Danny trails off while trying to assess what's going on. "You need to get control of your wolf, you know we have to be in human form during meetings. You're acting like you've never smelt vanilla before." Danny says, letting her wolf unleash her authoritative pheromones all over Carmilla in attempt to stop her from shifting. "We're already late. Get your shit together, Carmilla. I need you."
Carmilla straightened herself and sucked in a hard breath in attempt to gain control over her wolf. Her fangs rescinded but her eyes had already changed from her deep brown to forest green as her mid-shift still lingered. Her senses were in overdrive but she knew she had to be there for the Alpha. "Let's go." Carmilla huffed out while inching her way up the stairs. Danny held her gaze for a brief moment before turning around and leading her friend through the meeting hall.
Carmilla has probably been in this meeting hall at least one hundred times, but every time she walks into it her breath is momentarily lost. Everything is made out of oak wood, much like the rest of the houses and halls on their grounds, but this wood is finely polished and reflects every flicker of light off the windows and floor giving it a magical feel. She looks up at the ceiling and marvels at how high it rises, knowing that this is the only hall on the entire ground that has triangle shaped ceilings, causing the hall to look even larger than it already is. She stares at the banner hanging from the beams up high and smirks briefly when her eyes make contact with the gray wolf that stands proudly on the black and blue banner. Though her surroundings briefly take her focus away from the scents that still flow through her body, it did little to calm her wolf or the need that was now growing in the pit of her stomach. Something is calling to her wolf, tempting her to shift at any moment.
As they make their way across the hall floor and past the long tables and chairs that line the expanse of the room, Carmilla notices one of her packmates standing on the left side of Danny's throne. She recognizes him as JP Armitage, Danny's closest advisor. Being a beta wolf in the pack, JP spent most of his time growing up in the pack's library and science halls, studying everything and anything he could get his hands on. He now spends most of his time with the elders who trained and groomed him into one of the best advisors the pack has ever known. "I'm glad you could join us." Danny said politely as she nodded in his direction. "Where are the elders?" She questions while taking her seat on the ornate throne. Carmilla has seen the Alpha's throne many times, but every time she does she is mesmerized by how the thick branches are woven perfectly together and protrude from the the top of the chair, making it look beautiful and menacing at the same time.
"I met with them briefly before you arrived, Alpha." JP says formally. "I will be representing the elders this evening. They thought it best only to have one of us here so as not to overwhelm the princess."
Danny eyes him and lets out a brief snarl. "That was not what we had discussed." she growls.
"When we initially discussed this there was no mention of Carmilla being present, Alpha." JP replies. "The elders thought it wise not to have all of us in one place at one time. Carmilla is your head warrior and I'm your head advisor. The elders are needed with the rest of the pack while this meeting occurs." JP finishes.
"He is right, Danny...I mean Alpha." Carmilla quickly corrects herself in the presence of another packmate. "If something were to happen, the elders could keep control over the pack and select another alpha to lead them and keep our lands safe." She finishes as she takes her spot on the right of Danny's throne.
This seems to appease the Alpha somewhat as she doesn't question the beta any further. "Where are the faeries?" Danny questions while gripping her armrests firmly.
JP doesn't have time to answer as the two huge doors leading into the hall began to creak open. JP and Carmilla tense instinctively, both widening their stances, clasping their hands behind their backs and broadening their shoulders in a formal yet protective way. Carmilla eyes the door and sees two of their guards break through it's threshold. Three figures follow closely behind them in a straight line as they descend upon the throne. As they get closer and closer, Carmilla's wolf becomes more and more agitated as the scent that nearly knocked her over outside a few moments before has become increasingly overwhelming. She instinctively draws in quick sharp breaths as each wave of this beautiful aroma reign terror on her body. Carmilla continues to eye the figures approaching them in an effort to determine where these scents are coming from.
She didn't have to wait long, as soon as she locked eyes with the gorgeous faery that now stood in front of them, she knew exactly what was calling to her wolf. Carmilla can't take her eyes away from the soft brown eyes that stared back at her. She studied the faerie's long golden locks that flowed wonderfully down onto her green gown and the ring of flowers that fit perfectly on top of her head. Carmilla took in a staggering breath as she tried to tear her gaze away from the faerie but immediately regretted the decision when the scents calling to her wolf bore down on her like nothing she ever experienced before. She growled out and bit the inside of her mouth, trying to her best not to show her fangs that began to elongate. She knew she was releasing an unrelenting amount of pheromones over her pack mates as both the Alpha and JP began to stir, causing them to both look at her accusingly.
"Alpha…" A guard says quickly, causing the trio to turn their attention back to the three faeries that now stand shoulder to shoulder in front of the throne. "We'll be right outside of the doors if you need us." He says briefly before turning and exiting towards the entrance of the hall.
Danny watches the guard exit before beginning the meeting. "I am Danny Lawrence, head Alpha of the Cahira Pack." She said formally. "This is JP Armitage, my head advisor…" Nodding in his direction. "And this is Carmilla Karnstein, commander of our pack's warriors." She finishes, while gesturing to her right.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." The faery in the middle replies softly, causing Carmilla to cough back a whimper in response. "I am Laura Hollis, Princess of House Iris." She continues. "This is Lola Perry" she says while gesturing to the female faery to the right of her with long, curly red hair and wearing a similar green dress. "And this is LaFontaine." She states, gesturing to the female faery to her left with short red hair, wearing a formal suit in the same color green. "We can't thank you enough for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice and in such an informal way." She finishes while the three of them bow in unison.
"What brings you to our lands at such a late hour and unannounced?" Danny asks coolly. "You're aware of how much my pack is risking by letting you onto our lands without notifying House Vordenberg?"
"Yes, I do." Laura said softly. Carmilla swears she can listen to this faery speak for eternity. Every syllable, every word and every sentence she spoke sounds like music to her ears. Trying to control her wolf and her desires is becoming increasingly more difficult. "We wouldn't have come if our situation wasn't becoming dire…"
"Go on…" Danny growls, attempting to get to the point of this meeting.
"For the past three months our guards and members of our legion have found a growing number of dead along the southwestern border of our lands. Many of them Faeries, but we have also found some werewolves, elves and vampires among the dead..."
"And how has this become our concern?" Danny asks. "We monitor our southern border just as much as you do because we are all aware of these evil creatures that now lerk in the lowlands."
"Yes, your grace." The Princess agrees. "We have encountered many dead creatures along our border since the Great War but this is different. Our legion has been finding many bodies at once and all with bites on their neck and wrists."
"Are you implying that these bodies have all been bitten by Vampires?" Danny questions further. "You know since the end of the Great War Lord Vordenberg signed a decree stating that his clan would only feed on animals. It's highly plausible that there's a rogue vampire living in the lowlands who is feeding on these creatures."
"I would never implicate a High House without good reason and good evidence." Laura says sternly, finally gaining the confidence to speak her mind. "House Iris has been studying the bodies and picking up patterns for months in order to determine how and why these creatures were killed. We have determined that these deaths are happening strictly at our border to the lowlands. All of the creature's bodies have bite marks on one of their wrists and neck. To clarify, by 'bite' I mean two incision marks on each wrist and neck. Also, all of these bodies are completely drained of blood which leads us to believe that these creatures have been killed and drained for a purpose and not just because some rogue lowlander vampire decided he felt like killing." Laura continues while taking a step toward the Alpha.
Carmilla and JP let out a warning growl as they counter her step with their own step forward. Carmilla moves on instinct to protect her Alpha but her wolf is bristling with confusion. Her mind knows that she has a duty to protect her Alpha, her lands and her pack just like she was always raised to do, but her wolf wants something else. The thought of laying a hand on this princess and harming her makes her wolf want to howl in agony. The thought of any of her pack mates laying a hand on her or looking at her makes her wolf want to shred them apart. Carmilla bares her fangs slightly in warning but she has never felt so conflicted in her entire life and the only thing getting her through this meeting is the thought of sprinting out of this hall, shifting and running free into the woods where her mind could be at ease.
Laura stops her movements and looks briefly at Carmilla, taking in her glowing green eyes and sharp fangs as a warning. "Someone is killing these creatures with purpose. Yesterday we found a Vordenberg vampire among the dead at our border." She states, softening her tone slightly.
The last part of Laura's statement caught Danny's attention. "A Vordenberg? How do you know for sure?" She asks.
"The male vampire's body, it bore House Vordenberg's mark on his wrist." Laura explained. "He was dressed in plain clothing but the letter V was clear on his wrist. He also wasn't bitten, but decapitated." She finished with a slight blush growing up her neck.
"Did this mark- or 'V' as you said- did it have smaller 'V's' written on the inside of that letter?" JP asks curiously out of turn.
"Yes, it did." LaFontaine answers quickly, also speaking out of turn. "Which means that this vampire was directly part of the Vordenberg clan and not just one of the many vampires that the clan oversees."
Laura glares at her friend briefly before collecting herself, "This is why we came to see you so urgently and secretively. House Iris is in need of your aid."
Danny leans back into her throne and studies the three faeries, letting her mind ponder all the information that she just received. "This does seem very curious." She states while looking briefly at Carmilla and JP. "How could my pack render House Iris assistance in this matter? We'd be risking too much to be involved in such a situation and you know our pack is not on the best of terms with the Vordenberg House."
"If I may speak…" Perry says quietly while raising a hand. Danny nods shortly in her direction, granting her permission. "Wolves can pick up vampire scents and track them better than any creature in all of Styria. We understand that wolves and vampires have been at odds for centuries and we are not requesting that you risk your entire pack. We just need you to spare two or three of your best wolves to come to our lands and investigate. It's more likely that they will be able to pick up on something or sense something that we have not been able to."
"I think this matter is worth investigating. If the Vordenberg clan are feeding on lowlanders we need to know why. These could be signs of another plot to overthrow the houses so they may rule over Styria entirely." JP leans forward and whispers in Danny's ear. "It would be in the packs best interest to spare a couple of wolves to investigate and put our houses at ease, Alpha."
Danny grunts and rests her head on her hand in thought. She does not like the idea of sending her best warriors to a land they have never been to, especially under these circumstances. JP has a point though, and she has to consider the advice of her best advisor. If these events are the beginning of an overthrow, she must do what she can protect her pack. "Would it not draw the attention of House Vordenberg to have wolves on your lands and in your house? No wolf from pack Cahira has stepped on your lands since your parents wed." She asks Laura directly.
"That's the other thing I would like to speak to you about…" Laura responds while nervously playing with the top of her dress. "I'm turning 21 in two weeks time and my parent's- the King and Queen of House Iris- they're holding a royal ball...in the hopes of finding me a spouse." she finally finishes, refusing to make eye contact with anyone in the room.
"Why is your royal ball any of our concern?" Carmilla growls out while stepping down to meet Laura's gaze. She's trying to collect herself but she's struggling to keep her wolf calm. The thought of this princess dancing and touching someone else is driving her wolf to shift. She attempts to bite her lip in order to prevent what is about to come out of her mouth but she's aware that this is a losing battle. "It would be a waste of our resources and our time to watch you dance around all night so you can choose a faery to mate with and live happily ever after."
"Carmilla!" The Alpha roars from her throne while pumping her alpha pheromones all over her. Danny eyes Carmilla's arms as they ripple with her mid-shift. She can see her fangs and claws begin to elongate and she is more than aware that her eyes have not retreated to their natural brown color since they entered this hall. "Enough!"
This seems to bring Carmilla out of her trance as she whimpers and backs away from the princess. She gives Laura and Danny an apologetic look before resuming her position next to the Alpha's throne. The six of them stand in awkward silence for what seems like hours before Laura finally clears her throat. "We've invited Lord Vordenberg and his closest advisors to the ball. He will not be able to attend but he confirmed that Matska Belmonde and Theo Straka will be there to represent House Vordenberg. He did not state when they will be arriving but we're expecting them sometime next week. We would like you or any of your advisors to attend as well, regardless of our current situation. If you did decide to attend and aid us, it would be the perfect cover and no one would question why you were at our house." She breaths out.
JP smiles and looks at Danny, "This would be the perfect cover, Alpha. If this is our one window of opportunity to investigate this matter, I do not think we should waste it." Danny sags in her throne knowing that JP is right, but not fully comfortable with the idea of sending any members of her pack away. She knows the elders would never agree to her going, especially with the knowledge that Lord Vordenberg will not be attending. Danny sits in silence for a few more moments even though she knows a decision has to be made and someone has to go to investigate. "JP and Carmilla will travel with you back to House Iris as soon as the sun rises. They will assist you in this investigation, attend this ball and offer their full protection for the next two weeks. Unless something serious arises, I want them back on my lands the day after the ball with a full report. Is that understood?" Danny asks while standing up and glaring at the faeries.
"Yes, your grace." They sing in unison while curtsying. "We will never be able to thank you enough." Laura finishes. Danny bows her head briefly in their direction, turns and begins walking down the aisle towards the entrance door.
Carmilla stands with her mouth agape as she stares at her Alpha who has now disappeared out of the hall. She quickly pushes by JP and sprints down the aisle in attempt to catch the Alpha. Once out into the fresh air she sees Danny moving slowly down the road leading back to her house.
"Danny!" Carmilla yells after her; beyond the point of caring if other packmates hear her speak to the Alpha informally. "I'm not some faery babysitter!" she calls as she slows her pace, knowing that the Alpha is going to continue to ignore her and walk away. "And you know I don't do royal balls!" Carmilla huffs, fully aware that she is about to enter the longest two weeks of her life.