A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Chapter 26: Of What Might Happen

Vlad wasn't sure Erin was thinking straight; she shouldn't make a decision like that so soon after what she'd just been through.

"You're not thinking straight," He told her.

Erin folded her arms over her chest, staring at him through narrowed eyes. "I don't want to lose you and regret not being mated to you again."

"Erin…"

"I can't go through it again. I want to wear your wristlet on my left wrist, prove to everyone…"

Vlad's eyes darkened as her words stung him, "I am not having a ceremony to prove anything!" Vlad told her sharply, he would never go through a ceremony just to prove a point to anyone.

Erin jumped back at his sudden change in tone and expression. Erin reviewed her words in her head and realised how her words had come across. She could see why he had reacted the way he had.

"I didn't mean it like that," She told him quietly; she didn't look him in the eyes though she felt ashamed to look up at him.

Vlad let out a sigh, "I know." He gave her a half smile. "I just don't want to have to prove anything to anyone."

"I love you Vlad, I just want people to know I've made my choice – and it's you."

He looked into her eyes; he could see her determination and confidence in her words. He blinked furiously as he spoke, "Are you sure?"

She shrugged, "Yeah."

Erin didn't want to wait anymore, she didn't want to regret missing out on anything if Vlad was truly slain next time. She'd had plenty of time to think about it in the cell and she knew what she wanted.

Vlad rubbed a hand down his face, he was ready he always had been. He just wanted Erin to be sure before they had a ceremony; once it was conducted they were permanently mated to each to her.

"We'll start planning the ceremony but it can't be for another month." He told her wincing slightly; he didn't want her to think he was trying to get out of it.

Erin shook her head in confused, "Why?" Why did they have to wait another month?

Vlad ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Because I want you to be my Queen."

Wasn't she going to be anyway?

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Vlad explained it to her; he'd never thought they'd have a ceremony before his coronation so he didn't really think he'd have to explain it to her.

"You'll only be my Queen if we have our mating ceremony after my coronation, its ancient vampire law." He explained with some disgust. "If I have it before my 'official' coronation only I will be officially recognised when I take the throne."

Erin wouldn't be considered as Queen among the clans, she'd be considered as 'the Grand High Vampire's Mate'. They could disrespect and attack her as much as they wanted – a legal loophole. It was ridiculous, it was designed because women didn't have equal rights in their world so she didn't have rights to accession with him.

However if he was crowned as an unmated man then could he enforce the law that his future mate would be crowned Queen to show her worthiness as his mate.

"I don't want your power Vlad,"

"But I want you to have it." Vlad told her softly. "My coronation date has been set after your birthday. If we mate after my coronation you will officially be crowned as my Queen which means they'll have to respect you."

Erin shook her head. "I don't want any respect." She didn't want any role in his ruling she just wanted to be with him and support him.

"You deserve their respect Erin. You are the person who isn't afraid to take me down a peg or two, you always tell me to follow my instincts not what others tell me to." He pressed a kiss to her lips, kissing her slowly. "I want you to be my Queen officially," This way she couldn't be scolded for challenging him.

"But you promised Ingrid that she's your number two." Erin didn't want them fighting again, Vlad would always in but Ingrid always grew more murderous.

Vlad tilted his head as he thought about how to word this. "You'll be 1.5."

She smirked as he described it. "What?"

"You'll have almost as much power as me, if I'm not available they can come to you instead of me and you can make the decisions. Ingrid will always have to come to me to get things sorted." He rested his forehead against hers. "After my coronation we'll have a ceremony." He promised her.

Erin could see how much this meant to him and she was touched that he wanted to make sure that she definitely became his Queen. Her eyes watered at how much he loved her.

Erin nodded, agreeing with him. "After the coronation."

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"Mr Count, I want to talk to you about Vlad and Erin…" The Count froze and turned on his heel, facing Miss McCauley with a smile.

"Ah Miss McCauley, lovely day…"

Alex McCauley wasn't in the mood for pleasantries; "I want to talk to you about Vlad and Erin." The Count's jaw clicked shut. "Since Vlad turned 18 he *and* Erin have been missing classes, at the moment they're both in my office."

The Count had a half smile before a look of horror crossed his face; he offered a prayer to whoever was out there that they hadn't caused devastation and destruction. He knew there was a reason he didn't want them back at school – at least until they were both back to their normal selves. "What did they do?"

"I think its better if we all talk about this in my office, don't you?"

The Count nodded mutely before following the head teacher to her office.

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Vlad and Erin pulled their hands from each other as the door to the office opened. Miss McCauley saw their action and groaned.

"I understand that Erin left to visit her relatives just after Vlad's birthday," It was the only excuse they could use to stop Miss McCauley prying further. "But your son hasn't attended school in that time either. What have you got to say for yourself Vlad?" She looked the young vampire directly in the eye.

"I've had more important things to sort out." He looked bored as he answered. The Count narrowed his eyes at his son and Erin hit him on the arm telling him to behave. Vlad nodded, reluctantly agreeing to do as she asked. "I've been having alternate lessons, Dad said he'd sorted them with you."

When Erin wanted him to behave in front of their head teacher she didn't mean shifting the blame onto someone else. He really wasn't back to normal yet just like her, she was terrified what might happen before either of them were.

Miss McCauley arched back in surprise; a matching expression was on his father's face as she turned to him with narrowed eyes. "Your father didn't sort out anything with me."

"Then I'm sorry." Vlad answered sweetly, looking apologetic everywhere but in his eyes.

"We'll discuss this later Mr Count." She told Vlad's father fully believing Vlad. The Count felt like teaching his son a lesson in that moment, but he couldn't hypnotise Miss McCauley to freeze her. Vlad folded his arms across his chest and leaned back smiling at his father. "Also they've been more…" She tried to think of a word that was appropriate, "'Affectionate' since Erin returned to the school." She expected Erin and Vlad to blush, but she didn't know the reason they couldn't blush. "I normally don't mind but its crossing over into lesson time."

She'd lost count how many times they'd been late to lessons and curled into each other in class lately.

Vlad and Erin shared a small smile with each other before glancing back up and Miss McCauley. They were only sharing the affection Jonno had nearly taken from both of them, they both knew it would lesson during school but they both needed to reassure themselves that the other person was definitely there.

"I know Erin was away but it wasn't like you weren't going to see her again." Vlad straightened in his seat as Erin fought to look at her 'fiancé'.

"We'll try." They both muttered together, the Count rolled his eyes. Miss McCauley turned to him, luckily not catching his actions.

The Count plastered a smile across his face. "Was there anything else?"

"Yes, both of them are wearing jewellery, a deliberated breaking of the school's dress code."

On cue Vlad and Erin tugged their jumpers down covering their wristlets completely from Miss McCauley's gaze making them more suspicious.

The Count looked between them and Vlad looked to him for held. The Count shook his head before finding a voice. "They're promise cuffs." Vlad had to agree they were promise cuffs in a way. "Its an old Transylvanian custom."

They could wear them if it was significant to their culture.

"And what are these promise cuffs for?" She asked wanting more information. The Count hadn't expected her to bite.

He opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish before finally answering. "Its a promise to be faithful to each other and not to take their relationship further until they're both of age."

"They're already above the age of consent." Miss McCauley reminded him. Vlad and Erin's gazes snapped to each other wondering how the Count was going to talk them out of this one.

"In my country we take our tradition very seriously, when the cuffs change wrists they can take their relationship further." Miss McCauley gave him a sceptical look, "It's a very old tradition and Vladimir *will* respect tradition." The Count added a sickly sweet smile to the end of his statement.

It was a slight embellishing of the truth but he didn't want to open a can of worms over mating and ceremonies.

"In respect for your culture I'll let them wear them as long as they keep them covered."

Vlad opened his mouth to protest but his father beat him to it. "Done."

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"The place is really starting to stink of slayer." Ingrid commented, wrinkling her nose in disgust, making everyone in the throne room look up at her. She stood against the fireplace, leaning back against the surround. "Even Erin never stank this bad."

Bertrand nodded in agreement, slayers blood was a delicious delicacy but after a while even he was tired of it.

Vlad rolled his tongue in his mouth, "What do you want me to do Ingrid?" Vlad snapped at her, he didn't care about his anger management at the moment. Being summoned to Miss McCauley's office to discuss his private life had been more than enough for his patience already.

Ingrid shrugged, "Let some of them go." She didn't think they could get very far.

Vlad let out a long cackle; he'd never expected his sister to say that. "Which ones?" He asked, moving his head from side to side patronisingly.

"Everyone but Jonno and Mina." She answered as if it were obvious.

"They tried to control me and took Erin, as soon as they're free they'll start slaying us again."

"You don't know that." Ingrid told him, she didn't think Jonno's 'army' had it in them to slay them now they knew what Erin and Vlad were capable off. Ingrid tried to get Vlad to think like he used to, "It wasn't the entire Guild's fault…"

"They could have gone against them if they wanted to. They didn't and that makes them just as guilty." He snarled at his sister. Erin nodded in agreement with Vlad.

The Count and Bertrand shared a cautious look, neither of them were back to how they were before the whole ordeal – this made them both extremely dangerous if angered.

"Vlad…"

He didn't want to hear anymore. "NO!"

He released a large, powerful fireball in his frustration.

Flying directly towards Ingrid.

TBC

A/N: Please let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading.