I grew hungry by the aroma of a meal cooking. My stomach growled and suddenly I was ravenous. I walked out of the room I was given and followed the delicious aroma. Once at the grand staircase, the aroma was suddenly gone.

Frowning, I hurried down the stairs and to the place where I thought the aroma had come from, slowly pushing the swinging wooden door open. Well, by the looks of it, I had found the kitchen and by the Ancients, it was as beautiful and as huge as they come.

A beautiful black marble island with four black swivel seats on one side dominated the kitchen; the smooth black surface was so large as well as long. One end of it was attached to the darkened wall to the right so even though the island was in the middle of the kitchen, it was attached to the wall.

So it looked like a giant U. It was rather beautiful, to say the least. I slowly approached one side of the counter as I trailed my fingertips against the side of the island, my expression one of awe.

There were four burners that almost spanned the entire counter and my eyes grew wide. 'How come there are so many burners for one man?' I thought. Maybe his maids and butlers ate, I supposed. Yes, that was why.

I looked to the left and built into the wall was a black microwave and oven. When I looked to the right of me, I saw a beautiful black state-of-the-art refrigerator. I shook my head then turned. The shiny sink gleamed a little ways away from me, the lights above sparkling off of the fixtures.

Someone certainly cared about this kitchen.

My eyes lifted to the large window above the sink and I walked to it. Stopping before it, I looked at the drawn drapes that covered the window and thought it was odd. I mean, it was nightfall so these drapes should not be drawn now, right?

So I eased forward on my toes and grasped both ends of the drapes in my hands.

"May I help you?" A woman voiced from behind me.

I gasped and spun around as my heart raced within my chest. A woman no more than thirty-five with fiery red hair and hard bright blue eyes stared suspiciously at me. I placed my hand over my racing heart and tried to calm my breathing.

"I- I'm sorry. I was hungry and smelled something very tantalizing but when I came here, nothing nor no one was here. Curiosity got the best of me, I guess." I said with a sheepish smile.

The mystery woman's hard blue eyes seemed to soften as she looked at me. She then cracked a genuine smile.

"Ah, so you're the woman who's to help the king? I hope you can because that man is so troubled. I am glad the Ancients finally brought you two together."

As I gaped at her, she laughed.

"Forgive me. I always say what's on my mind. I'm Harley Monroe, the Vampire king's chef. If I may speak freely, you have a job ahead of you, missy."

I nodded upon hearing her words. I knew it would be a long journey; I just hoped I was the woman for the job.

"I just hope I am the woman for the job." I said with a small smile.

She nodded.

"Indeed."

"I am Angelica St. John." I said and outstretched my hand to her.

We shook hands. Harley couldn't believe that the king's salvation, his destined mate, was finally here. She hoped that Angelica could ease the king's worries and stop the nightmares that plagued him.

She could sense that Angelica was immortal but what was she? She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She also sensed Angelica would cherish true love when it would bestow itself upon her.

Harley could sense those things as well as many others because she was also immortal. She was what's known as a Fire Witch; a being who could manipulate fire at will. Many associated witches with evil but Harley practiced the good spells and veered away from the dark ones.

She sensed Angelica was pure of heart and soul so how could the Vampire king not fall for her? With just one look at her, Harley could see the Ancients had marked this woman for the king alone. But did Angelica know of this? She must have if she was still here.

"Sit and I'll make you some of my delicious stew." She said with a smile.

I smiled as well and sat on a stool at the island.

"Your stew must be delicious." I said as I watched her.

Harley nodded. "Yes it is. It contains stewed beef with carrots, potatoes, and onions; all combined within a thick gravy."

My eyes grew wide and my mouth began to water. I didn't eat the evening last and to prove so, my stomach growled rather loudly. Embarrassed, I pressed my hands flat against my abdomen and gave a shy smile.

"I will remedy that in a couple of minutes." She said as she sidestepped me and walked to the shiny black refrigerator.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I can sense you are a rare being, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I am a Fire Witch, you see." Harley said as she hauled out the necessary ingredients for the stew.

"Well, I'm a Phangel."

Harley paused in her mission to look at me from beside the open refrigerator door with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

"A Phangel, hmm? I don't usually have the opportunity to encounter a rare being such as yourself. But now that I have, I'll be sure to learn from this experience."

At my frown, the other woman smiled. "Don't you worry, missy. I am not trying to offend you and I'm sorry if I did."

I shook my head.

"No you didn't, Ms. Monroe."

"Please, call me Harley."

I smiled and nodded.

"Okay Harley…"

Mark stood beneath the cool streaming water of the shower. Angie again got his blood heated and his body tense. He was tempted to slack himself but again, he had the will to control himself.

He never knew how one woman would test his ability to remain in control of himself until he met Angelica. So he stood beneath the cool running water until his erection waned. He vowed he wouldn't handle what she caused for as long as he could before she tempted him beyond the point of self-control.

But the thing that bothered him still was if she could accept him as he had already accepted her. He feared that she would run, not accepting him or anything he had to offer her. And after what he saw within her eyes earlier that day, he'd be damned if he would lose her.

Then a thought arose. Would the beast get in the way of him winning her heart? His hands fisted at his sides at the thought of that evil fuck.

He hated the beast as hate was such a strong word. But it deserved every vile thought or emotion he felt. Mark understood Angie's fear of the beast as he was afraid of it when he first laid eyes on it.

How could that fuck kill his father so coldly? Mark frowned then turned the water off in the shower and stood motionless.

The beast killed everything and everyone in its path that day and if his father hadn't saved him, he'd be gone, just a memory like his loyal father. He growled then. He'd heard those around him talk; they said that he had let his father down and that he had allowed his father to be killed. His eyes narrowed. Those fucks knew nothing of what happened!

Anger filled him as he struck the shower wall before him, bits of porcelain and plaster flying this way and that. He looked at the hole in the wall and sighed.

He wouldn't blame Angie if she ran from him. 'I truly am fucked up.' He thought with a melancholic sigh as he stepped out of the shower and grasped a towel then dried himself, wrapping it around his waist.

Then the lights began to flicker. Eyebrows furrowed, he looked up at the lights in confusion. Maybe the electricity was waning.

Mark didn't give it a second thought as the beast appeared before him in the full length bathroom mirror. Mark felt a change in the air and lifted his head, looking at the mirror. He grew wide eyed at the beast's flickering image.

It had an angry look upon its dastardly face as it glared at Mark. Its image then flickered hard, as if a strong gust of wind blew its way. The beast then narrowed its eyes at the Vampire king.

"Let her go before shit begins to happen, Vampire." The beast spoke slowly.

Collecting himself, Mark ground out the word, "Never."

The lights above then flickered erratically. Mark glared angrily at the beast as it did the same to him. Mark was damned if he'd ever let that shit happen.

"Get out of my home." Mark growled darkly.

"You have her stay then you damn her soul! She will kill herself before she could ever become your mate. She wouldn't bed someone as vile as you." It sneered.

Mark's eyes flashed to black at the beast's words. How dare it!

"I'm far better than you'll ever be, serpent." Mark growled.

"You're nothing but a whore's son, one she threw out like trash. She left you to rot!" It snarled with a sneer.

Something seemed to falter within Mark as he was void of all emotion except fury. He bared his fangs at the apparition.

"Get. Out. Now." He hissed.

The beast's image flickered once more in the mirror. The beast would do anything for Angelica not to fall for this abomination. Even resorting to kidnapping.

"And if you do anything to my female, I will make you relive your death for all eternity." Mark growled.

The beast's eyes widened. The Vampire would stop at nothing to protect his destined female. Any male would do so with their mates.

"You cannot threaten me." The beast spoke after a moments silence.

"I just did, motherfucker." Mark spat angrily.

Before vanishing, the beast growled, "She will pay for that threat dearly, Vampire."

Mark growled and turned, punching another hole in the wall of his bathroom. Plumes of plaster flew in every direction as his strike shook the palace to its foundations. How dare the beast threaten the life of his female!

Mark vowed as long as he lived and had a say in matters that the fucker would never lay a hand on Angie, as long as he had anything to do with this.

He hastily dressed then quickly flitted from his room to Glenn's palace, in search of advice…

Harley and I both jolted when the palace shook. Wide eyed, I looked to her as her eyebrows were furrowed. What was the king angry about? When he grew angry, the things within this palace stood no chance against his unspeakable strength.

"What was that?" I worried.

"It was probably a small earthquake. They aren't uncommon, you know." Harley said then grasped a bowl from a cupboard.

My eyebrow rose as she busied herself with the cooking of the stew. Harley wondered if the king told Angelica of who he was. As in a Vampire. She thought for a moment then disregarded that idea.

Of course he had to have told Angelica who he was because Harley sensed that the Phangel would stay no matter what and that was a huge relief.

She then placed the bowl before me full of steaming stew with a spoon on the side. I smiled up at her as my appetite got the best of me and I dug in. Harley smiled at Angelica but in the back of her mind, she wondered what was wrong with the king…

"The beast will be going after Angie! It could possess her, Glenn! Then what am I to do?!" Mark worried as he paced the Wolf's living room within seconds.

He flitted back and forth, his eyes still a menacing black. With fury, yes, but mostly with fear for his female. He wrung his hands before him as his heart raced within his chest. Jay and Glenn sat on the sofa and watched Mark worry to the point of insanity.

All right, so the beast warned him; threatened him rather, using Angelica as leverage. Either the beast would really do something, or it was all a bluff. Maybe it was a bluff just to make Mark crazy with worry.

They hoped it was the latter because Glenn hated seeing Mark worry like this and Jay didn't want to see her younger sister hurt. 'Angelica is a lovely person, inside and out.' Glenn thought.

"It could just be a bluff on the beast's part, Mark." Glenn said as he watched the Vampire pace/flit about his living room.

Auburn red eyebrows furrowed over wild black eyes. Mark shook his head vigorously.

"No Glenn, the beast wasn't bluffing. I need to protect her against that- that fuck!" He spat vehemently.

Glenn understood Mark's emotions because he would feel the same if it were Jay in trouble. He held her close to himself with his arm around her shoulders, wanting to protect her no matter what type of situation arose.

"So what are you thinking? Is it to stay with her as long as she is there in your palace? Protect her without end?" Jay inquired.

Mark nodded as he stopped his pacing. His eyebrows remained furrowed as his hands lowered to his sides, clenching and unclenching repeatedly. Glenn knew it was hard for Mark to remain in control in this crucial situation.

But what if Angelica saw Mark furious with eyes as black as night? That alone would scare the shit out of her.

And the Ancients knew that Mark would snap then.

"She will remain with me, as she should." Mark said then.

Jay's eyebrows furrowed. "But her very life hangs in the balance, Mark. What if that?"

Mark now looked at both of them, the Angel and the Wolf.

"Would you do anything to protect your destined mate?"

"Yes," they both said simultaneously.

"But you can't make her stay if she doesn't wish to, Mark. Her safety is what matters here, first and foremost. Never forget that." Glenn said and glanced over at Jay.

Mark frowned as he stared at his friend. Glenn was right, he knew, but he wanted Angie to stay with him. But it wasn't his decision or choice to make. It was hers. He wanted Angie to stay with him for eternity, but he couldn't make her stay.

He sighed as his anger slowly faded but not entirely. It was just to the point of which he could control.

He closed his eyes then opened them and knew they were green once more.

"I just can't lose her, Glenn. I know that I've never liked someone before Angelica walked into my life. With her," he glanced at his friend and Jay then sighed again. "I feel like I've a chance at true love. And if I lose her…" His voice trailed off as he closed his eyes against the pain he felt in his heart, the thought seeming fathomless.

Glenn's eyebrows furrowed at the mere thought and he didn't like it one bit. He could never lose Jay either. So he understood Mark's distress. He removed his arm from around Jay's shoulders and patted her hand then stood. He walked over to his friend, placing a hand upon his shoulder.

"Don't think of such, Mark. She's quite fond of you. You'll win her over." Glenn said with confidence.

"We know you will." Jay said then and stood, looking at Mark with acceptance.

Mark frowned slightly. If only he could receive that from Angie.

Mark knew Glenn and Jay were only trying to reassure him that things would eventually be all right as he was grateful to them. What would he do without them?

"Thanks, you two. What would I do without you both?" He asked, looking at the both of them.

Glenn smirked as Jay walked up beside him, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Not half as good as you are now."

Mark chuckled softly. He knew Glenn was right as he clapped him upon he back. Glenn returned the gesture with a smile.

"Now go. See what your female's up to…"