***Jagger***

Fuck. All this time and I haven’t even told her half of the history of what being a damn Vampire all entails. This is the exact reason why Vampires need to be born and never created; because you need to be educated into the lifestyle and understand our laws and orders, history, and fucking legends. One should slide into their abilities with full understanding. Yet she’s already wielding powers of her ancestors...the ones we thought she might have but this proves it. A damn knife appearing in her damn hand out of thin fucking air.

“Angel, what were you thinking before you were holding the knife?” I ask.

Caius shakes his head. “I’d kindly advise you pick another endearment, Prez. Every time you call her that could send out a vibe they could pick up.”

“You know it doesn’t work that fucking way,” I snarl. “She’s precious, Angelic with her beauty, pale skin, and black silk hair. It’s a fucking endearment and I’ll call my Old Lady whatever the fuck I want. They won’t be flagged by that word if I use it in that way.”

“Who are ‘they’?” Tessera asks and yet again confusion is painted on her pretty face.

“First, tell me what you were thinking,” I press, needing to know for sure her thoughts are linked.

“The thought crossed my mind that I would love to have a knife in my hands, okay? Then boom, there it was,” she snaps at me.

Caius tilts his head. “What did you want to do with it, precious? You don’t palm a knife without having any use for it. Let me guess, I was going to be on the receiving end.”

“I might have wanted to cut your eye out of your skull when you winked,” she mutters and releases a deep breath. “But you really get on my nerves when you smile that creepy smile, and then you winked and,” She finishes with a frustrated scream, making me swallow the laugh that almost slips out.

“It’s one of the perks, love.” I brush my knuckles against her cheek, needing to touch her gorgeous face. “The items that are tied to any of your blood connections, or those close to you, can be recalled within your grasp.”

“Even you?” she gasps.

“No. Objects owned by me, or others connected with you, yes.” I glance at the knife on the floor. “Does the knife look familiar? Is it yours?”

She glances down for an instant and connects her gaze with mine, shaking her head slowly.

“Okay. Are you sure? Because it’s not mine either. Maybe one of your friends, or maybe from work?” I question, but fuck...now that I take a closer look. “Caius, get Theon in here, right fucking now.”

“Oh, shit. Yeah, Prez. On it.” Caius rushes out and I take the advantage to let Tessera know my train of thoughts. “If you don’t recognize it, and the way the knife looks...and let’s not forget the fact that your powers just awakened...I have good reasons to believe this knife belongs to one of your ancestors. Meaning they could track it.”

“Oh, shit. Like how I blurted out...you know, what you think one of my ancestors is?” Her eyes go from the knife back to me as she backs away.

I revel in the fact that she inches closer to me. It’s a clear show of trust and comfort. Sneaking my arm around her waist, I pull her close and murmur in her ear. “No worries, Angel. Even if I have to fight heaven and hell both at the same time, there’s no fucking way I’m ever going to lose the one thing that completes me. What I’ve been longing for centuries to find. You’re mine, and I protect what’s mine.”

She melts against me for only an instant when she pulls back and locks eyes with me. “You should seriously stop calling me that.” 

My gaze travels to her mouth. If I didn’t hear Caius and Theon coming this way, I’d be kissing the fuck out of her. But I can’t, so I regretfully step away from her and let her know. “I like the way your eyes light up when I call you that. There are only a few walking this earth who I respect enough to listen to, and for everything else, there’s only one rule I follow.”

“And it’s called ‘I do whatever the fuck I want.’” Caius rolls his eyes as he strolls into the office. “Can we continue with this knife incident before we have uninvited company? Yes? Thanks. For fuck’s sake.”

My VP has been with me for centuries and clearly he’s heard me say that shit more than once. It doesn’t mean he needs to be disrespectful.

“Fuck,” Caius snaps. His upper lip tips up in a snarl but he manages to keep the rest of his discomfort on the inside. “Sorry Prez. Didn’t mean any disrespect, it’s always been you and me, I know that’s different now with your Old Lady, but fuck. Yeah, shutting up now.”

Every single one in my MC is linked with me. When I need to reprimand someone, it’s easy to inflict pain with a single thought. When one of them dies? I see what they see right before they leave this fucking world. You might think it’s neat to have these kind of abilities, but it’s also a burden. One I’ve learned to live with over centuries.

For instance, the Vampire who turned Tessera? She was called Aura and was a part of my inner circle of trusted ones for a very long time. I’ve always felt protective of her, as a friend; something close as a sister. When Dedrick killed her, I had no other choice than to watch it happen. The pain that sliced through my body was excruciating; I felt what she felt, saw what she saw. It’s something I will never forget.

“You did that reprimand thing with your mind?” Tessera eyes me before a smile slides over her strawberry painted lips. “Would I be able to do that too? It would have been handy to know before the knife appeared in my hand.”

During the time she’s been here, I’ve only been able to explain some things. It’s not like I could bombard her with every single detail of information, she’s been through hell already. I had to start with how I knew her father killed Aura. What I neglected to tell her is that I was the one who ripped off the head of her father. I only mentioned we killed him...as in everyone who was there to save her and the others, putting a stop to this man’s insanity of creating half-bloods for his own personal vendetta.

Not that it would matter to her that I killed the man who made her a Vampire. It’s a damn DNA connection, that’s all it is. She didn’t even know it was her father who kidnapped her until I told her.

“To be honest? I have no damn clue. This is all gray matter. If you were a born Vampire and we would mate, we would be aware of all the damn details that’ve been known through centuries. Except now, with us and the twist of your background, it’s complicated.”

“Because I’m different,” she muses.

“Yes.” I take a deep breath and explain again. “Humans who have been bitten and consume the blood of a Vampire don’t all turn into one. Most die because their bodies are inadequately built for the transition, our blood carries a powerful punch. Vampires are meant to be born, not created. I hate saying it, but it’s a matter of physical strength of body and mind. Those who do turn into a Vampire can’t handle it and go on a rampage driven by bloodlust. They don’t live long because we put a stop to those. That’s why there’s a law, as the Prez of the Vampire Charter,”

“I’m not born...” she interrupts me and swallows. I fucking hate to admit this and it’s the whole damn reason why I neglected to tell her.

“I know,” I admit.

She takes a step away from me. “You were supposed to kill me, weren’t you? I was in your territory...you...if you didn’t, Alastair would because you answer to him, and he answers to The Orderly. Tell me I’m wrong.” Her voice turned from shocked to full-blown anger the next instant.

“I wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to you, and neither was Alastair.” And that’s the fucking truth because I can’t live without my eternal mate.

Not just because my heart would shatter to the point of no return, but I’d fucking starve to death because no other blood except for hers would do. It’s just the way it is with Vampire mating.

“Guys, focus please. We don’t have time for a fucking lovers’ quarrel, not with this beacon lying here on the floor in the midst of the clubhouse,” Caius presses, and I know he’s right.

I stalk to the closet where I grab a small black box that would be big enough to fit the knife in. Crouching down next to it, I meet Tessera’s gaze. “Would you mind picking it up and placing it inside?”

I can tell she’s surprised by my request but she doesn’t say anything, instead she jumps into action and places the knife in the box. Closing it, I hand it to Theon who leaves the room along with Caius. I shut the door behind them to make sure we’re locked in my office. With the door locked, it’s completely soundproof.

Believe me, it’s necessary when you’re the Prez of the Vampire Charter. Enhanced hearing is one of the perks of being a Vampire, but not something that comes in handy when you need to talk through delicate shit that isn’t meant for everyone to hear.

“Before I saw the damn feathers of my wings I knew it would be a major problem we had to deal with. But I can assure you, I would never let anything happen to you,” I vow.

“The feathers?” Her eyebrows scrunch up adorably. “What do my ancestors have to do with it? You said a Vampire needs to be born. That little fact still doesn’t apply to me, so what’s changed?”

“The awareness of the kind of DNA that is running inside you, Angel. It changes the odds for you drastically. No one touches the Elite, and I would assume it’s the same for those who have a fragment of their DNA flowing through their veins. That’s only an assumption because they don’t walk this earth frequently, let alone splurge on female attention for their own pleasure. I haven’t even heard about a possibility of one creating offspring until you.”

She stalks over to a chair and leans her ass on the armrest. “Why are you suddenly calling them Elite? Alastair mentioned something about calling them that instead, is it a synonym? Doesn’t it draw the same kind of attention? And how can you be so sure?”

“The knife. It has inscriptions. And I call them Elite because they are...top of the rank. Those who come down here and set foot on earth are the most vicious warriors. If one would step in to save a human who’s screamed for help, one would handle the situation within minutes and disappear right after. They only pop in and out when they are called upon by a human in need. That’s why the word is flagged as a call for help. It’s scanned for so to say and if needed they drop in, take action how they’ve deemed fit, and hightail out, no questions asked. But seeing the Demons would like to get their hands on one for reasons unknown...they answer to the same...call so to say. When more than one at a time comes down, it’s because of a major threat, you might say it’s the kind of threat that would cause an apocalypse. No one knows when or if we will see them, they are hidden until they are needed. Like the knife that appeared in your hand.” I run a hand through my hair because this is the part she also needs to know. “The fragment of DNA that links you to them has clearly been dormant all your life. But it all changed with our mating. The reason we don’t mention what you are is because they will hear our ‘call.’ The mere mention of that word made in a reference to them will be screened to see if there’s a reason for them to come and render aid. They can tune in...like a video feed being monitored so to say. We won’t even know if they do that shit.” When I mention that last part, it makes her eyes spark with interest, fuck.

“Not a good thing, Tessera. You don’t want their interference. Their ways are resolute and they leave you no option or choice; their ruling is final. But like I said, it’s not just them you send out a signal to and attract, it’s their counterpart too.” Stalking toward her, I lift her chin with one finger to connect our gaze, to make sure she knows I’m not voicing this word either. Not that the word itself has the same effect as voicing Angel but it’s not something to take lightly, so I let it slide through her thoughts. “Demons.” I let my thumb slide over her bottom lip before I continue our discussion out loud. “If the call for an Elite is considered legit, they will show up and kill the one that voiced the call for help before the Elite has a chance to get there. They pop up just for the sole reason to aggravate The Orderly who need to keep a handle on all the Death by Reaper MC Charters. Demons are outlaws and they live for the fun of killing. Or so the rumors say. They respond to the call for an Elite to...capture one? Kill? The one that shows up. Who knows, because their war has existed for decades and everybody is aware of it and stays out of their path. The one thing that’s clear about those two is that they are natural born enemies. And if they find out that you...”

“Shit,” she mutters while standing up.

Panic enters her stunning eyes, understanding the risk that comes with the trace of DNA that’s running through her veins.

“You’re the Old Lady of the President of the Death by Reaper MC, Vampire Charter. You’re protected by us, and with that, you also have the support of the Hell Charter. Not only because they back us up as a matter of it being their duty to do so, but also because of the link with your sister. Seeing the Elite always protects their own, I’m fairly sure you have their support also. At least when it comes to protecting you from others, but it might come with strings attached and that’s not something either of us want. They might try and take you away from me or make another decision I seriously don’t want to fucking think about. Let’s just conclude that it’s a big pile of fucked up shit we’re going to deal with.” One thing at a fucking time I tell myself, because I have to admit that I have no damn clue how all of this will unfold.

“Have you ever met one?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

I give her a slight nod. “About a century ago. It wasn’t pleasant but I welcomed the interference. We were tracking a Vampire who went rogue. He had his eyes set on a human who he was obsessed with. She ran into an alley, screaming for help. He was taunting her, holding her by the throat against the wall while we blocked the alley. We always put the priority of a human life first. We couldn’t risk killing him without the woman getting hurt. Then out of nowhere one appeared behind him and with a mere touch the Vampire was dust. The Elite brushed his fingers along the woman’s temple and with it deleted the Vampire out of her memory so she wouldn’t remember anything. The Elite’s eyes met mine, he gave me a nod as if to say it’s been handled, and then he was gone. That quick, that simple.”

“They don’t wait around to chitchat, gotcha,” she muses. “Can I ask what he looked like? It was a he, right? Or a she?”

“This one was a male, yes.” She makes me chuckle and add, “He didn’t have a piece of sheet wrapped around him, no robe, this one was dressed casual. White slacks along with a white shirt. They are pristine with their large white wings. Even when I only saw him for the blink of an eye when he left. His wings weren’t there when he presented himself, so that means he made himself visible after he arrived at the scene, allowing us the chance to handle it. It’s a mutual respect, but like I said earlier...you don’t want them to swoop in because they take decisions out of your hands. No negotiation, sweet-talk, nothing...their decisions, their rules. To be honest...I have no clue what their intentions would be if they’d find out about you.”  

She takes her bottom lip between her teeth, clearly worried like I am with not knowing if the Elite could be our enemy or friend. “And the other ones? Have you?”

She’s curious about the counterparts of Angels; Demons. Pure evil. That’s what they are. “More than a few times. We can handle them when needed, unless it’s one of the very few upper level Demons; I know at least two of those exist. They possess too much power if we were to face them on our own. But a low-level Demon is a bit of a pickle to handle too. You need to behead them fairly quickly because they scream when they’re about to die and it attracts more. Those upper level Demons also get a visual of the person who kills one of their own. Then you’ll have the attention of the big one, you’ll be needing backup within minutes or you’re the one to die.”

“Crap. Every time I think I have a handle on some of the things going on, you throw new wood on the fire. Anything else I need to know about? Just lay it on me, I can handle it.” She stands up and starts to pace.

“I just got started.” Her eyes flash to mine, horror stricken, making the corner of my mouth twitch. “But most can wait, Angel. These were the main things you need to be aware of. We’ll get into other things as we go because there’s a lot about the Paranormal world you will need to experience, or learn for yourself. Like handling every biker in this MC. I might have told you everything about being a Vampire, but these guys have their own twists. I’ve explained some of their powers and when you need them for something, you might be able to reach out for them with your mind. It’s something we will need to practice. Not today, though, today has been an overload of information. There’s only one thing we need to do now.”

“What do we need to do?” Again, concern edges her face.

I don’t fucking like it one bit and it’s been a dragging few weeks with her holed up in her room. With our bond in place, her becoming my Old Lady, she needs it as much as me, and everyone else in this MC.

“We need to party,” I state, and flash a huge grin.