Dinner with Angel

Lucas P.O.V.

After getting my things moved from my cabin to my room at the castle; long live teleporting, I try to gather myself before dinner.  

My rooms consist of a total of three rooms; a drawing room/living room, an office and my bedroom. It has comfy furniture, as I like it and is held in autumn colors. In the drawing room I have a large couch, chairs for visitors, a coffee table and countless bookshelves along the walls. It also has a door to a large balcony, which overlooks the large garden. My office is typical with a desk, a chair and shelves for papers etc. It’s very organized otherwise I would get lost in there easily. 

My bedroom has a king size four poster bed, end table on either side of the bed, beautiful paintings on the walls and a TV hanging so I can lay in bed and watch movies. The ensuite bathroom has a built in shower, a bathtub big enough for four and everything else one could wish for. Everything is the color scheme of autumn (orange, cobber, dark red, brown etc). My walk-in closet only has clothes on one side, as the other is reserved for my Destined or mate as my parents call her. I will give her the entire closet if she wants it. Everything she wants she will have. I will lay the world before her feet to make her happy. Which is totally irrational, but that is how I feel already. I don’t even know her yet and she has already possessed every inch of me. The power of the matebond is indeed strong.         

Mom and dad say they have a visitor I want to meet and who has some information about my mate I will want to hear. I must admit that I am intrigued as to what they know about her and why she is suddenly here?! Not that I am complaining. Not even for a microsecond. I’m just utterly confused.

Someone knocks on the door. 

“Your Highness, dinner is served shortly.” A servant says with a bow. 

“I am on my way. The private dining room or the official?” I ask, taking one last look in the mirror. My dark blond hair is almost to my collar bone, I’ll have to get a haircut soon. The clothes show off my lean, muscular figure. The wolf in me makes my muscles more prominent than they would have had I been fully vampire. My eyes are finally not dull and dead when I look at myself. They have gotten the spark back into them, and the golden color shines back at me as I smile to myself. 

“The private one, your Grace.” He answers, and I walk out of my room, closing the door behind me. The servant bows again and disappears down into the other end of the long hallway of rooms. The private dining room is not far from our wing of the castle, which also holds a library, conference rooms, spa, cinema and private kitchen area.

I love the castle because even though it is big and looks as grand as a castle should, it’s also home and has always felt warm and homey to me. Probably because of my family which I love and adore completely. And I know that sounds extremely nuts when I fled from here, but that was nothing on my parents or grandparents. That was solely my brother’s fault. He drove our family at odds with each other with his constant battles and intrigues. 

“Ah! Here he is.” Mom says as I enter the dining room. I bow to her and dad as is custom before moving to hug her. A young woman smiles at me with eyes that seem too old for her young face. They have a knowledge edge in them that should not be there, and I have a sense that in her case the cover might deceive.

“I’m sorry if I am late, mother.” I tell her, kissing her cheek, but she waves me off. 

“You are not late at all.” She says with a smile. “Crown Prince Lucas, this is our friend and ally; A.” I raise an eyebrow. Her name is a letter? Mom sees my confusion and laughs. “We call her Angel, as we don’t know, and she refuses, to tell us her name.” This time both my eyebrows rose. Mom laughs. “Oh hush! I know how it sounds, but she is trustworthy. And she has information about a certain lady you want to hear about.” My heart pounds at those words. Does she really have information about my mate? 

“Well, my parents trust you, A, so I will choose to do the same.” I tell the woman, bringing her hand to my lips in a galant gesture. She giggles, actually sounding like the young woman I am not sure she is.

“Well, I must say you have impeccable manners, my Prince.” She says, her eyes dancing in suppressed laughter. Mom gestures to a chair opposite Angel. I clasped my hand on dad's shoulder as I sit down beside him. There is an empty chair on the end of the table between my parents. 

“Where is my sister?” I ask just as the little one hurries into the dining room. She squeals when she sees me, and disregards our parents completely to run to me. I open my arms to her, laughing when she jumps into them. 

“You stayed!" She squeals, her words not all clear yet. I laugh. 

“I did! I couldn't just leave my little sister again.” She giggles like mad as dad clears his throat. “Uh oh, did you forget something Alira?” I ask her and she shakes her head, her eyes wide. 

“Nuh uh! I washed my hands. Lookie.” I turn her hands over, bringing them close to my eyes. 

“You did a great job, but you forgot to greet mom and dad like a Princess should I think.” I tell her, whispering loudly, so she thinks it’s a big secret. She giggles again. She grabs my hand and I go with her in front of our parents. Alira does a courtesy while holding on to me, and both our parents shake their heads with a smile. 

“You need to remember to do that first, Alira. It's a custom!” Dad scolds gently, opening his arms to her. She runs to him and kisses his cheek noisily. 

“Sowy, daddy.” She says, crawling up into her chair. “Sowy, mommy.” She says to mom when she is in her chair, and mom just nods with a smile.

Dinner is served by the servants who also make sure we have enough to drink. As a vampire we need to sustain ourselves with blood to keep that side under control. Dad has to do it more than the rest of us. Mom doesn’t as she is a wolf through and through. Dad does not eat any other food, as he doesn’t need it, but mom does need it and we have regular meals because of it. I get most of my energy from the blood, but I do enjoy eating food and having other things to drink. I have to drink blood less than dad, but still a few times a day, because I’m a hybrid and have all the best qualities of both sides. It was one of the things that made me and Silvan fall out. He does not have a wolf counterpart, although he does have the ability to mindlink, he refuses to use it. He is mostly a vampire, but he can’t teleport. He thinks I stole everything from him and kept it to myself although there is almost 50 years age difference between us. Alira and I are about 250 years apart, not that it means anything. We’re vampires and immortal, but we actually do have an expiration date on the procreating side of things - around our 400th birthday give or take. This will also mean there is going to be a giant age gap between my mate and I. I hope she does not think it’s too much. I would hate it if that is the reason why she rejects me. 

“So, your mother tells me you feel the matebond with your Destined? Is that true your Highness?” Angel asks after the servants leave the dining room to give us some peace. I nod, swallowing the food I just put in my mouth. 

“Tell her what you told us, darling.” Mom interjects before I can answer and I nod, indicating I heard her. 

“Yes, I all of a sudden feel her presence in this timeline. I have had visions of my future self trying to locate her but failing after she is born. He could feel her for a couple of years after she came into the world, but then the matebond goes dormant. He tries to locate her, or someone who knows her to find out if she died or is hiding. Then two years ago I had a violent vision of him feeling the matebond reactivate and he rushed to find her, but as he did she disappeared. I come back to myself and feel the matebond in this timeline. Then shortly after it goes dormant.” Angel nods as if she knows something, but she doesn’t say anything. “Then about 6 months ago it became active again and now she is using her powers freely and she is not hiding it anymore. I do not know where she is, but she is here and I want to find her.” 

“Why didn’t you come home sooner, son?” Dad asks, and I sigh. 

“Because Silvan said you wished I was dead or had never been born. He had filled my head with so many negative thoughts I doubted my own sanity for a long time. It took me 6 months after our matebond became active again to talk myself into coming here. I keep getting visions of her, of my future self and a feeling of doom. I need help, and the only one I could think of was mom.” 

“Well, I can tell you a bit about her. But first I need to know; do you know where she comes from other than the future?” I shake my head. 

“No! She was part of a wolf pack, but there are three big ones in close proximity to each other and it could be each of them. I know her Alpha was evil though - but it does not narrow it down as my future self has notes of all three Alpha’s and they all seem to be assholes.” 

“Alright. Well, I can tell you who she is because there is only one person who has come back in time; M.” I just stare at her. She laughs at my exasperated look. Another freaking one letter name. What is up with that? “Well, she goes by Druida, and she is more powerful than anyone you will ever have encountered.” I nod. Druida?! That is a pretty name. It means Wise One, and she must be that to come back in time like this. 

“Where is she?” Angel swallows some food. 

“That’s where it gets tricky. She is deeply involved as a spy in Silvan’s organization.” 

“SHE IS WHAT?” Both me and dad yell together. Angel puts her cutlery down. 

“This is a longer explanation, but she is spying on them and giving the information back to the right people. She is in contact with me as well. She is not a bad person, I swear this on my life and honor.” 

“Has she done anything with my brother?” I ask, bile wallowing up in my throat at the mere thought. 

“Absolutely not! She despises his sorry ass, and she is not afraid to tell him. Remember she is way stronger than him and he needs her. She would never do anything with him. That’s just disgusting.” She looks at my parents and lowers her head. “Sorry to speak so freely your Graces.” 

“It’s okay. We know he has lost all senses of reality and that is why we chose to strip him of all his titles and relations to this family.” Dad says, taking moms hands as she wipes a stray tear. Alira bends down and kisses moms hand, looking at her. 

“Mommy better?” She asks, and mom laughs. 

“All better, baby girl.” She says, smiling at the child. 

We keep the talk light after that, and make sure to include Alira as much as possible. She tells us about her day, her lessons and her new discoveries. A silent agreement of speaking of tougher topics when we are just adults. 

After dinner Alira is going to bed, and mom goes with her to tuck her in. Dad invites Angel to stay and talk, asking if I am too tired of if I want to join them? I want to join them, and follow behind him to his and mom's rooms. Their living room is as I remember it; warm and inviting. Dad gestures for us to sit as he goes to get some drinks. 

“Why would my mate spy on Silvan?” Angel stares at me for a second before she seemingly decides I am to be trusted. 

“Because she wants to prevent certain events from happening. And I can’t tell you more than that. It is not my story to be told. But I can arrange for you two to meet?” 

“That would be amazing! I am dying to meet her. Is she a wolf, vampire, witch?” Angel laughs. 

“She is a wolf, but she has been blessed with more powers than anyone who has ever walked this earth. Even me, and I am quite powerful myself.” I nod, contemplating something I decide to ask her. 

“You are not as young and naive as you want people to think, are you?” I ask, just as mom and dad come back together.

“He is not as stupid or blind as I thought he would be.” She says to them. Well, thank you or something. “No I am not. And no, I do not want to tell you, nor do I understand this myself completely yet. But I am here and I am an ally if you want me to be.” I nod. This is getting interesting and I have only been back one day.