Chapter 2

Cardin

“Whenever you do things that I detest, someone will have to pay for it since executing you is not an option. "

“Dad, please I’m beseeching you don’t do this... Please,”

“Don’t fucking call me that, it’s sir to you. I'm going to pardon your mum but I am going to place her in a silver casket as protracted as I choose and for you, your sister is going to pay for your sins as no one cares if she’s alive or dead. So you are going to look her in the eyes as I pierce her heart with a silver dagger”

“Please... Sir don’t do this to them, it’s my wrongdoing... I let the Iska escape not them so please discipline me and stamp them out of this,”

“You are going to look her in the eyes and know that you murdered your sister all because of an Iska that you know nothing about. May this hunt you for the rest of your existence,”

 

I roused feeling disoriented. If I were human, I will be drenched in sweats. I glanced around my surrounding and recognized that I am no longer with my father in Italy rather I am in New York in my empire. That viscous bastard still has a way of tormenting me all the way from Italy.

Running away from my father and the golden clan,  which was my clan, wasn't very easy but possible. Baron insisted on leaving with me together with his sister Ashley, who believes that we are soul mates.

I escaped  the golden stars 2008 so that would be thirteen years ago and since then, I established an empire of my own starting from the scratch. I made Baron my beta as foreseen and Ashley remained Baron’s sister, with no sensual allure or recognition from my part.

We’ve been awaiting my father’s retribution ever since I escaped the clan, but so far, we have heard nothing from him. I would have considered the fact that he appointed another successor which I will be so gratifying for, but that is not achievable because they cannot appoint a new heir when the old one is still alive. So for him to choose a new heir, he will have to kill me.

Stretching myself as I rose up from the bed. I refreshed up and left for the day’s activities. I met Baron at the other wing, explaining things to the rookies. Immediately he saw me, he let them go and ran towards me and when I mean ran, I meant full vampire acceleration, which isn’t even necessary.

“Good morning sir... How was your night?”

“Cut the sir shit Baron, I already told you, you and your sister may call me by my name. "

He slapped my back. "That’s by the way Cardin, we are short of blood in the barn”

Damn!!! This is the part of my job that I hate the most. "Inform Rick to go with the guys and fetch some humans"

He nodded in understanding as he zoomed off with the same speed. Unlike Baron, I use my powers only when necessary and if am given an opportunity to be back to normal, I will embrace it in a twinkle of an eye.

Bringing myself back to the situation at hand, I thought of how some young men and women are going to be missing for few hours. Unlike my father, I don't kidnap little kids to turn them into Iska's rather I tell my men to get over a hundred human from the street of London, drain one pint of blood from them, give them some cash, compel them to forget and let them go back to their loved ones. But that doesn't make me feel any less evil. Just to control the level of human blood intake, I trained the new ones to live on animal blood, leaving the human for Baron, Ashley and myself. If it was possible, I would have also lived on animal blood but once you start with human blood, you'll end with human blood.

I blinked few times to get rid of the thought in my head and Ashley chose that moment to approach me. I must say that she transformed herself into a lovely lady, always dressed as if she's on a fashion runway. She came close to me and curled her hands round my chest and I let her be. I've gotten used to these gestures from her, at first I tried to stop her but it was to no avail so I let her be.

"Good morning Cardin"

"Isn't it too early to look beautifully dressed Ashley?"

I felt her smile behind me. "Are you saying I look beautiful?"

I know she's itching for a compliment and I gave it to her freely. One of the ways to make Ashley happy is to shower her with compliments. "You always look beautiful Ashley and you know it"

"I guess I love hearing it from you"

Carefully preying her hands off my body, I turned to face her fully "I wanted to talk to you later, but since you are here, I can as well say it"

Dictating the seriousness in my voice, she stared blinking rapidly, a habit of hers that I've learnt over the years.

"I want you to reduce the number of new intakes. Biting humans and leaving them for your brother to handle of has to stop. It is not easy to make them leave their family for those who can't handle it and for those who can, it is not easy for them to live a different life"

She tilted her head, observing me "when you talk like this Cardin, you make me believe that you hate what you are"

It was on the tip of my tongue to say that I hate what I am but I bit my tongue. What kind of leader will I be if my subjects hear me utter such? "Of what use is turning the whole of New York to be like us?"

She grinned in an evil like manner "power, authority, money... Should I continue Cardin? You very well know that turning the whole of New York into one of us means a whole lot to us"

Most times, I am grateful that she chose to leave with Baron because I honestly don't know what she will grow up to be had she grown up around my father and her father but on occasions like this one, I have this urge to bundle her back to her father.

"Listen carefully Ashley, you will not touch any human from now on, if you need blood, go to the damn bank and have one. Stay away from them Ashley... Am I fucking clear?"

She pursed her lips in defiance which angered me the more, I grabbed her neck abruptly, my hands curling round her throat, purposely hurting her "I love you as a sister Ashley, which is one of the reason why you are still alive, but just so you know, I learnt a few things from my father before I left the golden stars. Defy me one more time, I'll have you put in a fucking silver casket" I shoved her away with much force than needed "this is your last strike Ashley... Don't mess it up"

Holding her throat, she smirked at me and I saw it, the glint in her eyes, the glint that makes me want to snap her neck for real. "Do you have a fucking death wish Ashley? So you we're purposely trying to get a reaction out of me!!!"

"I love seeing you like this Cardin...I love knowing that deep inside you, that monster really exists"

"What monster Ashley? What monster are you looking for? Our existence on its own proves that we are monsters... So what else are you looking for?"

She took a step closer towards me. "That monster every King is expected to have, that monster your father has, that monster he imprinted in you, that monster you are trying so much to hide and subdue"

Unable to continue listening to her say shit, I glared at her before leaving her presence and for the first time, I used my personal powers on irrelevant situation.

Later that evening, I sat down in my office going through some office files. As funny as it sounds, I have so many establishments here in New York, starting from hotels to casinos to clubs to airlines just fucking name it, I have it all.

And we are currently planning on putting one of our own in the government seat. Returning back to the situation at hand, I skimmed through the new employees files, I stopped at a particular employee 'Lucy clay' 

Narrowing my eyes at the picture on the employees info, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I've seen her somewhere. Scratching my stubble, I studied the picture closely. Someone knocked on my door, interrupting me. Heaving out a sigh, I granted the person permission to enter and Ashley poked her head in

"Are you up for the club tonight?"

I looked down at the work load on my desk "I'll pass, you can go with the guys... But don't forget the conversation we had this morning"

"Calm down Cardin, I'm going with Baron"

I huffed. "As if Baron can stop you from doing anything you've set your heart on."

Baron as if waiting for his name to be mentioned walked into the office, leaving the door ajar. With just a glance at his face, I knew that something definitely isn't right. I turned to Ashley "can you give us few minutes?"

She glanced at Baron then back at me "you both realize that I am also a part of this right?"

"Just give us a fucking minute Ash!!!" Baron hissed

Glaring at Baron once more, she banged the door on her way out. I gestured at Baron to have a seat which he did.

"What is the problem Baron?"

"Someone uninvited is roaming this city"

Snapping the file before me shut, I intertwined my fingers, indicating that I'm all ears.

"I went to get the humans for the blood as you ordered, but then I heard whispers on the street"

Must he wait for me to tell him to continue? "Whispers about?"

"Death and missing humans"

My mind immediately flew to Ashley, I mean she's the only one reckless enough to go on a killing spree. Baron as if reading my mind shook his head. "This isn't Ashley's doing"

Tapping my pen impatiently on the table, my mind went through the list of things that could cause the disappearance and death of humans. "Werewolves? Did those fuckers sneak into my town again?"

"That was my first thought when I heard the news but I had my doubts due to how badly we dealt with them before driving them out of New York. So I went to the mortuary to check the corpse out"

"By checking them out, you mean you sneaked in and observed a corpse undergoing investigation?"

He shrugged "it's not as if I was captured by the CCTV, they will have to work harder for that to happen" licking his dry lips, he continued "so when I got there and examined them, I found out that whatever killed them isn't definitely the werewolves. There body was clad of any wound"

If no wound was found on their body, it simply means that neither the vampires nor the wolves attacked them. "Do you think it's the humans killing themselves?"

"That was what I thought until I found out that one of the bodies isn't human but a vampire and the fact that his body is still intact is something to worry about."