Chapter 2 – Siren's nature

He had lived his life in agony and fear, a vampire who had a target on his back from birth all because of a title. The crown prince, son to the vampire king and his late queen, he had lived to be a ruthless man because of this cruel world, he was not born a man he is. Dean Stoker, the crown prince, the man known for his temper and cruel nature.

Though his little half-brother and stepmother had always been the source of his problems all the time, this time he had an even bigger problem, his mate. He had wished to never find a mate in his life, but fate seem to want to turn him into an even more vile man that he already is.

In the back of his neck lay his biggest problem yet, the mark that keeps growing, the mark that ignites pain every morning, those blue scales.

"Your majesty, a ship was spotted in the harbor, it must be the second prince again." His friend and partner Holden chimes, though it did not stop the mark from furiously soring it made him focus on his other problem. "He is in a hunt for merfolk, he must be aware your mate is a mermaid."

As they approach the harbor, he cannot help but groan in anger, his mate's lives and many other mermaids' lives hang on a thread because of some egotistical vampire who lusts for the throne.

The scene at the ship is a gruesome one, blood splatter everywhere and men with decapitated heads on the floor.

"What? What happened here?" Holden asks bewildered, "do you think sirens attacked them?"

"No, they must have kidnapped a siren, fools they must be aware of the siren's gruesome nature."

"Seems the second prince might start a war with sirens, we should report this to the king."

"No, not yet we need concrete proof, you know the queen is not on our side." He cursed his mother's dying wish for asking his father to marry that cursed woman.

The woman that pretended to not want power until she birthed a son of her own.

"Let us..."

He is unable to finish his statement since he heard a loud sound in the other room.

"It seems we are not alone." Holden says.

“Hi.”

Sirens two of them, even though they were in their human forms, he could tell they were sirens by scent. They had both adorned the sailor's clothes clearly stolen from one of the corpses in the ship.

“Sleep and forget us.”

One of them said he did not sleep but Holden did but as some would say, his temper was his worst suit.

“Damnit.” He had cursed at them preparing to teach them to not touch anyone of his people, but he had been hit in the head with something hard.

He still remembers her, the one who hit him, he still remembers her clearly, her flowy black hair and her dark blue eye like the deepest ocean. Her voices had felt so mesmerizing, he still hears it when he closes his eyes.

"What happened?"

"Father?"

"Mermaid trafficking? I expected better from you."

They had been discovered late that afternoon by his father and some of his vassals. Found on the scene of the crime quite a good plan the queen had produced.

"How many times can I say it? Holden and I were out investigating before we were attacked by sirens."

"Sirens Holden know nothing of?"

"You know sirens can compel father."

He could not help but sigh, those damn sirens had put him in a tight position. And his father who seems to not understand the war for the throne he is unaware of.

"Fine, I will let this go, but if you use this method to find your mate again you will not be first in line for the throne anymore.” As his father walks out, he cannot help but look at Holden.

“I am sorry your majesty, I do not remember anything after we arrived but I told his majesty that we went to investigate the queen had already started her own narrative.”

“It is okay, I am just happy both you and I are alright, sirens are not as merciful as other creatures.”

He could find the siren that attacked and make them pay for their transgression, but he knows Holden would tell him they were just protecting themselves.

“It is a wonder why we did not get killed. Do you remember them clearly?” Holden pauses, “I can find them for you.”

“No, it is no use finding them. They probably went back to sea. Let us focus on clearing my name of these trafficking charges.”

He was hesitant, because he really wanted to meet that siren again, he had felt she had stolen something from him, something he himself was not aware of yet.

“Ah….”

Holden had widened his eyes when he looked at his neck, of course that damn mark is growing.

“Your majesty what happened to the mark?”

“You know it grows at times Holden, did those sirens take all your memory?” he angrily said, he hated it when people talk of his mark, even Holden knew that.

“No, um... The mark has disappeared.”

He paused a little before touching his back, a prank perhaps. He asked himself, but Holden knows better not to make those types of pranks. Maybe he hit his head on his fall, it is not every day they meet opponents faster than vampires.

His hands a sure deceiving him the same way Holden’s eyes are deceiving him. There is no way, zero possibilities of this happening.

“Bring a mirror!” he yells, he needs clear proof, the mate mark does not just disappear without finding said mate.

He had unbuttoned his shirt so quickly with his shaking hands, how could this be? Holden’s eyes had not deceived him nor did his hand, the mark had disappeared.

“What on earth is going on?” the family doctor Anne and a long-time friend had caught a glimpse of his mark less back when she entered.

“Ah… I apologize your majesty; I should have just knocked.” she says, with a red blush creeping into her ears. “But your majesty’s mark is gone? That is wonderful, like I said it was a curse from that dumb siren you killed.” Anne says.

“Anne!” Holden scolds her, he knows the topic of a siren killed was too touchy for his majesty, “mind your language.”

“I have already gotten a second opinion; the warlock said it was a mate mark.” Dean said buttoning his shirt, “and do not speak of her like that, she saved my life.”

He had left before Anne could apologize, to the place where he felt most relaxed, yep, the club. Full of so many humans and shapeshifters alike, too tipsy to defend themselves from a blood hungry vampire.

He had already had his first target, he need not use his vampire skills to convince her to follow at the back of the club because she had suggested it herself, some people seem to invite death so easily, how amusing it was to him.

“Ahh…...”

The girl had screamed when they arrived at the back, there were five bodies lying headless, and the two sirens he had encountered earlier this morning. The girl did not have much time to run because the blue-eyed girl had killed her before she could, her fast speed, her brutal way of killing, it ignited something in him.

She had turned to him ready to attack, ugh, seem she is a dumb one, openly attacking him with no restraint.

“Avisa you cannot attack a royal.” He heard the green haired girls’ shouts, confirming they had met before.

“Hi...” she had said, but it did not work yet again.

“If that is supposed to hypnotize me it does not work, it didn’t work this morning. What makes you think it will work now?”

He had said with a smirk in his face, her angry face made him very happy, she had ruined his day already now it is time to ruin her life.