7. Name

I sit up straight.

Great-aunt!?

That sounds like the joke of the century and I laugh, somewhat bitterly.

I am a man known by many, yet unknown to none. To some, I am just Draco. Mostly, I am known by reputation– the faceless Rogue King, the mysterious land grabber, and many more that people cry about. Here in the Serbia Empire, I am Aleksandr Kresnik III, the new Head of the Dragon Dynasty and successor to the Serbia Empire throne.

The Kresniks are humans. They are one of the five royal families of the Dragon Dynasty that rule over the Serbian Empire. Princess Katarina Kresnik, who was mated to the Vampire King, Vladimir Kuznetsov, maintained a good relationship with her family even after she chose to be turned into a vampire.

After her death, it seemed as if every member of the vampire royal family planned to sever ties with the Kresniks since they never bothered to make contact, including Yelena, Katarina's only daughter.

Katarina has been dead for more than five decades. Why would someone from the Kuznetsov family show their face now? Even if they've found out that I'm alive and about my new position in the Kresnik family, I don't think they would want to make contact this soon, considering Vladimir tried to have me killed. He is not that thick-skinned.

"Nah!... Someone must be playing a cheap trick to get my attention." I say

He chuckles

"I know you don't believe that to be true. The speed with which you sat up in your chair when I announced her just now said otherwise."

He removes his phone from his pocket and opens it. After some seconds of typing, he extends it to me

"I accessed one of the surveillance cameras at the guard's house. Take a look for yourself."

I know he can't be wrong but I collect the phone anyway. I nod when I see it's her indeed. Alina Kuznetsov, Vladimir's only living sibling. Back then, Yelena was closest to her more than anybody else. Now she's smiling up at the surveillance camera as if she didn't stand by and watch as Vladimir cast me out.

Ryder clears his throat, obviously to get my attention and I look at him.

"It's been seventeen years since we escaped Evan and faked our death. How did they find out about me now!? We were always careful. Where did we slip up?" I say and stand up, pacing around. "Vladimir is a very proud King. Even if he has found out about my new position here, I don't think he would send her here to be reacquainted with me."

"Me too... Unless they've found out you're the mysterious being who has been duelling and taking possession of their territories..."

"And how would they have found out about that!?" I frustratingly snapped at him. "Is there perhaps a Judas amongst you three!?"

"I take offense to that statement!" He snapped back at me to my surprise.

My brows arch in disbelief at his audacity. I don't use the difference in our social ranking against them and I trust them not to take advantage of that.

"I-I'm sorry..." He immediately begins to apologize but I continue to glare at him instead.

His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows somewhat nervo,usly

"I was provoked by your statement..."

"I am your King! Never forget that!" I blared and his head automatically bowed in submission. "No matter what our relationship is and the free hand I've given you, you don't speak to me in such a manner. Not even in private!"

"Yes! Yes! I was out of line. I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I'm sorry!" He apologises again and again with his head still bowed.

After a while, he raises his head to look at me. Our eyes meet and he smiles.

I turn away from him. The fool

He sighs loudly

"I know you have trust issues after what happened with the Blacks and Kuznetsovs. If they can do what they did to you who wouldn't, right!?...

Please know that I would never! I don't know about you but calling you my brother means a lot to me! You and Red are the only family I've got in this world. I would die first before I think of betraying you.

Red would never betray you either. We're in this together. She also won't hesitate to die for you, and Alf?... Alf is your Seer for crying out loud! He found you and brought us home to Serbia Empire. He has never been wrong in any of his predictions. I don't think such a person can betray you.

I nod, give his phone back, and return to my seat. My mind is now occupied with how to handle the situation. As if he knows what I'm thinking, he asks the same thing.

"How do you suggest we handle her?"

"Give me ten minutes, then get someone to bring her to the visitor's lounge. I want to know how she finds out about me. Everything she knows and the reasons for her visit. I'll observe from here."

"Okay, boss." He says and is about to leave when something crosses my mind.

He's an ordinary werewolf and no match for her in anything. She can get into his mind and read his thoughts. He would reveal all our plans to her without even knowing it. She can also kill him and teleport out of the place before I have the chance to get to her. He doesn't stand a chance.

"Be careful," I say

He turns to look at me with a teasing smile on his face.

I sigh

"I'm serious. Don't forget that you're dealing with an original vampire. We talked about this before..."

"Yes, I remember everything we talked about... If I ever meet an original vampire, I shouldn't look directly into their eyes for more than ten seconds without breaking our gaze if I don't want them to know anything about me."

"She can also kill..."

"I also remember that part." He interrupts. "I'll be careful. I promise so don't worry."

"Worry!? Either you're careful or you die! Pick the one that suits you." I say and he rolls his eyes at me.

As he leaves, I get up and go to the bathroom to have a quick shower. When I'm done getting dressed, I sit at my work table and access the visitor's lounge surveillance camera on my laptop, just in time to see her being ushered into the room.

I nod to myself in approval when I see Ryder has changed from his jeans and T-shirt into formal clothes.

"Lady Kuznetsov..." He greets with a deep bow. "Welcome to Aleksandr Kresnik Castle. I am Denis, the steward of this estate. Please, sit down."

"Thank you." She tells him with a smile and then sits down.

I nod again when I notice how he subtly avoids looking into her eyes for too long.

"To what do we owe the honor of this visit, my Lady?" He asks

She laughs softly. Unlike other Kuznetsov females that I remember, Alina's mannerisms were always soft and gentle. As deadly as she is, I don't remember her ever raising her voice or acting in a violent manner.

"I thought my purpose of visit was clear enough when I introduced myself at the security post, Ryder..."

My eyes widen.

She knows!

"Ryder! Isn't that what you're called now?... I felt it would be impolite to address you by the name you were given by the Black family which I'm very sure wasn't Denis."

Damnit! How much of our plan has she found out!?

As she speaks, Ryder stares as if he has been hypnotized, forgetting to break eye contact with her. She doesn't look as if she's interested in reading his mind though. After addressing him, she immediately turns away, looking towards the surveillance camera.

"Nikolai!– I thought you were dead!..." She says with a catch in her voice then stops talking to open her purse, brings out a handkerchief, and starts dabbing at her eyes

It feels strange to hear her address me by that name. Nikolai Milan Kuznetsov. So named by Vladimir and Yelena. The boy that the name belongs to is gone. I am no longer a Kuznetsov. I am their enemy.

She clears her throat after cleaning her face

"You're probably wondering how...

It is because of the El Salvador territory that you recently took over. That is how I got to find out you're alive..."

"Dammit!..." I swear as I continue to listen to her talk.

"Not long ago we lost two of our Caribbean territories. Before then, we had lost Colorado, which was one of our largest territories– of course you know all these. Vladimir was beginning to get anxious. People would think him weak if they found out he's losing territories to an unknown masked being so he put me in charge of finding out everything about you.

Although the territories were signed over to a Ryder Livingston, I couldn't find any record of him anywhere. I spoke with those who witnessed the duel. One of them, a female guard, told me, before the duel, while relieving herself in the woods, she overheard someone calling someone Draco..."

''Fuck!...''

"Draconis... Your mother once called you that in my presence. When I asked her about it, she told me it means dragon. It's a special name to remember her mother's human family by. The Dragon Dynasty..."

''Fucking hell!... Fuck!... Fuck!... Fuck!...''

"We've not had any relation with the Kresniks in a long time. I investigated to find out what they've been up to and found out the Dragon Dynasty of Serbia Empire recently named their new king, who will be formally revealed and crowned in six months." She stops talking but continues to look at the camera, obviously waiting for my reply.

Is this all she knows? Does she know that I'm not just going to stop at taking their territories? I also plan on destroying them. If she knows then what kind of demand will she make?...

"You should know Yelena died fighting..."

I freeze as my trail of thoughts screeches to a stop.

Wait, what!?

I don't realize when I flash to the lounge and drag her out of her seat.

"Liar!" I grit out as I slam her hard against the nearest wall. Pinning her to it.

I'm sure I heard wrong. She didn't just say Yelena died, did she!? I wonder as my eyes burrow into hers that are already swimming in her tears.

A strange feeling begins to build from within me, swirling and twirling my insides into knots. It doesn't take long for me to realize it's dread. Fear. I hate Yelena for abandoning me, but somehow, the thought of her dead fills me with dread.

"It's true!" She cries,

"Stop lying to me!" I growl, slamming my fist into the wall beside her face. I feel my fangs as they push downward, ready to rip out her jugular. "You think I don't know Vladimir quietly married her off to some Arabian vampire prince..."

Her tears spill as she chuckles bitterly

"No! That was someone who looks a lot like her with the help of plastic surgery. A human that Vladimir brainwashed and turned into a vampire because he didn't want people to find out his daughter turned against him.

According to the law, the punishment for challenging the king to a duel and losing is either death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. Depending on the person's reason for the duel. The House of Lords agreed her reason was valid since it was out of desperation to keep her son. She was sentenced to five years of solitary confinement in Mandible Castle."

I feel a stabbing sensation in my chest. My hands become flaccid and I stagger back, watching as if from another world as she crumples to the floor.

She didn't abandon me! She was imprisoned!

"I went to get her when she was released. She had lost so much weight and looked like a shadow of herself. The following morning, I woke up to discover she had left in the middle of the night. She left a note that she was going to get you and would never return..." She choked out her last words.

"And she didn't! My Yelena never returns!" She cries. "Her dead body was brought back! She died in a custody duel with Evan Black. She was not fit to fight but the bastard fought her anyway!... She never returns! " Her last sentence was uttered in a whisper as she cried.