Begrudgingly Yours

Victor's POV

I was standing in the hallway, my eyes glancing at the guest room door for probably the fifth time in an hour. I didn't go in. That would have looked weird, even for me. Instead, I paced, waiting, listening for any sound, any sign that he was awake. There was nothing.

Ash had been asleep now for twelve hours, and I was going out of my mind.

For anyone else, my behavior would have seemed seemed odd, out of character. For me though, it just appeared as though I were guarding a prisoner.

He wasn't a prisoner, obviously, but I was the head of security and he was a vampire taking refuge on our land so it made sense that I was on edge. It's just, I was on edge for an entirely different reason.

The more time I spent away from him, the jumpier I got. I wanted to be in that room, curled up on the bed beside him, holding him, keeping him safe. To the animal inside me, being kept from our mate was unacceptable.

No body else in the Pride knew he was my mate. They didn't need to. It was my secret to keep. At least for now.

I wasn't the only one who was worried though. Jai had been up to check on him twice in the last hour, each time stopping just outside the door, hand on the knob, ready to go in. Liam had talked him out of it though. Ash needed his rest and so did Jai for that matter. He hadn't slept all night. He acted as though he were holding vigil at someone's wake. I knew he wouldn't rest until he knew Ash was alright. I knew because I felt the same way. Liam did convince Jai to go lay down, eventually. Well, commanded really. Still, I doubted he'd actually fall asleep.

When I'd emerged from the forest with Ash cradled against my chest, Jai had nearly lost it. His first thought was that Ash had been attacked or that he'd purposely hurt himself. He rushed toward me in a panic, demanding answers.

"Relax." I told him. "He's not hurt, just exhausted. I found him while I was on patrol. He passed out, so I brought him back here."

I left out the part about following his scent or the conversation we'd had.

Jai thanked me profusely. I shrugged like it was nothing. "Just doing my job." Liam had been silently watching the exchange, his expression unreadable, then, without so much as a word, he stepped forward and took Ash from me.

It had taken every bit of will power I had not to growl at him, lash out, and take back what was mine. In my human mind I knew Liam wasn't a threat but the lion in me only saw another alpha walking off with our mate.

Liam carried Ash back into the house. Jai followed. I stayed behind a moment longer to collect myself and tame the beast raging inside me. When and only when it calmed, would it be safe to go inside.

***

The house was a boiling pot of tension. Everyone was on edge, worried about the coming night.

Liam had agreed to meet with Gerard, King of the North American Royal vampire coven and Ash's father. The agreed upon place to meet was the Palace Hotel in Lancaster, a place on neutral ground. Gerard had apparently rented a conference room for the occasion.

Liam was allowed to bring four attendees with him. Jai was allowed to come as well, but only to advise Liam on vampire laws and customs but he was forbidden from speaking directly to Gerard or any other member of the royal coven.

In preparation for the upcoming meeting, Liam had gathered his coalition--males in the Pride who help defend the Pride and territory, advise Liam, and work together to keep the Pride strong and thriving--to the north conference room of the mansion at noon. Everyone sat at the long oak table in the center of the room. The table that had been in our family longer than any of us had been alive. Despite being scuffed from decades of elbows and arguments, it was still as strong and sturdy as it was the day it was made.

Liam took his place at the head of the table. Jai sat to his left and Jonah at his right. Father sat beside Jonah and Marcus took the seat next to Jai. Carter, Sloan, Rick and Mac all sat around the table in no particular order and I chose to stand against the wall, separating myself from the others.

I hated these meetings, particularly because they didn't normally concern me. Tonight though, Liam insisted I be there because he had concerns about the safety of the Pride. I was still annoyed. Yeah, safety and security concerned me but Marcus could have filled me in after the meeting was over. I had other, more pressing matters on my mind. Like the little vampire sleeping in the guest room upstairs.

Liam cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"I'll be meeting with the vampire King tonight, at nightfall." He told us. "Gerard has already secured a conference room at the Palace hotel. He's allowing me to bring four of my people with me. Ash will be there, of course, as will Jai, though neither of them are allowed to speak to their father directly or any of his attendees."

Mac scoffed. "Seriously? They're his kids and they aren't allowed to speak? That's BS."

"It's the law." Jai said, his expression emotionless. "Ash and I both are considered dead to the coven and therefore can not be acknowledged. The only reason Gerard is even allowing this meeting is because Ash hasn't stood trial yet."

"Okay, that makes sense." Carter said. "But why is he allowing you to be there in the first place, if you're not even allowed to speak? No offense."

Jai smiled. "None taken and, I'm only allowed there as an advisor to Liam, and Sloan. Kind of a bridge between our two species."

"Wouldn't it make more sense for Ash to be that bridge?" Carter asked. "He would be more knowledgeable about vampire laws."

Jai nodded. "It would, but as he stands accused, he has no voice. But don't worry, I remember a lot and what I don't remember, Ash will. The two of us should be able to give Liam and Sloan enough information to get us through the meeting."

Liam tensed, turning to Jai. "I still don't like the idea of you coming along. There's no reason why you can't brief us here and be done with it."

Jai frowned. "We already discussed this. If you or Sloan have questions, Ash won't be allowed to answer them. Besides, I'm not going to send Ash back to my father alone."

"He won't be alone." Liam told him. "I'll be there."

Jai raised an eyebrow and Liam sighed. The battle had been lost before Liam had even opened his mouth.

"Pussy whipped." Mac coughed into his hand, laughing.

Liam glared.

"Shut up." Jai hissed.

Unfortunately for Mac, he was the only one laughing.

"Who are you planning to take with you?" Father asked, getting the conversation back on track.

Liam leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping nervously against the table top. "I'm bringing Jonah, Sloan, Carter, and Victor."

I looked up, shocked. Me? he was planning to bring me?

Father bristled. "I should be there!" He shouted, rising out of his seat.

"No, you should not." Liam said, his voice firm. "Your place is here, with the Pride. With Jonah and I gone, you'll be in charge. I need someone strong to lead the Pride in case..."

"Finish that sentence and I'll smack you." Jai snapped, giving Liam the evil eye.

Liam exhaled. "Love, I'm just being practical."

"You're being ridiculous. The seven of us against five vampires? The odds favor us, not them. Besides, this is a peaceful negotiation. It won't come to a fight."

"Only a fool would go in unprepared." Father turned a suspicious eye toward Jai. "You could all be walking into a trap for all you know. The vampires can not be trusted, any of them."

"What exactly are you saying?" Liam stiffened.

The beast inside me growled low, neither of us okay with what Father was implying but I remained silent, watching the exchange between him and Liam, wondering where it would go.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I'm saying. First, that boy shows up here without the common courtesy of asking permission to enter our territory, then you find out that your mate has been lying to you. For four years, Liam. Don't you find that even a little suspicious?"

Liam's jaw tightened, his claws extended, and his eyes narrowed as he stared our father down. The room got deathly quiet. Jai had sunk down in his seat, suddenly looking terrified.

"I hope you're not accusing my mate of conspiring against me." Liam hissed, the warning in his voice clear. No one, not even Tomas Kerrisk, would speak out against Jai. Liam wouldn't tolerate it.

"I'm asking you to see the bigger picture here. None of this feels right. The vampires have remained silent for years and now, suddenly we're caught in the middle of some domestic squabble? That doesn't make any sense to me. What makes more sense is that Gerard sent his two sons here to gather information so he can attack us. Think about it. We have the largest Pride in the country. Eliminate us and the other Prides will be defenseless. Next it will be the wolves, then the bears."

"You really think Gerard's plan is to wipe out every shifter race in the US?" Mac asked with a snarky grin.

"To start." Father nodded. "Absolutely."

"That's preposterous." I growled, suddenly feeling the need to speak up. Not that I was defending Gerard or his vampires but I didn't want the others believing that Ash could be involved in anything Gerard may or may not have planned. "The vampires are near extinction, they don't have the numbers. He'd be a fool to try something like that."

"A dead fool." Rick agreed. "Especially once the wolves got wind of his plan."

"Exactly, and to send his sons here to spy on us, his omega sons..." I shook my head, growing angrier by the second. I had to calm myself before I lost control and let my animal take over. "I don't believe even Gerard would put his own children in that kind of danger. He'd have to know if they were found out, they'd be killed. He would never risk that."

"Enough!" Liam roared. He was on his feet in an instant. I could feel the rage rolling off him in waves. Even I recoiled from him a bit. "I'll hear no more of this talk about conspiracies or..." He took a deep breath, calming himself. Like me, he was on the verge of saying or doing something he knew he'd regret later. "Jai and I have already discussed the matter of him not divulging his heritage. I understand his secrecy and have forgiven him. More than that, I trust him completely. As for Ash, I don't believe he's a spy. Jai trusts him and do do I."

"You don't know enough about him to trust him." Father snapped. "You're letting your heart get in the way of your head."

Liam stepped in front of Father and both men stood, chest to chest. They were equal in height and strength, but not in power. Liam could have destroyed him then and there if he'd wanted to, and father knew it.

"I lead with my heart and my head." Liam told him, "and both have served me well. You don't trust Ash, because you don't know the whole story. You don't know what happened to him or why he came here. I do. He confided in me when he didn't have to. When he had no reason to trust me, but he did, and I believe him. Now, I'm not asking or even expecting you to trust him. I'm asking you to trust me. As your son, and as your Chief, trust that I know what I'm doing. Trust that I would never do anything that I thought would put my Pride or my family in actual danger."

"Maybe if you told us what you know," Jonah spoke up for the first time since the meeting began, "It would help us to understand as well."

Liam shook his head. "It's not my place. When and if Ash wants to share his story I'll allow it, but it's his choice. His story to tell. I won't force him to say anything to anyone. He'll speak when he's ready, if he chooses to do so."

"Liam, please, for the sake of the Pride, rethink this." Father was begging now and while I could understand his concern and his fears I, like Liam, had heard enough of his crap.

"You should stop." I said, my eyes focused on the floor. I didn't want to make eye-contact because I didn't want them to see the truth. I wasn't being loyal to Liam and I wasn't trying to be the voice of reason. I was pissed, plain and simple. "Liam's already made his decision. If you have any respect for him at all, you'll drop this, now."

I couldn't see father's face, but I could hear the outrage in his voice. "How dare you speak to me that way?" He shouted, admonishing me like I was some misbehaving child instead of the twenty-four year old man that I was. "I am your father!"

"Yes you are. But you're also being unreasonable." I lifted my head so I could look him in the eye and he would know that I was serious. If he or any of the others read something more in my face then so be it. "Liam is our Chief, our leader. You either follow him or challenge him if you think you know better but do not stand there and insult him and his mate any more than you already have. If you were anyone else, I would have you in chains by now."

"You can't speak to me that way." He growled at me. "You have no right."

"Oh, I believe I do." I countered. "I'm head of security. It's my job to assess and neutralize any threats I see to the safety of the Pride and right now you, Father, are the biggest threat I see."

"This is an outrage!" He looked at the others in the room, gauging their reactions. "Are you all going to stand for this? Do none of you see that I am right?"

The others turned their heads, refusing to look at him. Liam and I were the only ones to hold his gaze. He was our father, yes, and the former Pride leader, but he had over stepped and no one who was still loyal to Liam would stand against their chief.

"You're fools, all of you." Father shook his head in defeat, more hurt now than angry. He wasn't posturing, or trying to assert dominance, he truly believed in what he was preaching but he was wrong. We all knew he was wrong. To question Liam, openly and in front of his council, was wrong.

Loyalty to the Pride, to Liam, was absolute. You either stood with him or against him. There was no middle ground.

"Better a fool than a coward." I sneered.

"Victor." Liam looked at me, shaking his head.

It was a low blow, I'll admit that, but I was angry, and for reasons I couldn't even share yet. For some reason, I felt that admitting Ash was my mate would make my argument invalid. It may have even made me appear weak, and I couldn't allow that. They needed to know that I spoke from a place of reason and not emotion.

"You'll regret this course of action." Father said before storming out the room in a huff. "Mark my words. You'll regret not listening to me."

No one gloated. No one wanted to see our family divided. Winning this battle wasn't a victory but we couldn't allow it to distract us from why we all gathered there in the first place. We had to be prepared. There could be no mistakes when meeting the vampire King. Ash's life was on the line and depending on how the meeting with Gerard went, maybe our own lives as well.

Liam sighed, visibly upset by what had just transpired but like a true leader, he refused to let his emotions control him. He had a job to do, and a promise to keep.

"Now, back to tonight. Sloan, you know Pride law inside and out, that's why I need you. Your understanding of rules and customs is crucial. Jai and Ash will help you get at least a basic understanding of vampire law. That should be enough for now.

Carter, you're our best negotiator. I need your expertise to help keep this meeting civil. We don't want this turning into a fight. Jonah, you're my second in command. I need you at my side to show your support but also as my advisor and representative of the Pride. You will speak for them and ensure that their safety and interests are addressed."

"Alright," Jonah nodded, "I can do that."

"Good." Liam then turned to me. "Victor, I need you by my side as well. Not only for security and protection but to show that, as a family, we stand together. If Gerard thinks for one second that we don't all support my decision to bring Ash into the Pride, he'll deny the request and demand Ash be turned over to him."

Hearing those words, my heart clenched. I would never allow Ash to be returned to his father. Never. If it came down to it, I'd fight. I'd fight them all to save him.

"Of course, Liam." I accepted the role without hesitation, as Liam knew I would. I had always had his back, even when we were kids. We didn't always agree and we've had our share of fights, most siblings do, but I've never let him down when it mattered and I wasn't about to start now.

He put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Thank you, Victor. I know you don't agree with my decision but the fact that you support me anyway means a lot."

"You're my brother." I said simply. "I'll always support you, no matter what."

If he only knew the truth. I would support my brother, always, but I would die for Ash. So, when I agreed to attend the meeting with Liam and the others, it wasn't just for him. Hell, it wasn't even mostly for Liam. I was going for Ash. He was my priority now, he was what mattered most.

"Marcus, you'll be staying behind but your job is crucial as well. I'm not as clueless as father thinks I am. I don't anticipate any trouble but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be ready just in case. I want the security around the village and main house doubled. Extra patrols, and guards stationed at the main gate, at least five."

"Got it." Marcus rose from his seat, giving Liam a quick nod. "I'll get to work on that now."

"Thank you." Liam said, dismissing Marcus from the meeting so he could get started. Then, Liam turned to Rick and Mac. "The two of you are going to be stationed here, at the mansion. Protect the family. No one is to leave this house after nightfall, and no one but Marcus comes in. Got it? Not until the rest of us return."

"Yeah." They both answered in unison. "We got it."

"Good. Start by doing a sweep of the house. Secure all the windows and entry points, turn all the lights on and watch out for shadows."

"Shadows?" Mac raised an eyebrow. "You serious?" He laughed.

"Very." Jai answered for Liam, his expression hard. "Vampires can move through shadows, enter a locked room, and go undetected."

"Yeah, but don't they need to be invited in first?" Rick asked.

"Idiot." Mac shook his head. "No one invited Ash in and he showed up in Liam's fuck'in bedroom."

Rick narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, and exactly how did he do that? Your room's on the third floor. What did he do, fly to the third floor balcony?"

"Probably." Jai said softly, looking down at his hands nervously. "But he wouldn't have been in human form so it's unlikely anyone saw him."

"Woah, wait a sec, are you saying he can shift?" Mac was starring at Jai, eyes wide in disbelief. Rick had a similar expression and I admit, it was news to me as well.

"Yeah," Jai answered. "He can. Young vampires have one, sometimes two forms, other than human. I believe Ash's is a raven. Older vampires have the ability to take on multiple forms though such as birds, wolves, dragons..."

"Dragons?" Rick coughed. "No fuck'in way."

Jai grinned. "There have been a few that I've heard of. But they're ancients. It takes a lot of power to transform into a dragon and there is only one bloodline I know of that is able to do it."

"Do they live in Transylvania?" Rick and Mac both laughed out loud at the joke but Jai only smirked. He and Liam passed a knowing look between them and the only thing I could think right then was "oh shit.'

***

After Liam had dismissed the meeting and everyone left the conference room, Liam pulled me aside so we could speak alone.

"What's up?" I asked.

Liam's eyes settled on me. He crossed his arms over his chest, the look in his eyes was firm but thoughtful. "You surprised me this morning." He said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, when Ash ran off, Jai lost it. I've never seen him so upset. I honestly didn't know if we'd ever see Ash again so I didn't know how to comfort Jai. I had no idea how to comfort my mate and that scared me. I think everyone else was more relieved that he was gone than concerned, and that scared me too. I started to lose faith in my Pride, and I shouldn't have..."