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II

CHAPTER II

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Tieu- B-day

**

The sky changed color, the amber light disappearing into the sinister dark. The moon shone bright, never missing her cycle. No matter what happened she stood tall and proud among the casket of white. The world went on its way never bothering about the changes. Whether it be the joining of two powerful families or the tieu of a hybrid emperor. The world had its own rules and it followed them. Just like that destiny played its role once went by and again on this auspicious day will it do its mysteries.

The whole empire was still, only the fierce wind blew and whistled through the empty cold streets. However amidst this calm dark silence, in the center of the empire, it was vividly gleaming. The palace stood there, emitting out the lit lamps and lights, the hushed chatter stayed inside on one side of the ballroom, vampires liked their privacy after all. But the same can't be said for the werewolves, loud booming laughter and talk could be heard from their side.

Inside the ballroom, it was perfection in its absolute form. Appetizers lined up on the table, waiting to be pounced upon. Glasses of wine and blood on the trays of the waiters, the maids all on the side, near the walls ready with the napkins, the humungous chandelier hanging on the ceiling, nothing seemed out of place. Nothing.

When Aleksej had entered, everyone silently bowed to him, paying their respects to the northern emperor. They merely one by one wished him on his tieu and went by, you see the northern emperor was a man who liked the peace, and quietness above all.

He had a killing rage to hide after all.

Aleksej gave the man a tight smile. Control. He reminded himself. His beast was always quite a handful to handle but today more so than any. And weirdly he wasn't feeling quite well too.

His throat felt dry like sand. It was a craving thirst. No amount of blood glasses or types pleased his thirst. It was craving something else, not human blood, not virgin blood, her blood.

Never once did he imagine him losing his control over thirst for something he didn't even know. But now he was the verge of going on a rampage to find the owner of the tempting scent.

Lotus. The scent was lotus. It reminded him of the little one he had met decades ago. But there was something different about this particular scent. It smelled matured. Seductive. Enthralling. It was calling him, asking him to do his way with them.

Ah, how he wanted to quench this thirst.

"The revolt in the middle empire hasn't died down yet?" A man questioned, his glass midway to his mouth. A surprised look filtered through his face.

"Yes, rather it has gotten fiercer."

"It's bad, isn't it? The East and North will suffer from it"

" Ha! The North?! Never. Why would they go against the treaty?"

Aleksej lifted his glass, " It will merely be an internal conflict, nothing more will happen" he sipped trying yet again to subdue his raging thirst but failing in vain.

"Of course Milord! Who would ever go against the Treaty Of Code?!" The man smiled bulbs, his eyes trying to please the Northern Emperor to the very best.

Aleksej suppressed an exasperated sigh. Filthy nobles never having their fill with power. Selfish and greedy, trying to only suck up. Sometimes he wondered if these parasites were even better than cattle, humans.

But that man was right. The Treaty shall never be broken. Unless the middle empire wanted a full-out war.

The Treaty Of Code. It was the treaty he introduced. Years ago, faires were being hunted for their miracle dust, elves for their skills, mermaids for their scales, and so on.

The middle empire was different. Different from any of the other empires. The North was known for its vast amount of integration with the werewolves. The south for their main people, the people of death. The East strongly known as a werewolf power hold and the west, seductresses. That area was ruled by females, much powerful, stronger than any male. They were believed to be the descendants of the goddess, Lavir herself.

The Treaty established the law that no hunter, whether be vampire, werewolf, a seductress, no one shall ever lay their hands on the other species. In simple terms, it voted for cohabitation. Of course breaking it meant punishment, just a promising future to death.

"The air seems way too tense no?" A voice sung, it felt like music to ears. Pleasant and calm yet seductive. It was calling out.

"So much for an auspicious day" the woman chuckled, her lips painted red resting into an effortless smirk.

"Turn down that charm of yours, would you?" Aleksej chuckled, amused at the entry of his friend.

He looked around her for a brief second, all the men in the room, except for a few seemed to only have eyes for her. They followed all her movements, the slight touch of her fingertips on the glass to the sway of her hips.

Well, after all, he couldn't blame those awestruck ones. She was beautiful. A red dress she wore, enticing each curve of hers, the dip of her hips, the length of her milky legs, the breathing of her heaving chest, everything it brought out everything. And her face didn't betray her figure, deep blue ocean eyes, always seducing, heart-shaped lips curved to a grin, milky skin.

Too bad it didn't work on him. He wasn't that easy to fall for a seductress's charms.

"Ever the same aren't you Aleksej?" The Western ruler smiled, her eyes warm yet tempting.

"I'm not quite fond of change, I prefer it only when necessary." he remarked.

" Well," she began, her hands sliding down his blazer, " I can see that you haven't changed that manner of talking. But my, my-" she grinned at him, her hands stopping at were his pecs were, " You grew more handsome didn't you" she gleamed, her eyes evidently trying to invite him in. Lust. Her body actions clearly wanted him to take her.

"Until when are you going to continue this little stunt of yours? I've to say I'm getting quite bored" his voice was deep and tingled with amusement contradicting his words.

"Probably until you find a woman" her ocean blue eyes scanned him down, from his expensive leather shoes to that godly handsome face.

Dark shady emerald with prominent gold flecks eyes stared back at her blue ones, it displayed no emotions, they remained clod as the freezing ice of antram. His broad shoulders were clad in a black imperial suit, golden epaulets covered each shoulder. The suit clung on to his enormous body however it did not hide the wonder, underneath it he was chiseled with a six-pack and strength enough to take down a lion in one single blow. His face was the most unique thing with a defined sharp jawline, arched black colored eyebrows, full lips, and sleeked back brown hair, which was thick and lustrous. He was truly a being that the gods had taken their time in creating.

“Done staring?” he called the beautiful woman out.

The woman snapped out from undressing him with her eyes, instead of getting flustered that she had been staring at him in front of the entire crowd, she smirked, “Not quite yet, I’ve got a feast laid out before after all” she slurred out, evidently giving out the fact that she found him very handsome.

“Aleksej”

A cold hushed silence fell over the fierce chatter, everyone’s eye directed at a very particular person. Her presence demanded, no ordered attention. Her face displayed a pleased smile but her eyes, however, did not smile with the same vigor. Instead, it had deep malice hidden.

“Empress,” Aleksej began, the slightly relaxed figure of his becoming guarded again. “It’s a pleasure to see her majesty yet again, you look fabulous as ever” his voice was monotone, as if he needed to mean it but was forced to say.

The woman let out a laugh and then stopped, she gave a glare disguised as a smile to the crowd eavesdropping on their conversation. After she was sure that everyone went back to their conversation and a business smile slipped onto her face.

“Elarissa,” she began, “Wishes to greet her future mate”

Elarissa. Princess Elarissa. Daughter of the Southern emperor. His fiancee.

Grey eyes, shining in anticipation stared at him. She had the same eyes as her father, however, the lack of control over the displaying of emotions was evident. Too gullible for a future empress. Too naive. Was he to wed a child?

Her lack of control of her childish excitement and behavior clashed against her appearance. Long, lush black hair fell over her naked shoulders, body pale in color clad in a pure white dress, with golden embroidering. She looked gorgeous.

“Princess” Aleksej gave a nod of acknowledgment, sipping from his blood glass.

She beamed at him, a tiny blush fanning over her face, “Greeting my lor-rd”

Aleksej nodded at her again. Not at all interested in starting a conversation.

But his uninterest did not stop her, “Wishes on your tieu, lord. A great night isn’t it?”

“I suppose it is” he viewed the outside with a glance and weirdly for the first time in decades his heart felt heavy, he felt a need to go outside and to let the beast bathe in the moonlight and find the owner of the scent.

“Ah yes, my lord, father is unable to come see you himself” The glee in her tone quietened down, a sort of worry and concern overtook her features.

“ Unable to? Why?” Aleksej inquired.

Elarissa cast a glance at her mother who was in a deep conversation with the emperor of the west, probably finding means to expand the empire more.

A frown took over her lips replacing the smile from before, reminding herself that her future fiance was near she forced on a smile.

“Actually mother forbid me from telling it, but I think father is experiencing mavir or being a mavir” She whispered in such a hush that anyone who tried eavesdropping into their conversation would have had trouble hearing, however, he was different.

Mavir. It was a state of pity or a man filled with sorrow experiencing the loss of a beloved. People usually never survived that long while they experienced it, after all, he had first-hand experience seeing a man die slowly from the inside, his father. The once strong and powerful man and broke down the moment his mate had died, and he did not last long, he left following his beloved. Leaving the whole empire to a mere 10 yr old hybrid infant.

And was the southern emperor fated to end like that? Well, none can verify its truthness unless they see him themselves. But the fact that the empress wasn’t his true mate proved that it could be possible. After all the southern Emperor was infamously called, 'The Coldness Of Cornelia'.

"I see" Aleksej didn't want to brood unnecessary over useless stuff. Of course, he was his mentor but one of the things he had learned from the very man is to put the empire before all. And he-

Aleksej released a furious growl, his eyes switching between black with need and gold.

Sweet.

Sweet like nectar.

Waiting.

Waiting to be pounced upon.

The scent swirled around his nose, teasing and rubbing themselves on the northerner's huge body. It was calling out, it was speaking to him, come find me- it said.

If his thirst was unbearable before then this was nearly impossible to contain in. The need to overtake the scent and exert his dominance was mind-numbing.

"M-my lord?" A suffocated yet concerned voice reached out to him.

Elarissa.

His head snapped up to the voice, his eyes doing a quick scan of the room to find most of the nobles staring at him.

And as fast he lost control, he regained it. He let a small smile flash on his face to Elarissa, telling her that he was alright.

However, he was far away from being alright. His hands itched with need, his claws threatened to come out in the light. Above all his fangs pained with need, he hid them under his clenching teeth.

His thirst second by second intensed. Never did he feel a second to be this long.

"You there," he rasped out, his hand going to his forehead, to ease the building headache, "Pour me a glass of blood."

A wave of fear he smelled from the direction he asked for a refill. And weirdly his thirst grew, more and more.

No longer could he control his fangs that threatened to poke out of his lips.

"Now" he hissed, his hand lifting the glass.

The fear from the maid intensed and yet again weirdly it drove him more to the edge. His fangs were out, sharp, and nicking at his lips.

"NOW" He boomed his eyes flashing to bright red, in thirst.

Crash.

" a-ah-h I-I am-m-" The girl dropped to the ground, as she stared at the broken bottle she had dropped.

She had experienced punishments of all kinda but never once did she feel this much amount of pressure and intimidation.

Aleksej hissed, his eyes raking the figure of the trembling girl in front of him. His heart pulsed, eyes if they could have blazed redder.

'Mate.'

"Name" He asked.

A single word from him radiated such power and pressure that his dark aura suffocated the whole room. It swirled around the room holding everyone prisoner to his tension and bubbling rage.

She silently let out the breath that she hadn't realized that she had been holding all along. Her hands clamped. Fear pumped through every single part of her body as she felt his ice gold glare burning holes on her head.

"Name" He repeated, his voice still cold but this time it was not a command, it was a threat. A silent promise for pain.

And her heart nearly burst out of her chest from all the erratic beating it did. She knew that she was disobeying his order by refusing to answer his question, but it was not because she didn't want to, her body was just frozen. Her body was not listening to her, it was shaking in absolute horror and fear.

She mustered up all strength she had and opened her mouth but only a cry came out followed by a whisper barely even falling on vampiric ears.

"Eve"

**

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