Grayson's POV*
We arrived back home before sunrise came in the human realm, and the place I had grown up in and loved just didn't seem the same as before. It was where I lived, but it didn't feel like home anymore, like it once had. I sat in my large chair at my desk, tapping my fingers against the dark wood as I listened to my advisors drone on and on. They were worried about the breach in the portal that was used to leave and enter the realm, and though I was worried about it too, I didn't feel like sitting in an endless meeting speculating how it happened and why.
So far, we had no idea how it had even happened in the first place. A few thought that it had to be someone who knew the workings of the portal, which meant they were high up. It seemed like a reasonable explanation for how. All that was left was figuring out why.
"Sir, did the vampire you and Preston killed tell you anything?" asked Marshall, one of my younger advisors.
I shook my head. "No, he wouldn't talk. We know he was new to the transition due to how sloppy and uncontrolled he was. We tried to get what we could out of him, but I honestly don't even think he knew who created him to begin with."
Marshall nodded, taking note of what I said.
Another advisor, one that had advised my father and grandfather, spoke up next. "Where were you when you captured him?"
I thought for a moment, not entirely sure how to word my sentence. "I was at my mate's home, with her. It was the house next to hers who the man planned on attacking. I sensed him, called Preston, and we handled it."
Graham, the advisor my father had always warned me about, nodded, a disapproving look on his face. "So, you were with the human?"
I tensed my jaw, eyeing him carefully. "Yes, my mate."
"So, is it safe to say that you were so worried about upsetting your human that you may not have taken every measure possible to draw information out of the man once you captured him?" he asked, his tone accusative.
I tensed up, my jaw remaining tense as I stared at the man. I wasn't surprised, but it still rubbed me the wrong way with how he was speaking to me. "No, it is not safe to say that Preston and I didn't do everything we could have. The man didn't know anything that was viable information to us. He had been created, by someone whom he did not know, and was simply relying on his instincts which told him to feed." I paused, waiting to see if he would speak. When he didn't, I huffed, annoyed. "I'm not sure what else you want me to say, Graham."
Graham shrugged, a face of indifference shrouding his features. "I just think it was a little irrational to simply kill the man without bringing him back here for proper questioning."
Preston, who was sat beside me, spoke up. "Why? So a man who knew nothing other than the fact he woke up one day with a ravenous thirst for blood could be tortured for information that he did not have?" His gaze didn't leave Graham's as he stared him down threateningly. "The man knew nothing that would help us in figuring out who breached the portal and why, as your higher up has informed you. What more do you need to hear?"
Graham didn't reply, but remained holding Preston's gaze as he glared back at him. I let out a breath, feeling the tension slightly ease from my body. I glanced around the room, glancing at each of the men who sat before me. "Anything else, Gentleman?"
They each shook their heads, and I nodded and dismissed them, leaning back in my chair as they all filtered out the room. Once the door was shut, and it was me and Preston alone, I sighed, running my hand down my face as a tired groan left my mouth. "I hate doing this shit."
"I know." Preston replied, stretching out his arms. "But, we gotta do it. Someone has to figure out how someone slipped through the portal. Who better than us, right?" he asked sarcastically.
I chuckled and rolled my eyes, my thoughts drifting to Grace. I wondered what she was doing right then, if she was in class, home for the day, what she was wearing?
Preston chuckled beside me, hitting me playfully on the arm. "You're thinking about her again."
I smirked, my eyes staring ahead of me at nothing in particular. "How do you figure that?"
Preston stood from his chair, walking over to the mini fridge kept in my office. He pulled out a bottle of AB+ blood, unscrewing the lid and taking a sip. "Your demeanor changes. You relax, get this distant look on your face. It's not hard to notice." he mumbled the last sentence, taking another swig of blood.
I rolled my eyes, chuckling softly. "You're such an observant person." I said jokingly.
Preston rolled his eyes at me, shaking his head. "Nah, I just know you. I've known you going on a hundred years, I know how you are by now. You really love this girl."
I smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I do."
"Have you talked about turning her?"
I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Yeah, briefly. She wants me too, just in the future. She wants to talk to her parents about it and tell them what's going on when the times right."
Preston sat back lazily in his chair, propping his feet on the desk. "How do you think they're gonna take it? Finding out her boyfriends a vampire and wants to turn her into one."
I shrugged. "I don't know. Hopefully they won't take it too bad. Her mom seems like she wouldn't be upset, her dad I'm not sure of. He's like your typical overprotective dad."
Preston chuckled, taking another sip of his drink. "Well, regardless, I'm happy for you, Brother."
"Thanks." I replied with a grin, lifting my head up towards the door as someone knocked. "It's open."
My mother poked her head in, a small smile on her face. "I heard you talking about Grace. I thought I'd join you."
I smiled and shook my head slightly as Preston laughed. "We're talking about our young prince's future." he said, grinning behind the rim of his glass.
Moms smile brightened as she stepped in the room, her dark curly hair bouncing with every step she took towards us. "I can't wait to meet her. Fifteen weeks is too long to make me wait."
I rolled my eyes, accepting the drink she held out towards me as she took a seat at the desk. "Well, she needs to finish her education. She's worked too hard to throw it away for me."
Mom nodded, sipping her own drink as she sat back comfortably in her chair. "How long will she be staying with us?"
"Her break is in mid-May, and she won't have to go back until the end of August. We haven't really figured out how long she'll stay here. I'm sure she'll want to have time with her parents too."
Mom nodded, sitting her drink down in front of her. "Well, I'm having the kitchen renovated and an extra room done just in case she needs her time away from you when she's here." she joked, flashing her brilliantly white teeth as she smiled.
"Thank you, Mom." I said, sipping on my drink. "Have you heard from Dad any?"
"Yes, he wants to speak to the two of you when you get a chance. It's regarding some issues we've had since you all were gone."
Preston groaned, throwing his head back. "We just got done dealing with issues. With the Council."
"Well, I'm sorry. It's your duty to handle everything, you knew what you were signing up for when I turned you." Mom replied, smiling sarcastically.
"Come on, let's go ahead and go. Can't keep ourselves locked up in my office all day." I said, nudging Preston playfully with my arm.
He groaned once more, standing up and beginning to the door. "We could, but Queen Bee over here would tattle on us."
"I sure would." she said, hitting his arm as he passed her. "I love you two. Go easy on your father."
Preston and I locked eyes, knowing he must've been in an awful mood for her to say that.
"Alright, let's get to it, Your Majesty." Preston mumbled sarcastically as we made our way out of the office.
