Jules dropped his pretend smile, went again to his desk, and sat down within the place of energy. “ I haven’t. Why are you right here?”

“Since you dropped the ball, mi amigo. Failure is just not an choice right here,” Enrique advised him. He had a thick Spanish accent.

Jules huffed. “Do you assume I don’t know that? For fuck’s sake, Enrique! Do you’ve any concepts on how you can repair this? I’m open to strategies.” Jules shouldn’t snap at his patron, however he’d reached his each day restrict for endurance. The smaller man knew how you can irritate Jules, and he seldom shunned doing so.

As he’d anticipated, neither had something helpful to say, so he dismissed them, irritated by the waste of time he might have been utilizing to resolve their present issues. He was the alpha of his hyena pack, and a number of other pack members have been with him in hiding. The partitions of this shitty protected home have been paper-thin, so he might hear them telling jokes and laughing within the subsequent room as they sat across the massive desk he used for conferences too huge for his workplace.

Louis’ voice carried as he advised a ridiculous joke, and the opposite members of the pack, Gaspard, Oscar, Leon, Mathis, and Eliott, laughed just like the hyenas they have been. Pressured and annoyed, their mirth bought on Jules’ final nerve. He was desperately looking for a strategy to remove the brand new king so his cabal might substitute him with somebody who shared their values. The pack laughed at a bawdy joke, and Jules flinched because the sound despatched a pointy stab of ache via his head.

I can’t fucking assume in right here. It’s too damned loud.

He rubbed his temples to appease the strain headache and tried to focus. He had been advantageous with Nikoli’s batshit-crazy ass on the throne. His pack was far sufficient from the excessive courtroom that they didn’t get a lot interference or consideration from the royals, and Nikoli had required a gradual provide of contemporary slaves.

Jules by no means requested about them. He didn’t care. He figured the palace at all times wanted new slaves to interchange those that have been overwhelmed to loss of life, and persevering with to supply them was good enterprise. Jules didn’t give two fucks about different folks, whether or not they have been people, Therians, or vampires. They have been all slaves to him.

Jules tried to show his consideration again to his work, however Louis was telling one other joke. “So, the physician walks into the room and tells his affected person, ‘I’ve some dangerous information for you, sir. You really want to cease masturbating.’ The man appears to be like horrified and says, “Oh, my God, Doc. Why would you do that to me?’ The physician solutions, ‘I’m making an attempt to look at you!’”

The pack erupted into manic laughter that appeared to go on eternally. It evaporated the final of Jules’ endurance, and he stood. Pulling the gun from the holster at his hip, he stalked subsequent door and fired a single shot at Louis’ brow. The opposite man stopped talking in mid-sentence and crumpled to the ground, useless.

“Possibly now I can get some fucking peace and quiet,” Jules growled, obtrusive on the surviving members of his pack. He gestured at Louis’ physique with the gun. “Do one thing with that.”

Nobody made a sound, and so they sat nonetheless, terrified to draw Jules’ consideration or wrath whereas he nonetheless held the gun. Within the ensuing silence, Jules had time to consider the joke and chuckled. “That…that joke was really humorous,” he muttered.

He already regretted his impulsive choice to kill Louis since he’d been buddy, even when he had been silly. In a world of zombies, he wanted folks to journey. Jules shrugged. It will preserve the remainder of the pack quiet.

“Hold it down and do one thing helpful, or get the hell out of right here so I can work,” he snarled.

Jules returned to his workplace and made a plan to seize a former slave who was working on the new palace. He wished to check the brand new king’s dedication to the slavery ban. Jules was banking on the concept in the event that they utilized strain in the fitting place on the proper time, the Therians would see how empty Luca’s concern was and switch towards him.

After they eradicated Luca, issues might return to the way in which that they had been.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Therian Palace, Morning, Monday, December 31, 2012

Luca rose with the solar, keen to start out the day. A military of artisans had labored across the clock to finish the brand new palace in weeks, and the disclosing ceremony can be held later that day. That might be adopted by him bestowing awards and formally welcoming Zia to the Therian empire as its first vampire.

She didn’t comprehend it but, however Luca deliberate to grant Ivanna a title. He wished to construct the foundations of the brand new Therian empire on the concept one’s actions made one noble, not an accident of genetics.

Luca was delighted by the prospect of leaving his traumatic recollections behind and beginning contemporary the place the partitions weren’t saturated with ache and frustration. His folks would change this place and fill it with hope and life, however it could at all times be a jail to him.

As his final act on this compound, he would reveal the memorial Euan had carved into the marble wall, officiate on the ceremony to honor those that’d misplaced their lives, and lead the procession to the brand new palace. Whereas he sat in quiet contemplation, somebody knocked on the door.

“Enter,” he known as as he donned the crown he wore for official occasions.

Mikhail walked in and smiled at his grandson. “I hope I’m not disturbing you. Do you’ve a second?”

“After all, Grandfather. Please, are available and sit down.”

Mikhail shook his head. “I come to you this morning as a former Therian king addressing the brand new one. We’re solely separated by one technology, however my son turned a stranger to me and a monster who practically destroyed us all. I’m unsure what an outdated man’s opinion is value, however I need you to know I’ll assist in any approach I can.”

Luca aimed a sarcastic have a look at Mikhail. “You’ll by no means be ‘an outdated man,’ and I’ve at all times valued your opinion. You’re the voice of knowledge and expertise, and I’m relying on you to information me away from the errors of the previous. I’ve by no means wanted your recommendation greater than I do now, which was why I appointed you to steer the massive and small councils.”

Mikhail’s face confirmed his pleasure. “I can’t inform you what a reduction it’s to listen to that. Your belief means an awesome deal to me, Luca, and I’m tremendously pleased with the person you’ve grow to be.”

“Thanks. I’ve at all times seemed as much as you, and also you have been extra of a father to me than he ever was. I’m proud to have you ever at my aspect,” Luca stood. “Are you able to get today of infinite ceremonies began?”

Mikhail gave him a figuring out grin. “The pomp and circumstance may appear pointless to you, however to your topics, that is the beginning of a brand new, brighter period in Therian historical past after they can lastly enable themselves to hope.”

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