Most likely his mate.
It was the unexplainable void in the center of Adres’s soul that made it impossible for Macauley to know for sure, and it was making his wolf anxious to claw its way to its origin and eliminate it. But the only way he could do that was if Adres allowed it, because the brute force he’d been using before to penetrate Adres’s core had been ineffective.
He thought of the way Adres had pushed his righteous energy right back at him and blocked him from reaching a deeper part of him. No one had the strength to do something like that except for his older siblings or a god.
And Adres was neither.
Unless, of course, he’s more than just a vampire. Macauley turned off the hot water and stepped out of the steaming room, his head almost as foggy as his bathroom mirror. Fuck! I just wanna know if he’s mine.
He ignored his hard-on that refused to go down as long as he kept reliving what’d just happened. Macauley hadn’t been able to see the fight, but he’d heard it. And he now knew firsthand just how deadly Adres Cavalerie was.
Fuck me. He groaned as a long trail of pre-come leaked from the tip of his dick to his thigh. Is this really happening? He was still dripping wet from his shower when he struggled to pull on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve sweater that only had a couple of holes in the back.
It was almost three in the morning, and his king-sized bed was calling to him, but his stomach was yelling even louder. He was on his way to his kitchen to grab a couple of protein bars when he heard growling just outside his front door. Still on high alert from the attack, Macauley darted around his dining table and leapt over the sofa. He exploded out of the door in time to hear his first beta give Anna and Rich the order.
“Shift,” Bundy growled, and both of Macauley’s betas ripped through their clothing, their snarling wolves glaring towards the tree line. “Either come out, or I’m sending them in to get you!” Bundy stood with his big fist clenched at his sides, the veins in his forearms bulging, his jaw set firmer than steel. “Your choice!”
“What the fuck is going on out here?” Macauley barked, his eyes trained on the dark woods.
“There’s someone watching your place.” Bundy narrowed his eyes.
Macauley couldn’t see anything but blackness, but his betas were right. He could smell them. Vampires.
“Come out now!” Bundy demanded, his temper flaring.
Macauley didn’t think any hostiles would’ve made it this close to the main compound—they had too many guards posted for that—but he wasn’t taking any chances, and it didn’t appear his betas wanted to, either. So, it’d be wise if whoever was hiding didn’t test them.
It only took a few seconds before two identical vampires emerged through the thick foliage surrounding the side of his cabin. They were not threatening as they came towards them with their heads lowered and their eyes darting back and forth between each other as if one was silently blaming the other.
“Why are you lurking outside of my alpha’s house?” Bundy asked in his stern tone before the vampires could open their mouths.
“I am Omor, and this is my sister, Daciana. We apologize for making our presence so obvious, Alpha. We’ll do better in the future,” the male said. At least, Macauley thought he sounded male, but he looked exactly like his sister. Long, thick blond hair, plump lips, and flawless alabaster skin.
“What do you mean ‘in the future’?” Macauley stepped in front of Bundy.
“We are to keep you safe, Alpha.” Both of them bared their throats, causing him and Bundy to gasp as they glanced at each other in disbelief.
“Did that seriously just happen?” Anna whispered after she shifted.
“We only bow to our king, but we understand that this is the greatest form of respect to an alpha,” Daciana said in a low tenor with her head still tilted to the side.
“I appreciate your respect.” Macauley didn’t touch their throats like he would’ve another shifter, because vampires didn’t have a beast within that would feel the comfort. But he wanted them to know that he respected the gesture. He just wasn’t sure what he’d done to earn it. “Thank you. But you don’t need to hide in the woods behind my house. I don’t need your protection. You can go back to your duties for Wick.”
The twins glanced at each other, appearing uncomfortable before the male tilted his head again. “We assure you, we will be far more discreet if our presence bothers you.”
Anna put her vest back on and slid the flimsy material she used as a skirt up over her full hips. “Our alpha said he doesn’t need your protection. Besides, he has us.”