The Allies of Old; Book Two Renewal: Chapter Sixty Four "They're Here!"

Book Cover created in acrylic by the extremely talented @therealpaul

If you have not read the first book of the series, "Reborn", it is advisable you do so before reading "Renewal" or you will be lost. This link will provide you with a series summary as well as all sixty-eight chapters of Reborn

Table of Contents for Fifty Five chapters of Renewal, created by @bashadow

Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63

Chapter Sixty-Four

The following morning Jess woke to someone shaking her gently. She forced her bleary eyes open feeling slightly disoriented, then realized she had passed out in a hammock on the patio.

Chris was kneeling down beside her, grinning widely. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a vampire stumbling drunk before.”

“Huh?” She blinked at him then felt her face redden. Oh God, she thought, I did get that drunk! She’d spent the entire evening and night doing shots with a group of males and her California girlfriends and she barely remembered crawling into the hammock. She stretched her arms over her head, happy to discover she was suffering no ill effects.

Chris was still kneeling and she laughed at his expression. “Yeah, I guess I did go a bit overboard.”

He laughed with her and then his expression took on a more serious note. “Well, I thought you would want to get up. Your friend and her mate will be arriving shortly. We sent everyone home-well every human anyway.”
She blinked at him in confusion. “You did? Why?”

“Ahh. I think you were a bit out of it by the time conversation turned to that subject last night. Your friend’s mate LeJarien is a well-known figure in our history. Even I’ve heard of him. Apparently there are prophecies concerning the second millennium that reinstate…I guess you would call it a ruling class. Since the time vampires first began mating we adopted the human ways of a monarchy, with a king and queen, princes and princesses along with appointed Noble Members of Council. LeJarien’s father was a High Prince. Anyway, there are prophecies that foretell the dawn of a new age of vampires beginning in the second millennium when our race will reunite and reinstate its old ways.” He paused for a moment, then leaned back on his heels and lit a cigarette. He held it between his teeth, resting it on his platinum lip ring as he leaned back on his hands.

“Apparently LeJarien is the oldest male vampire in known existence, and considering he came from a royal bloodline and was a renowned warrior, he is being named King.”

Jess’s eyebrows raised. “King…So Anna is the Queen?”

He turned his head to blow smoke out in a stream and nodded, “Yeah. His mate would be queen.”

“Will you call her Your Majesty?” Jess’s eyes had widened into saucers by this time and Chris burst into laughter, the cigarette flying from his mouth. He retrieved it and took another drag before answering.

“No, I don’t think our kind ever went that far in formalities…but everyone will bow when they arrive. Some take it extremely seriously. It’s kind of hard for me since I wasn’t around when the ruling class was well established. By the time my brothers and I were born our world was in upheaval. Our kind was too engrossed in a war between those who had turned and those who hadn’t to worry about much of anything else. Survival was the key point then. It’s the reason our numbers are so diminished, do you know anything about that?” He raised an eyebrow, the white and blue dumbbell that pierced it disappearing under a lock of black hair.

She nodded. “So who else comes from royal bloodlines?”

He laughed again, “You thinking the title Princess sounds good?”

“No! I’m just asking,” her face heated.

“Well so far there seems to be four among the twenty or so who claim it. Michael is one of them….” he stopped and studied her. “Why didn’t you just ask if he was one?” he raised a brow again, his gaze sharp.

She felt her face heating further and tried to stop it. “Don’t say anything,” she pleaded.

“Of course not, you’re secret’s safe with me. I don’t blame you, he’s a damn good male.”

“It doesn’t matter, he doesn’t look at me that way.” She sighed as she remembered how he had seemed to avoid her the night before, which was largely the reason she’d gone so overboard drinking.

He chuckled. “As beautiful as you are, I have no doubt you can change his mind.” He crushed the cigarette under the toe of his sneaker and stood, kissing the top of her head. “Come inside, we’re greeting your friends in the foyer when they get here.” He held out his hand and she took it, letting him pull her from the rope bed.

“You’re awesome Chris, you and your brothers, I can’t even tell you how grateful I am.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her another affectionate kiss. “We want you to think of us as your brothers, we couldn’t be happier that we were the ones who came across you at the right time, believe me it was our pleasure.”

She smiled up at him, caught for a moment by his golden eyes. He was another example of perfect vampire genetics despite his piercings and tattoos. His looks would guarantee him a place as a Hollywood heartthrob, particularly among the teenage group. But as cute as he was she felt nothing for him on a sexual level.

Once they were inside her eyes immediately sought out Michael, who was standing near the door. She watched as other males walked up to him and could almost see him wearing robes and a crown. The air of leadership and authority surrounded him like a cloak. The only flaw she could discern, not just now but from their entire acquaintance, was the fact that he was always so serious. She tried to picture him dancing and couldn’t. She tried to picture him laughing uproariously and definitely couldn’t.

She wanted to change that, to be the one who brought out that side of him, and as she continued to watch him she determined she would be.

“They’re here,” Aerik announced having just received word from the gate guard.

The room became so quiet Jess could hear her heart racing in nervous anticipation. Anna! God, how should she react? She clasped her hands in front of her tightly, practically holding her breath.

The door opened and they stepped in, Jared’s enormous body nearly filling the entrance. Anna looked smaller than usual standing in front of his broad form and as the males in the room bowed a look of surprise lip up her features. There was a heartbeat of silence before her titter of feminine laughter broke it.

“What’s going on?” Anna demanded in a highly amused voice.

“We’re bowing to our King and Queen,” a large male told her, his voice adamant.

Anna glanced up at her mate who smiled down at her affectionately. “I told you about the royal order,” he said quietly.

“Yes, but you didn’t mention it was still in effect.” She raised a brow.

He chuckled. “I wasn’t sure it would be.” With that he inclined his head to the room and spoke in a voice that dripped authority. “How is it so many of you are here?”

Michael stepped forward. “I’ve been gathering those who still believe in fulfilling the purpose we were created for.”

“Michael!” Anna threw her arms around him in a hug before being yanked back by Jared who shook his head sharply.

“He’s a friend,” she pouted.

“Save your hugs for the female across the room,” Jared nodded towards Jess and Anna’s eyes lit on her.

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