Regal Renegades

Chapter 8

Caroline's POV:

I had to go before any more of my emotions told me not to. Before his touches on me became any more enticing and inviting.

I had to tear myself away, I had to.

I had to get back before someone came looking for me. I couldn't risk finding out what levels my parents would go to in order to hunt me down.

I didn't want him somehow to get tangled up in all of it.

So I forced the journey back home, arriving back on the front lands of the 'territory' my parents claimed as theirs.

The two torches lighting the entrance archway were anything but welcoming. Same went for the vampire that immediately came to chastise me.

"Caroline!" He grit, the anger evident alone through his voice.

His name was Calem, and he had personally established himself as my parent's personal ass-wiper.

Guard, Cadet, Advisor. He's given himself many names and titles over the year that my parents don't bother to correct.

He was passionate about their cause and that was all that they cared about. They let him do whatever just because of that.

I wouldn't even deny the fact that they've probably wished that he was their child instead of me. Since they wanted blood to carry on this... clan of theirs, and I was their only child.

And very much not into the prospect of taking over this place.

"Fuck off Calem," I growled, stomping my way past him and through the arch.

"Do you have any idea how long your parents have been looking for you?" He kept going regardless.

"Probably around 18 hours if I really had to guess," I replied matter-of-factly.

Given the fact that that was indeed the basic time frame of how long I'd actually been gone... give or take.

He followed right by my side, facing me with all but his legs, already preparing to yell at me some more with the authority of someone who has the right to do so.

If anything, by typical vampiric standards, I should have that right.

I was the heir to an imaginary throne. The forced next step in this plan my parents pulled into action.

I could hear him sniffing me, which left me only seconds away from smacking him away from me with as much vampiric force I could muster.

All that I'd done during this last day was written all over my clothes, if not my skin. That, I couldn't exactly do anything about.

I hoped I got enough of any of the major scents off, but even so, it's not like it would make any kind of difference.

"You went to the city?" He accused me as if I'd just murdered someone.

"And had a blast," I chirped, then immediately deadpanned, "Thanks for asking."

He grumbled to himself for a few seconds, ending it with a curt sigh before opening his mouth again.

"You must know full well that they're going to want to talk to you."

I rolled my eyes, feeling like he was about to threaten to drag me there himself.

"Yeah. Where do you think I'm going?" I snapped back, shooting him a glare that I'd been told multiple times was considered deadly, "Go back to your post. Lest another vampire dares to step foot anywhere near this place."