Page 31

VINCENT

“ H ave the wolves arrived yet?” Vincent asked.

“Just landed in Rome.” Brayden sat on the sofa. “We have two more jets arriving from different parts of the world, and five buses from Europe.”

The castle team was going to be busy, but Vincent knew they’d missed having the royal family in residence the past few years.

He missed it, too.

Vincent knew Kate had wanted to return, but with the geopolitical situation as it was, they’d needed to remain close to POTUS. For all the good that had done.

Not that it would have changed anything. Callan, and others, still would’ve been kidnapped, he still would’ve been tortured and changed into a hybrid.

Xander still would’ve...well, been fucking Xander.

Nikolay still would’ve stepped in and discovered the serum, becoming enemy number one.

And then taken that knowledge to the Russian president, creating the greatest threat of global nuclear war the world had even seen. Most people had no idea what was happening around them, and Vincent didn’t think that was a bad thing.

His heart felt heavy.

Failure weighed on his chest as he watched those he loved gather around him with fear in their eyes.

James Calder had warned them, and he was grateful. But there would be no further updates as the president managed this terrifying situation.

If buttons were pushed, they’d have thirty minutes until it reached the United States. Then...well he’d googled it while flying because he was a sadist like that.

Each missile would have an impact of about half a mile. The thermal damage would be a mile radius. Debris could be even farther, a couple of miles.

The radiation dose would be lethal for almost a mile all around.

If you survived, the radioactive fallout impacting food and water systems would see hundreds of millions more die.

From one missile.

There would be hundreds, if not thousands.

Russia, on its own, has over four thousand missiles.

Before learning about vampires, many believed nuclear war was a stalemate's game. No one was going to attack because you knew your enemy would do the same, then everyone died.

It only took one psychopath.

Vincent had lived long enough to observe leaders around the world. They’d all secured their positions in different ways, sometimes coercion, but most were not deserving of the titles.

And most were not qualified to be making sound decisions on behalf of every living being on the planet. It was their egos, the need for power and greed which dictated those decisions.

However, it was also likely the reason that the all-out destruction of the planet hadn’t yet happened.

Would it be today?

“Russia can mass produce fast,” Calder said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it's already pouring off the production lines.”

Vincent had cursed.

“It’s my race who should be going into fucking war mode.”

“Because every single human being on the planet is going to want one—hell, a ten pack—of this product.” Calder growled. “Every fucking month. That puts trillions of dollars into their pockets. They have just become the superpower on the planet.”

Holy fuck.

“And they are already making threats and demands. We can’t let that happen.”

Silence.

Vincent rubbed his forehead. “So, you are...?”

He couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Moretti, we can’t let this happen. The entire planet would be under the control of a dictator. Humans enslaved.”

And vampires.

President Volkov would single-handedly rule the earth.

Fuck.

Calder was right.

Letting the Russians have such control over the world was untenable for the West, so they were preparing for war.

Vincent couldn’t argue. Knowing he had the information to create and distribute the serum meant extinction or enslavement of the vampire race. Sage was close to an antidote, but not close enough.

He’d failed his family and the race.

The moment he’d ended the call with Calder, he’d fled to Brayden’s office and demanded Ari join them.

“Is Italy the right place to go?” Brayden asked after they’d agreed they all needed to evacuate. “Fucking hell. We should’ve built a property in goddamn New Zealand!”

Ari nodded slowly.

“Okay. Fuck. So, what’s Plan B?” Brayden asked. “Because nowhere in all our strategy talks have we ever considered this eventuality.”

“Plan fucking B is that if the nukes start flying, you go to your mate and daughter. Immediately,” Ari said. “That goes for you too, Vincent.”

Once, he would have been concerned that his uncle used such a dictative tone with him. He’d never admit it, but having the ancient around while they were going through this was comforting.

Occasionally, he wondered if Ari was more powerful than them all, being one of the originals. He knew Brayden had the same thoughts.

He just might be.

It didn’t matter now.

They wouldn’t survive a nuclear missile.

“I’ve failed our people,” Vincent said to Brayden as he dropped into an armchair opposite him and stared at the painting of their parents.

“Fuck off.” Brayden growled. “You can’t control these goddamn humans. They have fought wars forever. It was inevitable.”

Vincent slowly shook his head.

He wasn’t sure he agreed. After all they’d been through, were they really going to let these fucking people destroy this beautiful planet? Nikolay was thankfully dead, but he’d left behind a legacy that may not last long.

The stupid fucking idiot.

As if the Russian president was going to stay silent about that bit of information and not use it to gain power. Immediately.

Now, the gangster’s actions might destroy them all.

Vincent’s phone rang.

James Calder calling.

When he lifted his eyes to both Brayden and Ari, who’d just walked in, they both stiffened and let out a curse.

“Hello Mr. President,” Vincent answered, never having used his title before. Today, he felt like the guy had earned it. Keeping them updated showed respect for him as the king of the vampire race and had allowed him and his family to leave the country.

It could be what saved them.

“I’m sorry, Vincent...” James’s voice trailed off.

The blood drained from the faces of all three of the most powerful vampires in the world.

Apparently, it wouldn’t.