Chapter 4 3

Lily opened and clenched her fists as she paced the kitchen. "It's not working. Did you do it right?" Lily demanded and the doctor looked up at her with a sharp look. "Don't look at me like that, sitting dork," she snapped.

"Sitting Dork? Really? You taking a jab at my heritage when you're almost as Native American as I am," he replied. She just rolled her eyes at him. "I gave you every ingredient that you asked for Lily. You're the chemist of the duo, you mixed it. You should be asking yourself why it didn't work," Doctor Litefoot told her.

"Are you saying I did it wrong?" She snapped but it came out as a hiss thanks to her elongated fangs.

"If the shoe fits," he replied then held up his hands when she took a step towards him. "Okay sorry. No, I don't think you did it wrong. What I think is that we both did our part and it's not working so I'm thinking that the vampire lied to you about the ingredients." Lily let out a growl, bitter betrayal making her stomach sour even more than it already was.

"So what do we do? I can't eat normal food anymore and I am hungry," she said, resuming her pace. The Aequivalere or what she thought was the Aequivalere had made and given her pills that suppressed the enzymes in her stomach that made her system reject food, leaving blood her only source of nourishment. She had only three left so she had been working with Doctor Litefoot to make their own.

"Sorry to interrupt but Tony just called. Today's meeting finished so we'll probably be getting some guests soon," Sandy said, sticking her head into the room. Lily scowled then took a deep breath to attempt to calm herself down. Litefoot got up from the table, taking the failed pills with him.

"Can you get a donor? James, maybe?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No and no. I don't want to drink from anyone, especially James," she replied. The last time she drank from someone she had nearly killed him. Even though it was the vampire Bianca's fault for pushing her to drink Lily still felt guilty about it.

"I can get some blood from the blood bank," he offered and she wrinkled her nose.

"That stuff tastes like shit since they put all that stuff in it to keep it in good condition," she said.

"You shouldn't leave Montana tomorrow without some kind of plan," he told her and she knew he was right. Lily sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, I know. Alright, get a couple bags of blood or whatever and can get your hands on," she said and he nodded.

"Give me the rest of the pills the Aeqivalere made and I'll see if I can't get them analyzed. Hopefully, we'll figure out what the missing ingredient or the right quantities," he explained and again she nodded. "Don't worry, alright. We'll figure it out," he said as he got up and left.

Sandy gave Lily a concerned look as she entered the kitchen. "No luck with the new pills," she asked. Lily tried her best to give Sandy a reassuring smile.

"No but I'll be fine Sandy," she told her mother. "Right now I'm just edgy. That's all." Sandy didn't look very convinced but she returned Lily's smile.

"Well I have good news for you," her mother said with a smile. Lily nodded, grabbing a bottle of water and sitting at the table so she'd stop pacing. "Now that the meetings are over and the plans have been set almost all of the alphas have left. There are only three current alphas who've stayed. All our remaining guests are those that will actively aid in the vampire situation," she explained. Lily let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God, that is good news," she said and took a cautious sip of water. "Who are the alphas that stayed?"

"Alpha Daniels of Montana, of course. Alpha Girard from Yukon Territories of Canada and Alpha Sanders of North Dakota," She replied. Lily tried to put a name to a face for the two alphas besides Nick but she didn't think they'd met.

"That sounds like some cool beans," Lily said, getting up from the table. "Thanks for everything Sandy and thanks for watching A.J. while I'm gone."

"Don't be silly. I am more than happy to do it. You just be careful while you're up there," Sandy said, worry darkening her eyes.

"I will," Lily told her and gave her a hug and kiss before leaving to spend as much time as she could with her son before she had to leave.

Lily looked at the small private jet with a smirk. "Think he's compensating for something," She whispered to Tony but knew the Canadian alpha could hear her perfectly.

"Lily can you try to not antagonize the alphas," Tony groaned with an exasperated look.

"That's like asking her not to breathe," Nick said before walking to the jet.

"What you mean Nickie baby?" She called after him.

"Don't call me that," he growled, not looking back. Wendy giggled, giving Lily a high-five before racing after him.

"You can call me baby if you like," the alpha of North Dakota offered with a smirk.

"Not in this lifetime Coronel Sanders," Lily shot at him. Unfortunately, the alpha was one of the alphas interested in having Lily as a mate. James's father, Mitchell, sniffed eyeing her with disapproval. Melody, James' mother, had told her how much he loves the chain of command and he couldn't stand when it wasn't respected. So she didn't see them becoming buddies anytime soon. Not that she wanted to be buddies with an abusive dick or a recovering abusive but still a dick.

"I'm sure my mate can agree that I've nothing to compensate for and it's not that big of a plane," Alpha Adrian Gerard said. He looked at her and gave her a small smile. "Maybe you are so accustomed to such tiny standards, your judgment is off," he suggested. Lily's jaw dropped in surprise then began laughing.

"That was an awesome comeback," she said, wiping away a fake tear.

"Too bad it's not true...at least the first part. I can't vouch for your judgment," James jumped in, giving her a grin. She rolled her eyes at him, smiling. James turned to Tony and said, "I'll keep you updated daily if I can."

Tony gave him a stiff nod and walked up to Lily, giving her a hug. "Get in, kick ass, get our sister, and come back home," he said and she felt a pang in her chest. He already considered the girl as part of the family. It touched her and reminded her one of the many things she loved about the Roberts family - their big hearts.

"Thanks, Tony, I'll do that," she said and with one final hug, she boarded the plane.

The flight was pleasant enough but very short. It seemed like they'd just gotten in the air when they were landing already. Lily stood in the parking lot of the hotel that serves as temporary housing for Nick's pack. Anger and sympathy filled her as she watched the people around her. They looked so defeated and so lost.

"Alpha, I know you just got back but I need to speak with you. It's important," said a boy, maybe seventeen or eighteen. He looked somewhat familiar but she wasn't sure from where. Nick grew even more serious as he looked at the boy.

"What is it, Zander?" He asked and the boy looked irritated by the audience but with a scowl he spoke.

"I saw my mom a couple of days ago," he started.

"Is she alright? Where is she," Nick asked, looking alarmed and that caught Lily's attention.

"Mom's always fucking okay and she had to go back," he replied bitterly. Nick nodded but glanced around him to the guests. There was something he didn't want the others to know.

"Hey Nickie, how about you get these guys settled and I see to your kid," she offered, having a feeling this was Bonnie's kid. Both the kid and Nick scowled at her.

"Only if you promise not to call me Nickie or Nickie baby for forty-eight hours," he offered and Lily grinned.

"I think I can do that Alpha Jerk off or should I just say Nick," she teased, calling him the nickname she'd used when they first met.

"How about Alpha and Sir," he said and she snorted with a scoff.

"Nick it is," she said, giving him a salute. "Come on Kid, let's go," she said to the boy.

"I'm not a kid," he growled at her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Close enough," she retorted, earning another scowl but he walked off towards the hotel. He led her to a small room that stank of cigarettes and alcohol. Lovely, she thought and thanked God at least there wasn't dirty underwear on the floor. "So your Bonnie's kid right?" She asked and he nodded as he threw himself into a chair. "So tell me what did she say?"

"Like I'm going to tell you, Pocahontas. It's for my alpha only," he snapped bitterly and she crossed her arms over her chest. This kid reminded her a lot of herself.

"Yeah. Well rebel without a cause, or should I say without a brain, what mommy has to say may have to do with my supposed sister so start talking," she shot at him.

"Supposed sister?" He repeated with a smirk and she suddenly understood how Andrew felt when he would have to deal with her mouth. Poor Guy.

"Yeah, supposed sister. It's complicated and before you say something smart remember you're the brat whose mom gave him to a psychopath to play doctor with," she told him. He flinched with a briefly hurt look that told her she'd hit a nerve. "Sorry...I shouldn't have said that," she replied.

"Fuck you," he replied bitterly.

"Sorry, you're cute but not enough for jail time," she told him with a grin then sat down. "Look, Zander was it? That girl has gotten into a shit load of trouble just because we share a mom. Now these people want to mess with her like Xavier did to me but here's the catch she won't survive. She'll suffer unimaginable pain until she goes mad. I want to stop that and I am sure Rebel that under that I'm such a badass thing you got going, you do to."

He scoffed and got a scowl on his face. "My mom already pulled the fucking guilt trip card. It's not going to work for you," Rebel shot back then sighed with a look of boredom on his face. "They're holed up in Xavier's old lab. At night, vamps are crawling all over the place but during the day, there are a few humans and rogues. Only my mom can get to the girl," he explained and Lily could almost kiss him.

"Mom says she's not doing so well. They've been draining her a lot," he added, looking oddly guilty.

"Thanks, Rebel," she told him and waited for Nick to return. They needed to act soon. Lily couldn't let that girl get hurt any worse than she had been already.

It was sunset by time Nick and James came into the hotel room. Lily grinned when she saw three who followed them. Dorin Stancu, Evangeline, Caesar, and Donovan the only remaining members, that she knew of, of the actual Aequivalere. Dorin was a vampire, one of the few Lily found trustworthy. He had the telltale pale skin, dark eyes, and hair, he was in good shape but no body builder.

Evangeline was a succubus but she looked more like a crazy cat lady with her oversized clothing and hair that looked like it hadn't seen a brush in years. Caesar was a fire demon, he had a tanned complexion, blindingly bright red hair with almost completely black eyes.

The last, Donovan, was big with muscles on top of muscles. He had dark hair and a beard with gray eyes that misses little. He was a great warrior and a fairy. Fairies weren't like they were in Disney but rough and bawdy warriors.

"Donnie," Lily said, fist bumping the fairy and then hugged the succubus. "Leech," she spoke coolly to the vampire.

"Dirty Hybrid," he replied and they both smirked at each other. Her smirk turned into a frown when she saw that behind James was none other than her biological father.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, not trying to put any warmth into her tone.

"I was here first actually," Bill Nawassa replied. He was a little taller than her with dark black hair, streaked with gray. He hadn't aged much since she was a little girl. She supposed that was the effects of the vampire blood that he apparently been taking for about two hundred years. "I heard Alpha Daniels might have some news and it's best we work together," he added.

"Also, I asked him to introduce us," a silky smooth voice announced. A vampire entered the room and offered them a tight-lipped smile. He wasn't tall, only a little taller than Lily. His long blonde hair tied behind him loosely and his eyes were dark, almost black. He wore a long dress coat over a dark suit. However, Lily could almost feel the power coming off of him.

"I am Lord Etienne and it's a pleasure to meet you. My crow was right. You look just like mon fière."

"Who?" Lily asked confused.

"Your aunt and my lover," he replied, giving her another smile but this one showed a hint of fang. Lily wrinkled her nose. That was a whole new level of awkward she wasn't prepared for. "Would you speak with me outside, Petite Louve?" He asked. Lily saw James stiffen with a look of worry on his face but Lily figured she might as well get it over with.

"Why not. But I warn you if you go all Dracula on me cause of this supposed aunt I will nail your ass like I did Silvano," she warned him. It wasn't exactly true. The vampire king had bested her and James had killed him but the vampire didn't know that. James gave her a questioning look and she grinned at him. Lord Etienne smiled fully, sending a shiver down Lily's spine. She wasn't sure she would be a match for this guy.

"I wouldn't dare," Lord Etienne declared. "Rather insulting to her and to you I should say."

"Damn straight. Lead the way," she said, and they stepped outside.. The night air nipped at her arms and she took a breath, giving her vampire side more control and the chill of the night dissipated. Unfortunately, her hunger grew. She felt as if ants ran under her skin which made her rather anxious. She turned to the vampire, not surprised to find he was watching her. They all wanted to see her go vampy. Freaks.

"Fascinating," he said walking up to look at closely. "How do you feed?"

"At first, Dorin Stancu gave me bottles of blood from, well he said, willing donors. Then when I thought I was working for the Aequivalere they made pills for me to suppress most of my hunger. Now...I'm working on it," she explained.

"You've never fed directly," he asked her and she cringed.

"I have once," she lied. Lily explained how one of Silvano's vampires had pushed her I to drinking from a man. Dorin had stopped Lily from killing him and took the man to the hospital. She also had drank from James when they had been intimate but she wasn't about to tell the vampire that. Lord Etienne clicked his tongue with a disapproving look.

"Suppression never is a good, young one. It's dangerous and is the most common cause young vampires lose control," he explained, surprising her.

"So what are you saying? I risk killing someone with the hope I'll someday get the knack of it? No thanks," she said with a scoff.

"No Petite Louve, what I am saying is you have no sustainable source for blood and that makes you unpredictable and dangerous. You obviously haven't accepted this part of you like you have the lycanthrope side. That needs to change. You need a sire young one," he explained.

"A sire?" Lily repeated skeptically.

"Yes, a sire is the one that makes us into vampires. They are like a parent to us. They teach and guide us through the beginnings of our new life," he explained.

"And I bet this where you offer to be mine?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, I am going to offer. As my crow's child, you already have my protection but I would be honored to act as your sire. However if you don't want me then I will help you find one. I'm afraid that is a must. The elder council cannot allow an untrained vampire free and unchecked, no matter how in control they seem to have," he told her and Lily swallowed.

"So I'm back on the chopping block? But the Aequivalere," she started.

"Doesn't oversee vampire affairs just as it doesn't oversee the lycanthropes," he told her. "It's not a chopping block you just need to choose a sire," he added.

"Sounds the same to me," she told him.

"Considering what you know of us, I am not surprised. A sire is not a master but a mentor, a guide into the new life. There is no bonds or exchange of blood in your case," he explained. "All I would ask of you is allegiance for a hundred years. To come to my aide when I have need of it. In return I will vouch for you to the council and teach how to feed correctly in such a manner that both you and the donor will thrive," he explained.

Lily eyed him, not fully trusting the vampire. "How long do I have to consider?"

"How about until we've finished dealing with the criminals here?" He replied. "I did not expect an answer tonight. It is a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly Petite Louve. Now I must go and see what news there is for me," he said. Suddenly he cupped her face, bringing her towards him he kissed her forehead in a fatherly manner before going into the room.

"What the hell," she said, wiping off her forehead with a scowl.