Alec's P•O•V

A couple days had passed and I hadn't slept at all. I stayed in my office, trying to figure out where my brother had taken Raven.

I knew what Raven had asked. I knew she didn't want me to come after her ... but that was something she couldn't expect me to obey. I couldn't be without her. I'd live every day for the rest of my life in agony if she wasn't in it.

I couldn't rule this kingdom without her. Hell, I couldn't live without her.

My purposeless heart regained its beat just two days ago, and even though I survived, I wasn't living.

Not without Raven.

I leaned my elbows on my desk and placed my head in my hands, my fingers gripping my hair in frustration. I was tired and lost. Sure, Vampires could go without sleep for a couple days if need be, but I was wiped. There were literally millions of places that DeMalo could've taken Raven. How the hell was I supposed to even begin to narrow down where they had gone?

My eyes felt heavy, and I began to doze off until I heard a knock on my door. I breathed in a deep breath and sighed. I picked my head up from my hands and called for them to come in.

"Your highness." Andrei, one of my personal guards, came in and bowed to me. He was wearing casual clothes instead of his normal armor, as I instructed for his task.

"Did you learn anything?" I asked, sitting back in my leather chair. Andrei dropped a photo on my desk and pushed it towards me.

My eyes widened as I looked down at the photo taken by a security camera. It dated to two nights ago. DeMalo and Raven were in the photo, DeMalo's hand behind Raven's back as he lead her down the airport hall. I grumbled under my breath.

"Just as I thought. Did you find out where they were heading?" I asked Andrei, my heart picking up speed. If DeMalo and Raven went to the airport, we could track their tickets to where they went.

"They went to New York. Their flight left at midnight and arrived in Milan roughly around 3 am. From there they flew to New York City..." Andrei trailed off, waiting for my reaction. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"New York City? Why would he go to the most obvious place?" I murmured, wondering to myself.

"Your Highness, I don't think you should go to New York City..." Andrei suggested quietly, looking quite worried of my expression when I snapped him a critical look.

"Now why is that?" I asked harshly, wondering if he thought of me as weak.

"I don't think DeMalo went to New York City to hide. I think he went there so you'd come after him. He wants your crown, and he can't have it unless you die. If you go to NYC, I'm afraid that's what he has planned." Andrei informed me. I sat back and nodded, understanding his concern.

"I believe that you're right, but you know I can't stay. I can't leave Raven." I stood and faced him.

"Tell the rest of my guards that we're leaving tonight." I informed him.

"We're going back to New York, and when we get there, DeMalo must die."

Raven's P•O•V

I lied in my bed, turned towards the window. I was curled up under the covers, but I couldn't sleep. All the noises of my home city had returned to my ears. I breathed in deeply and took them all in.

I hated them. In this circumstance, the sounds of sirens, car horns, and all the disruptions made me sick. I longed for the quiet of Romania, the peace and silence of the enormous castle where I could always find a place to hide away and have time to myself if need be. Here, you can't escape it.

I longed for Alec and the comfort of his presence.

I sighed, shutting my eyes and felt a single tear dampen my face.

I lied close to the edge, awfully aware of DeMalo's presence beside me. His breaths during his sleep were loud and all of me wished he wasn't breathing at all. If I could choke out a Vampire, I would have, but consequently that would end in my death as well.

So I lied there with the enemy beside me in my own bed, and I wanted nothing more than to sleep in the streets instead.

I exhaled a harsh breath and sat up. I left my room and went down the stairs so I could get some water from the fridge. I poured myself a glass and went over to my couch. I took a couple sips and sat down on the couch. Placing the water to the side, I pulled the blanket that was draped over the couch onto me and found myself drifting off.

Understandably, I felt relieved without the presence of the man I considered the devil beside me.

Sleep started to loom over me and I fell asleep wondering how Alec was right now.

♱

When I woke, I almost forgot where I was. I wish I could've stayed like that. But nonetheless, I woke with DeMalo turning on the TV and plopping down on the couch beside me. I groaned and sat up.

"Morning sunshine." He said in a chipper tone. I rolled my eyes and looked over to the TV. The news was on, how depressing.

I got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. It was past noon. Seeing as though I went to sleep at around 3 am, nine hours of sleep seemed surprising. At least it was surprising due to the fact of how much stress I was going through.

"Ah, this is the life." DeMalo sat back and outstretched his legs onto my coffee table. I almost snapped at him to get his feet off of the table, but I decided not to.

"Once you're king, you won't have these kind of luxuries." I said, knowing it wouldn't sway him, but it'd still make him think.

I looked through my pantry, trying to find something that wasn't expired. Finally, I settled on a couple Pop Tarts that were in fact expired, but I couldn't find anything else.

"Maybe this whole ruling-a-kingdom idea is going to be harder than it seems. Wouldn't you rather have a simple life?" I asked, wandering back into the living room.

"I don't need a simple life. It's too boring. I want power, royalty." DeMalo answered, staring at the TV and not even looking at me, which I was more than fine with.

"You already are royalty-" I stated, but he cut me off.

"Not anymore. My asshole of a brother made sure to strip me of my royalty." DeMalo spat, suddenly enraged. Damn was he bipolar.

I gritted my teeth, as I held back my anger towards the way he spoke of Alec.

I didn't say anything else, and tried to eat the first Pop Tart, but it was hard as a rock. I sighed and left the living room, dropping the stale breakfast food into the trash.

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs to my house and I assumed it was the mail man, so I went to fetch the paper.

I went up to the front door and opened it. Standing in front of me was definitely not the mail man as I had thought.

It was Steven, my brother.

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