Auri, turned his gaze again at the sudden movement and waft of the scent of the hunter moving, urgent mannerisms betrayed her movements. The door opened and with that she was gone.

The four of them seemed to collapse into the leather booth, a sigh of relief erupting from Dante. "We should leave before she comes back" Dante said. Auri couldn't agree more. He pushed himself out of the booth, picking up his jacket and preparing himself to face the weather outside. He looked at Dante and Ronan, in their leather jackets, he knew they were going to get soaked but alas, a common human trait is inapproriate clothing to the weather outside. Ronan went and paid the tab they had drawn up for this evening's activities, whilst Auri, Dante and Felix headed for the door.

They opened it, the smell of damp and cold hit them, with lingering traces of the hunter just before.

They stepped out in it and the four of them moved down the street towards the park. Dante and Ronan protecting the rear.

They turned, as the path flowed round inbetween some trees, the green grass saturated with water either side. Their footsteps softly splashing the water now accumulating on top of the path.

A giant red tent lay ahead, the four of them knew what lay inside. They approached, the light glowing faintly from the interior.

The flaps folded back, as if they were expected. A woman dressed as a ring bearer, fully clad with fish net tights, greeted them.

"Prince Aurelius" She bowed her head, her blonde curls sweeping her shoulders and neck. He was slightly surprised at her knowing who he was, given he hadn't seen her before. "We weren't expecting you this evening" She said, her face soften, welcoming them. "Are there many humans here tonight?" Auri said, his tone firm, leaning into his authority here. "No, the rain, it has cleared them all away" "Great, then it should be a great show" Auri said, leading the way past with the three of the them in tow.

He walked by the ring, the path wide enough and the spectators that were already here had begun whispering about his presence. Long glances were thrown in his direction, most in awe, others with mere hatred. He didn't care, he strutted forward to the ring side box, made for VIPs.

The ring bearer, who Auri had learned was called Rhi. She was to serve them with drinks galore all evening throughout the entertainment. Auri sat in the red velvet chair laid out for him and his guests. Rhi handed him a drink. Auri's eyes couldn't leave her alone, he wanted nothing more than to devour her, undress her with his eyes.

"You're new" Auri said softly, his tone gruff. "Yes, mi lord" Rhi said shyly. "Started with them about three months ago and of course I'm sure you're aware that we got into town last week" Auri nodded as Rhi explained, her eyes almost seemingly filled with lust.

"You're a delicate treat" Auri said, Felix sat down to face her, he too watching her every move as if she was the sole source of the entertainment for the evening. Rhi blushed slightly before daring to part her lips and run her tongue over the crimson seductive smile now played across her face.

The lights darkened and the performance began.

The performance was entertaining, one that featured a range of supernatural beings from Jinn, to werewolves, all performing a wide range of acts. Aurelius always found the aerial hoop masters mesmerising.

It was half way through the evening that the four of them got even slight tipsy before the blood started pouring freely in their wine glasses. The large rims helped it aerate into something sweeter.

Ronan and Dante drunk a lot less than Felix and Aurelius did. The two of them now residing over eating, laughing and enjoying the performance as if they were riding a high.

The bright lights and music fashioned away into the late hours, into a club sort of vibe. Aurelius found himself dancing with Felix. He cast his eyes over at Rhi, the lust in his gaze returning to meet hers. She was dancing with another female vampire, the twist and turns in time with the music, made them seem hot and erotic, until they sank their fangs into each other, drinking the others blood. It sent a shiver down Aurelius spine, watching them, a certain heat flaring in his core. Felix was inching closer, dancing with him. Of course Dante and Ronan had made their way to the bar that had opened up within the transformation from circus performance to night club.

The energy was electric in the air, the beats of the music, pouding the renewed blood in his veins from the man he'd drained earlier this evening. The lights turning his bright silver hair into a rainbow of colours as they passed over him.

His jacket had been abandoned ages ago, his white-tshirt stained as he got sloppy with the blood. His jeans feeling warm, scratchy and uncomfortable against his cool skin.

He dismissed Felix by twisting his body away, edging his way closer to the females and dancing with them. They pulled in close, moved and flowed with the music. In that moment, he closed his eyes, his fangs bare, as he stuck them into Rhi's neck, she let out a gasp of delight, as she too closed in, the breath escaping her lips as she sank her fangs into him. Blood swapping wasn't illegal here. In some covens it was frowned upon and in other cultures, if you blood swapped, you had to take the other person as your bride.

He closed his eyes in pure ecstasy, he released his fangs and moaned as the two females moved in on him. He looked at Felix, he was now enjoying the company of a Jinn. Auri didn't hide his displeasure at seeing Felix mix with other creatures. It was his own personal choice that he chose not to mingle with other supernatural beings like that for he didn't want emotions to cloud his judgement when he needed act.

The music carried on into the early hours of the morning...

--

The door open, Aurileus felt a slight throb at his temple, he was draped over Ronan's shoulder, as he escorted him into the manor. Felix not far behind with Dante in tow.

Aurileus squinted, his mother in front of him. "Ah shit..." He muttered, pushing his pale hair back from his face.

His mother's face was alight with a quiet rage. "You bring our prince back home like this?" She seethed. Her hands clasped in front of her. Her long black dress hugged her figure well. Her black hair wrapped around into a neat braid adorned on top of her head. Her pale blue eyes raging.

None of them said a word. It wouldn't mean a lot to her anyway. "Get him cleaned up before the council summons the next meeting" She hissed.

Aurileus looked at her as Ronan helped escort him to his chambers in the manor.

"Lockdown sequence intiated..." A female voice preached over the tannoy. The manor was preparing for sunrise. No vampire in or out.

Ronan opened the door to Auri's chambers, he lead him inside and across to a chair that accompanied a desk. "You'd better do as your mother says" Ronan chided. Auri dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Thank you, I don't need a lecture. Last night was fun that was all" He said flatly. "But thank you for escorting me last night" "You're welcome. I'm just glad your safe. That vampire hunter is a nasty piece of work. If she'd sussed us out, we'd be dead" Ronan said as he turned to leave. Aurileus turned his thoughts to the woman. He felt an odd sense of attraction to her. A sort of a danger that he couldn't ignore. Even the thought of her and the smell of her scent had his adrenaline pumping. "No I appreciate it, thank you" and with that Ronan was dismissed and left, closing the door behind him.

Auri looked about the room and worked to clean himself up before his appearance to the council.

Aurelius had freshened up. He wore his formal attire of smart black trousers with heavy black boots, a black tunic where his green cloak attached to his shoulders with gold emblems that matched his pendant around his neck. A symbol of his status and coven. A simple gold chain hung across his chest to connect the two together.

He appeared in front a mirror. Funnily enough, vampire lore was wrong and their reflections could be seen, making them harder to find amongst humans. His eyes narrowed as he picked a piece of lint off from his shoulder.

He turned making his way to the door, opening and closing it behind him. He stepped out into the hallway, lined with statues of various creatures and vampires alike. A lot from legends that he'd read about over the years.

Aurelius made his way down the hall, the pendant lights that hung from the ceiling lighting the way. The hallways dim on purpose to make sure no cracks of sunlight could make their way through the now shuttered windows. This worked well encase they were ever attacked, especially with bullets but fortunately for them the manor was gated and trespassers rarely made it through, if at all.

He came to the main lobby, a wide space from which his mother greeted him from earlier. The same befitting statues lined the walls, a staircase lined each side that lead up to the next level. The main foyer, tiled with black and white marble, shone under the crystal chandelier that dangled in the middle. He turned abruptly to face a double set of doors on the opposite side that lead to the council chamber on the west wing side of the large house. No-one was around which meant the meeting had already begun.

He pushed at the door handles, opening them wide, taking in the polished black table set in the centre, the council members, his mother and father sat in high-backed gothic tuned chairs. He could feel the weight of their gaze as he moved across the room to take his seat. The guards closed the doors behind him.

He spotted Dante and Ronan standing to attention, one behind his father and the other behind his mother, both dressed in ceremonial attire to the nature of this coven. We really are a traditional species... He thought, glancing at them but spared no acknowledgement.

He took up his seat, the black velvet beneath him soft and cushioning. He sat straight in his seat, proud, he swung his gaze to his mother, who was was staring at him stern lipped.

There was a momentary silence before the meeting began. "So we should run over the current demands of the coven, how we meet them and the need to improve any outstanding or upcoming liabilities" Aurelius felt himself struggling already with the weight of this meeting. The pure boredom lashed out already, as he swung his gaze to his advisor, as he spoke. "But first...We should dicuss our adversaries" The council advised.

Another council member spoke gruffly "Lord, Lady, my prince... We have been advised whilst hunters are moving into the city, a certain...hunter...shall we say has been brought to our attention" Aurelius glanced at Dante and Ronan in his peripheral. No doubt they would have betrayed him on what occurred last night. The flashing visions of the woman with that scent. "We know..." Was all Aurelius said.

"Aurelius! You have put your life on the line once again" His mother screamed at him, leaning forward in her chair. Aurelius met her gaze with a cool boredom. These were common outbursts for sure, especially in council meetings when she liked to bring up the succession of the bloodline time and time again.

"Seraphina... please" His father said with a certain authoritive calm. Lady Seraphina swung her head back to his father. "Don't you start... Especially not when this hunter is in this city, just wandering around. You know the risks. Why risk our bloodline... our son to that thing? That monster?" She exclaimed. The council members stayed quiet.

"We are the monsters here..." Aurelius said quietly. "HOW DARE YOU!" Lady Seraphina pushed back her chair, the screeching of the wood on the tile floor. Her gaze piercing him. She turned and stormed out.

Everyone watched and waited for her to leave, as she slammed the doors on the way out. There was another momentary quiet that befell the room.

"Did you have to do son?" His father asked quietly. "No...But she wasn't going to drop the subject when we have other matters at hand to discuss" He leaned back in his seat, swinging his arm up and resting his head in his hand, looking at them all, the same cool boredom.

"Please father, share with us what you intend to do about our little problem?" He said with a cocky tone and swung his hand out to gesture to continue the meeting with the other advisors. He felt his mind pour back to the hunter, the trance she had seemingly had on him. Dangerous.

Neveah

Once the meeting had concluded, Aurelius headed towards the coven's library. He needed a place to brood. He turned towards the wide black doors, heavily carved with legends, that led to the library. He entered, the cool, dim room that helped preserve the old scrolls, books and other literature set within these four walls.

He sat down in the nearest chair, the book he'd read still in its original place from last time. He ran his had over the embossed book, the memories flooding back of the legends long before he was born. In that moment he felt the chaos rising within him, somehow his coven was organised in a mess of disorganised. He wished it was how it was back then. Simpler times, the humans had no idea they existed, they even gave them treasure along with sacrifices at one point.

Small covens weren't standing a chance against the hunters, being wiped almost as soon as they're created. The problem of willing humans to give them blood was a demand that needed to be met to sustain the vampires here just to give them a basic fill. Nightly patrols were killing less and less and the supernatural beings were pressing on them, hard. Let alone a renowned hunter on the loose.

His thoughts flooded of her again, he sat back in his chair letting it happen, the scent, the sight of her greeting him. He drummed his fingers on the table. "We need to reorder society in order to survive" the advisors words drumming in his ears. He shook his head. He didn't believe that. He did believe they could be clever whilst also avoiding the hunters but his suggestions seemed to be blown off at the council meeting.

Something needed to change. The supernatural world could crumble if they.didn't get their shit together. Having said that, Aurelius knew where his loyalities lie. Would turning the supernatural world over to the humans be such a bad thing? They would hunt vampires less if they knew what other terrible creatures roamed about. His mind raced. He knew his father wouldn't allow it. Its been a treaty for centuries but their growing unrest was a cause for concern. Why. Who and How? Questions that all needed answers.

He decided he would go on patrol tonight, he needed to see for himself.

His mother could loathe him but despite the increasing pressure he felt to produce an heir, he felt this was for the good of the coven, he could finally have some real answers and suggestions for the council.

He tried to quieten his mind after the decision had be made but his mind played out the possibilities of what he would see on this adventure he'd made out for himself. Noble vampires rarely went on patrol, unless there was some civic unrest in the supernatural world. He'd been one or twice but something about tonight excited him, made him feel alive.

The day raged on around them outside of the manor. It made Aurelius huff to himself that the humans weren't smart enough yet to figure out who or what resided within these walls as day time presence was basically zero. Any one smart enough could see this manor came to life at night.

He swung his feet down from the wooden desk, where he had been leaning back in his chair, feet up for several hours. No one had dared disturb him. Not even his father. He was always busy, he was the lord of this manor. It was unusal the fact that he was given his own coven to manage within the same grounds. It gave them a sense of unity where it counts. Double the men, easier to supply blood to one location rather than two and get sussed out.

He placed his heavy boots on the tile floor. Pushing his chair out, as it groaned beneath his weight as he rose to stand. He aimed for the door, turning the cool dark metal handle in his grip to open it. He saw the hallway busier now, with men in coven military gear, moving about preparing or their missions and nightly patrols this evening.

He had a few people pay him respects as he joined the flow of people making their way in an orderly fashion up and down the corridor. He followed two of his compatriots towards the armoury. He huffed another laugh to himself at the absurd idea of how traditional everything was but the nightly patrols went out with guns, laced with weapons to keep the supernatural world in check. Good enough to take down a werewolf but also a hunter.

He met the master of armouries, who kept stock and made sure everything was oragnised for the coven. "Prince..." Aurelius made a motion to silence him. "Please... Its Auri" "You say that everytime...Auri" They exchanged a look but then laughed and braced like old friends. "Seb, I'm heading out on a night patrol tonight" Seb turned to give him a suspicious look. "I know better than to ask questions" Seb shrugged it off and led him deeper into the armoury, his build was similar to that of Ronan and Dante. Auri always felt a odd sense of comfort in the armoury, whether it was because he was surrounded by weapons and the fact that it held a dear friend.

"I heard what happened with your mother" Auri rolled his eyes, Seb's brown eyes twinkled with humour. "Don't start... and stop giving me that look" They exchanged looks and then smiled.

They browsed the selection of weapons to prepare for the evening.

Once done, Auri said his thanks and headed towards his bedchamber to get ready. He switched out his formal attire for black cargo trousers, a black shirt. Simple yet effective when they needed to blend into the shadows. He looked like his colleagues, no rank or anything to give away his position on patrol.

He turned to look at the clock that sat on the mantle piece. It was an hour til sun set. He turned to head back out of his room to look for a snack.