"Don’t change the conversation just yet, Dmitri, answer my question, why did you look at her with such hostility?" Kora asked. Her eyes flashed bright red.

"This is a personal matter Gaia, don’t get involved," he said, his eyes also turning red. The only person who didn’t react strongly was Darren, but he had his arm securely wrapped around his mate’s waist to make sure she was safe and within his reach.

"How is a personal matter between you and my mother, not mine as well?" She shot back at him. Putting it that way, he realized that she indeed had the right to react this way. The woman whom they were talking about was not aware of this so as someone whom she called her mother, Kora was not wrong to react so strongly.

"Don’t you dare hurt her," she warned and he sighed and raised his hands in surrender.

She was still a shifter. A very possessive one just like the lycan that stood beside her.

Possessiveness is a trait that both species share. Be it a vampire or a shifter, they were possessive, that was why he had that reaction when he saw Dana looking at Cillia. He was being protective and the fact she reminded him of her mother’s betrayal added the fuel to the already burning flame of anger.

"I won’t," he said, dropping his hands and the color of Kora’s eyes returning to their original colors, red and green. "Not anymore," he added the last part though it was unnecessary and only made Kora growl at him. But he smiled.

"What do you want then?" she asked now that the boundaries were clear.

"Your blood," he said and that was all it took for Darren to snap. A growl that shook the earth under their feet erupted from him and Dmitri immediately took a step back. Lycans were faster than wolves, so he was not taking chances with the beast in front of him. "I can promise you, Alpha, that I am not using it for selfish reasons," he said but that fell on deaf ears as Darren half-shifted.

He regrets coming here to talk to this vampire now. What did he take him for? A fool? He had the guts to ask for his mate’s blood right in front of him.

It was now Kora’s turn to hold her mate back making sure that their coming would not be ruined just like that.

["Calm down and ignore him,"] he can’t do anything to me even if he wanted to and he can’t take my blood either,"] she assured him through the mind link. That seems to be the best way to talk to him right now.

Seeing that, Dmitri rolled his eyes dramatically. He had told her before that her blood was needed and it was needed to make sure all of his preparations didn’t go to waste or take too much energy and time preserving it for when she was ready and willing.

"This conversation ends here, Dmitri, not another word from you on this matter," she said glaring daggers at him. That was a clear warning but they both knew the vampire would not pay heed to that warning. He did as he wanted and whenever he wanted.

"When?" he asked. Darren took a step forward and he took one back. He hadn’t engaged a lycan in a fight in a long time without having anyone interrupt and he was not looking for one right now. They had always been problematic.

"Never," Darren was the one who replied and took Kora’s hand leading her inside where everyone else had gone into. They stopped when they saw that a small crowd had gathered probably because they heard Darren’s growl earlier so it was only natural that they would be affected and would want to know what was happening.

Dmitri watched them walk into his mansion without a word. They were a match in every way but he was hating it right now. He took a deep breath remembering that she had promised to halo if it was necessary which he knew without a doubt that it would be more than necessary if they were to overcome the enemy.

He followed them so she wouldn’t accuse him of being a bad host again. Out of everyone present there, only Kora or Gaia, and Cillia could talk back at him like this and he would brush it off. He knew and so did everyone else. Kora was as old as he was or even older than him, while Cillia was his woman.

"Why have you come here?" he asked, taking his seat. He stared at his arm which was starting to get sunburned because he was under it for a long time. Couldn’t they just come at night rather than during the day when he should be sleeping? He shouted at them in his head.

Cilla who was next to him remained silent. She felt a prick in her heart seeing her girl sitting there without acknowledging her as her mother. Though she said she didn’t care anymore, it was different when she was right in front of her.

"Azrail," Kora was the one who spoke because Darren was angry and gave the eye to Dmitri. "The vampires at Snow Twin are under you, am I right?" she asked.

"Yes, they are," he replied. He didn’t mind being called out by her like that. He has been addressing his lord without care so addressing him the way she liked didn’t bother him much.

"Do you know where they are now?" she asked.

"Most of them are here," he replied and then looked at her with a questioning gaze. "Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Alpha Julio," she called him out. Everyone was surprised to see her taking the lead here. She preferred sitting and watching them all do the work like this because she thought it tiring and boring but seemed she was more than willing to do it now that Darren was mad.

"Yes, Luna," Alpha Julio answered.

"Tell them," she ordered.

"They are currently in my pack seeking refuge," he said and Azrail’s expression twitched. How on earth did that happen and he was unaware of it? He looked at Dmitri who met his gaze fleetingly.

"Leroy?" Dmitri called because he had tasked Leroy to take care of that matter.

Leroy looked at the shifter and his eyes settled on Kora for a moment before he turned to look at Dmitry and answered, "My lord."