"Uncle, what's happened?"

Magnus leaned back in his chair. To Adriel it seemed as if all of Magnus's years caught up to him at once. He looked tired. "Whole families have been disappearing. Not just in New Mexico, but as far east as Texas and as far north as Colorado. Reports trickled in at first, since whole families were disappearing, there was no one around to report them missing. But last month, I started getting four and five reports a day from local Vanguard units. You have to keep in mind, each report contained anywhere from four to ten people per family."

Aiden growled low. "Why didn't you report this immediately?" he demanded. He stood and placed Meryn down in his chair. He began to pace back and forth. "Every single delay must have cost dozens of lives!"

Magnus stood, his eyes shifting to crimson. "You think I do not know that? That I do not lie in bed each night and recite the names of the families, the children who were reported missing that day? My hands are tied! I had to send a cryptic message to my own niece just to get you here! The Founding and Noble families would have protested outside interference!" he roared.

Adriel stood and went to his prince's side even as Gavriel stood beside Aiden. "We are not enemies here," he reminded them both.

The two powerful men stood, eyes locked glaring at each other. Adriel turned to Gavriel, who gave a quick shake of his head, advising him not to interfere. Adriel was about to physically get between the two of them when the face of his prince changed from anger to startled pain. Adriel looked down in time to see Meryn turn and kick her own mate in the shins.

Both men looked down at her in astonishment. A human woman not even half their size managed to put both of them in their place.

Adriel shook his head. "Meryn, you are a wonder."

Meryn wedged herself between Aiden and Magnus and pushed them apart with her tiny arms. They let themselves be moved and each took a step back.

Meryn glared up at both of them. "And what in the fuck do you think is going to get accomplished by snarling at each other? Of anyone in this room, the two of you need to work together. People's lives are at stake; you don't have the luxury of whipping out your dicks and seeing who's bigger."

Adriel felt his mouth drop. In all his long centuries, he had never heard anyone speak to their prince in such a manner.

Meryn crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides, you're upsetting Beth. For that alone I could eviscerate you both, got me?" she threatened.

Both men turned to see that Bethy was pale and trembling. Magnus was instantly contrite. "Bethy, my darling, I am so sorry." He turned to Aiden. "As you can see, I am not at my best. This situation has sapped me of my patience and energy. My apologies." He sat back down, exhaling loudly. Once his prince was seated, Adriel himself sat back down. Behind him, he could almost feel the nervous energy pouring off of his unit. They were stuck in the middle between their loyalty to their prince and their Unit Commander.

Bethy smiled wanly. "Eviscerate, huh?"

Meryn stuck her tongue out at her.

Aiden turned to Meryn and Adriel instinctively leaned forward to get between his commander and the small human.

Aiden flinched. "That is the second time you or your men have tried to protect Meryn from me. Do I have a reputation of being a mate beater that I don't know about? I'm a unit warrior for Gods' sake; I protect people." Aiden scooped up his mate and sat back down with her on his lap once again. Gavriel sat back down next to his mate, pulling her close.

Adriel half bowed to his commander. He shot a look at Magnus, who nodded his permission. He regarded Aiden for a moment and deliberately chose his words for his explanation. "Sir, it is not you. Unlike Lycaonia, Noctem Falls is not diverse. The city is primarily made up of vampires. Many of these vampires have an ingrained way of thinking, including what is and is not acceptable behavior in their own homes. As you visit the different levels you will see an enriched culture that has pulled the best aspects from previous centuries and emulates the social decorum and graces of the Victorian Era. Despite the acute attention to detail given to etiquette by embracing this certain age, the people have also subconsciously accepted the myriad of underlying social injustices that were prevalent during that time."

"What the fuck?" Meryn asked.

Aiden gave him a dark look. "Any abuse of the people here should have been reported to me."

Magnus leaned forward placing his hands on his knees. "A few bad apples can spoil a bunch. The council here is aware of the behaviors of certain high ranking family members, but unless someone comes forward with a formal complaint there is nothing we can do." He looked at Bethy. "It is why I supported Bethy leaving the city. The higher you go in the city, the more the people accept modern culture. I wanted Bethy to be able to learn and experience all that the human world has to offer. As much as I would like to make changes, I am only one man, representing the last of the Royal Families. I am outnumbered at every turn."

Meryn looked at Gavriel. "You always said House Ambrosios was a founding family, but here Magnus is saying you're royal, what gives?"

Gavriel winced. "Originally, there were eight Founding Families and eight Noble Families. After the Great War, House Ambrosios, House Rioux, House DuSang, and House DuCoeur were elevated to Royal Houses by the four councils for their contributions to peace after the war. Those four Houses did not allow rank to sway them when it came time to administer aid and distribute supplies to war ravaged areas. They had the trust and love of the people. So, technically House Ambrosios and House Rioux are Founding Families."