Silence can be calming and peaceful. But it can also be deafening in its terror. Val had experienced the former while enveloped in the embrace of Zack and her two brothers. As they pulled away from her in the throne room, the latter had descended upon her.

The throne room was so still and quiet now that Val felt she could hear her heartbeat echo off the walls. The pandemonium she had left was only evidenced by the bodies littered about and the floors and pillars painted red. The occasional drip of blood off a body onto the floor was the only noise to be heard among the destruction and mutilation.

Val's brothers had immediately fanned out, searching the bodies for any survivors. Val and Zack had stepped apart from each other but remained fixed across from each other. She had never experienced such exquisite torture in all her life. The more she took in his glory, the more her heart would shatter, reform, and then shatter again.

"I'll turn myself over once we find Alexander," Val whispered to him.

"You said you trust me," Zack reminded her.

Zack closed the gap between them and placed a warm hand on her face. Val leaned into his touch and closed her eyes as she fought back the tears. She had become a sniveling baffoon, it would appear.

"I do," Val assured him.

"Then have a little faith, I have a plan to keep that beautiful head of yours squarely on your shoulders," Zack promised.

"How?" Val questioned.

Zack smiled gently at her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Pulling away, he turned to the room and watched Z walk through the doors.

"Finding your king is the first step," Zack said.

"He isn't my king," Val scoffed as she trailed after him.

"He will be, I'll see to it myself," Zack promised.

Zack knelt by the smeared pool of blood where Val had last seen Alexander. He reached down and dipped his fingers in the congealing liquid and rubbed it between his fingers before sniffing it. He scrunched his nose in displeasure before dipping out his tongue and tasting it.

"What are you doing?" Val asked in disgust.

"You may have hellhounds, but angels have trackers like me," Zack stated. "He was alive when this blood hit the ground. I am also tasting copious amounts of wolfsbane, enough to kill a werewolf."

Val did not know if that meant it was enough to kill a lycan king as well. She knew the same rudimentary facts of lycans that all demons learned at school, but not much beyond that.

"Can you tell where they went?" Bachon asked as he approached.

Zack's brow furrowed and his eyes closed as he tried to concentrate.

"I can't get a lock on him," Zack said in frustration. "There is something here that dulls my ability. I don't think they are in the building anymore, but they are underground."

"I didn't find any clues among the bodies," Bachon told them.

The fire in Val's arm suddenly flared and she looked down to see black streaks starting to emerge from under the bandage. The eyes of the two men followed hers and Bachon let out a hiss. Zack gently took her arm and placed a glowing hand over the spot, sapping the pain away.

"Are you going to be able to let him mark her, or will I have to kill you first?" Bachon asked Zack.

"I'd watch a whole den mark her if that was what it took to save her," Zack barked.

Val was annoyed by their conversation. It was the whole talking around her instead of to her that irked. They were discussing things that seemed to be common knowledge to them but might as well have been gibberish to her.

"I doubt he would reciprocate such a sentiment," Bachon derided.

Zack looked into Val's eyes as his hand stopped glowing. The smile he flashed her was pained before he looked back down.

"He already has," Zack told Bachon.

Val looked between the two and tried to decipher what they were talking about. She was at a loss; it was all gibberish to her.

"What is going on, what are you two talking about?" Val asked them.

Val did not appreciate the look the two shared, like they were trying to decide how much she should know. All of it, she needed to understand all of it.

"Do you know the purpose of lycans?" Zack asked her.

Val shook her head, not comprehending what he was asking.

"Lycans were created as a safeguard after the war in Heaven and the Banished were sent to rule over Hell," Zack explained. "They were created to be strong enough to take us on in the event of another war to protect the humans. That is why they are so strong, and we can't counter their bites. The only ones that can survive and heal from a lycan bite, is an archangel. That way, they could keep everyone in check."

"Several centuries ago, the Fallen tried to elicit the aid of the lycans to overthrow both sides," Bachon added. "Scores of angels and demons were slaughtered and in return, lycans were nearly decimated. It led to the ruling of forbidding relationships between the demons and angels."

"Because most of the Fallen are mixed?" Val asked them.

Both men nodded.

"It was also how Alexander's family came to the throne," Zack continued. "Before that, the black line of lycans had ruled. After the uprising, they were dethroned, and the white line was raised. His ancestors commanded lycans into hiding and started moving their court. It was their way of keeping the people safe without becoming our pawns again."

"How does that relate to me, to us?" Val asked.

She looked between Zack, with his golden perfection, and Bachon, the darker version of his perfection with his chestnut hair and eyes. Zack exuded everything pure and light with his brilliant wings and armor that gleamed, the fine mess of his chain glittered like a field of diamonds. Bachon was his counterpoint with mystery and darkness and his black wings and armor. Two sides of the same coin.

"Lycans can have fated mates. It doesn't happen often since the big boss upstairs likes to let the whole free will thing run rampant," Bachon told her. "He did it more when inbreeding was an issue."

Val started to walk away from them. While she needed this information, she needed it on the move. Time was precious and she did not know how much she would have left to find him.

"You still haven't said why this is important to me," Val pointed out.

Walking into the next room, she looked around at the destruction she had caused earlier. Bachon let out a low whistle as he followed behind her.

"Someone did a number in here," he said admiringly.

"Me, I did this," Val said sharply.

She began walking around, looking for any clues. Z was nowhere in sight, but she was guessing he had dipped into one of the open doors she could see. This place was much larger than the three rooms she had been in earlier, she had not even noticed those doors last time.

"You sure you don't want to join the Guard sis," Bachon asked.

"Rather a moot point now," Val snapped.

Bachon had the good sense to look abashed.

"Lycans are supposed to be neutral," Bachon said. "Which means according to the treaty, their king can grant you amnesty."

"Amnesty! What good is amnesty if I'll be dead shortly anyway?" Val demanded.

Zack grabbed her good arm and hauled her around. She had never seen him look angry before, but he was now. Val was amazed at how he could look even better, but he did.

"If he marks you as his mate, his protection extends over you," Zack ground out. "It means you would become immune to the poison of their bites so that you could live among them."

Now his earlier comment made sense. Mostly made sense, Val amended. Being marked to save her life did not account for Bachon's concern about Zack being able to handle it.

"What does he have to do to mark me?" Val asked.

"First you have to submit," Zack supplied. "Both parties have to be willing for the bonding to be complete."

"So, what, I have to bend the knee?" Val asked.

Val did not appreciate the way Bachon's laughter boomed around them. Or the way Zack would not meet her eyes now.

"He has to fuck you sis," Bachon roared. "Fill you with his scent."

He danced away with an invisible partner as he continued to laugh. A heavy weight descended upon her as she began to understand the magnitude of what was happening. She kept looking at Zack silently until he finally met her gaze again.

"You have to surrender yourself to him, you have to be in the middle of climax when he bites you here," Zack explained.

He had lifted a hand to trail a finger along the sensitive side of her neck. A shiver rippled through her from the touch, and she closed her eyes. She did not know if the reaction was a result of her image of Alexander doing that or the fever building from the poisonous infection from the bite on her arm.

Val was suddenly feeling faint, the adrenaline was wearing off. Fatigue was taking its place quickly and she swayed slightly. Strong arms wrapped around her and steadied her.

"What happens then?" Val asked quietly.

"You'll be his mate, every lycan will know it just from his scent on you. You would become their new queen," Zack told her quietly.

"And you?" Val asked.

Zack looked at her with a longing that broke her heart.

"He will most likely kill me after," Zack admitted. "It will be a drive in him to eliminate the competition."

Val did not like the sound of that at all. That was not fair to Zack, why was he so willing to just accept his fate?

"No," Val said. "I won't do it then. Let's find him so his children can have their father back, so his people can have their king again. We'll find another way."

"Val, there is no other way," Zack stood firm.

Those blasted tears were forming again. This was not fair. She had just found him; she had just found happiness with him. There had to be another solution, she just could not see it through the muddle her mind had become.

"I found a live one," Bachon shouted from the hall that led to the elevator.

Z came walking back in from one of the other doors and turned to follow the voice. Val rushed off to see who Bachon had found and paused at the site of more bodies. She could see the charred remains of the werewolves she had blasted earlier. Some still had faint lines of curling smoke wafting off them.

"I found a passage, but I don't know where it leads," Z told them.

"Victoria!" Val cried.

She crouched and took her hand, trying to provide comfort to the distressed woman. Eyes glazed over with pain looked at her as she gasped for air.

"Are...they...safe?" Victoria wheezed.

"Yes, I got the twins out," Val confirmed.

Victoria closed her eyes to the pain but managed a weak smile.

"Good," she grunted.

Zack came up and began placing his hands over wounds to heal them.

"Victoria, is it? How much do you know?" Bachon asked her in a gentle but firm tone.

"The Volkovs were here," Victoria said, her speech coming easier. "They aren't allowed in the new world since Lupescus took over the throne after the revolt. It seems they are no longer satisfied with their role and want the throne back."

The trickle of fear for Alexander began to wrap around Val's gut again.

"They had help from someone to get down here. His Majesty keeps this place locked up tight to protect his citizens that live on the lower floors," Victoria told them.

Val was caught off guard by the mention of more floors. How big was this tower? How many lived here? And how did he manage to keep them all hidden?

"They will strive to keep His Majesty alive until they have the children," Victoria continued. "If he won't abdicate, they will need Princess Lily."

"Why Lily?" Zack asked her.

"She is seven minutes older, and the heir," Victoria informed them.

"So, they can use her to regain the throne," Val surmised.

"Yes," Victoria agreed. "They could rule for her until she comes of age, raise her in their ways, and then breed her into their line. They could easily get rid of her after that."

"What about AJ?" Bachon asked.

"He is leverage for his sister's compliance, or he is a threat to their plans that needs to be eliminated along with his father," Val answered.

They needed to let Meg and Lammia know. The twins would be safest within the borders of Hell until they could rescue Alexander. King Alexander Lupescus of the lycans. Her fated mate.

Bloody Hell.