Page 62 of Dearest Alpha Brothers 1: Vampire Prince

“I-I was merely—” Percy’s voice broke as his survival instincts finally kicked in. The entitled young noble had never felt power like this—three alphas projecting pure lethal intent.

“Merely what?” Archer completed their triangle formation around Luca. “Testing if the Whitlock Clan’s protection marks are optional?”

Luca’s soft gasp of relief when Percy released his wrist nearly shattered their control. The young vampire stumbled back, his designer suit soaked with fear-sweat. Around him, his friends were practically crawling away, their bodies instinctively responding to apex predator fury.

“This… this is a social event,” Percy tried, though his voice shook. Two of his vampire friends had already fled, actually blurring in their haste to escape. “I was simply introducing myself to the prince?—”

“You were hunting,” Zane’s power spiked again, making even older vampires press against the walls. The alpha’s wolf bled gold into his eyes, turning his voice into a primal growl that resonated through supernatural bones. “In neutral territory. At the Park Clan’s event.”

“Which makes your stupidity even more impressive.” Ryker’s storm energy made the crystal fixtures hum. Static electricity crackled through the air, raising every hair in the ballroom.The marble floor actually scorched where his power touched it. “Coordinating a hunt during a showcase meant to strengthen clan alliances.”

One of Percy’s werewolf friends tried to slink away. Archer’s power caught him mid-step, freezing him in place. The youngest Whitlock’s usual sunshine had turned solar, burning away any trace of the playful brother. Around them, supernatural beings pressed themselves against the walls, trying to escape the suffocating waves of alpha dominance.

“Seven vampires.” Archer’s voice carried deadly precision. “Five wolves. Three foxes. All positioned to trap one prince.” His laugh held no warmth. “Did you really think we wouldn’t notice?”

Percy’s legs finally gave out. He dropped to his knees, his aristocratic bearing crumbling under the weight of three alphas’ fury. The remaining members of his crew were already on the ground, some of them actually crying as their bodies processed the overwhelming threat.

“I… we didn’t…” Percy’s perfect accent cracked. “The protection marks… we thought…”

“You thought?” Lightning actually struck the floor beside Ryker’s feet. “Or you didn’t think at all?”

Archer moved with lethal grace, one moment radiating deadly intent, the next simply there—gathering Luca into his side while simultaneously pulling Sylvie behind him. The motion was pure alpha protection, as smooth and natural as breathing. Luca didn’t resist, though the prince’s annoyed huff against Archer’s chest suggested he was more irritated by Percy’s audacity than frightened.

The crystal fixtures rattled dangerously as Zane’s power surged at the sight of Luca’s irritation. Around them, young nobles pressed themselves further into the walls, some actually sliding to the floor as three alphas’ fury filled the room. TheWhitlock cousins, however, remained perfectly comfortable in the storm of their power—if anything, Luca looked more relaxed now that he was surrounded by the familiar scents of his adopted brothers.

“Sylvie! Luca!” Aunt Senna burst through the ballroom doors with other pack mothers, their maternal instincts driving them toward their young. The sound of running heels echoed across marble as more clan mothers arrived—drawn by both the explosion of alpha power and the need to protect their children.

The pack mothers formed a protective circle, their presence only highlighting how badly Percy’s crew had miscalculated. They hadn’t just threatened a Whitlock prince—they’d risked the peace between clans at a showcase meant to strengthen alliances.

Zane’s growl deepened. Frost actually formed where his power touched the floor, spreading in delicate, deadly patterns around Percy’s kneeling form.

Sebastian’s arrival changed the very air of the ballroom. Darkness rippled as the vampire lord descended the stairs, his ancient power rolling through the room like black silk. Lesser vampires gasped as their clan head’s true nature manifested—this wasn’t the elegant aristocrat who hosted blood galas, but the apex predator who’d survived centuries of supernatural politics.

“My lord!” Percy scrambled toward Sebastian, actually crawling across the marble floor. His designer suit, soaked with fear-sweat, left a trail on the pristine surface. “I didn’t?—”

“Silence.” Sebastian’s power pressed down, making Percy freeze mid-crawl. The young noble’s mouth snapped shut so hard his fangs clicked.

The temperature dropped another ten degrees as Sebastian approached the Whitlock brothers. His darkness met their storm of power without yielding—equal predators acknowledging territory.

“Zane.” Sebastian’s voice carried centuries of careful diplomacy, though his eyes held no warmth when they flickered to Percy. “They’re foolish children who’ve never faced real consequences.”

“They coordinated a hunt.” Ryker’s storm hadn’t lessened. Lightning still danced between his fingers, scorching delicate patterns into the marble floor. “In neutral territory.”

“During a showcase meant to strengthen alliances,” Archer added, his arm still firmly around Luca.

“And they will be punished accordingly.” Sebastian’s dark power curled through the room like living shadow. “Though perhaps not with the death your wolves are currently contemplating.”

The air shifted again as Kai Park approached, his white suit somehow making him more predatory, not less. The tiger alpha moved with lethal grace, his commanders Jin and Jae forming a perfect triangle behind him—a mirror of the Whitlock brothers’ earlier formation.

Where Sebastian brought darkness, Kai radiated controlled violence. The Park Clan’s power had always been elegant savagery, and their alpha wore it like his designer suits—perfectly tailored and deadly sharp.

“My event,” Kai’s voice carried quiet authority, each word precise as a blade. “Was meant to celebrate unity between clans. Instead, I find hunter formations in my ballroom?”

His golden eyes swept over Percy’s scattered crew, still pressed against the walls or sprawled on the floor. The look held no pity. “In my territory. During my showcase. With ECLIPSE’s debut performance.”

The idol group had moved to the far side of the stage, though they watched the proceedings with professional interest. If anything, the display of alpha power had only enhanced their showcase—no one would forget the night three of New Vale’smost powerful alphas defended their prince while ECLIPSE’s crystal magic painted the air.

“This isn’t Dark Haven.” Sebastian’s silky voice carried through the silence. “Nor Storm Gate, where hunting parties are… tolerated. And certainly not Silver Crown, where ancient laws protect such… entitled behavior.”

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