VLAD

　　"You are all going!" Me, my three brothers all held in our groans and waited for our uncle to finish his rant. Like always. "I have arranged everything. You are leaving tonight." But that sudden news had my eyes popping open, I swiveled my head and watched as he walked around the table one last time smiling since he knew he got all of our attention.

　　"But Uncle Dragomir, we aren't even packed for a three week vacation in America." Ivan said the first thing thankfully because if I had said something it was going to be a 'no way in hell.'

　　"Yes you are. I have everything ready. I planned everything for your departure. I don't want you to think of this as a vacation either Ivan. Or any of you. This is a mission. Female wolves are dwindling in our pack...they are leaving. They are pinning for their mates. And you know what... I don't blame them. They might not have their mates in the pack but you are not making it say for them to have children in this pack. Like I was saying! This is not a vacation. It is a mission. You are all to look for your mates in every pack. Even the Ukraine Pack." At that Dimitri and Ivan groaned.

　　"But those women are all-"

　　"You will do as you are told Dimitri. If you're parents were alive they would have 10 children. But you know what? Your father died protecting this pack. It is the least you can do to repay him. Make his once proud pack thrive. Make the new children of the pack know why your parents are going to be immortal." He shouted again and I looked down at my hands as they fiddled.

　　I looked to Luka and then the twins who were all looking towards me. "We understand Uncle. We will try our best." I told them as well as my uncle.

　　"Vlad, you know this is for the best. You can't just sit in your room and go out occasionally for the rest of your life. The twins can't fuck anything that walks forever either. And Luka... you won't even open up to tell us what it is you do in that building you got. Goddess knows that you won't let us near it either." Our uncle was going deep now. I noticed Luka tense. We were all used to his mysterious ways now but that didn't mean we weren't really curious about what he did everyday.

　　"And what time would we be leaving tonight?" I asked him watching him make another round around all of us at the table.

　　"In about-" He stopped, look at his watch and then smiled. "An hour." He said and I glared.

　　"And if we all had plans for things we now only have an hour to cancel." Ivan asked with a knowing smirk and I rolled my eyes.

　　"I am sure the slut you planned to screw can find another cock to please her." Our uncle was vulgar, and it wasn't a surprise. Although if we were in the company of others, he wouldn't dare to talk of our anatomy, let alone call a woman a slut.

　　I ran a hand through my hair and looked around before standing. "I'll meet you all at the plane I guess. I want to make sure whoever packed my bag got everything I needed." I said seeing my uncle smile as I complied to his demands.

　　"You will be king Vlad. It was not my place, nor do I want to die as king."

　　"Who said anything about you dying Uncle? You are barely 46." Ivan said and I sighed.

　　"He was talking about how he doesn't want to be waiting until he is old for me to look for my mate and be king you Колкость

twit

." I said slapping the back of his head as I walked past.

　　"Then why do we all have to find our mates? Vlad has an obligation. We don't. We aren't the first born." Luka asked almost politely while glaring at our uncle.

　　"Because young one, you all deserve happiness. And my brother would have wanted you four to find your mates, have children. For they would have grandchildren. And I will happily be your enforcer if I need to be Luka." Uncle wasn't bluffing, but I hardly doubt that Luka really needed to settle down at this point in his life.

　　"We'll all be on the plane in an hour." I stated and looked at my brothers who all looked ready to get out of this room. When they all nodded I opened the door and made a haste to get to my room.

　　It was a 12 hour flight to America and then another couple hours when we land to refuel to get to Oklahoma where the Royal pack was.

　　I really didn't want a mate. I didn't want kids. I didn't want to be king. But my wants come after the people of my pack. I know they need a rightful king. No woman in the pack can get pregnant until I find my mate and impregnate her. Not after the Luna was killed.

　　I remember my mother. I remember bits of my father. My mother was the caring, loving, spectacular woman any mother is. She sang me to sleep. She let me do anything I wanted as long as it wasn't dangerous.

　　My father... he was around at dinners, on holidays, and any other time we weren't being attacked by other packs. He was head of the attacks. Killed many. Feared by many as well. And hated by many others in other packs. He wasn't so much ruthless as he was barbaric. If he didn't have a treaty with a pack, he attacked. That was how he became king of all of the Russian Packs.

　　I loved to cook with my mother when I was young. And every time my father would catch me in the kitchen once we were 'royal' he would send me to bed without supper. Tell me what an abomination a prince in a kitchen is. Then make me train beside him and his guard for the entire day. When I got older, it wasn't a punishment. It was something I knew I had to do to please him.

　　I haven't cooked one thing since he died on the battlefield. I won't enter a kitchen unless it is to make a menu for a stupid party. I miss cooking, but I mostly only miss it because I would do it with my mother.

　　I got to my room and saw the portrait of my parents at the end of the hall. Standing next to each other. Smiling. Holding hands. Looking so much in love.

　　No matter how powerful my father got, my mother would have loved him if he were a farmer in the outskirts of the packs. I knew that my mate would be powerful. A force to be reckoned with. No other type of woman would do for the next queen.

　　She was going to be royal. I knew that as well. It was just a gut feeling. And logical. Maybe just logical.

　　I saw my bags packed for the three weeks away and walked towards my bathroom. I saw the things that were once placed around the sink gone. I walked towards my safe and put my thumb against the pad while my other thumb pressed the dates.

　　It opened and I reached in. I grabbed the small box. I knew that the maids hadn't packed it. They didn't and couldn't go into my safe to get this. It was my mother's wedding ring, as well as the engagement ring.

　　I had a plan. I knew I was a prince. I could get the most expensive ring that I wanted... and my mate would know as well... but even when I meet her, before I get to know her... I want to give her the simple gold band that my father could only give my mother when they first met. See how she reacts.

　　And then, when I am ready to marry her, to mate her I should say, I would give her the bigger ring my father once bestowed on my mother.

　　It would be backwards. But I would love no woman who expects more than she is worth at first glance. Looking at the rings, and then closing the little box I walked over to my bags and tucked it into the smallest pocket before looking around for things they might have missed.

　　Looking through my closet and seeing my jackets, and my regular clothes packed. My suit was also packed and most of my favorite shoes.

　　It was mid September so as it rained in Russia, it was just turning cold in the US. I would need a jacket but not my faux coat to blend in thankfully.

　　I grabbed my bags and then walked out knowing we would need to ride to the airport. My uncle was already in the hall telling Ivan we were needed at the car. I nodded to him and passed him and he called after me to wait.

　　I set my things down, and leaned against the wall as Ivan came out, followed by Dimitri from across the hall. "Where is Luka?"

　　"He actually trusted the maids and just got his bag and went to the escalade." Uncle Dragomir stated giving them a look.

　　"I don't want to leave without my favorite toys uncle." Ivan teased and my uncle gave him a glare. "I'm kidding. The maids would faint if they saw my favorite things to play with." He smirked before rushing away from my Uncle who tried to punish him to get him to shut up.

　　"Go on, I have to talk to Vlad." Uncle told Dimitri who was just waiting for me.

　　"See you soon." He told our uncle before nodding to him, then to me and then lugging his one duffle bag over his shoulder easily.

　　"Yes?" I asked knowing this was going to be another thing about me finding my mate.

　　"Look after your brothers. Focus on them as much as finding your mate. Me and your father... we didn't have the best relationship at the end. He was always busy, and I don't want that for you and your brothers. Understand? Take time to have fun... not Ivan and Dimitri fun, but something. Get Luka to open up. I am more worried about him than any of you." He told me and I bowed my head thinking and trying to remember the last time we all did something as brothers. It was when I was 22, we went snowboarding, and skiing and just relaxed.

　　"I understand uncle."

　　"I will see you four, in two weeks." He told me and I looked at him confused. "I am going to bring the rest of the pack with me the final week. That was also requested to all packs who are dwindling. Just a little reinforcement. Many of our males might have a fighting chance to win their mate in one giant gathering." He told me and patted my shoulder before I nodded. "Have a good flight. It will be about 18 hours." He told me waving as he turned and let me find my way to the car yet again.