Mr. & Mrs. Saison-Monsour: The Mafia & The Slayer Married Life

Text Message:

Beta Din: Alpha, Omega wants to meet you at the training ground around ten later this evening.

Alpha Lar: Damn that Omega. I'm having a chill time with him.

Beta Din: I know, but she is the one who wanted to speak with you, and it involves Irina's identity.

Alpha Lar: I see; that's rare. Fine. I'll be there, but don't occupy me too long, or I'll deduct your salary from your paycheck.

Beta Din: What?! That's unfair. I'm just managing your workflow, and speaking of a night job, she's being reckless again, and I can bet he had no idea about it.

Alpha Lar: There's nothing new about it. Anyway, ensure our men stay on watch and gather intel as much as they can until we're all gathered.

Beta Din: Affirmative.

Dropping her phone to the side, Skylar sighed as she scooted closer to his arms and snuggled like she didn't want to leave, but there was an urgent business that she had to attend to this evening. Vincencio felt her sour mood and chuckled, putting his phone down, completely ignoring the Fifty First Dates movie playing on the screen, and focusing on his wife attentively.

"Got a problem that needed your expertise?" Vincencio guessed carefully, making Skylar sigh and nod.

"Sadly, yes. Medina just informed me about our security, and Joey wanted me to check it out personally." Skylar made an excuse since she was a CEO.

"When?" He wondered.

"Tonight." She answered, making Vincencio look at her carefully.

"It's late. Can't you do it tomorrow?" he asked worriedly, but it was also something else—time.

"No, when Joey asked me to come personally, it meant a serious matter that I'm the only one who can deal with it." She reasoned more to make it believable.

"You're his last resort," he guessed, making Skylar pout and nod. Vincencio sighed again before agreeing, "Alright, let me drive you."

"Why? Are you going somewhere?" she curiously asked, making Vincencio quickly think of any excuse to ditch the night.

"Well, I don't want to stay home without you, and besides, my friend from my previous job asked for a night out, so I'll go there instead." Vincencio made an excuse, which was a boys' night out again.

"I see, don't stay too late." Skylar nodded and pecked his lips before heading to their bathroom, leaving a warning. "I'll change and drive me to the company. You better stay out of the women's or men's radar."

"Noted, wifey. You better do the same, in case they come." Vincencio chuckled but agreed on the same thing while texting someone again until Skylar came out from the bathroom.

"I will," Skylar responded as soon as she was done changing. She wore simple jeans and a comfy blouse, making Vincencio stare at her, which she caught. "What?"

"Can't you always be like this even in the company, domestic?" Vincencio wondered as he was captivated by his wife's simplicity.

"I could, but I can't since they might not take me seriously if they see me dressed like this," Skylar reasoned, which is understandable—the CEO needs respect during working hours and demands work, not chilling time.

"Fair reason. So, let's go?" He nodded and was about to head to the door when Skylar held his wrist. "Yes?"

"Aren't you going to change? You're still in your PJs," she mentioned while looking up and down at her husband's attire. Vincencio blushed and hurried into their bathroom to change.

"You made me forget them!" He shouted, making Skylar chuckle while shaking her head.

"Silly," Skylar thought before shouting back. "Hurry up. I'll be downstairs."

***

The drive was too deafening until Medina blasted the car's stereo with the famous Evanescence song, Bring Me To Life, which was a perfect jam for tonight's meet-up. Joey and Medina sang like there was no tomorrow. As for Skylar, she was busy checking her work tablet in the backseat with Irina until Joey's drive slowed. They arrived at his wife's property, which contained one and a half hectares.

"Welcome to CJC Farm Villa." Joey proudly introduced the property they owned and drove further inside.

Their farm villa was filled with breeding animals like horses, cows, goats, chickens, and ducks. They also have a half hectare for the grape farm and winery, but what made Joey love to share with them was his workshop—his invention lair.

"I can't wait to bring you guys to my lair and show you my newest invention," Joey said ecstatically as he turned off the car's engine once they parked in the driveway.

"Is it legal?" Irina wondered and got out of the car like the rest.

"No, since my wife won't let me sell them in public. She said they were too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands," Joey answered while grinning and leading the way to the front porch.

"That's why Skylar is the only one allowed to use them," Medina finished before Joey could say anything.

"I'm his lab rat for his invention," Skylar added, making Joey frown.

"Hey, it is a privilege to be able to use them first." He defended quickly and did not realize his wife opened the door for them.

"And you almost killed her when you insisted she try one." His wife, Cleo Cruz, said firmly, causing Joey to jolt.

"HONEY!" Joey exclaimed, pretending to be surprised rather than scared of his wife's unreadable expression.

"Don't honey me. You smell like cigarettes." Cleo glared and pushed him inside the house, apologetically before commanding him. "Go and clean up. I'll take it from here."

"See you later, guys, and Med and Sky, please, not a word," Joey warned his peers seriously before walking away.

"They will," Cleo answered for them.

"HONEY!" Joey whined, but Cleo challengingly glared at him, and without a word, he dashed to their room to clean up.

"Whipped." Medina chuckled teasingly and hugged Cleo before excusing herself. She was their cook whenever they were at the farm villa. "I'll be in the kitchen since you need to talk about private matters."

"Anyway, nice to see you again, Lady Irina." Cleo greeted Irina with familiarity and guided them to the living room.

"Likewise, but care to tell us why I am here too?" Irina asked directly, making Cleo chuckle and sit on the couch.

"Joey told me to check it for myself," Cleo responded mysteriously, making Skylar frown. Cleo noticed, and she giggled before proceeding. "I just want to check something, and Lady Irina, you felt it around Sky, didn't you?"

"Feel what?" Skylar wondered curiously.

"Something goes beyond familiarity," Cleo replied mysteriously, catching Irina's attention and making Skylar curious.

"You do?" Skylar asked, looking sternly at Irina, who nodded without hesitation before following a curious question. "Then, what does it mean: 'goes beyond familiarity'?"

"I do feel familiar with you; however, there was a strange pull between the lines making me obey you without question. I'm unsure what to call it since I haven't felt it for anyone before," Irina answered with confusion, making Cleo chuckle.

"Your bond is rare and unique. Mostly, they occurred between a master and a turned one, but rarely, on a strange occasion, it has been proven that this bond could also occur in somebody who wasn't like it." Cleo briefed but cleared the clarification of the sudden strange bond they had. "It is called Blood Bond."

"Blood Bond? I thought blood was needed to have that kind of bond to anyone." Irina reacted confusedly, making Cleo shake her head but amused by her cluelessness.

"Blood Bond is a name to identify it because it mostly occurs with vampires and their kin. However, due to the fallen ones' existence, vampires became wary of who to turn into a vampire and make their kin. But this rare case, like yours, made blood bonds exceptional."

"How so?" Curiously, Skylar asked Cleo directly, but she didn't answer yet; instead, she turned to Irina.

"Irina, can you describe what you feel around Skylar?" Cleo asked Irina first before adding, "Once you hear it, you will understand why it became an exceptional blood bond."

"She's not a mate, but she is a mother to me. I know it's odd since I'm a hundred and eighteen-year-old vampire, but it's a bond I felt around you." Irina briefed what she felt toward Skylar.

Instantly, their sudden bond became unmistakably clear, leaving Skylar speechless and skeptical. However, she felt a strong connection with Irina when she heard the word from her. She desired to protect her as the family she and Vincencio had envisioned. It was terrifying, yet it sparked curiosity about vampires and other creatures.

"I know I should be scared and skeptical about all of this, but somehow, I can't. Part of me already felt connected to you, to this…" Skylar admitted and chuckled slightly as she rested comfortably on the couch beside Irina. "…and Cleo, you're like Irina, which Joey didn't bother to tell me about."

"Guilty, but don't be upset with him. It took him time to digest it, but I'm so happy that he still accepted and loved me despite learning my truth: being a vampire. And it's the reason why I called you here. It's time you hear about our existence, Skylar," Cleo said seriously, making Skylar confused.

"Why just now?" she wondered, making Irina hold her hand to comfort whatever she was about to hear.

"Irina bonded with you, which soon will expose you to night creatures, and you need to hear them before it raises more confusion in your mind," Cleo answered seriously before asking. "So, are you ready to hear them? I'll say it once, and the rest will be up to you, so what do you say?"

"Okay, brief me. Simple but direct." With resolve, Skylar said firmly as she readied herself.

"Seriously, you're something. Most normal people would be frightened, but you, you're different. I think it has something to do with what you have been through." Cleo chuckled amusingly at Skylar's conviction about learning something new to her.

"Are you telling me that I'm not normal?" she scoffed, faking her offended tone.

"Do you think normal applies to you, to your life? You're different, Skylar Saison-Monsour." Cleo corrected before proceeding on the topic—their existence. "Honestly, a few people—humans—knew of our existence. Some of them were friends, co-workers, and married to us, but of course, there was also a faction still wary of us after learning of our existence. We're not just a myth or fairytale of a child's bedtime story or whatever film you had watched before, but it simplified what we are—a monster of the night, a night creature that humans should be fearing."

"But I'm not scared of you," Skylar said innocently, making Cleo laugh amusingly.

"Oh, Sky, you're the frightening one without realizing it." Cleo corrected as she giggled amusingly, but seeing Skylar's famous cold glare, she stopped and continued. "What I'm trying to say is you were born on the battlefield; that's why learning about our existence has no difference in your eyes. You also killed any target you locked on, which could be compared to our hunting side."

"Oh, that made sense," she agreed on that part.

"I'm saying this because there could be a time that you might encounter us, so learning our existence in advance will put you on the right track when facing us because there are types of us," Cleo spoke like she knew what could happen in Skylar's future, making her eyes narrow, digesting them.

"Types? Like noble to low-ranking creatures?" she guessed, making the vampires with her look at each other, grinning. Skylar is into it. She wants to learn about them.

"Ranks were easy to understand, but differentiating nomads' and rogues' behavior from fallen rogues to reckless ones was a bit difficult," Cleo answered before simplifying what Skylar needed to know about them. "First, vampires, werewolves, witches, and other night creatures all exist, but only a few humans knew our existence and coexisted with each other. Second, there are three huge and powerful kingdoms: SunItsuki for the witches or magical beings, Ciel Nocturne for the vampires like us, and Singarti for werewolves or spirit wolves. Each kingdom ruled peacefully on its own, but like in human society, there were some eyesores among us."

"In human language, their types could be compared to terrorists, mafias, gangs, or beings that cause problems or chaos in a city or country; it's the same for us, but we call them rogues or nomads. But rogues and nomads were minor problems nowadays—let's just say they were small wannabe gangsters—trashing things not going their way. Like terrorists or mafias, fallen ones were the worst of them. They existed long ago as a widespread epidemic and have decayed like zombies that cannot be destroyed instantly." Adding comparisons between their kind and humans, Irina made it easy for Skylar to understand the difference between rogues or nomads and the fallen ones.

"But fallen rogues also changed…" Cleo trailed off, leaving mystery in Skylar's mind.