Sanctuary (Forsaken Realms Trilogy) by Lillian Sage

He  waited. ..
     
    It was well past the time when he should be safely underground for the night yet something compelled him.  The distant sky flickered eerily with the hint of dawn; but still Alexander waited... 
     
    In the distance a glimmer of movement caught his eye, and a scent...that scent...caught in his nostrils. The smell stirred something long dead within him, like the hint of something lost, or something never fully held.
     
    At that moment the first rays of dawn broke majestically across the skyline and Alexander instinctively ducked behind the nearest building, protecting himself momentarily from the deadly sunlight that meant instant death to his kind.
     
    Unhurriedly, he pulled out his smartphone and tapped a few times, sending the signal that would quickly bring safety.
     
    Within moments a long silent limousine pulled up and the door opened.
     
    "My Lord Graves..." intoned the slight figure from within.
     
    As he ducked into the protective walls of the limo, Alexander cast one last furtive glance towards the warehouse across the street but it now appeared completely empty; no trace of the haunting scent remained.
     
    He nodded the command to depart and the car glided away.
     
     
    ---
     
     
    His name was Alexander Graves and he was the powerful head of the House of Graves, which for over 400 years had ruled both the Elder Council as well as his own Medai Clan.
     
    Tall, broad-shouldered, athletic, and eternally young; Alexander resonated an air of command that one felt as soon as he walked into a room.
     
    The burdens of absolute rule had not taken a toll on him; quite the opposite, centuries of authority had merely made him sharper, wiser, and more deadly.
     
    As the car pulled into the underground garage of the massive glass and steel high rise building that was both his home and business headquarters, Alexander pondered the previous night's work. 
     
    It was folly, he knew that.  Now was the absolute worst time for this sort of nonsense...
     
    The global economy had been in recession for several years affecting virtually all aspects of his sprawling business empire, and the Clans had begun to grow restless.
     
    As of yet, no outright rebellion had reared its head, but the grumblings had become imperceptibly louder and Alexander would need to take steps soon to quell the ranks or face almost certain destruction from within.
     
    Only the powerful came to rule their own House, and only the most elite Houses came to rule their Clan. Few could fathom the ruthlessness needed to maintain supremacy over the entire Council.
     
    Yet lately the maneuvering for power seemed less important to Alexander and for the first time in his long life, he knew uncertainty.
     
    "It's just boredom," thought Alexander. "The curse of the long-lived".
     
    But now he knew it was something else. Something far more deadly that could topple everything he'd spent centuries building.  That scent...
     
    The thought troubled him.
     
    By now the sun would be fully shining and Alexander needed to rest. The Council was scheduled to meet tonight and he'd need all his energy to maintain order, and bend the Elders to his will.
     
    Although they may be more or less civilized today, the Council was still made up of creatures who's base instinct was to slaughter and devour everything in their path. A killer in an Armani suit was still a killer. 
     
    Vampires, like humans, vary from person to person. They all share a certain capacity for cruelty that could manifest itself in many unexpected ways.  
     
    To be sure, the Elders respected a certain etiquette whenever they gathered together for Board meetings, but no one ever truly knew what would happen...
     
    The thought made Alexander smile as he closed the door to his luxurious sun-proof sealed apartment. 
     
    With a quick look around to make sure everything seemed to be in order, he climbed into bed and drifted off to sleeplessness, haunted still by a