Drakken stormed out of the dungeons and tossed the keys at a guard.His inner conflict manifested as a struggle between his desire for Eleanor and fear of the unknown. He felt torn between sticking with what was familiar and comfortable or taking the risk of pursuing what he truly wanted.Drakken never really knew what steps to take when it came to Eleanor. And he'd made everything worse by marking her. He blamed that for the reason why he was so conflicted about the current situation. He had claimed her as his. It wasn't that easy to turn his back on her.He should be furious at her, and he was, but not at the same velocity if it was someone else who killed the Queen.Drakken turned to a corner on his way up to his room and bumped into someone. Benjamin stood in his way, unmoving, the look of playful mockery that was always on his face gone."Get out of the way," Drakken growled at him. "The mere sight of you annoys me.""I've always known you to be a coward." Benjamin's words threw
After days of trying to find answers to her bugging questions, Emma had come to a conclusion. She'd spent nights and days in her office without rest, studying every single one of Eleanor's potions and continuously reaching a dead end.Her frustration had reached its peak.She pushed herself off her office chair and strode outside for the first time in days, calling the attention of all student workers in the lobby.It wasn't top secret most of them didn't like Eleanor, though Emma could not say why. Her tired eyes scanned every one of their faces as if hoping to detect whoever was the guilty one. Whoever framed Eleanor.She cleared her throat to speak. "I'm just going to cut straight to the chase. As you all know, Eleanor has currently been locked up for poisoning the Queen." Tears welled up in her chest but she pushed them back down. "If anyone knows anything about this ongoing issue, or how Eleanor came in contact with poison, I ask of you to step forward."Everyone stayed mute, and
Drakken was already on his second bottle of alcohol that night when Emma burst into his study. He let out an exasperated sigh, wanting to just be left alone. He'd dismissed Duncan earlier than usual for that same reason.The disappointed look on her face gave him an idea of why his sister had come to see him. She most definitely heard about the fight with his father from those gossiping mongrels called omegas."I heard everything," Emma let out to confirm his suspicion. "Did you really have to fight with him?"He said nothing in return, his stare blank and unbothered."Avoid him for now. Let's focus only on honoring our mother."Drakken poured more alcohol into his glass, more invested in the way the liquid slushed into the cup than whatever reason Emma still stood there. Maybe she'd take the hint he wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone and leave."I found the poison that killed our mother." That got his attention now. His head shot up and his curious brows furrowed. "I'm currently w
Eleanor was feeling refreshed after taking a bath for the first time in days. Her muscles continued to ache when she stepped out of the tub. She wrapped a towel around her body and searched the cupboards for healing ointments Evie had previously stacked up for her.Finding none in the lower cupboards, she pushed herself up on her toes and flung open the cupboard over her head. Her eyes caught what it was looking for.Eleanor had Evie to thank for keeping her room clean even while she was away. To Eleanor, it seemed better than when she left it.Words couldn't have gotten to Evie yet about her release, or she'd have come running without a second's thought.Eleanor sat in front of her mirror and rubbed the healing ointment into her skin. She winced when it accidentally made contact with a bruise. Drakken did this to her. And he hadn't even bothered to check if she came back to the palace safe. How long could he be mad at her?She huffed out an angry breath at the same time her bedroom
The sun filtered through the curtains, illuminating the empty bed next to her. Eleanor rubbed her eyes and sat up, feeling a mix of disappointment and confusion. The memories from the previous night slowly started to filter in as she got out of bed, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was all just a vivid dream.She remembered the feeling of Drakken’s strong arms wrapped around her, the way his hands explored her body, and the sounds of their passion echoing in the room. But as she looked around her bedroom, there was no sign that any of it had actually happened.She walked to the bathroom and splashed some water on her face, trying to clear her head. As she looked in the mirror, she noticed a bruise on her neck and a love bite on her shoulder. The evidence of the previous night's activities was right there in front of her.Last night, she had finally given in to her pent up desire for Drakken. They had shared an intense and passionate night, filled with the heat of their bodie
Eleanor stepped into the clinic and immediately, the buzz of whispers filled the room. People stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her, their eyes filled with disdain and anger. Word had spread fast, and everyone knew what she had done. They saw her as a traitor, a murderer who had killed their beloved Queen.Gossip spread like wildfire, and soon, the entire clinic was talking about Eleanor. People muttered to each other, casting hateful glances her way. She could feel their judgmental eyes on her like she was a pariah, an outcast among them. The once friendly faces of the clinic staff now looked at her with suspicion and hostility.Eleanor felt like a prisoner in her own skin, trapped in a world where she was hated and reviled for something she had no control over.As she walked through the clinic, she could feel the weight of everyone's disapproval bearing down on her. She tried to keep her head held high and her back straight, but inside she was breaking. She knew tha
Eleanor remained in her room for what felt like an eternity. The walls of her room seemed to close in on her, and the lack of human interaction was starting to take its toll.She tried to busy herself with reading, writing and practising her game of archery, but the emptiness of her days was starting to weigh on her. She missed the clinic tremendously. She recollected the first time she was sent there, she had thought her life had come to an end. However, with the days that passed and all the knowledge she had acquired there, including the wonderful people she met during treatments, the place had come to become special to her. Eleanor's only solace was the occasional visits from her maid, who would bring her food and supplies. But even those visits were brief and lacked the human connection she so desperately craved. The emptiness was starting to turn into depression, and Eleanor didn't know how much longer she could bear it.She longed for the freedom of the outdoors. She couldn't
Eleanor felt a rush of embarrassment even after leaving Drakken’s study. A large pool of heat rose to her cheeks at being seen with him in such a compromising position by his friends. Again. What must his friends think of her, sleeping in his study like that till morning?But she realized that she had stayed with him because she knew how much he needed her. He had been going through a tough time lately, and she wanted to be there for him, despite everything.It would not bring back the Queen, however, it might help quell the guilt she feels at being the cause of the Queen’s death. As she walked down the hallway of the palace, Eleanor couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.She tried to ignore it and continue on her way to her room, but the feeling only grew stronger. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and was met with the piercing gaze of the vampire princess, who was standing at the far end of the hall.Eleano