Mystery: something strange or not known that has not yet been explained or understoodTessaThe next day I woke up to Nero lying dead beside me. He didn't breathe and I was still latching onto his body like a stubborn starfish. I sighed, feeling the comfort of his cold body, and fell back into a peaceful sleep until I get up again when my stomach started growling.Looking at my phone I saw that it was past noon, and I hated that humans didn't get to sleep as long as vampires. I do want to wake up with him. Maybe if we did, I would be as beautiful and have their perfect skin. I pecked his lips and decided to start my day, carefully opening the door, and making sure that I didn't let any sunlight into the room. No wonder vampires are so pale, I can practically see veins webbing on his cheeks, thighs, and hips, and oh so many delicious places all over his body.Ugh..."Gergo!" I smiled widely when I saw the hound was already waiting for me in the kitchen. He ran towards me when he saw me
Content: a state of peaceful happiness. Nero "Father, why don't you tell her about the castle that you just bought yesterday? The one with the dungeons and vast secret passages promising ghostly feel." Lucius managed to ruin my surprise when he just casually let it slip. If I hadn't known better, my son was trying to get rid of me. I bought the castle thinking that it was a good investment. And I also like a place of my own when I come to visit my son, cause it seemed that he was adamant to stay at the little eerie village. And with the long travel, I like to stay longer than a week or two. "Son, we stayed here for four days. I was looking forward to spending more time with you." "Wow, you bought a castle? with secret passages and did I hear dungeons as in plural? wait, does it come with a chef with cheese meals expertise too?" I couldn't help but laugh when cheese was one of Tessa's primary concerns. She was lazily spooning her cheese pie while Gergo sits by her feet waiting f
Happiness: in the context of mental or emotional states, is positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Tessa I never enjoy Disney movies since when I was a child, not with its happily ever after stuff. I never believed in that. Though the tragedy before the happy ending was always interesting. It was human nature, people were greedy, ambitious, and just loved to bully others who were inferior to them. This goes all across the board, in families, with friends, at your workplace, and even with strangers on the internet. Hell, someone even wants me dead and I still didn't know who and why. "I like it too and I'm glad you like it. We can spend more time here in the future. You can quit your job, and..." Nero was rambling as he showed me the new giant mansion that was probably double the size of his son's estate. "Wait, when did we get to that conclusion? Do you think my stalker isn't ambitious enough to follow me here and kill me on the three months mark?"
Bliss: The highest degree of happiness, especially spiritual joy; perfect felicity; supreme delight; extreme happiness; ecstasy. Tessa When I woke up on top of my boyfriend I was feeling the familiar coldness of his body. The perfect part of being with a vampire is that they don't get to see how you wake up in the morning, or the afternoon. Cause despite what the movies portrayed, women did not wake up in full makeup. No, we'd go all panda eyes if we don't wash our faces before we go to bed. And don't start with morning breath, ugh... I can't, just don't even try. "Gergo! you're here!" I patted the black hound's head when I saw him waiting for me in front of the dining hall. Yeah, the dining area was so big, Nero told me the day he took me here that it was called a dining hall. Gergo wagged his tail excitedly while his face remained serious, he was looking straight through me. And I have to turn around to see what he was so entranced with, and I should've known. The hound was being
Den: the lair of a wild usually predatory animal. Nero Tessa should be finished with her job by now, maybe she was already on her way back to my apartment. I was not worried, because I have eyes on her. When Aldrich came to see me at the den, I was supposed to go back to the penthouse in less than an hour so I could spend time with Tessa before she ends her day and goes to sleep. "Tell me, what did you find?" "Writings on her wall," Aldrich said, giving me his tablet with a picture of her wall. "It was spray painted red the writing read, forty-five days. Her room was ruined, all spray-painted red in random chaos. Someone really hated her." My anger flared seconds after seeing her personal belongings trashed, and her personal space violated. I need more from my best guard, and when he told me that the wolf scent was not familiar I almost lost it. "I thought you brought in your wolf friend, what did he say?" "Exactly that," Aldrich said, "the scent was not familiar, he said the w
Oblivious: not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one.TessaOkay, so turns out there was no specific job that the big boss wanted me to do. Yep, Chad lied, and the worst thing was I did not catch his deception. I fell right into it. I was so gullible while getting pumped for my kill."Chad, you better pay me more for wasting my time." I pouted and put my hands together, I really don't want to kill my handler. Not yet, anyway."You're so full of yourself as always, beauty, that's what I like about you. But there won't be any money coming out of my pocket. My woman had me drained and my other woman...ugh, enough, we're not here about me... I think I might have a lead on your assassination.""Aww... Chad, you make it sound as if I'm the president." I smirked and bumped my shoulder into his, trying to get him to loosen up and spill more than he might want to. This wasn't the first time Chad had held important information for me. The man likes saying stuff in riddles
Playground: a place where a particular group of people chooses to enjoy themselves.Tessa"Yeah, I have a parents' issue for sure. My dad was never a role model, I was never close. I was practically raised by my grandparents." Nero and I were talking in his apartment. He decided to stay and accompany me while waiting for Vesper. We talked about my half-brother yesterday, though somehow I had a feeling that something was off like he knew something that I don't. I did not expect that from him. I have no idea why he would keep things from me. Maybe I should just ask, but I have trust issues."Come on, little killer, Vesper is here." Nero kissed my temple and tugged me out of the bed. I didn't even hear the front door opening. I still envied their vampire sense and Nero knows it."Father, I was summoned. I thought you'd be at the den. I should've known by now that you'd be with my future mother." Vesper announced himself when he entered Nero's living space with Aldrich following behind h
Throne: a decorative chair or seat on which a monarch, a king or queen, sits.NeroThe way she looked at me was full of lust, and I kept on sucking the guy, holding his jugular until his body went limp and I satisfied my thirst for blood.Tessa still locked her eyes on me, intensely watching as I licked my lips clean of the man's blood. I could smell her arousal in the damp dark alley and I tugged her by the waist and claimed her mouth and groaned the second she moaned my name. "Oh, God, this is how it feels watching your parents making out," I could feel Vesper shudder behind me and it took all of my wills to unlatch myself from my little killer. Aldrich had just finished with his meal and piled the guy on top of the others. He pulled out his phone to call the cleaners, these were humans working for us to literally clean after us. We don't always do it, but when there were multiple dead humans with blood drained from their bodies we prefer not to cause drama."Hey, be nice. She just
Three months laterNero"He will cause trouble that spoiled son of yours," I grumbled after Emilian's bodyguard reported that once again the kid played with fire when he decided that it was okay for him to follow Tessa's footsteps and play assassin for one of the local gang members."Oh, my sweet king, he's your kid too. I know you adore him. He's just finding his place in the city, Emilian just moved from his hometown. There's nothing wrong with him. He's perfectly perfect." My little killer said in her sweet loving words placing her legs on mine, straddling me, and placing her arms around my shoulders. We were having a nice quiet evening away from our children and the hectic affairs of vampire younglings, on top of Emilian's. Now that almost all of our sired children were mated, they're busy with their own families. I shouldn't have anything to complain about when my bloodline was expanding and getting stronger. Still, little stuff got me agitated even when I have my Queen to take t
Vampire cult: is an alternative lifestyle and subculture based around the mythology of and popular culture based on vampires.Tessa"Well, I guess I should tell you from the start. It might came a shock to you but I want you to open up your mind about us. Promise me not to run out of here once I tell you about who we really are."He gave me a little chuckle promising me that he won't. He looked at me as if I was out of my mind. But I sat straighter trying to compose myself, after two decades of being a vampire it was my first time telling anyone what I truly was and not killing them in the end.Do I want to tell him? Yes. Do I wish he stumbled on the knowledge of me and Nero being vampires instead of me sitting to his front trying to compose my words? Yes, please.I cleared my throat before I start my explanation. "My name is Tessa and I'm a Xerxes, my husband, my mate, your future king is Nero Severus Xerxes. He is a vampire and so am I." I paused trying to get a feel of how crazy did
Loss: the state or feeling of grief when deprived of someone or something of value.EmilianI did not expect help from a stranger. Mom and I had been surviving without anyone's help since the day Dad passed away. We use to be a small happy family until we were not. Losing Dad had taken a great toll on Mom's health until she too passed away and I was alone in the world.I didn't know how I'd cope if it wasn't for Tessa who took pity on me. She adopted my grown ass and moved me to their castle. I was ashamed for a few moments before I told myself what the hell and let them take me in. I was nineteen, I should be able to defend myself, be independent, and just...live. But I was so damn tired, it felt good for once to have someone taking care of me. When the third day came, I was wondering why haven't I ever seen them in the daylight. Yesterday I thought that they were working, but when I asked the cook who was preparing breakfast for me, she basically said to ask Nero and Tessa myself w
Anomaly: something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.Tessa"Then there was Helena. It was more than two decades ago, I think. I'm just saying that you're turning me into a jealous killer. At least you're not giving me wrinkles." I pushed him back to our sofa in the middle of our living quarters and straddled his thighs.On quiet nights there was nothing more I'd like to do than to climb and situated myself on his lap. We usually have our meals from blood bags to fill my thirst for human blood since I'd be too tired to move my limbs after a satisfying orgasm between us."Tomorrow I'm taking you out for a hunt.""Sounds like a perfect date. Now, cuddle me close. You've turned me into a cuddle slut." I hummed in appreciation when he wrapped his pale hands around me and rested me on the crook of his shoulder.But the hunt that was supposed to happen the next day, happened two days later when we visited Florence, Italy. We bought a castle together a couple of years
Jealous: feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements and advantages.Nero"I'm still not sure about sending him off with Vesper. Remind me why am I doing this again?" Tessa asked me for the third or maybe fourth time already. I know that I should be bored by now. She had told me that she did not expect sudden care for other humans or vampires. Tessa confessed that it came so suddenly that she didn't think it was in her to give a damn in the first place."Tessa, you know your half-brother is not going to be safe going back to his place.""Ugh, I shouldn't even care about these things. This is me giving a damn. I should work more. I think this is what free time does to my brain and I don't think it's pretty."I was not expecting her to be back working, she still needs to control her urges. I did not need my little killer on steroids. With her new urges for human blood, I need eyes on her all-time making sure she behaved accordingly. Pissing off our human liaison and trigger
Docile: well-behaved, quiet, and easy to control.Lowell"I don't understand, why can't I go home?" It has been days maybe even more than a week since they held me against my will. Honestly, I've lost track of time with the days and nights being the other around. Here, the place came to live at night, surely because they were vampires and they checked in on me during their waking hours.At least my new room was better than the dungeon where they shackled me when they first took me in, still, I had no freedom. Okay, I admit that it was my fault for wanting my half-sister dead because of her money. But still, I'd prefer they decide what they'd do to me rather than not having a clue about the days to come."Lowell, you're our new Queen's half-brother. At the moment she's still adjusting to her new role as our queen and she's yet to determine how she's going to proceed with you. Besides you're safer here. Imagined Yubkin's men wanting revenge on you.""I have a life." I interrupted with a
Snitch: to secretly tell someone in authority that someone else has done something bad, often in order to cause troubleTessaDays flew by easily when being Nero's queen meant having mind-blowing vampire sex. But when Ammar reminded me that I still have a traitor out there and told me that no one messed with their queen. I willed myself to unlatch myself from daddy king to handle the matter of my informant."Aww...this is sweet," I remarked when he opened the car door for me. "Thank you, son, now tell me, what have you found out? I bet it was my informant, that guy had always been sleazy but I thought I have scared him shitless a long time ago."I could almost see the imaginary roll in Ammar's eyes when I called him Son. And my heart fluttered with strange playfulness. I should really check if being a vampire has cured my psychopathy disorder. Not having to pretend my feelings around humans have been quite relaxing and working together with Ammar and Aldrich to catch my traitor would
Fated: be destined to happen, turn out, or act in a particular way.Nero"You do know what they say about the couple who hunts together stays together, right?" I told my new bride as I ushered her down to our dungeon. Ammar and Aldrich were in front of us while the rest of my children were still in the main hall, getting to know Marshall better."Wow...now, you're just putting words in my mouth.""It'll be only time before I put something better in your mouth," I licked her ear and felt her shudder when my hand rested on her waist."It's rude of you to tease with promises of a good time when we're heading down the dungeon with your son and your guard.""Our son, the moment you bound yourself to me, you bound yourself with all of my sired children.""Well, it's a good thing that I'm wrinkle-resistant now. I don't exactly know what vampire-sired children got up to these days, I'm just hoping they won't distract our sexy times.""Seriously Mother, you know we have excellent hearing right?
Bride: a woman on her wedding day or just before and after the event.TessaMy body felt like it's been hit by a ton of bricks. Every part of me ached and my mind kept on repeating back to the day when Yubkin managed to hurt me at the restaurant. I know I needed to heal first before I take my revenge.Having a personal healer on my side was even more helpful. But it didn't take long before my mind started piecing stuff together. I drank Nero's blood. Marshall drank his blood too. Would that make me his daughter? Ew... Would that mean that I couldn't have sex again with him since that'll be incest? Ugh... The vampire thing was getting more and more complicated. Especially when my mind was working on other things.I still need to find out how Yubkin had gotten to me. It was my informant for sure. Yubkin might have something on him. I also need to know if Chad was in on it, or worse if the Albanian mob boss was too. Maybe he wanted to branch out his business and he knows that Yubkin wante