Josie's POV(Continued)
I emerged from the shower feeling like a pruned lobster. When the scalding hot water was pouring over me, I'd been in bliss, but when I finally forced myself to leave the sanctuary of cascading waters, my skin was red all over. But my head was clear and I felt almost nothing, so mission accomplished. Waiting for me outside the cubicle was a green dress. It didn't look too bad, nor was it plain. I picked it up and stared at Char's offering with bewilderment. The dress was....short to put it mildly. There was no pant or jean to go along with it. This backless monstrosity would leave my thighs and knees in full view of everyone. Okay, where had my conservative friend gone? I should have known something was wrong the second she suggested we go clubbing. A place where we would naturally stand out as sore thumbs.
"Char! Where's the rest of the dress?" I yelled at the front dJosie's POV(Continued)Her wide smile dimmed at my less than pleasant welcome. "What's up Joanne? Aren't you happy to see me?" Most definitely not. She was the very last person I expected to see here."Jo. Please call me Jo." I corrected in as calm a voice as I could. "Did Vladimir send you here?" My eyes narrowed on her. "I'm pretty sure I made it clear to that asshole that I wanted to be left alone."Her face shuttered, her brown irises hardening in response to my hostility. "Wao, might wanna ease up on the welcome Jo. Any warmer and people will think we're besties." I flushed bright red, my anger fleeing in the face of her reprimand."Hi. My name is Charlotte Woods." Char held her hand out politely.Lilya took it with a cautious smile. "Hi, I'm Lilya. Lilya Sedof. You're not going to bite my head off for crashing your party as well, are you?""No, the more the merrier actually
vladimir's POV The hunter has to go.He was a complication I didn’t need and an unwanted distraction for my wildcat. If he hadn’t stuck his nose where it didn’t belong, there would have been no need for Joanne to find out about the blood bind. She would have no reason to distrust me or run. She fought me, questioned my actions, but not once did it occur to her to make a run for it. Until him.No, the hunter had to go. His influence on my wildcat was too great. I’m the only one allowed to have such power over her.The little hunter’s actions were a bit unexpected to be honest. According to reports, his interest lay somewhere else. Specifically, in a little delicate flower called Anna Braille. Yet, he’d been all over my wildcat. It was almost as if the hunter was trying to stake a claim on Joanne and warn me off. Judging by how she had lapped up every possessive action, it was obvious my wildcat would lo
Vladimir's POV(Continued) The figure had been following me for two blocks now. Rather than have one of my warriors come pick me up, I had chosen to walk off my aggression.My mind was not blissfully empty, but it's chaotic state made it hard for any singular thought to ring loudest.I stopped in the middle of the next alley I came upon. It was not too dark out, a little past three in the morning, but the alley, a small narrow space between a skyscraper and a twenty storey building was pitch black.Most of the humans knew better than to traispase around the dark at a time like this. I am the king of all predators, so I was most certainly not being stalked. Someone does want my attention though. And I knew exactly who, and why. "You are no wimp, are you? Step out here and state your business or I will leave and I won't grant you another audience." I announced after three seconds of waiting for him to ap
Skyline Hotel, Variku, Tartu.Saturday, 3rd of august, 2024.Josie's POVDance Monkey blared from somewhere in the room, disrupting my sleep."Ugh." I groaned, trying to evade the harsh glare that was boring a hole through my eyes. Neither sound nor glare would quit, so I rolled over to make them quit.It took a while to identify the disturbing sound as my phone's ringtone. Rubbing the crust from my eyes, I stared blearily at the my notifications. I had one missed call and a message from Lilya. It took a while to see clearly, but once I did, sleep fled from me. 'Your driver is waiting outside. Meeting’s at 9. don’t be late.' "Char? I called through a yawn. It felt like I hadn’t slept in ages.A part of me wanted to go back to sleep, hide in the cocoon Char and I have been in for the last two days. But then today’s the day! I finally get answers to everything. "Char!" I called more insistently. "Hmm?" She groaned, turning over in sleep, her hand flinging out to push over a tray of h
Josie's POV(Continued)"Wha-" I began but my shocked rambling was cut off by the slim hunter who turned an unimpressed glare on the angry bear that was Kora."That's enough now Miss Puhvel. You are treading heavily on the side of recklessness. The result of such actions will be dire for you, so I suggest you get a hold of your emotions." The man announced calmly."Oh, and what the fuck are you going to do if I don't stop?" Kora sneered. "This is my territory. No one will tell me what to do in it and no one will take it from me." The wind howled louder, slapping my face with brutal intensity.Someone whimpered. I'm ashamed to find that the someone was me.“You will cease this behavior right now!” Ivan growled as he rose to his feet. Kora turned her fierce-some snarl on him, but he merely used his extra three inches on her to get a hold of her shoulders. He clamped his hands on her and forced h
Josie's POV(Continued)“Hi all.” I called timidly into another conference room several minutes later.How many of these conference rooms were on this floor?“How'd it go?” Char asked, stalking forward.I’d found both her, Grayson and the hunters in a conference room two doors down from the one where Miss Piia had gotten me the position of CEO. I couldn’t find Vladimir, Lilya, Alfred or the Roman god I’m guessing was the famed lawyer anywhere. I wondered where they were.Oh, why did I care? “I'm the new CEO.” I said, answering Char’s question.“Is that a good thing?” Char asked doubtfully, staring at my face.“I don't know Char.” I answered honestly. I had more and more questions, this whole damned situation getting more and more muddled by the minute. “Congratulations miss Puhvel.” The slim hunte
Josie's POV(Continued) He opened the first door he came to and I was promptly shoved into it. The lighting here was a bit dim and the room was small. Probably a closet, but I didn't have time to investigate it, stuck on the naked fury in Vladimir’s gaze as I was. He inhaled deeply, and when he looked back at me, he looked less like he was about to choke the life out of me. “A stuffed toy? Really? That's all it takes?” He sniffed with disgust, snatching captain Cuddles from me and flinging him away, much to my dismay. I shouted, but I couldn't move past his bulk. I shifted away from him, but my back hit the wall, telling me quite clearly that I had nowhere else to go. There was distance between us, thankfully, since Vladimir didn't try to close the gap between us. “I never once thought you were dumb, but perhaps you are so desperate for affection that you are willing to ignore every warning sign.” I shrunk further away from the derision burning in his gaze
Reign Estates, Variku, Tartu. Saturday, 3rd of august, 2024. 4:05 PM Vladimir's POV Red had always stood out as a vital color for me. It was the color of the only sustenance I needed in my undead life. It was the color my eyes turned when my beastly side made an appearance. But for the first time in my long existence, it was also the only thing I saw. My blood boiled and I was positive that steam was billowing out of my ears as I stormed through the mansion Lilya had bought. The itch to set something on fire was blazing through me. Preferably, I'd love nothing more than to watch that tiny pink and brown freak of nature burn into a million pieces. I wanted to reach into its belly and drag out every single cotton and dance on its tattered left overs. Dance? I had half a damn mind to burn that brainless hunter along with his stupid toy! Something tugged at my arm. It was pointed and trying to pull me back. Snarling, I jerked my hand forward as I continued storming through the house.
FlashBack.Somewhere in Durbent.March, 1724.Sven's POV“Little prince.”Careful not to startle Lydia, my pet komodo dragon, I kept my fingers steady even as I moved only my head to glance up at the approaching figure.Even before I looked up, I knew who the familiar voice belonged to. After all, his voice was the same rumbling cadence that read me bed time stories, coached me though my horseback rides and walked me through my sparring sessions; it either sung my praise or gently corrected my mistakes. Besides, he was the only one who ever came to look for me in my hideout.Lydia was done feeding, plus she was weary of humans who were not me, so she turned, her long tail flicking my hand as she trotted back into the out-building.“You know she will make a meal of you one of these days,” he murmured, walking further into my line of vision.His rich brown hair was cut short once again, but it highlighted the brown and gold flecks of his eyes. He was not that much taller than me, but wi
Josie's POV(Continued)“Hello? Are you okay -”“NO!!” It was instant. One minute, I was splat on the ground, having just spilled out of the elevator like a roll of tissue, the world spinning around me, then the next, a flash of light hazel irises, freckles and a button nose.Soft hands gripped my shoulder, and I whirled around instinctively, catching the boy’s wrist in my fingers. And the next thing I knew, a rush of light so bright and warm I went dizzy with it. Then it was over in what felt like seconds. I blinked, and for a single minute, I didn’t understand why there was a gray haired man with sallow skin lying unconscious beneath my feet. The yellow shirt of a store attendant looked so oddly familiar that when reality smacked me in the face, I squeaked and scrambled away on my butt.The warmth rushing though my veins turned to molten heat, threatening to roast me from the inside out. But still, I kept crawling backwards, my stricken gaze on the unconscious boy. My back hit a wa
The Mall, Variku.Monday 12th of August, 2024.8 P.MJosie's POV(Continued)People said that when it rained, it poured. For me, the heavy rain turned into a thunderstorm and now, it was a motherfucking tornado. Of all the terrible ways the day from hell could have gotten even worse, running into Kora was the worst thing that could have happened to me. In a way, it was actually fitting. First, I woke up with the ability to drain people of not just magic but their youth as well. Then I found out that I drained not 1 but 12 women. And now, when my control was nearing it’s limit, I chose to willingly walk into a building with over a hundred people in it -stupid decision, yes I know. So of the hundred, who else would be more appropriate to run into than my cousin?“Hey, cuz. You’re looking especially horrid today.” To accentuate how utterly fucked I was, the elevator dinged as its doors closed, and Kora and her friends were definitely not in it, as evidenced by her cruel words.I bit my li
The Knight's Sisterhood Territory, Variku. Monday, 12th of August, 2024. 5 P.M Josie's POV (Continued) An empty vacuum. That was my brain. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, elevating my heart rate, but the world moved at a snail’s pace. Everywhere I looked was nothing but vibrant colors. So many colors, even a rainbow looked washed out next to them. The buildings, the trees, the ground and even the very air rippled with an array of colors I wasn’t even aware were on the spectrum. I had no idea where I was nor could I order my thoughts. The only thing I could do was watch my surrounding in awe, feeling like I’d been under water my whole life and I’d only just been let up. The colors were deep and contradictory, looking almost like a child tried to paint a picture without giving a rat's ass about the lines. I could see buildings and trees and what not, but the colors made it difficult to immediately identify what I was looking at. And the vibrancy of everything was making my eyes a
FlashBack. Somewhere In Durbent. December, 1724. Sven's POV The sun shone brightly, a rarity at this time of year, but I felt none of its usual warmth today. I ran down Sabnova street, the harsh rays of the sun beating down on me. My hand stayed firmly on the hilt of my sword, hope and fear warring for dominance in my heart. Still, I uttered payers to a god I could only hope truly existed even as I used all of my spare energy to run. I hoped Kros would find me before them, but simultaneously, I prayed he had the good sense to run as far as he could. Far away from here. Even if it meant my life was forfeit, at least he would be safe. The corner ended at a dead end. I’d seen no one behind me, but I didn’t delude myself into thinking I’d managed to escape them. I scanned the area furtively, my panicked gaze latching on to a small rotten ladder in the corner. Half of its rung was missing, but there was still about three rungs left on it. Good enough for me. All I really needed wa
Outside The Knights Sisterhood Territory, Variku.Sunday, 11th of August, 2024.Vladimir's POVHer heartbeat was faint, but steady. It’s been three days since I drugged Joanne, but for some reason, she was still unconscious. I would be worried if the rhythmic sound of her heartbeat didn’t assure me that she was alive and well. For all intents and purposes, Joanne was taking a rather long nap. I could only hope that she wouldn’t need the kiss of a true love to wake up because if that was the case, she was shit out of luck.The wind rustled, bringing a sharp bite to this cold night. The sisterhood’s territory was deserted at this moment, a notion which I was inclined to believe was unusual for them. Perhaps they were all dreading the wrath of the high priestess?Two days ago, after I’d drugged Joanne and had her blood drained -not enough to kill her or send her into shock, thank you very much- my warriors had returned her to her friend’s hotel room. Rupaul Carrignton was not in his room
Braille Mansion, Lourve, Hiiu.Saturday, 10th of August 2024.10:30 AMLilya's POV“The timeline has been moved up. Be ready to move in two weeks,” Yasha’s crispy voice was direct and uncompromising.My lips thinned, but I held in whatever objection I had. “Okay.” I hung up without another word.What could have happened? Did he and Vladimir have a falling out? Of course, the only reason I knew that Yasha and Vladimir had a tentative alliance was because Yasha wanted to rob it in my face that I had fallen out of grace with my sire. I grimaced and quickly squashed that train of thought. Panicking would do me no good right now.All I could do was focus on my own plan. But that led me to the new problem Yasha’s announcement had wrought. Anna met her clan just two days ago. She was nowhere near ready to be chosen by the mark. And I wasn’t her confidant yet. Unfortunately, I was on Yasha's time now, so his word goes.I took out my phone again and dialed one of the only four numbers on speed
FlashBackEstria - February 16,1991.Lady Piia's POV“Enough!” the voice thundered. Leaves rustled and even a few ravens flew away. That’s how bothered the whole surrounding had been by the sudden booming sound. Even from twenty feet away, I shivered at the uncontrolled rage in the tone. But the brown haired waif of a girl who was probably seconds away from being throttled by the irate mountain of a woman stared back defiantly, not a single hint of fear in her expressive chocolate eyes. Albus Nogru, wearing the brown and gold robes of an instructor glowered, her veins bulging as her hands shook, probably from the effort it took not to wrap it around Inna’s neck. “They are people too. They have a right to be taught and you can’t deny them their right!” Inna, my ever defiant, ever reckless friend snapped back loudly. She tilted her chin up, literally and figuratively digging her heels in. I sighed wearily, already knowing what the argument was about even without moving closer. Only
La Niche. Thursday, 8th of August, 2024. 9pm.Jo's POV(Continued)The brown and gold two storey building was at the very end of a cul dé sac. The street was very quiet and the nearest neighbour was about half a mile away. If it weren't for the luxurious cars parked outside the house and the different elite men and women dressed to the nines walking into said building, I would have thought that Vladimir had me brought all the way out here to be murdered.In a way, it sort of reminded me of house of Pulé. I gulped hastily, doing my best to quash the lurid images that sprung up at the thought of that house.Not the time, I admonished the lusty hoe residing rent free in my head."Miss Puhvel?" I turned my head at the voice.Staring down at me expressionlessly from outside the limo was Castor. I blushed for no particular reason and held my hand out to him. Without a word, Castor helped me out of the white rolls Royce limo we just arrived in.Dressed in a sheer cotton pink and white ruffle