Chapter 30

Nicholas Shaw's POV

Eleanor welcomed my hand, though her gaze still seemed hesitant. I smiled at her to ease her nervousness, her amber eyes widening as she looked at me. For the umpteenth time since being with her, I couldn't believe my luck.

She is mine. Almost. But after I've dealt with Alastair, she'll truly be mine. Alastair will pay for what he's done, slowly and painfully. But right now, I don't want to think about it, not when Eleanor is in my arms like this.

"Eleanor." Even her name sounded perfect on my lips. She responded with a single blink, her amber eyes transitioning from dark to brighter. How could I be this lucky?

"You just have to lean into my neck, and your instincts will guide you." Her gaze shifted to my neck; I knew how painful the burning sensation could be. A new vampire typically required 5 liters of fresh blood when they first turned, and unexpectedly, Eleanor had been able to resist it this whole time. But still, I didn't want to make her suffer any longer; she needed to neutralize Alice's blood in her system. Valkyrie blood could turn from a remedy to a poison very quickly.

One of my hands on her waist moved towards the back of her head to urge her closer, and she didn't resist. Three seconds later, her lips were already on my neck, her small, sharp fangs quickly tearing into my skin. The first gulp sounded very clear, almost making me smile to myself. I buried my face in her hair and took a deep breath; most of Alastair's scent was almost gone from her. And with my blood flowing inside her, my scent would be more dominant.

Her hands tightened around me, if I were human, Eleanor might have broken my neck by now. I didn't want to move my hands from her waist because I didn't know if I could control myself afterward. This was the first time someone had drunk my blood directly, and it felt...

Focus, Nicholas! I closed my eyes, letting Eleanor take as much as she needed. I had already drunk 3 liters of blood pouches brought by Erik earlier; that should be enough.

I focused all my attention on the sound of her breathing, her new scent, and the unfamiliar feeling I always felt when I touched her. Her nails, which had become sharper, grazed my neck a bit as she hugged me; I took a deep breath to calm myself. Just a little more, before I lose control.

I shifted my focus to Eleanor's heartbeat, which was getting faster; focus, Nicholas. After all this is over, I won't hold back anymore. Focus.

"...never let you go again." I whispered in her ear. Slowly, Eleanor released her bite, licking the bitten area several times before pulling her head back. The sight in front of me didn't make me regret living for almost 300 years.

Eleanor's eyes, which had turned black, slowly returned to their original amber color. A few drops of my blood moistened the corner of her mouth. Without averting her gaze from me, she slowly licked the remaining blood around her lips. The thought of restraining myself almost shattered right then and there.

"Nicholas..." Her auburn, wavy hair slightly stuck to her cheek; Eleanor looked like an angel ready to take my life. And I knew, I wouldn't mind.

Damn. How could I resist this? I closed my eyes for a moment to gather the remnants of my self-control. I swallowed my saliva before answering, "I think you should get off my lap, Eleanor."

"Oh!" Eleanor almost jumped as she got off my lap, her eyes slightly shimmering as she looked at me again. "I'm sorry."

"I'm fine." I replied, standing up.

"But you..." Eleanor bit her lip hesitantly, "I didn't mean to take that much." She tucked the hair that had stuck to her cheek behind her ear, this time looking at me with a guilty look.

"You couldn't help it, Eleanor, it's normal." I muttered as I walked towards the door; I needed to get out of this room to control myself. "Rest. I'll be back shortly." I closed the door behind me without waiting for her response.

A small laugh was heard from near the pantry, "Running from her, Nick?"

I turned my head slightly without turning my body.

"You haven't killed her all this time because she still loves you, right?"

I continued my steps without answering his question.

***

Eleanor was already asleep when I returned to the room; I changed my pajamas into a black suit and put on my black tie while looking at her on my bed. Her long auburn hair spread out on my pillow, forming a small sea around her head.

She's mine.

This feeling was still strange to me. This was the first time I had felt it. No matter how hard I denied it, Eleanor made me feel alive. Not just immortal, but alive.

And I would do anything for her. I approached the bed, bending down towards her; her regular breathing and heartbeat were audible. I pressed my lips to her temple for a few seconds before pulling the blanket up to cover her entire body. Everything was over now; she would be mine completely.

The San Francisco sky was dark as I drove out of the hotel basement, I pressed the gas pedal, speeding through the relatively quiet streets. My speed would attract the attention of the police, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get back to Eleanor before she woke up.

Elizabeth Longbourn.

My hands, covered in black leather gloves, gripped the steering wheel tightly; I couldn't show my anger now. I didn't know how Elizabeth could make me follow her plan, I didn't care too much. Right now, my only goal was Alastair.

Rows of pine trees whizzed by quickly on both sides of the road towards Sebastian's house. Five minutes later, I parked the car in front of his house; Sebastian and Ludmilla were waiting for me in front of their house.

"Nicholas, how's Eleanor?" Ludmilla asked with concern before I could greet her.

"She's still in the transition process." I answered, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you for your help."

"What about Alastair?" Sebastian led us to his basement.

"He's already in Manhattan." I clenched my fists without changing my expression.

"Do you need help? Alastair won't be alone." Sebastian looked at me.

I knew he would try to help me, I glanced at Ludmilla briefly before answering, "No need, I can handle it myself... Maybe I'll need a little help from Lucian and Dev."

I didn't want to worry Ludmilla more; besides, this was my problem. But Sebastian's cousins, Lucian and Dev, might be useful if Alastair wasn't alone.

"I will tell them."

"Thanks, Sebastian. I owe you."

"What are you talking about, Nick? You don't owe me anything." Sebastian replied, looking at me with a frown. Ludmilla just rolled her eyes at my response. I had known Sebastian for 150 years, and Ludmilla for 25 years. She used to be a Leech turned by Sebastian, and now she was his wife.

We entered the long corridor leading to Sebastian's underground room where he kept his private wine cellar, as well as his private prison. Erik stood in front of the door at the end of the corridor. He was only wearing his white shirt with bloodstains on the front, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Sir," he greeted me with his usual flat expression. Erik was the most mysterious person I had ever known. Apart from Alice, he never spoke about his life before when he was still human. But Erik worked better than anyone else; he never hesitated in carrying out his tasks. Erik was very stable, and that was what I admired most about him.

"Did she attack you?" I asked, observing the bloodstains on his shirt; from the smell, the stains were Erik's blood.

"A little. Mrs. Longbourn caused trouble when being moved." His cold, ash-gray eyes showed no hint of anger when mentioning Elizabeth's name.

"I'll go in alone, Erik."

The damp, dry air in Sebastian's underground room mixed with the pleasant smell of wine. Ludmilla made some of her own wine and stored it here for aging. Some yellow lights illuminated the cellar, but my eyes worked just as well with or without illumination.

"Ah, Nicholas." A very familiar feminine voice greeted me from behind the titanium bars in the corner of the room. Elizabeth sat in the only chair inside. "I've been waiting for you for so... so long."

"Almost 50 years, huh?" I muttered, taking out the small key Erik had given me. I opened the titanium bar door and walked in. She looked up at me with her black eyes; I had to admit she had changed her appearance so drastically that I almost didn't recognize her. More accurately, she tried to copy Eleanor. Her fake auburn hair looked too dark, perhaps the dye had faded to her original hair color. A little dried blood adorned her nose, but Elizabeth smiled as she looked at me.

"48 years, 3 months, 20 days."

I closed the bar door behind me and leaned my back against it. I returned her gaze without saying anything else. She still looked as beautiful as she did 70 years ago. Beautiful and wasted.

"You've been avoiding me all this time, haven't you, Nicholas? Trying to bury me with our past." Her smile now looked sad to me. "I've been trying to mend our relationship all this time, but you..." Her deep black eyes looked at me angrily. "You're looking for a replacement."

I took off my right glove and put it in my jacket pocket. "You mean Eleanor?"

"Don't mention her name!"

"Eleanor has nothing to do with this."

"But you! You promised me, Nicholas. You wouldn't leave me, you have to take responsibility for your sins."

"I didn't kill your son, Elizabeth. Or your family." I stepped closer to her; for a moment, her body seemed tense. "Now tell me, where is Alastair?"

"You killed him, you killed them both! Then you promised not to leave me forever..." a tear fell from the corner of her eye. "Nicholas, we can start over. You and me. Forget all this... for me."

I lifted my right hand and squeezed her jaw. "You're asking me to forget what you did to Eleanor?" Her hands tried to pull my right wrist; I could feel her jawbone starting to crack. "Where is Alastair?" I released my hand from hers to give her a chance to answer.

Elizabeth needed a few seconds before she could speak again. "What does that woman have, Nicholas?" her tear-filled eyes looked painful. "Would you discard her too if you were tired of her? Just like me?"

"I never saw you as more than my Leech. You just have too much imagination to think I really liked you." If I spent too much time here, Eleanor could smell Elizabeth's scent on me when I returned. I glanced at my watch briefly before looking back at her, "I don't have much time, Elizabeth. This is my final question, where is Alastair?"

"You love me, Nicholas..." Her tears fell again, wetting her cheeks. I turned my back and walked out of this prison.

"You won't kill me?" she asked desperately as I locked the bars behind me.

"I don't have time for you." I replied, walking out of the cellar. "Goodbye, Elizabeth."

She kept calling my name until the sound was muffled by the closed door. Erik was still outside the door when I returned. "You can go back to Manhattan after this, Erik." I said, handing him back the key.

"What about Mrs. Longbourn, Sir?"

I put my leather gloves back on before answering his question, "Find out where Alastair is from her, then kill the woman."

Erik just nodded without replying, and I walked away without looking back.