AVA "If it happens, I'd rather die than have you become my personal blood bank" Darian said, his golden gaze locked with mine. "But-" He placed a finger against my lips, his gaze soft. "Let's not dwell on it. I won't let things escalate to that point" he whispered. I stared at him, tears blurring my vision. There was a high chance that he would eventually get infected. Darian pressed a kiss to my forehead. When he pulled away, there was a smile on his face."You should get some rest. Today has been hectic. I'll walk you to your room, okay?" He said. I nodded once. He took my hand in his. Together, we left the art room. I couldn't help but wonder what our future had in stock for us. When I got to my assigned room, I laid down on the bed. Exhaustion hit me all at once. While I stared at the ceiling with heavy lidded eyes, I replayed everything that had happened earlier today, in my head. Only at this point did I realize that I'd broken the promise I'd made to Hayley. "She mus
Before Dinner,AVA I was comfortable, more at ease than I'd been in a while. The warmth of Keegan's body was soothing, so was his scent. I closed my eyes, listening to the rythm of his heartbeat. "Don't you want to return to your home?" Keegan asked. "I don't know... I'm starting to really like it here" I responded. Keegan's phone buzzed and he picked it up. I watched his reaction as he read the message. He suddenly sat up, moving me away from his body. "Is something wrong?" I asked. He forced out a smile and kissed me on the lips. "It's nothing. I'll be back. I need to use the bathroom" he said and left the room. I quietly eyed his phone. I didn't want to probe. But, I couldn't help my curiosity. So, I picked it up and peered at the message that had just popped up. My eyes widened when I realised who the message had come from. Clenching my fists, I returned the phone to it's former position. I frowned, wondering why Keegan was keeping it to himself. "He won't suddenly ret
KEEGAN "Look who's here," Shade drawled, her tone laced with mockery. I clenched my fists but kept my face blank. "Talk about such unyielding brotherly love. Who would have known that you would show up just because of your sister?" She continued, leaning back on her seat. I knew she would continue to rub it in my face if I let her, so I spoke. "That's enough. I'm here now. Where's my sister?" I droned. Shade snickered. She rose to her feet and walked towards the large window in the office. "Not so fast, Key. Let's strike a deal, why don't we?" "What deal?" "A deal that will favour the both of us."My patience was wearing thin. I didn't want to think because if I did, my regret and guilt would hit me hard. Handling Shade was something that required my concentration. Shade turned to look at me, her silver eyes gleaming."Become my soldier and I'll send your sister to you." I froze. "Your sister is close by, you know? Once you agree to this deal, I'll bring her in here."
AVA "Are you alright?"Hearing the sound of Darian's voice made me wipe away my falling tears in a hurry. I didn't want him to know how much my heart hurt. Keegan whom I hadn't seen in two months was tied up in the basement. Not only did he seem to be out of his senses, he seemed to have become an entirely different person. "I can feel it, you know? Your frustration and pain are obvious. You don't have to hide them from me," Darian whispered. Slowly, I turned around to face him. When I saw the soft expression on his face, my knees gave out. He grabbed me to steady me. Eventually, the tears began to flow. "What do I do, Darian? How do I handle this?" I cried. Darian stroked my hair and held me close to himself. He was my comfort. After Keegan's disappearance, he was the only person I could really lean on. I hadn't returned to my pack because I had been afraid that my pain would swallow me whole. "You can handle this. I know you can," Darian whispered. A servant approached us
AVA He lay motionless on the bed, his face pallid. I rushed to his side, my panic nearly shooting through the roof. I grabbed at his shoulders, willing him to move, to say something. He was limp like a broken doll, strands of his hair resting on his face. I bent over to listen for signs of a beating heart, but heard none. It was at this point that my knees gave out. Letting out a cry of dismay, my legs lost their strength, and I sank to the ground, still clutching at his forearm. "Ava! Look! He's breathing!" Darian's voice pierced right through my consciousness, snapping me back into reality. I stared at the unfolding scene before me, confused. Keegan was curled up into a ball but he was breathing. Judging by the trash can on the floor, he seemed to have vomited. Darian was sitting by his side, patting his back. I hadn't moved to Keegan's side, I realised. I had been standing by the door, my imaginations holding me captive for a few terrifying seconds.I brought my shaky hands t
DARIAN They all seemed to have prepared to push me into this. My father must have discussed it with them. "Your Highness, are you listening to us?" Terius, one of the chief counsel spoke, his pale brows creased up.My uninterested gaze swept across the court room while they stared at me, awaiting my final decision. I desired to be anywhere but here at the moment. I wondered what Ava was up to. I hoped she was getting along with Keegan, just fine. "Your Highness?"I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. They all seemed to be calm, but I could tell from the look in their eyes. Their patience was wearing thin. "So, you want me to get married to the daughter of general Troye?" I said. "In essence, it is to ensure the security of our people" one of the elders stressed. I didn't think so. In fact, I was not interested in marrying just anybody. My mates were all I needed. "Your father is aware of your scandalous visits to hotels and clubs. Your relationship with women has alwa
AVA The strange woman in Darian's office, stared at me with amusement written all over her face. I kept my expression impassive as I headed towards Darian's desk and placed his tea on the table. I hoped I'd misheard her statement."Hmm... this is interesting. How does she know your favourite tea?" the strange woman asked my mate. He stared at me, unblinking, barely paying any attention to her. When he didn't give her a response, she probed further. It was at this point that I decided that I really didn't like her. She was obviously a vampire of high class. The fact that there was a sparkle in her eyes, each time she spoke to Darian was another thing that made me dislike her even more. Nonetheless, I knew that if she found out who I was to Darian, she would stir up trouble."Darian? Who is she?" She asked, resting a hand on Darian's shoulder. My wolf growled in my head. She didn't like the idea of another woman touching our mate. "She's just a maid" Darian responded, still fi
KEEGAN The tension in the air did not fade. Ava stood in the corner of Darian's study, her head lowered. I bet she was embarrassed because Darian's visitor had seen her in her provocative maid costume. On the other hand, I was more embarrassed. This was new to me. Getting embarrassed over a kiss wasn't something I'd experienced before. For some reason, Darian didn't appear bothered. Infact, he seemed more satisfied like never before."Are you going to tell me what this is about or do I have to do some digging?" said the vampire whose name was Caspian.Darian leaned back on his seat, a smug grin tugging at his lips. His gaze found mine and grew heated. There was something about his gaze that made me want to claim his lips again. "I don't have to explain anything to you" Darian stated as his gaze drifted away and rested on Caspian. Caspian turned around to glance at us causing Ava to sink further into the corner. He smirked and turned away. "From what I see here, there's so