|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•|"So, where are you from?" the dark-haired man asked me, wearing an arrogant smirk on his face. The bastard knew what he was doing. He had been riling me up with questions that were unnecessary, spinning around in his swivel chair, and twirling a pen I felt propelled to ram into his carotid artery and watch every ounce of life seep out of his eyes.He was that annoying. His attempts at irking me only amplified my headache and heightened my hunger. My throat felt a little scratchy and my fangs were beginning to poke the inner walls of my mouth. It made me so sensitive. So sensitive, that I was drowning in the rhythmic movement of his heartbeat, eyeing his neck with an unnerving hunger that almost had me flying off the handle.What was more unsettling and fuelled my need to bolt out of his office was how I didn't even have to try so hard before I could pick up on the numerous thuddings of heartbeats I could hear from a distance. It was incessant—like a shrill noi
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I reluctantly tossed the novel—Rina Kent's Throne of Power—in my hands into my locker, letting out a frustrated sigh as I retrieved my uniform and apron. I slipped out of my mufti, and threw on the black dress, knotting my white apron over it. My touch lingered on the book for a few more seconds, and I wished I could read one more chapter before I went about my chores for the day.But then, who was I kidding? If I retrieved the book from the locker and dared read one more chapter, I would be propelled to finish the book in one sitting. Her book had that much of a compelling effect on her readers. I knew how much trouble that would put me in, so I cast a glare at my locker, and slammed it shut.I snatched my notepad off the desk and sauntered into the store to jot down a list of the essentials we would be needing. As always, it was Sasha's turn to make a list, but why would she do that, when she had a pushover that could get that done?While I scanned through the
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|"I am grossly disappointed at you all's a sorry excuse of an assignment!" the professor spat. The severity of his tone, which reeked of contempt and disappointment didn't garner even a sliver of reaction from me.My pursed lips occasionally moved as I blended the edges of the drawing in my notebook. I wouldn't necessarily rate my sketching skills a ten over ten, but certainly not mid either. Sketching wasn't something I did regularly. It was more of a once-in-a-while thing that never turned out to be a flop.I took a moment to appreciate the sketch in front of me. Even his sketch made my breath hitch so badly, creeping heat onto my cheeks and making my insides tingle so badly, causing them to erupt into butterflies that made me feel so light. Unlike the impassive look he always wore, his features in my sketch softened a little, giving him an angelic look. He looked more alive, and that darkness that was always weighing him down, hanging around him, was nowhere t
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|The more I willed myself to move forward, the harder the searing pain clawed at the inner walls of my stomach, clenching my abdomen so hard and weakening my legs that it almost brought tears to my eyes. My back and my waist hurt so badly that I was tempted to think the ache came with a needle-like pain.Through my peripheral vision, I could see Tania shooting me one of her death glares, and it almost made me shrink into a ball underneath her heated gaze. She was staring at me and these unspoken words were hanging between us.She was telling me a lot through our locked gazes. I needed no soothsayer to tell me that she was screaming at me in her head to get my ass together and work.I reluctantly peeled my eyes off her when her gaze got too unbearable. I walked over to the Coffee dispenser and whipped up a cup of Espresso, fished out two freshly baked bagels and Croissants, and set them on the tray.A wave of dizziness hit me and the incessant throbbing in my abdom
|•| IRIS CORTEZ |•|'For how long are you going to keep it all bottled up?' the question posed at me by my subconsciousness that chose to creep in when I least expected it caught me off guard and elicited a frown from me.The anger that brewed within me tripled in folds, swirling like a volcano that threatened to consume me and I found myself tearing my boxing gloves off my hands, and tossing them into the laundry basket.Sweat trickled down my face, drenching the thick material of my sports bra and I found myself peeling off the small material, followed by my joggers. I threw both of them into the hamper, stomping into the bathroom to take a shower.I knew staying too long in the shower would leave me dwelling on the thoughts I desperately wanted to shove into the deepest part of my mind. The same thoughts that had me choosing to get my anger out of my system by using a punching bag, but it only left me more furious than I was.I strutted out of the shower, grabbing two towels, wrapp
|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•| The brazen music that threatened to strip the building off its foundation faded into the back of my mind when I waltzed out of the bar, pushing my head backwards—more like I was trying to push my hunger to the back of my mind and dabble in something that could distract me.But then, I knew it was only a matter of time before I allowed it to take over me, wield me and use me as a weapon. It was very ironic how I was trying to keep it together, yet I couldn't resist grabbing a drink in a confined bar that crawled with weak humans, baring their necks to me and beckoning at me with the thought of having just a bite.It was hard to stay sane in such a loud environment where I drowned in the rhythm of the heartbeats of adrenaline-pumped humans that I wanted more than nothing than to rip their skin off with my fangs and drain them of every drop of their blood.The moon soaked the quiet streets of Nocturneville with its glow, illuminating every inch of the vast surro
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|My fingers were working on the keyboard of my laptop at a speed that terrified even me. It almost made me feel like I was levitating, pouring out each word that swirled in my head non-stop, bobbing the soft music that flowed through my earbuds.But all of a sudden, one of the buds was yanked out of my ear, eliciting a frown from me, and halting my work. I swung my head up and was met with a grinning Iris who was tossing a chip into her mouth."Hey!" I chided her, "I was working!" I frowned.My best friend only let out an eye roll that indicated that she couldn't be bothered by what she just pulled off. She hadn't wiped her makeup off her face and her hair was still tightly locked in a bun. The only thing that had changed was the sports bra she was clad in and a pair of baggy sweatpants."What?!" I shot at her when I saw that she was still grinning at me. I pushed my laptop aside, tucking my hair behind my ear."Oh, relax, will you?" she huffed."Iris, I swear to
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I flipped onto the next page of the book in my hands, curling into a ball underneath the covers, shoving Doritos aggressively into my mouth while I thinned out the rest of the world, completely immersed in the book. It was funny how I had read two books today and was on my third.The first was around midnight. I had finished my chapters around one, and I couldn't sleep anymore. So, I decided to play around with the book one of the broken series. 'One more chapter' that was what I told myself until I read through the night, looking like a zombie the next morning.Oh, well, and the second, I kind of didn't pay attention in my classes today and I might have been absent-minded at work, stealing some time to myself to read and complete the second book breezily.The third and last book was the most complicated because of how high the stakes were, and let's not forget the numerous mind-fucks and plot twists. It was compelling, addictive and thought-provoking."I must be
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|“So, do you sleep?” I asked the grey-eyed man leaning against the kitchen cabinet. A curious smile pulled at the corner of my lips.He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “You are very curious, aren't you?”“Hey!” I chided him, laughing as I chopped the bell peppers on the tray. “You can't blame me. I have had a lot I have been wanting to ask you.” I defended myself with a Cheshire grin.It was nightfall. André and I were in the kitchen in the Castle. I was staying over at his place and he told me he wanted to cook me dinner. I didn't oppose but I strongly wanted to help out. I didn't just want to sit upstairs and leave the cooking to him alone. I'd be bored out of my mind.I knew I could have chosen to catch up on the books I wanted to read but a huge part of me wanted to spend time with him.I'd have asked him since I found out about what he was but let's just say we have been too busy catching up. André was insatiable. He want
|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•|The classical novel in my hands dived down on the list of things that grabbed my attention when I look up for the umpteenth time tonight.A view of sheer perfection unfolded before me.Her wavy honey blonde hair was swept up in a neat high ponytail, the strands swishing sideways as she bobbed her head occasionally, scribbling down in her hitting pad as her eyes drifted between the screen of her laptop and her note.Her full perfectly glossed lips were pulled in a light frown, her thick dark lashes fluttering now and then. Her blue eyes were overly luminous because of the blue lights oozing off the screen of the device.Her fair skin that could easily suffer a mark popped with an empyrean glow that was as bewitching as it was captivating.I couldn't get enough of her just sitting there and focusing on school work.Heck, I couldn't control the dark, possessive rage that swept through me for a moment because I wasn't the object of her attention
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|“Do you want me to pick you two up later?” the chauffeur’s eyes strayed to us through the rearview mirror and I'm forced to look up from the book in my hands. My gaze intuitively flowed towards the dark-haired girl beside me as she worked her fingers through her voluminous curls that she surprisingly let down today, a black shade perched on the bridge of her nose.“No, Idris.” She met his eyes. “Just send my car over. Des and I will head back home together. “Come on.” She said to me, leading us out of the car.The car sped out of the parking lot in no time, leaving the two of us alone. My attention was fixated on the car awkwardly, watching it disappear into the busy streets of NocturneVille. “You have barely spent five minutes with me and you have a book in your hand already.” Iris spoke up sarcastically.My head snapped towards her, my eyes widening a fraction. “What? No! That's not true.”“Isn't it?” she hit me with her best intimidating yet subtle
|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•| I didn't think the Castle was going to be empty when I returned. As much as Ophelia liked to step out for fresh air, she hated being in town. It was contrasting because even when she knew she wasn't particularly a fan of being outdoors, she'd still step out to feel connected to the world around her. She claimed that being outdoors was always too hostile for her—for her magic. But it didn't mean that if push came to shove, she wouldn't outrightly discard that and do whatever she needed to do. Just like she had been poking her nose in what wasn't her business recently. A necessary evil, she claimed. She wasn't in the garden and certainly wasn't in the woods either. So, there was only one place she could be. A place she hadn't been in about three decades now. The church. The populace that attended the NocturneVille Church had drastically reduced over the years. Most especially since people began turning up
|•| ANDRÉ BAUDELAIRE |•| I didn't think the Castle was going to be empty when I returned. As much as Ophelia liked to step out for fresh air, she hated being in town. It was contrasting because even when she knew she wasn't particularly a fan of being outdoors, she'd still step out to feel connected to the world around her. She claimed that being outdoors was always too hostile for her—for her magic. But it didn't mean that if push came to shove, she wouldn't outrightly discard that and do whatever she needed to do. Just like she had been poking her nose in what wasn't her business recently. A necessary evil, she claimed. She wasn't in the garden and certainly wasn't in the woods either. So, there was only one place she could be. A place she hadn't been in about three decades now. The church. The populace that attended the NocturneVille Church had drastically reduced over the years. Most especially since people began turning up dead recently. So much for having faith,
|•| DÉSIRÉE DOYLE |•|I stirred awake, catching a whiff of his aftershave lingering on the sheets that were carelessly wrapped around me.I pushed my hair off my face tiredly, my eyes drifting through the room, catching my panties lying carelessly away from the bed—a blush crept up my neck to my face—before it occurred to me that he wasn't in the room with me.Unlike the first time I woke up in bed with him to find him missing, I wasn't freaking out and going out of my mind. Instead, it gave me time to come to terms with the fact that we spent the entire night exploring our bodies. But somehow, I feared that it might not have been enough because I lacked experience in bed and I might not have been able to satisfy him last night.My chest twisted, and embarrassment washed over me. I didn't know why my insecurities decided to weaponize themselves against me, conjuring an image of a dark-haired bitch pleasing André in ways I never would. A frown mounted on my face, and I shook my head to
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|The moment those words left my lips, I knew I had just allowed everything else to go up in flames. I knew I was venturing towards an edge that'd change everything, but a huge part of me didn't care.Andre's eyes thickened with want, his breath shallow and heavy. I could see the restraint swimming in his eyes, even though his hunger for me was slowly overshadowing.“You have to understand that there's no coming back from this. Do you really want to risk everything and completely blur the lines between what we have?” he whispered.“I don't care. I am not going to stay in a world where you do not exist.” The weight of my words released a sharp breath from him, his eyes conveying his surprise.“You'll be the death of me.” His knuckles glided over the skin of my face in a dainty caress and my skin erupted in flames.I inched forward desperately, brushing his lips against my tentatively. With the way he crashed his lips against mine, stealing my breath from my lungs, I
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I drowned out the eerie silence trailing behind me from outside when I stepped into my apartment. I switched on the lights, tossing my bag somewhere in the disorganised space. My muscles and limbs ached from standing all day and I could barely feel my legs. The only thing I wanted to do was to get in bed and sleep the whole day.I shimmied out of my jeans, kicked off my sneakers, and sauntered into the kitchen to fetch myself a glass of water.I didn't miss how weird the atmosphere seemed when I came back to the living room. It flat-out felt like I was being watched, goosebumps creeping onto my skin. The coldness from the inside radiated outwards and I felt myself shiver from the effect. Even if I wanted to dismiss everything. I couldn't dismiss the sheer curtains that were blowing fiercely. I mentally cursed myself for forgetting to lock the windows.I suppressed a shiver, garnering the courage to advance forward. I hastily dropped my glass of water on the centr
|•| DESIRÉE DOYLE |•|I hummed in satisfaction, wiggling my newly painted nails under the lights hanging over the Queen-sized bed of Iris’ room. I had doubts about trying red colour on my fingers but I didn't think it'd turn out so well. I giggled, picking up my book and throwing the covers over my head to continue reading.The door to the bathroom was abrasively flung open, causing me to push the covers off my body at once. With furrowed brows, my gaze flitted to the taller girl marching into her closet like a giant alien. A worried sigh escaped me, my eyes fixed intently on the entrance leading to the closet as I patiently waited for her to step out.Iris’ mood swings can be linked to two things. Her hormones and the possibility of someone getting on her nerves. It was either the first one or the second one. It could be both at times too and it always made her a ticking time bomb threatening to go off. However, call it a gut feeling or whatever, but I strongly believed that it wasn'