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Chapter 12: I’d love to work with her
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2025-03-05 18:11:07
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MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 13: When do I move in, Your Highness?
Aritzea’s POVThis was a mistake and I should have known. A terrible, idiotic mistake. I could feel it the second the elders opened their mouths.“Well arrange for you to move closer to Prince Lucian,” one of them said. “To ensure smooth cooperation, that is.”I tilted my head. Closer? What did they mean by closer? As in, the same district? A house nearby? A room in the same building?“And by closer,” another elder continued, oblivious to the rising tension, “we mean she’ll stay at his residence.”His what? No. No fucking way.I turned to my brother, already knowing there was no damn way he was agreeing to this. But again, before he could put in a word, he was cut.His frown deepened even more that it already had and he turned to Lucian“I refuse.” Lucian’s voice seemed serious. Very much unlike how he'd been the entire meeting.I blinked.He leaned back in his chair, looking completely unimpressed. “There’s no reason for her to stay at my house. We can work together just fine without
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-06MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 14
Lucian’s POVI didn't lock the door out of spite. Okay, maybe a little. It was my car after all.Aritzea rattled the handle again, turning to my slowly, eyes narrowed like she was one second away from launching herself to the driver's seat and snapping my neck.“Is this your twisted little way of asserting dominance?”I stretched out, fingers tapping lazily against the steering wheel. “No, this is my way of explaining the rules.”Her eyes narrowed. I smiled slowly, because frustrating her was already becoming one of my favorite pastimes. She was still pissed about the whole arrangement and this wasn't making things any better.Cute.“Rule one,” I started, dragging the words out, “don't touch my things.”She snorted. “Like I want anything in your dusty old vampire castle.”I ignored that.“Rule two... stay out of my way.”Aritzea leaned back against the seat, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded with boredom. “What next, no curfew?”I smirked. “Would you even listen?”“Not a chance.”Exactly
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-10MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 15: You do see what this looks like, right?
Aritzea’s POVI stormed down the hallway, my irritation growing with every step.The water in my room wasn’t working. The water. Of all the things that could go wrong, this was what I had to deal with? I’d been prepared for… well, a lot worse when I was told I’d be staying here, but at the very least, I expected basic functionality.It was a minor inconvenience. A stupid, stupid inconvenience. But after the day I’d had, it was enough to send my patience spiraling into the abyss.I marched down the hall, bare feet silent against the polished floors. The house was too big, too modern, all dark glass and sleek minimalism. It felt more like a luxury hotel than a home. Then again, I doubted Lucian saw a difference. After all, all this shiny stuff and yet, apparently, plumbing was where he drew the line.Reaching the study, I lifted my hand to push the door open—only for it to swing inward before I could touch it.“Lucian—”I barely stopped myself from colliding into the person standing t
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-01MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 16: Talk. Now. Or you bleed.
Aritzea’s POV The next morning, I got out of bed as soon as the sun came up, eager to do something other than rot in my bed and beat myself up over hunter attacks. I headed out for a run, allowing the morning breeze blowing past me to clear my mind up a bit.I’d barely made it down the stairs before I saw him.Lucian.My brows furrowed as I took in his sleek navy slacks, the apron tied around his trim waist and a light blue shirt that stretched across his awfully generous back—excuse me?I shook off the oddly descriptive thought from my mind and walked closer.He must have sensed me near, since he spoke up.“Good morning, sunshine,” he drawled, voice like warm honey and mischief. “Sleep well?”He leaned casually against the marble kitchen counter like he was posing for a magazine spread. The collar of his light blue button-down shirt open just enough to reveal an infuriating glimpse of collarbone and smooth, pale skin. Hair artfully messy. Smirk locked and loaded.Damn, he was alread
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-24MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 17
Lucian’s POVThe morning air bit colder than usual, or maybe that was just me. My fangs ached—no, itched—with a restlessness I hadn’t felt in years. It wasn’t the usual craving. This was sharp. Gnawing. Coiling like smoke behind my ribs, refusing to sit still.I hadn’t fed in nearly a month, which wasn’t particularly unheard of for me. I didn’t particularly like blood. Most of it tasted like copper and regret. Even the premium bags Armand sourced from certified, morally clean donors made me feel vaguely sick after a while.I could go a month. Two. Sometimes longer if I distracted myself well enough.But now?Now it was clawing at my throat.I leaned against the sleek side of my car, fingers flexing like I could scratch the hunger out. I closed my eyes. Breathe. Control. Focus.It worked. For just a second.And then she slid into my mind like she belonged there.Aritzea.Red hair like wildfire and rebellion. Those green eyes that sparkled only when she was plotting something reckless—
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-24MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 18: There’s a body in my office
Armand’s POVThe thing about working for Lucian wasn’t just the fact that he was a self conceited prick—it was that he was a particularly unpredictable one.I was midway through negotiating a delivery of blood bags from one of our vetted private clinics when my phone buzzed.Lucian.Great.I answered, walking away from the counter. “Yeah?”His voice was flat. Too flat.“There’s a body in my office. Come here. Now.”I blinked. “A what in your office?”The call ended.“Shit.”I swore under my breath, tossed the clipboard back to the confused supplier, and rushed out.---By the time I reached his floor, the hallway was quiet. Too quiet. I knocked once.Lucian opened the door, and—“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”He stood there, pristine blue shirt stained in deep, drying red. His expression was unreadable. Empty. Like someone had cut the strings that made him move.I walked in quickly, shutting the door behind me.“What the hell happened?”Then I saw her.Amelie.Slumped in a pathetic heap on th
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-25MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 19:
Aritzea’s POVThe house was quiet. It was just me here. Excuse me, me and my new prisoner. But he wasn't important.I curled up on the worn leather couch, dressed in jeans and a loose sweater, thumbing through the file Lucian had left behind. It was thicker than I'd thought, filled with detailed records—more than I expected, honestly. The vampires had been watching the hunters for a long time.Each page was a slow burn of anger. Routes, ambushes, kidnappings. Some attacks mirrored the ones we wolves knew about—individuals disappearing along forest borders, scouts taken without a trace. But then there were the things we didn’t know. Things they hadn’t done to us.The hunters weren’t just murdering vampires.They were experimenting on them.One report detailed a vampire locked in a sun-sealed room for days, kept just barely alive to test how long they could survive extreme starvation. Another had been dismembered and pieced together with surgical precision just to “observe their limit
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-25MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 20: I said leave, Aritzea
Lucian POVThe moment I shut the door behind me, I leaned against it, jaw tight. The door sealed off the scent of her—the sharp, maddening scent that clung to the air like a ghost.I walked into the bathroom and turned the shower knob all the way to cold. The water hit me like a slap, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even bother taking off my shirt. I just stood there, letting it soak through, hoping it would cool the burning feeling inside me.Bloodlust.It wasn't just hunger. Not the simple craving for sustenance. No. Something about her, about her scent, made everything much worse. This was darker. Heavier. The kind that curled low in the gut and whispered terrible things. The kind that made the sound of her heartbeat feel too loud in the next room. Made her scent unbearable in all the wrong ways. The kind that left my fangs pressed tight against my gums.Hell, I didn’t even want to look at her too long right now. That’s how dangerous this was.I should’ve asked Armand to bring a bag.
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-26
บทล่าสุด
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 23: You look very capable of protecting me
Aritzea’s POVRejecting Lucian offer to be his plus one to the gala didn't bother me at all. It wasn't like I was loosing sleep or feeling overwhelming guilt over it.No, not at all.However, now standing in front of the mirror, tightening the last button on my jacket, it didn’t feel so smart anymore.I stared at my reflection critically — black tailored blazer cinched at the waist, slim trousers pressed so sharply they could probably cut someone, black button-up shirt tucked in clean and perfect.My hair was pulled into a sleek bun at the back of my head, a few wisps framing my face just enough to look effortless, not messy. Minimal jewelry. No nonsense.I looked like I could strangle someone with a silk tie and not wrinkle a single thread.Good. That was the goal.I smoothed my hands down my jacket but my brain... had other ideas.Because suddenly, all I could think about was Lucian. I could already picture it — him walking into the gala with ‘her’ clinging to his arm.I didn’t know
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 22: Can't I just go as your bodyguard?
Lucian’s POVIf there was an award for the most unbothered man before a high-stakes gala, it should have my name engraved on it by now.Or maybe not. I twirled the silver pen between my fingers, leaning so far back in my chair that all it would take was one nudge and I'd go sprawling down to the floor. And honestly, it was tempting.Perhaps the floor would be an easier alternative than the reality of what I was about to do: asking Aritzea to be my date for the gala.As it turned out, I was excellent at avoiding that. Two weeks and I hadn't said anything. We talked about the gala a few times, yes, but I hadn't asked her to be my escort.But the gala was tonight, and there were only so many hours left to stall.I stared at the ceiling like it might offer a solution.Little spoiler: it didn’t. I exhaled a breath, sharp through my nose. I wasn’t nervous. Lucian Vaughn did not get nervous. I was...strategizing.
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 21: Just… a friend
Aritzea POVIt had been two weeks since that night.Lucian hadn’t brought it up again. He didn’t mention the cold shower, the snapped words, or the sharp silence that settled between us after. He didn’t apologize again. I didn’t ask him to, I wasn't really angry or mad at anything.We just… moved past it. Or tried to.Sort of.We still spoke, of course—about work. About the case. About the new bodies popping up randomly and the leads we were finding. But everything else? It was clipped. Bare-boned. Quiet.No more dry teasing over breakfast. No more eye-roll-worthy comments about my temper. No more of that ridiculous smirk he always wore when he knew he was getting under my skin.And weirdly, I missed it.Which is exactly why I decided to keep my distance.The banter had made me feel something. Comfortable, maybe. Familiar. Like we were... close. And I couldn’t afford to feel that way. Not with him. Not with a vampire. Not when I still didn’t know which side of the line Lucian would f
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 20: I said leave, Aritzea
Lucian POVThe moment I shut the door behind me, I leaned against it, jaw tight. The door sealed off the scent of her—the sharp, maddening scent that clung to the air like a ghost.I walked into the bathroom and turned the shower knob all the way to cold. The water hit me like a slap, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even bother taking off my shirt. I just stood there, letting it soak through, hoping it would cool the burning feeling inside me.Bloodlust.It wasn't just hunger. Not the simple craving for sustenance. No. Something about her, about her scent, made everything much worse. This was darker. Heavier. The kind that curled low in the gut and whispered terrible things. The kind that made the sound of her heartbeat feel too loud in the next room. Made her scent unbearable in all the wrong ways. The kind that left my fangs pressed tight against my gums.Hell, I didn’t even want to look at her too long right now. That’s how dangerous this was.I should’ve asked Armand to bring a bag.
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 19:
Aritzea’s POVThe house was quiet. It was just me here. Excuse me, me and my new prisoner. But he wasn't important.I curled up on the worn leather couch, dressed in jeans and a loose sweater, thumbing through the file Lucian had left behind. It was thicker than I'd thought, filled with detailed records—more than I expected, honestly. The vampires had been watching the hunters for a long time.Each page was a slow burn of anger. Routes, ambushes, kidnappings. Some attacks mirrored the ones we wolves knew about—individuals disappearing along forest borders, scouts taken without a trace. But then there were the things we didn’t know. Things they hadn’t done to us.The hunters weren’t just murdering vampires.They were experimenting on them.One report detailed a vampire locked in a sun-sealed room for days, kept just barely alive to test how long they could survive extreme starvation. Another had been dismembered and pieced together with surgical precision just to “observe their limit
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 18: There’s a body in my office
Armand’s POVThe thing about working for Lucian wasn’t just the fact that he was a self conceited prick—it was that he was a particularly unpredictable one.I was midway through negotiating a delivery of blood bags from one of our vetted private clinics when my phone buzzed.Lucian.Great.I answered, walking away from the counter. “Yeah?”His voice was flat. Too flat.“There’s a body in my office. Come here. Now.”I blinked. “A what in your office?”The call ended.“Shit.”I swore under my breath, tossed the clipboard back to the confused supplier, and rushed out.---By the time I reached his floor, the hallway was quiet. Too quiet. I knocked once.Lucian opened the door, and—“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”He stood there, pristine blue shirt stained in deep, drying red. His expression was unreadable. Empty. Like someone had cut the strings that made him move.I walked in quickly, shutting the door behind me.“What the hell happened?”Then I saw her.Amelie.Slumped in a pathetic heap on th
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 17
Lucian’s POVThe morning air bit colder than usual, or maybe that was just me. My fangs ached—no, itched—with a restlessness I hadn’t felt in years. It wasn’t the usual craving. This was sharp. Gnawing. Coiling like smoke behind my ribs, refusing to sit still.I hadn’t fed in nearly a month, which wasn’t particularly unheard of for me. I didn’t particularly like blood. Most of it tasted like copper and regret. Even the premium bags Armand sourced from certified, morally clean donors made me feel vaguely sick after a while.I could go a month. Two. Sometimes longer if I distracted myself well enough.But now?Now it was clawing at my throat.I leaned against the sleek side of my car, fingers flexing like I could scratch the hunger out. I closed my eyes. Breathe. Control. Focus.It worked. For just a second.And then she slid into my mind like she belonged there.Aritzea.Red hair like wildfire and rebellion. Those green eyes that sparkled only when she was plotting something reckless—
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 16: Talk. Now. Or you bleed.
Aritzea’s POV The next morning, I got out of bed as soon as the sun came up, eager to do something other than rot in my bed and beat myself up over hunter attacks. I headed out for a run, allowing the morning breeze blowing past me to clear my mind up a bit.I’d barely made it down the stairs before I saw him.Lucian.My brows furrowed as I took in his sleek navy slacks, the apron tied around his trim waist and a light blue shirt that stretched across his awfully generous back—excuse me?I shook off the oddly descriptive thought from my mind and walked closer.He must have sensed me near, since he spoke up.“Good morning, sunshine,” he drawled, voice like warm honey and mischief. “Sleep well?”He leaned casually against the marble kitchen counter like he was posing for a magazine spread. The collar of his light blue button-down shirt open just enough to reveal an infuriating glimpse of collarbone and smooth, pale skin. Hair artfully messy. Smirk locked and loaded.Damn, he was alread
MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE Chapter 15: You do see what this looks like, right?
Aritzea’s POVI stormed down the hallway, my irritation growing with every step.The water in my room wasn’t working. The water. Of all the things that could go wrong, this was what I had to deal with? I’d been prepared for… well, a lot worse when I was told I’d be staying here, but at the very least, I expected basic functionality.It was a minor inconvenience. A stupid, stupid inconvenience. But after the day I’d had, it was enough to send my patience spiraling into the abyss.I marched down the hall, bare feet silent against the polished floors. The house was too big, too modern, all dark glass and sleek minimalism. It felt more like a luxury hotel than a home. Then again, I doubted Lucian saw a difference. After all, all this shiny stuff and yet, apparently, plumbing was where he drew the line.Reaching the study, I lifted my hand to push the door open—only for it to swing inward before I could touch it.“Lucian—”I barely stopped myself from colliding into the person standing t
