Unlike I was expecting, the next two weeks of my work at the bank seemed quiet. I continued writing my reports, knowing that more and more people would get fired, but somehow I didn't feel as much hatred directed at me as before. I had noticed that people had started to ignore me as if they feared me. Perhaps they thought that my evaluation of their work was based on my personal likes or dislikes. They were completely wrong. First, I didn't know any of them, and second, I didn't care. As much as it sounds cruel, my work was about numbers and correctly written paragraphs, not my personal attitude. If there had been abnormalities that had caused losses, there should have been consequences, easy as that.
On the other hand, I also pointed out people who had done their work exceptionally well and deserved a raise or promotion. Of course, if that happened, I was certain that none of those people would ever think that it was due to my reports, simply because it was something good…<
The blonde-haired stretched out his hand to grab my wrist, but I dodged it. "Don't touch me!" I yelled. "Oh, honey, don't be so tense." The snake-eyed guy grinned wickedly. "I promise that you're going to scream with pleasure right before you die. We'll do you good." I took another step to the side. I knew there was an alley between the shelves behind me. I had to take a risk and run. On my left side, I saw a box of documents within my reach. I grabbed the box and forcefully threw it at them, and then started running towards the exit. Unluckily, my speed was limited because of the heels I was wearing. "What on Earth made me wear heels with a strip on my ankle?!" I cursed my idiotic decision, which made taking the shoes off time-consuming. The blonde-haired got to me first. He blocked my way as I was about to reach the door handle, then pushed me away from the door, knocking me off my feet. His strength made me fly against the nearest row of sh
Suddenly, I felt the wind blow and a splash of thick liquid covered my face. I opened my eyes and met the blonde's dead stare. A second later his head fell off of his body, while the rest of his corpse collapsed on the floor. I slowly raised my hand to wipe off my face and realized it was that vampire's blood that dirtied me. I heard brief screams of pain coming from those two other vampires' mouths until the silence came. I was too tired to process what was going on, and why I wasn't dead already. The agonizing pain clouded my thinking. I closed my eyes again. "Lilith! Lilith open your eyes!" I heard Sariel's voice, although I couldn't tell whether it was real or just something I longed to hear before I died. I smiled feebly, keeping my eyes closed. I vaguely heard some other voices, but they didn't matter. The voice I yearned to hear was Sariel's. "Lilith! Look at me, Lilith!" He sounded like he was nervous, even frightened. I thought that I wanted
I gulped and stared at him, paralyzed for a while. I realized that Sariel was sacrificing much more than a few drops of his blood. I was alive thanks to him, but he could lose his own life if anyone knew what he had done. I was certain that Will would tell no one about it. He had no reason to. The real problem was making sure no one else would ever find out about it. "I… I won't tell anyone. I will keep this a secret no matter what," I swore nervously. "Good," Will smirked and sat in a chair by my bed. I glanced at him suspiciously. I guessed that he was the only person who could tell me the truth, and I was more than willing to use the opportunity. "You know that I heard your conversation with Sariel when you told him to give me blood, right?" I started cautiously. "Yes, I assumed that you might have heard it." A sour smile appeared on his face. "When he asked if his blood would affect me, you told him that it hadn't affected me last
"W-what?" A single word left my mouth, even though I heard Will's words loud and clear. I could feel the blood running off my face, turning it pale while my furious heart kept pounding. Suddenly, I started to feel dizziness, nausea, and even my eyes hurt from the light, but I doubted that it was a vampire blood side-effect. "Certainly, it's not like Sariel would ever manipulate your feelings…" Will laughed awkwardly, ineptly trying to assure me that his friend wouldn't abuse the fact that his blood was in my system. Some part of me tried to find some form of explanation that would keep me from feeling deceived, but how could I not feel that way? "Will… How is it possible that the traces of Sariel's blood stayed in my body for four years? And now… Am I going to change somehow? I'm not turning into a vampire, am I?" I asked, hectically. Will sat closer to me and grabbed my hands. "Of course, you are not turning into a vampire," he assure
I was restless. I kept thinking that if I had to face Sariel now, I would become highly emotionally unstable. On the other hand, I wanted to ask him why he didn't tell me about the bond and played me instead. I had already known that he could act cruelly, but I had never imagined that he would be cruel to me. It was only my assumption, but I guess I had finally figured out why Sariel didn't want to mark anyone… A vampire giving blood created a bond, but what if it worked in both directions? Sariel mentioned that marking someone increases sexual desire, but what if it really was about losing control, and that was something that Sariel was really afraid of...? He deliberately used the fact that his blood bond was still working, enjoying the fact that I craved his bite-mark and the power he had over me. He wanted to be the only one in control, and he knew that leaving his mark would make him give up the total control he had. It was time to paint a true image of him, calculative
I thought that going back to work would help me cope with my situation. Of course, my main argument was to avoid places that reminded me of Sariel's existence. I even found myself excited at the mere thought that I would dive into numbers and paragraphs, burring my anxieties and longings somewhere deep in my heart and mind. I went against Martha's suggestion and went to the bank's headquarters right after eating breakfast. I thought that anything that would get me away from the castle was a good idea. That was until I walked past the entrance. I stopped in the hallway and felt that my head was spinning. My body started to shiver as the images of the recent attack flashed before my eyes. My breathing rate increased, almost matching my already racing heart. The high-frequency sound that filled my head made me cringe, covering my ears. "Are you ok?" A female voice overcame the high-pitch sound and immediately became my anchor. I raised my eyes while trying to sl
I leaned my back against the sofa, feeling weaker by the second. Until that moment, I thought that the only dangerous situation I could encounter was meeting those who got fired because of me. I had never thought that someone would target me just to mess up with Sariel. "I… I don't understand," I mumbled, "Why would someone attack me to get to the Duke?" "Isn't it obvious?" Gabriel chuckled, "Sariel used to be in love with a human. It's only natural for his enemies to think that you've become someone important in his life since you live in his castle and even helped him get revenge on the Adragnas." "I still don't get it. How is attacking me causing any harm to Sariel?!" I burst out in a panicked laugh. Gabriel looked at me with a slightly pitying expression, then sighed. "Do you think he would be running like a madman each time his employee was endangered? If you have any doubts about that question, then I will state it clearly to you: no, he
Patrick insisted on going with me even though I told him that I was meeting for a girl-talk. He said that he would sit someone at the back or outside and observe us in case of any danger. Somehow, I couldn't find any argument to restrain him from going. The truth was, I didn't feel safe even while walking around my own office, let alone outside the bank's headquarters. With the unknown enemy looking for a way to end my life, there was no room for rejecting anyone's protection. I came down with Patrick by my side. "Who is this, pretty boy?" Colleen chuckled, looking Patrick up and down. "This is my personal bodyguard. He has to come with us. Hope you don't mind…" I said hesitantly. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't mind if he sat right next to me." Colleen bit her lower lip, locking her eyes on the flustered Patrick. I couldn't really blame her. Patrick was handsome, and while wearing his fitted black suit, white shirt, and black tie, he certainly was an
Fucking Adragna! I could barely stand sitting in front of the Marquess or his sons, knowing that they were the ones who planned the attack on my parents. I should have squeezed my fingers around their necks and watched smug smiles disappear from their faces in agony, and yet, I was forced to keep calm, pretending I didn't know because I had no way to prove it. Those fuckers were good at killing witnesses. I hated them just as much as I hated those mongrels from the Southern Woods Pack. I was the Duke and a future king. I had the strength to crush those bastards to dust, but I had to sit there doing nothing. Why? Because King Mael said so! This old vampire thought that it would be refreshing if our annual meeting were held in his mansion in the Blue Valley, completely ignoring the fact that it was in the middle of fucking nowhere. I couldn't stay there a minute longer. I didn't care if King Mael would be pissed. I wouldn't lose his favor anyway. I was the strongest of all the
"My friend will finally wear the crown!" Martha's enthusiasm nearly made my eardrums explode. Truthfully, I couldn't care less about the crown. It was the wedding dress that was freaking me out. Who would have thought that the vows "till death do us part" would actually mean being together for at least a few centuries? I didn't doubt Sariel's love or mine for him, but still… I still hadn't sorted out the whole "vampire issue". After a month of living as a super-duper-commoner, I knew that I didn't need human blood; drinking Sariel's blood was enough for me. I was ecstatic to find out that he didn't need to drink any other blood than mine either. Will told us that it was a "mates' thing", and that this dependence would bind us forever as well as make us stronger. Yet, it didn't solve all the issues that made me anxious. Commoners lived forever, literally, and nobles had extended but limited lifespans. Would I be forced to live without Sariel? The thought of that formed a knot
"Good morning, my Queen."I would never get enough of hearing it. Sariel made it sound amazingly enticing. His smiling eyes were eating every piece of me. The intensity of his gaze made me flush. We were both naked, although I couldn't recall the moment I lost my silk nightgown. Sariel's arms were wrapping me tightly, and our legs were tangled. The air around us was saturated with arousal, so electrifying that the mere spark could cause an explosion. As my eyes roamed down from Sariel's eyes to his lips, I saw a smug grin. One breath later, his hands cupped my buttocks, lifting me slightly so I could feel his erection against my sex. I gasped."I see you're all healed," I chuckled nervously."Almost…" he smirked. "Now I need a different kind of therapy."His lips blocked mine before I could say anything else. He pinned my hands down on both sides of my head and deepened the kiss with passionate, lush licks. As I surrendered to his caresses, his han
According to the legendWill found, the mate's blood had the greatest effect on the full moon. Well… no surprise there. Conveniently for us, the full moon was tomorrow. The problem was that the whole ritual was quite risky since it required unplugging Sariel from any monitoring equipment in order to grant us an intimate environment. The healing ritual should have been performed between the two mates alone, without any disturbances. I could actually agree with that last one. The moment when we exchanged blood last time, well... I wouldn't want anyone to be around when it happened. Still, I was restless. What if we unplugged Sariel because we believed the legend, and he would die because of this choice?I asked Will if I could read everything he found about that legend, and he agreed to bring me all the centuries-old books that had mentioned something like "mates" among vampires. The moment I began to read it, my heart started to pound. The words describing the bond
After coming back to the Palace, I was dragged away from Sariel. The King was unconscious, and the reign of the kingdom had to be settled immediately. I was led to the study, where I met Gabriel, a group of lawyers, and Leo. I had no idea what my role was in all of this, and I didn't care. I would rather sit by Sariel's bed until he woke up, yet Leo firmly held my hand, convincing me to stay. He told me that there was a certain protocol I, as the queen-to-be, should follow. Reluctantly, I gave up and decided to listen.One of the lawyers stepped forward. He held a sealed envelope. He showed everyone the unbroken seal, and then he opened the content. It was an emergency protocol. It was only supposed to be open if something happened to the King. Acknowledging the reason we were gathered in that room made my head spin. I was suffocating. I stumbled, taking a step back. It was too much. Sariel wasn't dead! I couldn't bear to do anything as if he had already died!"It's on
When I saw Jarred standing over Sariel, who was lying on the ground, my heart stopped beating. My King was bleeding heavily from multiple cuts on his chest, his shoulders, his arms… When I ran into the arena and stopped in the middle, everyone's eyes shifted to me. I struggled to take a breath as the tears flooded my cheeks. Jarred growled and gestured at two standing-by guards so they could take me out of there. Jarred should have known better than to send two rogue werewolves against me. As I roared warningly and pulled out my claws, the wolves stepped back, recognizing my strength.I knew that I couldn't interfere in Sariel's fight. I was no match for Jarred, nor did I want to take away Sariel's pride. The only thing I could do was to bring back his will and courage. I couldn't lose him when we had just gotten each other back. As he turned his head towards me, I met his eyes. Their fire was slowly dying. The view devastated me, but I was not allowed to give up.
I ran towards the screen, processing the situation. The arena was surrounded by a rising ring of metal constructions with wooden boards lying on them, creating a provisional place to stand or walk. A few seconds later, Sariel and Jarred were joined by the audience. They stood on each floor of the construction. They were Jarred's men: rogue wolves and commoner vampires, hiding their flesh under the thick hoods and robes. The outcasts. They were all chanting Jarred's name and spitting underneath Sariel's feet. I could hear their spiteful voices coming through the speakers. Hearing their hatred tore my heart apart, but Sariel seemed unmoved. My King stood proudly, glaring at his enemy while he enticed the crowd, fueling their furious shouts. "Where's Lilith?" Sariel clenched his fist, seeking my presence in the audience. Jarred raised his hand, silencing the crowd, before speaking, "My Sister is safe. She is resting in her room." He curved his lips into a smile, but his
I turned towards the door and observed the overly tall shape of a man emerging from the shadows of the corridor. As he passed the threshold of my cell, I stepped back, soaking my bare feet in the puddle of Ian's blood. My instincts forced me to keep the right distance despite the circumstances. His dangerous aura filled every corner of the room, making every breath more and more uncomfortable.A second later, I saw a man with wavy, naturally ruffled black hair. The irises of his eyes were green with light shades of gold, captivatingly glowing in his olive complexion. He had strongly underlined cheekbones and a sharp jawline, giving him a highly intimidating look. As he entered, his eyes were locked on me. He never spared a glance at Ian's bloodied corpse. He stepped forward, and I instantly stepped back. Once I did, his full faint-pink lips formed a wicked smirk. He walked my way until my steps back brought me against the wall.He easily towered over me, shutting me in
"Lilith." Someone cautiously called my name, pulling me back to awareness.Waking up was hard. It instantly brought me pain before I could even open my eyes. My mouth twisted in a silent scream as I felt my body burning from the inside. My senses were dull, and I could barely feel anything except the pain."Silver is still in your blood. Try not to move; it will be less painful that way," the low voice advised.As more of my consciousness came back, I found myself lying on the bed. I opened my eyes and saw my hands in shackles, restrained by chains on both sides of the bed. There was also a cold metallic collar on my neck. The advice I heard was accurate: the pain lessened as soon as I stooped to move, yet I needed to find out more to evaluate my situation. I slowly turned my head to the source of the voice and saw Ian standing beside my bed.I instantly frowned. "Traitor," I mumbled.He smiled wryly. "I merely chose to be someone better than a dri