DemetriusMy eyes fall to hers in disbelief as I stare expectantly waiting for a sign that her words are untrue. Please smile. Please laugh. Please do anything to tell me this is all a joke and that the woman who has changed my life for the better still knows who I am.But the confusion on her face is real. Her defensive body language and the need for her to back away from me is indicative of a stranger, telling me the exact opposite of what I want.Perhaps this is karma for when I tried to erase myself from her mind before, penance for playing with her emotions and bringing her into my world of the damned. It’s a punishment of the most dreadful kind. Because just now one of my worst fears has come true. Xenia has no idea who I am, and Andreas is here to fill the void of my absence.The bastard used his command to rip her memories of us away. How dare he take something so precious from her. How dare he force her in this way? The thought of him worming his way into a spot that
DemetriusMy eyes widen at the scene before me. What is this?Instinctually, I move toward her with the need to assist. Her gaze flicks up to mine and, again, I’m shocked at what I see -- glowing red orbs where her eyes should be, tainted with fear. Let’s recap. There’s a purple aura surrounding her body and her eyes are red like a vampire’s… but she’s not a vampire. She’s human. I know this. So then how? The words Andreas just spoke ring through my head.She’s more than a simple human.My heart thumps quickly. Is this his doing or something else? He matches my movements, wanting to get closer to her as well, to get there before me, to prevent me from touching her. But he doesn’t have to worry about that, because as soon as we’re within close range, we’re both thrown backwards by an invisible force.I jump to my feet, dusting myself off with irritation. The strength of that force was powerful. My eyes meet hers again and I see this worried look in them that makes my chest tighten.
XeniaMy head is thumping again when I wake suddenly. Looking around the room, my heart drums rapidly against my chest realizing I’m in a strange bed alone. No. I’m in Andreas’ castle. He said something about this being my new home and he’s put in a lot of effort to ensure I’m comfortable. That should make me happy, right? Who wouldn’t want to be a queen living in a castle… Only now I’m getting the feeling that something is very off.Like, why am I drinking blood? And why do I like it? Why was I surrounded by that powerful purple glow? All of those things are extremely disturbing, questions to which there are no answers. But the one that burns into my mind the most is who was that man?Demetrius. His name… there’s a familiarity to it and it stirs things inside. I’m certain this was our first meeting, because how would I not remember someone like him? He was more than attractive. Even his voice did something to me. Those thoughts aren’t right. I shouldn’t be thinking about another man
DemetriusThe moment our lips collide something washes over me, but I’m too caught up in what’s happening to question it. The kiss we share is filled with so much emotion. Something like kissing the one you thought you’d never get the opportunity to again. Because that very well could have been the case.Where yesterday had been completely perfect, comprised of bliss and happiness, today was a complete disaster of roller coaster. Hours ago, when she first came into the room and brought my worst fears to light by telling me she didn’t even know me, I was devastated. Regret and fear consumed me, thinking there was a possibility I may never get her back.But I don’t need words to tell me what’s happening, because you don’t kiss a stranger like this. Her lips move against mine with need and familiarity. And when she pulls away breathlessly, the look in her eyes tells me whatever hold Andreas had over her has been broken.My fingers trace against her cheek lightly as she stares at me. The
XeniaWarnings sounded off in my head. From the daunting look in his eyes, the possessiveness in his tone, the way his fingers trail between my breasts and slide up to my neck to grip it slightly, it all reminds me exactly of who he is and what he’s capable of.Demetrius isn’t a regular man. He’s a vampire, powerful, strong, extremely fast. He has killed and done terrible things. He could easily overpower me before I even blinked, and that’s intimidating. Although I trust him completely and have no doubt in my mind that he would never hurt me. Still, I’m frozen in place under his touch watching helplessly as a lion is about to pounce on their prey. He wants to claim me, and something dark inside of me loves the idea.It’s obvious he’s feeling jealous and territorial over the Andreas situation. I don’t blame him. I’d feel the same way and it does bother me and those things happened between us even though he explained it wasn’t really my fault. Though I don’t remember all the details,
Xenia“Andreas will undoubtedly return soon. In fact, I find it odd he even left you behind in the first place. There must have been something important for him to do.”Demetrius seemed to be speaking more to himself than me as he continued to tug me along like a dog walker.“I need to get to a phone, call on some back up. At this moment, we are severely outnumbered.”“My phone is missing along with my purse and gun. And I use the term ‘missing’ loosely, because I’m pretty sure Andreas just took it from me.” I whisper to him, silently applauding myself for remembering that vampires have sensitive hearing. The thought reminds me it’s a wonder none of them have caught us by now. Just before we reach the top of the stairs, he halts suddenly, pressing his fingers to his lips. Everything’s extremely quiet. Eerily quiet, and I’m wondering how long it’s been since my fight with the other vampire. An hour or so? Where is everyone? It seems like forever ago at this point. Can he r
XeniaThe remaining vampires eye us warily after that display, spreading out to block our path. It’s weird they didn’t seem to bat an eye after their friend was just killed right in front of them. Friend is a strong word. Maybe they were just coworkers. Not all coworkers are treated equally. And if I’m being honest, there are a few in my past who I wouldn’t mind…I mentally slap myself for getting carried away. Now is not the time to get distracted by my thoughts or psychoanalyze the situation.Demetrius doesn’t waver. He remains in front of me like a shield and somehow, against the odds before us, I feel safe and protected. It’s telling they don’t just attack us on sight. That leads me to a few conclusions. Either they’ve been instructed not to. Or they know who they’re up against and are apprehensive to press us without a plan.Perhaps it is the time to psychoanalyze.Demetrius notices this too. I know, because it becomes obvious when his shoulders relax, and he rolls his neck from
DemetriusTwo things happen simultaneously, both catch me off guard. But it’s the minutes prior that replay in my mind as I attempt to get a grasp of the reality ahead of me. Xenia knew something was off. Of course she did. She’s extremely intelligent and well-versed in reading situations. I should have caught on sooner, consulted her even. But in my overly confident stupidity, I ignored the warnings, instead allowing anger and the territorial side of my beast to overpower me. Now it’s obvious it had all been intentional. These vampires taunted me, and like a brainless fish, I took the bait. Since she regained her memory, there were a few things we could have handled differently.We probably should have skipped out on the mind-blowing quickie, but it was one for the books.We should have avoided conflict and looked for an exit. But knowing the one who attempted to unceremoniously take her blood was before me… well, I simply could not allow him to continue to breathe the same
In a dark, forgotten chamber, cobwebs and dust have taken over. Water drips through the cracks of the stone walls and dirt above. The smell of mold and death fills the air. Light and life have been missing from this place for hundreds of years.A distant memory. A final resting place. A desolate tomb. Abandoned and never to be accessed again.That was the objective when the mother of all vampires laid down in her coffin for what was to be the last time.She fell into an everlasting slumber of her own doing, incapable of accepting what had become of her life, but disinclined to choose true death, as that would not have been punishment enough.Unable to face the consequences of her actions and ashamed of her creations, there was nothing left to live for.So, she slept, and she dreamed about her mistakes.To save her children, she became a monster requiring blood from the living in order to survive, but that wasn’t the intention. It’s not what she wanted. The Mother wished to protect
XeniaHis cool body somehow provides me comfort and warmth as he tugs me closer. Being in his arms draws away all my uncertainties and fears.The room is dark and moody. Lit candles dance in the space and there’s a heavenly scent flowing around us. We’re laying on the softest couch I’ve ever felt. It must be made of clouds. Any snack you could think of has been provided, and a TV the size of a wall displays a movie that normally would have my attention, if my mind wasn’t so preoccupied by the gorgeous man beside me.Both my stomach and heart are completely full.Thinking about us has my emotions all over the place. My hand goes under his shirt instinctually, searching for that skin-to-skin contact. He shifts beside me under my touch, and I wonder if he feels the same about me.But I know he does. He tells me often. Not only with words, but body language and actions.No longer do I compare my past relationships with him, because he’s ridden me of all my uncertainties and qual
XeniaA month has passed since that night and so many things have changed. I’m learning about the vampire world and how to be a part of it while still embracing my humanity. That’s something I refuse to give up no matter what happens.Humans live our lives day to day, concerned with finances, work, and relationships. Our priorities are based around materialism and the projection that we have a perfect lifestyle, but there’s so much more to it than that. For the most part, we are ignorant of what takes place right under our noses. That’s probably a good thing, because the reality is like a parallel universe. Straight out of a scary movie, when the sun sets and the moon rises, evil lurks around every corner. What I’ve recently learned and what’s even more disturbing is vampires aren’t the only threat. Sometimes it can all be a bit overwhelming. My brain struggles to grasp the influx of information.Thankfully, Demetrius has been right there beside me, helping me every step of t
XeniaDemetrius kneels over Andreas, asserting his authority, gripping the hilt of the blade that’s protruding from his chest tightly in his fingers until they turn pale.“Didn’t I say I would be the one to end you?” His question lingers causing my thoughts to wander. War begins to rage in my mind. Uncertainties cloud my judgment.Vampire laws are different than my own. Tiberius is here, Yuno and Hendrix too, as well as many others that are unknown. Lucius, the king, and Andreas’ father is also among those present. The authority and power he exudes is intimidating, yet he stands there silently even though his body language says he’s not on board with what’s about to happen. Will no one intervene? The situation makes me uneasy. It almost seems wrong.Then what is the right thing? And right for whom? The line between right and wrong can be thin. It’s not always so clear. Sometimes it’s subjective…I understand Demetrius’ point. It’s just…Then something comes over me. A divine interve
AndreasMy mistakes and arrogance have finally cost me. How quickly things can take a turn for the worse. One moment you feel like you’re on top of the world, the next you’re falling hard.They say when you are at the bottom, there’s only one way to go. I suppose the same holds true for the opposite situation as well. It was foolish of me to leave the two of them alone. Thinking she’d be safe with my guards. Thinking he’d remain confined within his cell. Thinking there was no way the two of them would find their way back to one another after everything I’d done to ensure that didn’t happen. Yet it did.The connection they had, I wanted it for myself. I envied that.Damn him!I slam my fist against the steering wheel while racing through the streets at dangerous speeds, intent on ending things with finality this time. Taunting him was fun while it lasted, but he cannot be allowed to live any longer. His prolonged interference had already set me back. Because somehow even though I co
Xenia“Ouch!” I catch myself before swearing realizing as of late, curse words have become a frequent part of my vocabulary.My elbow hit a hard surface. Where am I? What happened?The room is dark and small, but there’s a sliver of light flooding through a partially opened door. The last thing I remember is taking Andreas’ blood, then calling upon the odd purple power -- something I came up with for lack of a better name -- and feeling extremely satisfied watching him fly across the room uncontrollably. The look on his face was pure gold.It’s annoying he’s been blessed with such handsome features. His personality sucks. He doesn’t deserve them.And then everything went black.Oh, my God. Demetrius. Where is he!?I jump up in a panic wondering how much time has passed. I have to make sure he’s okay somehow.Why am I in this room? It’s like I was hidden, and the fact I’m clueless as to my position is a bit of an impediment to my plan of finding Demetrius. It doesn’t stop me
DemetriusTwo things happen simultaneously, both catch me off guard. But it’s the minutes prior that replay in my mind as I attempt to get a grasp of the reality ahead of me. Xenia knew something was off. Of course she did. She’s extremely intelligent and well-versed in reading situations. I should have caught on sooner, consulted her even. But in my overly confident stupidity, I ignored the warnings, instead allowing anger and the territorial side of my beast to overpower me. Now it’s obvious it had all been intentional. These vampires taunted me, and like a brainless fish, I took the bait. Since she regained her memory, there were a few things we could have handled differently.We probably should have skipped out on the mind-blowing quickie, but it was one for the books.We should have avoided conflict and looked for an exit. But knowing the one who attempted to unceremoniously take her blood was before me… well, I simply could not allow him to continue to breathe the same
XeniaThe remaining vampires eye us warily after that display, spreading out to block our path. It’s weird they didn’t seem to bat an eye after their friend was just killed right in front of them. Friend is a strong word. Maybe they were just coworkers. Not all coworkers are treated equally. And if I’m being honest, there are a few in my past who I wouldn’t mind…I mentally slap myself for getting carried away. Now is not the time to get distracted by my thoughts or psychoanalyze the situation.Demetrius doesn’t waver. He remains in front of me like a shield and somehow, against the odds before us, I feel safe and protected. It’s telling they don’t just attack us on sight. That leads me to a few conclusions. Either they’ve been instructed not to. Or they know who they’re up against and are apprehensive to press us without a plan.Perhaps it is the time to psychoanalyze.Demetrius notices this too. I know, because it becomes obvious when his shoulders relax, and he rolls his neck from
Xenia“Andreas will undoubtedly return soon. In fact, I find it odd he even left you behind in the first place. There must have been something important for him to do.”Demetrius seemed to be speaking more to himself than me as he continued to tug me along like a dog walker.“I need to get to a phone, call on some back up. At this moment, we are severely outnumbered.”“My phone is missing along with my purse and gun. And I use the term ‘missing’ loosely, because I’m pretty sure Andreas just took it from me.” I whisper to him, silently applauding myself for remembering that vampires have sensitive hearing. The thought reminds me it’s a wonder none of them have caught us by now. Just before we reach the top of the stairs, he halts suddenly, pressing his fingers to his lips. Everything’s extremely quiet. Eerily quiet, and I’m wondering how long it’s been since my fight with the other vampire. An hour or so? Where is everyone? It seems like forever ago at this point. Can he r