(10 months later)Phoenix watched Lumiére through the window as he gazed into the distance. He had been doing that for months, and she was starting to get worried. She missed home too, just like him. She missed uncle Ben, Jansen, Achim, Nolan, hell, even the cook, but she hadn't abandoned everything, including her duties to her kind, to run away with the man she loved.She sighed and walked out the door to meet him outside. He turned when she opened the door, "Hey, I thought you were sleeping," he said, pulling her into his arms.She rolled her eyes, "I've been awake for a while," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.He sniffed her hair and smiled, "Are you okay?" he asked.Phoenix nodded, "I am, and yes, before you ask, the baby is fine too," she said, placing his hand on her swollen belly.He sighed in relief, "I can't help it. I'm tense. The full moon should have come out five months ago, but it didn't. Not knowing why is killing me," he whispered to her.She hummed a reply
Lumiére's POV Next!”, a man standing by the door called.Lumiére Colton sighed for the umpteenth time. He would give anything to not be here right now. This was the fifth lady they were interviewing today and his patience was running thin.A lady walked into the room and stood in front of the sofa he was sitting on. She had pale and soft skin, dark hair, irresistible red lips, sparkling green eyes, long limbs, and a body that any man would desire. She was flawless yet she bored him.Her demeanor screamed that she was confident in herself, but that didn’t stop her from fidgeting before him, like she wasn’t sure of herself anymore. He didn’t blame her, not everybody could stand ten feet close to him and not fidget. He was the Vampire High Lord after all.“ My Lord, this is Valerie Adhan. She is 78 years old. A first class born vampire. The only daughter and heir to the Adhan clan. She has been trained since she was a child to be a bride to a noble like yourself. She is far better tha
Lumiére's POVThose were the brightest set of green eyes Lumiére Colton had ever seen. She was standing on the cliff, staring down at him with blood dripping down her neck. She had this look on her face that he couldn’t place, disappointment?, Guilt?. Why would she be disappointed, he wanted to ask.He wrinkled his nose when he smelt her blood, he hated human blood and it disgusted him. Her blood was supposed to disgust him as usual, but for some reason, it didn’t. instead, he desired and longed for a taste of it. He wanted to taste something this sweet and it confused him.The shock that he wanted to drink her blood made him stumble on his feet in fear. Her eyes focused on him for a long time and then, she smiled, revealing her most adoring feature, her smile.Lumiére blinked as the image started to fade away.“No!’ he shouted. He didn’t want to leave just yet, he didn’t want to let go of this memory yet. Something was pulling him towards the woman and he wanted to taste her blood, t
Raven's POVRaven Blackwell smiled at him before a look of recognition flashed through her face.“ Oh my God!, I know you. You are the man who was walking under the rain that night, right…” she said as he stood to his feet.Lumiére was more concerned about the fact that her hands were still touching him. Any other human, he would have pushed away, but for her, he just let her touch him.“ I guess… I don’t remember people that much” he replied.She frowned before smiling once again. What was it and her smile that always affected him.“ I see, well, I’m sorry about this… the person who should have done this suddenly quit. I’m so sorry…” she said as she bent down to pick up the books.He should have moved, his guts told him to walk away, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know why this particular woman captivated him. He lowered himself and started helping her.“ My Lord,” Middleton said, trying to stop him, but he glared at the man, daring him to say anything. He could see the other humans also
Raven's POVRaven Blackwell couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off about the man sitting across from her. His demeanor was distinct from anyone she had ever encountered, and he exuded an enigmatic aura that piqued her curiosity. Despite her inability to pinpoint what set him apart, Raven had an inexplicable intuition that he was different - a feeling that resided deep within her. Furthermore, Raven couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with the man. So familiar, in fact, that she found herself comfortable in his presence despite having just met him. She had spent the day working tirelessly, yet she didn't feel the need to retire to her home as long as he was there. “ get a grip Raven…” she said to herself. While she stole another glance at the man, Raven observed him lost in the book he was reading, oblivious to his surroundings. What she would give to have him focused on her, she thought. The moonlight illuminated his face, adding a surreal touch to his app
Lumiére's POVWhen Lumiére returned from the opening ceremony, the East sanctuary was exceptionally quiet. The silence was palpable, and it didn't take long for him to figure out why. He had a gut feeling, an intuition honed by years of experience. It could only be one person, Reagan, who was responsible for making everyone walk on eggshells. Lumiére remembered the time he had asked Reagan how he managed to instill such fear and respect in others, and the High Lord's right-hand man had revealed his secret: he disliked sounds when he was angry and trying to think. Lumiére couldn't help but marvel at Reagan's commanding presence. As Lumiére sauntered down the expansive floor, heading towards the elevator that led to his living quarters in the East sanctuary, he noticed Middleton sighing heavily behind him. Two maids hurried past them, bowing slightly as they went, and Middleton muttered under his breath, "He's probably pissed." Lumiére shook his head in resignation. "And he gets to ta
Raven's POVRaven spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning in bed, still haunted by the events of the previous evening. As she stumbled out of bed in the morning, she made her way to the kitchen, feeling hungry despite her lack of appetite. Raven decided on a simple breakfast of buttered bread and eggs, the easiest meal she could whip up. As she was buttering her bread, the doorbell interrupted her peace. “Ugh, who could that be this early in the morning?” Raven grumbled, hoping for a quiet morning before heading to work since she had an eleven o’clock class that morning at the University. Approaching the door with caution, Raven hesitated before calling out, “Who’s there?” After the previous night's events, she couldn't be too careful. “Open the damn door, Raven!” her friend Katherine barked from the other side. Raven breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the door to greet her friend. Katherine was the only friend Raven had made since moving to Avalon city and working at the
Raven's POVRaven’s day progressed with the pace of a leisurely stroll, which was a welcome change after the unusual events of the morning. She savored the calmness of her next class, glad to be spared any bizarre inquiries or surprises. As she left the room, her assistant, Maddie, fell into step beside her and spoke, “I’ll send the schedule for tomorrow to your email ma’am…” Raven was grateful for the reminder and replied, “Please do, thank you for today” with a polite nod. Maddie’s work ethic was impressive, always anticipating her needs. Raven appreciated her assistant’s diligence and attention to detail. Maddie took advantage of the opportunity to inquire about any further requests, “Is there anything you may need for tomorrow’s class…?” she asked. Raven paused for a moment, considering her requirements before answering, “No, just the teaching slide…” she said with a nod. As she continued walking, a thought crossed her mind and she stopped in her tracks, “Do you know if I can
(10 months later)Phoenix watched Lumiére through the window as he gazed into the distance. He had been doing that for months, and she was starting to get worried. She missed home too, just like him. She missed uncle Ben, Jansen, Achim, Nolan, hell, even the cook, but she hadn't abandoned everything, including her duties to her kind, to run away with the man she loved.She sighed and walked out the door to meet him outside. He turned when she opened the door, "Hey, I thought you were sleeping," he said, pulling her into his arms.She rolled her eyes, "I've been awake for a while," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.He sniffed her hair and smiled, "Are you okay?" he asked.Phoenix nodded, "I am, and yes, before you ask, the baby is fine too," she said, placing his hand on her swollen belly.He sighed in relief, "I can't help it. I'm tense. The full moon should have come out five months ago, but it didn't. Not knowing why is killing me," he whispered to her.She hummed a reply
Lumiére's POVHe should have been the one groaning in pain, but it wasn't him. Instead, Heather was coughing up blood. Lumiére was confused, and when he looked down, he saw that Heather's heart was missing. What on earth was happening?Heather fell to the floor, and Lumiére saw Reagan standing behind him, holding Heather's heart in his hand. Lumiére was relieved and happy to see his cousin. He hugged Reagan tightly, feeling a sense of safety in his presence.“ What took you so long…” he mumbled.“ I’m sorry…” Reagan muttered, returning the hug.They stayed in that embrace for a while. When they finally let go, Lumiére felt tired, and he would have collapsed if Reagan hadn't supported him.He didn’t know how long they had stayed that way but when he released Reagan, he felt very tired and almost collapsed if Reagan had not been holding him.“ you need to feed…” Reagan said, lowering Lumiére down and handing the blood bag to him.He didn’t want to do this, but had no choice, so he sucke
Lumiére's POVAt first, he stumbled as he tried to stand up, but he kept going. Slowly, he made his way out of the room. The hallway was empty, which was strange, but he didn't have time to think about it. He wanted to find Phoenix.His vampire senses were weakened by the Allicin in his body, so he couldn't rely on them to find her. He chose to turn left and walked down the hall, leaning on the wall for support.As he passed by each room, he opened the doors, hoping to find Phoenix. The alarm was still blaring, and he wondered if it was a trap.He spotted Maria and another woman leaving a room, and he knew that Phoenix might be there. He waited for a moment before cautiously approaching the room.His heart filled with relief as he saw Phoenix inside, connected to tubes and wires. Seeing her hurt made him furious with those who had done this to her.Lumiére stumbled into the room, knocking some things over because he couldn't stand properly. Phoenix noticed him and smiled weakly.He ma
Lumiére's POVLumiére winced in agony as Heather injected him with another dose of Allicin. The pain was unbearable, pushing him to his limits. Most Vampires wouldn't have survived being exposed to Allicin every hour for weeks, but he was different. He was stronger, or so he believed.But as the days turned into weeks, doubts began to creep into his mind. How much longer could he endure this torture? He had lost track of time since his capture, possibly a month or more. It was all a blur.He let out a weary sigh, bracing himself for what was to come. No matter how many times he resisted, Heather refused to believe him."Where is the sword?!" Heather sneered, the frustration evident in his voice."I've already told you, I don't know," Lumiére snapped back, meeting Heather's gaze defiantly.Heather scoffed, grabbing another syringe filled with Allicin. Lumiére raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sudden escalation. Two shots in such a short span of time? This was a new tactic."I see you
Raven's POVRaven felt cold water splash on her face, waking her up with a gasp for air. The memories of her past life caused a heartache and regret that she wished she hadn't remembered them. Recovering her memories was painful, and she wasn't even fully there yet.Somehow she wished that she had not remembered this piece of her past life. She hasn’t fully recovered her memories and it already hurt this much, she thought.She knew she had tears running through her eyes, but because she was now drenched in water, it was not noticeable to the ordinary eyes, except one looked deeply.She had known Lumiére in her past life, and they were lovers. The realization that she had betrayed him felt like being stung by a thousand bees at once.Ophelia's presence was no surprise anymore. It was clear that she was working with both the witches and outlaws. Raven couldn't help but mock Ophelia's comment about beauty sleep, feeling the anger and pain in her heart.“ I think you need to redefine your
Raven's POV"Hurry up, Miére!" Raven playfully shouted, waving him over to where she was sitting on the picnic mat.His rich laughter filled the air as he ran to join her. "Seriously! I told you to let it go," she said, teasingly scolding him.He rolled his eyes, sitting down next to her on the mat. "I couldn't help it; it was beautiful… not as beautiful as you though," he added, playfully sniffing her neck.Raven chuckled and gently pushed him away, though she secretly loved his affectionate gestures. Being close to Lumiére made her heart skip a beat. She smiled at him, and he seemed to be lost in the sunset that was now painting the sky with beautiful colors.They had spent a long time out there, enjoying each other's company, and though it was time to head back home, she didn't want to leave this moment behind."You think we could build a house here to watch the sun set in the horizon?" she murmured, voicing her dream.Lumiére scoffed gently, "Oh, Phoenix, I wish we could do just t
Raven's POVOakhurst? Raven's mind was buzzing with questions. Why was Lumiére in Oakhurst? It was the same place she had been abducted by the witch. It had to be a coincidence; she couldn't fathom any other explanation. But she didn't want to reveal her own presence in Oakhurst to Lumiére. After all, it was almost an hour away from her home and university.Just as she was about to speak, the door creaked open, saving her from any potential lies. Finally, someone was coming in, and maybe they would get some answers to their bewildering situation.She wondered what the guys would be doing now that she was missing. Would they see this as a collateral loss and forget her or would they search for her.In her mind, she worried about Achim, who had been with her when she was taken, though unconscious. She hoped he would have been able to provide some valuable information to the others.With bated breath, she watched Lumiére, who seemed equally anxious, waiting for the newcomer to enter the
Lumiére's POV"Are you happy?" Raven asked, her voice soft and filled with warmth as she turned to face Lumiére. The afternoon sun painted a beautiful glow on her face, making her green eyes shine brilliantly, the brightest green eyes he had ever seen."I am," he replied with a content smile, feeling a sense of peace and joy being with her. After all that had transpired recently, knowing she was happy made him even happier."I am happy too," she said, and he could see the genuine happiness in her eyes. It warmed his heart to know that he could bring her joy."I like being with you," she added, and Lumiére couldn't help but chuckle. He felt the same way – being with her was something he cherished deeply.Raven reached for an apple from the picnic basket, taking a bite before offering it to him. He playfully teased her, "Feeding me now, are you?"She rolled her eyes playfully in response, "Well, you need someone to take care of you since you don't like eating. I guess that's my job now
Reagan's POVReagan winced as he felt a pang of pain shoot through his head. It was as if a massive weight had fallen on him, and he couldn't help but groan. Slowly, he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.He found himself in a room, and it didn't take long for him to recognize that it was Lumiére's room in the fortress. How did he end up here? The last thing he remembered was... he stopped himself from thinking further and turned his attention to the door as it opened."Oh, you're awake now... how's your head?" Noah asked as he entered the room.Reagan furrowed his brow, trying to recall what happened. "What happened?" he inquired, attempting to sit up on the bed. Noah quickly moved to his side, helping him to sit up before settling back on a nearby chair.Noah let out a sigh. "You don't remember?" he asked.Reagan knew he wouldn't like what he was about to hear from Noah. "Lumiére knocked you out earlier and left the fortress with Arin and the others," Noah explained.Groan