~ Raven's POV ~Raven sat in the dimly lit meeting room, feeling her patience wearing thin as the university bursar droned on about the school's finances. She sighed deeply for what felt like the hundredth time since the meeting had started, her mind wandering aimlessly. She glanced down at her tablet and typed a few random words, realizing that she was no longer even attempting to take notes.As the meeting dragged on for almost two hours, Raven's impatience grew. She couldn't help but wonder why she was even there. It seemed like they didn't need her for this stuff, and she was starting to feel like her time was being wasted. Her mind continued to wander, and she found herself lost in her own thoughts, completely tuning out the bursar's monologue.Her eyes drifted up and out of the window, taking in the view of the campus quad. The trees were just starting to change color, signaling the arrival of fall. Raven felt a twinge of sadness that the warm summer months were coming to an e
~ Raven's POV ~ There was no way he could have heard what she and Blaine had talked about, but the look on his face made her wonder if he knew something she didn't.She quickly averted her gaze, embarrassed that he had caught her staring at him earlier.She turned her face to the registrar as he took the podium.“ thank you Becky, so lastly before we end this meeting. The founders day is coming up next week as you all know… preparations are on ground to make sure that everything goes well… “ the registrar informed them.Well, she didn’t know. It’s either her memory was having a field time in forgetful land or she had failed to get the memo. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to Megan.‘ did I get a notice about the founders day? ‘ she typed.It didn’t take long for Megan to reply, ' Yes ma’am. I dropped the mail in your office last week. The day you had a visitor'she couldn't help but mutter a curse under her breath, "I can't believe I forgot to check my mail," Raven
~ Lumiére's POV ~Lumiére sat restlessly in his plush seat, fidgeting with the hem of his jacket as he waited for the next potential bride to enter the room. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the elaborate decorations and exquisite paintings that adorned the walls. It was a luxurious setting, fit for a man of his status, but it did little to lift his spirits.As the door opened, he straightened his posture, trying to put on a polite smile. The next lady walked into the room, and he couldn't help but scowl. Her dress was too gaudy for his tastes, and he could see the thick layer of makeup that covered her face. He couldn't fathom why they thought she would be a suitable match for him.He watched her take a seat, and then smiled, because of the glare Reagan had thrown his way. Reagan, his right hand, had accompanied him to this selection surprisingly, and he couldn't help but feel grateful for his presence. At least he had someone to share his misery with. They exchanged a knowin
~ Lumiére's POV~Lumiére leaned back in his chair, contemplating his next move. He had always been picky when it came to choosing a partner, and he wasn't about to settle for just anyone. He needed someone who was intelligent, independent, and could challenge him in every way possible. He wondered if such a person even existed.As he sat there lost in thought, the moonlight casted a silver glow over the room. The beauty of it all made him forget his troubles for a moment, and he allowed himself to be lost in the moment.“ May I call in the next person?” Middleton asked.Lumiére replied with a question, "Can I skip the next person?" Clearly annoyed, Middleton responded with a sigh, “No, High Lord” he muttered.Lumiére rolled his eyes in exasperation and waved his hand in annoyance. The next person walked into the room, and Lumiére could immediately feel her eyes boring into him. He caught a whiff of her scent - lavender - and something else. Something familiar. He frowned, trying t
~ Lumiére's POV ~Lumiére knew what he meant, Eloise was everything a Lord would want in a wife. But Lumiére couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't perfect for him. He sighed and rubbed his temple."I know," he mumbled. Middleton stared at him, sensing something was off. "Does that mean that...?" he trailed off before the door flung open and Ervine stormed into the room.Lumiére groaned inwardly. He knew dealing with Ervine was never a pleasant experience. He watched as she approached him with a fixed scowl. She was dressed in a tight collared shirt with the West Sanctuary insignia, tucked into a pair of black pants, and wore boots instead of her usual heels.Lumiére couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Ervine's unusual attire. this outfit was more suited for combat than a formal event, she had probably just finished training.Lumiére was feeling quite irked and annoyed by the unexpected presence of Ervine who stood before him. He couldn't quite understand why she had the audacit
~ Raven's POV~Raven walked over to her usual café, hoping to get a quick bite to eat during her break. The door chimed as she entered the cozy space, and she was immediately greeted by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and freshly baked pastries. It was a relief to be out of her stuffy office, even for a little while.Lucy, one of the friendly staff members, greeted her with her usual enthusiasm. "Woo! Look who the angels brought in here!" Raven couldn't help but laugh at Lucy's enthusiastic greeting. "I needed some fresh air," she said, taking in a deep breath. "How are you, Lucy?""I'm great, thanks for asking," Lucy replied, flashing Raven a wide grin. "And you don't look too bad yourself."Raven couldn't help but scoff at Lucy's comment. She knew she didn't look her best, with her hair pulled back into a messy bun and her shirt wrinkled from sitting at her desk all morning. But she decided to take the compliment and muttered a low, "Thanks.""How's work been treating you?" Luc
~ Raven's POV ~She shook her head and shrugged, trying to keep her guard up.“ if this is about the other time, I’m sorry. I actually thought you were someone I knew…you both look familiar” he said, trying to explain his mistake from before.She sighed, “ I see…” she replied, feeling a bit more at ease with his explanation." I should have taken the time to clarify things with you, I'm really sorry." He added.Raven was taken aback by his apology. She had expected him to ignore their previous encounter altogether, but here he was, owning up to his mistake. "It's okay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.Noah smiled at her, and Raven couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest. She had never seen him smile before, and it transformed his face completely. "I'm glad we got that cleared up," he said, leaning back in his chair.Raven nodded, unsure of what to say next. She had never been in a situation like this before, alone with a professor who had previously ignored her. "
~ Raven's POV ~Curious to know more about Noah's family, Lucy asked him about it. "Family? Are you Married?, You look young…" she inquired, already knowing the answer from her conversation with Professor Blaine. She just wanted to know more about him.Noah smiled and chuckled at her question. "Me? Nope...don't even have any plans to get married...I left that duty for my brothers," he said, shrugging his shoulders. It was clear that he was content with his life and didn't feel the need to settle down. Raven couldn't help but laugh at his response, but at the same time, she couldn't shake off the feeling of longing for a family of her own. It was something she had always dreamed of.As they chatted, she felt a genuine connection with Noah, who was sitting across from her. She laughed, a real and carefree laugh, which surprised her. After the laugh had left her mouth, she noticed how at ease she was talking to him, as if they had known each other for years. She blinked, watching him
(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