The sound of the front door slamming shut half startled Arabella out of her short-lived sleep. She could feel the eyebags weighing underneath her eyes from not getting more than four hours of sleep, for three days in a row now.A mild yawn escaped her lips as she shuffled to sit up in bed, running slender fingers through her messy brown hair in an attempt to get rid of some remnants of food particles from last night clung to it.That man had tossed his plate at her during his latest drunken episode. At this point - it was getting tiring… and this was the story of Arabella Tudor every day. She was just a nineteen-year-old brunette who had lost her parents at the tender age of seven in a fatal car accident, and since then her life had begun to go off track.With nowhere else to go, she was pushed onto their closest relative - her uncle Grayson. At first, the poor little girl was overjoyed that someone had opened their door for her, but she was met with disappointment all to early. If
Arabella felt her body freeze up as though she’d not heard the words escape his lips properly. “Huh? What... what did you say?" Her voice was almost cracked into a whisper because depending on his answer, she was ready to throw a major tantrum. If truly she had an idea of what he was about to say, then there was going to be trouble she could already sense it.His face twisted into a grimace. "Are you suddenly deaf or something?" His unfocused eyes seemed to scan her down to her feet, “Someone is interested in taking you off my shoulders. I showed him a picture of you and he couldn't take his eyes off your perfect figure and pretty little face. Dare I say you caught a shine.” He laughed lewdly with a slight shrug, “Although he doesn't know how much of a pain you truly are. I didn’t tell him though, that’s up to him to find out.” He trailed off at the sight of the stern expression on her face - there was an intent to kill."If you wanna say something, go ahead and say it. I’m listening
Klaus’s fingers combed through his dark hair in a bid of frustration, while he tilted his head up to the night sky. There were barely any stars in the sky which felt nostalgic, compared to how it was back home.He’d been stuck at the port for over three hours already, supervising his goods in order to make sure none of them were stolen by the workers who’d been moving cargos all day. Although he could send someone else - he’d preferred to do it himself to ensure humans didn’t intrude, this rowdy business at all.His kind was too untrustworthy to put complete faith in, especially whilst moving the cathodes which contained special contents and loads of cash too.Their greed could cause them to loot a handful of goods in his absence, but his hearing was good enough to tell when any worker started moving off track.And he couldn’t send humans, to supervise demons as they could get aggressive towards the human ordering them around, and if the latter got a bit too curious and decide to tak
After running through the partial darkness for a while, Arabella stopped to catch her breath. She crouched over with both hands on her knees as she panted for air.That man… Although she couldn’t make out his face, his voice came off as though he’d been trying to seduce her, and that alone sent chills through her body. Anyways she vowed she wouldn’t see him again.He gave the vibe of a very dangerous and mysterious being, and that was all she needed to steer clear of the stranger she didn’t even see clearly. After being known as the ‘rag girl’ in high school, she’d grown accustomed to males speaking harshly to her.Her uncle Grayson was no exception to this too.Not just males to but the female students also made fun of her because she always looked like a mess, and if they ever caught her speaking with a boy… no matter the reason, they’d tease the guy till he began to hate her.Over time, she’d become quiet and withdrawn with the mindset that people were so trashy. When others atte
“Yes, close the gates.” The voice of a man called out close to the back of the van where Arabella was before opening it up and leaving.The screeching noise woke the young woman from her short-lived sleep. “Ugh…” She groaned lowly slightly opening her eyes to find light pouring in through the gaps in the wooden crate. The fact that she could fall asleep in such an uncomfortable position, just went to show how tired she’d been after days of barely any sleep and yawning, she lowered her face to think for a moment. She recalled being carried towards the ship, but then the vehicle moving sounded like they were on the road for a while, and then she had no idea when she had fallen asleep, but now she was wide awake and so she was curious to find out just exactly where she was.The noise from earlier seemed to have calmed down so it was probably okay to take a peek outside, but then she was was still in the crate, and worst-case scenario would be if they nailed the lid of the wooden box s
“A pleasant surprise, is it not?” Klaus arched a mused brow, watching as the girl struggled against the strong grip of the men holding her. He had to admit it.He wasn't used to surprises, hell! Nothing could ever take that element. But this one? The puny young female in front of him was different.Her audacity was enthralling, intriguing. She glared at him, hunger, anger, pain and fear, all ladened in two brown orbs.His dark eyes scanned her small lanky frame, her thin bones that he could snap in the blink of an eye and at the thought he growled ferociously. His men had brought her to her knees, yet there was a strong and stubborn resolve in her, a fire that would not be easily quenched."So, I was right after all, when I saw you earlier. You were lying." He allowed his voice to remain calm, even though he was currently raging inside. His demon was reacting to her in ways he did not expect, in ways he did not like or did he? Seeing her on her knees... it did something to him."I wa
The voices in Arabella’s head continued to scream at her. She was stuck at a crossroad, and she did not know what path she was going to take. What the hell had she just said? Agreeing to his words almost immediately. Damn but she was a fool!Rubbing her palms against her ragged clothes, her heart thumping in her chest, she looked down to the floor. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, but she made no effort to wipe them off. She allowed them run down her face until she tasted the drops at the top of her lower lip; salty and sour, just how she was feeling at that moment.Her heart squeezed in her chest until she could barely breathe. Scorching and burning drops of tears threatened to rush down her eyes, and even though she fought it with everything she had, she eventually gave up.There was one truth that she could not deny though; if he killed her, it will all be over. All of it. She and her memories - that is if there was anyone to remember her - would be gone with the wind.
Klaus strangely saw it all. He saw all the emotions he had intended to evoke in her. He saw her fear when she felt the cold metal barrel of the gun kiss the back of her skull.He saw her raw and unfiltered anger when he had pronounced her a slave. He saw her helplessness, her confusion, and by the devils he was loving every moment of it.Seeing her brown eyes sparkle with all those deep emotions, smelling the sorrow that emanated from her soul, the pain that showed in her eyes, the anger that burnt within her like a fiery flame, all of this fed his soul, and he knew it wasn’t supposed to be a think of joy, but he was a demon after all and only pain and dark things brightened his spirit.Every single thing she was going through now, brought joy to his heart.He had never felt such a manner of raw excitement from a girl as young as she was. She was stubborn, her spirit would be hard to tame, but he would love every moment of it.Just as he would love to peel the layer of innocence off h
Arabella was in the kitchen, surrounded by pots and pans, chopping boards and ingredients scattered all over the counter. She was in the middle of preparing a meal for Klaus and the rest of the family, despite Mrs. George's warmings due to her condition, when she suddenly felt a warm gush between her legs. She does not make anything of it at first, and continues chopping away on the vegetables in front of her, until the contractions in her lower abdomen grow more frequent, and much more painful. The warm gush continues to trickle down her legs, contrary to what she had believed would happen. Her eyes widen with shock and fear as she realizes that her water has just broken. She quickly moves to the kitchen table and tries to catch her breath, trying to remember what she had read in her prenatal classes about the first stages of labor. She screams and reaches out for the kitchen counter. She grips it with her right hand, and fights to suck in deep breaths. She realizes that it's t
The baby shower was to be held in a beautifully decorated backyard, surrounded by blooming flowers and lush green trees. The warm sun shone down on the guests as they gathered around a table filled with delicious treats and colorful decorations. The table was covered in a crisp white tablecloth and adorned with pink and blue balloons, symbolizing the impending arrival of a baby girl and boy. Soft music played in the background, adding to the serene and joyous atmosphere.Klaus had made sure everything was done to perfection. From the decorations, to the food, to the cakes, everything was arranged in an elegant and luxurious manner. He had also decided to cater to the planning by himself. Arabella's hormones made her too emotional and dramatic to get any serious planning done. And he also did not want to stress her. In one corner of the yard, a group of guests sat on comfortable chairs, chatting and laughing together. They sipped on cool drinks and nibbled on sweet desserts, taking
Six months later The beeping sound of monitors could not take Arabella's eyes off the beauty on the screen in front of her. She could barely understand or see anything, seeing as the image on the screen was in black and white monochrome colours, but she knew what she was looking at. There, on that screen, she would see the image of her baby. She turned to look at Klaus, who was seated by her side. Together, they blushed as the doctor explained the image on the screen to them. The baby was already seven months in her womb, before Mrs. George suggested they make time out for an ultrasound scan. At first Arabella had not known what she meant, it was her first time being pregnant after all, but Klaus was able to explain to her the benefit of doing one, before she agreed to come all the way to the hospital. She was nervous when the doctor asked her to pull her shirt up, and rubbed a transparent liquid that smelt a lot like methylated spirit, but felt like gel on her stomach. A few
A diamond heart shaped ring stared back at her, glistering from within the red crystal shaped box it rested in. For a moment, a very long moment, Arabella could not blink. No matter how hard she wanted to tear her gaze away from the ring, and look into the eyes of the man she loved, she found herself unable to do anything else, besides stare into the eyes of the ring. When she could finally look away from the ring, it was to glance around the room once more. The rose petals, the candles, the daisies, the lights on the roof that screamed, "marry me, please", the piano recorder, the scent and aroma of love and romance that filled the room. He had singlehandedly prepared all of this, just to ask her to marry him?! He was really telling her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and never apart, not even for a small moment! Arabella…Arabella did not know what to say, she was at a loss for both words and actions! The room spinned around her head, and she failed to be
Laughter, the sweet sound of chattering children erupted from all around her. Once again, Arabella opened her sleepy eyes to find herself in a sunny field of dandelions, all around her. The air was sweet and breezy, each part of the field contained different flowers, she was happy to be standing amongst dandelions. She looked up at the sky, and her eyes met with the bright blue clouds. Arabella was happy, very happy. It gladdened her heart to see somewhere filled with joy and happiness, and it only became better when she noticed the happy children running all around her. "Come on! Let us play!" One of them, a pretty little girl with dark hair and round brown eyes pulled the hem of her night dress. Arabella smiled at her. The girl let go of her dress, and joined the other children to run around. There were five of them in total, three boys and two girls. "Come on! Come on!" "We are going to have so much fun together!" "I cannot wait! Can you see it? Let us run to the sun and pl
The party was a success, and Klaus knew he had to thank the universe for blessing him with such good luck. If he was being honest, it meant a lot to him that his people had shown up to support he and Arabella. It meant that he could stop to imagine waging war with the entire underworld, because he would have done so if that was what it took to keep Arabella safe. As they drove back home, Arabella leaned her head on his right shoulder, while her hand rested on his thigh. He could tell she was exhausted, and he knew why. Klaus found himself blushing at the thought of all that had happened with Arabella at the party hall. After sneaking away with her, he took her into an empty room, where he made love to her with her back pressed against the wall. He was gentle, as gentle as he needed to be, knowing that he could not be too rough, or he could risk hurting her and the baby. And Arabella? She responded to his body in a way he had never thought possible. Her body reacted to every kiss
The first thirty minutes of the party went well, and she was yet to feel the burning urge to turn around and run, that had to count for something, right? Right. Klaus walked into the banquet hall beside her, hand in hand. Mrs. George followed them behind, she was here to make Arabella more comfortable. She knew it was the only reason she would have been asked to come along with them to a party or a feast, that really did not concern her. Arabella forced her mouth close once she stepped into the hall. The high red polished walls, large round table that contained nothing less than fifty people, the meals placed on the table, and the furniture; from the gargoyle sculptures, to the exquisite chandeliers, and the punch fountain that looked so beautiful at the center of the table, all of it made the room appear so dreamy. Arabella had never seen anything like it before. It did not take her long to know that the people in the room were not ordinary. Of course, they were demons, but this
The day had finally arrived. Klaus and Arabella had both agreed she would meet his people on the evening of the weekend, and since then, Klaus had counted down the seconds and minutes that would lead them up to that very moment. That evening, while she was getting ready, Klaus went over the details of the meeting once more."We will be meeting them at the banquet hall." He started to say. Arabella had dropped her brush on the dressing table, to turn to look at him. Klaus did not pay attention to the look in her eyes, he was terrified of what he would find; something like fear, that would make him back down. "A feast has been prepared. You would be dining with us, Arabella." Klaus could remember seeing her smile. He had a feeling the smile was to tell him to be calm, to reassure him that everything was going to be alright. To tell him that she could be strong enough for the both of them, it did not matter how, or what she needed to be strong for. As he paced about in the balcony
Arabella stayed behind at the table to finish her meal with Mrs. George. After father and son had both excused themselves, Arabella and Mrs. George stayed back to enjoy their dinner in peace. Maybe Mrs. George was able to eat in peace, but Arabella was not. All the while, she kept on thinking about what Klaus's father had intended to ask her, and what the answer to the question would have been. Mrs. George looked up at her at one point, a small smile on her face. "I do not think you should beat yourself up about it, Arabella. If it was anything very important, you should know master Klaus would never keep it away from you." Arabella dropped her fork, and cleared her throat. She stared deep into Mrs. George's eyes, before speaking. "I know, I know. But I can't stop myself from worrying. It sucks, it really does." Mrs. George heaved a sigh. She reached out to Arabella and touched her wrist gently. "You'll be alright, my dear. That is all I really need you to know." Arabella did