“Don’t go!” the old man shouted behind her. Danica didn’t look back. She knew it! He didn’t want her to know what his prince was doing. It must be Marcus! She removed her heels, for they were slowing her down.The scream kept coming. Bastard! She cussed in anger and fear for her friend, running past numerous rooms. The further she went, the grimmer the hallway became. Along the twists and turns, there was nobody else, none of the guests were here, given there was no noise apart from that voice and loud slams coming from one place. The Doors were closed. She had to navigate depending on her ears. The last door was open.“PLEASE!” Marcus’s voice was raw, unrecognizable. An impact shook the walls, and she entered.She found him on the floor, face down. Danica had a pistol in her hand; she aimed it at the torturer, him, who didn’t seem concerned by her presence. “You shouldn’t be here,” reprimanded Reign, picking him up with one hand. He threw him to the opposite wall. This was the slam
Throughout the forest, bats, raccoons, and every nocturnal animal scurried away, some bumping into one another. They were freaked by the new presence. Steve fidgeted. Fear mingled with something else took over his features. Unlike him, his guest was relaxed. His chest, which had been as still as of a statue, suddenly started to rise and fall. He was taking in the night air although he was not a breathing creature. “You demons are not so different from ghouls. Poor taste in food. I wonder who that used to be,” the figure muttered, almost to himself. “Ah… probably someone who came jogging in the middle of nowhere, the shoes and the sweats. Mortals, an exaggerated sense of safety they have.”Steve took a step back as the other person moved. “Wh—why are you here?” he stuttered. “I have no business with you, your highness.”Your highness the vampire prince, stepped on a branch. The snap sent Steve scampering away. In his demonic speed, he was quite fast, nearly escaping into the trees, a
“Hold on,” she informed, as if the cat could understand her. “I’ll remove it.”She petted her to calm her and unstuck the fabric. She was about to throw it away, thinking it to be some torn cloth when the silky touch made her hesitate. It was so smooth and fluid. She took a second glance. A handkerchief, beige and looking new, despite the dust and the pinholes where the claws had gone through. She didn’t own it. Danica went stiff, recalling who might own it. “You look so innocent right now,” he had said. The way he took it out of his pocket while staring into her eyes. The manipulative owner of this handkerchief. She threw it away as though it hurt her. “Ugh!” she cried out, anger and embarrassment filling her heart. She had been under his control completely, couldn’t even move. And, and…How could he?! That was all real. Her, a hunter who had always stood her ground, he played with her like she was not a human or a person who could feel and hurt. She hated him. She hated him so mu
Her claws nearly gouged her eyes out. Danica ended up face-down on the carpet to get away from her. Before she could get up, Audrey yanked her up and threw her to the settee. She saw the stars, and her back stung. The claws had scratched her skin. “Poor doggy, what are you gonna do now? Shake your tail?” she gloated. “Hoping for his highness to save you?”“Nobody has to save me.” She reached for her boots. “You think I’d spare you? Your blood smells bad I wouldn’t—”She had thrown a wooden stake at her; the only weapon she had been able to bring into the hotel. As it pierced Audrey’s arm, she exited the room before her security guards realized what was going on. The wood would paralyze her temporarily. She walked as fast as she could to avoid suspicions. When she was in the lobby, they caught up. Never in her life, had she run faster than this. Her phone rang.“Hello, Marie.”“What are you hunting today? I’m coming with you.”“No hunting.”“Why are you breathing so fast?”“I’m run
He just locked her in the house with him. Her finger trembled at the trigger. It would not hit him. It would only anger him. “Put the gun down.”He knew what she was doing. She obeyed.He turned to face her. “I am making beef stroganoff. Do you like it?”“I do.” Later, she reminded herself. She would take her rev—. She caught her thoughts abruptly. He could read her mind. Was he doing that now? A hint of a smile dwelled on his lips.“I’m actually bad at it. You see, I’m not used to this. I’ve prepared everything that needs to be cooked, though.” He gestured at the bowls behind him. “We need to talk over dinner.”“About what? Tell me now!”He was instantly before her. Startled, she aimed the gun at him again. His fingers were over hers, removing her grasp from it by one digit after another. She gasped, not from hurt. It was not painful. Merely engulfed with his presence: the way he overcame her easily every time.“Breath in. Breath out. You’re breathing too fast,” he drawled, holding
As soon as it hit him, she dropped the gun. She didn’t mean it. A wet spot darkened on the back of his crimson shirt; he released Sage’s head. ‘You meant it,’ he berated her in her mind. He promised her he’d refrain from doing so. Not to enter her mind. But… she just shot him. He got to his feet without faltering and faced her. Even in the distance, dark disappointment was written over his face: the kind that could make the other person doubt their entire existence. Her eyes lowered from his face to his chest. The gunshot was where his heart was. That was her revenge, wasn’t that? Even if she could believe his claim about the murders, his actions were inexcusable. But, taking his life was not right? Her chest tightened with guilt. A movement flickered. Steve was fleeing from the house. Despite the lethal wound, Reign raised his hand, confining him in his spot. “No. You’re right. I promised you,” he said through his teeth. “I ought to keep that regardless of what you did. I turne
Sophia was rambling on, something about how gorgeous he was, but it was not registering very well to her. The vampire prince in a bar, exclusive or not. Why was he here? The camera-flashing people were shunned away by his vampire bodyguards. This was so exciting, a vampire royal in the same place as her. But, she gripped the glass, remembering a photograph. Danica and him, in his garden. She read all the tabloids and one of them had this blurry photograph where he was standing side by side with a woman in an emerald dress. Only she recognized her. That was infuriating how a skunk as her could be in his presence. She was dying to know what their relationship was. She used to be childish and naïve. She had grown up after Dave died. Danica must suffer. “Why is he here?” pondered Sophia.“Maybe it’s because of me. I have three hundred thousand followers on Instagram. God has sent me a blessing after all my suffering,” she shook off her hair.Sophia choked on her drink. “Why else would
Hello, everyone. Sorry for the break. Something urgent came up and also I am a little ill. I'm resuming the updates this weekend. Thank you for reading my book and all your supports. You guys are really prescious. Not as in Sméagol's precious :) Happy Valentine's Day to You. In any chance you don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend and you loathe the day and all the lovey-dovey stuff, you can go read my sci-fi book Subject 0025. It's under a different account but the same pen name. It's for hardcore sci-fi fans to be honest. I am not sure what I was thinking when I wrote all those stuff. Hardly anybody liked it. Way to promote your own book I guess lol.
When he led her down the stairs, she eyed Marie, who was biting her lips and giving her a conspiratory look. An hour later, she was in his mansion, having lost the crowd at last. Marc and Loyd arrived with Marie, Both whining they would have come sooner if they had known. In the garden, they sat down for dinner, five of them. Reign asked Mr. Hacke to join and the old man cried before he took a seat at the table. “You’re coming with me back to the kingdom, my darling,” he announced, in the middle of their noisy chats.“Am I? Why?” she set down her fork. “Are you…giving me orders? Already?”He tilted his head, candle lights half-shadowing his face. “If you’d love to stay behind, of course you can. I’m not giving you an order. Chaos could break out soon without me or you with the remnants of…” he halted as though searching for words, “my enemy. I simply thought you’d agree with me to come along.”She looked down at her plate.“I’m sorry I brought this up at our engagement dinner.” He k
“Cut!” the director’s voice boomed. Nova slumped her shoulders and dared a peek at his direction. This was the 51st take of one single scene and the sunlight was burning her in her voluptuous Snow White costume. This was how a vampire would feel under the sun, she thought sarcastically. “Snow White’s supposed to be sad thinking about her late mother.” he shook his head. “You looked freaked the hell out. This is her birthday. She is ‘lonely’. Again!” Her jaws felt so stiff, almost paralyzed with trying to get into that sad smile the director wanted for hours straight. Before she was ready, the director shouted, “Action!” She looked at the giant birthday cake and sighed. “Happy 16th Birthday, Princess,” said the co-actress. She smiled wryly, or tried to. Thankfully, it worked! “Cut.” Director Clark rose from the chair. “Good job, everyone.” She exhaled in relief, before slumping down into a nearby chair. For today’s scenes which started at six am in the morning, she had to wake
“Wait, Your Highness! Your outfit! How silly of me.”The woman gestured to her assistants, who gingerly carried what she was going to wear for this evening over to her. She stared at her dress in a daze; it was easily the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. The sleeveless, low-cut dress was neither black nor silver, or both perhaps. It shone whenever it moved in their hands. Delicate forest green laces were sprinkled with…diamonds.She swallowed the urge to refuse it, biting down on her lips not to slip that it was too expensive and she couldn’t accept it. Unlike the other dresses she had received from him, this felt so different. This gorgeous dress was full of his adoration for her; she looked away, blushing at her thought.After she put that on with their help, she stood before the mirror they had removed from her wall. Her lips were a few shades darker than her red hair; her cheeks appeared naturally flushed; and her eyes looked glittering, just like all the jewels over her bod
“What is it?” she questioned, pretending to be angry. “You have nothing to be jealous of, do you?”“I wouldn’t dare, Your Royal Highness,” Marc joked. “It’s just, you guys were not even kissing, but the tension was so high. We were afraid you guys might burn down the building.”“Yep. Yep,” Marie agreed vehemently.“You guys trust him now?” interrupted Sage. “Stop, Sage,” protested Marc, but the other one continued, “And you, you don’t care about her. Why are you even here?”Danica was worried Reign would do something to him and prepared to stand between them.But, he merely responded, “I am starting to regret that I healed you. I probably should’ve let you crippled for your entire life.”She spun around and faced him. “You healed him?!”“Yes, my darling,” he smiled, lighting up the entire apartment, or the entire building perhaps.“The vampire prince—sorry—king could smile?” Loyd remarked, sounding dumbstruck.“I’ve seen him smile,” retorted Marc.“I’ve seen it on the net too. But, i
Patrons went back to their noisy selves although several were still staring at her. “Who cares if you’re someone’s fiancee or not?” he grinned. “By the way, did he tell you? That I saved his life.”“Yeah, Marc is a hero,” said Loyd, looking at him fondly. “He saved the vampire king’s life.”She took the glass Marie was handing her. “Now that I think about it, yeah, he almost told me about you. I think he was saying, “Your friend...” when I started screaming about going back.”“You shouted at him. Now you’re a hero,” Loyd pitched in. She noticed some tables went silent around her. She ignored them and swallowed. The scene in the throne-room from five months ago replayed in her mind.“Thank you, Marc,” she said seriously. “What did you do?”“It’s nothing,” he sighed. “Compared to what he had suffered. I’ve never met someone like… your boyfriend. He’s your boyfriend, right? Excluding Loyd obviously; he is the most amazing. Anyway, I was at the palace gate when the evil vampire king was
After a long, frustrating flight and drive, Danica was finally back in Brickland, Umbre. Along the way, she had yet to meet a single person who did not recognize her as an alleged-criminal-turned-princess. Some stared at her, whispering between one another, and others–especially teenage girls–would surround her and try to take photographs with her, and of her.“I don’t want you to take my pictures. Please. Please!”Nobody gave a damn. They would press their faces next to hers and would take selfies while her face ended up grimacing or contorting. A few would caption their photos and upload them to their social media accounts, right under her eyes.Their hashtags, #withcc, #ccandme #atairport, #milestonemoment, etc., etc. CC meant Cinderella Convict, apparently to someone who practically shouted that to her face. One group of teenage boys even asked her, “Are you hungry now? Do you want to bite me?”“No. I don’t have bloodlusts.”“Really?”They looked disappointed while some girls gav
In the wind, his sentinel cloak was flapping. It tickled her calves below her nightdress. The garden below was in pandemonium just like in the tower. She registered all those noises vaguely while she was too aware of the single presence, the male holding her.“We’re going back in,” he warned.In one swift movement, he lifted both of them back into the tower. Once their feet touched the bathroom floor, he stood face to face with her and leaned down gently, cornering her against the half-broken window. Along the ragged window frame, he placed his hands, seemingly unaware the sun was hurting them.She stared when he spoke, unable to take her eyes off of him.“I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight. It was my fault,” he murmu
That did not surprise her. All of Fragor’s followers hardly consider her a princess anymore since they realized what she was for their king: a device. This sentinel must think the same. He must not feel the need to grace her with a response.She left the chair and went to the wardrobes where she had found the blanket, all along feeling a hawk-like gaze on her back. It seemed her remaining few days would be even more suffocating than her previous days. While Eirene hadn’t given a damn about her well-being, she had kept her good company most days.This new person… she sighed, placing the blanket in the far corner where she had found it. She went to the bed and sat down in the middle. There was no scenery to look out. No sunlight. She had wondered how the sun would feel against her skin since the seal on her arm was gone and she was a hybrid. Hours must have passed while she was sitting on the bed and the person at the door had yet to move at all. She got down from the bed to take a bath
Danica did not blink at the word, ‘the ritual’. She did not care what he was going to do with her. Footsteps retreated and footsteps entered while she did not bother getting up from the floor. Pulling up her hood, her new attendant stopped by the bedside; she did not look like an attendant at all.“You know…” said Eirene. “I came here to kill you.”“I know,” she mumbled. “How do you know?!” her eyes widened.Danica got up, holding onto the edge of the bed to support herself. Her limbs felt heavy after days of no movement. “I saw you in the crowd the other day.”“You couldn’t have possibly known my—”“Here…” she looked at her in his glowing eyes. “I’ve been a hunter for years. I could at least spot someone who wants to kill me. You probably thought I was a dumb bitch, didn’t you? How convenient you want to kill me. Do it now.”Eirene showed her fangs. “No. I changed my mind. You deserve to live suffering.”“Oh…” she breathed, disappointed. “Your father let me in even though he knew I