BOOK 2 of 'The TAMED Series'. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sorah is used to being hated; she has been hated since birth. Considered and outcast, and confined to an old cottage, her life is lonely and unfulfilling. Born into a reputable Vampire Hunter family, she is scorned for having no talent or skill. This makes her feel undeserving of a better life and spikes her fear of men. So why does she choose to help a total stranger who stumbles into her back lawn and dare defy her fear by bringing him into her cottage? Andrea is a prodigal son of a noble Vampire family, and an ex-rogue Vampire on a bloodlust spree who bears a curse that turns Human blood into the deadliest poison for him. He abhors responsibilities and believes Vampires have no emotions. And any Vampire Hunter who is misfortunate to cross his path, meets a gruesome fate. Sorah is suppose to uphold her fear for men and not dream of ever uplifting her life. So why does this blood-sucking fiend entice her so much? Love between a Human and a Vampire? Don’t be ridiculous! Can Sorah continue to deny her stirring desires or be tempted by those guile crimsons into spilling more than her grave secret and becoming the elixir capable of absolving the Vampire’s deadly affliction?
View MoreBOOK 2 of 'The TAMED Series'
~~~Sorah’s POV.-“My lady, please wake up”A voice calls out to me from afar, breaking through the rainbow clouds of my scintillating little world and scrunching the lazy muscles of my face.I recognize this vague voice, it’s the same one that truncates my merry dreams every morning of every day in my life.The voice of my loyal handmaid.“My lady, you need to wake up and get prepared for breakfast at the mansion”Grumbling and moaning in defiance was my usual response, one I’m still not willing to grow out of.But not today.I rise like a creature under a summon and twist my neck aside to where my caller’s at in a crouch. Her chocolate-brown face lights up with a gentle smile and I hasten out of my thermal layers of blankets.“What’s with the sudden urgency, Mei?” I speed to my dresser and cringe at the dowdy reflection of myself in the mirror hanging against the wall and above the dresser.My fingers work themselves with untangling my messy golden curls and I peer lower to see Mei bowing her head in the mirror as she relays her response dutifully, “My lady, the Mistress adjusted the schedule for today and ordered the kitchen to prepare breakfast an hour early.”I turn my head this way and that, tilting it down to the left to actively attack a huge ball of tangled golden locks with a frown on my face.“Please prepare my bath, I can’t go down like this and I can't afford to arrive at the table late”“Right away, My lady”I listen to her rapid steps and the eventual shut of the door, and my hands quit their work to drop down my sides. My eyes hinge on the translucent glinting orbs reflecting in the mirror, and my mood starts to descend into the dark clouds I hide in my heart.For years, I’ve lived alone in this cottage. Away from the rest of my family and loved ones. No, it wasn’t because I was some revered princess who needed to be tucked away from vile eyes. Neither was it because of a chronic ailment. I wasn’t dying any moment, and I wasn’t being punished for an offense either.The only fault I was remanded here since the early age of 5, was because I wasn’t the blood they wanted.The Strauneuffs is a prestigious and gifted family. For generations, they refined the most elite and excellent of Vampire Hunters. Their bloodline is remarkable, and their talents, rare per se. Every other reputable family falls second and could never bolster the expertise to rival their unshaken position in society.My mother is the only daughter of the legend, Mona Armin, who was the most exceptional of male and female Hunters alike. She garnered endless lauds and awards for her esteemed name.Perhaps, that was the only Hunter who single-handedly stood on equals with the Strauneuffs and challenged their honor.That must’ve been why they were eager to have my mother married into their family. So they could cultivate her exceptional genes and birth a new generation of elite warriors who would shake the world.My mother, Morgana Anthens, and my father, Ulysses Strauneuff, are blessed with four children and cursed with one.It's a disgraceful flaw to the reputable family to have birthed a child who is deficient in the prodigious genes and innate talent that the family boasts of.I'm a fourth child with a younger sister behind me. Now that I think about it, I should’ve been the last, so I would’ve clearly gotten that demotion since I was practically the last at every other thing.“My lady, your bath is ready. Please, hurry up. The Mistress will be displeased”Mei’s pensive fit brings me away from the dresser and strides toward her. I might not have the golden genes my family is haywire about, but I have one thing that hurt my mother more than a cancerous ailment.I'm her mirror reflection; her clone.Mei pulls me through a series of dresses while I tend to my wild hair with the only old hairbrush I owned. My unruly curls even threaten to tangle the brush like the way those giant octopuses seized and capsized pirate ships back in those days, and I argue with it and pull at it until Mei leaves the disarrayed wardrobe and darts to my rescue.Morgana Anthens loves her children and is passionate about molding them to be the best Vampire Hunters out there.Lucky for her, her first child is a girl who now reigns in her mother’s glory and more. Erza is the best in the family, and my two older brothers are racing closely after her.None of my siblings look like my mother at all, not the graceful illuminating platinum golden locks of hair, the snow-draped flawless skin, the pointed nose, enchanting large jade-green orbs, enamoring face with high cheekbones, nor the grace in her slender and tall frame. Even her modest voice.Maybe what I don’t have in common with her is the assertive edge in her voice and the cold corners in her eyes whenever she sights me.Morgana Anthens desired to have a child who would inherit her genes to perfection as she had inherited them from Mona Armin.That’s why she despises me especially. I’m the only child who mirrors her physical characteristics and ruined her precious talent seedlings.Mei steps away after brushing my hair back, and I hear her soft voice comment with pleasure, “My lady, you look as dashing today as well. Too bad the one expectant of a suitor is you”.I find her comment rather amusing and show it in the smile I pull while rising from the chair before the dresser. With my golden hair flowing down my back and not mimicking bed nests, I look just as I had glimpsed in an old photo album where my mother was captured on a similar morning like this.It’s a cotton white dress with the finest of embroidery that was handed down to me by my most respected and beloved grandmother, Mona Anthens.That’s the only true relative that adored my existence and cherished it till her last breath.~Mei and I arrive at the Strauneuff mansion and the air respiring through my body becomes colder than winter frosts.This place is my sacrificial altar. I’m often laid bare and lashed with the most venomous of words and scarred by the scorn and hate in their eyes.They say we never get used to pain, no, it was toxic. One should never have to be tortured so to the point where one just cave in and start to crave even more of it. But each day, with the same routine reiterating to no visible end, I was once rearing towards that craving.“My lady, have your seat”Upon our arrival at the grand dining hall, all the chatter dies, and scornful eyes cynosure my way. My shoulders would shudder and my heart would clench with painful palpitations. Sometimes, my head spun and my breath ceased at intervals.I count my steps to the spot I had at the classic dining table laden with beautiful carvings on the surface. The hall is pin-drop silent and all that echoes in my ears are the soft taps of my flat shoes as even the shortest distance to my seat feels like I’m taking a walk around the estate.“You’re late to breakfast, Sorah”That’s mother’s snort and I cower in and halt in my steps. Mei emulates the same as I lift my head to meet the scorn of the woman who birthed her curse and still won’t relieve herself of it. She’s as dashing as I look, despite the displeasure crumpling her face.Mother occupies the high seat beside father, and they both give me stares that constantly bear down on my heart and soul that I’m nothing but a burden they’re putting up with. I’m not something they will keep for long. Soon, I’ll be kicked out to go seek shelter and sustenance for myself.My life is running an impending countdown.“I deeply apologize, mother. It won’t happen again” I do this with a curt bow and hear her empty huff which serves as a signal of dismissal. I proceed to my seat at the far end, isolated and lonesome.Mei perches beside me quickly. The servants never eat with us, they eat their meals after we did. I yearn for Mei’s sitting, so I won’t be this blatantly shunned, but this isn’t my cottage and the rules of the Strauneuff household are rigid.“Erza’s received the invitation, she wouldn’t miss your big day for anything” My elder brother, and the first son of the family, Yasha, speaks with delight and I lift my head from my served meal to peek across at them.Stella, my younger sister, straightens her shoulders smugly and fixes a huge smile on her freckled face. Stella relishes in her air of confidence as she announces, “Erza promised to procure the dress for me, and that too, while she’s only returned from a vampire hunt”.That’s right, my younger sister is getting married and in four days at that. Stella is 20, and only four years younger than me. After I was birthed and the family fell into anguish, my mother conceived again and Stella’s birth averted the affliction.Erza is married and already has a family of her own. She lives far away and her heroic achievements are often boasted about over times like this.After all, she’s the undisputed pride of the family.I absently and dejectedly eat my meal while peeking at the hearty conversation issuing on the lively half of the table. Stella’s so elated about her wedding and is particularly loquacious today. Her smiles are luminous and her voice is rich with emotions. It’s rare to see her like this.Since childhood, Stella hated me differently. She was most aggressive and satisfied herself when she injured me. She was a wild one, and despite her antagonistic treatment towards me, I’m deeply worried and concerned for her.Her fiancé is the infamous Eliot Serhin. No one pays heed to his repugnant lifestyle since his performance as an excellent Hunter coats over it. But I was wary of his character when I listened to Mei reading me the News headlines and accounting for each Hunter’s achievements.I’m not allowed to own a television or a phone, so I rely on a radio or would send Mei to go get one out of the Newspapers that arrive in the mornings.The world outside the estate is one I’m curious to explore, but banned by my family from ever setting a foot out to. I only know the many ends of the expanse of the estate and nothing more.Oh, save for the woods that span behind the fence close to the back of the old cottage.I remain in my seat until they’ve all left, finally having the chance to offload the weight on my chest with a deep exhale.I look and find Mei with a crestfallen demeanor and I source a rueful smile. Mei has been by my side since the day grandmother took her in when we were children. And together, we live in my lonely but cozy cottage.The entire mansion is booming with the elation of Stella’s wedding and I excuse myself back to the cottage where I have a lot planned out to do.“Upma”I call out gently, getting out of the cottage through the back door. My eyes sweep the backyard curiously and my ears perk up as I avert my gaze to the thick tree branch over the roof of the cottage. It’s from an old large Oak tree that yearns a branch over the fence and across the cottage. Its large branch now serves as a bridge for the creature I’m calling out to.Shortly after my call, the leaves begin to tremble and the snaps of twigs fill the air. Birds squeal and fly off while I grin and rest my back against the door.“Hey, Upma”Sorah’s POV.- “You’re all dismissed.” “Yes ma’am.” Sighing, I relax tiredly into the comfort of the leather swivel chair I’m sitting on and listen to the collective sound of feet filing out of my office. Shutting my eyes briefly and reopening them, I twirl a bit away from the exhausting documents strewn over my desk. My eyes expand with astonishing surprise to catch the gradual shower of tiny white dots outside the window. The first snow of the year. Swiftly, I’m twirling back to face my desk, resisting the urge to cringe at the untidy paperwork. Might as well tidy them up a little before I go pick up the kids from school. A warm smile dyes over my face when my eyes float towards the picture frame standing to the farther left of the large and busy desk. How many years has it been? Hmmm, ten, huh? My thumb caresses the glass over the family picture taken five years ago as I continue to smile warmly, reminiscing the moment it was taken. Me, my mate, and our two beautiful girls o
Sorah’s POV.-“Do you want to get married too, Sorah?”W-what is he suddenly saying to me? I flush bashfully and look away while fretting anxiously. I so wasn’t expecting he’d drop such a line that’s unlike his crude nature. To get married...I abolished the concept when I got into that miserable bind with Devon and refrained from getting swayed ever since.Timidly peeking at him, I think I can make an exception now. So I try with a playful tone, “What, will you be that willing to walk down the aisle with me?”He stands up abruptly, startling me with his haste. Without sparing me a glance, he speaks stiffly, “Your break should be over now, you’ve stayed out from the reception party long enough.”Well, I’m not surprised at his aloof response. Only that this time, instead of excusing it for consideration of his tangled and ambiguous feelings, I feel a prickle of sadness piercing through the back of my heart. As I watch him stretch the distance between us, thin strands of my
Sorah’s POV.-I watch the heavy downpour from my position by the window. It’s been raining for over an hour, and I haven’t left this spot since it began. The torrent is so heavy that it blurs everything out there and makes it seem as if nighttime is forthcoming.“How long are you gonna keep standing there gloomy for?” Andreas’ grumpy voice sails towards my ears and I reluctantly bring myself to make a turnaround so I can see him. Smiling simply, I respond with a suggestion, “When the rain stops, let’s go for a walk outside.”He raises a brow and furrows his face, giving me the look that insinuates I must be crazy. I giggle and use a hand to push the thin curtain from my body to walk over to him. “Why don’t we go meet everyone downstairs?” I skillfully link my arm in his and smile when he huffs, “I think it’s best you return to your rain-watching hobby.”After we’d all left that dreary cavern that day, we were surprised to discover the other Demons and a few notable Hunter fa
Sorah’s POV.-“We’re sinking in!”My word! The entire floor is converting into muddy sludge, and it’s gradually moving in a malleable manner to immerse us all. At this rate, I might not be able to help Dyrean.“Sorah! Olav! It’s a quicksand, refrain from struggling or you’ll sink in faster!”“Dammit,” Olav curses under his breath after hearing what Father just hollered over. “Is there no way to get out of this?” He begins to look around, the malleable floor sinking his feet.I and Dyrean are not in favorable conditions. While he’s confined to sit on the floor with the sludge consuming his legs and nipping at his hips, I’m on my knees, and right now, my legs are in with my thighs gradually plunging.“Stella, stop struggling! You’ll sink!” I hear Yasha holler and turn around to see Stella furiously moving her body and gnashing her teeth. She refuses to listen and continues to move her body and the consequences come immediately.“Ah!” She yelps when the sludge suddenly ri
Sorah’s POV.-“I should just kill you instead.”Devon begins to tighten his grip around my neck, cutting my airways and leaving me gasping with terror. I struggle wildly, exerting my all to try to push him but he’s too strong for me. My mind starts to sway as the glower on his face grows darker.‘Andreas!’ I scream mentally, digging my nails into the skin of his hands and scrapping off flesh. Devon groans but is adamant about strangling me. Wheezing with eyelids shutting and opening drowsily, his vicious grip suddenly vacates my neck and I crumble to the floor.Wheezing, gasping, coughing, and panting...My shaky hands massage my neck as I shudder from the pain. He really meant to kill me just now? My body feels so weak from putting up a fight as I struggle to get back on my feet.‘Lady Sorah, are you alright?’ I hear Dyrean’s voice in my head and I nod as I grip the edge of the altar to steady myself. ‘T-thanks, Dyrean’.That was a close call. Steadying my breath, I’m d
Sorah’s POV.-“You were the closest to her! How couldn’t you prevent her from doing it?”“She pulled a smart one on us, tch. The little power we’ve extracted can only invigorate fifty of them”“Sorah!- What did you do to her?!”Initially, as I start to feel my consciousness wane, and the immense pain throbbing from my tongue, these mesh of alarmed voices swirl in my mind until it all goes quiet and I’m drawn into a painless sleep. In the end, I did something outrageous. I wonder if my family must be mad at me.Mei had read me a tragic story from a Newspaper one time in the past. A teen had bitten her tongue in desperate need to flee from a rapist who caught her. Only that story ended with her sad death and her assailant, arrested.I can’t feel anything. Did I jam too hard and cut my tongue off? That’s gonna be so bad. I’ve never rejoined any body parts with my power before. Ah...I feel like I’m falling. Is this it for me? I finally got the chance to mend my broken bond wit
Sorah's POV.-“None of you are making it out of here alive, Sorah.”"Let her go, Devon. She should meet her family and enjoy their last moments together" Deneve waves her hand with dismissal, informing Devon to release his adamant hold on my arm.I scoff at him, scrambling quickly away from him while rubbing the spot on my arm he was holding. "Go on, dear," Deneve cajoles in a sickly sweet voice that sends my skin crawling. "Commence your mirthful reunion."I pass my disdain from her son to her, ambling gradually away from the malicious duo and backing up to where my family is huddled up. I see Stella is free as well and she races to where I am."Are you okay, Sorah?" She whispers worriedly and I nod, calming my racing nerves that make me feel a bit dizzy. Stella gives me a tight smile and brings me to turn around to face our family. My breath catches on impulse, my eyes quiver open wider, and I lose my voice.My mother looks so solemn and remorseful as she struggles to meet my eye
Sorah’s POV.-We’re left in this odious cell, thrown flat to the cold concrete floor to emphatically inculcate some manners. I groan as I heave my body up on my flattened palms, turning my neck to glance around the dim cell. The lighting is so poor and I don’t think there’re any windows at all. Sitting up, I bring an arm to go across my crumpling face.“Stella?” I call, feeling her around me but not trusting my vision at all. I hear scratches of some sort and an angry groan. It’s coming from my right. I move to crawl and bump into something.“It’ll take a while for your eyes to fully adjust. I’m right next to you,” I hear her grouchy voice and rescind to squint my eyes so I can make out her silhouette.“Are you alright?” I inquire anxiously.“I’m good. Only brushed my knee a bit,” She replies. “I’m so gonna get Eliot for this once we make it out of here.”That sounds relieving. I sit on my heels and find my hands over my thighs. I know we’re not alone here since I heard v
Sorah’s POV.-Reluctantly, with pain in my heart, I let his hand slip out of mine to rush out of the room before I change my mind and go running back into his arms. As I hasten through the hallway, I adjust the scarf I set around my shoulders to properly cover the holes in my neck. I’m too weak to heal them yet.I suddenly stop and touch the throbbing spot, permitting images of the recent scene to flash through my mind. I’d offered myself to heal the man I love, not once thinking about the threat to my life. The more he drank from me, the stronger he bulked until he crushed me in his arms and was on the verge of consuming my last breath.I can only hope against all odds, that my blood will not be refuted and it can do excellently to heal him fully and return him to the vile Vampire my heart beats for.Andreas, forgive me for leaving your side and defying your command that I shouldn’t go.I must save my family and prevent more lives from being lost.The instance I enter the
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