Crimson Flame ~ Book 1 - The Royal Blood Collection

Chapter 4

I felt hot, stifling hot. And cramped. Almost like I was shoved into a tight and warm spot that was squishy. It was dark, so black that I couldn't see a single thing. I moved and the squishy complained. Shrieking, I tried to sit up, only to hit my head.

"Lay back down," Alaric said softly.

"No." I cried out softly, trying to figure out where I was.

Pushing against the wall, I tried to escape but there was nothing but the constricting walls. Alaric tried to stop me but I struggled against him, escaping his grip as I turned on this odd bed. It was silky soft, padded like a bed but hard like wood. A horrid thought filtered through my mind. Cramped yet soft, warm and tight and so incredibly dark.

"Oh my god I'm in a coffin."

Alaric sighed, shifting his body onto mine. I still struggled, still whined and complained as I tried to find the lid. Tears were forming, it felt like the darkness was suffocating me.

"Get off me," I screamed.

"Shut up for a second Emmeline."

A creaking sound filled the quiet, muted sunlight shone through the crack between the lid and the base. It showed a squinting vampire that was still in the white shirt and jeans. The light showed the silky black lining, slowly sinking back into the inky darkness as Alaric closed the lid.

He shifted again, returning to lay beside me.

"Why?" I said, wiping the tears.

"Because I had to ensure that you'd be safe when you woke. I do remember saying that I'd protect you, Emmeline. Not sure why you insist on making me out to be a monster."

"Are you serious?" I snapped.

Even though it was pitch black, I knew where he was to smack against his chest. Alaric grabbed my wrists and moved us so that I was flat on my back and pinned under him.

"You arrogant bastard. Why did you have to scare the life out of me and bite me?"

"Because it is necessary to make you a hybrid. To the humans, you will be seen as one of them, completely unchanged but to the vampires, they will see one of their own and they won't touch you."

"You said they wouldn't because I would be attached to you."

"Call it an insurance policy. Now, are you going to stop smacking me?"

"Maybe," I grumbled.

Alaric let go of my wrists, moving off my body.

"Tomorrow you can rest in your own coffin and yes, I got one for you. I hope you like pink."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. Not that there was any point.

"You make it sound like I'm a child."

"You are, you're only eighteen."

"I'm an adult," I said petulantly.

"Of course you are."

I rolled over and elbowed him, smiling when I heard him wince.

"I can't wait until the sun goes down, kick you out of my bed. I knew I should have put you in with Nisha."

"Why didn't you?"

"You're supposed to be my partner Emmeline and to have you sleeping with someone else would be wrong."

"No one would know and how is it any different to the pink coffin that you got for me?"

Alaric huffed softly, shifting and making things rather cramped. I rolled back around only to realize that I was almost on top of him. Talk about awkward.