The Vampire

chapter 25

Extreme pain causes her to wince in discomfort which falls on deaf ears of soldier whose tight grip doesn't lose one bit around her arm. After what seemed like forever, the carriage stopped and she got pulled out of it but because of being blindfolded she couldn't tell where she was.

She could hear commander Leon hissing in pain and rage but he wasn't complaining anymore. The thought of what fate had in store for them sent shivers down her spine but the other side of her was tired and didn't know what could go more wrong than the death of her beloved mother and them getting caught by the royal soldiers.

Soon big doors creaked open and she felt are the noises shutting down to one big eerie silence. She could hear her cautious footsteps followed by others beside her and behind. She could sense many pair of eyes striking her body like Laser beams which made her extra self conscious and fidgety.

Soon the soldier who was holding her stopped them both and her blindfold was removed revealing a dark but massive hall. The small amount of light was still enough make her shut her eyes to stop it from piercing through her eyeballs.

After her sight got adjusted, she immediately recognized the floors of the halls which were of same design as in Alexandrian castle. She knew it was Alexandrian castle because the entire castle had one beautiful golden theme of floors and pillars supporting the huge ceiling.

But she had never been in this dark hall before. Her eyes fell on -- King Alexander Hastings.

Her breathe got knocked out of her windpipes when she found him glaring at her and someone who she guessed was commander Leon behind her, held by soldiers. His arms were resting on the armrests and his straight and upright posture commanded obedience and respect. But something about the way wrath radiated off his face made her get instant Goosebumps.

Her lip quivered as she analyzed few other men sitting below her on the seats on throne executing deadly aura and she turned back to find Leon held by both arms by two soldiers and his eyes were also trained ahead. There was something unpredictable in his eyes. Something like the moment when someone is standing right in front of his doom and clearly see the storm rushing towards him but somehow his eyes dare the storm to come closer.

Upon sensing her stare, his eyes met hers and an unspoken comfort radiated off of his protective eyes. His eyes kept analyzing hers and she wondered if there was something she had to interpret. Was his heart asking some unspoken question from her?

Suddenly she felt his walls crumbling in front of her and His eyes exposed the uncertainty to her. She leapt towards him to insure him of her love towards him that was coming from her pained heart but soon she got tugged back in her place by the same soldier.

She cried out in pain and commander Leon flared his nostrils at the soldier in anger, "Let her go!" He shouted glaring daggers at the soldier who was once under his command before he ran away to save her from the cruel realities of her life.

Someone cleared his throat loudly and everyone's head snapped towards the thrown to find king intently calculating their exchange,"now now, who do we have here!" His sweet voice was an utter contrast to his enraged expression.

Nobody answered him and a wave of distaste swept past his features as he fixed commander Leon with his gaze in place," as much as I can recall, you've been a loyal commander in royal army for years. Did you find injustice here that compelled you to help my son's betrothed to flee the castle?" His voice held storm brewing under the tone but his glare didn't waver from Leon's face.

Upon the mention of betrothal, the wheels of her head turned and the images of that night with him brought back the terrifying memories.

"She isn't betrothed to prince. He is mistaken." Leon hissed back in response which king didn't take so nicely.

"Do you dare say that my son is mistaken?" King's stance tensed all of a sudden and everyone beside her got alert automatically.

She unmistakably felt a piercing pain slowly but progressively rising at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Her free hand flew up to the spot and she tried to rub the pain away but the flesh there started heating up and seemed not to ease back at any cost.

"All I'm saying, my Lord, is that, she isn't who everyone thinks she is. She was personal maid to the-" before commander Leon could finish his explanation, he was cut short by King's furious growl of disapproval.

"How dare you address her so little as maid. You crossed all the lines here and I will not show anymore patience towards you,"
King declared then turned to address his soldiers," put him in prison and show him his place so that he never disgraces a royal in his remaining lifetime." King utterly ignorant of Skye's true identity shot orders of captivity for commander Leon who started dragging him towards another set of doors away from her.

But before she could process everything, a cry of agony escaped her lips as piercing pain shot through that one spot on her neck and when she opened her eyes, her eyes widened in acknowledgement of someone now standing right beside the thrown.

Prince Raine Hastings.

His stare was fixed right at her and she could feel him diving deep inside her soul without the need of any permission or consent. He had black over coat that hung low on his knees covering black pants and black boots. His jet black hair were slicked back but at the same time few strands were allowed to be unruly and falling over his stormy grey eyes which were now set on the hand of a soldier holding her arm.

"Get your filthy hand off of her!" His voiced boomed inside the halls and dangerously echoed back to everyone as if set on a threatening killing spree.

The soldier abruptly removed his hand from her arm in panic and now his eyes settled back on her -frowning in pain-face. The pain at her neck spot was getting unbearable and her face was contorted as her body refused to cure it in anyway possible.

As if realization hit his eyes because they lit up reflecting a sparkle of satisfaction and pride and that sparkle entranced her into his soul. She felt his soul calling to hers from deep down ocean. Her feet started moving on their own at the call, regardless of who the caller was as she just got lost in the call.

She didn't realize how she closed up the distance between both of them because when his arms wrapped around her, caging her weak body in his strong and captivating embrace, she jerked out of her hypnotized state.

A smirk grew on his lips as if he had just tasted victory after decades. She felt a sense of familiarity in his vicinity as if all she had been living in the past days was just a lie and deception and she hadn't understood the true meaning of life up until now.

But piercing pain didn't let her dwell on the fact that she was imprisoned back in the same set of arms because another wave of torture arose at the same spot. Her lips trembled as a silent whimper escaped through her soft lips which was only meant for him to hear.

His eyes narrowed in concern at her blurry eyes from tears that were now focused at him just like a child in pain looking up to his guardian for the cure. But she didn't know what was she finding cure for.

The cure of this painful craving.

His hand slowly made its way towards her neck, resting on the aching spot and a memory returned to her of the night when both of them were in the same position and this was the spot where he claimed him by biting down at her flesh.

As if recognizing the touch of its owner, her pain started slowly dissipating away as he kept rubbing at her flesh sensually while looking deep down inside her eyes as if in search of her soul and much more that she could not comprehend.

Wave of relief passed her features and he flashed a smile at her. A smile appeared on her lips before she could stop it and soon she realized she was losing control not only on her traitorous body but also on her consciousness and a blanket of darkness started enveloping her in his possessive embrace and the last words she heard coming from his lips as his eyes still didn't part from hers brought back the reality towards her that knocked her senses down completely.

"Mine." All she could hear was this rolling off of his lips before she fell unconscious in his embrace.

____________________________________