Chapter 1:
Trisha’s P.O.V:
The first thing I noticed as I came to was that I was being suspended by my arms above my head. My arms were stretched up as they supported the weight of my entire body, my feet hanging above ground and the harshness of the rope against my skin was as unwelcome a perception as was the sensation of the absence of my clothes on my body.
I could feel the gentle movement of air around my skin as if there wasn’t any thread of clothing left to prevent the chill. My nipples were pebbled hard and goose bumps appeared on my skin. I couldn’t feel anything else in the room, however. The air was dead silent, with the absence of any scents or movements that could help me figure out where I was. Which meant that I was either on a skyscraper, high enough that even my enhanced hearing couldn’t pick up any noises, or I was in an abandoned area somewhere far away from population which didn’t have enough buildings around it to reflect sound waves. But the only plus point to my situation was, I couldn’t hear any bird songs. Which meant that the sun hadn’t risen…yet.
“Why pretend to be passed out when we both know you aren’t?”
I sucked in a gasp. I knew that voice! I knew it well enough that it had every hair on my body standing on end, making a shiver ran down my spine. And it was not a pleasant feeling at all.
I opened my eyes to a dark room and they immediately fell on the lone figure sitting on a throne like chair not too far away from me. Even though the curtains were drawn with sunlight proof drapes and there wasn’t a hint of light in the room, there was no mistaking that sinister presence, those vibrant green eyes that were lit from within, making them glow in the dark like emeralds and that presence so powerful, it made anyone and everyone run in the opposite direction, as far as possible. Because this was none other than Damien Vandolff, the Vampire King.
Damien was perfection personified. Built the size of a battle tank, a physique to die for and a face so unparalleled in beauty that no one can forget it once they had a look. His hair appeared black in the darkness but I knew that it was originally a very, very dark shade of red. He was the most coveted and the most dangerous creature on the planet. Except, he didn’t just break hearts, he crushed them in the palm of his hands, after ripping it out of the person’s body.
A smile formed on his face. A smile that was as cunning as it was beautiful. “I see you’re standing your ground. You’re more stubborn than I initially apprehended.”
I returned the smile, because if I didn’t hold my own against him, I’d be mincemeat in no time. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re not done yet?”
Damien leaned back on his chair. “I’d say you’re quite right, Ms. Redfern.”
I tilted my head to the side, and it pushed my breasts up even further, but I fought through the urge to feel humiliated. Shame wasn’t something immortals felt often, especially after having lived centuries. And even though I wasn’t nearly as old as Damien, I had seen my fair share of years. “Are we on last name basis again, Damien? I’ll have to say I’m disappointed.”
I know I shouldn’t be pushing the wrong buttons right now but I had valid reasons. I won’t stand down, not when there were several lives on the line. Lives that Damien had sworn to protect but has never acted on his promises, at least not since Vampires became the rulers of Earth, taking over the human race and any other minor supernatural species that exists. The fight had been long and hard and Damien had fought tooth and nail to bring back peace to all the landforms on the planet, but we are on shaky ground once again and Damien has decided to stand by our race alone and abandoned the rest to a cruel fate.
The only reason I was in this position right now was because I had dared to take a stand against him in public. And with the current political conditions, it had seriously affected his rule, making some of the masses, who had been strong and brave enough, to question his decisions.
Good. His ego had needed a jitter after he’d made human slaving legal right after becoming King and has never once thought about abdicating that law even after two centuries had passed under his reign. He needs to get back on the right track.
“You always seen to surprise me, Trisha.” He got off the chair, his face the only thing visible in the darkness, which made me guess he was wearing his usual dark clothing. “We’ve battled countless times in court and I have to say, I’d liked the banter because you usually had a valid point. But this time you’ve gone too far, Trisha Redfern. Your behavior has led several aristocrats to rebel against me.”
“So that’s why you’ve brought me here? To humiliate me? I didn’t think you’d be so low as to rape me into submission!” I knew I was fighting for the greater good, to save an entire race from becoming extinct, but the closer Damien moved to my body, the more I could feel heat pool between my legs. I was no exception to the effect he had on the opposite sex, but right now I needed to fight back if I wanted to get out of this alive, not be wet and ready to do as he pleased. The moment he scents my arousal, he’ll do everything he can to break me.
The next words that he spoke were like a sharp knife against my skin and I felt death whisper in my ears. “Never. Ever. Say that repulsive word in front of me again. Ever!”
His voice was low, spoken through gritted teeth, and I felt every cell in my body grow stiff in response. “Then why am I tied to a pillar, naked?”
“I don’t want to cause a scene by publicly harassing you, Trisha.” His face was inches away from mine, and if I hadn’t been tied up, I probably would have had to look up into those gorgeous gemstone eyes because of how tall he was. “This is me asking very nicely that you drop the case or face the consequences.”
The said case was of an entire human family being slaughtered by an Aristocrat who’s only excuse was that he had been bored and in need of entertainment. But he hadn’t stopped there. He’d kept the youngest son alive only to have him watch his family get killed one by one, his mother having suffered a fate worse than dying before death became her freedom. That boy, Neema, was now under my custody, having escaped that Aristocrats clutches and found his way over to me.
“Never!” I spat.
The smile that followed reassured me that this will be the last thing I’d ever see. A sadistic smile on a hauntingly beautiful face. God was cruel indeed. He always made the predators the most magnificent of beings so they had no trouble attracting innocent prey.
“I had a hunch you would say that. After all, you’ve always chosen the difficult path.”
The next few instances happened in a blink of an eye. Damien pulled out a remote from the back pocket of his pants and pressed a button. A shifting noise came from the ceiling as I followed the motion. The next instant I tried to look past the blinds and realized too late that the sun was already up and the blinds had not only been light-proof but soundproof as well for me to have missed the noises all around me. A thin beam of sunlight streamed down the opening in the ceiling and fell on my body.
And then there was only screams and fire.
Trisha’s P.O.V:
The first thing I noticed as I came to was that I was being suspended by my arms above my head. My arms were stretched up as they supported the weight of my entire body, my feet hanging above ground and the harshness of the rope against my skin was as unwelcome a perception as was the sensation of the absence of my clothes on my body.
I could feel the gentle movement of air around my skin as if there wasn’t any thread of clothing left to prevent the chill. My nipples were pebbled hard and goose bumps appeared on my skin. I couldn’t feel anything else in the room, however. The air was dead silent, with the absence of any scents or movements that could help me figure out where I was. Which meant that I was either on a skyscraper, high enough that even my enhanced hearing couldn’t pick up any noises, or I was in an abandoned area somewhere far away from population which didn’t have enough buildings around it to reflect sound waves. But the only plus point to my situation was, I couldn’t hear any bird songs. Which meant that the sun hadn’t risen…yet.
“Why pretend to be passed out when we both know you aren’t?”
I sucked in a gasp. I knew that voice! I knew it well enough that it had every hair on my body standing on end, making a shiver ran down my spine. And it was not a pleasant feeling at all.
I opened my eyes to a dark room and they immediately fell on the lone figure sitting on a throne like chair not too far away from me. Even though the curtains were drawn with sunlight proof drapes and there wasn’t a hint of light in the room, there was no mistaking that sinister presence, those vibrant green eyes that were lit from within making them glow in the dark and that vibe so powerful, it made anyone and everyone run in the opposite direction, as far as possible. Because this was none other than Damien Vandolff, the Vampire King.
Damien was perfection personified. Built the size of a battle tank, a physique to die for and a face so unparalleled in beauty that no one can forget it once they had a look, he was the most coveted and the most dangerous creature on the planet. Except, he didn’t just break hearts, he crushed them in the palm of his hands, after ripping it out of the person’s body. His hair appeared black in the darkness but I knew that it was originally a very, very dark shade of red.
A smile formed on his face. A smile that was as cunning as it was beautiful. “I see you’re standing your ground. You’re more stubborn than I initially apprehended.”
I returned the smile, because if I didn’t hold my own against him, I’d be mincemeat in no time. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re not done yet?”
Damien leaned back on his chair. “I’d say you’re quite right, Ms. Redfern.”
I tilted my head to the side, and it pushed my breasts up even further, but I fought through the urge to feel humiliated. Shame wasn’t something immortals felt often, especially after having lived centuries. “Are we on last name basis again, Damien? I’ll have to say I’m disappointed.”
I know I shouldn’t be pushing the wrong buttons right now but I had valid reasons. I won’t stand down, not when there were several lives on the line. Lives that Damien had sworn to protect but has never acted on his promises, at least not since Vampires became the rulers of Earth, taking over the human race and any other minor supernatural species that exists. The fight had been long and hard and Damien had fought tooth and nail to bring back peace to all the landforms on the planet, but we are on shaky ground once again and Damien has decided to stand by our race alone and abandoned the rest to a cruel fate.
The only reason I was in this position right now was because I had dared to take a stand against him in public. And with the current political conditions, it had seriously affected his rule, making some of the masses, who had been strong and brave enough, to question his decisions. Good. His ego had needed a jitter after he’d made human slaving legal right after becoming King and has never once thought about abdicating that law even after two centuries had passed under his reign.
“You always seen to surprise me, Trisha.” He got off the chair, his face the only thing visible in the darkness due to his dark clothing. “We’ve battled countless times in court and I have to say, I’d liked the banter because you usually had a valid point. But this time you’ve gone too far, Trisha Redfern. Your behavior has led several aristocrats to rebel against me.”
“So that’s why you’ve brought me here? To humiliate me? I didn’t think you’d be so low as to rape me into submission!” I knew I was fighting for the greater good, to save an entire race from becoming extinct, but the closer Damien moved to my body, the more I could feel myself getting turned on. I was no exception to the effect he had on the opposite sex, but right now I needed to fight back if I wanted to get out of this alive, not be wet and ready to do as he pleased. The moment he scents my arousal, he’ll do everything he can to break me.
The next words that he spoke were like a sharp knife against my skin and I felt death whisper in my ears. “Never. Ever. Say that repulsive word in front of me again. Ever!”
His voice was low, spoken through gritted teeth, and I felt every cell in my body grow stiff in response. “Then why am I tied to a pillar, naked?”
“I don’t want to cause a scene by publicly harassing you, Trisha.” His face was inches away from mine, and if I hadn’t been tied up, I probably would have had to look up into those gorgeous gemstone eyes because of how tall he was. “This is me asking nicely that you drop the case.”
The said case was of an entire human family being slaughtered by an Aristocrat who’d been bored and in need of entertainment. But he hadn’t stopped there. He’d kept the youngest son alive only to violate him in every way possible. That boy, Neema, was now under my custody, having escaped that Aristocrats clutches and found his way over to me.
“Never!” I spat.
The smile that followed reassured me that this will be the last thing I’d ever see. A sadistic smile on a hauntingly beautiful face. God was indeed cruel. He always made the predators the most magnificent of beings.
“Then be prepared to face the consequences.”
The next few instances happened in a blink of an eye. Damien pulled out a remote from the back pocket of his pants and pressed a button. A shifting noise came from the ceiling as I followed the motion. The next instant I tried to look past the blinds and realized too late that the sun was already up and we really must be in an abandoned place for me to have missed the birdsongs. A thin beam of sunlight streamed down the opening in the ceiling and fell on my body.
And then there was only screams and fire.
Chapter 2: Trisha’s P.O.V: I woke up screaming in bed. The feeling of the sun scorching my skin was imprinted on my mind forever. It’s been a week since the incident at an abandoned farm on the outskirts of town. I don’t know what had happened after I’d past out from the excruciating pain, but the next time I’d opened my eyes, I’d been in a healing centre under constant surveillance. Turns out, I’d been out for two days, which for a vampire meant about as much as six months for any human. My flesh had healed relatively quickly, but the scars were now imprinted on my brain. That had been the purpose behind my punishment all along, to tech me a lesson I’ll never forget. But this? What Damien did to me was nothing more than ‘just a warning’. It was just the tip of the iceberg compared to what he could actually do to me. After all, no one dares oppose Damien Vandolff. And those who do, they’re simply wiped out of
Chapter 3: Trisha’s P.O.V: I burst out laughing, unable to keep my emotions in check. Erupting into a fit of giggles before it turned to a full out maniac laughter. Poor Zoey peaked from the kitchen to see if I was alright but I waved her away. Thankfully the girl took the hint and went right back to preparing breakfast for Neema. “Bring you Damien Vandolff?” I asked, after my laughter had subsided. “What am I supposed to do? Carry him on my back and hand him over to you? The man can teleport, Mr. Donovan, if you haven’t heard the news yet!” “I’m aware, Ms. Redfern,” his voice had turned serious. “Which is why I want you to meet me at Paradise International this afternoon, 1p.m on the dot, room no. 2101. Don’t be late, or you might regret it.” The phone went dead before I could say anything and I kept staring at the phone, speechless, for the next ten minutes. Helplessly, I shifted my gaze to t
Chapter 4: Trisha’s P.O.V: Paradise International was one of the largest hotels in the USA, though the world has changed considerably, this hotel has been standing here for the last four hundred years. The architecture was so brilliant that it still attracted thousands of tourists every year that simply came to adore it, even though they didn’t have the money to stay here. The beautifully curved archways, the statues of angels and Greek Goddesses and the hundreds of fountains both inside and outside the Hotel made it a tourist hotspot. The manager had finally taken pity on the poor travelers and now there were three sessions a day where a hundred tourists and architects were give a tour of the entire Hotel at an affordable rate. But I wasn’t here to admire the architecture. I was here for a far more valuable reason. I wore black jeans with a red spaghetti strap top and a black leather jacket on top of it, paired with
Chapter 5: Trisha’s P.O.V: My phone started ringing halfway through my way to the office. I picked it up without looking at the screen. “Hello?” “My office. 10 minutes.” Although the message was short and curt, there was no mistaking who it was from. That voice never softened, never lost its power. And even after everything he did to me, that voice still made a shiver run down my spine. I only realized how hard I was gripping the steering wheel when I felt the dents in the metal in the shape of my fingers. Throwing my phone on the passenger’s seat, I turned the car around and headed towards the Castle as fast as I could without running someone over. The guards let me through without checking my ID and my stomach twisted in knots. Damien was waiting for me. Once parked in front of the huge arched doorway to the castle, I took off my shades and placed them on the passenger’s seat. Taking a deep b
Chapter 6: Trisha’s P.O.V: I don’t get him. I really don’t get him! Damien is one of those people whom you’d spend your entire life trying to understand, but when you think you’d finally figured out how he works, he goes ahead and does something that’s completely out of character and you get thrown off balance yet again. But what’s more confusing is, why do I spend so much time trying to figure him out in the first place? Why even bother with such an arrogant, self-absorbent bastard who thinks he can make everything right between us by sleeping with Vandal’s daughter! Two centuries. We’ve been playing this cat and mouse game with each other since we first met almost two centuries ago. I know we can both feel this sexual tension between us, it’s a living, breathing entity. We’ve been attracted to each other since forever, I could see the hunger in his eyes, knew I felt the same in my bones. Over time, this attraction h
Chapter 7: Trisha’s P.O.V: I blinked several times to get adjusted to the blinding lights coming from in front of me as the bag was lifted from my head. But as soon as my eyes adjusted to the harsh lighting, I began searching for Neema. He’d been ripped from my arms when those men had brought me inside a building. I’d been able to hear him near me, hear his heartbeat, until a few seconds ago. “The boy’s safe. You're the real threat here.” I instantly recognized Lucas’s voice. How could I not? No vampire had such a warm, husky voice. “I've agreed to help you.” I turned to face him on the other side of the desk from me. “I took a huge leap of faith coming here when Damien would've been the known enemy.You should've put more faith in me.” I motioned with my head at the two wolves at my back. Lucas narrowed his eyes at me, bright topaz rather than the hazel I’d seen earlier; but then the wolves at my back started
Chapter 8: Trisha’s P.O.V: The bathroom was smaller than the one I had in my house, but there was enough space to move around without being cramped. I placed the clothes on top of the counter next to the sink and began peeling off my bloodied and torn clothing and dumped them in the bin. Getting under the shower, I turned it to warm and began washing off all the dried blood clinging to my skin. The wounds still stung, but mostly they had gone numb because of the Holly and Buckthorn. If I didn’t use Lavender or Yarrow to neutralize the poison, my leg may never heal back properly. There were several other cuts on my leg from where I’d fallen on the shattered glass and even they weren’t healed properly yet. Using the new bar of soap in the bathroom, I cleaned myself and got out of the shower carefully. Then I dried myself off with a towel, deciding to let my hair down so it dried on its own and put on the clothes
Chapter 9: Trisha’s P.O.V: “W-wh-hat’re you doing here?” I stuttered out. NO! This can’t be happening! “How d-did you fi-find me?” Damien stood up from the bed, dressed in his usual black shirt and pants. His face was expressionless as he took slow, steady steps towards me. The green of his eyes lit from within like an emerald that has been exposed to the sun. “You thought you could get away from me that easily?” His words gave me all the strength I needed to fight back. Strength fueled with anger and desperation. “And you thought I’d go back to you like a lost puppy even after you tried to take Neema away from me?” I spat at him, trying to keep my voice low so as not to wake Neema or alert any of the guards. “I thought you were going to help me! But the only reason you asked me to visit you in the castle was so your men could raid my house while I was away!” “Careful, Trisha,” Damien narrowed h