Chapter 5 - This is NOT my home!

Viktoria’s POV

Flashback

“You aren’t as clever as you think, Vicky!” Belinda shouted in class and I sighed. She knew how much I hated that nickname, and that was why she always used it! I could never understand why she hated me so much, but she hated me and she didn’t care who saw it. My mom once explained that it was because of who my father was, but I didn’t even know him! I never saw him. Belinda walked over with her arms crossed and was probably about to say something or do something really cruel when the nun walked in and cleared her throat. It always amazed me how Belinda could change from the really awful ugly girl to innocent incarnated in a split second when someone else was around and she quickly explained that she was just helping me with a math problem.

I had made the mistake of telling her that she had her history facts wrong, and I knew that later at recess I would pay dearly for that. I knew by now not to cross her! Why did I even open my damn mouth? Because she was wrong! The beasts betrayed the ancient and that was why they were banished. According to Belinda, they were banished because they were smelly dogs which made absolutely no sense at all!

I had hardly set foot on the playground when her two best friends grabbed hold of me. We weren’t allowed to fight. At least, not until we were in dhampir school, but Belinda didn’t care and as the first punch fell, I gasped for air.

End of Flashback

“I was hoping we could spend some time showing you some more of our world.” He frowned, which made me frown. That made no sense at all and it felt as if my brain was going to short-circuit! “Come.” He walked down the road as if I would just follow his freaking orders! Their “world” was entirely different from mine. For one, their clothing was different. Every person I saw was wearing something different. Different styles, colours, and fabrics. At the castle, you had to wear the uniform of your department. The only ones I knew of that could wear whatever they wanted were the actual royals and from what I saw in the books and what I heard. Royal clothing could be pretty extravagant. Their buildings were all built out of wood, whereas at the castle everything was concrete and marble. Here they had dirt roads and there we had cobbled stone. Here they had the forest all around them and there we had perfectly manicured gardens with flowers. Honestly! Who would want to live here when you could live in the palace?! What made Fynn even think that I would like it here? My face must have shown my disgust as I looked at him and found him frowning.

“What?” I shrugged, crossing my arms tightly over my chest.

“Look, I know it’s not the pampered life you are used to, but you don’t have to look so incredibly disgusted. We aren’t the beasts your father and grandfather make us out to be.” He sighed and walked off. Yet, another thing, if he thought his words would make me feel guilty for my private thoughts, he had another thing coming. The face, I couldn’t do anything about. It was my face! How are you supposed to stop your face from doing what a face did?!

“HEY!” I shouted, storming after him. “I didn’t ask to be here, you know?” My blood was absolutely boiling. “You kidnapped me and are now holding me here as a prisoner! I would gladly go back!” My arms were waving about and I probably looked like a crazy person, but I didn’t care! My entire future was ruined thanks to this damn mutt and then he had the cheek to tell me I wasn’t grateful enough!

“Okay, okay,” He held his hands in the air in submission and I could have sworn I saw a smile on his face as he mumbled. “That sure as hell sounded like a princess to me.” But I didn’t have time to say something as we walked into the main building and were met by some of the warriors.

Victor’s POV

I couldn’t go against my father’s wishes, but I also couldn’t just leave my daughter in the hands of those beasts! My precious daughter, who looked so much like her mother, was the only good thing I had done in my very long life. Believe it or not, there was a time when we as vampires were seen as beasts. The monsters who killed loved ones. A time before, my ancestors created a kingdom where we could safely be who we were with people who wanted to be our food. I sometimes got so angry at my father when he forgot about our past and the atrocities we had committed back then! We weren’t innocent in any of this, no matter what he told or taught our people!

I had to make sure that she was okay. I needed to see her for myself! If she wasn’t that important as an heir, then neither was I!

Fynn’s POV

She was the most infuriatingly incredible woman I had ever met in my entire life. I couldn’t believe that she was just eighteen years of age. She had such a mature way about her. Until she lost her temper. Then she made me think of a spoiled little princess. Either way, I couldn’t stop looking at her and it was taking everything inside me not to grab her and make her mine. I didn’t even know if she would be able to have children! How would I get an heir if she couldn’t have children? From what we knew about the vampires, dhampirs didn’t have kids. Why didn’t they? I was almost too scared to think about it.

After what I read about what they had done to my ancestors, I guess anything was possible with these creatures. I couldn’t think of mating with someone, knowing full well that if they had a son, my mate would die! I couldn’t imagine doing that to someone you loved. That was yet another question I had. Did they even love? Did they know what it was to love someone? I had so many questions but they all disappeared whenever her beautiful eyes met mine and I felt my insides melt and beg to be touched by her beautiful delicate hands.

I was afraid that history was doomed to repeat itself and I was fast running the downhill race right into history’s arms!

“Alpha,” My thoughts were interrupted by my beta as we walked back into the main house. “He is here.” I sighed. I had hoped that if we came to an agreement with her grandfather we would be left in peace, but clearly, her father didn’t agree.

“Please escort the princess to her room.” I frowned and heard her protesting that she was not a princess, but after both her father and grandfather had come to see us, I would bet to differ!

Viktoria’s POV

First, they were here and now he was here! Could it be that someone from the kingdom was here to save me and the wolves killed them all? There was no way any discussions would take place. That I knew for sure. I had to find out who he was rushing off to see each time! If it was my people, I might be able to go back home and resume the life I had planned so hard for! I summed up the wolf that was taking me to my room, but his aura showed me there was more than meets the eye.

I would hate to get caught off guard by a wolf that was stronger than I had anticipated and I had no weapons with me to keep them from biting me! Everybody knew that if a beast bit you, that was it! You would turn into one of them and never be able to return. Never be able to become part of their little group. Doomed to walk the world alone and banished from all other life! Okay, our books were probably a little overdramatic on that part, but I wasn’t going to take any chances, so I went with him and behaved.

I will have my chance. I would find a way out of here and then I could only pray to the saints that they would let me back into the castle. At this point, I would be happy even if they sent me to the convent as long as I didn’t have to stay there! I can’t picture spending the rest of my life in this dump! After what seemed like forever, I started to bang on the door. I was starving and hadn’t heard a word from Fynn. The beast opened the door and frowned.

“I’m hungry. If I don’t eat, I can’t promise that I won’t drain you dry the next time you open the door.” I crossed my arms and prayed that he believed dhampir drank blood. I never tasted a drop, except for the odd injury, and couldn’t actually imagine drinking the stuff, but as long as he believed it, that was all that mattered! He studied me for a moment before nodding and then closed the fucking door again!