《The Vampire King鈥檚 Captive》


 A stranger in the courtroom

    MARIA


    Perhaps there were a few things worse than having your nails forcefully pulled out, Maria thought.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Hiding her revulsion, she stood with her hands hanging by her sides, ever ready to be summoned by Ariti when he needed them. It was never a matter of if, because he would always be in need of them, rather, it was a matter of when, and from the looks of things, it was soon.


    She would rather be anywhere else in the worlds than standing in the courtroom, witnessing the death that was soon to take ce. A death that she would, of course, deliver. She was positive she would pick having her nails removed over this, except that she knew the torture wouldn¡¯t end there.


    It never did.


    The teenage girl sitting on the floor of the pce with her hands shackled behind her, wasn¡¯t ready to co-operate.


    Despite having being dragged in here and harassed, with over twenty battle-hardened men, all watching her impatiently with eyes that promised evil, she had not shed a tear. In fact, she still managed to speak without a quiver in her voice.


    Maria was impressed.


    It was a foolish decision that the girl would undoubtedly regret, but impressive nheless.


    ¡°Where is your father?¡± Ariti asked calmly, as if it was the first time he was asking that question and not the fourth.


    He was being incredibly patient with her and Maria didn¡¯t know why. Was he taking his time with the girl simply because she was a teenager and he had a little bit ofpassion for them?


    Immediately the thought touched her mind, she wiped it out. Ariti did not have an iota ofpassion for a single soul alive. And he definitely wasn¡¯t going to be showing a glimpse of said non-existentpassion to a stranger.


    Maybe the whereabouts of her father was just that important and he was willing to be civil with her if that was the only way she was going to give him the information he required.


    When the girl still said nothing, Ariti spoke into her mind.


    Cut off her air supply.


    She would love to pretend that she hadn¡¯t heard those words. Like she didn¡¯t know that he had spoken to her, but that would be pointless and would only bode ill for her.


    Lifting her right hand, she spread her fingers out wide, then brought them together slowly, notpletely closed, but tight enough that had there been a neck in her fist, it would be constricting right about now and the owner would have trouble breathing.


    Just like the teenager on the floor.


    The girl struggled in her chains, trying to free her hands to sp them around her throat and probably fight off the force that was cutting off her air supply, but it was impossible. Even if her hands had been freed, she would still not be able to do anything about it.


    Maria wouldn¡¯t be feared far and wide if her powers were so easily fought off.


    The girls eyes widened and she fell back, lying on the ck floor as she twisted. She opened her mouth to scream but couldn¡¯t make any sound. Maria could feel the vibration and excitement of the men scattered around the courtroom. They lived for moments like this. When she killed or tortured both innocent and guilty victims in front of them.


    She felt sick.


    Maria wished that the girl would just tell Ariti what he wanted to know.  She wished so with all her heart and if she had the ability to speak into the girl¡¯s mind, she would tell her.


    Stop, Ariti told her and she did, almost sighing out in relief.


    Her hand dropped to her side and the teenage girl could breathe again. She took huge gulps in air, blinking her watering eyes rapidly.


    Maria hated herself so much in that moment that she doubted it was possible for one to hate their own self this much.


    Ariti¡¯s eyes glimmered. ¡°Are you ready to tell me where he is now, or do you need me to convince you another way?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is.¡± The girl coughed, her eyes flitting briefly to Maria before dropping to the ground in front of her.


    Strong as Maria¡¯s powers were, she wasn¡¯t a mind reader. It was not one of her abilities. She couldn¡¯t tell if a person was lying or if they were telling the truth. She couldn¡¯t prod a person¡¯s mind and tell if their shields were up or not. The fact that she didn¡¯t read minds though, didn¡¯t stop her from always keeping her shields up.


    Lowering them without meaning to would be a fatal mistake.


    With a nod of his head, Ariti ordered her to choke the girl again and Maria with her hands tied metaphorically, had no choice but to do so.


    She checked to make sure that her mour was still in ce. It was. Yet, it didn¡¯t make what she did easier. Her mour gave the illusion that she was someone else. A willowy woman in her early thirties at least, with blue eyes, stick straight red hair, an angr face and six feet tall.


    A far cry from who she really was.


    Still, the different appearance didn¡¯t change anything. Instead, it made her feel worse. But then she reminded herself of all the reasons she was doing this. She reminded herself that it wasn¡¯t her fault and that she didn¡¯t have any other choice. If she did, she would easily oppose Ariti and bear the consequences.


    Except that it wasn¡¯t that easy.


    Was anything really?


    Again, the girls eyes drifted to Maria but this time, they stayed and the pleading look she gave her, had Maria¡¯s heart shrinking in her chest. She was a monster. It was high time she epted that she was just as bad as Ariti. Maybe even worse.


    Staring into her victim¡¯s eyes when she tortured them took a great deal of her strength, but she would be damned before admitting it and she could never look away. Ariti would never. He was sick and depraved like that.


    Just when the girl was about to pass out, Ariti called her off.


    Fuck. Maria¡¯s hands shook. Quickly, she wove a mour over it to appear unaffected.


    ¡°Tell me where the hell your father is!¡± Ariti thundered, leaning forward on his seat and almost falling off itpletely with the force of his lurch.


    This took everyone by surprise and the aura in the courtroom darkened ominously. Before, it had been quite obvious that Ariti was calm and asking her the questions in the same manner, but apparently, he had just been keeping a tight leash on his anger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is!¡± The girl screamed, finally raising her voice and looking panicked. ¡°I¡¯m saying the truth, I swear-¡±


    ¡°Kill her.¡± Ariti stated, cutting the girl off. The words were crisp and clear.


    Maria did not want to kill the teenage girl. She very much did not want to. But she also dared not disobey Ariti.


    Tell him what he wants to know!


    Say something!


    Don¡¯t let me kill you!


    The words echoed in Maria¡¯s mind, bouncing off the walls and not making it out, because she couldn¡¯t speak to the girl. She wasn¡¯t allowed to, and she was going to have to kill her.


    Maria toyed with her red cloak, in the guise of arranging it when actually, she she was stalling. She was trying to dy as much as she could. She was trying to give the teenage girl time to speak the truth. To expose her father¡¯s whereabouts to Ariti.


    But how was she sure the girl wasn¡¯t speaking the truth? She had no way of knowing. For one, she couldn¡¯t read minds and secondly, the girl might actually be innocent. She might truly not know where her father was.


    It wasn¡¯t a secret that Ariti was a tyrant. If at all somehow, word had gotten to the girl¡¯s father that Ariti was after him, then he would run for his life. What she didn¡¯t understand, was why the dad had run away without taking his daughter with him.


    Perhaps he had not wanted anything to slow him down. Be it something he loved.


    Maria couldn¡¯t rte to the father¡¯s reasoning.


    Kill her, Ariti urged in her mind.


    She had stalled long enough and if she went on with out, it would be considered as disobedience. And from the questioning looks some of the men were already levelling her way, she was starting to be suspicious.


    Maria was going to have two kill the girl. She had no other choice.


    If only the girl knew that.


    Ariti must have seen the moment her decision solidified in her eyes because he said, ¡°Chop her head off.¡±


    Maria¡¯s stomach bottomed out.


    Against her will, she envisioned a de and one appeared out of thin air. Just as she had pictured it in her mind.


    Slowly, the de drifted closer to the girl on the ground and the closer it got to her, the more Maria felt a small part of her soul, one she hadn¡¯t known she had left, disintegrate.


    Much to Maria¡¯s surprise and awe, the girl rose from her lying down position, sitting upright, her chin lifted regally, bravely, as she faced Maria head on.


    She had epted her fate.


    A lump formed in Maria¡¯s throat.


    The girl¡¯s throat worked in fear, her eyes darted once to the de and Maria caught a quiver in her form, but not once did she make it known that she was scared.


    The sword finally poised at her throat, ready to slit, then Maria froze. Dazedly, she watched a tear slid down the girl¡¯s eye but she blinked it back immediately. It happened so fast that if she hadn¡¯t been looking at her, she would have missed it.


    It was going to ruin Maria to kill this brave girl, but she had no other option. She kept repeating the words in her head.


    Maria lifted her hand to deliver the final blow that would end the girl¡¯s life, then all hell broke loose.

 Maria is captured

    MARIA


    A loud crash rang through the room.


    At first, no one knew how to react. Where had the noisee from? What was the source and most importantly, what the hell was happening?


    Distracted, Maria¡¯s hand dropped as she whirled around, causing the de that had been suspending over the teenage girl¡¯s neck to clutter to the ground with a ng.


    At the back of her mind, she was relieved that this disturbance had taken their main focus off the girl, even if it was just temporarily. Maria could work with that. Hopefully, she would be assigned to detect the source of the disturbance and put a stop to it.


    And then if the killing would still take ce, Maria wouldn¡¯t be in charge of it anymore.


    She wasn¡¯t sure that she could stomach it.


    At the forefront of her mind, however, was the cause of the crash. The pce workers weren¡¯t known to cause a nuisance when Ariti was having one of his sessions. At least not anywhere near the courtroom anyway. They stayed as far away from it as they could, in order not to incur Ariti¡¯s wrath.


    Staring in the direction the noise hade from, a feeling of foreboding bloomed in Maria¡¯s left breast. Somehow, deep down, she knew that the noise couldn¡¯t have been as a result of anything innocent.


    Something was wrong.


    Slowly, she drew towards the door that led to the dark hallway. In her peripheral vision, she saw the soldiers-who, just a second ago, had been leering at the teenage girl on the floor, anticipating her spilled blood-all nking her, walking towards the door too.


    From the halting steps they took, she knew that they were definitely thinking the same thing she did.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The crash hadn¡¯t been an ident.


    She froze when she saw a shadow in the hallwaying towards them. Someone wasing into the courtroom. The size and build confirmed that it was a man and thezy stride told her that it was an arrogant one.


    Little did he know that he was going to meet an untimely death for the little stunt he had just pulled.


    When he stepped out into the light, directly in front of the sun rays streaming in from one of the three windows in the courtroom, Maria¡¯s jaw dropped. Had she not been wearing a mour, everyone would have seen it and probably seen the drool running down the side of her mouth too.


    The man standing in the courtroom without an ounce of fear in his eyes or even a tremor in his frame, was easily the most good looking man she had ever seen in her twenty-seven years of life.


    When she saw himing towards them, she had been able to tell that he was big, but standing before them in the light, he seemed almost imposing. He was well over six and a half feet, nearing seven feet and even with her mour that was six feet tall, he dwarfed her. How would she look standing next to him when she wasn¡¯t wearing one?


    Like a child!


    She didn¡¯t realise that she had been standing there doing nothing but stare at him until one of the soldiers cleared his throat, subtly letting her know that they were waiting for her to give an order before they attacked.


    That jolted her back to the present. But who could me her for forgetting herself when presented with such a prime male specimen?


    He had shoulders so broad that she wondered how he had been able to fit them into the narrow hallway, a head full of jet ck hair, piercing green eyes that reminded her of the fresh green of leaves in the spring, a straight roman nose that looked like it had been broken at one point before he froze into his immortality, full pillowy pink lips and a square jaw.


    He was so distractingly beautiful that for that short moment she had been staring at him, she almost let her mental block slip down. No matter how gorgeous he was, it wasn¡¯t enough to make her loose everything she had ever worked for.


    ¡°Who dares to barge into my chambers?¡± Ariti snapped from his perch on the chair in the room, leaning forward. The soldiers parted to give him a direct line of sight to the man.


    The man who was only just staring at them them with a look of boredom, like he had better things to be doing with his time. As if he hadn¡¯t just stormed into the court room of one of the most feared men in the worlds.


    Speaking of, how had he managed to walk past the guards without any of them stopping him? Was he a demon or a vampire? Had he traced in here?


    That would mean that he had been in this pce before and that wasn¡¯t possible because Maria knew every single person that worked in the pce. Not by choice-boredom had pushed her to do certain things that she would never admit out loud.


    He didn¡¯t look like a vampire. Vampires were not as built. Sure, they were built, but they definitely weren¡¯t as big as he was. Maybe he was a demon? But he had no horns.


    ¡°How did you get past the guards?¡±


    He finally nced at her, as if just now realising that she was there. The dismissive gaze he gave her was enough to have her blood boiling. How dare he? Did he know who she was?


    ¡°You call those guards?¡± He cocked his head in the direction of the hallway, out where the guards were usually stationed. ¡°Not that I give a fuck either way, but I strongly advise you find more qualified men. I¡¯ve seen women fight better.¡±


    Maria¡¯s heart galloped in her chest but she quelled the reaction fast before it could be detected. She wasn¡¯t sure what he was yet, hence, she didn¡¯t know if he could smell or detect fear. If he could, then he had not missed the little slip in her facade.


    How was she supposed to react?


    The man had just walked past their guards-who were well trained and able men that had protected them in as long as she could remember-like they were feeble children obstructing him that he had simply batted out of the way.


    Or maybe he was lying. Maybe he had traced in here before.


    When Ariti spoke again, his voice was rife with anger. ¡°Who are you, little boy?¡±


    The teenage girl watched everything with wide eyes from her position on the floor.


    ¡°Huh.¡± The man scoffed and with a swagger Maria had to admit was nothing short of sensual, sauntered over to Ariti. The soldiers parted for him, all of them seemingly mesmerised by him.


    Was he a sorcerer? Was that it?


    Because the soldiers weren¡¯t the only ones mesmerised by him. Maria was finding it hard to look away from him too. She had seen a lot of handsome men, had even killed some as per orders by Ariti, but never had she reacted this way to them.


    A kill was a kill. The face didn¡¯t matter.


    The soldiers sneered at him as he passed, although they created a path for him. That action proved that he wasn¡¯t a sorcerer. He wasn¡¯t putting them under a spell.


    But she had known, hadn¡¯t she?


    It was something about him. About the way he carried himself that had them all staring, unable to look away. It was the way he acted like he wasn¡¯t in a room filled with danger, a room that promised death at any second. A room where it wasn¡¯t even guaranteed that he would be walking out of it alive.


    This man danced with danger. Flirted with it.


    And it was so fucking hot to watch that Maria wasn¡¯t even in a hurry to see how things would end. She wanted to watch it y out. She was entertained.


    And for once, she wasn¡¯t the entertainment.


    The man stopped when he was standing in front of Ariti¡¯s throne seat, regarding him with an easy expression. ¡°You¡¯re probably used to asking all the questions while people give you answers. However, I¡¯m going to be doing the asking today.¡±


    Ariti simply cocked a brow. He was just as entertained as Maria was. The whole courtroom, to be precise.


    ¡°I have two questions.¡± He said, his deep voice seeing some sensations through Maria that she definitely had no presence feeling when she was in the same room as Ariti. ¡°One, who is Maria?¡±


    Maria tried as best as she could not to react to that question. Anything that would give away the truth about that question.


    Why was he asking?


    If he was from around here, then he would know her. The fact that he knew her name, but didn¡¯t know what she looked like was not strange. However, the fact that he hade here solely because of her, could not be a good thing.


    One of the guards slipped his eyes her way, indirectly answering the man¡¯s questions.


    ¡°Her?¡± The stranger cocked a brow. His look, grating on Maria¡¯s nerves.


    Why did he look at her so dismissively? With so much disdain, like he thought her so beneath him that he wouldn¡¯t stand to look at her?


    Ariti¡¯s jaws tightened. The soldier was going to pay with his life.


    Before their shocked eyes, the man, who had been standing in front of Ariti, vanished into thin air and reappeared in front of Maria. Before she could recover from her shock tosh out at him, he snagged her in his arms, restraining her.


    Panic riddled her as she fought against his hold, but then he pressed a cloth to her face. The odour from the cloth was so potent, she couldn¡¯t fight it. He was trying to pass her out. And, goddamnit, he was seeding.


    Distinctly, she heard him say, ¡°My second question is, how attached are you to your arm?¡±


    The cloth fell away from her face in time for her to see a dagger pierce into Ariti¡¯s arm, severing the hand in two.


    Thest thing she saw was Ariti¡¯s face twisting in pain as he howled, cradling the injured arm in his good one.


    The world turned ck.

 Cells and faded glamours

    MARIA


    Maria came to in a cell.


    An actual cell with a small cot on one side of it and a toilet-at least it wasn¡¯t a bucket. She stared at the thick iron bars, preventing her from her from getting the hell out of this ce in disbelief.


    She was actually being held in a cell. Preposterous!


    Did that man know who she was? To toss her on the ground of this disgusting cell like somemoner? He hadn¡¯t even taken his time to ce her on the dingy looking cot that looked like it would snap under the slightest weight.


    On second thought, she was d he hadn¡¯t dropped her on it. If he had, anding on the floor was what would have woken her up.


    She looked around the cell, rising from the ground. She wanted to dust the dirt from the ground off her body, but there was no water in sight and she couldn¡¯t risk leaving her palms dirty.


    ¡°Hello?¡± She called out into the darkness. There was no response. The only light she could see, came from the window of her cell. Other than that, it waspletely dark. Which meant that when night came, the cell was going to be dark as hell.


    Maria couldn¡¯t handle the dark. She fought down the panic before it could consume her. There was no reason for her to worry. She wasn¡¯t going to be in here for that long after all.


    She fought down a maniacalugh. Did that man actually think that he could hold her here against her will? If so, then he truly didn¡¯t know who she was.


    Where was here anyway? She was obviously in a cell, but where was this cell? Where had he taken her? And what did he want with her?


    Sure, she had done a lot of bad. Some intentionally and others, not. She was one of the few people she knew that actually hated killing, but still did it anyway. Nit because she wanted to, but because she had to. There was no other choice.


    Was this man after her because she hd perhaps killed one of his loved ones?


    Or had the teenage girl been his sister? Because he was too far older than her to be her lover.


    That still wasn¡¯t it. If the teenage girl actually was his sister, then he would have taken her as well. But he hadn¡¯t.


    Or had he?


    She couldn¡¯t remember a single thing that had happened other than the tortured look on Ariti¡¯s face when his hand had been severed from his body. He had been in so much pain that he hadn¡¯t been able to hide it from his soldiers, who he always pretended to be strong in front of.


    The soldiers would have tried to attack the man after what he did to Ariti. Did they? She didn¡¯t know, and the only way if finding out, was if she went back there.


    Already, she knew that Ariti would be livid. He was an immortal and was definitely going to regrow the hand that he had lost, but that wouldn¡¯t be what would eat at him. No. It was the fact that his power had been taken away from him.


    Her.


    He would be livid and he was crazy. Maria hadn¡¯t done anything to warrant it. She had been taken against her will. But an angry Ariti was an unstable one. He might take his anger out on the one thing that she cared about.


    The one thing anchoring her to him.


    Shit. She needed to get back.


    With renewed determination, she yelled. ¡°Where the fuck are you, coward?¡± When there was still no reposes, she spoke again. ¡°Too scared to face me?¡±


    Anger and adrenaline running through her, caused power to flow through her, filling her body until she knew that channeling it, would cause great damage. She stared at the iron bars. They would be her target.


    Her hands shot out towards the gate.


    Nothing.


    Frowning, she tried again, this time concentrating hard.


    Still nothing.


    What the hell?


    Just then, she heard the sound of a door opening in the distance. She straightened, checking to make sure that her red cloak was still around her and that her stance wasn¡¯t one that showed weakness.


    The door groaned open and a huge burst of light trickled in from outside into the huge corridor that led to the cells. Apparently, her cell was just one out of many. Toote, before she could bask in the light, the door nged shut.


    Shit. He was going to be in the dark talking to her, and she was going to be in the light.


    Weak, powerless and helpless. An entertainment.


    She heard his loud footsteps, which told her that he wasing closer. He stopped just outside her cell, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He just stood there in the dark. The only way she knew he was there was because she felt his presence. It was impossible not to.


    ¡°Why am I in this cell?¡± She asked him, since he wasn¡¯t ready to speak first. Asking him who he was would prove futile, seeing as Ariti had asked him the same thing and hadn¡¯t been able to get an answer.


    Yet, then he answered her question with one of his own.


    ¡°What the hell is happening to you?¡±


    His voice, just like before, woke things in her that she didn¡¯t even know still existed. It was deep and a bit scratchy around the edges. She hated what his voice did to her and yet, she didn¡¯t want him to stop talking.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She frowned, refraining from running her hand over her body to check if anything was wrong with her at thest minute. That wasn¡¯t something the Maria Hatzi feared across worlds would do.


    But then again, that Maria wouldn¡¯t also  be seen in a cell.


    She needed to get out of here fast.


    ¡°Your hair.¡± The voice boomed, the darkness somehow making it sound ten times more ominous than it should have been. ¡°It was red.¡±


    ¡°It still is.¡± Then this time, unable to stop herself, she picked a lock of her hair and stared at it, terror gliding up her spine when she saw the curly ck streak in her hand.


    Her hair was turning ck!


    What the hell was happening to her? Had she somehow dropped her mour spell when she passed out? Or was it this ce that she was in?


    She looked down and saw that her feet weren¡¯t even as big as they used to be. Her mour was wearing off for some reason. And she had to leave here right now to figure out what was happening to her.


    Just a few minutes ago, she hadn¡¯t been able to blow the gate off its hinges.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± She snapped, her frustration and anger causing her voice toe out harsher than she had intended. It was not a smart idea to piss off her attacker, especially now that her powers weren¡¯t working the way they should.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± The man said after a bit. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough. For now, just enjoy your new room.¡±


    She got the feeling that he was walking away, about to leave her. He couldn¡¯t! He simply couldn¡¯t leave her in here. How the hell was she supposed to get out?


    ¡°Hey!¡± She called at his retreating back. ¡°You can¡¯t leave me in here. Come back.¡±


    She wasmanding him. Again.


    ¡°I know it isn¡¯t what you¡¯re used to, but it¡¯ll have to do for now.¡±


    The way he said ¡®for now¡¯ didn¡¯t sit well with her. What did he mean by that?N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°What the hell do you mean ¡®for now¡¯?¡± She panicked.


    He waited until he reached the door and pulled it open, before he turned to her with a smirk that promised everything evil, but still didn¡¯t detract from his handsomeness. ¡°Oh, Princess. If only you know all the ns I have for you.¡±


    With that, he walked out and mmed the door shut, cloaking her in darkness.


    Maria was in a cell. Her powers-the one thing she had always depended on-were failing her. She had been abducted by perhaps the most good-looking man she had ever met and it wasn¡¯t to y hooky.


    He wanted her dead. Or even worse, to torture her until he got what he wanted from her.


    She was dirty as hell and her mour was wearing off.


    She was screwed in the worst way possible.


    Absentmindedly, she touched her hair, unable to believe that the red strands she had gotten used to seeing, were now a stark ck. It felt alien to have ck hair anywhere outside of her bedroom back at the pce. All her life, she had always worn the mour. She couldn¡¯t remember whenst she had been seen without it.


    And now, it was disappearing.


    Her hand brushed a metal as she sifted it through her hair. Frowning, she felt the metal around her neck. She hadn¡¯t been wearing jewellery other than her bracelets when she left the pce.


    Her blood ran cold when she realised what it was.


    A cor. And she would bet her life that it wasn¡¯t an ordinary one.


    The man had put it on her.


    Now everything made sense! The reason she had not been able to fall the gate and why her mour was fading.


    The man had put a cor on her to nullify her powers.


    It was then Maria realised that she was even in more trouble than she had initially thought.

 Attractive sorceress, Vampire flees

    BRAN


    ¡°You have a call from Corey.¡±


    Bran turned towards the sound of the voice. Edgar stood a few feet away from him, cradling a phone a phone in his hand.


    Bran¡¯s phone that was currently lighting up with a call from Corey.


    He sighed, walking over to Edgar and collecting the phone from him. He had wanted to call Corey and let him know the status of things after the first interrogation, but apparently, the son of a bitch was turning out to be even more hot-blooded than Bran.


    He wanted his own share of the Maria Hatzi. And he was going to get it.


    If only the fucker could just wait and let him have his own piece first.


    Bran had barely lifted the phone to his ear when Corey spoke.


    ¡°How¡¯s the sorceress?¡±


    ¡°Still alive.¡±


    ¡°Is she still in one piece?¡±


    ¡°Yes, although not for long.¡±


    There was a pause. Then, ¡°You sick fuck. What exactly do you n to do to her?¡±


    ¡°Hell if I know. What I do know, is that there¡¯s going to be a lot more torture, and a lot less chit-chat.¡± Bran decided to answer truthfully.


    Corey inhaled audibly. ¡°We can work with that.¡± As if he had a choice. ¡°Tell me how it goes.¡±


    A beep sounded, singling the end of the call.


    Bran shook out his hand, avoiding Edgar¡¯s look as he tossed the phone back to him.


    Torturing women had never been his forte, but for this woman, he would make an exception. She deserved every hurtful thing they would do to her. He nned on summoning the most experienced torturers just for her.


    He loathed her with a vengeance that he hadn¡¯t known was possible and she was going to know what it felt like to be on the receiving end of his wrath. She had brought it upon herself the moment she decided to evene within six feet of a Karras. Anyone he cared about, even.


    What a coincidence it had been that she was also the one that had wiped out Corey¡¯s entire household. She had blood hanging over her head.


    And she was going to pay for them with her¡¯s. But first, she was going to tell him where she kept his sister.


    Determination fuelled his steps as he stormed down the hallways towards her cell. With each step he took, he tried to shed off the guilt he felt. He was not going to feel guilty for doing something that needed to be done.


    He was not going to feel guilty for doing everything within-and outside-his powers to make sure that he got his sister back. Even if it meant going against everything he stood for.


    Even if it meant hurting a woman.


    He pulled the door open, damn near ripping it off its hinges in his anger. The damn thing needed to be changed anyway. It wasn¡¯t his intention to alert people whenever he walked into the cells and that was exactly what the door did. Groaning like it was in fucking pain.


    This time when he walked in, he flipped the switch, turning the light on. Thest time he was down here, he had not bothered to turn them on because they hadn¡¯t been important. They were now. He needed her to see his face and to know that he wasn¡¯t here to fuck around.


    Not likest time when it had seemed like he was humouring her, answering her questions like he was on her payroll.


    Light filled the room, drawing his eyes to the little lump on the cot.


    He frowned as he walked closer to her cell. He had purposely deposited her in one of the cells with shorter beds just so that she would have to suffer and bitch about the bed being too short for her. So, how was it possible that her entire body fit into the cot?


    She was tall. Almost nearing six feet, if not more. The bed was not up to six feet long. It didn¡¯t add up.


    The lump shifted and slowly, she sat up on the cot, facing the other side of the cell. Bran couldn¡¯t see her face, but he knew that she was definitely pissed as hell. Over the pasty few days, meals had been given to her only once a day. Not that were actually meals when you thought about it. They barely took up half of the te.


    Edgar, his right hand man, and the person responsible for her feeding, had told him that she asked for a bath, which he had t outughed at. He wasn¡¯t here to take care of her.


    The only reason he was feeding her in the first ce, was because she needed to stay alive for the questioning. After that, he didn¡¯t give a fuck what happened to her.


    ¡°Hey, Princess.¡± He mocked. ¡°Care to tell me how you¡¯ve been faring so far?¡±


    When she didn¡¯t say anything and just kept on staring at the other side of the cell, his control snapped. ¡°Answer me!¡±


    ¡°Go away.¡± She finally said weakly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak to you.¡±


    Her voice was husky, probably from crying.


    ¡°Good thing you don¡¯t have a fucking choice, then.¡± He snapped. ¡°Here¡¯s how its going to go, Princess. You¡¯re going to turn the fuck around and answer all my questions.¡±


    A minute passed, and just when it seemed like she was going to ignore him, she climbed off the cot and stood. He frowned, but before he could say anything, she turned around and faced him, effectively knocking the breath from his lungs.


    Many things weren¡¯t right.


    For one, she wasn¡¯t six feet tall anymore. She now stood at five and a half foot.


    Second, she wasn¡¯t a redhead anymore. In fact, there was not a single red on her body apart from the cloak she was wearing. She had dark hair, perhaps even as dark as his.


    Third¡­


    Third, was that the woman standing in front of him as a fucking knockout. And she was younger than the redhead he had initially abducted.


    ¡°Take off your cloak.¡± His voice sounded hoarse even to his own ears.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    She hesitated, before silently reaching for the sp at her neck and freeing it, letting the cloak fall around her feet. And, God save him, the moment she became bared to him under the light from the bulb, his knees weakened, threatening to buckle.


    Full wavy ck hair cascaded down her back, some spilling to her front and stopping at her stomach. She had pouty pink lips, the kind that promised to ruin a man, and a body that was made just to bring a man to his knees. In fact, had it not been for sheer will, he would have dropped to his knees and crawled to her already.


    Bran¡¯s eyes trailed down her spell-binding face, her elegant neck, her full breasts  straining against the T-shirt she wore that had his palms fisting and opening unconsciously, her taut stomach, wide hips, bare thighs in the shorts she was wearing and finally, her pink painted toenails. Then back up.


    Involuntarily, he took a step closer to the bars. He wanted to know what colour this version¡¯s eyes were. Before, they had been blue.


    Dazedly, he realised that they were a mesmerising grey.


    She stuck her small upturned nose in the air, staring down it at him. He was taller than her by far and yet, she still managed to look down at him. Did she think that presenting him with a body that looked like it had walked right out of his dreams was going to distract him from what he really came here for?


    Forcing himself to regain his control-which proved almost impossible, Bran cleared his throat. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re going to achieve with this?¡±


    When she merely gazed at him in confusion, he fought the urge to throttle her.


    ¡°Do you usually change bodies like costumes, trying to find the one that works for you?¡± He couldn¡¯t hide the anger in his voice even if he tried. ¡°Or did you do it because you thought that you could seduce me into letting you go?¡±


    ¡°I-Change bodies?¡± She stared at him incredulously. ¡°This is me.¡±


    He scoffed. Did she honestly think he was that stupid?


    ¡°Of course, it is. And the redhead? Who was that?¡± He cocked a brow. ¡°Your sister?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not wearing anyone else¡¯s¡­.¡± She trailed off. ¡°What are your questions?¡±


    As if he could concentrate with a body like that in front of him.


    ¡°Not until you change back.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Well, then, you¡¯re only prolonging your stay here.¡± He was already turning away and walking towards the door. He couldn¡¯t look at her for a second longer. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready to change and answer my questions, call for me.¡±


    With thosest words, Bran fled.

 Unexpected Visitors

    MARIA


    A rat scurried over to the crumbs on the te.


    Maria tensed, making sure not to move a muscle, so as not to chase the rat away.She waited until it had grabbed a piece of the food before she moved, then the rat ran away.


    Today was her fifth day in this cell. Her fifth day away from the pce, her fifth day away from Ariti and her fifth day away from her mother.


    She was in this dungeon left with nothing to do, but stare at the window, watching as the sun faded away, giving way to night and then morning again. It was a cycle that never ended and the longer she sat in the cell, the longer she believed that she was going to continue watching the sunrise and fall every single day of her life.


    At least until she died.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that she was actually going to die. She just simply couldn¡¯t believe it. She couldn¡¯t ept it.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria Hatzi did not just go from being the most powerful sorceress in this world to being amon man¡¯s capture. And then to think that he had ns of ending her life?


    Impossible. There had to be a way around this.


    But what way could there possibly be? She thought as she stared at a spot on the wall of her cell.


    She didn¡¯t have her powers anymore. She couldn¡¯t even feel them swirling in her body, which terrified her, although she was never going to admit it out loud.


    That first day when she woke up in the cell, she had been able to feel them. She had even gone as far as summoning them even though they hadn¡¯t quite made it out of her body.


    Now, she felt nothing. Zilch.


    She had absolutely no way to defend herself against this man who obviously wanted to harm her. If he walked in right now with a sword in hand, preparing to kill her, she would be unable to do anything but lie her head on the floor, waiting for his sword to make contact.


    Irritated, she touched the cor on her neck, hating it with every fibre of her being.


    This little piece of metal was the only thing stopping her from getting the hell out of this ce. Who knew something so small could have such a huge amount of power inside it?


    Unfortunately, she realised that the same could be said about her.


    People had always been so quick to dismiss her because of her height and size-until they witnessed a glimpse of what she could actually do and then they respected her. It was one thing she had always struggled with while growing up. People deeming her worthless at first nce. She hated it.


    It was also one of the reasons she had started wearing a mour.


    One amongst many.


    Having a reputation as the most feared sorceress in her world, was ttering and a huge boost to one¡¯s ego. But it also meant that she was often made a target and that her life was always in danger both outside the pce worlds and inside.


    No one could be trusted.


    One day, she wove a mour over herself. The tall redhead wasn¡¯t exactly beautiful, but she was striking enough and fit the image of someone who was feared and didn¡¯t take shit from anyone.


    That was how she had started wearing the mour everywhere she went and even in front of Ariti. Without it now, she felt naked.


    And it was all because of that infuriating man and this bloody cor.


    How had he evene across something as powerful as the cor anyway? Things like this couldn¡¯t only be made by people with magic. People like her. And her realm was one of sorceresses and sorcerers.


    So who had crafted something like this for him?


    The person had to have iprehensible power. Powerful as she was, she couldn¡¯t make something like this. And she was without a doubt, the most powerful in her world.


    So, how?


    She wiped sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. She hadn¡¯t had a bath since she came in here and she felt a lot like the pigs she usually saw on the pce grounds.


    The fact that she hadn¡¯t had a bath wasn¡¯t due tock of trying though. She had asked the man who usually delivered her food and water, Edgar, to arrange a bath for her, but he had simply walked away like he had not heard her.


    Two dayster, she had stopped so low to beg him and even then, she hadn¡¯t gotten a single reaction from him.


    She might as well have been talking to a wall.


    Maria couldn¡¯t even look at herself. She was hungry, tired and thirsty and she was dirty as hell. Her nails were dirty from scratching at her itchy skin and seeing the dirt under her nails, had almost been too much for her.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that the dirt was actually from her skin.


    She had forsaken her cloakpletely, pouring thest bit of water from the bottle Edgar had given to her for drinking, on it and started using it to dab at her body, cooling it when it got too hot.


    But sometimes, it was so hot and the wasn¡¯t wasn¡¯t enough. She just wanted to have aplete bath. Was that too much to ask?


    Now, she regretted taking those baths that the pce maids usually prepared for her, for granted.


    She would never ever do that again. Water was precious, now she knew.


    She made to reach for her cloak when she heard the sound of the door opening. Immediately, and against her will, her heart started jack-hammering against her chest.


    She knew who it was.


    It couldn¡¯t be Edgar. He had already brought her meal for her today and he never came down here twice in one day.


    It had to be the man who had captured her.


    Shit. She knew that she should probably turn around in order not to anger him, but she stayed exactly where she was, staring at the wall.


    Thest time he was here, he had asked her to turn around and answer his questions. When she did, he had been shocked by her appearance, telling her to take her cloak off which she did because she hadn¡¯t had a choice.


    At first, she thought it was lust she had seen in his eyes, or perhaps appreciation, but then his face twisted into that disdainful expression she hated so much and she had known that she had been sorely mistaking.


    It wasn¡¯t lust she had seen in his eyes. It was disgust.


    He was disgusted with her true form and she hated how much it had hurt her. Even though she would love to pretend that it had not.


    Of course, he was exactly like the others. She hadn¡¯t expected him to be any different, had she?


    Yes. Yes, she had. Because for once in her miserable life, she had found a man that was actually capable of stirring things inside her that she hadn¡¯t thought was possible, and he thought her unappealing.


    Could anything possibly hurt worse?


    But it was all for the best, she told herself. They were enemies. He obviously had captured her because he wanted something from her and she was here against her will.


    If it came down to the point that she had to choose between her escape and his life, she would choose her escape. Something as dismissive as a little fickle of lust wasn¡¯t going to stop her from saving her life.


    Light speared into the room as the door opened, making ugly sounds that she was somehow grateful for, given that she had been in the dark for such a long time without anyone to talk to. Without the sound of people talking.


    Boots scuffed against the floor. Not two. More. Someone was with him.


    Her blood turned to ice. Had he brought someone with him this time to to torture her? Perhaps an expert at the task?


    Gods. She was so weak and hungry. Would she survive it?


    ¡°Turn the fuck around, Princess.¡±


    She hated how the nickname grated in her ears. Princess. She hated it because she knew he was mocking her.


    Sighing, she turned around on the cot. She didn¡¯t bother to stand-she wasn¡¯t sure that she could. She was too weak. It was taking a toll on her to merely keep her eyes open.


    She couldn¡¯t stop herself from noticing how particrly good he looked today. He was wearing a ck T-shirt that moulded to his body, defining all his pecs, and ck jeans that hung low on his hips. His muscled legs filled out the jeans nicely.


    The only thing keeping her from acting like a blubbering fool, was the knowledge that she was his enemy. She didn¡¯t want tobel him an enemy just yet simply because she wasn¡¯t sure if she had actually done anything to warrant the actions he was taking-namely, locking her up in his cell.


    Why couldn¡¯t she just be immune to his looks the way he seemed to be with hers? For crying out loud the man couldn¡¯t look at her without showing the hatred he felt for her.


    His lush green eyes-the first thing she had noticed about him when he broke into the pce-swept over her seated form once, then twice.


    Heat followed the line of his gaze, licking across the path on her skin that he followed and leaving fire in their wake.


    She barely stopped herself from shivering.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t expecting a visitor, were you, Princess?¡±


    And the grin he gave her was nothing short of evil.

 Where鈥檚 my sister?

    MARIA


    She wasn¡¯t even exaggerating when she said that she was too tired to deal with him.


    The meal she had eaten-if it could be called that-was something she wasn¡¯t even sure the servants back at the pce ate. But she guessed it was better than nothing. After all, the worms eating at her stomach walls has ceased for now.


    ¡°Stand up.¡± Hemanded.


    She would have rolled her eyes had she found the strength. ¡°You realise I don¡¯t have to stand for my mouth to work, right?¡±


    He squinted as if she had sprouted a second head within the space of five seconds. ¡°You realise I¡¯m the one doing the questioning here, right?¡±


    This time, she did roll her eyes. As if she didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°So ask your questions.¡±


    He looked like he wanted to bite her head off, but then he exhaled and he returned to looking like his usual hot, annoying self. She absolutely detested how much she found him attractive. It was simply a fact, staring back at her everytime she saw him that he was good-looking. What she hated, was that she, particrly, noticed it.


    Why couldn¡¯t he just be like the other good-looking guys that she saw? Handsome men amongst the Sorcery weren¡¯t umon. In fact, what was umon, was seeing Sorcerers that weren¡¯t good-looking. But she never ever found anyone attractive. Maria thought they were all sleazy.


    But with this man, one look at him and she was wondering about all the things that they could do together. Thinking about how he would feel if she were to touch him. How she would feel¡­


    Too bad that the man didn¡¯t look at her with anything but hate. Worse, he wanted to kill her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The rushed words snapped her back to the present and when she looked at him, she saw that his eyes were red and¡­ panicked?


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything.¡± She frowned.


    ¡°You are. Don¡¯t deny it.¡± His nostrils red, his eyes dipping to her chest before bouncing back to her face. ¡°You¡¯re trying to distract me.¡±


    She looked down at her shirt to see what he had seen, and her eyes widened when she saw that her nipples were poking through her shirt. If they were distracting him, then he had better leave. It was his fault after all.


    The cell was incredibly hot and her dirty clothes had started to itch on her skin. Continually wearing the same bra she had been captured in, wasn¡¯t an option. It was was sweaty and would have probably started to smell if she hadn¡¯t taken it off. And she wasn¡¯t wearing panties either under her shorts.


    If he had simply let her have a bath, then she would have found a way to wash her underwear and hung them to dry. It wasn¡¯t something that she usually did herself, but seeing as she didn¡¯t have a choice, she was willing to try. If only he would let her.


    But the asshole was keen on making her life a living hell.


    ¡°That was your n all along, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What was?¡±


    She was repeating his questions like an airhead, but she couldn¡¯t find it in herself to care. She was exhausted and tired of dealing with his attitude. Not to mention, frustrated. What did he want with her? Why was he keeping her locked in this hellhole?


    ¡°Seduction.¡± The scowl he levelled on her was cruel and it filled her blood with ice. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have your powers anymore, you thought that the best way to get out of here, would be to seduce me. First, you change your appearance into something you think a man like me would like, since the first one didn¡¯t work out well for you. And now, you¡¯re¡­ reacting. So that I can see.¡±


    Gods! But the man was crazy.


    Maria stared at him, shocked at his words and the way he was thinking. Too shocked to evene up with a reply for him.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    The cruel smirk on his lips told her that he had read another meaning into the shock he saw on her face. ¡°Didn¡¯t think I was going to find out, did you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± Was all she could say.


    ¡°Call it whatever you want,¡± He snapped, his eyes zing. ¡°But know that it¡¯s not going to get you anywhere with me, witch.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a witch.¡± She snapped back. That seemed to give him pause. She wasn¡¯t sure whether it was simply the fact that she had raised her voice at him that shocked him, or if it was her adamance about not being referred to as a witch.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The simple question surprised her.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not a witch.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you?¡± He asked in that same tone. She was finding it hard to suppress her surprise at him speaking to her that way. Whenever he talked to me, it was either to bark out orders or yell at me-and of recently, use her of wanting to seduce him into letting her go.


    She hadn¡¯t even thought about it once. And even now that he had nted the idea in her mind, she wasn¡¯t even feeling up to it. Both mentally and physically.


    She was too dirty to attempt pulling something like that. The mere thought of it made her want to throw up inside her mouth. Not to mention that she was so tires, she couldn¡¯t even put effort into doing something like that.


    ¡°A sorceress.¡± She finally answered.


    Before her very eyes, she watched the calm, cool expression on his face morph into one of utmost disgust and hatred.


    ¡°Thanks for reminding me what you are.¡± He dragged scornful eyes down as much of her as he could see since she was sitting down cross-legged on the cot. ¡°Needed that reality check.¡±


    She hated his yes on her. She had always hated his eyes on her-but for a few seconds ago when he had been looking at her with something other than hate in his eyes for once. She hated how little he made her feel. How he made her feel like she was worthless and undeserving of the air she breathed.


    He made her want to hate herself. And if he kept on more of that, she was sure that she would. Hate herself, that was.


    ¡°d I could help.¡± She delivered tly. He could talk about how much he hated and wanted to kill her, but he had not done anything about it yet.


    She didn¡¯t know whether to be d or terrified.


    His jaw tightened. From their interactions-which weren¡¯t much, but definitely enough-she had gathered that he didn¡¯t like being talked back at. Didn¡¯t even tolerate the merest sarcasm even if he dished it out first.


    Gods, he was such an infuriating male.


    And she couldn¡¯t believe that she was being held against her wills by him. Why couldn¡¯t he have been someone more reasonable? More agreeable? Perhaps, she would have found a way to get him to let her go.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give it to you straight, Princess-¡±


    ¡°Before, that wasn¡¯t you giving it to me straight?¡± She couldn¡¯t hide her surprise.


    His re had her swallowing and mping her mouth shut in fear. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you questions and you¡¯re going to answer every single one of them.¡± He paused. ¡°Every single one and if you lie, you¡¯re not going to like the consequences. So, friendly advice-not that I give a quarter of a fuck-don¡¯t.¡± His eyes took on a wicked glint. ¡°I¡¯ll make the deal sweeter for you-again, not that you have a choice-and ask Edgar to give you something better than these scraps you¡¯ve been having for meals. I know you hate them.¡±


    She did. She really did. She hated the ¡®meals¡¯ more than she hated being locked inside the pce.


    One thing Maria never joked with, was food. How sad was it that she was now being tortured by not giving her enough of them?


    She mulled over his deal. Should she take it? Should she not? What were her options?


    Lie and face consequences even worse than the things she was going through? Could that even be possible?


    Or tell the truth and have her meal n upgraded to something actually edible?


    But her options all boiled down to the kind of questions that he wanted to ask her. Could she answer them? Would she be able to? What if he wanted to know about some of Ariti¡¯s deeply hidden secrets? Things that she herself didn¡¯t even know about? Would he believe her if she told him that she didn¡¯t know?


    And what if his aim for asking her was to seek revenge?


    She scoffed inside. Of course it was. But the downside-really, really, bad downside-to that was that Ariti would find out-since she was the only one that knew about said things-and he would retaliate.


    By hurting the one thing in the whole worlds she cared out.


    She couldn¡¯t tell him the truth if she actually knew it. It was too risky. The result would be too much for her to bear.


    ¡°How would you know if I¡¯m actually telling you the truth?¡± She asked him, mainly because she actually wanted to know and partly to buy time.


    ¡°I know what I know and they¡¯re urate. I¡¯ll ask you a few test questions. If your answers contradict what I already know, then I¡¯ll know that you¡¯re lying.¡±


    She swallowed.


    This man was a man on a mission and he didn¡¯t look like he was joking when she said that if she lied, she would pay for it. Dearly.


    Maria wasn¡¯t one to lie to herself. There was no need pretending like she could even try to lie to him. She was a bad liar. A terrible one.


    And this man¡­


    This dangerous man that she didn¡¯t know what exactly he was or what she had done to incur his wrath, was going to smell her bullshit from a distance.


    She was screwed.

 I鈥檓 in the vampire realm?

    BRAN


    ¡°Where¡¯s my sister?¡± Bran barked. He did note here to watch her have an internal debate with herself. It pissed him off because he knew that her dyed replies only meant that she was thinking about lying to him, and he wasn¡¯t going to have that.


    ¡°Your sister?¡± She had the audacity to look confused.


    ¡°Yes,¡± He snapped impatiently. ¡°My sister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met your sister in my life.¡±


    ¡°Funny. It definitely wasn¡¯t a meet and greet when you and your father decided toe into my realm and kill every single one of my family members, save for my sister whom you guys took with you.¡±


    He watched confusion give way to understanding on her face. So she had actually been confused, not knowing who his sister was. How many people exactly had she killed for her to have to struggle to remember who he was talking about?


    He watched her throat work around a swallow, her eyes trained on a spot on the ground. ¡°T-t-this is the vampire realm?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer her, and that was a reply in itself. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes trained above her neck. What he really wanted to do, was let them glide down over her flimsy excuse of a shirt, at the nipples pointing at him.


    If he had not been sure before that she was trying to seduce him, now he was. What other reason could there be for changing her appearance and now flossing her nipples at him? It was hot as hell down in the dungeons; there was no way she was cold.


    Was she trying to tell him that she was turned on? As if.


    He knew what her n was. Since he had been immune to her when he captured her and brought her in here, she had realised that she wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere with him with the way she looked. She had probably decided to try out another appearance if it would work on him and, bloody hell, he hated to admit it, but it was working.


    The first time he had seen her body, he had not been able to think about anything else for the remainder of that day. He had run out of the dungeons and into his room upstairs as fast as his legs could carry him. Yet, even escaping her presence hadn¡¯t done anything to quell his reaction.


    Filled with restless energy, he had gone out to the stables to watch the animals. The animals hated him. And that was exactly why he went there.


    ¡°You mean¡­. Im in the vampire realm?¡± She visibly swallowed, her eyes darting to his face than away. ¡°Right now.¡±


    ¡°Where you are should be the least of your worries.¡± Bran told her. ¡°Answering my questions, however, should be your utmost priority, seeing as your life depends on it.¡±


    That snapped her eyes towards him and for the first time since Bran had captured her, he saw pure hatred fork out along her eyes. Her eyes shed silver with the emotion and the action would have shocked him had he not already studied all about sorceresses to know that their eyes shed silver with intense emotion.


    Which meant that she hated him with a passion. Good. He wasn¡¯t here to y the best friend role with her anyway.


    ¡°Where is my sister, Maria?¡± He used her given name deliberately to let her know that he was serious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± He barely held himself from snapping at her. ¡°You killed everyone except her, then you took her with you. Im assuming there¡¯s a reason you did that.¡± Blinding rage threatened to consume him as he uttered those words, but he struggled to keep it down.


    Everytime he saw her, everytime he thought that she was the cause of his parents death, that she was the one that killed them, he wanted to snap her little neck. And as it was, he was barely holding himself back from doing that. Looking at her alone, was taxing.


    Which was why the fact that he found her beautiful and attractive, was appalling.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m just going to tell you what I know.¡± She started, but she wasn¡¯t looking at him. Her eyes were on a spot over his shoulder. ¡°After we¡­ After I killed them, we-I mean, I took her with us-me  and-¡±


    ¡°What did I say about you lying to me?¡± He cut her off.


    She sighed heavily, munching on her lower lip. She looked like she was contemting on whether to tell him the truth or not. Had she not heard a single thing he said? Did she think that he was here to y games with her?


    ¡­And maybe he was.


    Come to think of it, all he had ever done was make threats to her, about how she was going to pay for lying to him. All he had ever done to her was make threats. He had not actually went through with any of those threats. That was probably why she had the audacity to even think about lying to him.


    He walked over to the door, intent on storming out and thinking about a better technique with her. He wasn¡¯t keen on hurting or torturing women, wasn¡¯t familiar with any concept besides making them feel good and that was the only reason he drew his feet with her. Definitely not because she was hot as hell and he had a boner the size of Africa for her.


    He punched the wall-both in frustration and to scare her-as he left and his hands identally hit the light switch, effectively turning it off and cloaking the room in ck.


    He heard a yelp, causing him to freeze and turn around slowly. His eyes narrowed. He flipped the light switch back on and looked at Maria quickly to see the relief wash over her face.


    He almost smiled. His suspicions had been confirmed.


    Maria was scared of the dark. How fortunate for him to have discovered one if her weaknesses.


    ¡°Do you want me to turn the light on when I leave?¡±


    She hesitated, then, ¡°Yes.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that if you answer my questions. Truthfully.¡± He said, taking several steps towards her cell. He stopped when he was a  few feet away. Farther than he had been before and it was for his own sanity, to be honest.


    Her looks was a weakness. One that he couldn¡¯t afford when he questioned her. Or ever. What the Gell was wrong with him anyway? The knowledge that said looks weren¡¯t real should give his boner a fast death, but it didn¡¯t. Instead, it seemed to do theplete opposite.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer your questions.¡±


    The words were soft and uttered in a defeated tone. One that had him looking at her, drawing his eyes to her tired ones. She really did look worse for wear, and in desperate need of a bath. Or two. Maybe he could use that to his advantage too.


    ¡°Smart idea.¡± He should probably try not to sound so co descending now that she had agreed to answer his questions, but he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°First question; why did you kill my parents?¡±


    She blew out a breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He ground on his mrs. ¡°Try again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± She threw her arms in the air, exasperated. ¡°I was simply following orders when I did.¡±


    He barked out a humourlessugh. ¡°Whose orders? Yours?¡±


    ¡°Think about it. Do I even know them? I have never been in this realm before that day. Why would I want to kill people that didn¡¯t do anything to me? People that I don¡¯t even know.¡±


    ¡°I should be asking you that.¡±


    ¡°Oh my Gods. If you know you¡¯re not going to believe a single thing I say, then why even bother asking me questions?¡± She fell back on the cot, the movement and posture causing her shirt to ride up on her stomach, leaving deliciously creamy parts of her skin bare. Her tiny nipples pointed into the air.


    A well practised move to distract him. He tore his eyes away.


    ¡°You¡¯re a sorceress,¡± He forced the words out through clenched teeth, a reminder to both himself and her. ¡°You can¡¯t me me for doubting anything thates out of your deceitful mouth.¡±


    ¡°What do you have against us?¡± She asked, staring up at the ceiling.


    ¡°Everything.¡± Pissed, he snapped. ¡°Sit up.¡± She rolled her eyes, but obeyed him. ¡°Why did you kill everyone except my sister? What use is she to you?¡±


    ¡°I told you before; I don¡¯t know. I was simply following orders.¡±


    He disregarded that. She was still lying to him. Even now that he had promised to leave the lights on for her when he left, she still dared to lie to him.


    He decided to give her onest chance.


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Her eyes darted away when she spoke, proof that she was indeed lying to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He was done with this. It was high time he showed her that he would make good on his threats if she continued disobeying him.


    He turned around, marched to the door and flipped the lights off, mming the door shut on her panicked cry.

 She鈥檚 not yet an immortal

    BRAN


    He would go to the stables, but he was too miserable to get himself to move. And that was saying a lot.


    Bran was a vampire. All he ate or drank, was blood, but sometimes, when he was pushed to it or when the asion called for it, he drank wine. It was something only the oldest of vampires could do.


    He grabbed the bottle of whiskey, refilling his ss as he stared at the rich brown liquid absently. Filled with the feeling of helplessness, he had resorted to drinking himself into a stupor. It was the only option that had seemed the most pleasing at the time. One of those options was going down to the cells to have another round of questioning with Maria.


    All of them had proved futile so far. What was the point in going?


    She was intent on keeping her secret. Keeping his sister¡¯s whereabouts from him. Everyday, when he thought that maybe he would get a bite closer to an answer, she proved him wrong by telling him that she didn¡¯t know, taking him all the way back to the start.


    He hated it.


    He also hated that he couldn¡¯t actually hurt her the way that he wanted to. He wanted to torture her with the million different techniques he had learnt over the years. He wanted to get her to say the truth through every means necessary.


    But he couldn¡¯t. Not just because she was a woman and he wasn¡¯t used to hurting women, but Alsop because he held a reluctant attention towards her. Well, her fake body.


    He should probably try to convince her into shedding this appearance and bringing her new one back up. Maybe that would make him focus on what he actually needed to be focusing on-getting the location of his sister, Iris.


    No matter what Maria told him, he knew that she had chosen his family for a reason. The king and queen had not had a lot of enemies. He wasn¡¯t even sure that they had enemies. They were peacemakers to the core and usually went around settling disputes. Sure, his father had a mean streak, but he never used it unjustly. He saw no reason why Maria had chosen to attack his parents. His family.


    Then she had taken Iris with her, which only meant one thing-Iris was important to them. Or they were trying to make a statement. Trying to get him toe to them, because he hadn¡¯t been there at the time of the attack. He had been away on mission.


    He didn¡¯t believe Maria when she said that she didn¡¯t know where Iris was. She had to. Thatst hesitation before answering his question told him that she knew something. And he didn¡¯t know how to get her to admit it.


    Could he really bring himself to torture her physically? Was that what she needed?


    He lifted his tumbler to his lips, just as he heard footsteps walk into the room behind him. He didn¡¯t have to turn to know that it was Edgar. He was the only one that would walk into a room that Bran was in, in such manner.


    He walked over until he was sitting on the chair next to Bran. Silently, he reached for Bran¡¯s whiskey, grabbed a ss and poured a hefty dose of whiskey into it.


    ¡°What do you want, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°You assume I want something?¡± Edgar asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.


    ¡°I know you want to say something.¡± He knew Edgar. He wouldn¡¯te in here if it wasn¡¯t because of something important. Plus, he was drinking. Edgar rarely drank.


    ¡°No need denying it.¡± Edgar shrugged, taking a heavy swallow of his whiskey. ¡°The girl-¡±


    Bran mmed his ss on the table, cutting Edgar off. ¡°If you¡¯re here to talk about her, you might as well leave.¡±


    The other man sighed, leaning back in his chair. Reluctantly, Bran turned two stare at him, seeing that he looked a bit pensive and tired. Like he had bad news.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Bran couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking.


    He took a while before answering. ¡°Nothing happened. I just-I think that there¡¯s something going on with that woman. Something she¡¯s not telling us.¡±


    That had him at alert. ¡°What?¡±


    Could she possibly be plotting something? There was no way that could happen when that cor stopped her from using her powers, right? Or was it something else entirely? Something physical? She had once tried to seduce him-was still trying to. He wouldn¡¯t put it past her.


    ¡°Theres something about her, I¡¯m note sure what, but it¡¯s not going to bode well for either of us.¡± Edgar shook his head hard. ¡°She looks leaner than she was when she first came here.¡±


    Was that what the issue was?


    ¡°She¡¯s supposed to.¡± Bran stated, matter of factly. ¡°She¡¯s being locked in a room with zero light, zero venttion and a bed the size of my wrist. Of course, she¡¯s going to look different from how she was when she came in here. Thats what happens when a person is abducted, Edgar. The same is probably happening to Iris this very moment.¡±


    Edgar shook his head vehemently. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Even after her meals, she looks the same.¡± He stared at Bran pointedly. ¡°She¡¯s supposed to regenerate, Bran. Thats how immortality works. The slightest meal or hint of strength, your muscles are filling and you are regaining everything you lost.¡±


    Bran frowned so hard, his vision almost became white. ¡°You think she¡¯s not immortal yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Edgar said simply.


    That couldn¡¯t be true. Bran didn¡¯t believe that for one second. She was a powerful sorceress capable of wiping out his entire family with a wave of her hand. He had heard a lot of stories about her. She was extremely powerful. There was no way she was still a mortal. Mortals didn¡¯t have those kind of powers.


    ¡°Not possible.¡±


    ¡°It is, actually.¡± Edgar returned calmly. ¡°She grows weaker and leaner by the day. She couldn¡¯t even bitch at me when I turned the lights off as I left today. And she usually does.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just tired.¡± Bran shrugged. ¡°She looked that way too yesterday when I questioned her.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    There was simply no way she was a mortal. Edgar could convince him of anything else, but that. Surely, Bran would know a mortal if he saw one. Edgar was usually right about these things, but this time, he was wrong.


    Edgar looked like he had a bit more to say on the topic, but he also seemed to be holding his tongue. ¡°Okay, then.¡± He polished of the remainder of his drink, standing up prepared to leave, before stopping, seeming to remember something. ¡°Can I make some adjustments to her meals?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Give her a bath?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he growled. He didn¡¯t like how the words, ¡®give her a bath¡¯ soundeding out from his mouth. That probably wasn¡¯t the way he had meant it, but I didn¡¯t want to picture him seeing her unclothed.


    Shit. Now, he was seeing her unclothed and he hated how fast and hard his body reacted to the image.


    ¡°You¡¯re breaking the girl already, Bran. Give her a break.¡±


    ¡°She should have thought about that when she decided to target a Karras.¡± Standing, he downed his drink in one gulp, preparing to leave. ¡°I¡¯m not done with her yet.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to get revenge. A fairly deserved one. But I hope you don¡¯t end up making a mistake.¡± With those cryptic words, Edgar walked out of the room. Staring at the spot he had just been standing in, Bran followed.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what exactly he wanted to to. Wasn¡¯t sure what his next action was, but he knew that he was done ying games with the sorceress. She wasn¡¯t going to give him the answers he wanted without some major action from his side. And by action, he meant real torture.


    She was a woman and he hated hurting them. But she was also an evil sorceress, the murderer of his parents and the captor of his little sister who wasn¡¯t even yet neen.


    He wanted to treat her like the woman that she was, by following his principles and not harming her even when he very well wanted to. But she didn¡¯t seem to be getting that idea. Besides, where was her sympathy when she had been mercilessly killing his parents?


    Edgar didn¡¯t know what the hell he was saying. Bran was not making a mistake. He was avenging his parents and also trying to save his sister.


    Everyday, he felt his sister in his heart. He wasn¡¯t able to feel her pain or get a grip on how exactly she was feeling, but he knew that she was alive. And he knew that Maria definitely had to be keeping her somewhere.


    Instantly when his parents had died, he had felt it. He couldn¡¯t feel their presence anymore. They just went nk and that was how he had known that something was wrong. Then he hade back home to his realm and found out that a sorceress and her father had had the audacity to venture into his realm and kill his parents.


    He had failed his parents by not being here. By not ensuring that they were safe enough.


    But he wasn¡¯t going to fail his sister. And he was going to do anything within-and outside-his powers to make sure that he found her.

 Torture begins

    MARIA


    Maria jerked up from her bed when she heard the sound of the door being opened. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was actually thinking it, but damn, she was excited to see him. She was actually anticipating this round of questioning.


    He had not been here in the past four days and although Edgar had been giving her her regr meals, she still felt restless. She wondered if maybe her captor was starting to get frustrated by her answers and had decided to stop questioning her altogether.


    She wondered if maybe he had decided to kill her seeing as she was of no use to him. But he wouldn¡¯t feed her if he nned on killing her, would he?


    But then when the door slid open, it wasn¡¯t him that walked through it, neither was it Edgar-although she had not been expecting him. The point was that, it wasn¡¯t anyone she knew.


    They weren¡¯t people she knew.


    Two leanly built men traipsed into the cell, both blondes, and the looks on their faces told her that they hadn¡¯te to chat with her.


    She sat up quickly when they stormed towards her cell, unlocking it and flinging it open, then walking in to lift her out of her bed bodily when she protested. Her heart mmed against her ribcage, threatening to beat right out andnd at her feet. What was happening? She had only been joking when she thought that Bran wanted to kill her. She didn¡¯t think that he was actually going to do it!


    Were they taking her to kill her? She couldn¡¯t die. She just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± She yelled, fighting against them. But their hold was strong and each of them was ten times stronger than she was. There was no way her little movements were going to budge them.


    They dragged her out of the cell despite her protests. They didn¡¯t even bother to kick the gate of her cell shut, simply dragged her with them as they marched towards the door.


    She was scared. Scared and angry. Scared that these men were going to kill her, or at the very least, harm her. And angry that her captor was too much of a coward toe and get her himself. Maybe he didn¡¯t want to get his hands dirty with her blood? So asking his men to do it for him was better?


    Anger had her taunting the men. ¡°Is yourmander too much of a coward toe get me that he had to send his little boys?¡±


    She got no reply from the men, although one of them gave her a killing look. They walked out of the cells and for the first time since she had been abducted, Maria was seeing something other than the inside of her cell. She was seeing something other than ck.


    The walls were painted in a cool light blue colour. She found herself wanting to push away from the men and ster her dirty and hot body against the walls to know if they actually felt as cool as she thought they did. But she didn¡¯t want to fight the men. She was Maria Hatzi, a sorceress as dangerous as she was calm. These men weren¡¯t going to get a rise out of her. She wasn¡¯t going to give her captor the joy of watching her squirm-if he was.


    The man to her right shackled her hands behind her just as they turned onto another corridor.


    ¡°Scared of a little girl?¡± She smirked tiredly, her eyes shooting daggers at him.


    He gave her a lusty once-over. ¡°Not everything about you is little.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t hide her revulsion. He was disgusting and he deserved to die for that alone. He was so lucky she didn¡¯t have her powers, else, he would have died a quick, but very painful death for even daring to look at her in that manner.


    She refrained from saying another word and they walked on in silence, her breath bouncing annoyingly with every step that she took. If only the men could walk a bit slower. Their legs were longer than hers and for every step they took, she had to take two to keep up. If she stalled, they dragged her and she would stumble clumsily, making her hate herself even more.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that she had been reduced to this person. That men she usually killed with just a snap of her finger, were now treating her this way. Her hatred for her captor increased.


    But not only could she me her captor, she also med Ariti for making her into the person she had been. If not for Ariti, she would not have killed the royal family that day and hence, her capture would never have taken ce.


    A door came into sight and somehow, she knew that was where the men were taking her. Her heart drummed against her chest. One of the men-the one who had made thatment about her body-grinned evilly at her, probably having heard her reaction.


    Gods, she really really hoped she lived long enough to kill him. If not for anything else.


    He twisted the door knob, pushing the door open and the other man dragged her in.


    Two things happened simultaneously. Her jaw dropped and she stumbled, her legs twisting around each other and the next thing she knew, she was falling face down on the floor. She was going to break her nose, or any other bone in her body because she her hands were bound behind her and there was no way she could break her fall.


    A handshed out and caught her when she was mere inches from the ground. The person righted her, then shoved her away when she was back on her feet.


    She turned around quickly in time to see the man she had been expecting to see for the past few days. She hadn¡¯t seen him when she initially came into the room because she had been too focused on what was in the middle of it. Right now, she even dreaded looking at it. So, instead, she focused on him.


    He wore a ck shirt that covered his arms totally and equally ck trousers. Did this man wear anything other than ck?


    He stared at her for a fraction of a second before dismissing her, turning away to walk to the far end of the room where a set of chairs were arranged. Chairs just like the one in the middle of the room.


    Swallowing, she turned and fixed her eyes on what she knew was solely arranged for her. Or maybe it had been there all along and it was just her turn to use it, but she knew that was the reason the men had dragged her in here.


    Arranged at the centre of the room, was an iron chair and table. The chair was in, in good condition. Nothing wrong with it whatsoever. What terrified her. Was the table. It carried a sharply curved de, not that big, the size of her palm.


    She didn¡¯t need to be told what its use was.


    The men grabbed her, hauling her towards the chair ced in front of the table and forcing her down on it. Did they have to be that rough? She wasn¡¯t even fighting them. She was too numb to do anything.


    They locked the straps from the chair around her hands and legs, holding her in ce. Even if she managed to rock the chair sideways, there was no way she would be able to get free without help.


    Her hands were pushed to the table and kept in ce by ck leather cors. She was sitting on a chair, her hands stretched out on the table in front of her, waiting to be chopped off. Because that was what they were going to do to her. They were going to attempt to cut her hands off.


    The blonde men stepped back after checking to make sure that she couldn¡¯t move, then retreated out of the room. Before the doors could close behind the, a small man walked into the room. The closer he got, the chiller Maria¡¯s blood got. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that he was the one going to be torturing her, because yet again, her captor was too much of a coward to do it himself.


    He stood in front of her, his face in a sort of creepy smile that didn¡¯t do anything to help her blood pressure. If what they nned to do to her didn¡¯t kill her, then she was going to die of a heart attack.


    Her eyes darted to her captor who sat in the corner of the room, watching everything happening before him with dead eyes. His eyes locked with hers. Cold. Emotionless. How had she found this man attractive?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know what¡¯s happening.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even grace him with an answer. He was a cold hearted bastard and she hoped that he would die in a fire. Slowly and painfully. Just like what he nned to do to her.


    ¡°You have onest chance to answer my questions.¡± His voice was t. ¡°Why did you kill my parents?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He didn¡¯t react. His face was still carefully nk.


    ¡°Where did you take my sister?¡±


    What was wrong with him? Did he think that she was lying? Her life was on the line right now-okay, not her life, more like her hand-did he think that she would withhold the truth from him when the consequences were so dire?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± She yelled, frustrated.


    Silently, her captor nodded to the man standing in front of her and her eyes flew from him to the man¡¯s hazel ones, just as he pressed a ck button on the table and the de whirled to life, rolling for a bit before starting down on the path that lead to her wrist.


    She jumped in her chair, unable to move. Her eyes darted around, searching for any means of escape, but there was none. She decided to try again with her captor.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. Why can¡¯t you just believe me?¡± Her voice rose with panic, her muscles knotting and her forehead sweating as the de moved closer to her hand. ¡°Get a mind-reader. An oracle. Anyone. They¡¯ll tell you I¡¯m speaking the truth!¡± She cried.


    But that still didn¡¯t move him. He stared at her nkly, his expression as vacant as the man¡¯s standing in front of her. The de was only a few inches from her hand.


    ¡°Please.¡± She begged for the first time in as long as she could remember.


    Maria Hatzi. Begging. Who would have thought?


    But she was helpless and she didn¡¯t have a choice. If that de touched her hand, then she was as good as dead. She had not yet frozen into her immortality. Which meant that her hand wouldn¡¯t regrow. She was going to freeze into her immortality with one palm and she was going to have to live with it forever.


    She thought she saw something in her captors eyes, but in a sh, it was gone. The look he gave her was one of a man who had made up his mind.


    She was going to lose her hand.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The hatred she felt for him in that moment was so deep and almost physical, that she felt it pressing on her chest.


    With tears welling in her eyes, she stared at the de closing in on her hand.

 I鈥檓 sorry

    MARIA


    It was in that moment that Maria realised she might actually deserve what wasing for her. Was this how her victims felt when she was about to take their lives? They had to feel even worse than this because it was her hand that was going to be chopped off. Not her life.


    How many times had she stood before her victims with her arms raised ready to unleash hell on them?


    Justst week, that teenage girl had sat on the floor of the pce courtroom with her head held high ready to receive her death blow. Why couldn¡¯t Maria find that boldness now? Why was she shaking life a leaf as she watched the de inch closer to her skin?


    Before today, somehow, at the back of her mind, Maria had conceded that she did evil things to people. But not once had she actually seen herself as evil. Now that she was in this position, a position even more preferable to the ones she had put people in several times, she realised that she was an evil person.


    Any person who could make another person feel this way was evil. She was sweating, shaking and frankly, she was scared as shit.


    The tips of the de had spikes. It was sure to leave an ugly scar. The first time the de touched her, she squeaked and jumped in the chair, the bands binding her to the chair, quickly pulling her back down. The second time the de touched her, she let out a full blown scream and she didn¡¯t stop.


    Pure, unfettered pain speared up her hand, sharpening at the point the de touched her skin and then spreading outward slowly, until her hand felt like lead and suddenly became ten times heavier.


    Unable to look at her flesh giving way, she turned her face away, biting at her lip to stop her scream, but that didn¡¯t help. Tears spilled faster down her cheek, falling from her face and hitting her shirt.


    She couldn¡¯t look at the man who was doing this to her, neither could she look at the man that had ordered it. They were monsters, watching her suffer like this and probably enjoying every single second of it. It was that victory that she couldn¡¯t bear to see on their faces that had her staring at the floor beside her, trying to control her screams as best as she could.


    She wished she could think about anything else, but the pain was so profound, so absolute and it was the only thing that she could think about.


    A sob escaped her lips and she t out started crying. Bawling her eyes out, to be honest. In front of these vile men. She hated herself almost as much as she hated him.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Her captor yelled. She knew his voice. She didn¡¯t have to look up to know that it was him.


    She tried to control her sobs, thinking that he was talking to her. It was when the man pressed the button and the de stopped moving, that she realised that he had been talking to the man torturing her.


    Immediately the de stopped moving, she let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived because pain speared up her hand and she tried-and failed-to free her other arm so that she could cradle the injured one.


    Her blood had pooled underneath her hand and was starting to spread out slowly on the table. Tears in her eyes, she looked up at the man who had tortured her, hating him so much in that moment.


    She paused when she saw that his eyes were trained on her injured hand-on the blood, and he swiped his tongue along his bottom lip. The movement caused the two sharp fangs on each side of his mouth to be visible to her.


    Gods, he was a vampire! And the idiot was fantasizing about drinking her blood.


    Rage boiled likerva in her belly.


    Her eyes snapped to the far side of the room when she heard movement. Her captor had pushed away from his chair, and was stomping towards her in barely leashed fury.


    Why was he staring at her like he wanted to chop her head off-or, considering the direction he was leaning, her hand?


    And why had he ordered the man to cease?


    Perhaps he wanted to question her a bit and then when she still didn¡¯t give him the answers that he so seeked, he would ask the man to press the button for the de to cut her hand offpletely?


    Her hand throbbed in pain and she wanted to look at it to know the extent of the damage, but she was too scared to look. What if a huge chunk of her hand had gone? Gods, she was going to scar. The Sorceri detested scars. A person with scars was considered less than perfect. Which was basically an abomination.


    He stormed towards her, shoved the man away without even looking at him, then proceeded to unlock all the shackles keeping her from moving. She noticed that he was extra careful when he freed her injured hand and had she been able to, she would have frowned in confusion.


    Because she was confused as hell right now. Why was he freeing her? Why did he push his own man away like he had done something wrong to him?


    The moment her injured hand was freed, she peeked at it, then turned her face away quickly. She didn¡¯t want to look at it. She was too scared. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was going to scar.


    The thought almost had fresh tears springing to her eyes.


    Gods, how she hated this man.


    He walked around the table to the chair she was sitting on and bent to free her legs, which put him at exact height with him. She kept her eyes firmly on a spot on the table, intent on not looking at him. Swiftly, he finished with the ties and he got up.


    She still had her hands stretched out in front of her, too scared of dragging them back only to find out that a chunk of the injured hand-her left hand-was hanging out. She would throw up. Hopefully, on her captor.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    She really needed to stop referring to him as her captor and ask him what his name was. But that was before he had proceeded to rip her hand from her body. That was before when she thought that he was capable of feeling emotions. Now, she knew that he didn¡¯t feel anything but hate and anger.


    And she was done not seeing him as the enemy.


    He seemed to hesitate for a bit before shoving his arms out and wrapping them around her. Frozen in shock and disbelief and any other emotion suitable for the situation on ground, Maria could do nothing but stare as he lifted her from the chair and into his arms.


    He had one arm wrapped around her hip, very close to her ass and the other around her shoulders, bringing her close to himself. She let out a scream when the position made her injured arm touch his skin. She quickly cradled it against her chest like a new born child.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± He muttered as he rearranged her in his hold. Admittedly, this position made her feel morefortable.


    Okay, she wasn¡¯t going to lie, she was confused about a lot of things. The major one being him carrying her. Like actually touching her, and not yelling at her and calling her a sorceress, since he seemed to hate them so much.


    With her in his arms, he turned around and walked out of the room without a single word to the man whom he had assigned to torture her.


    Her sobs had reduced to little whimpers and against unconsciously, she burrowed her face into the warmth his chest provided. She told herself that she was only doing that because he was carrying her and there was no way her face wouldn¡¯t rest on his chest.


    His chest was warm, surprisingly seeing as he was a vampire, and strong. But there was no sound of a heartbeat, again, that was normal with vampires, but that wasn¡¯t the only thing it meant. What it meant, was that he was an unmated vampire. He had not found his mate yet.


    And she had absolutely no idea why she felt a huge amount of relief because of that.


    One of the things that Maria would stew onter, was the fact that he didn¡¯t take her to the cells. Not directly anyway.


    They walked down the long corridor and entered a small room to the left. He transferred most of her weight onto one of his hands, again, careful not to nudge her injured hand and with his other hand, opened the door.


    He flipped a switch to turn on the light and she squinted when they came on.


    She couldn¡¯t even focus on the details of the room. How could she when her enemy was right there for her to look at. Add that to the fact that he was already staring down at her with an expression she couldn¡¯t name.


    He walked them into the room and deposited her on a couch. Gods, it was so soft and inviting she almost forgot about her injury and purred.


    The sound caught him by surprise because he looked at her quickly with a brow raised. She ignored him and searched for something else to fix her eyes on. Namely, the huge painting on the wall of the royal family.


    Him, his parents and the sister he spoke of. The picture couldn¡¯t have been from a long time back because he looked exactly the same way he looked now, but she knew that the picture couldn¡¯t have been from anytime soon because his parents weren¡¯t alive anymore.


    Because of her.


    Her heart gave a guilty pang.


    She looked away quickly, turning to watch him grab a small box out of a cupboard and walk towards her.


    He seemed to be watching her as warily as she was watching him. They both looked like they didn¡¯t know what to do with themselves and it was quite obvious that they were doing something that they didn¡¯t usually do.


    That he was doing something he wasn¡¯t supposed to be doing.


    He sighed, resigned, and dropped the box he was holding at her feet, went away to drag a wooden chair over and ced it in front of hers.


    Dropping down on it, he was so soul-crushingly close to her that she almost didn¡¯t hear him when he said, ¡°Give me your hand.¡±

 Unwanted attraction

    MARIA


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Give me your hand, Maria.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why else would I be asking for your hand?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why she was arguing, really. The only reason he would be asking for her hand would be to help her treat her injuries-or to inflict more, but from the look on his face, she was leaning towards the former.


    The question was; why did he want to help her? Wasn¡¯t he the same person that hard ordered the man to cut her hand?


    Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t refuse him. Not because she particrly wanted to, but because she had no choice. She really needed it to be treated. Even if it meant being civil with the one man she couldn¡¯t stand right now. Even if it meant that he would do the treating.


    Why hadn¡¯t he just asked Edgar to do it? That man treated her better than any other person on this damn realm.


    Gingerly, she extended her hand to him, expecting him to smirk at her cruelly and mock her. Maybe she would find out that he didn¡¯t really want to help her. Maybe he would throw her into her cells and allow her hand to rot away.


    But instead, he wrapped his fingers around her hand. Maria was positive that she was going to pass out from shock. Because what exactly was going on right now? Was she in an alternate realm? One in which her captor realised that he had been treating her wrongly and finally let her go free?


    He held her hand softly, something she would never have thought he was capable of, and turned it from side to side, examining the injury. Finally, she started at it. She couldn¡¯t push it off for long and besides, it was already in the process of being treated. Her eyes widened when she saw the injury. It wasn¡¯t even that deep-at least as deep as she had imagined. It was a little cut on the side of her wrist and even though it wasn¡¯t that deep to require stitching, it was definitely deep enough to bleed.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to need a stitch.¡± Her captor told her, confirming her thoughts.


    Thank the Gods. That meant it wouldn¡¯t scar much. She could deal with that. Maybe.


    Heid her hand gently on her thigh and bent to open the box. He produced some times from it and briskly, he set on cleaning her wound and applying a salve and band on it.


    All through the process, she just sat there staring at him. At his high and cut cheekbones, those intense green eyespletely focused on his task, although he looked up at her and murmured ¡®sorry¡¯ whenever the injury stung and she whimpered. She couldn¡¯t believe that this man was the same cruel person she knew. She stared at his bent head, thinking of all the times that he had yelled at her in the cells and then his cold eyes when he had asked the man to press the button for the de.


    How could this be the same person?


    And what did the fact that he had called off the torture mean?


    Was he only just saving her for another torture session? Or had her pain been too much for him to bear that he couldn¡¯t help but call it off?


    No, she thought. That couldn¡¯t be possible. He was a heartless man and she would do well to remember that. There was a reason he had called off her torture and she was sure it was one best known to him.


    He was her enemy. She would do well to remember that.


    He lifted his head in that moment and their eyes locked. It took less than a second for heat to lick across her skin and for a blush to creep up her face.


    Gods, she was blushing. For a man that wanted her killed. What was wrong with her? Perhaps the cor wasn¡¯t only nullifying her powers but also making her attracted to him? It could be, couldn¡¯t it?Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Her eyes trailed over his savagely beautiful face, his strong nose, full lips and strong chin. Had they met under different circumstances, she would have made a move on him. Maybe he would have felt the same way.


    But she was a sorceress that he loathed and he was a vampire that she was only beginning to hate. He wanted to kill her and she was sure that she would kill him if she ever had the opportunity.


    They were from different realms and the only thing tying them together, was his search for his sister. A sister that she genuinely did not know the whereabouts of. He wouldn¡¯t believe it, but after they had taken his sister with them back to their realm, Ariti had ordered a guard to take her away and since that day, Maria had not heard a single thing about her.


    She had assumed that the girl had been taken away to be killed-because it wants the first time Ariti had done something like that-but she couldn¡¯t tell her captor that because she was scared that he would kill her.


    Would it not be better enduring the torture than him t out killing her?


    She needed to stay alive. She simply needed to. She needed to go back to Ariti.


    Her captor cleared his throat, figuring that she must have got lost in her thoughts. ¡°Your hand is all good now.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She murmured, her eyes falling to her hand to examine it. It didn¡¯t look as bad as it did before, but how would she know when there was a band-aid covering it? Pain ricocheted up her hand as she tried to move it and she had to hold herself back from saying something snarky to him like, ¡®Treating it is the least you can do when you were the one that ordered for it to be chopped off.¡¯, but she bit down on her tongue. ¡°Thanks.¡± She murmured instead, the word clipped and rusty and so strange on her tongue.


    She had not used it in a long time.


    He jerked his head in a nod, then he stared at her. It wasn¡¯t one of the usual icy stares he gave her. The ones that always made her hate herself and hate him even more. No. This one was different.


    He started from her eyes, then trailed down past her nose, lips, her neck, they even touched her hair before they drifted lower to her breasts. Instantly, before his very eyes, her nipples hardened and his eyes red, jumping up. When they met hers, they were filled with lust and briefly, they shed blue before returning to their original colour.


    Blue. Vampires¡¯ eyes shed blue whenever they experienced intense emotions like pain, love, happiness, anger, lust and excitement. In this case, it was quite obvious that it was lust and she was so shaken by the knowledge that she didn¡¯t know how to react.


    She thought that he was immune to her. That there was no way he could ever be as attracted to her as she was to him, but the look he just gave her confirmed it. If that wasn¡¯t confirmation enough, then the blue of his eyes were.


    Heat filled his eyes and his lips parted. His eyes bounced between her nipples and her face as if he was trying to make a decision. An extremely hard decision.


    Maria, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t faring off better. His eyes were making her hot. Like, actually hot. Her skin was burning up and she had to squeeze her thighs together to subdue the sudden emptiness that she felt.


    His eyes dropped, following the movement and as if he had lost a fight, he groaned. He stretched out his hand to touch her. She was literally panting at this point. Her nipples were two hard points, the seam of her shorts were wet and she licked her lips, silently begging for him to kiss her. Anything, as long as she had his hands on her body.


    His green eyes were on fire, his big hand a few inches away from her shoulder when, suddenly, he pressed his eyes closed. He remained that way for a minute, maybe more, then when his eyes flew open, any lingering heat was gone from them and the frosty re he gave her, had her dying a quick death.


    Uh¡­ What happened just now?


    Did the man have multiple personalities?


    He stood up, grabbed the box and mmed it closed, walking over to shove it back into the cupboard he had collected it from. Without another look at her, he stormed out of the room.


    She stared at the door in open shock.


    A few minutester, a man, his clothes told her that he was a guard, came into the room and escorted her back to her cells. He had done it again-asked someone else to do his dirty work.


    The man clearly had issues, she wasn¡¯t going to lie.


    Glumly, she walked into her cell, watching the man silently as he locked the gate and walked away.


    Her captor had issues. And she wasn¡¯t sure that she was interested in finding out what they were.

 I have information about your sister

    BRAN


    The vampire realm, unlike many of the other realms-for instance, the realm of Sorceri and the realm of Valkyrie who frowned upon the entrance of creatures that weren¡¯t of their kind-was one in which creatures of different species co-existed.


    Most of them didn¡¯t even live in this realm. They were either passing by and had decided to camp here for a few days before continuing on their journey and some had somehow crashnded in the wrong realm and didn¡¯t know their way out. The Sorceri weren¡¯t friends of the Vampires, so there was no way a portal opener could be found amongst us which was why many of them that hadnded here against their will, had simply started living here.


    Seeing as a considerate number of other species had started living here, few bars and restaurants had been established around the kingdom.


    Bran, when he sometimes felt like it-which was extremely rare-, visited one of the bars. He wasn¡¯t one of those uptight kings that wanted their ass worshipped whenever they walked into a room; his father hadn¡¯t even been that way. As long as they respected him, he didn¡¯t have a problem.


    He walked into the bar he usually went to, nked by two of his men. Immediately he stepped in, the upants of the ce stood in respect, bowing their heads at him. It made him feel awkward and he barely stopped himself from tugging at his shirt.


    stering an easy smile on his face, he nodded at them to return to their seats and they did.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel like a fucking imposter in his own kingdom. Was he even worthy of being called a king?


    He¡¯d been absent while his home had been invaded, his parents-and a score of guards-killed, and his sister, abducted. And then he¡¯d returned a monthter because it had been almost impossible for his people to reach him, only to meet the kingdom in a state of anarchy due to theck of a leader.


    Yeah, some king he was.


    He had not even be ready to be a king. Wasn¡¯t prepared for it at all. But his father was dead and someone had to assume the role of King and lead the people. He was his father¡¯s only male child and heir to the throne.


    Duties he hadn¡¯t been prepared for were dumped on hisps and he¡¯d grown older and wiser in those first three months of him sitting on the throne than he had in his entire lifebined.


    He¡¯d been forced to rule.


    Because of her.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± The bar owner, Elizabeth, approached Bran as he sat at a table of two off to the side of the room. He always sat at that table and coincidentally, it was always unupied. Bran suspected Elizabeth reserved the table specifically for him in case he decided toe in. ¡°I trust you¡¯re having a wonderful day.¡±


    She was way off the mark, but he wasn¡¯t going to tell her that.


    He nodded sharply. ¡°I am. How are things, Elizabeth?¡±


    In all honesty, he didn¡¯t give two shits about how she was or how things were going in her life. But he was outside the pce walls and these were his people. He had to y the role he was born for.


    The question elicited a smile out of her which was nothing short of surprising, really, seeing as he asked her the exact same thing every time he came in here and she never failed to give him the same answer: Splendid.


    ¡°Splendid.¡± She eximed as expected.


    He would say ¡®I told you so¡¯ if he was having this conversation with anyone but himself.


    ¡°Shall I bring your usual?¡± She asked and he nodded, impatient for her to leave already.


    A few minutester, she arrived with a bottle of whiskey and an empty ss, pouring a hefty dose for him before cing the bottle on the table and retreating.


    Bran wasn¡¯t in a hurry to drink. To be honest, he didn¡¯t really care much for it. He had onlye here in a bid to kill two birds with a stone. He needed to be away from the pce and at the same time, he needed to drink to clear his head. He had not been able to stay back at the pce and have his drink peacefully without images and thoughts of Maria guing him, so he had decided to leave.


    He couldn¡¯t not think about her body-if it was actually her¡¯s-and how it dipped and curved in the right ces. How her barely there T-shirt had highlighted the mesmerising shapes of her pert breasts, leaving nothing to the imagination. And her tiny shorts that barely covered her ass cheeks.


    Couldn¡¯t not think about the betrayed look in her eyes when she stared at him that day, as though she had trusted him and he had broken that trust.


    Couldn¡¯t not think about the fact that she had shed a tear.


    How frail she¡¯d looked when he¡¯d held her in his arms, her body folding in on itself as if she wanted to protect herself against him.


    How small she¡¯d been in his arms.


    How perfect¡­


    Hell, he¡¯d left the pce, thinking that the high walls were clouding his thoughts since he¡¯d been in there for a while. That he simply needed to leave and clear his head and everything would miraculously go back to normal, but it wasn¡¯t working.


    He should have known better. He didn¡¯t believe in miracles.


    He grabbed the ss and threw the drink into the back of his throat, relishing the burn as it went down. He dropped the ss back down on the table, not as gently as he¡¯d wanted to.


    The sorceress was doing something. He didn¡¯t know what exactly she was doing or how she was doing it, but he knew that she was. She was infiltrating his mind with thoughts of herself, making it impossible for him to think about anything else. So that what?


    So that he would develop feelings for her and foolishly let her go?


    He almostughed out loud at that. Did she think that he was really that easily deceived? That he didn¡¯t know that she was lying?


    Her performance a few days ago had caused him to start thinking, but at the end of the day, he came to the same conclusion that she knew where his sister was.


    ording to his most trusted men, men that wouldn¡¯t dare lie to him, it had not been her father that had attacked his family. It was her. She was the one that had captured Iris. Which meant that she knew where Iris was.


    Why did she insist on lying to him that she didn¡¯t know where his sister was? Was there something else at y?


    He gave his head a hard shake. No. Maria Hatzi knew where his sister was. She just didn¡¯t want to tell him, even when he¡¯d recruited a master torturer to chop her hand off. Which meant that his sister had to serve a greater purpose to her.


    One that he was going to find out what it was.


    Bran was one of the primordial vampires-the oldest vampires to exist-and he had remarkably keener hearing than most vampires. Which was why he heard when someone said; ¡°He looks so troubled. I feel so sad for him.¡±


    His shoulders went up and he tensed in his chair. He was careful not to look in the direction he had heard the words so as not to give away the fact that he could hear them.


    ¡°¡­ wiped out his entire family? How awful.¡± The remainder of the sentence drifted to his ears, but they weren¡¯t from the same person that had spoken first.


    Instantly, he knew they were talking about him. And the pity in their words couldn¡¯t be clearer. They obviously hadn¡¯t expected him to hear the words and if it were younger vampires, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to hear them.


    His neck burned hotly from shame, his mrs grinding in anger.


    They pitied him.


    Him.


    Their king.


    They probably had been talking about him for long but he had just been too lost in his thoughts to pay attention.


    Was that how they saw him? Troubled and sad and helpless? They thought he was a fucking wimp?


    ¡°He has no one. Absolutely no one. I wonder how he-¡±


    He stood up abruptly, unable to hear the words anymore, and threw a wad of cash on the table next to his abandoned drink.


    Without a single nce at anyone and with shame scalding him, he stormed out of the bar, not bothering to check if his guards were following him.


    He knew that they were.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    This was how his own people now saw him. Sad and troubled. All because of a fucking sorceress. Rage burned through him, alive and strong and almost swallowing him whole in its intensity.


    He was going to make her pay.


    In his haste to exit the bar, he didn¡¯t take note of a man that walked right out with him, lingering a few feet behind his men.


    It was obvious that the man wasn¡¯t from around here. He carried himself with a pompous air around him, yet the darting of his eyes from side to side gave out the knowledge that he was nervous. Scared.


    Bran watched him out of the corner of his left eye, controlling his breaths until he was breathing normally again, then he slowed his gait so that to the onlooker it would seem like he was just enjoying his walk. Suddenly, he swivelled around and leapt at the man, rendering him immovable with a vise-like grip around his neck.


    The man gasped. ¡°Wait! I have information about your sister.¡±

 A sorcerer visitor

    BRAN


    If the man¡¯s aim had been to pique Bran¡¯s interest, then he had seeded and that was the only reason he was still breathing right now.


    Bran¡¯s heart raced in his chest in hope, but his instincts told him that he should be careful. He knew better than to easily believe this strange man. For all he knew, the man could be lying to him.


    And Bran was in the absolute worst mood to deal with a liar.


    ¡°My sister?¡± Bran asked, releasing the pressure on the man¡¯s neck in order for him to speak.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man gasped, choking. ¡°Princess Iris.¡±


    Bran¡¯s face tightened in anger at the mention of his sister¡¯s name and painnced through his heart. Without knowing that he was doing it, his fingers tightened around the man¡¯s neck to the point of constriction and the man¡¯s eyes bulged out so much that he thought they were going to pop out.


    He dropped his hands and the man staggered back several steps, clutching his neck as he dragged in breaths both through his nose and his mouth. Bran didn¡¯t spare him a nce. He couldn¡¯t run; his guards wouldn¡¯t let him.


    His eyes darted around, searching for a more appropriate ce they could take the conversation that the man so desperately wanted to have with him. Bran knew that he wanted a conversation. The man wouldn¡¯t havee all this way if he didn¡¯t want one.


    He spied an alleyway a few houses down and with a flick of his fingers, his men grabbed the man, following behind him as he walked into the alley. Not only did it provide a privacy and secrecy incase it came down to the point where he had to kill the man, the alley was also vacant. The possibility of anyone hearing the discussion between hi and the man about his sister, was extremely slim.


    After hearing what his own people thought about him, Bran wouldn¡¯t want them to know how desperately he wanted to find his sister.


    The maddening urgency to right his wrongs¡­


    What would they say if they found out that he was holding the powerful sorceress, Maria, hostage in his cells?


    They would think him a madman.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Bran stood with his legs nted wide and his hands behind him, staring down at the man. Literally. Not only was he taller than the man, he was also of higher rank than him. Bran initially suspected that he was a sorcerer, but if he was, why had he not defended himself with his powers when Bran had been choking him? Bran wasn¡¯t sure anymore what he was.


    So that was the first question he asked. ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°A sorcerer.¡± The man answered with a swallow, staring warily at his two men who nked him on both sides where he stood.


    One of Maria¡¯s kind. His blood boiled.


    Without their powers, they were one of the weakest creatures in existence. Bran would have asked him to get on his knees, but he only preferred the other gender kneeling for him-while he was getting his cock sucked.


    ¡°Why did you not defend yourself just now?¡±


    ¡°I only came here to pass a message, Your Highness,¡±-the man swallowed again-¡°Not to fight.¡±


    Christ, what a weakling. Bran wanted to kill him for that, if not for anything else.


    Maybe he should kneel, seeing as he was as weak as women. Even weaker than a few women that he hade across. Maria, for example, held her own against him even though she was powerless and that, in itself, was power. Holding her own without hiding behind the shield of her powers.


    He both loathed and admired the maddening female.


    Bran folded his arms across his chest. ¡°What information do you have of my sister?¡±


    ¡°Master Ariti said to tell you that he has your sister. He says that if you want to see her again, then you woulde with me into his realm with Maria and he would give you back the princess.¡±


    Bran¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied the man, searching for cracks in him, holes in his message.


    A tiny-extremely tiny-part of him lit up at the promise of seeing his sister again after so long, but therger, logical knew better than to get excited. It was not the fact that Ariti was desperate to get Maria back that didn¡¯t sit well with him. It was the fact that he was iming that he would give his sister back to him.


    ¡°What stops him froming here?¡± Bran took a step closer to the man. ¡°You did.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes darted and he stuttered. ¡°Master Ariti d-does not leave his pce.¡±


    Bran knew a trap when he saw one. And this one was a trap in its finest form.


    If Bran made the mistake of stepping into that realm, he was as good as dead. Ariti had no ns of giving his sister to him; he only wanted to take Maria. Then kill him.


    ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Y-Your Highness?¡± The man stuttered, obviously thrown by the change of topic.


    ¡°Here. Into this realm. How did you get here?¡± Bran borated, his eyes twitching, something that happened whenever he was growing impatient or angry. In this case, it was both.


    ¡°I opened a portal. It is one of my abilities.¡± When he said thest part, his chest puffed with pride. Did he expect Bran to apud him? Award him a bit more respect over the fact that he could open a fucking door?


    Bran barely held himself back from nting his boot in the man¡¯s annoying face.


    ¡°Good. I suggest you open one that takes you back where you came from.¡± With those words, Bran turned his back on the man, already striding away.


    ¡°But, Your Highness,¡± The man¡¯s eyes darted around, panic seeping into his face. Did he seriously think that Bran would be so gullible as to ept what he was offering? ¡°I-¡±


    Bran spun around, his anger spiking. ¡°I have Ariti¡¯s only child-¡±


    ¡°And he has your sister!¡± The man yelled.


    Bran could almost hear the sound of the leash on his control snapping. He lunged at the man, deciding on thest minute not to snap his neck simply because he needed him alive to deliver the message of what had happened back to Ariti, and sending his body flying backward and hitting the ground with a backhand.


    He¡¯d let him go once for speaking his sister¡¯s name, but that was it.


    ¡°Pick yourself up and get the fuck out of here, you spineless fool.¡± Bran spat, looming over him. ¡°And make sure to tell Ariti that I am two steps ahead of him. If he wants his daughter back, then let him bring my sister here and we¡¯d have a fair trade-which is more than what he deserves.¡±


    With those parting words, Bran turned around and walked away without a backward nce.


    Did Ariti really think that Bran would y into their hands?


    He was no fool.


    Unfortunately, Maria and her father had not figured that out yet.

 You鈥檙e a failure

    BRAN


    Today was taking the lead in being one of his most shitty days.


    From the bar to the spineless sorcerer and now, to this.


    Bran¡¯s eyes followed his wuss of an uncle as he paced across the room, his mouth moving with his words. The man had not shut his mouth once since Bran came and Bran was starting to have a headache. Honestly, this could have been avoided had the man dropped a notice that he wasing.


    Like the other times, Bran would simply have the guards tell him that he wasn¡¯t around and his uncle, as always, would yell at them at the top of his lungs, before tucking his tail between his legs and storming back to whatever shithole he came from.


    He probably knew that was exactly what was going to happen, which was why he didn¡¯t bother letting Bran know beforehand that he wasing.


    The sneaky little piece of shit.


    His uncle, Elijah, swiped his hand across a surface. ¡°Is this dust?¡±


    Bran cocked a brow as if to ask ¡®so what?¡¯


    ¡°Whenst was this ce cleaned?¡±


    ¡°I fail to see how that concerns you.¡± Bran delivered in a t tone. He didn¡¯t have the strength nor the will-or time to deal with his uncle today.


    If only the man knew how to take a hint.


    His uncle¡¯s-might as well refer to him as Elijah seeing as his respect for the man dwindled with each day that passed-eyes red in anger and he opened his mouth, but Bran, already knowing that his uncle¡¯s next string of words would be ones he didn¡¯t want to hear, cut him off. ¡°What are you doing here, Elijah?¡±


    ¡°Am I not allowed to visit anymore? This is my castle as much as it is yours!¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± Bran snapped, leaning forward in his chair-his throne-as he narrowed his eyes at his uncle. ¡°Why would you ever just visit me? You onlye here when it¡¯s important and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Thats not true.¡± He had the decency to look appalled. ¡°I havee here on-¡±


    ¡°I think you misunderstood my statement. You onlye here when I require your presence.¡±


    That produced the desired reaction from his uncle. His face flushed red with anger and his eyes shed. If it were any other person, he probably would have attacked, but it was Bran and he knew better than to dare raise a hand at him.


    There was no love lost between the both of them.


    Bran used to look up to him when they were very much younger, but then after a while when Elijah¡¯s rtionship with his dad had started to get strained, they¡¯d drifted apart. Bran used to find him bearable as long as they didn¡¯t have to talk but now that his uncle had made it his mission to visit him whenever he thought he saw fit, Bran outright hated him.


    Their once uncle-son rtionship had started to die a slow death when he shed his sheep skin and started to make his hatred for Bran¡¯s father, the king, ringly obvious. Not many people knew, but Elijah was the product of an illicit affair between Bran¡¯s grandfather and a lowly maid. He was kept a secret and never grew up with the family, although the king made sure that he was provided for.


    Elijah was supposed to be the rightful heir to the throne, but the fact that no one could know about the King¡¯s affair, disqualified him and Bran¡¯s father, the child birthed by the queen, had automatically be heir.


    Elijah hated Bran¡¯s father simply because of this-as if it was his fault-and after several years of pretending that he loved them, became tired and his true colours began to show.


    When his father had died, he¡¯d appeared suddenly and of course Bran knew it was to fight him for the crown. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would think that Elijah had a hand in the death of his father, but he did and he knew that his uncle didn¡¯t kill his father.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Yet it didn¡¯t make him any less dangerous.


    ¡°You think so highly of yourself, Bran.¡± Elijah¡¯s tone was bitter, conveying his jealousy and anger.


    Did this man never get tired? If only he would drop dead already.


    ¡°That is because I am high.¡± He barked, his decision to not let his uncle get a reaction out of him, flying out the window. ¡°I¡¯m the fucking king, Elijah, in case you haven¡¯t noticed.¡±


    Elijahughed. An annoying sound that grated on his nerves as it did his ears. He took several steps towards Bran, a condescending smile on his face as he walked towards him.


    It was then that Bran figured that his uncle¡¯s aim had been to get a reaction out of him. To anger him. That exined why he was smiling like the cat that caught the canary.


    Bran had to get control of the situation. Fast.


    With an air of nonchnce, he leaned back in his chair, extending his fingers along the high arms of the chair. His uncle wouldn¡¯t dare touch him. He was smart enough to know that attempting something of the sort would only end in his death.


    Not only would he be charged for treason, Bran would kill him and dispose of his body without anyone knowing.


    ¡°Are you a king really?¡± His uncle asked when he was standing a few feet away from him. ¡°Do you have any of the attributes that makes one a king? You¡¯re on that seat because of only one reason; You inherited it. Other than that, you have no makings of a king.¡±


    Bran¡¯s blood boiled with rage, but he let it simmer, watching his uncle through slitted eyes as he continued tounch words at him. Words that hit their target.


    ¡°Do you think these people you call your people don¡¯t see you for the helpless man you truly are?¡± His uncle sneered, taking another step closer. ¡°They pity you. They don¡¯t believe you can protect them and why would they when you couldn¡¯t even protect your own family?!¡± He was breathing faster now, the force of his hate seeming to eat him raw and his voice rose higher. ¡°The royal family killed by the Sorceri? The weakest faction of the lore?! You are a disgrace, Bran, a pathetic excuse for a ma-¡±


    He didn¡¯t have the liberty ofpleting his sentence because in a sh, Bran had tackled him to the ground and was squeezing the life out of him. Bran would have given him the beating of his life, but pummelling his uncle to death seemed wrong. Strangling him was way better.


    Besides, Bran didn¡¯t want to kill him.


    Or maybe he did.


    At the back of his mind, Bran knew that the things his uncle had said weren¡¯t wrong. His people pitied him and they definitely didn¡¯t believe that he could protect them. Not with the way they looked and talked about him when they thought he wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    The words may be true, but his uncle had no right uttering them.


    ¡°Finish that sentence.¡± Bran growled and to contradict his statement, he tightened his hand on his neck. ¡°Go on, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Elijah struggled, his hands flying up to grip Bran¡¯s hands, trying to force them away. To show him how worthless his efforts were, Bran squeezed his neck tighter.


    ¡°Cant talk anymore, can you?¡± He grinned, his eye twitching in time with his racing pulse. ¡°I¡¯m not my father, dear uncle. If you ever dare speak to me in such manner again, if I perceive the slightest bit of disrespect from you, you¡¯re dead.¡± Bran pulled back a bit so as to allow him speak. ¡°Am I clear?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a failure.¡± His uncle choked, his eyes red-rimmed and filled with tears.


    Well, let it be known that Elijah had his deathing.


    Bran tightened his hold on his uncle¡¯s neck and he watched with a feeling of excitement bubbling inside him at the idea of his uncle dying by his arms. Under him. Where he had been his entire life and where he was going to remain-even in hell.


    Life faded out of his uncle¡¯s body second by second and just as he was about to go limp, a body mmed into Bran from behind, wrenching his hands away.

 Maria tries to escape

    MARIA


    The small window didn¡¯t allow for much light, but it was enough for Maria. Not like she had a choice. She¡¯d gotten used to it.


    The sun was beginning to show signs of going down, which meant that her food would be delivered soon. She couldn¡¯t wait; she was starving.


    With the way she was anticipating the food, one would think it was a good meal. They wouldn¡¯t know that she was being fed crumbs that barely filled half her stomach. But she couldn¡¯tin, could she?


    She was lucky that she was getting food in the first ce. Ariti¡¯s prisoners weren¡¯t usually fed.


    But then again, Ariti was a monster. She wasn¡¯t quite sure if her captor was too. She didn¡¯t know what to make of him yet.


    Of course the reason for her hesitancy was due to his reaction to her hand being chopped off. It spoke volumes that he had arranged for the torture-had ordered it. Yet, called it off the moment the de made contact with her skin.


    She couldn¡¯t decide if that was because he had other ns for her or if he simply  couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her being hurt.


    The former seemed more possible and thetter was too good to be true. She would have to be crazy to believe that the man actually had feelings other than hate for her. Still, it didn¡¯t exin hister care. Him treating and patching up her hand with an unfamiliar gentleness that she wasn¡¯t used to. A gentleness that waspletely at odds with the usually aggressive man she knew.


    Gods, the man confused the hell out of her.


    The door groaned, then banged against the wall loudly, before, almost immediately, it mmed closed back.


    She was not expecting anyone other than Edgar. Bran had note to see her in the past three days and even though she knew that it was because of how things went down that day, she both hated and liked it. Hated it because it only meant that her days here were growing longer and she wasn¡¯t able to do a damned thing about it, and liked it because it meant that whatever future torture ns he had for her were being held off.


    Boots scuffed loudly against the stone floor and Maria tensed, her shoulders flying to her ears.


    There was no way in hell that the personing towards her cell was Edgar, neither was it her captor. At first, the careless opening of the door had told her that it was someone elseing in. Sure, her captor mmed the door at times, but he never let it bang against the wall. He always managed to close it before more than a little bit of light could get in. Edgar was the same way.


    The other thing that made her believe that it was actually someone else, was the footsteps. Her captor walked in a leisurely and-even though it killed her to admit it-sexy stride that did things to her body that she absolutely hated. The same could be said about Edgar-although his wasn¡¯t half as sexy as her captor¡¯s. At least that was what she thought.


    So, that brought her to the question; Who was this person?


    Had her captor sent one of his guards to retrieve her for another round of torture?


    Slowly, she turned around in her cot and was shocked to see a strange man-he was definitely a guard, she could tell from the uniform-walking towards her cell with a te on hid hand.


    He was bringing her her food. Someone else was bringing her her food.


    Where was Edgar?


    This was a first. From the very first day she had been in this cell, Edgar was the only one that brought her food to her and she had gotten used to him. She was pretty sure her captor had assigned him to bringing her food on purpose. Was he stopping now?


    The guard unhooked a set of keys from his belt hook-keys that Edgar usually carried-and singled out the one that opened her gate before shoving it into the lock and turning it. The gate groaned as it swung open.


    The guard waltzed into the room, dumped the te on the ground carelessly so that some of it fell onto the ground, then turned around, about to leave, before suddenly, his head swivelled in her direction, he looked away, then his eyes settled back on her. This time, he turned his whole body to face her, letting her know that his focus was now on her. Fully.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re one hot piece.¡± He swiped his tongue along his bottom lip.


    She had been pretty content watching him, partly amazed and the other part curious, but his words and that small action of his tongue, had her back going up. Disgust filled her immediately.


    ¡°Who knew His Majesty was keeping a woman this hot down here all this while?¡± The guard advanced towards her, the lust in his eyes unmistakeable.


    Maria scooted backwards on her cot. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was running away from this man. This disgusting cursed man that was looking at her as if he had ns for her. The Maria that she knew, the Maria from a month ago would have ripped his tongue from his throat and fed it to him afterwards, relishing every moment of his torture, for no other reason but simply because he deserved it.


    But now, she was running away.


    She was running away because she didn¡¯t have her powers anymore. She couldn¡¯t defend herself against him.


    Because that goddamned vampire had locked her powers.


    Her eyes darted around, searching for a weapon. Anything at all that she could defend herself with, but she found none. The only thing in sight was the food the animal had just brought, and outside her cell, was the chair her captor sometimes sat at.


    In her panic, her eyes snagged on the key. It was still hanging on the door from where he had opened it.


    She could make a run for it!


    If she wanted to do that, then she would have to make him weak enough to actually carry out something like that.


    A n started to cook up in her head. She hated it, but she had no other choice at the moment. It was either she ran or she got assaulted by this man. Or worse, raped.


    The realisation of what could happen to her steeled her spine and she stopped scooting back on her cot. She let the mane towards her, his tongue swiping along his lip like a fucking snake as he closed the distance between them. When he was standing before her, he bent towards her, his eyes focused on the flesh under her tank top and his hand going towards them.


    She took advantage of his distraction. Just before his hand could make contact, she struck.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Her knee came up hard on his dick and she dove out of the way to the side, already anticipating his move to double over from pain while trying to reach out for her. His hands cradled his goods as he groaned, his eyes squeezing shut and his face contorting in pain.


    She ran towards the door of the cell. The small time it took him to realise what she was doing and recover enough to run after her, she was already on the outside, twisting the lock and yanking the key out of it.


    ¡°Get back here you fucking bitch.¡± She leapt back before the hand he shoved through the bars could reach her.


    ¡°Rot in hell.¡± She shot back before breaking into a run, the key thrown carelessly on the floor far out of his reach. She would have taken it with her but she didn¡¯t need it jiggling and drawing attention to herself while she ran.


    To be honest, she did not know where she was going to. She had been unconscious when she¡¯d been brought into this castle so she didn¡¯t know the way to follow, yet, that didn¡¯t stop her from running.


    In the middle of her run, she realised that her hunger had suddenly disappeared. But who cared? She was finally going to escape this bloody castle. It almost felt like a dream.


    She ran down a long corridor and luckily, there weren¡¯t any guards in sight. She kept running, judging by her instincts and going left or right when she saw bends, until she reached a door with a silver of light flowing in from underneath it.


    Her heart leapt. That could be her way out!


    Without second thoughts, she pulled on the door knob and flung the door open, her hearting to a standstill when she saw the upants of the room.


    Her captor, in all his glory, was sitting on a a throne and a man stood at the far side of the room, with Edgar close to him. All eyes locked on her when the door creaked open and her heart summersaulted in her chest.


    Oh, Gods. She walked right into the lion¡¯s den.


    She didn¡¯t have the time nor the will to gauge the emotions that flitted across her captor¡¯s eyes at that very moment, but one stood out clearly. Shock. He definitely had not been expecting to see her-and why would he? It was not like she had free rein to walk around the castle like she owned the ce. Her room was a cell.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the shock in his eyes to give way to rage and that sparked Maria into action.


    She yanked her hand away from the door like it burned her and turned around quickly, sprinting in the other direction.


    Blood wooshed in her ears when she heard the unmistakable sound of boots chasing after her.

 I should kill you right now

    MARIA


    If she focused on the sound of the person chasing after her, she would go crazy, so she tried to block it out and instead, tried to put as much force into her starving limbs and run faster.


    As fast as she could considering that she had not eaten a decent meal in a while and she was weaker than ever.


    Running back in the direction she hade from would mean going back to her cell and even though that might be a better alternative than letting whomever was chasing her catch her-she had a very strong belief that it was her captor-she still wanted to leave this fucking ce.


    She had to find her way out. She had to go back home. She didn¡¯t know how, but she would find a way. She just needed to get hell out of here first.


    Her steps almost faltered when the suspicion that there was no way she was going to be able to escape hit her.


    What exactly did she think she was doing? What was her n? Did she hope to run out there and scream for help? And even if she did, did she really believe that she was going to get the help she wanted? From vampires that she had killed their king and queen?


    They would seize her and return her back into the hands of her captor. There was no way they were going to help her.


    The thought almost had her stopping and submitting herself to her fate, but then she remembered that her mour had worn off and there was no way they were going to be able to recognise her. They wouldn¡¯t know who she was.


    That sent a surge of strength into her battered body and she found herself running faster than she had ever run, her feet barely touching the ground before the other one lifted.


    She spied a door a few feet away with bursts of light trickling in. Her heart face a joyful thud against her chest. She could do it. She was going to get out of-


    A sharp tug on her hair had her crying out in pain. The sound was cut off abruptly when she was suddenlyunched in the air, flying backwards until she mmed into a wall, then dropped on the ground like a sack of potatoes.


    Before she could sit up and think about what just happened, two legs came into her line of vision and she tried to scoot away, but she already had her back to the wall; there was no where for her to go.


    She could do nothing but watch with wide eyes and whimper in pain as the big man leaned down until he was bending over her. He yanked her up by her hand and with only his hand on her, she could tell who it was. Her captor. She had been right when she guessed that he was the one chasing after her.


    He pulled on her hand until she was sitting with her back against the wall, her head tilted up as she stared at him, unable to stop the silent tears that trickled down her face, her back singing in pain from the impact with the wall.


    Gods, she had never met such a cruel man.


    As if he heard her thoughts and wanted to shoe her just how much more cruel he could be, his right hand gripped her face and it was so big that he covered the whole span of her face.


    Eyes zing with fire, he squeezed her jaws tight and continued to do it until she thought she was going to die from the pain. ¡°You think to run from me?¡± His voice was beastly and if she didn¡¯t know better, she would have thought that he was an animal.


    It was at that moment that she realised he could easily just kill her with a snap of his finger and no one would know. No one woulde for her, no one would miss her. Because she didn¡¯t have anyone.


    The only person she had could very well be dead.


    She thought that he would kill her. She half expected him to. To end her life there on the floor like one of the lowly guards or maids back at the pce. Never had she thought that she would be in such a position.


    ¡°I should kill you right now.¡± He sneered, his lips pulled back from his teeth in his anger.


    Gods, he might. He just might.


    She was surprised that he bones had not started to crack under the pressure from his hands, because to her, it felt like her face was not her own anymore. If he kept at it for a bit more, she would definitely die from the pain.


    Yet then he wrenched his hand away from her face like it burned him, then took several steps back. Her head immediately sagged against the wall, lolling to the side as she tried to stretch jaws just to check if she still could. She almost cried out in relief when her lips moved the way shemanded them to, even though it pained her.


    She faced him back, saw him sweep his eyes along her frame, before cursing and turning away. He stood there with his back to her and hands by his sides for several minutes. To her, it looked like he was trying to calm himself, but she couldn¡¯t be so sure.


    Maybe he was just deciding on what to do with her.


    If she¡¯d almost had her hand chopped off before because he thought that she was lying to him, then he was definitely going to kill her for attempting to sneak away.


    When he turned back to her, the anger was still evident in his expression, but it was more controlled than it had been before. ¡°How did you escape?¡±


    She thought about lying to him, but then remembered how thest time had gone when he thought that she was.


    ¡°The man that brought my food left the keys in the lock.¡± She told him. ¡°I took it, locked him inside and ran away.¡±


    To say that he didn¡¯t believe her would be a huge understatement. ¡°How did you manage to get your hand on the keys without him noticing you? You¡¯d better not be lying to me.¡±


    She rearranged on the floor, her back aching her. Why not give him the whole story? Maybe then the guard who had tried to rape her would be killed for even thinking about doing something like that. That was exactly what he deserved, was it not?


    With her eyes somewhere on his chest, she told him said, ¡°When he came in, after dropping my food, he came to me and tried to¡­ touch me. I hit him and ran out of the cell before he could recover. I looked him in there so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to follow me.¡±


    Her captor took two steps towards her, before seeing to force himself to stay where he was. He was angry again, the emotion rolling off of him in waves. What she didn¡¯t know was if the anger was aimed at her or the guard who had tried to rape her.


    She would very much like to believe it was thetter, else she was dead meat.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that my guard tried to put his hand on you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She still wasn¡¯t looking at him. She hated what the sight of his face made her feel even after everything he had done to her.


    What was wrong with her? She couldn¡¯t hate her traitorous body any more than she did in that moment.


    There was a long bout of silence. One in which she wondered what was going through his head. She snuck a nce at his face to try to gauge his thoughts, but as usually, his face was nk. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.


    How did the man hide his emotions so well?


    And what the hell was his name anyway?


    ¡°What did you think you were doing exactly?¡± The boom of his voice surprised her and had her eyes flying up to his narrowed ones. ¡°Were you going to bring a portal out from thin air? Do you forget you don¡¯t have your powers anymore?¡± He took one menacing step towards her, pointing to the door she had been heading for. ¡°Say that door actually is open, do you n to run outside and right past my guards? You think they would let you out of these walls?¡± He took another step towards her and she drew her knees up protectively. ¡°Make no mistake, Princess, if you ever try to run away from me, I or my men would catch you and you would be back where you started. Or worse. Because if you pull a move like this again, I¡¯m going to cut back on your meals. Thrice a week.¡±


    Her stomach dropped.


    Three meals in a week? She could barely survive as it was with seven.


    He paused, probably to make sure that everything he¡¯d said had simmered into her head, before saying, ¡°Understood?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Later, she would me her infamous anger. But as of now, she didn¡¯t know what possessed her to open her mouth.


    ¡°I saw an in and I took it.¡±


    If she could take the words and stuff them back inside her mouth and down her throat, she would. But it was toote.


    His nostrils red and in a sh, he had yanked her up until she was standing. She whimpered when the new position caused the pain in her back and side to increase. Her ribs would probably be tinged purple by now.


    He paused, frowning as he looked down at her hand. When she followed his gaze, she saw that he was staring at the cut on her wrist that was healing slowly. It didn¡¯t hurt anymore, except for when pressure was put on it.


    His head lifted and confused green eyes pinned her to the spot. ¡°Why has your hand not healed?¡±

 You鈥檙e a mortal

    BRAN


    She blinked, then blinked again. Her eyes were hazy and with the amount of blinking she was doing, it looked like she was trying to clear herself out of a fog.


    He shook her hard, repeating the question. ¡°Why has your hand not healed?¡±


    The faster she answered his questions, the earlier he was going to be done with her. The close proximity was already fucking up his brain as it was. He didn¡¯t need to spend more time with her than necessary.


    ¡°Its been just three days.¡± She shrugged, her eyes falling from his and fixing on his chest. He wondered why she did that. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it works here, but in my realm, helloing usually takes longer than that.¡±


    He ignored her sarcasm. The fact that she still managed to talk back at him even in her situation surprised him, but he was not going to let that show. She obviously had no value for her life.


    He had a sinking suspicion about why her hand had not healed. Actually, that suspicion bloomed from a seed Edgar had nted in his heart. That the sorceress was not yet an immortal, although he had not believed it at the time. He¡¯d refused to. But now he was finding it hard to ignore the fact when proof was presented to him in its raw form.


    ¡°Immortals heal faster than that.¡± He forced through clenched teeth. ¡°You were supposed to heal in a day. Two days tops if you¡¯re not getting enough energy.¡±


    She frowned, staring at him now as if he was crazy. ¡°I¡¯m not an immortal yet.¡±


    He almost staggered back from the impact of her words.


    No, this had to be a joke. This had to be a bloody joke. She had to be lying.


    But then a voice whispered in his mind that if she was actually lying, why had her hand not healed? Why was the injury still there on her hand, ring at him?


    Guilt ate at him, but he forced it down. He simply refused to ept that she was a mortal. The great Maria Hatzi a mortal? It wasn¡¯t just him; no one would believe it. There was no way she would endanger herself severally the way she did when she was still a mortal.


    One blow from her immortal, one backhand from even the youngest of immortals could end her life, and yet she went around without fear?


    She had ventured into a calm of vampires and killed their king and queen fully knowing that a stray hit could kill her?


    No. There was no way this woman was a mortal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± He shook her again, as if to punctuate his words.


    She tried to yank her hand out of his, but he held tight, ring at her through narrowed eyes and daring her to challenge him, which she didn¡¯t disappoint him by doing exactly so. ¡°Let me go.¡±


    ¡°Answer my fucking question.¡±


    ¡°No. Let me go.¡± She tried to force her hand out of his again and this time, her strength surprised him.


    ¡°Not until you answer my fucking question, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I already answered your question, asshole. Now let me go.¡± She punctuated the insult with a yank of her hand and Christ, he couldn¡¯t ignore the spark her fire ignited in him anymore.


    With a groan, he walked her backwards until her back was pressed firmly against the wall and he was sure that her shoulder des had to be digging into the concrete painfully, but he didn¡¯t care. He was far past caring.


    Maybe a tiny bit of him even wanted her to experience the pain too.


    Her eyes widened for a moment, before in less than ten seconds, heat filled her eyes and her lids lowered, mirroring his. Hell, she wanted this. He wanted it too. What reason did he have not to give the both of them what they wanted? He could go back to hating her after, but for now, they could have this and get it over with.


    Just this kiss¡­


    He¡¯d had an extremely rough day. Maybe this was hispensation. Maybe he deserved to have this forbidden kiss with her in the dark, where no one would know.


    As his head descended, the idea to kiss her decided to be more and more promising. She licked her lips, wetting it and his shaft shot hard as stone so fast that he almost went dizzy from the speed at which his blood rushed south of his body.


    He groaned again as he stared at the pump flesh, now a glistening pink with her saliva. He bent to close the remaining distance between their lips when a growling sound reached his ears.


    It took him quite a while to process where the sound hade from-it was from her stomach; she was hungry-, what was happening and what had just happened. When he did, he wrenched away from her, casting her a look of disgust as if she was to me for the situation he found himself in.


    And maybe she was.


    He¡¯d had the sinking suspicion that she was trying to bewitch him and now, he was sure. How could he forget himself so easily around her? Why did his self control turn to dust whenever he was in the same room as her?


    He had been having doubts about whether this body belonged to her of if she¡¯d simply worn it because she intended to seduce him with it, but as the days went by, he started toe to the conclusion that it was indeed her body. He had also sought out the witch who sold the cor to him and asked if it was possible that Maria was still using her powers, but the witch had assured him that there was no way she could.


    Which meant that this curvy little body actually belonged to the witch. He had to admit that she was sexy even though he hated it.


    But he wasn¡¯t supposed to be noticing that. He was not supposed to be looking at her at all.


    Shaking his head, he tried to go back to the conversation they¡¯d been having before. ¡°You¡¯re a mortal.¡±


    It was not a question; It was a statement.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve not frozen into my immortality yet.¡± She said in a shaky voice, wrapping her arms around her stomach. He thought he caught a wince.


    He refused to feel bad. He absolutely refused to. He might have gone a bit far and taken his anger and frustration from the day¡¯s events out on her, but she¡¯d had iting. She should know better than to try to escape.


    If she didn¡¯t before, now she did.


    He angled his head. ¡°And yet, you take risks most mortals would think twice before taking.¡±


    She shrugged, but didn¡¯t say anything in reply. She had gone back to staring at his chest instead of holding eye contact with him. He hated it, but he also didn¡¯t know why he should care. He shouldn¡¯t care about her eyes on his.


    He was done with this. He was done with her. He gripped her hand and ignoring the current that passed through them, pulled her along with him as he walked back to the cells.


    When he passed several guards at their stations, he didn¡¯t miss the surprised expressions they tried to hide. Not that he particrly cared anyway. He could give a fuck what they thought.


    He was going to line them up and have some words with them today. One of his men¡¯s ipetence that almost led in Maria escaping. She was his only means of finding his sister. And she¡¯d almost escaped.


    As for the man who had even let the thought of touching her cross his mind, he was going to pay for it. To think that he could do whatever it was he wanted with her and he would get away with it.


    He felt anger at Edgar in that moment for leaving his duties just because he wanted to stop him from killing his uncle. Bran would without second thoughts, pick his uncle¡¯s death over the sorceress getting assaulted by a guard of his.


    And he didn¡¯t know what that said about him. Or what it said about his confusing feelings towards the sorceress.


    Edgar was standing outside the throne room when they passed, watching them with a look Bran was not interested in figuring out what it was. Bran¡¯s blood boiled when he reached her cell and found his guard pacing in the cell. He looked up when he heard them entering and his eyes widened with fear.


    He knew what his ipetence had almost cost Bran. He also knew that he was going to pay for it with his life.


    Bran moved on autopilot as he deposited Maria in her cell, dragged his man out with a hand at his nape, looked the gate, before storming out with the worthless piece of shit walking in front of him, his head hanging low.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He made a mental note to tell Edgar to give Maria meals that contained more nutrients. If she really was mortal, then she was only a few days away from falling ill.


    And he couldn¡¯t have that.

 Bran assembles his men

    BRAN


    One look at the man¡¯s face and Edgar already knew what had happened.


    It was so easy to guess.


    Maria¡¯s previous form had been striking, but she had not been beautiful, nor had she been she attractive. With her new form however, all a man had to do was look at her and he would get hard as a pike. And that was exactly why Bran had put Edgar in charge of delivering her meals or pretty much anything that had to do with her. Not only was Edgar the most controlled man Bran had ever met, he would also a good man. He would never touch a woman without her consent.


    That goodness was exactly what had carried Edgar into the throne room, pulling him back away from his uncle, whom he had been just a few seconds away from killing.


    When the rage had evaporated and he could think clearly, Bran grudgingly admitted to himself that he was grateful Edgar had stopped him. He already had enough on his te. Adding the death of his uncle by his hands on top of all that might just push him over the edge and right into the ever wee hands of madness.


    But still, Edgar abandoning his duty because he wanted to stop Bran from killing his uncle had lead to Maria almost escaping-and being raped. Somehow, out of the two things that almost happened, that was the one that ate at him the most.


    Probably because he couldn¡¯t stomach the idea of a woman being raped. Her, specifically, didn¡¯t have anything to do with it.


    She didn¡¯t.


    That was what he told himself as he assembled his men in front of him-each and everyone in the castle, except for the ones stationed outside-with the man who had attempted to touch Maria, standing off to the side, two guards behind him, preventing him from running away if he even thought about it.


    With a flick of his hand, he ordered the men to bring the man forward. They dragged him until he was standing in front of Bran then they stepped back. The man¡¯s head lowered in shame and fear and Bran could see quite clearly that he was shaking. Terribly. He would haveughed if he was in the mood.


    Apparently, he needed to have a few words with the general, as well, if he nned on recruiting more spineless men like this one.


    ¡°Look at me.¡± Bran ordered and it seemed to take an eternity before the man lifted his head, his face contorted in pain. ¡°What was your motive-down in the cells?¡± When the man didn¡¯t speak, Bran said, ¡°I¡¯m assuming you know better than to make me repeat myself.¡±


    The man swallowed visibly, ¡°I-I-I just wanted to drop the food, that was all.¡± His eyes darted as if he was searching for a means of escape. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ I never wanted¡­ but she-¡±


    ¡°You were going to rape her.¡± The words cut through the air, sharp and final and the truth of them started an onught of emotions within him, swirling upwards and growing bigger with every second that passed until it felt like he couldn¡¯t keep them inside him anymore.


    Until it felt like he was going to die if he didn¡¯t kill the man this very minute.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you?¡± Bran pressed, taking a step closer to the man.


    He shrank back and if it was possible that he could disappear, he would. ¡°No! No, I was just going to cop a feel. Maybe kiss her, that-¡±


    ¡°You were going to rape her. Admit it.¡± Bran¡¯s voice was measures, controlled and to anybody watching him, they probably wouldn¡¯t know that he was boiling. That he was livid with anger.


    ¡°No. I-¡±


    A backhand had the man flying backwards on the ground. Bran didnt have to look to know that the man was bleeding. He wore a ring on his right hand and his ps always ended in a missing tooth or tear on the cheek.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The man screamed, smartly realising that the p had been a correction. ¡°Yes, I wanted to rape her.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The air in the room had changed. It was so tense it could be cut with a knife and charged with the promise of danger. The promise of death. ¡°Come here.¡± The man hurried over to him on his knees until he was kneeling before him. ¡°Extend your hand, your fingers out straight.¡±


    The man threw himself at Bran¡¯s feet, daring to hold him at his ankles. ¡°Please, Your Highness! It will not happen again!¡±


    Two guards rushed forward and grabbed the man, pushing him t on the ground until he was lying down on it and his hands were stretched out in front of him. He struggled, fighting against the men even when he knew that there was no way he was going to pull free. His voice rose with his struggles and he tried to pull his hand back underneath him.


    ¡°You were asked to deliver food. Nothing else. But then you saw her and thought that you could take advantage of her and get away with it?¡± Bran asked in barely controlled rage. He walked around and then bent until he was holding the man¡¯s eyes.  ¡°I want you to remember this the next time you decide to touch a woman without her consent.¡± A cruel smile touched Bran¡¯s lips. ¡°Except that you wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡±


    Rising, Bran walked around until he was standing directly in front of the man¡¯s outstretched hands, pinned down by the two men just above his elbows. Then as if he was simply walking down ane, he walked on the man¡¯s fingers, stepping on them and spending as much time as possible to ensure that the bones snapped under his his boots.


    The sharp, blood-curdling cries of the man were not as satisfying as he had thought they would be.


    When he was done, he ordered the men to drag the man away and make sure that they killed him. If possible, the anger he felt was now doubled. Killing that man wasn¡¯t enough. Killing him didn¡¯t mean that there weren¡¯t a ton of men that would consider doing the same thing he¡¯d wanted to do.


    He knew her body, knew how it affected a man, knew how it caused lust to override their sense of reasoning until the only thing they could think about was taking what they wanted. Even if she didn¡¯t want it back.


    The only difference was that it had not been the same with him. She¡¯d wanted him back. He saw it in her eyes.


    He turned to his men. ¡°I¡¯d assumed you all knew better than to attempt to take advantage of my prisoner, but apparently, I was wrong.¡± He started, already pacing without even knowing that he was doing it. ¡°What happened to the man was barely a tip of the icebergpared to what would happen to anyone who tries something like that.¡± He seethed, ¡°You follow my rules. My rules! You don¡¯t do anything unless I tell you to. Going against me is to court death. Am I making myself clear?¡±


    A chorus of ¡±Yes, Your Highness¡¯ ran across the room. That, along with the fear and wariness in the men¡¯s faces was enough to tell him that they were actually listening to him.


    ¡°Be more vignt at your jobs because somehow, she got to the backdoor without any guard interfering. How was that even possible?¡± The men kept shut. ¡°Answer me!¡±


    His general stepped forward. ¡°There are more guards stationed outside than inside, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Station more inside.¡± He snapped. ¡°Do you know what it would have cost me had she escaped?! You would all have paid with your lives!¡±


    ¡°I apologise, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Your apology is worthless to me. Do better.¡± Bran looked away, dismissing them. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    Bran stormed out of the room, heading for his wing. He was so angry and so out of sorts and frankly, he was hungry. It had been a very very long day and all he could think about was eating and sleeping.


    Edgar had escorted his uncle out of the castle and made sure that he leftpletely so that Bran wouldn¡¯t have to deal with him. That was over an hour ago.


    He shrugged off his jacket as he headed towards his room. AS he pushed the door open, he took note of the fact that the room was clean. The maids had been in here.


    He made a beeline for the fridge and opened it, producing a fresh bad of blood and emptying the contents of it in two sses. He downed the whole thing in five gulps before walking towards his bed, ucing his boots and shoving them off on autopilot.


    With his shoes sessfully off, he stretched out on the bed in only his trousers and passed out.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Maria falls ill

    MARIA


    Shivers racked her body and she curved more on the cot, folding into herself as if it could provide more warmth to her icy cold body.


    She had her hands wrapped around herself as she shook, her teeth gnashing against each other. Tremors racked her frame and as the next wave hit her, she held stiff, hoping that it would fend off the shaking, but all it did was worsen and when the next wave hit her, she whimpered.


    Maria didn¡¯t know how it was possible for her to feel both hot and cold at the same time, but that was what she was feeling right now.


    Where her hand touched her skin, it burned her like she had put her hand directly into hot water. And yet she felt cold. So cold that she wished the small window in the room would suddenly disappear and she would be wrapped inplete heat.


    She wanted to cry because there was no nket or piece of clothing for her to cover herself with. She couldn¡¯t even think about using her cloak because the damn thing was on a pile on the floor, covered in dust and riddled with dirt. It was a no go.


    Was she going to die here? Down in the cell of a vampire king?


    Was this her fate?


    She couldn¡¯t believe it. What would the people back home think or day when they heard that the great sorceress had died in a cell? She would admit that she had done a lot of evil things, taken a lot of lives that didn¡¯t deserved to be taking and hence, she had often wondered what kind of death awaited her.


    Never once had she imagined she would die this way.


    Gods, why had she not at least reached her immortality before this vampire captured her?


    One of the perks of being an immortal was that they never got sick. Never. Only things such as poisoning could kill them and even the oldest and strongest of immortals could sweat out the poison in their system.


    She was sick and she was going to die down here. That was if Edgar didn¡¯te with her food sooner. If he came before she died, then she would tell him and hope that he was able to do something about it.


    She really really hoped that he would do something about it because her captor hadn¡¯t made any efforts to see her ever since the day she tried to escape. She was starting to believe that he had really abandoned her down here. Maybe after reaching the conclusion that she was useless to him after all.


    But then why did Edgar still give her food?


    Come to think of it, she had been getting better foodtely. They weren¡¯t exactly what she ate back at the pce, but they were a huge step-up from what she usually got.


    She briefly wondered if her captor had anything to do about that. If he knew about it at all.


    Another shiver worked through her body and this time, she let out a sharp cry, unable told it back. She had a terrible headache and on top of everything else, she felt like throwing up. She¡¯d had the urge several times, but she¡¯d fought it down each time. She had only thrown up once in her life and she hated the feeling of having food that already went down your throat some back up.


    That was another level of sorcery in itself and she would do everything she could to prevent it.


    She couldn¡¯t even look up when the room filled with light. She was just too weak. She had not even heard the door open.


    The steady steps told her that it was Edgaring into the room. Apparently, she wouldn¡¯t have to die before he came. He opened the gate, seemed like he paused while doing it, then dropped the te of food on the ground in front of her cot-which meant he was standing in front of her.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    With great effort, she lifted her head and looked at him, surprised to see a concerned look on his face. She had to look even worse than she was feeling because she could count on one hand the number of times Edgar had talked to her.


    And it definitely was not to ask how she was.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying.¡± She gasped, surprised that she was even able to speak with the way her teeth were shattering.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Edgar asked, taking a step closer to her and putting his palm against her head. She realised that she was not even scared, not like she¡¯d been with that man. ¡°Shit. You¡¯re burning up.¡±


    ¡°It started this morning.¡± Maria informed him, closing her eyes. All she wanted was to slip into a sleep where she would have beautiful dreams of her and her mother.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    But then she was shaken roughly and her eyes flew open, darting around. It took her a while to remember that she was in her cell and that Edgar was standing in front of her, staring at her with a brows drawn look of fear.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re having a fever.¡± He observed.


    ¡°You think?¡±


    He ignored her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± Then he locked the gate and hurried out, probably to tell her captor that she was ill.


    Well, if that was the case then she had better make peace with the fact that she was going to die. Because he was definitely going to let her die. No way was he going to concern himself with something as small and insignificant as her being ill.


    Edgar returned a few minutester with her captor on his heels. She couldn¡¯t gauge the reaction on his face, but he cursed when he saw her. His eyes swiped along her small frame on the bed once, twice, then another time, as though he couldn¡¯t quite make sense of what he was seeing.


    ¡°Whats wrong with her?¡± He asked, his deep sexy voice filling the room and even managing to cause herdy bits to perk up at a time like this.


    ¡°She has a fever.¡± Edgar told him, standing by the gate, ¡°I think she¡¯sing down with something.¡±


    The vampire king cursed again, but she didn¡¯t hear the next thing he said. She couldn¡¯t because her eyes were already sliding closed as she sumbed to the wee hands of sleep. She didn¡¯t care if it was one that she never woke up from.


    It felt too much like peace at that moment.


    When she woke, she noticed that she was above ground. She was in someone¡¯s hands. She didn¡¯t have to open her eyes to know that it was her captor carrying her.


    She forced her eyes open and they automatically locked on her captor. Since he was carrying her, she had to look up at him. His face was closer to hers and she used that opportunity to look at the things she didn¡¯t usually have the chance to look at.


    His chin was strong and as proud as the man was. The same could be said about his jawline. She noticed that he had a stubble, one that looked like two days worth of it. His face was not clear from this angle, but she could see how his ridiculously longshes fanned out over his eyes.


    Her heart gave a pang. Gods, he was such a beautiful man.


    As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked down at her and she thought she might faint just from the sheer beauty of him. His face was hard and his expression was unyielding. Tense lines ran along his forehead and his lips were pressed in a t line.


    He was not happy. Probably because he was now forced to deal with her. She should feel sorry for him, but she didn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t have had to deal with her if he had not kidnapped her in the first ce.


    ¡°Get a physician.¡±


    She frowned. At first she thought he was talking to her until she heard Edgar respond to him. She looked behind her captor¡¯s arm and saw that he was walking behind them.


    They walked for a while until they got to a room where he deposited her on the bed, taking a step back when he had. Maria wasted no time in turning to her side and drifting right back to sleep.


    She woke sometimeter to a cold wet rag being draped across her forehead and she was about to shove the hand away when she paused, seeing that it was Edgar.


    She smiled up at him gratefully. She owed him her life. She might have died down there in her cell had it not been for him.


    A throat cleared somewhere in the room and she searched for the sound with her eyes, freezing when she saw that it was her captor. He was leaning against the doorframe with his hand folded across his chest as he watched them. He looked pissed as he nced between her and Edgar.


    Was there ever a time in this man¡¯s life when he didn¡¯t look pissed?


    Well, she had seen him once with an emotion other than anger on his face. Twice actually. Those times, it had been lust, but yet somehow, he had managed to look like he was pissed about the whole thing afterwards.


    She had never ever seen the man with anything akin to a smile on his face. In fact, she didn¡¯t think heughed at all. He had zerough lines. And yet, she was attracted to him.


    She had questionable taste in men.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be going back to your cell today.¡±

 From cell to bedroom

    MARIA


    Surely, she had not heard him correctly.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, expecting him to say something totally different. Her ears had probably decided to y tricks on her, or perhaps the fever had affected them.


    Was that possible?


    ¡°You¡¯ll be spending the night here.¡± He repeated, pushing away from the doorframe and taking several steps towards her. ¡°The same for the next couple of nights until the physician thinks it¡¯s safe for you to go back.¡±


    Oh.


    Her eyes darted to Edgar, who was walking into what looked like a closet. ¡°There was a physician?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He thinks your cell should be cleaned and aired before you go back in there.¡± Her captor said with a stoic expression, standing with his legs nted wide in a stance so tantly male that she was left with no choice but to ogle him. ¡°It is being cleaned as we speak, but seeing as the room isn¡¯t very¡­ open, it might take a while, which is why you wouldn¡¯t be going there untilter this week.¡±


    So he was letting her stay in this room for the next couple of nights and only because a physician had said so. She didn¡¯t know whether to be d or angry. She supposed she was thankful that he¡¯d had a physiciane over to look her up, which meant that there was hope for her. She was feeling slightly better after the sleep already. She was also d that she would be sleeping in an actual bed and not the ridiculous excuse for one in the cell.


    But then what put a damper on her mood was knowing that there was a time frame. Knowing that she would undoubtedly go back to that cell.


    Did he expect her to be happy about that?


    ¡°He also suggested a bath.¡±


    ¡°A bath?¡± She rose up from the bed so fast that she got a bit dizzy from the movement, but she could barely contain her excitement. She was finally going to have a bath! What else could top that?


    A muscle twitched in his jaw. ¡°Yes, a bath.¡±


    ¡°I want one now.¡± She said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, testing her feet on the ground just to check if she could walk so soon. She looked up at him, saw how hard he was scowling and reyed her words in her head, seeing that they came off a bit like an order. So, she aded, ¡°Please.¡±


    This was a bath they were talking about. She would do everything short of getting down on her knees and actually begging him for it. And even that, she wasn¡¯tpletely sure that she wouldn¡¯t do it.


    She was just so tired of pouring the water she was supposed to save and drink down her body to cool herself sometimes and then bear the damp stench that came from the cold floor when the water found no where to flow out through, because her cell didn¡¯t have a sink.


    She wanted a bath. A real one with soap.


    Gods, it sounded a lot like heaven to her. She could almost feel the water running down her skin, the feel of soap as shethered it onto her body. Damn. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had taken these things for granted once. She would kill for them now.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Edgar came out of the closet just then, nodded at her captor, then walked out of the room without sparing her a look. Okay, then.


    ¡°The bathroom is through that door,¡± He pointed at a door on the far side of the room. ¡°Closet is in there. You¡¯ll find something to wear after your bath.¡± This time, he pointed at the door Edgar came from. Her guess had been right.  ¡°The physician would be here to check on youter and food would be delivered as well. The room and bathroom has cameras so don¡¯t even think about doing anything stupid.¡± With thatst warning and a terrifying re toplement it, he turned around and stalked out of the room.


    The door didn¡¯t even close before she was fighting her dirty tank top and shorts off her body-cameras be damned-and running for the bathroom as if her ass was on fire. She was not going to try to escape. The thought had not even crossed her mind.


    She just wanted to have her bath, then maybe snoop around the room and then look through the window and see the view that it gave to her.


    The bathroom was huge, not as big as her bathroom back at the pce, but definitely ten times bigger than her cell. A white towel hung on the rack, easy for her reach.


    She didn¡¯t waste any more time in turning on the shower and getting under it. She groaned when the stream of water hit her, cooling her skin and making her feel like she had just woken up from the dead.


    Suddenly, she remembered his mention of cameras and she briefly thought about putting on a show for him, but then pushed the thought aside. She didn¡¯t have the strength for that. Plus, he might not even be the one monitoring the cameras.


    She would be putting on a show for aplete stranger.


    She reached for the bar of soap,thered up her body and her hair twice and rinsed them out twice. One mightin that she was wasting water, but she hadn¡¯t had a bath in close to a month. She was merely making up for it.


    When she finished, she squeezed the water out of her hair and stepped out, grabbing the towel as she went. She wrapped it around her body and walked out of the bathroom and into the closet. She felt a bit chilly now that she had stepped out of the goodness of the shower and that was reminder enough that she still wasn¡¯t okay.


    Not one, but five outfits were awaiting her. She figured that meant she was going to be living in this room for five days.


    She selected a sundress that reached her knees-although it didn¡¯t quite reach her knees on the back since her generous backside made it move up several inches-and she was surprised by how well it fit her. She wondered if it was Edgar that had them delivered.


    If it was him, then the man was a good judge of size.


    She was surprised to meet food covered by her bedside when she came out of the closet. The food had not been there when she came out of the bathroom, meaning that it had been delivered when she was in the closet.


    Yet she had not heard anyonee in.


    That was when she remembered that she was in the vampire realm. Anyone that had been in this room before, could simply trace in at anytime. The knowledge filled her with a sense of dread.


    They could juste in at anytime, even when she was sleeping. If it was a vampire that wanted to kill her, he could easilye in when she was sleeping and kill her, and that would be it.


    She shook the feeling off. No one would kill her. If anyone wanted to, it would be her captor and he obviously didn¡¯t want her dead, else he would have just let the sickness kill her.


    Pushing disturbing thoughts from her mind-along with the feeling of the cold cor resting on her neck-she sat down on the side of the bed and started to eat her meal. She realised just how hungry she was when she finished it in less than ten minutester.


    After downing half the bottle of water, she drifted back into the closet for snooping. She found absolutely nothing interesting enough to look at and there was nothing that could be converted into a weapon in sight.


    He must have had the room searched and cleaned.


    Eventually, she went back to the window and saw a sight so beautiful, it took her breath away. Somehow, maybe because she had been in that dark cell for so long-and maybe also because the king of this kingdom was such a dark, unhappy man-she had expected the castle and kingdom to be just as dark as he was. Never did she expect to meet such a beautiful sight.


    The castle had high walls and from what she could see, it was huge. She could not see much of the realm, but the few she could see from this spot, was just as beautiful as the castle itself. Not only was it beautiful, but full of life.


    Gods, she had been so shrouded in darkness for the past few years of her life that she didn¡¯t know what it felt like to be out in the open. She didn¡¯t know what it felt like to live in such a realm with such beautiful colours and so much life it felt like she the ce was bursting with it.


    All she knew was darkness. She didn¡¯t know what it was like to live anymore, and faced with such beauty and the impersonation of life, she realised just how sad her life truly was.


    With the weight of her life choices bearing down on her, she dropped down on the bed, staring nkly at the white sheets.

 What are you doing to me?

    MARIA


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    It was the second time she was asking him that question and like the first time, he ignored her, staring at her with a nk expression that somehow managed to make her feel like she had done something wrong.


    She really didn¡¯t know what his issue was. He¡¯de into the room, took one look at her, stormed outside, then stormed back into the room, parked his ass on the bedside table and proceeded to stare at her with that eerily nk expression.


    He was really starting to creep her out.


    There was something seriously wrong with the man. She didn¡¯t know how he could stare at her and then pretend that he wasn¡¯t hearing a single thing she was saying.


    The physician that he¡¯d spoken about never showed up and she didn¡¯t know why. She didn¡¯t bother to ask because she already felt loads better than she did yesterday and gods, she couldn¡¯t exin what it felt like to sleep in an actual bed after so long.


    It had been surreal. She¡¯d slept like a baby throughout the night, only to wake up this morning to food by her bedside. It was almost like she was back to living at the pce.


    But then before she could even finish her meal, Bran had stormed into her room, popping the bubble she¡¯d been in.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever just trace in?¡± She wondered out loud, partly out of curiosity and also because she wanted to spite him. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s your castle and you have been in this room before. It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t.¡±


    She was on the opposite side of the bed from where the table where he sat was and she had her back to him so she couldn¡¯t see his face while she spoke. That was deliberate. She swung her leg over the side of the bed, staring at her feet-at her toenails that were clean for the first time in as long as she could remember.


    ¡°And it¡¯s not like you give a damn what I think about you; you¡¯ve proved that countless times.¡± She continued, ¡°So why don¡¯t you ever trace into the room? Why do you take your time toe through the door? I mean, its not like you knock or anything-gods forbid you do something that suggests you have morals after all-but when you think about it, why would-¡±


    ¡°Another word and you¡¯ll find yourself back in your cell so fast, you¡¯d get whish.¡±


    She turned her head and red at him. He returned her re with a nk stare. Did he have to be such an asshole? She was having the time of her life and this miserable man was trying to ruin it for her. Even though it was one of the best moods she had ever seen him in, he was still an asshole. That should say a lot about the man.


    What was he even doing here, really?


    She stood up from the bed, nning to have her bath when she stopped, remembering that he was there and there was no way she was having her bath while he sat there, watching her like a fucking creep.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to have my bath. You need to leave.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Why? Was he serious?


    ¡°Because I need to have my bath and you can¡¯t be in here while I do.¡± She enunciated each word slowly, as though she was exining it to a toddler-or in this case, the man with the thickest skull she had ever met.


    ¡°Why?¡± He repeated again and the urge to strangle him was so overwhelming in that moment, it was almost impossible for her to fight it.


    ¡°Why else?¡± She snapped, unable to hold on to her patience anymore. ¡°What the hell are you even doing here?¡±


    A muscle popped in his jaw-the telltale sign of his anger-and his lids lowered over his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking raise your voice at me.¡±


    She swallowed, retreating. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I just need to have my bath-¡± She paused when she realised that she had just been about to call his name-and she didn¡¯t know it. ¡°Whats your name?¡±She asked the question softly. Extra softly in hopes of goading him to answer.


    ¡°Bold of you to assume I¡¯d tell you.¡±


    She gasped. She had not expected his words to hurt as much as they did.


    He could go to hell for all she cared. She would keep calling him ¡®her captor¡¯ in her head and if it managed to slip out once or twice when she talked to him, then that was his problem.


    She was done trying to be nice to him. He didn¡¯t deserve it. He was not worth it at all.


    She felt his eyes on her back as she trailed into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth for the second time this morning simply because she could. She¡¯d had to eat and speak with a stinking mouth for over two weeks, she was allowed to brush as many times as she wanted.


    After brushing, she had a hot water bath that did a lot to soothe her aching muscles. It was when she had dried her body that she remembered that she would have to walk back out to go to the closet and pick out something to wear.


    She cursed, wrapping her towel tighter around herself like armour. She tensed, bracing herself to walk out there and face him, but then thought, fuck it. She knew the kind of body she had and she knew how it affected him. She¡¯d seen it more than once.


    And it wasn¡¯t like she had not asked him to leave. He¡¯d insisted on staying, so he was going to deal with the circumstances that came with it.


    She pulled the bathroom door open, steam following her as she stepped out and into the room.


    Even if she were being paid to, she wasn¡¯t sure that she would have been able to stop herself from looking at her captor to catch to look on his face.


    He¡¯d been staring at his feet before, but the minute she stepped out, his head flew up and his eyesnded on her body, trailing slow lines of fire along her skin as he took her in. He started from her feet, then slowly, he made his way upwards, pausing when he reached the point where her towel ended and inhaling sharply, then continuing only to pause again when his eyes reached where the towel was fastened just above her breasts.


    Gods, how was this man making her so hot? Hotter than even the shower had made her? Was that even possible?


    Heat pooled low on her stomach and wetness pooled in her center. It was so sudden and so profound that she had to squeeze her legs together in a bid to soothe the ache she felt. But it didn¡¯t help. If anything, it made the emptiness even more ring.


    Her nipples had gone hard and stiff and they chaffed against the towel ufortably.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She was about to melt into a puddle of arousal right there in front of him and he had not even touched her yet. He was doing this to her body just by looking at her. How then would she react when he put his hands on her?


    The image it produced in her mind caused a small moan to escape her lips before she could mp it down.


    She didn¡¯t know if the sound she made had anything to do with it but suddenly, he was pushing away from the table and stalking towards her like a predator hunting its prey.


    It was almost ironic, considering that she usually was the predator, but with a man like her captor, one would always be the prey.


    And she would willingly give herself over as prey, if only he looked at her like that more. Like she was his one andplete focus.


    It was such a heady feeling.


    When he had closed the distance between them, he gripped her chin and used the hold to lift her face until she was looking up at him. Butterflies swamped her stomach anew at the sight of his wickedly handsome face.


    He squeezed her chin until she had to part her lips from the small sting of pain.


    He ground down on his mrs when his eyes fell to her lips, looking thoroughly pissed for reasons she couldn¡¯t possibly fathom. ¡°What are you doing to me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She whispered, her eyes trained on his firm lips. She willed him to kiss her. Willed him so much that if she¡¯d had her powers, he would already be kissing her this very moment.


    His hand dropped from her chin to her upper arm and he pulled her closer to him. Just when she thought he was going to close the remaining distance between them and kiss her, he shoved her away so hard, she stumbled for a bit before righting herself.


    ¡°Get dressed.¡±


    Reeling from the onught of emotions she was feeling-some of them being lust, anger and rejection, she staggered into the closet.

 Vampire, sorceress and oracle

    MARIA


    She took longer in the closet than she should have and that was because after wearing her clothes-another sundress, but this one was shorter-she stayed in there for a bit, trying to calm herself and get over the humiliation of the rejection she¡¯d just faced.


    She knew that he wanted her-at least he had wanted that Kidd. She had seen it in his eyes, but then it was like it disappeared the next moment and instead of pulling her to him, he was pushing her away. Of all the things he¡¯d done, that was perhaps the worst thing he had ever done to her.


    How ever was she going to face him?


    Well, with her head held high and her shoulders shoved back because she had stalled long enough in here and it was only a matter of time before he came in here and hauled her ass out. He wouldn¡¯t even care if she was naked. The man was that cruel.


    Now, if only she had her powers, she would have easily woven a mour over her face. The look would be one of nonchnce, one so perfect that it would have him wondering if she even heard a single word he would say.


    He was sitting on the table when she came out and immediately he saw her, he pushed away from it and headed for the door and then over his shoulder, he said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Not like she had a choice.


    She followed behind him, admiring the flex of his ass as he took one step after the other. The way his jeans trousers cupped the muscles as he walked was almost too much for her to bear.


    The man shoulde with a warningbel.


    She admired as much of the castle as she could as she walked behind him, staring at some pictures hung on the high walls. If he was walking a bit slower, she would have taken her time to look at them. Really look. She was sure that his pictures would be there and she was curious if she would see pictures of him before he froze into his immortality.


    Those would be paintings considering that they would be from ages ago, but they would suffice.


    Her captor pushed a door open and walked in. She walked in after him and saw that it was the same room she had run into all those days ago. His throne sat at the far end of the room, high and mighty, just like the king himself. He marched towards it, dropped his ass on it and left her standing there, staring at him with a confused expression.


    ¡°What am I doing here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me the truth.¡± He informed her, stretching his hands on the arms of the chair. ¡°Whether you like it or not.¡±


    ¡°What truth?¡±


    He ignored her, instead looking over her shoulder. She was standing in front of him, so when he looked over his shoulder, she turned to see what or who he was looking at, and in this case, it was a who.


    A woman stood there in a white flowing gown. Maria wasn¡¯t sure, but the woman¡¯s skin seemed to be glowing and the closer the woman got to them, the brighter her skin got. Her skin was pale and milky white and if Maria was not seeing it with her eyes, she would say that the woman¡¯s milky skin was what she had mistaken for a glow.


    She was hauntingly beautiful, so beautiful that Maria felt herself self-consciously patting her face and wondering why she didn¡¯t have such a willowy figure-or why she was not as beautiful.


    She turned back to her captor and saw him still staring at the woman. Perhaps tall, willowy blondes were his types. Her mour had been tall and willowy, but she had been a redhead. Maybe she would have made her hair appear blonde in his eyes if only she had known that he was into them.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Maria asked, unable to help herself. Wa that awe in her voice?


    ¡°She is an oracle.¡± Bran told her and she couldn¡¯t hide her surprise even if she wanted to.


    ¡°An oracle?¡± She swivelled on her heel to face him fully, cocking a brow. ¡°Magic? In the vampire realm? I thought you guys despised it.¡±


    It was true, at least ording to the stories she¡¯d heard. The vampires hated both the Wan and the Sorceri and the hate was over a hundred years old now, ording to Ariti. She didn¡¯t know the cause of this hate, but it ran bone deep.


    They wanted absolutely nothing to do with those factions, to the extent that they had put a ban on them. The lot of them who had dared to ignore the warning and enter into the realm, had received death by burning. It was the reason she had felt a huge amount of panic when he¡¯d told her that she was in the vampire realm.


    She couldn¡¯t imagine what it felt like to die in a fire.


    ¡°Once, before the war between the factions, vampires were considered very close friends of the Wan and Sorceri.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Before. Not now.¡± Her eyes darted to the oracle, noticing that she wasing closer and noticing that she was noticing her too.


    She hated how defenceless she was. She didn¡¯t have her powers, didn¡¯t have anything to defend her against such a powerful creature. The cor made contact with her neck, as if in a mocking reminder that it was the reason she didn¡¯t have ess to her powers.


    She hated the damn thing.


    ¡°My sister¡¯s life is on the line.¡± Bran spoke suddenly and her eyes jumped back to him. ¡°I never imed to fight fair.¡±


    Fight fair? What was he going to do to her? Her eyes darted to the woman again, seeing that she was now about six feet away from her and staring at her with an intense look of concentration.


    Maria gasped when she saw that her eyes were a stark silver.


    ¡°Lower your shields.¡± The oracle spoke, her voice low and airy, like a wisp.


    ¡°My shields?¡±


    ¡°Your mind.¡± The oracle repeated, her hands hanging by her sides.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lower my shields. How can she ask me to do that?¡± This question was directed to her captor as she stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t really expect me to do that, do you?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be able to get past them?¡± Her captor asked the oracle, as if Maria had not spoken at all.


    She almost felt hurt. Almost. But she wanted to hear the woman¡¯s answer too, so she was not going toin.


    ¡°I usually can, but it seems like her shields are stronger.¡± The oracle observed, angling her head curiously at Maria. ¡°Like they¡¯re reinforced.¡±


    ¡°Hows that possible?¡± Her captor snapped, seeming to grow angry. ¡°Can you get past them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± The woman whispered.


    ¡°It is beyond disrespectful for you guys to speak about me as if I am not here.¡± Maria snapped, throughly fed up with being ignored. ¡°Why is she saying that my shields are reinforced? What does that even mean?!¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Maria.¡± Her captor snapped, using her name for the first time in as long as she could remember. ??The oracle turned to her captor. ¡°Tell her to lower her shields.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Maria snapped at the oracle, knowing fully well that the woman could annihte her now that she was powerless, but she didn¡¯t give a damn about that. ¡°Stop speaking about me like I¡¯m not.¡±


    The oracle paused, as though surprised that Maria was speaking to her in such manner. Then calmly, she said, ¡°Lower your shields.¡±


    Maria was tempted to lower her shields simply because the woman had spoken to her calmly despite her rank, and wanted to obey. But lowering her shields meant that the oracle could ess every single one of her memory and she wasn¡¯t big on that idea. Not to mention, her captor would have ess to those ideas too because her shields would be lowered for anyone at all to pry into her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to do that.¡±


    ¡°This is your only chance to that you really don¡¯t know where my sister is.¡± Her captor spoke, drawing her eyes to him. He was grinding hard on his mrs and from the looks of it, he was trying to hold on to what little patience he had left. ¡°Do it, Maria, and I¡¯ll consider freeing you.¡±


    Free her? Would he really do that?


    ¡°Lower your fucking shields, Maria.¡± The vampire king repeated.


    Exhaling, Maria did and instantly felt people prodding into her head. She hated the sensation. It was foreign and notfortable. It made her feel naked. She wanted to draw her shields back up, but he also knew that this was the only way he would believe she really didn¡¯t know where his sister was.


    She only hoped that he would actually let her go and not kill her when he realised that she was useless to him.


    ¡°Your shield is still up. Bring it down.¡±


    Those words were from the oracle and Maria turned to her, confused. ¡°My shield is down.¡±


    ¡°Its not.¡± Her captor barked.


    Gods, why didn¡¯t these people believe her? Her shield was down, she had even felt them prying into her head. How could they say that her shield was still up when they were right fucking there in her head?


    ¡°I can¡¯t ess her thoughts. Its like she has thousands of shields. The moment I think I¡¯m getting past one, another one¡¯sing up.¡± The oracle told her captor. ¡°Theres no way I can tell if she really knows where your sister is if she doesn¡¯t let me in.¡±


    ¡°Bring your fucking shields down, Maria.¡± Her captor snapped, leaning forward in his chair, tense and and angry and ready to pounce like a lion. ¡°Do it right this fucking moment.¡±


    She was getting dizzy. Her vision turned blurry and both the oracle¡¯s and her captor¡¯s face seemed to blend into one, their words making her unable to think about anything else. The oracle¡¯s whispered words were taunting and her captor¡¯s shouts were starting to give her a headache.


    The room spun and she staggered, thinking that she was going to fall, but somehow, she was still standing upright. She was incredibly weak and her legs were struggling to carry her weight.


    ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± She forced out.


    ¡°Let me in.¡± The oracle¡¯s whisper drifted to her ears.


    ¡°Fucking let her in, Maria.¡± This voice belonged to her captor. ¡°I swear to all that¡¯s-¡±


    The room spun again and this time, she fell with it, copsing on the tiled floor.


    The world turned ck.

 She鈥檚 a peculiar creature

    BRAN


    Bran shot out of his throne seat, lunging towards Maria as if he could break her fall and catch her before she hit the ground, but she was already on the ground. He¡¯d been too angry to notice the way her eyes were fluttering and the red haze that covered his vision had stopped him from catching the little movement where she swayed on her feet.


    He turned using eyes on the oracle. ¡°What the fuck did you do to her?¡±


    ¡°Watch your tone,¡± The oracle warned, her creepy eyes shing in what he assumed was anger. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. You were sitting right here.¡±


    That was true. He had been sitting right there and the oracle had not touched Maris. But it didn¡¯t mean she had not done anything to her. Why else had Maria fainted?


    ¡°Then what happened?¡± He wondered out loud.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She looks a bit pale.¡± The oracle drew closer, her head tilted appraisingly and a curious look on her fcae. She stopped when she was just in front of him where he was crouched in front of Maria, then she bent down and ced her hand on Maria¡¯s forehead. ¡°Her shields are down.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Bran searched, trying to get into Maria¡¯s head, but her shields were firmly in ce. Concentrating, he tried again, but the result was the same.


    ¡°Her shields are not down.¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± The oracle whispered, surprise etched on every part of her face and also her voice. ¡°There¡¯s something stopping us from essing her thoughts and I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± She withdrew her hand from Maria¡¯s forehead and faced him. ¡°I don¡¯t think she knows what it is either. But whatever it is, its stopping us from essing her thoughts.¡±


    Bran could only stare at the oracle in shock, his mouth hanging open. Never in his immortal life had he seen nor heard of a case where one lowered their shields and yet their thoughts remained inessible.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying she lowered her shields but there¡¯s something-something else-preventing us from seeing her thoughts?¡± When the oracle nodded, he asked, ¡°How is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a peculiar creature.¡± With those words, the oracle rose and stepped back. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot help you, Your Majesty.¡±


    And with those eight words, Bran was right back to zero.


    Bran carried Maria¡¯s limp form in his arms, instantly noticing that her skin was hot to the touch, then he rose and in sure strides, walked towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll have your payment arranged. My man would see to it.¡±


    Just as he was about to leave the room, the oracle stopped him.


    ¡°What?¡± He didn¡¯t turn.


    ¡°You might want to be careful with her. Don¡¯t do anything you¡¯ll regretter.¡±


    This time, Bran turned. ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need her.¡± The oracle said with a hint of finally in her words. She wasn¡¯t going to say more. Fucking crypt.


    Bran already knew that he needed her. She was his only hope of getting to his sister. For what other reason could he possibly need a sorceress? Bran wasn¡¯t sure that there was another, other than the fact that she knew where his sister was.


    He didn¡¯t need a fucking oracle to tell him that.


    He walked out without another word to the oracle, Maria cradled in his arms. He tried not to stare down at her as he walked back to her room-and failed.


    How could she curl into him even when she wasn¡¯t conscious like that?


    He was her enemy and she was his. He loathed her existence as much as she hated him, he was sure. How then could she snuggle into his body as if she trusted him? Almost as if she was sure that he couldn¡¯t hurt her?


    She chose that moment to shift, resting her hand against his chest. His eyes fell on the mark on her arm; the cut he¡¯d given to her. It might not have been his hand that inflicted the injury, but it was his doing nheless. He was the one that had ordered for her hand to be cut.


    Christ, it still came like a blow to him everytime he thought that she was still mortal. But staring at a stark evidence was like a blow to the stomach.


    If he had gone on with the torture, then her hand would have been no more.


    He didn¡¯t know why he shuddered to think of that.


    She was perfect. The most beautiful and exquisite creature he had everid his hands on, and she didn¡¯t deserve to have her hand severed. She might deserve it, considering the things she had done, but he didn¡¯t want anything to taint her perfection.


    But now she had one. A little imperfection. A mark to detract from her perfection.


    When he got to her room and ced her on the bed, he reached for his phone in his back pocket and shot a quick text off to Edgar to pay off the oracle and escort her out of the castle. AS he made to keep his phone, he saw a bunch of unread texts from Corey.


    He barely used his phone, but he carried it around in case Corey needed to reach him. How ironic was it that he was ignoring the man¡¯s messages when he was the main reason he carried his phone around?


    Bran would pick his calls and text him back. He would. But he just couldn¡¯t admit to the man that he had not made any progress since. Not that Corey wouldn¡¯t have figured that out already. He was a smart man. But Bran couldn¡¯t just admit that he was still right where he had been since he captured the sorceress.


    Movement from the bed caught his eyes and he saw that she was shivering. Pocketing his phone, he moved towards it andid his palm on her head. She was even hotter than before-no pun intended. He dropped his hand to her neck-same thing.


    It was almost impossible for him to pull his hand back and not give into the urge to feel the flesh that peeked just above the neck of her gown. Two globes of flesh that had tortured him, promising to drive him insane when she¡¯d walked out of the bathroom with a few droplets of water trickling down her skin.


    Hissing, he wrenched his hand away and shot off another text to Edgar to get the physician. She had seemed okay before, but apparently, the illness had not worn off.


    He shield have listened to the physician. The man was supposed toe back yesterday to continue his administrations, but after a quick check in with the maid that delivered her food, who had told him that she looked better, he had called off the meeting with the physician.


    Partly because he didn¡¯t see the need and partly because he didn¡¯t like the way he felt with the man hovering around her.


    The man arrived an hourter. He was not much older than Bran-both in looks and age-wise-and that was exactly why Bran didn¡¯t want him around. He stuck to the far side of the room, watching the man as he inserted an IV into Maria¡¯s hand and grumbled about how much of a stubborn man Bran was.


    ¡°There should be improvements in the next three hours or so and if she follows the medications strictly, then there should be no problem.¡± The man said to Bran when he was done. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow to check up on her, of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure there¡¯d be need for that.¡± Bran told him, all but pushing him out the door. ¡°If there¡¯s any problem, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± Then he mmed the door in the man¡¯s stunned face.


    Not his problem.


    He knew how beautiful and angelic Maria looked lying down on the bed and twice, he¡¯d caught the man staring at her. When he¡¯d inserted the needle into her skin, he¡¯d held her hand for longer than was necessary.


    The man was definitely into Maria, all right. And Bran was not going to let him use ¡®checking up on her¡¯ as an excuse to spend time with her. Even if she was sleeping.


    Bran was not sure why another man showing interest in her pissed him off, but it did.


    He contemted sitting beside her on the bed while she slept or leaving the room. It was bing increasingly difficult to leave her and retire to his room recently and he wondered why that was.


    It was not like he enjoyed talking to her-he didn¡¯t even do it willingly-and it wasn¡¯t like he was obligated to watch her. There were guards outside her room for that.


    So why exactly did it not sit right with him every time he left her?


    He didn¡¯t have an answer to the question and he didn¡¯t need one anyway. He was not going to stay in this room with her until she woke up like her fucking maid.


    Rising, he traced out of her room and directly into the training quarters of the castle.


    He needed to burn off some energy.

 Attack on the vampires

    BRAN


    Bran never thought the day woulde when he would witness the castle under attack.


    The vampires didn¡¯t have much enemies and even the few they had wouldn¡¯t dareunch an attack on the king¡¯s house directly. Bran was known far and wide for his ruthlessness and unforgiving nature-people knew better than to cross him. At least smart people did.


    But perhaps he had underestimated Ariti.


    Other than the sorcerer messenger he¡¯d sent to strike the exchange deal with him-the one Bran had refused-, he hadn¡¯t shown any interest in getting his daughter back.


    Until now.


    Bran was in the throne room having a discussion with themander of his army when one of his men had rushed in, gasping and shaking with fear.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Themander asked, sitting taller, every fibre of his being now at alert.


    Bran watched silently. He was now at alert too, but he didn¡¯t show any reaction to the man¡¯s sudden presence. No one would dare burst into the room in such manner if what they wanted to say wasn¡¯t important. And that was the only reason the man was still standing.


    ¡°The castle¡­¡± He gulped in air, eyes wide. ¡°Is under attack.¡±


    ¡°By who?¡±


    ¡°The Sorceri.¡±


    And that was when Bran knew for a fact that he had underestimated Ariti. He didn¡¯t know whether to apud the man for his bravery or balk at his foolishness. But then again, Bran knew just how mad revenge could drive a person. It was for the same reason that he¡¯d captured the sorceress in the first ce.


    ¡°I¡¯ll assemble the guards at once.¡± Themander shot to his feet, speaking to Bran. ¡°We¡¯ll fend them off, Your Majesty.¡± Then he bowed before hurrying out of the room, the man following closely behind him.


    A sudden explosion rocked the castle. They were probably trying to get in but his men were probably putting up a strong front, so they¡¯d decided to blow up the walls and force their way in.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Bran smiled grimly. The Sorceri wanted a battle? Then he was going to give them one.


    He traced into a hidden room behind a wall in his room where he stored his weapons. From the outside, one would never be able to guess that there was anything behind it, but a in wall. That was exactly what he had intended.


    He walked towards the wall, withdrawing two sharp swords from it. He lifted one high above his face, until his expression reflected back at him from the sharp des. He smiled. It felt good to hold these weapons in his hands again. It had been a very very long time since he¡¯d used them.


    Ever since he left the battle ground. Ever since he returned back home and took his throne.


    A dagger was already shoved into the side of his boot because he never went around without it, so he took just an extra one and shoved it into the side of his other boot. Another explosion rocked the building and the ground shook underneath his feet. He almost put a hand to the wall to steady himself.


    His blood boiled and a red haze covered his vision. That the Sorceri would dare attack and destroy a castle his grandfathers had built ages ago¡­


    He traced into the battleground in a cloud of fury, swiping a sorcerer¡¯s head off before he had even materialisedpletely. As he turned, his sword moved with him, taking the limbs of anyone he came in contact with, delivering blows that had his victims screaming in pain.


    No one had ever met his sword and not screamed in terror. The frozen looks on their dead faces always told the tales.


    He fought through the mass of bodies and despite the chaos around him, kept his peripheral vision focused. He saw when a person decided to attack him and gutted them before they could evene close.


    It was in the middle of the fight that he realised that he had been so focused on fighting and getting the Sorceri out of the castle, that he¡¯dpletely forgotten about Maria. There were probably no guards by her door anymore, seeing as they might all be part of the fight.


    His heart elerated as he swiped through a throng of bodies until he reached one of his men, who was struggling to fend off a sorcerer digging a de into his chest-with his power. Bran shoved his own sword into the man¡¯s chest, twisted it, then pulled it out, relishing the yell that wrenched out of the man¡¯s mouth before he copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Thank you-¡±


    ¡°Get to the sorceress.¡± Bran yelled at the man. ¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t leave her room and fight off anyone that tries to get in.¡± When the man slowly retrieved his sword from the ground, Bran snapped. ¡°Go. Now!¡±


    The man skidded away, abandoning his sword as he ran out of the courtyard and into the castle. As Bran watched him go, he realised that he was not the only one that was watching the man.


    Ariti stood a few feet away from him, following the man with his beady little eyes. In a second, he turned to Bran and cocked a mocking brow at him.


    Shit. Ariti heard what Bran had told his man.


    Before Bran could move, Ariti sprang into action, chasing down the guard in an incredibly agile move for such an aged man. Bran ran after him, his heart mming against his ribcage. If Ariti got to the guard-or rather, if Ariti followed the guard and found the room Maria was in, then Bran was as good as dead.


    Ariti would take Maria with him and they would leave the same way they came. Chances of Bran breaking into the realm of Sorceri to steal her again were slimmer than zero.


    Fuck.


    He stopped running when he realised that he could trace. Sometimes, he forgot that he was a vampire. And it seemed like Ariti had too. He could easily trace into Maria¡¯s room and get to her before Ariti did.


    Before he left, he swiped his eyes around the ce, taking in the level of damage. The high walls of the castle had been blown open in several ces and he could see outside. The podium in which his great grandfather¡¯s statue sat, was now cracked on one side, but thankfully, the statue wasn¡¯t harmed.


    Rage burned through him as he saw several of his men dead on the ground, des protruding from some of their bodies and others, dead without injuries on them. The power of sorcery.


    Hundreds of his men were dead. Men whom he¡¯d trusted, dined and evenughed with once upon a time, before he¡¯d turned into the dark man he now was. Some of these men had families, mates. Their families wouldn¡¯t get to see them anymore.


    Maria and her father would pay for this.


    He traced into the room, catching her unaware. She¡¯d been standing by the window, looking through it, probably watching and relishing the demise of his people at her father¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Enjoying the view, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She jumped and turned around, leaning back on the window frame and pressing a hand to her chest, the look on her face one of uttermost surprise. Her eyes roved over his body from his blood-smeared face to his feet.


    Her throat worked on a swallow and she took a small step towards him, before halting. ¡°W-what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Father dearest has decided to take matters into his own hands and get his princess back.¡± He sneered, anger making the wordse out fast and clipped. ¡°I¡¯m sure the news makes you happy.¡±


    Her eyes darted to the window, then back to him. ¡°I-¡±


    The door banged open behind Bran and he swivelled on his heel in time to see the man he¡¯d asked to leave the battleground and watch over Maria. His eyes were open wide and frozen in terror as he fell face down into the room. Dead.


    Ariti burst into the room, withdrawing his de from the man¡¯s back. He looked up, his eyes lighting up when he saw his daughter, only for them to cloud with anger and fear when he moved them to the right and saw me in the room too.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t expecting me, were you?¡± Bran clucked his tongue.


    With a maddened roar, the sorcererunched at Bran with his sword lifted high and gripped tight in his two hands. Too bad Bran was faster than him.


    Bran traced out of the way and the de cut through air loudly. Ariti¡¯s eyes jumped to him and with a crazed expression, lunged at Bran again.


    This time, Bran traced to Maria and grabbed her arm. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to separate you two again.¡±


    Then he traced out of the room, Ariti¡¯s frustrated yell following behind them.

 Think you can survive that long, vampire?

    MARIA


    She staggered, dizzy rom the tracing. Her vision was blurry and she held on to her captor¡¯s arm for a few moments longer, before she could finally see well, then she let him go.


    She pointedly ignored his gaze because she knew that if she looked at him, she would probably see eyes full of anger.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    When she looked around, she saw that they were in the middle of a forest. Right I the middle of a forest. Was that his intention or had they somehownded here by mistake?


    ¡°What is this ce?¡± She asked when she finally turned to him. ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer her, as she had expected. He merely looked at her then looked away, sweeping his eyes across the thick masses of trees as if he was searching for something.


    The path where they were standing was a thin one, as if it had been cleared specifically for just one person to pass through. And he¡¯d traced here, which meant that he had been here before. For what reason? She didn¡¯t know, and she was not sure that she was interested in knowing. She just needed him to get her the hell out of here.


    There were so many creatures in the forest that could kill her. She was not an immortal yet and she definitely was not going to expose herself to such kinds of risk.


    Not that he would care.


    ¡°Answer me, please.¡± She tried again, but as expected, he ignored her. Well, since he was going to pretend like he couldn¡¯t hear her, she might as well do her own perusal of the forest.


    As her eyes swept over the green of the leaves-so very much like his eyes-and a myriad of trees she had never once seen in her life, her mind wandered back to the castle. To the scene she had witnessed through her window.


    She¡¯d been sitting on her newly acquires bed, staring at nothing when suddenly, she¡¯d heard an explosion. At first, she didn¡¯t move. Too scared and imagining the worst when she¡¯d heard another one. The second one left after-effects, shaking the ground and even causing her bed to move an inch.


    With her heart in her mouth, she¡¯d spied through her window, thinking that an enemy of the vampires had attacked, only for her to see both men and women with magical fires building in their hands and watching with disbelief as they hurled them at the castle walls, destroying and bringing them down.


    She hadn¡¯t believed it, until she¡¯d seen one of the men that sessfully came into the castle and recognised him as one of her father¡¯s friends. That was when she¡¯d known that her realm hadunched an attack on the vampires. Again.


    She couldn¡¯t exin how she¡¯d felt. She¡¯d been equal parts excited and terrified. Excited that she would go back to her mother and all would be right with the world, and terrified that she would go back. To the suffering in silence-literally-, darkness, ckmail and the belittling.


    It might make her a monster, but she couldn¡¯t help but admit to herself that she was d her captor had shown up before her father could make it into the room and take her with him. She was simply picking the lesser of two evils.


    Although now that she stood in this forest, she wasn¡¯t sure anymore who the lesser of two evils was.


    Bran had shown up, riddled with blood and not a single injury or cut on his body. He¡¯d been big and forbidding and a lot terrifying. He¡¯d been all those things and holding two swords in his hands, he¡¯d looked the very definition of a warlock. The vampire warlock.


    His expression had screamed danger, and still, she¡¯d found herself getting turned on. Her panties still had a damp spot on them to prove it.


    Her eyes fell on him, saw how tense his shoulders were and how pissed off her look. Of course, he was pissed off. His castle had just been attacked-and was probably still under attack this very moment. An attack on a castle was a direct insult to a king, because it was supposed to be the safest and most guarded ce in the whole kingdom.


    On top of all of that, he¡¯d run from the fight. Not because he was too weak or was scared, but because he¡¯d wanted to keep her from her father. However, it wouldn¡¯t matter to the people. They would probably assume that their king was a weak one and had run from the fight.


    On second thought, his people knew him better than to think him weak. He was the very opposite of the word and everyone who knew him, knew that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She found herself saying. ¡°About everything.¡±


    He looked at her then, his eyes zing with barely controlled fury. ¡°You¡¯re sorry?¡±


    Her breath hitched. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for what exactly?¡± He asked casually, taking a step towards her.


    Her heart jumped in her throat. She looked behind her to see if there was anywhere to go, but all she could see behind her were leaves and trees. Swallowing, she forced her mouth to work. ¡°F-for my father¡­¡± He took another step towards her, then another and another. She hurried to continue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for w-what h-he-¡±


    ¡°Hundreds of my men died today.¡± His words cut through the air like a whip. Sharp and angry and she almost jumped into the air. ¡°Men with children, families. Do you know that?¡±


    She took a step backwards when he continued toe towards her. She attempted to take another one, but that one took her right into the leaves, so she had to stop. Her heart was mming against her ribcage as if it wanted to burst out of her chest andnd at his boot-d feet.


    ¡°I-I-I know. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She tried to tamp down her fear, but there was no way the fear was going anywhere when he was looking at her like that. Like he wanted to rip her limbs apart, piece by piece, and relish every single moment of her torture.


    Her blood pressure was at an all-time high and she watched with trepidation as her captor closed the remaining distance between them, until only a silver of space remained. Her breasts pushed against his chest with every bated breath she took. The danger in the air surrounding them, coupled with the heat from the nearness of his big body, had heat stirring low in her belly. Her nipples tightened involuntarily and she swayed on her feet, his body, pulling hers towards his as though they were mas pulled towards each other.


    And just like mas, whether they liked it or not, they had no choice but to move towards each other.


    ¡°Hundreds of my men are dead,¡± He lowered his head until his was painfully close to hers. ¡°Possibly hundreds more are dying.¡± He was whispering, his words ghosting across her skin and she was positive that if she tried hard enough, she could feel them and imagine that it was his lips on her skin. ¡°And you tell me you¡¯re sorry?¡±


    She gasped when he lifted his hand to her face and she half expected him to wrap his hand around her neck and kill her right there. Which was why she waspletely surprised when he touched her face with the back of his palm and dragged his knuckles softly down her cheek, almost lovingly. Like a caress.


    A gentle act, so at odds with the aggressive man she¡¯de to know.


    ¡°What do you suggest I do with your apology, princess?¡±


    Everytime he¡¯d called her princess, it had always sounded mocking and that was exactly why she despised it. Except that now¡­


    The name didn¡¯t sound so mocking now. In fact, it sounded a lot like an endearment that if Maria didn¡¯t know better, she would think he actually meant it.


    ¡°ept it?¡± It was an absolute miracle that she found her voice.


    The expression on his face transformed from a nk mask into a cold, terrifying smile that sent ice skittering down her spine and putting a damper on her aroused body so fast, it almost made her head spin.


    ¡°Me, epting your apology should be the least of your worries right now.¡± He swiped a hand at our surrounding. ¡°Take a look around, princess, we¡¯re in the middle of a fucking forest filled with all sorts of creatures. Creatures you only hear about in stories, ones you¡¯ve never even seen in your nightmares.¡±


    She swallowed, her eyes darting to the side.


    ¡°Your priority should be thinking about how you can survive long enough until we get out of here because, guess what?¡± He paused, his smile turning into an evil grin. ¡°The next town is at least three days away.¡±


    Then he stepped back, taking his body heat with him. She gulped in much needed air the moment he was finally out of her personal space. Gods, when he was close to her like that, she forgot everything else but him existed.


    ¡°Think you can survive in here that long, princess?¡± Heughed.


    His mockingugh annoyed her far more than she would like to admit. The condescending bastard, turning her on because he knew just what he did to her body, then stepping back when she felt like she would die if he didn¡¯t kiss her that very moment.


    Her blood boiled as she lifted her head, ¡°Think you can survive that long, vampire?¡±


    The shocked look on his face probably shouldn¡¯t have made her feel as victorious as she felt, but it did.

 Camping in a cave

    MARIA


    ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for hours, where exactly are we going?¡±


    Maria¡¯s words from before hade back to bite her in the ass and she seriously regretted uttering them now.


    They¡¯d been walking in the first for over two hours now and despite how far they hade, all she could see in front of them was mass and mass of bushes. It was like they had not made any progress at all, which was just crazy because they had been walking for over two bloody hours!


    Two bloody hours of being bitten by mosquitoes-and who knew what else-two hours of walking and her feet were aching her, two hours of the branches and twigs digging into her flesh-some had seeded in cutting her-and two hours of her captor ignoring her.


    She was fed up. ??¡±Talk to me.¡± She hissed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your entertainment, princess.¡± The asshole finally spoke, using his sword to cut through the next set of clogged branches they came across, his shoulders heaving with force, swiping and hacking, until it was open enough that they could pass.


    She had to admit that if it were not for him, she might not have even made it this far. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t even be walking at all in the first ce. But still, of not for him, she wouldn¡¯t be stuck in a forest with lots of dangerous animals in the first ce, so it was only right that he created a safe passage for her.


    ¡°I never said you were.¡±


    ¡°So shut the fuck up.¡± He punctuated the word with a swipe of his sword at a branch that stuck out from the side into the path.


    ¡°I will, if you answer my question.¡± She shot back, undeterred.


    He ignored her and they continued walking in silence. Him, quietly hacking at twigs and her following grudgingly behind him, asionally grumbling when she pped at her skin in a bid to kill the insects that gued her. She only seeded once and when she did, she squeaked in excitement.


    The sound of her excitement must have been so foreign to her captor that he probably mistook it for her being hurt, because his head turned quickly and his eyes swiped her frame. When he saw nothing out of ce on her body, he cocked a brow. She took that to mean he wanted to know what went wrong, bit she didn¡¯t read expressions and he was going to have to spell it out for her, so she stared back at him nkly.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He forced out, like he was being forced to ask her.


    ¡°I killed a mosquito.¡±


    He seemed to be waiting for the pin to drop. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And nothing.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°A lot of them have bitten me and gotten away with it, I¡¯m just so d I was able to kill one.¡±


    He stared at her for a bit, before shaking his head in disapproval and turning away, continuing his walking, hacking and cutting of twigs.


    She couldn¡¯t resist. ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s something I should be happy about?¡±


    ¡°I think mosquitoes should be the least of your problems.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re an asshole.¡±


    What the hell did she just say? Did she have a death wish?


    He froze, his shoulders going tense and the hand holding his sword hanging mid-air. ¡°What did you say?¡± His voice was deceptively cool, his words sharp and precise.


    She swallowed. Well, there was no backing down right now, was there? ¡°I said I think you¡¯re an asshole.¡±


    This time when he turned to look at her, there was an odd expression on his face. A cross between a surprised look and a confused one. For a moment, he looked like he didn¡¯t know what to do with her. Like she was a strange creature and he couldn¡¯t ce her.


    The explosion she¡¯d been waiting for didn¡¯te. She¡¯d been expecting him to go berserk on her, but for reasons best known to him, he said nothing and went back to walking.


    Huh.


    ¡°Will you tell me your name?¡± She tried again.


    She really didn¡¯t know why she was trying to talk to him. Forcing conversation with him, was like forcing a teeth out of a lion, except that thetter seemed more usible at the moment. She just needed something to take her mind off the fact that she was in a dangerous forest.


    Why was the man so opposed to speaking?


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Tell me where we¡¯re going at least.¡±


    He surprised her by actually answering. ¡°A friend¡¯s home. It¡¯s in the next town, which is three days from here.¡± He informed her. ¡°We can¡¯t go by car because father dearest smashed all of them, so guess who¡¯s going to be walking the entire distance? Through the forest no less.¡±


    She hated the note of usation in his voice. ¡°Why do you say it like it¡¯s my fault?¡±


    As if it was her fault that her father had suddenly decided to get his daughter back from the vampire king who¡¯d captured her.


    ¡°Because it is.¡± He said easily.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± She disagreed. ¡°If anything, it¡¯s your fault. You¡¯re the one who captured me in the first ce and my father wasn¡¯t doing anything other than try to get his daughter back.¡± She paused, hesitating. ¡°You did the same thing, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    In a sh, he had turned and was standing in front of her with his teeth bared. She briefly wondered whether he had traced, because she hadn¡¯t seen him move an inch.


    ¡°And whose fault was it that I had to break into your home and capture you?¡± She swallowed, her bravado dying a quick death, now that she was on the receiving end of his all-too-familiar anger. ¡°Whose fault is it that I took you in the first ce? Thats right. Yours. You killed my parents, took my sister and I took you-which isn¡¯t even fair in my opinion. I believe I still need to get even.¡± He took another step towards her and she cowered. ¡°Tit for tat, princess. You started this war, and I¡¯m going to end it.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    In another second, he was back where he¡¯d been standing and was walking away. She stood there staring after him, still trying to recover from his words when she heard an ominous sound from the bush beside her and she jumped into action, running after him.


    They walked in silence for another hour and in total, she¡¯d counted twelve mosquito bites. The spots were swollen, red and itchy. So itchy that she had to physically fight the urge to scratch them. She really hoped she wasn¡¯t going to fall sick in the forest. Especially when they still had two more days of walking to do.


    Gods, two more days of walking. It sounded impossible. They had been walking for just over three hours and she already felt like she was going to pass out. Her legs were three times heavier and they felt like they were not a part of her body anymore.


    How would she survive two more days of this?


    The sky was starting to darken. It was gettingte. Where could they possibly sleep? Or were they going to walk throughout the night?


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s gettingte.¡± She added the ¡®hey¡¯ mostly because she still didn¡¯t know his name and she wanted it to grate on his nerves until he had no choice but to tell it to her.


    What was so special about his name that he kept from her anyway?


    ¡°I have eyes.¡± was his reply.


    Ass.


    She wanted to say something snarky along the lines of, ¡®d you can see after all¡¯ or ¡®You almost had me fooled there, I thought you didn¡¯t¡¯, but she didn¡¯t want to anger him unnecessarily. She may like pissing him off, but it was not a smart move. The fact that the man had not killed her yet was a miracle in itself.


    Although she knew it was because he believed she knew where his sister was. That was the only thing keeping her alive.


    ¡°What I meant was,¡± She exined, dusting a smear of dirt off her body. ¡°Where are we going to sleep?¡±


    He tilted his chin at something in front of him. ¡°I can spot a cave some miles away. If we can make it there before it gets dark, we¡¯ll be spending the night there.¡±


    ¡°A cave?¡± Maria asked, appalled. Surely, he had to be joking.


    She hurried over until she was standing directly behind him, then she looked around him, searching for the cave he spoke of. True to his words, she could spy a cave not that far away from where they were standing. It looked quite small since they were so far away, but she knew that the closer they got to it, the bigger it would be.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be spending the night in a cave.¡± She uttered the words disbelievingly.


    She felt the focus of his gaze on her and when she looked at him, she saw that he was watching her closely, keenly, as though he was awaiting her reaction. The hard set of his jaw and the slight mockery in his eyes told her that he probably expected her to freak out over the knowledge that she would be sleeping in a cave.


    Just like the princess he kept calling her.


    Little did he know that he was in for a surprise.


    ¡°One more thing to tick off my bucket list.¡± She said breezily, walking ahead of him. ¡°Count me in!¡±

 Tell me your name, vampire

    MARIA


    Maria supposed she should be d that she was not going to be sleeping out there underneath trees or in between grasses where anything could get to her, but her other option wasn¡¯t that great either.


    She couldn¡¯t see anything inside the cave because of how dark it was. How the hell were they even going to find their way inside, not to talk about spending the entire night sleeping here?


    Her captor took note of the fact that she was stalling at the entrance-which was funny considering how she¡¯d walked ahead of him until they reached the cave-and walked into the darkness. She spied two stones in his hand and although she didn¡¯t quite remember him picking them up, she said nothing about it.


    She hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to follow him or not because of the darkness, but it was not like she could continue standing there so she decided to push her fears to the back of her mind and walk closely behind him.


    Maria couldn¡¯t exin how much she hated the dark. She¡¯d been stuck in it both physically and mentally all her life and it was only recently that she¡¯d started glimpsing outside it. She hated that she was now going to have to sleep in this dark ce.


    What if she stepped on a scorpion?


    Her toes took that exact moment to connect with something on the cold stone floor and she almost jumped up in the air, letting out a yelp. Her heart raced in her chest and after forcibly calming herself, she poked at the thing again with her heart in her throat, and realised that it was just an elevated part of the cave.


    She sighed out in relief.


    Unlike Bran who was wearing a boot, she had not been wearing any footwear when he¡¯d traced with her out of the castle so she was barefooted and that made her worry extra about what she was stepping on. She could dly say that at the moment, a cut would be the least of her worries. She worried more about stepping on poisonous animals or leaves.


    Her breath caught in her throat when she realised that she wasn¡¯t standing behind her captor anymore. She couldn¡¯t see, but she could feel, as theck of vision had heightened her other senses. Her captor had a consuming presence thatmanded you to feel and acknowledge him even if a person didn¡¯t want to and she usually felt it whenever she was in the same room as him.


    That feeling was gone and the cold hands of fear reced it, causing her to freeze up in the dark and stare at nothing.


    ¡°Vampire?¡± She called out, hoping that he would answer. Her palms grew sweaty in the cold when he didn¡¯t.


    She heard a sound in the distance. It wasn¡¯t loud, but it was there. It happened again and again and Maria was certain that she was going to die. She was screwed.


    She didn¡¯t know what her n was. It was veryte and she was probably safer in here than out there, but if she heard that sound again with no signs of her captor, she was going to run back out there without a second thought.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    She heard the sound again, sharp in the silence of the ce nd she thought she caught a brief spark of light. She had just made up her mind to run back out and figure out what to do from there when the sound came again, apanied by a bright red me.


    Fire.


    Her eyes followed the hand that held two stones, trailed slowly up the strong veiny masses of flesh, before reaching his face. He was not watching the fire he¡¯d just created. Instead, he was staring at her right across the burning mes.


    Her stomach warmed.


    So he was the source of the noise after all. For a moment there, she¡¯d thought that he had abandoned her and the way the fear hit her right in her chest terrified her. Not just because she would be defenceless in a dangerous forest, but also because somehow, the thought of her not seeing him anymore, made her feel queasy.


    ¡°How did you get the woods?¡± She wondered aloud, taking several steps towards him.


    There was no reaction to hint that he had even heard the words that left her mouth. No twitch in his facial muscles, no movement of his lips, no acknowledgement in his eyes whatsoever. In fact, she started to wonder if it was possible that he had not heard her, but she pushed the thought from her mind. She knew him better than that.


    She walked until she was standing in front of the fire on the opposite side of him, then hesitated slightly before dropping down, with her legs criss-crossed in front of her. Thankfully, she¡¯d decided to wear shorts and a T-shirt today, so she didn¡¯t need to worry about shing him.


    Even though the shorts was a bit on the tight side, she liked it very much. The material was not as hard as she¡¯d expected, considering that it looked like cargo shorts at first nce. It stretched tight across her ass and dipped down at the back whenever she sat down, but her shirt was long enough to cover it. Besides, she wasn¡¯t sitting with her back to him, so she had no reason to worry.


    Her captor¡¯s eyes ran over her, before he looked away, rising to his feet and walking a few feet away from her. She watched him, wondering what it was he was doing. When she saw the way his gaze swept the high walls, the extreme corners of the cave and even outside, she knew that he was checking to know if the cave was safe.


    She might be with him against her will, but in a forest like this, she would willingly follow him wherever he went. She was safe with him. Safer than if she¡¯d been in here by herself.


    When he was satisfied with his search, he walked back towards her, dropping down opposite her on the fire. She dropped her hands behind her and leaned back on them, her eyes following him as he drew one knee up and went to work on ucing it. The corners of her lips tipped up in amusement.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was just her, but seeing another person¡¯s feet felt like an intimate act. Her feet were right there in front of him, but it didn¡¯t matter. It was him baring his feet that was so unthinkable to her that it made her giggle a little.


    His head flew up at the sound, pausing in the middle of dragging the shoe off. ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± He asked gruffly.


    That even made the whole thing funnier and she threw her head back in augh, the sound ringing across the otherwise silent cave. Gods, she just couldn¡¯t help it. Their situation, his personality, was just soughable.


    They wanted absolutely nothing to do with each other. She was pretty sure that if she were to point him in the direction of his sister right now, he would set out that way without ast nce back at her. She, however, wasn¡¯t so sure that she would do the same if he were to unlock the cor at her neck and tell her she was free.


    Free to do what exactly? Go back to living in the dark?


    She was not even an immortal yet and she already loathed the life she was forced to live. She couldn¡¯t imagine eternity of living this way. She would run mad.


    Her smile had already wiped off her face at that point because of the dark thoughts she was having and when she looked at her captor, she saw that he was watching her with an odd look.


    They held each other¡¯s eyes. Greens on greys. Captor and captive.


    She was here against her will. He kept her in a cell, fed her scraps, prevented her from having baths and had almost cut off her hand before. He hated her and wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. She hated him too, but why did she want to run toward him and not away from him whenever she saw him?


    Why could she not stomach the thought of him eventually leaving her without so much as a backward nce?


    ¡°Tell me your name, vampire.¡± She whispered.


    His lips parted, brows drawn tight as he stared at her. He looked like he was going to tell her, and her heart sped up in anticipation.


    She was finally going to know his name.


    Yet then his eyes turned cold and he reached for his sword, flying to his feet. rmed, she hurried to her feet just like him and thinking that the sword he was holding was because of her, she jumped backwards-and right into slimy cold hands that instantly mped around her.


    A scream tore from her throat as terror gripped her. Her captor lunged across the fire with his sword raised and ready to attack, but the body holding her moved at lightning speed and suddenly, she was not standing by the fire anymore.


    Everything appeared upside down for a moment and that was when she realised that she was tossed over the creature¡¯s shoulder and she was starting to get dizzy from all the blood flowing to her head.


    Summoning all herst strength, she screamed,


    ¡°Vampire!¡±

 She鈥檚 mine

    BRAN


    ¡°Vampire!¡±


    That was thest thing Bran heard before the creature dragged her farther up the cave and into the darkness, climbing father than Bran ever could while holding onto her.


    He stared after the creature, his thoughts in disarray. But he struggled to calm them down. To put them in their natural orderliness so that he would be able to think properly.


    But it was almost impossible.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria, taken from him. By an incubus.


    Fuck.


    An incubus was a creature that fed off sexual intercourse. They got their nutrients while they had sex, so basically, without sex, they would starve to death.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to guess why they¡¯d taken Maria. The major reason being that she was a female. Add that to the fact that she was an attractive one, it made her a prime target for incubi.


    Bran cursed.


    Another thing about incubi was that they rarely went alone. One would most likely find them in groups and Bran could bet on his life that there were more than two incubi up there. And they¡¯d definitely not taken Maria up there because they wanted to have a friendly chat with her.


    The thought of what they had nned for her¡­ The thought of what they wanted to do to her while he was down here chilled his blood and at the same time, prompted him into action.


    They wouldn¡¯t rape her once and let her go. No, that was not the way they operated. They would rape her, feed her to strengthen her, thene back when they were short on nutrients and rape her again. They would rape her until she died since she was still a mortal, but if she eventually froze into her immortality in the process, then they would rape her forever.


    And she had no powers or weapons to defend herself with.


    He was not hearing any more sounds from Maria-not even from the incubus-and he was starting to think the worst. What had they done to her? Since she¡¯d stopped screaming, there had to be limited things involved. It was either they had gagged her so that she wouldn¡¯t be able to scream anymore and draw attention to herself, they¡¯d taken her out of the cave and into the night-he had not seen an opening above the cave, but he also had not looked, so he couldn¡¯t be too sure-, or she¡¯d passed out.


    He didn¡¯t know which option frightened him more.


    Bran paused at the edge of the room, right where the incubus had taken Maria, and stared up at the darkness awaiting him. The wall was rough and would allow him to climb up, but he was not a good climber by nature and that was exactly why he stood there, stalling.


    The more he stalled, the more danger Maria could be in.


    At that moment, he contemted forgetting about her and walking away. He should just let the incubi do whatever they wanted to do with her. It was none of his business anyway. She was an evil sorceress and she deserved any evil that woulde her way.


    The only reason he was taking her with him was because she was the only one that knew where his sister was-even if she wouldn¡¯t admit it-and he¡¯d lost enough because of her already. His parents were dead, his sister abducted and his castle was now in ruins because of her.


    Maybe he would find another way to get to his sister. He should just let her go now.


    But then he remembered that she was human. Remembered how excited she¡¯d been about a bath. Remembered how innocent and fragile she¡¯d looked in his arms when he¡¯d carried her. Remembered how full of want she¡¯d looked when she¡¯d stared up at him, begging him with her eyes to kiss her. Remembered-the worst of all-that she was a mortal still.


    And he knew that he couldn¡¯t leave her.


    He just told himself that he was doing it for his sister. That was all. Else, he would let the incubi have her.


    Throwing his swords to the ground, because there was no way he could climb up while holding onto them-and cursing himself for not remembering to grab his sword sheath before he¡¯d left the castle. He put his hands on the wall and began to climb.


    He fell. Hard.


    He groaned, got up and tried again. He made a bit of progress this time, but before he knew it, his leg missed the spot on the wall and he fell to the ground again.


    Fuck this shit.


    He was too agitated and angry to climb up there. The cave would be brighter by morning and he could just wait till then before trying again. But would the incubi leave Maria unharmed until then?


    He guessed all he could do was hope. Hope that nothing happened to her until he would be able to climb up there tomorrow.


    ¡°Maria?¡± He yelled.


    There was no answer.


    The possibility that they had taken her out of the cave was starting to grow by the minute and he was hoping that they had not actually taken her out. That would mean that he¡¯d lost her. Lost his only means of finding his sister. Which would mean losing his sister too.


    If anything happened to Maria, he vowed to himself that he would go back to the real of Sorceri and burn her house to the ground in search of his sister.


    He sat down on the floor with his back to the wall, staring at the fire as it flickered a few feet away from him.


    There was no way he would be able to sleep a wink tonight. So he was going to stay awake till morning, then climb back up and hopefully, get Maria and get the hell out of there.


    ***


    Morning didn¡¯t fullye before Bran started scaling the wall.


    In the mild light, he could see now that the walls were very high, but other than the lighting in from the entrance of the cave, there was nowhere else light wasing in from. Which meant that the cave didn¡¯t have another opening.


    Bran was not exaggerating when he¡¯d said that he was not a great climber. He really wasn¡¯t. And that was why he couldn¡¯t believe it when he found himself throwing his leg on top of the ledge when he reached it. He used the leverage of his leg to pull his entire body onto the ledge.


    He¡¯d done it. Now, it was time to find Maria.


    He turned, dusting off the dirt on his trousers, then froze when he took in the sight in front of him.


    Three incubi stood in front of him with malice written all over their faces and spiked tails slithering dangerously behind them.


    Bran had not exactly had a ning up here. All he¡¯d known was that he needed to get up here, grab Maria and then get the hell out of here. What he¡¯d forgotten, was that the incubi would be very reluctant to let Maria go and that they might even oppose him.


    Shit.


    He caught movement at the corner of his eyes and turned subtly, keeping an eye on the seven feet tall creatures in front of him. The movement he¡¯d caught was from Maria and his heart leapt in his chest in excitement when he saw that she was unharmed. Correction-not that harmed. He smelled blood from her forehead. Either these assholes had bashed her head against the wall, or she¡¯d injured it in her struggle.


    He forced himself to believe thetter for the sake of his temper.


    Just like he¡¯d guessed, there was a material shoved into her mouth. It muffled her cries, but now that he was up here, he could hear them clearly. He¡¯d been so focused on Maria, that he didn¡¯t notice that an incubus stood beside her, wearing the same expression his friends wore.


    The idiot thought that he was guarding his meal.


    What he didn¡¯t understand, was why they had not just taken what they wanted from herst night. He didn¡¯t see any logic in them capturing her only to guard her like fucking dogs.


    Maybe luck was on his side. If so, he needed to act fast.


    He turned back to the incubi in front of him. ¡°She¡¯s mine. You need to let her go.¡±


    The one in the middle inclined his head, staring at Bran as though he was trying to make sense of his words.


    ¡°The girl is mine. I¡¯m here to get her back.¡± Bran repeated, slower this time. When the three of them exchanged confused looks, then stared at him nkly, it hit him.


    If these creatures lived in this cave, then there was a possibility that they couldn¡¯t speak English. They hadn¡¯t grown in the midst of people like the other incubi he¡¯d met and that was probably why they were more aggressive than the usual incubus.


    If they actually couldn¡¯t speak or hear, then there was no way he was going to get Maria back without a fight. And he was going to get Maria back.


    Which meant¡­


    Bran dropped into a crouch so fast, the creatures didn¡¯t see himing, then shot his leg straight out and in one powerful move, swiped their legs out from under them.

 Sorceress saves vampire

    BRAN


    Bran had thought that he would be able to get to Maria before they got up, but for such big creatures, they were incredibly fast and they shot to their feet almost instantly, chasing after him.


    He traced to her before they could catch him, but was stopped by the incubi guarding her. The incubi stood in his path, a scowl etched on his face and his tail dancing behind him. Bran would have to be careful of those spikes.


    The tail moved like a whip,ing towards Bran, but he jumped out of the way before it could touch him and traced behind him-which meant that he was in front of Maria.


    The creature turned and dove for Bran at the same time Bran dove for Maria and traced back to the ground of the cave.


    He scowled when he saw that the incubus had held onto his leg and had traced alongs with them. Annoyed, Bran shot his leg out and kicked the incubus in the face, a crack ringing loud in the cave. It howled, cradling his nose which caused his hold on Bran to slip and Bran used the opportunity to trace to his sword.


    Even though he would not be able to kill the other incubi, he wanted to make sure he killed this one, Of course, the smartest thing would be to grab Maria and get the hell out of there, but he just couldn¡¯t find the urge to kill at least one of the creatures that had dared to make her their sex ve.


    It was not news that Bran had a hard time forgiving and letting things go.


    He traced back to the creature, but before he could even materialisepletely, its tail whipped and connected with Bran¡¯s leg, the spikes tearing the flesh and causing him to stumble.


    However, it was not enough to make him fall and from the confused look on the creatures face, he¡¯d expected it to weaken him. Little did he know that Bran was not merely an old vampire, but one of royal blood-which made his blood stronger.


    Lifting his sword high, Bran brought it back down with force and the incubi¡¯s seven feet form crumpled to the ground, his head rolling a short distance before stopping. The creature had died with his eyes wide and frozen in shock. Good.


    Bran wiped the blood from his sword on the body of the creature and made sure it was just as clean as it had been before, then turned to Maria, who still had the material in her mouth. Her wide eyes alternated between him and the lifeless body on the ground.


    He stalked over to her and removed the gag from her mouth. Immediately, she sighed and massaged her mouth, moving her jaw from side to side.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked her, watching her closely for any signs of injury.


    As he¡¯d thought, there was a small cut on her forehead, just above her right eyebrow and although it wasn¡¯t deep enough to be anything serious that would require a stitching, it had to have been painful. And fresh. Blood was still running down her face.


    A strange urge gripped him and he found himself wanting to climb back up there and kill the two other incubi. Cowards and traitors that they were, they¡¯d left their friend to die and they had not evene down to fight him.


    She nodded. ¡°Please let¡¯s get out of¡­ here.¡±


    We looked up at the same time, in time to see the two other incubi mming their bodies against the walls of the cave. As if nned, Bran and Maria shared a confused look. Why were they mming their bodies against the walls of the cave? Was that a burial of sorts for their friend?


    There was a loud crack. Then another one. This time, he and Maria shared a look of understanding. The incubi were trying to bring down the cave and stop them from leaving. They wanted to kill them.


    Quickly, Bran lunged for Maria and tensed to trace just as another loud crack rang through the cave, but before he could get to her, a rock came down on them, covering them in a cloud of dust. The cave shook as several other rocks fell down, but thankfully, none other than the first onended anywhere close to him.


    Pain shot up his right leg, sharp and profound and he groaned from the intense sensation, squeezing his eyes close. Somehow, even gripped by such pain, he remembered that he had not been the only one standing there when the rock had dropped.


    Maria!


    ¡°Maria!¡± He shouted, and he almost passed out with relief when he heard a small cough.


    ¡°Here.¡± She coughed again. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± He asked, heart in throat. She was a mortal. If any of those rocks had hurt her¡­


    ¡°Not really.¡± She came into view just then. First, her dark hair, then the rest of her and he couldn¡¯t exin what the sight of her, well and unhurt, did to him. He shouldn¡¯t be feeling any sort of way that she was safe, but he was.


    It didn¡¯t make sense, but he¡¯d be damned before he spent his precious time making it make sense.


    ¡°Vampire¡­¡± The word escaped her lips, softly spoken and wary, and he wondered why.


    He really hated that she called him that. That she reduced his entire existence to his specie. He was a vampire, yes, but he was more than that. He was a fucking King for fucks sake. Not that he wanted her to call him that, but he hated that she called him a vampire. Maybe he should just tell her his name-


    ¡°Vampire, your leg.¡±


    He was just about to snap at her about calling him ¡®vampire¡¯ when the rest of her statement registered and he froze. With bated breath, he looked down and finally, the pain he¡¯d been feeling in his leg made sense.


    The rock that had fallen on them, restedpletely on his right leg. Bran tried to move it, but it refused. He tried to lift his upper body so that he would be able to push the rock off his leg, but part of the rock was also on his torso and he couldn¡¯t sit up.


    He tried to move his leg out from underneath the rock, but it just wouldn¡¯t move. It just wouldn¡¯t fucking move.


    Bran was stuck.


    He should have just left when he could. He shouldn¡¯t have lingered long enough to kill that fucking incubus. It had not been worth it.


    ncing up at Maria, he saw that she was taking everything in with wide eyes, her hand covering her mouth. He¡¯d been expecting a lot of reactions from her, actually. He was stuck, almost powerless. He¡¯d expected her to be happy about that and to run away from him now that she had the chance. He¡¯d even expected her to gloat.


    What he had not expected, however, was for her to fall to her knees by his side and ce her hand on the side of the rock.


    ¡°I can try to push it off.¡±


    His brows furrowed. He didn¡¯t want to give her any ideas, but, ¡°Not even tempted to run now that you can?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The re she gave him was equal parts terrifying, equal parts confusing. Why was she looking at him like that? Wasn¡¯t that what any sane person would do?


    Bran would not hesitate to run once presented with an opportunity to, if he were the one in her ce.


    He watched her try to push it off, watched her put all of her strength into getting the rock off him, but it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it.¡± He told her. ¡°It¡¯s too big.¡±


    Christ, what exactly was happening? Why was she trying to help him? Could it be possible that she¡¯d damaged her head during the time she¡¯d spent up there with the incubi?


    ¡°Take my cor off. I¡¯ll get the rock off of you with my powers.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help it. Heughed. But theugh ended on a pained groan. ¡°No way I¡¯m getting your cor off, princess.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have any other choice.¡± She snapped. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding out.¡±


    He looked down and saw that he actually was bleeding out. If he didn¡¯t do something soon, he was going to pass out from blood loss.


    ¡°I do.¡± He said suddenly, a thought hitting him. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut my leg off.¡±


    She stared at him as if he had sprouted a second head. ¡°You¡¯re what?¡±


    ¡°Thats the only option.¡±


    She leaned down and shouted in his face. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Get the damn cor off so that I can help you.¡±


    Bran didn¡¯t even think about it. ¡°No.¡±


    There was no way he was going to take her cor off. He had the key-it went with him everywhere-and he could easily open it for her. But he wasn¡¯t that gullible; his trust issues ran a mile long. If he took the cor off her, she would run away-but not beforepleting the job the rock couldn¡¯t.


    She would kill him.


    ¡°You are so bloody stubborn.¡±


    ¡°d to know what you think of me. I¡¯ve been dying to know.¡± He spat, frustrated and angry.


    She knelt there, staring at him for several beats. Then she sighed, shook her head and stared at the rock lying on his leg as though it was her opponent on a battle field.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to push it off.¡± She whispered the words convincingly, before putting her hands to the rock again.


    He wanted to tell her that it was a lost cause. That she shouldn¡¯t bother. He would cut his leg off and it would definitely regrow in a few days-and even though that would slow them down a bit, they¡¯d still make it out within the week.


    He could hardly believe it when the rock budged at first, then after several tries and cute little growls from Maria¡¯s lips, the rock slidpletely off his leg.


    He stared at Maria as though she was an alien.


    She¡¯d saved him.

 Near seduction

    MARIA


    ¡°You need to rest.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Would it kill you to listen to me?¡±??¡±Yes.¡±


    Maria was going to kill him. She was most definitely going to kill him.


    After she¡¯d miraculously managed the push the rock off him-honestly, she still didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d been able to do that-they¡¯d discovered that his leg bone had fractured. He was going to be okay, but he needed to rest in order for that to happen.


    And the man had absolutely no intention of resting.


    The moment she¡¯d pushed the rock off him-after he¡¯d stared into her eyes for long as though he didn¡¯t know the kind of creature that she was-, he¡¯d staggered to his feet, wrestled his sword out from under a rock, and after searching for the second one without progress, he¡¯d given up and limped out of the remains of the cave with her following behind him, wincing with every step he took.


    It was crazy. He was the one in pain and although he grimaced as he walked, she was the one actually forcing him to rest and give his leg time to heal.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to make any progress with you walking like this.¡± She tried to reason with him again, but her words fell on deaf ears.


    ¡°We are and we will.¡±


    ¡°Look behind you, blockhead.¡± She snapped, frustrated. ¡°We can still see the cave. We¡¯re moving at snail¡¯s pace.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired of walking, then by all means stop.¡± He snapped without actually looking back at her. ¡°You could sleep under one of the trees. See if you¡¯ll live to tell me about your experience.¡±


    Gods, what was wrong with him?


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for myself. I¡¯m trying to do this for you-¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±


    He cut through the next set of clogged bushes they came across, swinging the sword with more force than was necessary. He was talking his anger out on the trees, that was for sure. Why he was angry though, she was not sure.


    She was only trying to help him and he would realise that if he was not so hard-headed. The man was limping, his steps now reduced to half of what they usually were. Not to mention, his leg was bleeding. He was losing strength.


    The only reason he was still able to walk after experiencing what he just did, was because he was an old vampire. For beings that weren¡¯t as old as he was, they would have passed out by now, either from pain or blood loss-and that was exactly what she was trying to prevent from happening. Not particrly because she cared about him, no, but because if anything happened to him, it would affect her too.


    He was the only reason she was still alive and even though he¡¯d only saved her because she was a means to an end for him, she didn¡¯t care. What mattered was that he¡¯d saved her from those incubi.


    Last night and this morning had been terrifying for her. At first she had not known that it was na incubus that grabbed her because he¡¯d grabbed her from behind. It was when he¡¯d taken her up there and she¡¯d seen the rest of them, that she knew what they were, and what they¡¯d taken her for.


    Her first thought had been ¡®over her dead body¡¯. Then the next had been her remembering that incubi lived in caves-some caves, anyway-and they had not been careful anymore. Her third had been that she was going to die up there, because there was no way she was going to be a sex toy for a bunch of incubi.


    One could imagine her surprise when her captor had appeared up there, fighting them to get to her.


    That, alone, was enough for her to help him in turn when he¡¯d gotten stuck with that rock.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d actually contemted cutting his leg off. Thinking about it alone was crazy. But then again, the vampire was crazy.


    She heard a sharp intake of breath and her eyes focused, searching for the source. A twig had caught on her captor¡¯s leg. With a wince-one he probably hated that she¡¯d heard-he lifted his sword high, intent on swiping at the twig.


    ¡°Careful!¡± She cried, but the sword was alreadying down fast.


    It missed his legs by mere centimetres and she released a breath she hadn¡¯t known she¡¯d been holding.


    He cocked a brow at her as if asking her what the hell her fuss was about¨Cshe even imagined him using those exact words-then he bent and pulled at the stick. Apparently, the stick had dug into his injury.


    There was no expression on his face as he pulled it out but she caught a slight tremor in his hands and she knew that it had to have hurt him so much. If only the stubborn man could just listen to her and have them rest for a while.


    When they went back to walking, his limp became even more pronounced and finally, fucking finally, he suggested that they rest on a clearing under a tree.


    It was when they¡¯d sat down on the ground with their backs against the tree that she realised she hadn¡¯t eaten in a day. How was her stomach not killing her? How was she not weak?


    It was probably the adrenaline from the events of the past two days. It was like her life was suddenly one exciting thing. She was suddenly marked important. So important that two realms were fighting because of her.


    Sure, she¡¯d always been known and feared. But she had never been important. No one actually gave a fuck about her. Until now. And it didn¡¯t make her feel any better to know that the only reason both realms were fighting over her, was because of what they believed she could offer.


    Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, she decided to strike a conversation with him, knowing that it was a twenty-eighty percent chance that he might respond. Twenty percent chance that he might reply and eighty percent chance that he might not.


    ¡°Why are we going to your friend¡¯s home?¡±


    He surprised her by answering. ¡°Because your father is an ass.¡±


    She supposed she should be d that he had answered her after all. Plus, she wasn¡¯t even pissed; her dad was an ass. Although that wasn¡¯t the word she would choose for him if it were up to her.


    ¡°No. I mean, why are we going there?¡± Realising that he was having a hard time understanding the question, she exined. ¡°Why are we going away from the castle?¡±


    He rearranged his body on the tree, until he was a few centimetres closer to her, his left leg drawn up and the injured one stretched out in front of him. He had one hand on his sword and the other, making patterns on the sand.


    His head hung low, which caused his hair to float forward and shield his face from her, so she wasn¡¯t able to see him but she could tell that he was sweating. The way his jet-ck hair covered his face was so bloody sexy, she found herself unable to look away from him.


    ¡°Again, because your father is an ass.¡± He turned to her briefly and she caught a sh of his startlingly green eyes before he looked away. ¡°The castle isn¡¯t safe at the moment.¡±


    That was true. But still.


    ¡°Then why not stay somewhere else for the meantime, then go back when its safe?¡± She verbalised her thoughts.


    She could have sworn that he almost rolled his eyes. ¡°Thats exactly why we¡¯re going to Corey¡¯s ce.¡±


    She perked up at the little slip of his friends name. She didn¡¯t have to guess to know that he had not meant to share that bit of information. ¡°Is that his name? Corey?¡±


    He gave her a cutting look, but refrained from saying anything further. He was probably cursing himself in his mind for not being more careful. She didn¡¯t understand him. It was not like she could do anything with his name.


    Knowing that she was ying a dangerous game, but not caring because she was already entangled in danger, she asked, ¡°And what¡¯s yours?¡±


    He faced her, his body tilting infinitesimally in her direction. ¡°You think I¡¯d tell you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Maria answered simply.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He turned towards her again. It was almost like he was not aware of the movement. It intrigued her and at the same time, she discovered that she was gravitating towards him too, unknown to her.


    When she spoke again, her words came out in a husky whisper.


    ¡°Because there¡¯s no reason you shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    His eyes danced between her lips and her eyes and as if with great effort, he finally settled on her eyes. ¡°For all I know, you could do something with my name.¡±


    With a private smile on her lips, she lifted her hand and curled her finger around the cor. ¡°This cor you put on me ensures that I won¡¯t.¡±


    What was she doing?


    Whatever it was, it felt too good to stop.


    ¡°Tell me your name, vampire.¡± She whispered the words, her voice ten times huskier than it usually was-and that was saying a lot.


    His green eyes followed the path of her hair, where it cascaded pasty her shoulder and down, resting just a few inches below her breasts. She was positive that his eyes lingered on them for a few seconds.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    She almost wept with frustration when his eyes came back up and she saw that in ce of molten green, they were now a frosty green.


    ¡°Never.¡±

 Near kiss

    MARIA


    They set back on course, her captor-since he still wouldn¡¯t tell her his name-cutting at twigs for them pass. She noticed one time that even when the space had been enough for him to fit through, he¡¯d still cleared it a bit before passing.


    She suspected he did it for her.


    ¡°Shit.¡± He cursed all of a sudden, shoving the tip of his sword into the ground and resting on it.


    ¡°You¡¯re tired.¡± She observed.


    He didn¡¯t answer her. He didn¡¯t need to. It was ringly obvious.


    ¡°You need to rest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± He forced out through gritted teeth. His breaths wheezed in and out through his teeth and his beautiful face was scrunched up in pain.


    When she looked down, she saw that the blood stain on his trousers had spread wider. He was bleeding more, and if she had to guess, it was because he was stressing the leg. He was supposed to keep the leg resting horizontally for as long as it took for an immortal¡¯s bones to mend. For one as old as him, it would happen quicker, and that was what she¡¯d been trying to tell him.


    ¡°You need to rest, vampire.¡± Her voice came out hardened with anger-both because she was stuck with him and also because he was being such a stubborn man. ¡°Your leg¡¯s already worse. If it gets any worse than that, you¡¯re not going to be able to walk at all.¡±


    His head whipped towards her at that, anger and frustration written all over his face. He probably hated that she was seeing him when he was so weak. ¡°I¡¯m the fucking vampire king in case you haven¡¯t noticed-¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t look a lot like one right now.¡± She shot back.


    Maria didn¡¯t know why but she wasn¡¯t scared of him. Maybe it was because if he actually wanted something to happen to her, then he would have left her in that cave to the mercy of the incubi, or maybe it was because she, too, had saved his life and something had changed between them. But it could also equally be the fact that he was injured and weak now. And harming her would be thest thing on his mind.


    He narrowed his eyes at her, his green eyes alive with fire, but there was also pain in them, and surprising her, he said, ¡°We can rest for some minutes more.¡±


    ¡°Minutes?¡± She cocked a brow in disbelief, scoffing. ¡°I¡¯m talking about a whole day.¡±


    ¡°Not happening.¡±


    ¡°You need it.¡± She tried to reason with him. ¡°You might need longer to heal-¡±


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to spend a whole day doing nothing, which would mean prolonging our time in this godforsaken forest, then you¡¯re out of your damn mind.¡±


    She paused, taken aback by his outburst. Her eyes darted. ¡°Okay then. How about half a day?¡±


    He straightened to his full height, ring down at her. ¡°No.¡±


    Gods, the heat from his piercing gaze was enough to make her breaths quicken and her panties dampen. She didn¡¯t know how it was possible that he turned her on with one single gaze that wasn¡¯t even meant to be sexual even when he was pissing her the fuck off.


    It was like the man had a special ess to her on switch, and almost everything he did turned her on.


    ¡°Okay,¡± She tried again. ¡°How about this?¡± He cocked a brow at her, waiting for her to speak and even that simple action made her thighs clench. She ignored how she was feeling inside and pushed on. ¡°We look for another cave to spend the night and start back up tomorrow?¡± Before he could object, she hurried to say, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s alreadyte, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with retiring early.¡±


    When he simply stared at her, she asked. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make up for the lost time tomorrow.¡±


    He obviously meant that they were going to cover more ground tomorrow, but her brain had decided to interpret his words as something else and now, she was picturing them making up for lost time. On a bed.


    Screw the bed. As long as he looked at her that way, and put those firm, plump lips on her, she would be okay.


    But he wouldn¡¯t. Because the damn man had everything but his anger reined in tighter than a corset.


    In no time, they found a cave far smaller than the one they¡¯d been at the previous night. Its small size meant that it didn¡¯t have much space for creatures to hide and Maria was relieved about that.


    ¡°Stay there.¡± Her captor told her when they reached the edge of the cave. She nodded, catching him as he limped inside, his gaze sharp and alert as he searched the cave for any dangerous creature.


    Since it was still a bit bright, she could see a little of the cave and from what she could see, it didn¡¯t look like there was anything lurking in there. Which was why she jumped out of the way and screeched when a stone-like creature ran past her and out into the forest.


    ¡°What was that?¡± She cried, pressing her hand against her chest as she tried to calm her breathing.


    ¡°A gargoyle,¡± Her captor appeared back at the edge of the cave where she was standing. ¡°All clear.¡±


    Maria followed him into the cave, sitting with her back to the wall, her eyes searching the corners every now and then. Her captor had assured her that there was nothing in the caves, but once bitten, twice shy. She was not going to take her chances.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    She looked up when he spoke. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To fetch some wood.¡± He said without inflection, zing green eyes levelled on hers.


    She made to stand up. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡±


    ¡°Stay.¡± Then he turned around and limped out, his sword in hand.


    She distracted herself with thoughts of pretty things until he came back. Her heart leapt in excitement when she saw him, and she was so surprised by the reaction, that she almost didn¡¯t notice when he made the fire.


    The cave instantly got brighter, because during the small time he¡¯d gone away, it had gotten darker, and he against the opposite wall. He ced his sword beside him, then tore a hole in his trousers, right around the spot of the injury.


    Maria watched as he examined it with clenched jaws and a scowl, then he looked directly at her, as if he¡¯d somehow felt her watching him. And maybe he had.


    Unable to fight off the feeling any longer, Maria got up and walked around the fire towards him. His eyes lit up with an emotion when he saw hering, but other than that, he didn¡¯t show any reaction. That was, until she was kneeling in front of him.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Can I see?¡± She asked, wanting his permission to look at the ce where he was injured and hoping that he wouldn¡¯t deny her. ¡°Your injury.¡±


    He pursed his lips, peering hard into her soul for long minutes. It was starting to get ufortable with him sitting there with his legs sprawled and her kneeling between his legs, while they simply stared at each other.


    Maria couldn¡¯t rememberer thest time she¡¯d knelt in front of anyone and now, she understood why she had never and why she probably would never do it again after today. It made one feel like they were giving power to the other person. Like they were willingly making themselves vulnerable.


    She didn¡¯t like it.


    She was just about to stand up and walk away with her tail tucked between her thighs when he nodded sharply.


    Her eyes dropped and she almost had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from screaming.


    His leg was injured bad, and even though she couldn¡¯t see the bones, she could see a hole in his leg. From the way the skin looked tight around the edges, she could tell that it was already regenerating. He was already healing.


    Relief coursed through her body, so profound-or maybe it was the hunger finally getting to her-that she swayed forward and at thest minute, she had to catch herself from butt-heading him by holding onto his shoulders.


    His body locked with tension when she held him, his muscles like granite under her palm. He was a vampire, yet he felt warm under her palm. Automatically, her fingers squeezed and his big body shuddered.


    Her eyes jumped to his in surprise and there, she saw it. She saw the lust he was always trying so hard to hide. It darkened his eyes and his body was strung tight with it.


    His lips parted and her eyes followed the movement. She swiped her tongue along her own lips and she almost came right there from the sound of the groan that tore out of his throat.


    What would it be like to kiss him?


    Dazedly, she lowered her head, closing the distance between them, her hands holding onto his shoulders to pin him down.


    Like she was predator, and he was prey.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Her eyes slid shut as she drew closer to him-


    He shoved her away from him, grabbing her hands from his shoulders and pushing them off as he stood. She was so caught off guard that she stumbled andnded on her ass, staring after him with a hurt look that he didn¡¯t even see because he was already walking away from her.


    ¡°You should sleep.¡± He finally said when he was halfway across the cave. ¡°We have a long day tomorrow.¡±


    That night, they slept on opposite sides of the fire with their backs to each other and the wood burning in the fire, was the only sound that filled the otherwise silent cave.

 A seductive bath

    BRAN


    Bran jerked up to a sitting position when something brushed his leg.


    He looked around, but found nothing. Thinking that his eyes were still hazy from sleep, he rubbed them with his fingers and looked again, his eyes darting around. But there was nothing there.


    It was probably a rat. He should be thankful that it wasn¡¯t a wild one and had not tried to eat his toe.


    It wouldn¡¯t be the first time.


    He groaned, observing his injury and he almost smiled when he saw that it had almostpletely healed. They were going to be walking a very long distance today and he didn¡¯t need to be worrying about reopening the wood anytime twigs brushed his legs.


    Yesterday, he had been so close to gagging Maria when she wouldn¡¯t stop talking about how he needed to rest. He knew that she had a point, but-


    Maria!


    Where was she?


    His now frantic eyes searched the cave, looking for any traces of her, but there were none. The wood from the fire had burnedpletely and whee there was once fire, there was ash. He knew that had to have happened early this morning because for the most part of his sleep, he¡¯d felt the heat from the fire.


    Maria was not in the cave.


    Had she taken the opportunity when he was sleeping to escape?


    Fuck, he should have known better than to give into sleep so fully when he was around her. He should have had his guard up. He shouldn¡¯t have slept at all. But it was hardly his fault.


    In the past week, before Ariti had attacked the castle, he had not been getting enough sleep. Disturbed with thoughts about his sister and false images of her suffering, conjured in his mind by no one but himself.


    He¡¯d also been thinking about his people and how little they thought about him. They pitied him, for fucks sake. They felt bad for him, thought that he needed help. And he could have pretended that he hadn¡¯t heard them had his uncle not made things worse by confirming everything Bran had heard.


    Maybe if he¡¯d been able to get enough sleep during those past few nights at the castle, he would not have slept so deepst night and Maria would not have been able to run from him.


    A chill ran down his body when a thought hit him.


    What if she had not actually run from him? What if something happened to her?


    The incubi in the previous cave had been more than happy to take her and even though there weren¡¯t any in this cave, it didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯te from outside.


    It didn¡¯t mean that other dangerous creatures couldn¡¯t get to her.


    He reached for his sword and shot to his feet, stopping when he heard a sounding from the entrance of the cave. When he looked and saw nothing, he figured that the sound hade from outside.


    Clenching his sword tighter, he walked silently towards the entrance of the cave. Hopefully, he would find the creature that had taken Maria. And when he did, he was going to kill it.


    Bran had been expecting a creature, but he had not been expecting to see Maria sitting on the ground, ying with a¡­ squirrel?


    He sighed out in relief. So nothing had happened to her after all.


    He didn¡¯t say or do anything to give away his presence. He wanted to stay there a while and watch her.


    She pushed a stone towards the squirrel and stared at it with a small smile on her face as it nudged the stone with its nose, climbing over it and back again. The squirrel wasn¡¯t really looking at her; it was more focused on the stone, but that didn¡¯t seem to be a problem for Maria as she watched it try to hold the stone with its hands and eat it. Sheughed, herughter bright and melodious to Bran¡¯s ears.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    He didn¡¯t even know he was leaning against the wall until his finger identally brushed a rock and it fell to the ground noisily.


    Her eyes flew to him and the squirrel scurried away at the sound. As she stared at him, he found himself wondering why she had not escaped. He¡¯d asked himself the same question when she¡¯d pushed the rock off him yesterday.


    Both times, he had been physically unable to stop her and she could have run as far as she wanted to. Maybe she realised that the forest was too dangerous for her and she needed him with her anyway, but it still didn¡¯t make sense.


    Desperation made a person make foolish decisions. If she really was desperate to escape, then she would have run without care for how she was going to survive.


    But at the incubi cave, she had not even looked like she wanted to run at all. She hadn¡¯t given it a second thought before she dropped to her knees beside him.


    ¡°I know I haven¡¯t had a bath in two days, but you don¡¯t have to make it so obvious.¡± She said, pulling him back to the present.


    He cocked his head, wondering what she meant by that. If she was trying to say that somehow, her not having a bath in two days had reduced her appeal, then she was wrong as fuck.


    Her skin glowed with a slight sheen of sweat and cheeks had a rosy hue to them. She was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen-he wasn¡¯t even joking-and believe him, no one hated that fact more than him.


    It would be so much better if he could look at her and not notice how beautiful she looked every damn time. If only he could look at her and not noticed how plump and pink her lips were when they were parted or when she was pouting, or how cute her button nose was, or how mesmerising and beautiful grey eyes were when she gave him the full force of her re.


    He could bear it when she was calm like this, but when she was pissed, he got hard as iron and he definitely didn¡¯t like the way his zipper dug into his dick.


    What he hated most was the fact that he would not be able to do anything about it.


    ¡°Seriously.¡± Her voice dragged his eyes to her bewitching ones. ¡°Do I have something on my face?¡±


    Ignoring her was better than saying something stupid, like telling her that she was the most gorgeous thing he¡¯d ever seen, so he did just that and walked past her, knowing that she would follow.


    ¡°Awfully chatty this morning, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    He ignored her even though he knew that it wouldn¡¯t deter her. She would keep on talking until she managed to provoke him to talk. Which she always did.


    The path from where they were to the next town was clearer now since hunters usually walked this distance and Bran didn¡¯t have to do much clearing for them to pass.


    ¡°You know vampire, it would be so easy for people to assume you¡¯re mute.¡± Maria started behind him, ¡°I did at first too, until you opened your mouth and then I realised you just have a stick up your ass.¡± He shot a killing re at her then and she swallowed visibly, pausing. ¡°What I meant was, you just don¡¯t like speaking. Better?¡±


    He didn¡¯t even grace her with a reply. Still, he heard her talking behind him. For such a small thing, she talked enough for two people.


    As they walked, Bran¡¯s thoughts were upied.


    He didn¡¯t have his phone on him, so there was no way he could tell Corey that he wasing to his house. He would have to appear unannounced with nothing but hope that his best friend was around.


    The people at Corey¡¯s manor knew him and they would undoubtedly give him a treatment befitting a king-which he was-but Bran would prefer it if Corey was around so that he would be able to bring him up to speed on the issue with Maria.


    Corey wasn¡¯t as hot-headed as Bran was, but Maria had taken from him too before. Once. But it was enough to make him hate the sorceress andbel her an enemy to his people.


    If people had seen the sorceress before, then they wouldn¡¯t be able to recognise her now, and Bran was d about that. He didn¡¯t have to worry about fighting for her life on top of-


    She squealed all of a sudden and he swivelled sharply, his sword at the ready.


    He was so confused when she ran towards him with a grin stretching her lips and his frown deepened even more when she ran past him. Muttering to himself about how crazy she was, he turned back around and there, he saw the reason she¡¯d screamed in excitement.


    He had been so immersed in his thoughts that he had not seen it before, even though he was in front of her.


    On a wide opening was a small fountain. Water poured down the rocks, pooling at a dip in the ground, before it fellpletely down the rocks and rolled down a path that most definitely led to a river.


    ¡°Vampire, look!¡± She squealed, pping her hands in excitement.


    ¡°At what, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Water.¡± She giggled. ¡°Lots of it.¡±


    He was helpless not to look at her whenever she made that sound and right now was no different.


    ¡°I can see that.¡± He murmured, not really looking at the water anymore. Not when he had other better things to look at.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find something to upy yourself with for the next twenty minutes or so.¡±


    What did she mean by that?


    ¡°Why would I have to upy myself with anything?¡± He asked her, wondering where she was driving at.


    If she was going to suggest that they rest for a bit simply because they¡¯d seen water, then she had something elseing. The only reason he¡¯d listened to her yesterday, was because he knew that he needed it and dragging it out would only mean dragging their journey out as well.


    When she said, ¡°Because, vampire, I¡¯m about to have a bath.¡±, he thought that he must have misheard.


    And when she shoved her thumbs into the bands of her shorts, Bran thought he was going to pass out.

 Watch me touch myself

    BRAN


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Even to Bran¡¯s ears, he could hear how panicked he sounded, and he had every right to be.


    She¡¯d shoved her fingers into the bands of her shorts and the only reason she would do something like that, was if she wanted to take it off. She¡¯d said she wanted to have a bath, but she had to be joking, right?


    Her eyes flew to his, confused. ¡°A bath. I just¡­¡± She trailed off mid-sentence and he could see the moment when it hit her. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Yeah. Oh.


    He couldn¡¯t help himself as his thoughts drifted. What had she been about to do?


    She¡¯d told him that she was going to take a bath at the same time she¡¯d attempted to take off her shorts, so there had been no time for him to process what was happening. Now that he was, he wondered if he should have let her take her shorts off if not for anything, for him to feed his eyes.


    It was not news that Maria had a body that could bring a man to his knees and every time he stared at her, he was reminded of that anew. She was a curvy little thing with generous breasts and ass that made his mouth water and dick shoot hard as a pike every single time he looked at her.


    It was annoying and so fucking ufortable. It was also unfortunate because the status of their rtionship meant that he could not do anything about it. Well, maybe he could, but he was not going to do anything about it.


    He was going to have to ept the fact that a mere look at her would always affect him. The sooner he epted it, the better for him.


    He was pulled back to the presence by her husky voice.


    Even her voice was giving him a semi. Was there anything about her that he didn¡¯t find sexy?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what I was thinking.¡± She told him, her voice soft and earnest. Then mumbling, she said, ¡°Shit.¡±


    Even though he didn¡¯t say anything to her, he didn¡¯t think there was any reason for her to apologise. He didn¡¯t know why, but she was always so excited at the prospect of having a bath. Maybe she was one of those clean freaks that couldn¡¯t stand dirt-or maybe she just couldn¡¯t stand going days without bathing.


    It was the third day after all and even though he wasn¡¯tining, he couldn¡¯t wait to get into the next town and have a long bath and rest. It would prompt his leg to heal quickly.


    ¡°You could turn around,¡± She tried again, her grey eyes alight with hope. ¡°Or maybe go sit and wait on one of the rocks over there.¡± She jerked her thumb over her shoulder to where some rocks sat. ¡°I just really need to have this bath.¡±


    The area had deep slopes and on the other side of where the water flowed, were a set of huge rocks. It wasn¡¯t far from where they currently stood and if he did wait there, he would have a direct view of her when she had her bath, unless he had his back to her and even though he could do that, he didn¡¯t think that he wanted to.


    If she was so adamant on having her bath, then he was going to get something out of it. He wouldn¡¯t let her take out time they should have used to cover more ground and not bepensated for it.


    When he realised where his thoughts were headed, he put an abrupt stop to it.


    Fuck.


    What the hell was he thinking right now?


    Was he actually considering watching her as she bathed all in the name ofpensation?


    That was sick. Even for him.


    With a curse, he turned away and marched towards the set of rocks she had pointed at. ¡°You have five minutes.¡±


    Five minutes weren¡¯t even enough for him to bathe and from experience, women had longer baths, but he didn¡¯t give a flying fuck. If she insisted on dying them by having a bath while he had to sit a few feet away, suffering with the knowledge that she was naked and wet, then she would have to do it in record time.


    Bran dropped down on one of the lower rocks that would limit his view of Maria, and ced his sword on the rock beside him.


    At that moment, he didnt know whether his incredible sense of hearing was a curse or a blessing, because he could hear the sound of Maria¡¯s zipper whooshing down. It was so quiet that the sound of it ripped through the air, loud and making his hairs stand on end.


    He heard the sound of her shorts as it hit the ground and the sound of her shirt as it followed. A muscle popped in his jaw as he thought about her standing there in broad day light, naked for all the world to see. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he knew they were miles away from people, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to have the bath.


    The fact that Bran was not able to see, didn¡¯t mean that he was not paying attention to her. It didn¡¯t mean that he was not dying to turn around and look.


    He couldn¡¯t hear anything right now and he wondered what she was doing. He was so strung tight with tension that he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard her give a sharp cry of-was that surprise or relief?


    It didn¡¯t matter because now, he knew that she had stepped under the water and his thoughts were running haywire. He wondered what she looked like with the water running down her body.


    He groaned as an image formed in his mind of her naked, the water running down her body slowly, dripping down the ends of her hair and onto her breasts, running slowly down her nipples.


    The water would run down the middle of her breasts, following a trail past her navel, and down, down, until it reached the ce between her thighs-


    Fuck. He couldn¡¯t do this anymore.


    He couldn¡¯t not look.


    She was right there behind him and he could easily steal a nce at her. He didn¡¯t have to look for long; He could just steal a quick nce and confirm if the way he pictured her was how she actually was.


    He would do it. There was nothing stopping him.


    Sitting with his back ramrod straight, Bran turned his head quickly in Maria¡¯s direction.


    Two things happened simultaneously. The first was that his dick went from a semi to a full blown hard-on in the space of 0. 2seconds-faster than it had ever happened in his life-and the second was that he almost fell face down on the rock-which would have given him another injury to worry about-but he caught himself at thest minute.


    Holy fucking shit.


    Maria with clothes was a knock-out. Maria without clothes was a fucking goddess, and Bran wouldn¡¯t mind worshipping her for the remainder of his days.


    Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.


    He should have never turned around. He had been okay with his imaginations as they were, he shouldn¡¯t have turned around and looked. He shouldn¡¯t have. Because, fuck, the real thing turned out to be a trillion times better than anything he had ever imagined.


    Maria was standing under the spray of water with her hand running down her body. A body that threatened to make Bran fall to his knees and crawl towards her on his hands and knees. Any ordinary man wouldn¡¯t be able to fight the pull, but Bran wasn¡¯t normal, and that was the only reason he could force himself to remind seated on the rock.


    She had her back to him, but he also wasn¡¯t far from her and he could see every part of her that was bared to him. A smooth slim back tapered into a narrow waist, so narrow and small that Bran wondered if his fingers would touch if he held her. He fisted his hands as if that would fight the urge.


    Her narrow waist red out dramatically into wide hips that begged to be clutched. Full hips that he could hold on to while he pounded between her legs. Bran gritted his teeth as his eyes fell on twin dimples low on her back, just above her ass.


    His eyes dropped to her shapely legs and as he watched the water running down them, a sudden urge gripped him to follow the path the water ran-with his tongue.


    Christ, the woman looked good enough to eat.


    As if she was deliberately torturing him, she bent in half and went to work on washing her legs. He knew that was what she was doing, but the part of his head that was thinking with his dick, imagined that she was putting on a show for him.


    He could see a tiny wisp of the flesh between her legs. It wasn¡¯t enough to give him the whole view, but it was enough to drive him mad. He almost groaned with loss when she stood back up, done washing her legs.


    Her head whipped over her shoulder just then, as if she had somehow know that he was staring at her and their eyes met and held. Her arousing grey ones on his own greens.


    Her lips parted, desire boldly written across her face and Bran¡¯s dick hardened to the point of pain. His zipper dug into it painfully, and he had to drop his hand to adjust himself.


    She didn¡¯t miss the movement and when she saw it, her eyes shed a sharp silver and she turned towards him, baring her front to him.


    If Bran thought that he¡¯d been under torture before, he was pushing insanity now.


    Sweet Christ, Bran thought as he ran a shaking hand over his mouth, his eyes taking her in hungrily.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Her hand brushed her breasts, absent-mindedly ying with her nipples, while another hand drifted down her t stomach, sliding down until she brushed the surface of her pussy.


    Bran¡¯s hand twitched and he wished that he was the one doing that to her. In order not to do something stupid like storm over to her and take over from her, he forced his hands down on both sides of him and gripped the rock.


    Her fingers brushed the little hairs on it and the rock cracked under Bran¡¯s hands. She didn¡¯t know what she did to him. Didn¡¯t know what the sight of her standing there, small and curvy and so fucking sexy, did to him.


    She was every man¡¯s wet fantasy and she was right there in front of him.


    She had a body that begged to be fucked, and Bran was more than capable to the task. The more he stared at her, the more the idea of fucking her grew more inviting.


    Suddenly, she threw her head back, which caused her back to arch and her breasts to push out. The sight of her pebbled nipples standing out and proud on those two delicious globes of flesh, begging to be sucked was too much for Bran to bear.


    The rock crackedpletely under his hands.

 Bran comes and bails

    MARIA


    Her head was spinning.


    Her heart was beating a fast rhythm and her body was burning up. She felt so hot, she wondered how the water running down her body wasn¡¯t producing steam on contact.


    And, gods, she was so horny she couldn¡¯t think straight. She felt like she was going out of her mind with lust and the longer Bran watched her with those hot green eyes filled with the promise of every filthy thing he wanted to do to her, the hotter she burned.


    She felt like she was going tobust from how horny she was. And if her captor was not going to do anything about it-if he was just going to sit over there and watch her-then she was going to get herself off and if he wanted front row seats to the show, then he was free to get them.


    Who was she to say no anyway?


    Especially when it was so obvious that he wanted it even though he would probably cut his arm off than admit that he wanted to watch her touch herself.


    The water sliding down her body, Maria followed the path of the water with her right hand. Her left hand moved to her breasts and cupped them, the weight of them heavy in her palm. She would very much prefer it if her hand was reced by his hand-or his mouth-but since she couldn¡¯t have that right now, she would have to settle for her own hands.


    From the distance, she could see her captor¡¯s lips part as he watched her, his hands dropping on either sides of him. She suspected he did that because he didn¡¯t want to reach out to her and the thought caused a moan to slip out of her lips.


    It was low and long and from the distance, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to hear her, but he did because of his vampire hearing and when he did, his eyes shed with hunger.


    When her hand brushed her pussy lips, he leaned forward and she heard a sharp crack. She almost whimpered when she realised that it was the rock splintering underneath his fingers.


    Was the pull toe to her so strong that he fought it down with equally strong force? Was it so strong that a rock cracked under his hands?


    Maria was more turned on than ever and that was probably why she was not thinking twice about doing something like this. She was not an exhibitionist or a voyeur by any means, so she was quite puzzled as to why she wasn¡¯t hesitant about doing something like this.


    Touching herself in front of a man was something Maria had never done before. She might act all experienced and bold generally, but when it came to things like this, she was a lot less experienced than people usually thought. She didn¡¯t have confidence issues or whatever, but making herselfe in front of a man was another level of confidence and Maria would have never guessed that she had gotten to that point.


    Especially with a man she considered her captor. A man she didn¡¯t even know his name.


    Yet this didn¡¯t deter her. She was too horny to care. She was too far gone to stop now.


    Besides if he really didn¡¯t want to watch, he would have turned away by now, but he hadn¡¯t. That told her enough.


    She broke eye contact with him, her head falling back on a moan as her hand brushed her clit. Her eyes fluttered shut as pleasure thrummed through her, lighting her up and making her nerve endings go haywire.


    Making herselfe had never been this exhrating for her. It had always been mid at most. But right now, she felt like every brush of her finger on her clit sent fireworks shooting out of her. And she knew that it was all because he was watching her.


    Having his eyes on her was a heady, intoxicating feeling and if she had a say in it, she would demand that he always looked at her, just so that she would continue to feel this way.


    She dropped her head and looked at him, saw him watching her with jaws hard as granite. He wanted to touch her-that much was obvious-and it was the knowledge that had her dipping a finger into herself.


    She held his eyes the entire time as she did it and she could see the exact moment when he realised what she was doing. His nostrils red and his green eyes burned hotter, looking for all the world like he was about to throw caution to the wind ande to her.


    She wasn¡¯t surprised, however, when he didn¡¯t.


    His loss.


    She would show him what he was missing.


    The water coursing down her body-along with his heavy gaze-heightened the feeling and what would have been an ordinary session for her, was turned into more.


    Every swipe of her fingers, every rotation, every slight curl inside herself, every move she¡¯de to perfect over the years in the exact way she liked it, turned into more and it felt like she was riding the waves of pleasure as she had never known it.


    As she drew closer to her release, she pried her heavy lids open and nced at her captor, surprised to see him now running his hand over the crotch of his jeans. He wasn¡¯t just running his hand over it-he was rubbing it. Furiously, from the look of it and from the way his lips were parted, his jaw hanging open and a dazed expression on his face, she wondered if he was nearing his release too.


    Gods, he was touching himself!


    He couldn¡¯t bear the torture of watching her get herself off anymore and since he didn¡¯t want toe to her, he had taken the next avable option. He¡¯d started touching himself.


    She wasn¡¯t sure that she had seen a hotter sight in all her life.


    The look of abandon on his face, tight and strained with his lust as he watched her touch herself, while he rubbed himself through his jeans was too much for her to bear and before she knew it, she was staggering towards the cliff and hurtling over it.


    When her realise crashed over her, her knees buckled and she almost fell to the ground with the force of her release.


    Her eyes never left him all through so that she would not miss the look on his face when he did finallye. To her shock, he unzipped his jeans so fast she almost missed it and brought his dick out, jacking it off, his hand a blur on it, and in less than five seconds, he came.


    His head fell back slightly, his facex with satisfaction as he worked his length through the release until it subsided and slowly, he tucked himself back in, holding her eyes.


    Maria was so startled by what he¡¯d just did, that she had not been able to take in his size or the look of him, before he zipped his jeans back up.


    They stared at each other for a while and she wondered what was going through his head at that moment.


    Now that she had eased herself and she could finally think, she realised the full meaning of what she¡¯d just done. Her captor had always pushed her away whenever she got too close or whenever the moment got too intense, but he probably had not been able to help himself today because the lust had been too much for him to bear.


    Maria had felt it too, after all. Mad he was a man. It had to have been worse for him.


    The issue right now was that things were going to get awkward between them on top of everything else.


    Just as she¡¯d expected, his face shuttered, his eyes going dead before her not-so-astonished ones and he turned away, his fingers stiff. Just to tell how bad things were, he didn¡¯t even give her a throwawayment over his shoulder like he usually did. Instead, he simply turned away, grabbed his sword and rose.


    She took that to mean that he was prepared to leave. Her five minutes had long expired anyway.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Her mood now ruined, she stepped out from under the spray of water, her legs still rubbery from her orgasm, and made her way as fast as she could to her pile of clothes waiting for her on the dry rock.


    She donned her shirt quickly, then bent down to shove her shorts up her legs. She didn¡¯t bother with her panties-they had long given up at this point and no way was she going to keep wearing a dirty bra.


    She was going to have to go the remainder of the journey without them.


    Without wasting any more time, she hurried after her captor, trying-and failing-not no notice how good he looked from the back with his long,zy-yet-sensual strides and his broad shoulders.


    Her breaths shallowed as her eyes dropped to his ass. The way those jeans hugged him had to be illegal-


    Maria had just made herselfe, but less than four minutester, the sight of this big, sexy man was getting her hot again.


    Was there any help for her?

 Maria meets Bran鈥檚 lover

    MARIA


    ¡°Wait here.¡±


    That was what Maria¡¯s captor had told her almost ten minutes ago before he¡¯d walked into the dark aclove off to the right of where she stood.


    After a long day of walking, they¡¯d finally reached the demon realm. Before today, she hadn¡¯t known that it was possible to cross between realms on foot, but it was actually possible. She¡¯d simply thought that they were merely travelling to a friend¡¯s home that was in the next town, but then after reaching the ends of the forest, they¡¯de to a wall. The end of the forest.


    At least that was what Maria had thought. Until her captor had stepped through stand he¡¯d. Scared and a bit excited, Maria had stepped though it too and she¡¯d appeared next to her captor.


    The other side of the wall was a town. The streets were not that busy-probably because it was dark-but she could see a few people milling around, their horns telling her that they were demons. She also saw a few that didn¡¯t have horns and she briefly wondered what they were.


    Was it possible that other factions of the lore lived with the demons here? That was strange.


    They¡¯d walked a short distance with people giving them questioning stares, before they reached a part of the town that was very dark, except for a tall building that was lit up slightly. That was the point where her captor had told her to wait behind while he ventured into the building.


    Saying that she was nervous would be a huge understatement. Seeing him walking away from her had started up a strange feeling in her stomach-one that felt a lot like worry.


    He was a big man and he was also very powerful. Frankly, the most powerful male she had ever seen. Yet she couldn¡¯t help worrying over the fact that he might be in danger.


    What if he actually was in danger? What if he was outnumbered?


    What if he had simply left here there and found his way?


    She worried endlessly.


    If he had truly abandoned her there, then that was the worst possible thing he could have done to Maria because she¡¯d never been in the demon realm before, didn¡¯t know her way around and not to mention, she still had her cor. She would  be totally helpless, unable to defend herself and she¡¯d wronged a great many people. Some of them being demons. If they found her and tried to kill her-


    No, they wouldn¡¯t be able to recognise her.


    She didn¡¯t have her mour anymore and they all knew her with it. No one, except Ariti had ever seen her without it. Whoever came across her would probably see a weak, helpless girl and try to help her.


    Or try to take advantage of her.


    She straightened, looking around. She needed to get the hell out of here. She couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait for¡­


    A big familiar build appeared from within the darkness, the little light from the building giving his body a warm glow. His strides werezy and sensual, his shoulders broad and pulled back proudly. His head was inclined and green eyes of a predator glowed back at her, lighting her body up in an instant.


    Her captor.


    He¡¯de back for her. It was embarrassing how just what the sight of himing towards he did to her body. She would rather have her nails pulled out than admit it out loud.


    He stopped a few feet away from her. She waited for him to wave her over or do something to let her know that she shoulde to him, but he just stood there, staring at her.


    Two could y that game.


    She folded her arms under her breasts and stared at him back. How did he expect her to know what he was trying to tell her when he didn¡¯t want to say it? Sure, she understood, but sh wasn¡¯t a bloody mind reader. She would assume she didn¡¯t understand.


    But then his stare hardened and she gulped, her eyes darting away. Shit. In that short second that her eyes had darted away, he¡¯d won. And he knew it.


    She hissed, stomping over to him. When she reached where he was, he didn¡¯t wait for her to follow before he started back down the path he¡¯de. She hesitated a bit when she saw that they were going into the tall lit building. The only lit building in the street.


    Why was that?


    What if he was going to kill her? What if she was just willingly walking after him like some cluelessmb that didn¡¯t know it was about to be ughtered.


    Her hackles rose even more when she stepped into the ce and saw how packed it was. She was not even exaggerating-the ce was packed to the brim. Filled with creatures with huge horns, some small, and some downright adorable.


    She¡¯d never hung around demons before, but the few she¡¯d seen were temperamental. Violent. She¡¯d automatically ruled them off the faction of the lore she¡¯d like to make friends with if she ever had the opportunity.


    Maria was quick-tempered to a fault, but she was nowhere near as angry as a demon.


    Which was why she waspletely bbergasted to see demonsughing and making jokes as they took long swigs from their cups. Were these demons a different breed from the ones she¡¯d seen back at the pce?


    As they made their way between the bodies, one demon bumped into her, causing her to stumble forward and bump into her captor¡¯s back, but not before her hand brushed the demon¡¯s horns.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled to the man, her eyes widening a fraction when his eyes shed blue then back to their original brown colour. His lips parted and his eyes roved over her body slowly.


    Confused and a bit thrown from the way he was checking her out so obviously, she stepped a bit into her captor, but that wasn¡¯t necessary because he was already wrapping his hand around her upper arm in a hold that clearly screamed possessiveness. In contrast to the way she¡¯d felt when the demon stared at her with tant interest, her breaths shallowed when her captor gripped her.


    It seemed to take a great deal of effort before the demon could pull his eyes off her and turn to her captor and the way the demon¡¯s eyes narrowed when itnded other captor made her curious. She looked up at him and saw that there were fires brimming in her captor¡¯s eyes and he looked like he was one second away from ripping the man¡¯s throats out.


    Her throat worked on a nervous swallow. The demon was almost as big as her captor, if not just as big. A fight between them would be disastrous.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Speaking to her captor, she said, ¡°You stopped walking.¡±


    She was hoping to get him to keep walking so that he wouldn¡¯t fight with the demon, but she didn¡¯t know if she was going to seed. He never listened to her; Why would he listen to her now?


    Why would he want to fight with the demon anyway? The man didn¡¯t do anything except ogle her with obvious interest withser-like eyes as if he could see through her clothes.


    That was when she remembered she wasn¡¯t wearing a bra. Shit.


    Even at that, she was d to be seeing a man that stared at her with interest and looked like he actually wanted to do something about it. Not one that gave her a look that suggested he wanted to eat her whole, then the next minute, he stared at her with so much hatred it choked her.


    Anger hardened her voice and she said, ¡°Lets go.¡±


    Sheplemented the words by tugging her arm out of his and finally, the anger bled from his face as he looked down at her. With onest cutting look at the demon, he turned away and continued walking. Maria didn¡¯t spare another look at the demon before walking after her captor.


    They finally came to the front of a bar where a few demons sat, engaged in conversation. The bartender, too, was a demon-a very handsome one-and when his eyesnded on her captor, they lit up with recognition.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± He started with a smile that transformed him from handsome to gorgeous. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you in such a long time.¡±


    Maria wasn¡¯t even surprised. He¡¯d been here before.


    ¡°How are things, Elijah?¡± Her captor asked in a polite neutral tone she assumed was reserved for acquaintances and friends. She¡¯d doubted he had thetter-until he mentioned the friend¡¯s house they were going to.


    This wasn¡¯t it and she was going to ask him what they were doing here once they were away from these people.


    Before the bartender could answer, a woman came from around the counter.


    Now, Maria had seen beautiful women before-she was a sorceress, of course she¡¯d seen some of the most beautiful women in all the worlds-but beauty had ranks and the woman coning towards them was in a rank all of her own.


    Her hips swished seductively from side to side as she walked, her long chestnut brown hair flowing down her back and bouncing with her movements. She was tall and lithe-the exact opposite of Maria-and her red painted lips were curved in a seductive smile as she walked towards them.


    Not them-her captor.


    This drop dead gorgeous woman walking towards them knew her captor. And from the private smile on her lips, they knew themselves on a far more deeper level than friends knew each other.


    This woman was her captor¡¯s lover.

 Two people, one room

    MARIA


    Maria took note of Bran¡¯s eyes as they followed the woman as she came closer to them. They were still just as ck as ever, but she caught the slightest bit of warmth and recognition from them.


    She was right.


    This woman was his lover. Although she didn¡¯t have horns. So what was she?


    The woman stopped directly in front of her captor, seeming to lean slightly into him as if she couldn¡¯t stand on her own.


    Terrific. Hadn¡¯t she just walked towards them? She could very well stand on her own, just like she¡¯d been standing before she saw them. So why was she suddenly acting like she couldn¡¯t stand up without his support?


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long, Your Majesty,¡± The woman said with that infuriatingly seductive smile on her lips. ¡°Why, I almost thought you¡¯d forgotten us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just been very busy, Elizabeth.¡± The words were clipped and precise, just like he normally spoke. The only difference was that he didn¡¯t pull his eyes from the woman.


    So this beautiful woman¡¯s name was Elizabeth.


    Maria didn¡¯t know why that piece of information was important to her, but she filed it down forter.


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s so good to see you after so long.¡± Elizabeth ced her hand on her captor¡¯s super arm just then, and Maria¡¯s left eye started twitching in anger.


    Who the hell was this woman? And why were they acting like she wasn¡¯t there? Was she suddenly wearing her invisibility cloak?


    No, that wasn¡¯t possible. Because this damned vampire had ced a cor around her neck to nullify her powers. Fucking bastard. What did she even see in him?


    Maria decided then that she was not going to remain silent until they decided to bestow their almighty attention towards her. She was not an animal that would be fed crumbs of attention and love every single moment of it. No, she was the Maria Hatzi-even though she wasn¡¯t looking like it right now-and she was going to demand that attention be given to her.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t we going somewhere?¡± Her voice came out hard, and they both turned towards her, as if just now remembering that she was there standing next to them.


    How insulting.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s brows dropped down as a frown found its way to her face. ¡°You brought someone with you?¡±


    ¡°A rtive.¡± Her captor clipped, ring at her with hard eyes. He looked like he very much wanted to kill her and hide her body where no one would see it, but for the life of Maria, she wasn¡¯t scared and she didn¡¯t know why.


    Elizabeth¡¯s frown deepened, looking even more confused than she¡¯d been before.  Her eyes dipped to the cor on Maria¡¯s neck. It was a quick movement, but Maria caught it because she¡¯d been looking at her. ¡°A rtive?¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    And she still hadn¡¯t taken her hand off his body arm.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Maria wanted to talk. She very much wanted to say something bitchy to the both of them-but mainly to her captor for being such an ass-but she tamped the urge down and bit on her tongue, having to physically hold the words back.


    She was locked in a heated stare down with Bran and she couldn¡¯t pull her eyes away to look at Elizabeth and see if she actually believed what he said about her being his rtive.


    His green eyes were focused on hers and her greys were locked on his. He wasn¡¯t going to look away and she wasn¡¯t going to either. She would normally look away when his eyes got too intense for her to hold, but right now, she was far too pissed to let him win.


    He was not going to keep treating her like shit.


    The hatred bled from his eyes, reced with surprise. She didn¡¯t have time to dwell on that before the surprise gave way to lust and as heat filled his eyes, it was almost like he¡¯d tripped hers.


    It was like he¡¯d flipped a switch in her and suddenly the heat was getting to her too. Her breaths shallowed and her lips parted as she stared up at him. His own breathing grewboured and she dimly caught his chest rising up and down with his quick breaths.


    Somebody coughed and their eyes flew apart, searching for the source of the sound. It was Elizabeth and she was staring at them with an incredibly curious look.


    Maria wanted to pluck the woman¡¯s eyes out for interrupting them. She couldn¡¯t just disappear and blend in with the floor?


    Her captor cleared his throat. ¡°We need rooms.¡±


    Elizabeth stared at them for a bit more before forcing her eyes to remain on the vampire, although it drifted to Maria every now and them, interest and curiosity in the woman¡¯s eyes.


    Call her petty, but Maria was d that Elizabeth had witnessed that moment between them. The only thing she hated was that she¡¯d interrupted them.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Elizabeth gave her head a shake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, all our rooms are booked full. We only have one room left.¡±


    Maria had suspected that they were going to pass the night here before continuing on their journey to his friend¡¯s house tomorrow, but now, her suspicion was confirmed.


    The only setback now, was that they didn¡¯t have sufficient rooms.


    ¡°Just one room?¡± The vampire grated. Of course, he had to be taking this far worse than her with his aversion to spending even a little amount of time anywhere near her.


    She tried not to let that hurt.


    ¡°Yes. A lot of travellers are passing the night sue to the impending storm, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Elizabeth told him, squeezing his arm lightly as though it was something to symphathise about. The bloody woman. She was just looking for excuses to feel him up. Maria couldn¡¯t me her. Those muscles begged to be felt.


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed.¡± The vampire¡¯s eyes roamed the bar. ¡°It¡¯s packed in here tonight.¡±


    Elizabeth nodded. ¡°We only have one room. I could reserve it for you before someone else books it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±


    The next few minutes were spent booking their room and Elizabeth ringing for one of her workers-apparently she owned the ce-to lead us to the room. The vampire also told Elizabeth to have the maid bring a few supplies to get them through the night. Maria really hoped the clothes were going to befy. If she was going to sleep in an actual bed after three days of sleeping on a hard rocky ground, then she wanted to be in somethingfortable at least.


    ¡°Will I see you tonight?¡± Elizabeth cornered the vampire just before they could go upstairs to the rooms, her eyes imploring and her breasts thrust out suggestively.


    The vampire¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t even waver when he said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Bastard!


    He¡¯d just jerked off to watching her touch herself a few hours ago and now he was telling this woman that he was going toe back to her tonight? She didn¡¯t know what exactly ¡®see¡¯ meant, but by the looks Elizabeth had been throwing his way, then she was going to guess that they were going to have sex.


    She ignored him as they went up the stairs with the maid in front of them. She could feel his stare on her back as she stepped into the room they were going to be spending the night. He stepped in after her, just as the maid escaped herself and hurried away, saying that she was going to get the supplies.


    The room wasn¡¯t that big, but it was adequate and hopefully, she wouldn¡¯t get in his path any more than was necessary.


    She saw him standing a few feet away in her periphery, taking in the room. She was standing in the corner of the room, leaning on the wall with her legs crossed at the ankles.


    The urge to ask who Elizabeth was to him, was so strong, it was almost impossible to fight it. She didn¡¯t want to speak stop him. She really didn¡¯t. But she wanted to know who the woman was to him more.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Elizabeth to you?¡± She decided to go straight to the point, no skirting around the corners. She had never been one for subtlety anyway.


    His eyes tracked her as he walked towards what she assumed was the bathroom. ¡°Bold of you to assume you have the right to ask me questions.¡±


    Her shoulders tensed. ¡°I just want to know-¡±


    ¡°We have a mutually beneficial rtionship of sorts.¡± He cut her off.


    She released a breath. There it was. Confirmation.


    She¡¯d been right.


    Leave it up to the vampire to say ¡®mutually beneficial rtionship¡¯ instead of just calling her his lover.


    She was quiet as the maid knocked and came in with the supplies. The vampire collected somethings from her and retreated into the bathroom with them, while Maria collected the remaining things from the maid¡¯s hands. When the maid had left, she went through the supplies and saw that there was a baggy T-shirt and a short gown that looked like it would be a bit tight for Maria.


    She would sleep in the T-shirt tonight and wear the gown tomorrow. There hadn¡¯t even been panties among the supplies. She would have to go without. In a gown. Awesome.


    The vampire appeared from the bathroom a few minutester, stealing Maria¡¯s breath along with the remaining oxygen in the room.


    Gods, he was heartbreakingly gorgeous.


    The bath had washed away all the grit and dirt from his body, leaving his skin slightly tan and beautiful. His wet ck hair was slicked to one side of his face and droplets of water ran off the strands. He¡¯d also worn the new clothes and they moulded to his body perfectly, although the jeans looked a bit tight. But that only meant they hugged his package yummily.


    And that fucking Elizabeth was going to be staring at him tonight.


    Her mood sour, she grabbed her things and marched to the bathroom, stopping only when she reached the entrance. She was frustrated, but she had to try. ¡°Don¡¯t go to her.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even bother to give her an answer. He simply walked out of the room and mmed the door behind him.


    Exhaling in defeat, Maria sagged against the bathroom wall.

 It鈥檚 because of her, isn鈥檛 it?

    BRAN


    The door mmed shut behind him as he stepped out of the room, leaving Maria behind.


    Christ, she was just so infuriating. And so fucking fearless. Bran had never met a woman like her in his entire life. The women he knew were soft and submissive, retreating at the slightest sight of his anger and hurrying to do his bidding whenever he demanded it. They did everything in their power to make sure that they didn¡¯t anger him-Maria did everything in her power to make sure that she pissed him off.


    And she seeded every time, damn her.


    But, Christ, he found it so sexy. Down in the bar, he¡¯d just been about to maul her when Elizabeth had cleared her throat, pulling him back to the present. Had she not detracted him, he would have kissed her right there, damn it. Seeing the flush on her cheeks and neck from anger had the blood rushing to his cock so fast, it made him dizzy.


    He needed to do something about his perpetual boner for her. He hadn¡¯t gottenid in a long time because of his search for his sister and perhaps it was affecting him. The lust was addling his brain and making him unable to think about anything else, but her.


    She was a bombshell, he knew that, but he¡¯d also seen a great number of beautiful women and none of them had affected him the way she did. He needed to getid. He was certain that he would be able to think well after.


    Elizabeth was the best option. An added bonus was the fact that she¡¯d been able over him, staring at him with a heated gaze-although he¡¯d hardly met a female that wasn¡¯t into him. The fact was that she was dying for sex, and he was more than willing to give it.


    When he went down to the bar, he saw that she was waiting for him on one of the barstools. She sat up straighter when she saw himing, arching her back and pushing her breasts out.


    Elizabeth was a beautiful woman and her submissive nature had always been what Bran liked most about her. So why did he suddenly feel like turning around and going back upstairs?


    He shook the feeling off and walked towards her, taking note of the way her eyes roved over him, lingering on his crotch. It wasn¡¯t his fault that his crotch was a tad bit more obvious than it usually was-the jeans were smaller than him.


    He dropped down on the empty stool beside her, nting his legs wide on the legs of the stool. He waved the Elijah-the bartender-over and was just about to ask him to bring him a ss of whiskey when he remembered that he had not drank in days and consuming alcohol would only worsen his hunger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He told Elijah, before facing Elizabeth, who was practically purring on her stool like a cat. ¡°Elizabeth, you look lovely.¡±


    Taking hispliment as an invitation, she slid off her stool and stood between his spread legs. If she could curl up on hisp, he was certain that she would.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡± She whispered to him, running her chest along his. ¡°You haven¡¯t been here in a long time. Nor have you sent for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been very busy, like I said.¡± He didn¡¯t even know why he was exining, but this was the second time she¡¯d brought this up and he wanted to tell her why just so that she wouldn¡¯t bring it up anymore. ¡°Assuming my father¡¯s roles turned out to be a lot harder than I¡¯d thought it would be. It took me quite a while to master things.¡±


    She stopped rubbing up against me immediately, pity filling her eyes. ¡°I can imagine.¡± No, you can¡¯t. ¡°I heard what happened to your father and mother. I am very sorry. It must be so hard for you-¡±


    Bran got up from the stool before she could finish. He didn¡¯t know if it was the pity in her eyes that grated at him more or the fact that she¡¯d brought up his parents death-it was probably both-but he suddenly wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk anymore. Not that he¡¯d been in the mood to talk before, but right now, all he wanted to top was fuck.


    Release the pent up frustration he¡¯d been feeling for so long.


    ¡°Wheres your room?¡±


    She paused, obviously confused at the change of subject. It took her a while to find her bearings and realise that they were now talking about something else and when she realised that it was finally abut them having sex, her posture-and mood-changed.


    She leaned away from him and a seductive smile yed on her lips as she stared at him from under hershes. ¡°Come with me,¡± She said and drew away from him, walking through the crowd and only turning a few times to make sure that he was following.


    As Bran walked through the bodies, he suddenly felt eyes on him. His muscles tensed and he grew alert. Subtly, he turned his head and watched the crowd, checking if he would see anyone watching him. There was no one.


    Rxing, he continued walking. When he reached the entrance to the hallway, he casually nced around again. Nothing was out of the ordinary. He was just being paranoid.


    He really needed to rx. And that was exactly why he was following Elizabeth up to her room.


    Elizabeth was the owner of this bar and inn. The building had three floors. The ground floor served as the bar, while the two top floors served as rooms for travellers who wanted to pass the night-or men that were too drunk to find their way back home.


    Elizabeth-along with a slew of other women Bran had lost contact with over the years-was his lover for as long as he could remember. He usually saw her when he visited Corey or sent for her when he didn¡¯t have the liberty to travel. She was a demon, among one of the few that were born without horns. Her skills in bed and her easily submissive nature, had won her a top amongst Bran¡¯s lovers.


    Spending the night at her inn hadn¡¯t been a conscious decision. Actually, he hadn¡¯t nned on seeing her during his stay at Corey¡¯s ce. But then it had grown dark out and there was no way him and Maria would have made it to Corey¡¯s ce before the storm started.


    When Elizabeth reached her room, she unlocked the door and threw him a look filled with heat over her shoulder, before stepping in.


    Bran followed in after her and closed the door. He could hear the pitter patter of the rain on her window as it started. Turning to her, he watched her walk slowly towards him, every of her step, a practiced move to seduce him. She was slim and tall, had an hourss figure that always had his cock standing due north. So why wasn¡¯t the sight of her doing anything for him now?


    Maybe she just needed to get naked.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    He dropped down on the edge of her bed and dropped his hands on his thighs, levelling her with a look. ¡°Undress.¡±


    Her breaths shallowed. He knew that she loved it when he gotmanding with her. She was the perfect submissive to his dominant.


    Her hands flew to the zip on the side of her gown and she dragged it down slowly, her eyes dropping to the floor demurely. He had no patience for this.


    ¡°Faster,¡± He barked.


    She jumped slightly and her breaths shallowed even more. He even caught a slight tremble in her body. She was enjoying this immensely. And he¡¯d had more excitement discussing finance.


    Out of nowhere, Maria¡¯s face shed into his head when she¡¯d been begging him not to leave. Sad and angry and so fucking beautiful.


    Elizabeth¡¯s gown pooled to the floor around her and her baster skin was bared before him, dragging his eyes back to her and pulling him back to the present. Elizabeth¡¯s skin was as white as milk, and he¡¯d always loved the feel of them. When she drew towards him and ced her hand on his chest, he wanted to yank her hand away.


    What was happening to him?


    He allowed her climb onto hisp and ce her hands on her face as she kissed around his chin, before brushing her lips against his. She¡¯d barely made contact when he pushed her away so unexpectedly that she almostnded on the floor. He caught her at thest minute and dumped her on the bed beside him, rising.


    ¡°It¡¯s not working for me.¡± He said without looking at her. ¡°I think I¡¯ll call it a night.¡±


    She sputtered, her eyes darting around in confusion. ¡°But we¡¯ve not even started.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He really was. To her and to him, for wasting both their times. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood. Probably the stress of the past few days.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Elizabeth blinked, sitting up on the bed and dragging the sheets to cover herself with it. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    He turned and walked towards the door, the weight of his frustration and anger bearing down on his shoulders.


    ¡°Its because of her, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s voice stopped him and slowly, he turned to her. He didn¡¯t have to ask to know who she was talking about.


    Maria.


    He¡¯d suspected the same thing too, but he didn¡¯t want to admit it to himself. It couldn¡¯t be because of her. She didn¡¯t have that much control over him. He was just tired and that was all.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± He killed her suspicions. It was crazy for her to even think that. Then just to make her feel better, he said, ¡°I n on staying a while. I¡¯ll send for you.¡±


    She nodded, the sheets pressed to her chest. ¡°Anytime, Your Majesty.¡±


    Bran walked out the door and headed for his room, mentally preparing himself to face the seductive sorceress once again.

 The kiss

    BRAN


    He paused when he stepped into the room, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness.


    The rain was hitting the window faster and thunder boomed high in the sky. Lightning shed just then, light trickling in through the window, from the space between the curtains. In the short sh, his eyes snagged on Maria¡¯s small form on the bed.


    Was she sleeping?


    Wanting to see her better, he reached for the light switch and flicked it, turning it on. Light filled the room and Bran¡¯s eyes immediatelynded on the one thing he sought. Or person in this case.


    He was shocked to see that she was already staring at him-through slitted eyes. She was lying on one side of the bed with the sheets pulled up to her chin. When he¡¯d walked into the room, he had thought that she would be sleeping what with the lights off and the view of her curled on the bed, so he was quite surprised to see that she had lifted her head from the bed and was ring at him.


    What reason did she have to look at him like that?


    Then he remembered that he¡¯d gone down to meet his ex-lover right after she¡¯d literally begged him not to.


    Wait. Ex?


    Since when was Elizabeth his ex-lover? They still met as far as he knew. So where had that suddenlye from?


    Deciding to ignore her, which wasn¡¯t an easy thing considering that he could see her luscious form under the sheets, he closed the door and walked into the room, going to the other side of the bed to sit down and went to work on taking off his boots. Everytime he saw her now, he couldn¡¯t help but think about how she really looked under the clothes she wore and he also couldn¡¯t help but remember how she¡¯d looked when she¡¯d make herselfe.


    Christ, he couldn¡¯t remember any of the women he¡¯d ever been with being bold enough to do something like that. Bare themselves in front of a man and let him watch them while they touched themselves. The women he¡¯d been with had all been shy and demure-at least they acted that way with him-and they¡¯d all been focusing on doing whatever he wanted, on getting him off, instead of taking their own pleasure.


    He hated that she was the first woman that had acted differently, and now that moment was imprinted on his brain forever. And forever was a long time for an immortal.


    Speaking of, she was still a mortal, and he didn¡¯t know how long they could go without food. She had not eaten in days. Was that something he should be worried about?


    He didn¡¯t care. But he also couldn¡¯t have her dying just yet.


    ¡°Did you ask the maid to bring you food?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She snapped. ¡°Turn the light off, I¡¯m trying to sleep.¡±


    His eyes narrowed at her tone and he paused in the act of taking his second boot off. Absently tossing the boot way, he turned to her. ¡°What?¡±


    Unfazed, she repeated her words. ¡°I said turn the light off. I¡¯m trying to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Do you realise I¡¯m not your fucking maid?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t say you were.¡± She replied in that same snappy tone, her eyes narrowing even farther. ¡°You turned the light on when you walked in and it¡¯s only right that you turn it back off.¡±


    Arrow of mes shot from her eyes and she loomed very much like she wanted to kill him. If looks could kill, Bran would be t on the ground, fire licking across the remnants of his skin as she slowly turned into ashes. And, hell, he was getting hard.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Her brows rose in disbelief. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± He repeated, wanting to what she would say next. Dying to hear the next words that woulde out of her mouth. Her fire was terribly hot and all-consuming, and he wanted nothing more than to burn in it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking test me tonight, vampire. I have had it with you and I¡¯d strongly advise against testing me tonight.¡± She hissed, sitting up on the bed and the sheets falling to her thighs.


    She was wearing a big purple T-shirt and his eyes immediately locked on her nipples poking through the shirt. She wasn¡¯t wearing a bra. Fuck. Well, somewhere along the journey, she¡¯d ditched her bra because suddenly, her nipples started to be more prominent and they¡¯d tortured him alot, but now that his control was already fraying, it seemed to taunt him even more.


    He was strung tight and batting the worst case of blue balls he¡¯d ever dealt with. He was attracted to her. Immensely. And being in close quarters with her only built that attraction because when she was near, she was the only thing he could think about. He¡¯d been perfectly fine ignoring his wayward dick until she¡¯d almost kissed him in that cave. Then, she¡¯d made things even worse by deciding to have that bath.


    He would never be able to exin what seeing her body in all its glory under that water had done to him. To see the water running down her body, caressing all the parts of her that he wished he could touch, then to see her touching herself and making herselfe?


    Now that he knew what she looked like when she came, he wanted nothing more than to see it again.


    And he was going to have to share a room with her.


    Good times.


    ¡°Eyes up here.¡± She snapped, pulling him back to the present and dragging his eyes back to her.


    He scowled, angry that she¡¯d caught him staring. ¡°Don¡¯t snap at me like I¡¯m your dog.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like I¡¯m your¡­¡± She trailed off, unable toe up with a word. ¡°Whatever. Just don¡¯t stare at me like that.¡±


    Curious, he asked, ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She huffed, looking away from him. He caught the faintest sign of a blush on her cheeks and it had his cock shooting hard as iron as it made him curious.


    ¡°Like what, princess?¡± He rasped, a haze of list covering his vision as he watched her.


    He¡¯d never met a more beautiful female. With a head full of hair as dark as night and lips as pink as the inside of his favourite fruit. Lips that were currently pulled downward as she nibbled on her plump lower lip-that maddening thing she did that made him crazed with the need to part those lips and rece her teeth with his.


    ¡°Like you like what you see.¡± She finally admitted softly.


    He frowned. Wasn¡¯t that obvious?


    ¡°But I do like what I see.¡±


    Her eyes jumped to his, surprise evident in the greys. ¡°You do?¡±


    Was that doubt in her voice? It was. How could she even doubt that? Surely, she knew the kind of body she had.


    ¡°Of course. More than I¡¯d like.¡± He found himself admitting. He didn¡¯t know why he was telling her this. He was probably just giving her amour to use against him and he was undoubtedly going to regret itter, but for some reason, he felt the need to admit those truths to her right now.


    She watched him for a bit, her eyes untrusting, before she looked away, staring at her hands. ¡°But you don¡¯t act like you do.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t act like I do doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Well, why do you?¡±


    ¡°Why else?¡± He snapped, suddenly angry. ¡°Because you¡¯re a vile, evil sorceress and I know better than to touch you with a ten foot pole.¡±


    He¡¯d forgotten what they were for a short period of time. It was so easy for one to forget the kind of evil she was capable of when she was like this-small, innocent and so fucking beautiful it actually pained him to look at her. And he¡¯d forgotten himselfpletely just now. He¡¯d forgotten who they were to each other. That she was the person who¡¯d killed his parents and taken his sister. He¡¯d forgotten that she was the one who had rendered the vampire realm kingless for months.


    ¡°Good to know. I wouldn¡¯t want your cold, dead hands touching me anyway.¡± Maria spat, her eyes hard and filled with anger. The softness of her voice and her frame had disappeared, and now, her shoulders were tense and hunched up to her ears.


    She thought his hands were cold?


    He smirked. ¡°Princess, cold is thest thing you¡¯d feel if I ever touched you.¡±


    A brow lifted and a mocking smirk touched her lips. ¡°Prove it th-¡±


    Hisst thread of control snapped.


    She didn¡¯t get the time to finish her statement because Bran¡¯s arm shot out, wrapping around her upper arm and hauling her across the bed until she was sitting beside him, then he wallowed her gasp of surprise as he mmed his lips against hers.

 Not so cold, was I?

    MARIA


    Oh shit.


    Oh shit.


    Those two words were the only things that kept repeating in Maria¡¯s head as the vampire nted his lips over hers in a dominating kiss. There was no other word she could think of describe the way he was kissing her, but dominating.


    Her heart mmed against her ribcage as dimly, she realised that this was the vampire kissing her. Her captor. So many times had she wondered what it would be like to feel those firm pink lips on hers, to have them touching any part of her body at all, and now that he was kissing her¡­


    Gods, now that he was kissing her, she was just sitting there, frozen from shock,  from the switch in events seeing as they had just been arguing a few seconds ago, and finally, doubt. Doubt that this was actually happening.


    She hd reason to doubt, didn¡¯t she? The man barely tolerated her, ignoring her when she asked questions and barking at her when he was in a peculiar mood to answer-which was rarely. And again, they had been fighting just a second ago; why would he be kissing her?


    When her brain finally caught up with her body, she moaned into the kiss, her body going limp beside his.


    She wanted more. This wasn¡¯t doing it for her at all. She wanted to feel his body against hers as they kissed.


    And that was exactly what she did.


    Without breaking the kiss, she moved until she was climbing on top of him and straddling him in his seated position. She felt his groan more than heard because their lips were still connected and he¡¯d groaned into her mouth. Immediately she was on top of him, his hands came down on her waist and gripped her, his long fingers spanning the length of her waistpletely.


    She was so small, and gods, he was so big.


    She lifted her hands and ced them on both sides of his chin as she finally kissed him back, opening her mouth and shoving her tongue against the seam of his lips, seeking entrance. He groaned as he left her in and her tongue immediately searched for his, the two meeting and tangling in a slow sensual dance.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria was burning up. She was burning up and losing her freaking mind over a kiss.


    But what a kiss it was.


    She¡¯d never been kissed like this. She wasn¡¯t really as experienced as she liked to make people believe. For all the fooling around she did, she¡¯d never done a full blown makeup session with a guy. Mostly because she¡¯d never had the time to.


    When she¡¯d been much younger, there was this sorcerer she¡¯d had a crush on and she used to sneak out of the pce to go see him and they would share innocent, chaste kisses back where people would never run into them. When they¡¯d started to grow older, the kisses had be more exploring, more¡­ something.


    But they¡¯d never gotten as far as copping feels or making it to second base because then Ariti had turned into a monster and he¡¯d taken her mother away from her, forcing Maria to live a life she didn¡¯t want to live. A life she¡¯d never thought she would live.


    Anyway, all that was a story for another day. She had better things to think about at the moment. One of them being the vampire¡¯s lips on hers.


    He gave her waist a squeeze before his hands slid down to her ass and grabbed. Her mouth left his as she moaned-the same time he groaned and squeezed her ass again.


    Was he an ass man?


    Her lips moved from his lips to his jaw, leaving small kisses on it and loving the way the little hard hairs brushed against her lips, before moving lower and catering kisses on his neck. Wet, open-mouthed kisses that had him thrusting upward into her at the same time he wrenched her down on him. Out of breath, she ground down on him, moving on hisp as she shoved her face into his neck, kissing it like she would, his mouth.


    When he groaned and a full body shiver moved through him, she paused, then gave his neck a long, wet lick with her tongue and she watched in awe as he moaned and forced her head away, bringing her lips back to his.


    He swallowed the sound of surprise she made and even as clouded as her head was, she shelved what she¡¯d discovered forter. The vampire¡¯s neck was his weak point. All she needed to do was kiss him there and he was putty in her arms.


    That was why he¡¯d wrenched her away. He didn¡¯t want her to make him any weaker than he already was.


    Her hands slid down and she ran them over the rock hard muscles she¡¯d known were there, but never seen them once. They were evident from the shirts he wore, but she¡¯d always wanted to see them, to feel them, trace them with her fingers-and her tongue. But she¡¯d never had the opportunity.


    Now that she did, she was going to take full advantage of it.


    Her dragged her right hand low, until she reached the hem of his shirt and went underneath. The moment her hand made contact with his skin, he jerked, causing her to jerk along with him. She dragged her nails along the ridges on his abdomen that she could feel quite clearly, scraping the skin a little.


    She shoved her hands far under his shirt until she had them on his chest. Her pinkie grazed his nipple and she heard him mutter, ¡°Fuck¡±, before his hands flew from her ass andnded on her breasts, palming them through the material. It was almost like he¡¯dpletely forgotten she had boobs the moment he ced his hands on her ass. He really was an ass man.


    Her lips parted and she threw her head back on a moan when the pads of his thumbs brushed her nipples. This time, when he did it again, there was no material between them and she dimly realised that he had shoved his hands under her shirt.


    Knowing that he had that big hand on her skin without any barrier between them whatsoever¡­ Knowing that he had those big, slightly tan hands on her medium sized breasts-although they would appear small when covered with his hands-was too much for her to bear.


    She grew wetter.


    When she was finally able to force her eyes open, she saw that he was watching her intensely and the grey of his eyes were now a a stark ck. It amazed more than terrified her, which was why she wasn¡¯t halfway across the bed and was still sitting on hisps.


    Maria knew that her eyes shed silver with intense emotion-as all of the Sorceri usually did-and he must have seen it because she was feeling a truckload of lust in that moment-the silver might even still be there at that moment. But she didn¡¯t know that vampire¡¯s eyes shed ck from strong emotion. In all honesty, she didn¡¯t know much about other factions because she wasn¡¯t that exposed.


    Surprisingly, she found the cks of his eyes so hot that it sent another rush of desire to her core.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking sexy,¡± he grunted, the words sounding as if they¡¯d been pulled forcefully from his throat and he wasn¡¯t happy that he¡¯d said them in the least.


    A grin formed on her lips. ¡°I think you¡¯re hot too.¡±


    He stared at her through hooded eyes, his hands, almost absently, falling to her ass. Her incessant grinding on him had caused the shirt to ride up and now her ass was bared, so this time, his hands gripped the flesh and the feeling must have heightened for him too because a husky groan fell from his lips as he massaged the flesh.


    She caught him by surprise when she shot forward suddenly and caught his lips, wasting no time in shoving her tongue into his mouth. He fucked her mouth like he would her body, and it was such a heady feeling that found herself totally lost in the kiss.


    Which was why she only tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth longer than it should have taken her to.


    When she did, she wrenched away from him, and found him swiping his tongue along her lower lip, no doubt tasting her blood. It took a while for her hazy thoughts to clear long enough for her to understand what had happened.


    He¡¯d nicked her with his fang!


    He¡¯d tasted her blood!


    She mbered out of hisp, damn near falling in her haste to get away from him.


    ¡°W-w-what was that?¡± She knew that it wasn¡¯t his fault. They¡¯d both been so lost in the kiss and he hadn¡¯t known when his fang had punctured her lower lip. She handy known either. It would be hypocritical to put the me on him.


    What she hadn¡¯t expected him to do, was to drag his tongue along his lips slowly, saying, ¡°Not so cold, was I?¡±


    She stared at him nkly for a whole minute, her thoughts still slow. Then finally, she remembered herment about him being cold and dead. She hadn¡¯t meant that. She¡¯d only said it because she was angry and well, she¡¯d heard some sorcerers say that vampires had naturally cold skin.


    Right. This had all been him proving something to her.


    Fuck, she was so stupid. And angrily, she realised that he had been right.


    His skin actually was the furthest thing from cold.

 Corey

    MARIA


    The vampire stalked through the door, not even bothering to knock.


    He took one look at Maria standing a few feet away from the bed with her hands behind her, struggling to pull up the zipper of the gown, his eyes falling to her thighs where the dress had ridden up to reveal a bare expanse of skin, then he turned away with a dismissive, ¡°Get ready, we¡¯re leaving in five minutes.¡±


    She threw him a re that he didn¡¯t see because he was already mming the door shut.


    As if she was deliberately dying on purpose.


    The gown that the maid had given to Mariast night turned out to be even shorter than she¡¯d thought it was, but if that was the only problem with the gown, she wouldn¡¯t have beenining.


    Not only did the gown stop at mid-thigh-sure, she wore a lot of gowns that stopped mid-thigh, but then they weren¡¯t red-it also had a neckline that dipped very low, as low as the tops of her breasts, and to top it all off, the gown was tight. Which made it very hard for her to reach the zipper by herself and pull it up.


    She finally gave up and sagged against the wall.


    Her mind drifted back tost night. To the kiss.


    That kiss was burned into her memory forever, ingrained so deep that it was impossible for her to ever think about forgetting it.


    Forget it?


    She couldn¡¯t even stop thinking about it, so forgetting about it wasn¡¯t even in the cards for her.


    She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the way he¡¯d yanked her head to hers so forcefully and dominated the kiss, couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the way his erection had felt underneath her as she¡¯d ground down on him, couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the way those big hands hadnded on her ass and cupped, like two brands of iron on her skin, couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the way his definitely-not-cold hand had slipped under her shirt as it made his way to her breasts¡­


    Gods, she was getting turned on by just thinking about him.


    She squeezed her legs together and whimpered, need filling her until the only thing she could think about was dragging Bran back in here and begging him to put his hands on her.


    But she was never going to do that. She was fucking Maria Hatzi-even though her situation kept challenging that fact-and she wasn¡¯t going to do something as shameful as beg him to put his hands on her.


    Her skin still burned with indignation when she thought about the mocking light in his eyes when she¡¯d climbed off him.


    ¡°Not so cold, was I?¡±


    Gah! Why did he have to go and ruin a perfect moment?


    Well, he might have ruined the moment, but he hadn¡¯t ruined the kiss for her. He could say whatever he wanted to say, but he¡¯d been just as immersed in the kiss as she had been. He¡¯d been just as lost in the moment as she¡¯d been. His words said one thing, and his boner said another.


    He just couldn¡¯t do without making her feel bad about herself and that was what the cutting statement at the end had been, she was sure.


    She swiped her tongue along her lower lip, feeling the cut that was starting to heal.


    She still didn¡¯t know whether he¡¯d done that on purpose, of whether he¡¯d just wanted to bite down on her lip and his fang had identally punctured the flesh.


    That wasn¡¯t really what bothered her. What bothered her was the fact that he¡¯d tasted her blood.


    Back when she was little and she¡¯d still be allowed to roam, she¡¯d overheard a female Sorceri and her friend discussing about her experience with a vampire, about how a vampire had drank her blood and how that didn¡¯t bode well for her. She hadn¡¯t been able to stick long and find out why it didn¡¯t bode well for the sad female because they¡¯d seen her eavesdropping and they¡¯d cast little Maria a chastising look before walking away.


    Now, she was curious. What would happen now that he¡¯d tasted her blood? Would something happen to her?


    Gods, she hated how clueless she was. How little she knew about other factions of the lore simply because she was never let out of the pce. How naive and helpless she was in certain situations simply because she didn¡¯t know how dangerous they really were.


    Such as now.


    She really wanted to know what it meant when a vampire took another¡¯s blood, but there was no one she could ask.


    And asking the vampire to tell her would be pointless. Not only would he ignore her, he also wouldn¡¯t want to feed her information about things like this. He liked her clueless. And if she showed just how clueless she was by asking him, that would make him all the happier.


    Ugh.


    The door creaked open just then and the man she¡¯d just been thinking about poked his head in. His eyes darkened when he took her in and saw that she was still standing there, about as prepared as she¡¯d been five minutes ago when he¡¯d left.


    A scowl settled on his face as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. ¡°I thought I told you to get ready.¡±


    ¡°You did.¡± Maria said simply, deliberately trying to piss him off.


    His scowl deepened even further and he took one intimidating step towards her. She tried very hard not to flinch-she was still very pissed and embarrassed fromst night and letting him see signs of fear from her and watch him enjoy it would only piss her off even more.


    ¡°Then why the fuck are you still standing there?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to zip up the dress myself.¡±


    His brows rose. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to call the maid?¡±


    As casually as Maria could muster, she pushed off the wall and turned around, showing him her back. ¡°I would, but I can¡¯t really go out like this and call her, can I?¡± When she looked at him over her shoulder and saw the way his eyes red as they took in her bare back, she said, ¡°Thought so.¡±


    Since the dress was tight, the whole of her back was exposed with the zipper open, and with the tops of her breast bare, there was no way she could walk out of this room without drawing eyes to herself, and it wasn¡¯t like there was a bell in the room she could ring that would alert the maid.


    She turned back to him and saw that his lips werepressed as he stared at her, seeming to mull over something in his mind. His shoulders tensed as he seemed to make a decision.


    She¡¯d expected him to say something annoying, storm outside to reluctantly get the maid for her, anything but walk over to her and stand behind her. ??Was he going to help her zip up her dress?


    She went almost light-headed at the thought.


    Maria almost jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand brush her skin as he touched the zipper of her dress. His presence behind her was making it impossible for her to think about anything else but him. That big body dwarfing hers, his hands a hairsbreadth from her skin and his breath brushing her hair with every exhale.


    She felt his hands sift through her hair as he packed the mass in his hand and dropped it on one side of her neck, baring the skin there and making her back all the more exposed.


    He pulled the zipper up slowly and stopped when it was having a hard time passing that spot. Letting the zipper go, he gripped the two sides of the dress and pulled it together with one hand, before pulling up the zipper again and this time, it passed smoothly.


    Even after he¡¯d zipped up the dress, he stood there for a while, just breathing. Maria¡¯s spine tingled from his nearness, and reluctantly, images ofst night shed into her mind before she could stop them.


    As if the same thing was happening to him and he wanted to push the images out of his head, he stepped back and she turned to him, looking at him from underneath hershes.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she breathed, her voiceing out husky.


    He gave one sharp nod, then marched past her and out of the room.


    ***


    When they walked out of the inn, but not before the vampire left her like a sack of potatoes to go see Elizabeth onest time, there was a ck car waiting for them by the curb.


    Later, she learnt that it¡¯d been sent by the friend they were going to meet.


    They were silent all through the car ride, and they only spoke when they arrived at the huge house and stepped out of the car-just not to each other. She told the driver thanks as he made to drive away, and she was so taken aback by what she¡¯d just done that she didn¡¯t notice that a man wasing out of the house.


    He was a huge man with very light brown skin, and he dark horns running down his hairline to the back of his head. She found them oddly mesmerising because the horns she¡¯d seen on the demon fromst night had been standing up straight. She realised that she liked this man¡¯s horns and they added to his appeal.


    He was gorgeous. So gorgeous, he could give the vampire a run for his looks.


    There was a grin on his face as he walked over to his friend, the vampire, and hugged him, giving him a p on the back for good measure. The sight of the vampire hugging someone-actually hugging someone-was so strange, she looked on with a gaping mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, my man,¡± The man grinned, stepping back and giving the vampire a slow once-over.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± The vampire said with something very close to a smile on his face.


    Had Maria perhaps stepped into an alternate universe where she met a nicer version of the vampire?


    The thought came to a screeching halt when Bran¡¯s friend, Corey-as the vampire had called him-turned to her and his dark eyes swept over her curiously.


    ¡°You brought someone with you,¡± he noticed and his eyes swept over her once more, before looking past her as though he was searching for something. ¡°But where¡¯s the sorceress?¡±


    Her heart dropped into her stomach.


    Oh fuck.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Oh shit.


    The vampire had told his friend that he wasing with her and Maria knew that she had wronged a great number for people. Was there a possibility that she¡¯d wronged this man too?


    She got her answerter when the vampire said, ¡°That¡¯s the sorceress.¡±


    A confused frown settled on the man¡¯s face as he stared at her again. That was when she remembered that she didn¡¯t have her mour anymore. If he¡¯d seen her before with her mour, then he wouldn¡¯t understand why she looked like this now. And that was why he was confused.


    Yet then his look turned into one of pure unadulterated hate and he took one menacing step towards her that had her heart beating into overdrive.


    ¡°You¡¯re Maria Hatzi?¡± He sneered and suddenly, Maria felt a feeling of lightness wash over her.


    Oh, not this again.


    The man took another step towards her, and that did it.


    She crumpled to the ground.

 Does she do that a lot?

    BRAN


    ¡°Does she do that a lot?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time.¡±


    ¡°So she does that to avoid being held ountable for her actions.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not doing it on purpose,¡± Bran snapped without really meaning to, then cursed and threw the shot of blood into the back of his throat. Swivelling on his feet, he turned around and faced an equally pissed Corey. Ignoring the confused look the man threw at him, he went on. ¡°She fell ill recently and she¡¯s been blinking out a lot. She¡¯s still not fully healed yet, and all through the journey, she didn¡¯t eat anything. I assume that¡¯s why she passed out.¡±


    Corey still watched me with that confused line between his brows, eyes narrowed. ¡°How long was the journey?¡±


    ¡°Three days,¡± Bran stalked over to one of the chairs and dropped down on it, draping his hands on the armrest and steeping his fingers in, fighting the urge to check on the sorceress just to make sure that she was okay.


    He didn¡¯t have to.


    The house had countless maids and one of them had been put in charge of catering to her every needs. As long as Corey had ordered it, she was fine. He had absolutely nothing to worry about.


    And yet he did. He did worry.


    And it pissed the absolute fuck out of him.


    ¡°She¡¯s supposed to be able to go a week without food.¡± Corey stepped forward and dropped on the couch in front of Bran. ¡°That¡¯s definitely an act she¡¯s putting up on purpose.¡±


    Here came the shocking part.


    ¡°She¡¯s a mortal.¡±


    There was silence. A very long silence that had Bran staring at Corey, wondering if he had heard him in the first ce. The nk look on the other man¡¯s face confirmed that he¡¯d actually heard Bran.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Eventually, Corey¡¯s brows rose, the look on his face one of utmost doubt. ¡°Are you joking?¡±


    ¡°I wish I was,¡± Bran muttered bitterly, torn between being pissed at his friend and wanting to reunitepletely with the man he hadn¡¯t seen in such a long time.


    Corey should have been more careful with her. Actually, he hadn¡¯t done anything to Maria-he hadn¡¯t even touched her. But he¡¯d been about to, and if Maria hadn¡¯t passed out, probably from the look of rage on Corey¡¯s face, Bran was positive that Corey would have hit her.


    And that, again, pissed him the hell off. He found himself fighting the urge to give his childhood friend a good shiner.


    But then again, Bran was a hypocrite to me Corey for not being careful with Maria. He was the furthest thing from careful when he was with her and he¡¯d done even worse things to her. He¡¯d given her a scar for fuck¡¯s sake-a scar that still haunted him when he thought about it.


    Plus, he strongly believed that the weakness from the hunger of the past few days had contributed to her passing out. The malice on Corey¡¯s face had probably triggered her and she¡¯d chosen that moment to pass out. So he really shouldn¡¯t me his friend.


    He really shouldn¡¯t.


    And yet he found it hard to hold the man¡¯s eyes without wanting to punch him.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that she¡¯s a mortal?¡± Corey asked, still doubtful.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bran gritted out.


    The look on his friends face transformed from one of utmost doubt to an amused one. He leaned back in his chair and draped an arm over the back of the chair. ¡°If you¡¯re saying that the girl in my guest room is a mortal, then yes, I agree. A pretty one, in fact.¡± Bran barely held himself from giving him that punch. ¡°But if you¡¯re saying that Maria Hatzi, evil sorceress and daughter of Ariti, is a mortal, then I¡¯d have to disagree with you.¡±


    Well, Bran couldn¡¯t me him, could he?


    He¡¯d reacted the same way when he¡¯d found out that the sorceress was an immortal. He¡¯d refused to believe Edgar when the man had suspected it, but after being faced with physical evidence, Bran had been left with no choice but to believe her.


    And if that was what Corey was going to need to believe that she was mortal, then he was going to show it to him.


    ¡°She is mortal,¡± Bran told him, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees. ¡°And there¡¯s a scar on her wrist to prove it.¡± Before Corey could ask about the scar, he exined. ¡°I had one of my men threaten her by cutting her writs off with a de in hopes that she was going to divulge the truth of my sister¡¯s whereabouts, and the de cut into her skin. It healed a weekter, but the scar remained.¡±


    Corey¡¯s brows climbed so high on his head, they reached his hairline. ¡°You have got to be shitting me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask her age, but I doubt she¡¯s over twenty-two. She looks very young.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true-¡±


    ¡°It is true.¡± Bran cut in.


    ¡°I know, but¡­ fuck.¡± Corey shook his head hard, his eyes clouded and lips turned downward. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then she had to have started killing at a very young age-maybe even as young as we were when we started real training¡± Corey shook his head again,pletely bbergasted. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make sense. How can she risk her life like that when she¡¯s still mortal? She could die at any minute in a battle field.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then it¡¯s a miracle she¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°It is true.¡± Bran snapped, barely able to keep a lid on his anger. ¡°You think I¡¯d lie to you?¡±


    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Corey assured him, the wordsing out slow as he studied Bran with a calctive look. ¡°The fuck is wrong with you?¡±


    Thinking that he would be able to tell what had Bran in such a bad mood and then read far more into it than there actually was, Bran shrugged and said nothing, pushing up from the couch and walking over to the goblet filled with blood and pouring himself another ss.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting on edge ever since you arrived.¡± Corey continued. ¡°I know somethings wrong.¡±


    ¡°Theres nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°Well then,¡± Corey agreed easily, changing the topic, which Bran thought was strange and incredibly suspicious until he spoke again. ¡°Care to fill me in on what¡¯s been happening? Cause I have some questions that I¡¯d like to be answered.¡±


    Turning to face him, Bran leaned against the table. ¡°Shoot.¡±


    He was too restless to sit still.


    He needed to see the sorceress with his own eyes and make sure that she as okay, but walking out on a conversation with his best friend simply because he wanted to see her, would raise so many questions that Bran wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to produce the answer to.


    Honestly, he wasn¡¯t even sure why he wanted to see her. He just knew that he did.


    ¡°One,¡± Corey levelled hard brown eyes that had seen more darkness than light on Bran. ¡°Why does she look like that? From what I remember of her, she was a tall red-head. Almost as tall as we are.¡±


    Bran had met that version of her too, and he¡¯d initially thought that it was her.


    Except that it wasn¡¯t.


    ording to what the oracle had told him, sorceresses and witches could weave mour over theirselves to change their appearances, expressions, and even their surroundings. And that was exactly what Maria had done.


    It was sick.


    When he exined this to Corey, the man was just as spooked as Bran had been when he¡¯d found out.


    ¡°That¡¯s a whole other level of witchcraft,¡± Corey¡¯s natural frown deepened. ¡°Why would she even do that?¡±


    ¡°Hell if I know.¡±


    The man gave his head a hard shake. ¡°Second question, have you made any progress with her?¡±


    Ashamed, Bran shook his head. ¡°None whatsoever. She ims she doesn¡¯t know where myself sister is despite all my threats and even tortures. I¡¯m starting to think maybe she really doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit,¡± Corey spat. ¡°She has to know. She captured her right after killing your parents. She had to have taken her somewhere unless your sister magically disappeared.¡±


    Bran froze with his ss halfway to his mouth.


    What if his sister had actually disappeared? Disappeared as in traced away from her?


    What if the sorceress really didn¡¯t know where his sister was?


    A feeling of disappointment washed over him when he realised that if his sister had actually traced away from Maria, then she would havee back to the castle. Even if not soon, but eventually.


    ¡°Doubt that,¡± Bran forced out through a suddenly dry throat.


    With shaking hands, he lifted the ss to his mouth and took another long gulp of blood before meeting his friend¡¯s dark eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the next step, Bran?¡±


    Suddenly weak at the realisation that he still hadn¡¯t made any progress whatsoever with Maria and that that his kingdom-and castle-had been attacked for nothing, Bran repeated his words from earlier. ¡°Hell if I know.¡±

 Do you believe me?

    BRAN


    He shouldn¡¯t be in here.


    He really shouldn¡¯t be in here.


    But he didn¡¯t want her to die. She was still his only hope of getting to his sister-although with every day that passed, be was beginning to second guess that fact-and if she died, then he might as well kiss any hopes of reuniting with his sister goodbye.


    And that just couldn¡¯t happen. He wasn¡¯t going to fail her as he had failed his parents.


    So he told himself that he was just going to see her for himself and make sure that she was still breathing. Only then would he leave.


    And that was exactly why he found himself sitting on the chair on the far end of her room. From his spot, he had a direct line of sight to her bed, so even if he didn¡¯t really want to look at her, he had no choice but to.


    Her small formy curled on the bed under the sheets and he assumed that the maid had tucked her in. She was curled into herself in a defensive pose that he knew very well. It was one that men used when they were defending blows from an opponent, and the fact that she was sleeping in such a pose puzzled him.


    She shifted just then and his eyes snapped to attention, tracking the movement.


    Her eyes fluttered openzily, and his heart beat faster in his chest when those sleepy greysnded on him. She was lying face down on the bed with her head turned to the side-the same side Bran sat-and that was exactly why she didn¡¯t have to turn to look at him.


    Before she could make him ufortable and hate himself even more foring in here by questioning him, he decided to make her ufortable.


    ¡°Are you going to make it a habit of passing out whenever a situation bes too much for you to handle?¡±


    He was just being an ass. He knew that she wasn¡¯t passing out on purpose-at least he was sure that she wasn¡¯t.


    The asshole physical back at the castle had told Bran that she needed a lot of rest. She¡¯d had a day¡¯s worth of it, then her father had attacked and they¡¯d been thrown into the forest, journeying into his friend¡¯snd. So, really, she hadn¡¯t rested one bit. Add that to the hunger of the past few days, well, it was impossible for the stress to not get to her.


    The sorceress blinked. Then blinked again and sat up on the bed, causing the sheets to pool on her thigh. Reluctantly, Bran¡¯s eyes dropped down and he realised that she wasn¡¯t wearing that tight gown anymore.


    He didn¡¯t know whether to be thankful or to be even more pissed.


    That gown had threatened to drive him to madness. As if showing him the bare expanse of her smooth back and asking him to her her zip up the gown hadn¡¯t been enough, everytime she shifted next to him on the car ride here, every single time she turned to look out the window, the already short gown jumped up on her thighs to the point of indecency and he¡¯d fought the urge to haul her over and kiss the ever loving fuck out of her.


    The fact that he now knew how she tasted didnt help matters at all. It made ignoring her all the harder.


    And he wasn¡¯t going to touch what the taste of her blood had done to him at all.


    He wasn¡¯t going to touch it with a teen foot pole.


    ¡°I passed out?¡± She asked, her eyes roving over the room, the surroundings probably strange to her. She shook her head. ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t do that on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Sure you didn¡¯t.¡± Bran pushed off the chair, too restless to sit still. He always found it hard to sit whenever she was in the same room as him and that was solely because of her eyes.


    Her grey eyes had a mysterious look about them and when she stared at him, they appeared almost seductive.


    How could he sit still when she had him battling a hard-on?


    ¡°You¡¯d better take something in.¡± He jerked his chin to the covered dish sitting on the bedside that had been brought in by a maid. ¡°Eat all of it.¡±


    She watched him with wary eyes, her shoulders hunched forward. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair and he found himself wanting to rece those dainty fingers with his much bigger ones and run them through that glorious dark mane.


    It was an amazing feeling. He¡¯d realized thatst night.


    She pushed the sheets offpletely and swung her legs over the side of the bed as she shifted closer to the bed side table.


    Instantly, Bran¡¯s eyes fell on her bare legs and he almost groaned. He¡¯d had those legs on top of his when he¡¯d kissed her.


    ¡°Your friend hates me.¡±


    It took great effort for Bran to wrench his eyes away from her legs and look up at her, then even greater effort for the words to prate the thick fog of lust that had clouded his brain.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he?¡±


    She¡¯d just been about to uncover the dish but the moment he spoke, she abandoned the food and turned to him with innocent, soulful eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to him.¡±


    Somehow, out of everything that had happened in the past few days, those words pissed Bran off more.


    It wasn¡¯t the fact that she said she didn¡¯t know what she did to him, no, it was the fact that she actually didn¡¯t know what she did to his best friend.


    How easily did she take people¡¯s lives without second thoughts? How easily did she take innocent people¡¯s lives without care that they had families?


    ¡°You deserve no mercy, Maria Hatzi,¡± Bran seethed, a haze of red covering his vision sopletely that he couldn¡¯t see past it. ¡°And you¡¯re going to be treated with none.¡±


    She gasped and he detected a slight tremor in her frame. Her hands shook and she shoved them under her thighs to hide them from him.


    He hated the small squeeze he felt in his chest at the sight.


    Her eyes darted to the window and she blinked quickly. Bran had a sinking suspicion that she was trying to fight back tears. When her eyesnded back on him-his chest, not his face-his suspicion was confirmed.


    His jaws tightened.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, vampire,¡± she said with tears shimmering in her eyes. ¡°If I knew what I did to him, then maybe I¡¯d be able to help-¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no help.¡± His words cut through the air like a whip and she flinched, her eyes falling away. ¡°Theres no help for him. Not when you killed his mate.¡±


    The words hung between, suspended in air like an axe that was about to swing down and take somebody¡¯s head with it. Preferably hers, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t want to think about that happening.


    Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as shock and regret seeped into her features.


    An apt reaction.


    When a creature lost its mate, the creatures usually followed it¡¯s mate into death. It varied for creatures as some felt the mating bond stronger than some. But for demons, vampires, lykaes and valkyries, the bond was strongest and when one of these creatures lost their mate, they would kill themselves in a bid to end their suffering.


    Corey was a vamon-demon and vampire-from the mating between his demon father and vampire mother, and therefore, the mating bond was twice as strong for him. When his mate had died, he¡¯d slipped into depression, going deeper into the dark as the years passed, but he¡¯d never attempted to take his life once.


    Everyone thought it was strange, Bran included, and for that reason, because everyone expected Corey to have taken his own life long since, they believed something was wrong with him.


    Again, Bran included. But then Bran had more pressing matters on his hands and asking himself why his friend was still alive was thest thing on his mind.


    ¡°Oh gods,¡± she whispered, her face paling. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± She turned spooked eyes on Bran, ¡°Oh gods, I don¡¯t know how he would forgive me. Could you please help me tell him that I never meant to?¡±


    Bran barely held himself back from scoffing. ¡°You¡¯ve killed a demon¡¯s mate, sorceress, forgiveness is thest thing you should expect from him.¡±.


    She was obviously sympathetic. But did that necessarily mean she regretted everything she¡¯d done? No.


    She was only sympathetic because she now realised just how her actions had affected people and how she was going to be forced to pay for them now.


    After a very long time, she nodded slowly, more to herself than to him. ¡°He wants to kill me, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Bran wasn¡¯t going to sugarcoat anything for her. ¡°Very much.¡±


    She swallowed. ¡°And you want to too.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question, but he took it as one anyway. Did he want to kill her?Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    When he¡¯d first captured her, his intentions had been to torture her until she gave him the location of his sister, then leave her to be killed by his men because as cruel as Bran was, he hates hurting women.


    Maria was a first.


    But now, he wasn¡¯tpletely sure that he wanted her dead. He wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to do with her, in fact.


    And it frustrated him to no end.


    He gave her the full force of his angry eyes. ¡°You have wronged a great number of people, sorceress, and some of us don¡¯t forgive and don¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about your parents, vampire,¡± she said all of a sudden, and his eyes narrowed at the abrupt change of topic. ¡°I know that what¡¯s done is done, but for what it¡¯s worth, I never wanted to kill them. I was only acting under orders, and as for your sister, I agree that we took her, but I don¡¯t know where.¡± She looked up at him with surprisingly vulnerable eyes. ¡°Do you believe me?¡±


    A sorceress with the kind of powers she had acting under orders?


    Just how stupid did she think he was?


    ¡°No.¡±


    He saw the hurt look in her eyes before she quickly masked it by one of indifference and shrugged, looking away from him and out through the window.


    ¡°What do you and your friend n on doing to me?¡±


    Adopting a smirk to hide his turmoil, Bran said, ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait and see, don¡¯t you, princess?¡±


    With those ominous words hanging in the air, he turned and stalked out of the room.

 Die trying

    MARIA


    The maid stood frozen with the bed linens in her hands, staring at Maria as though she had spoken anguage that Maria didn¡¯t quite understand. With how wide and round her eyes were, one would think that Maria had asked her to behead a man and bring the head to her.


    When the woman just continued to stand there without saying anything, Maria repeated the question. ¡°Is there any other entrance apart from the one out front?¡±


    The woman snapped out of her trance and stood straight, fixing Maria with a susceptive gaze. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Maria shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Just wondering.¡±


    To say that the woman didn¡¯t believe her would be an understatement, but she wisely refused from questioning Maria further. ¡°No, the house does not have any other entrance.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes darted away for a split second when she¡¯d uttered the words and that was enough for Maria to know that the woman was lying to her. She probably thought that Maria was asking so that she would escape and if that was what the woman thought, then she was very very correct.


    Rising up from her perch on the side of her bed, she made her way over to the maid who was gathering Maria¡¯s dirty clothes, pretending to keep busy. Keeping her strides slow in order not to spook the woman, she went over to her then stopped directly in front of her andid a hand on her shoulder.


    The woman jumped from the contact and Maria quickly withdrew her hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    She hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Olivia.¡±


    Maria nodded. ¡°You can trust me, Olivia, I have no evil intentions.¡±


    Maria considered just how much she could tell the woman. She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to tell the woman everything, but she wanted to give her a little bit of the truth in order to make the woman trust her.


    Giving this woman some of her truths would be taking a long leap without knowing where she was going tond, but Maria was willing to take that leap if it meant that she was going to get out of this house. It didn¡¯t have as much guards as the vampire¡¯s castle did, but it would still prove difficult to escape.


    However, Maria was willing to take that chance.


    Gathering her resolve, she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed that they don¡¯t let me leave this room, have you?¡± She waited for the Olivia¡¯s hesitant nod before proceeding. ¡°They¡¯re keeping me here because I made a mistake and they¡­ they¡¯re going going to kill me eventually.¡± When Olivia¡¯s eyes widened in rm, she nodded as solemnly as she could muster. ¡°I can¡¯t let them kill me, Olivia. I have to leave. I believe if you were in my shoes, you would do the same thing.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes widened in rm at the mention of Maria wanting to escape, and she shook her head, taking a step back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am, I really am.¡± Maria already sensed a ¡®but¡¯ing. ¡°But there¡¯s no way I can help you. I would be risking my head and my job.¡±


    Seeing that Olivia was willing to help her but the only reason she didn¡¯t want to was because she was scared of getting caught, hope bloomed in Maria¡¯s chest.


    She held fast onto the woman¡¯s arms and tried to assure her. ¡°I¡¯ll never tell if you help me, you should know that.¡± She might think that Maria was just saying anything to get her to speak, but everything she was saying was true. ¡°Even if I get caught, I¡¯ll never let them know who helped me.¡±


    Olivia shook her head and tried to step back, but Maria¡¯s desperation ratcheted up and she held onto the woman tighter. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything else other than tell me where the other entrance is, Olivia,¡± Maria begged, ¡°Please.¡±


    When she saw how wide the woman¡¯s eyes had gotten and the hint of fear beginning to show in them, Maria stepped back and let her go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting in your personal space like that.¡±


    The woman nodded and stepped back, rearranging the fabric of her gown. ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Olivia obviously wasn¡¯t going to help her. She was too scared over getting caught and if she did get caught, even Maria knew that the consequences would be deadly.


    Maria understood, and that was the only thing that kept her back from hating the  woman andbelling her an enemy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am.¡± Olivia said softly, ¡°I wish I could help.¡±


    Maria nodded silently and stepped back, turning and walking over to the window to stand in front of it. The window had be one of her favorite ces,ing second only to her bathroom. Maria had missed showering and as if she was beingpensated for it, the bathroom in her room was a masterpiece.


    Those were the only things that made her sane in her new glided cage.


    She¡¯d thought that Olivia had already left the room, so she was quite surprised when she heard her soft voice again. ¡°Master Corey might be a tad angry at you, but I don¡¯t believe His Majesty would let him hurt you.¡± That had Maria turning to her in surprise. ¡°But then again, that¡¯s just what I think.¡±


    Before Maria could press her for some answers, the woman walked out of the room and closed the door quietly, leaving a puzzled Maria behind.


    Why would Olivia think that the vampire wouldn¡¯t let his friend hurt her?


    She was probably only saying that because she hadn¡¯t seen them interact. She hadn¡¯t seen them back at the castle when he¡¯d ordered his man to cut off her hand. She hadn¡¯t seen him when he¡¯d almost choked her to death.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    If she had, then she would take back her words.


    Turning back to the window, she looked through it and took in the emptiness of the grounds. There wasn¡¯t much for her to look at, save for a single tree right in the middle of thepound, and some cars parked in a single line.


    The house waspletely void and seemed almost lifeless. A far cry from the vampire¡¯s beautiful and lively castle.


    She almost missed it.


    She ced her hands on the window pane and streaks of sunlight kissed her skin, making her fingers warm and that warmth travelled round her body.


    Something about the sight was strange, but she was having a hard time pointing out exactly why it was strange.


    She frowned and stared at it, gauging the way the bright light from the sun made her palms glow golden, then she looked through the window again and her eyesnded on the rooftop of the next building. And it was then that it finally dawned on her.


    The sun!


    There was no sun back at the vampire realm, but she¡¯d never thought about it until now that she was seeing the sun. She¡¯d never heard of a realm in which there was no sun, not once since she¡¯d been born. But apparently, they existed because all through her stay in the vampire realm, she¡¯d never seen any glimpse of sun.


    The sky was bright and they could see very clearly with the light, but she¡¯d never once seen sun. How was that possible?


    She knew that the sun killed vampires, but she¡¯d simply thought that they avoided going out during the day and only went out at night. She would never have guessed that they didn¡¯t have sun in their realm.


    However, they had sun in this realm. Which meant that the vampire would not be able to step out during the day, else the sun would burn him.


    A n started cooking up in her mind. She hated that she was even letting herself think about something like that, but she had no choice.


    She¡¯d thought that she and the vampire had reached a truce of some sorts where she was allowed to bitch at him and he was allowed to ignore her as thoroughly as she wanted to. She¡¯d merely thought that his words after their kiss that night had been his attempt at cruelty.


    Little had she known he wasn¡¯t just bringing her to his friend¡¯s house because of the attack on his castle, but that he¡¯d actually brought her here because his friend held a mutual grudge against her.


    To make matters worse, he hadn¡¯t denied that they were going to kill her.


    Their conversation those nights ago was an eye-opening reminder that they were still firmly enemies and the status of their rtionship wasn¡¯t going to change anytime soon.


    She couldn¡¯t believe how much that realisation hurt her.


    Maria had decided that since he had decided to kill her, she wasn¡¯t going to sit and do nothing while waiting for her death.


    She was going to find a means of escape.


    And if it meant that she would die trying, then so be it.

 The Maria Hatzi

    MARIA


    She hadn¡¯t seen him in almost a week.


    She wasn¡¯t sure that she¡¯d ever gone that long without seeing the vampire even when she still used to live in her cell, and she was now starting to believe that the vampire might actually want to kill her.


    But then why did he keep feeding her? Did he want her to die fresh and well fed?


    It had to be him ordering the maid to bring her food because it definitely wasn¡¯t his friend. The man probably hated her more than the vampire did and if it were up to him, she¡¯d probably be sleeping down in the dungeons-or dead.


    Since the vampire hadn¡¯t told her much about Corey¡¯s mate that she¡¯d supposedly killed, she¡¯d asked the maid, Olivia, about her and the woman had willingly filled her in on everything about thete woman, down to her favourite meal.


    Maria noticed, however, that Olivia didn¡¯t speak about thete woman reverently. There had been no emotion or inflection in her voice as she¡¯d talked about the woman and one time, Maria had wondered if it was relief she¡¯d seen in the woman¡¯s eyes over being rid of the dead woman, but Maria couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Next, she¡¯d asked Olivia how mating worked between demons. At this point, the woman had thrown her a puzzled look as though that was an odd thing to ask, pausing momentarily from her task, before exining to Maria as best as she could.


    She understood why the woman had looked at her like that. One would think that a girl of her age should be familiar with everything in the lore by now. They didn¡¯t know that Maria was never been let out of her house and she¡¯d never had the time to learn.


    They¡¯d probably never believe if she told them, so she¡¯d simply returned the maid¡¯s looks whenever she gave her one.


    Maria had found out that demons and their mates were extraordinarily close and they tended to feel when the other was happy, angry or in danger. When their mates were in danger of being hurt, they went into a blind rage and destroyed everything that would stop them from protecting their mates at all costs, and apparently, once a demon died, it¡¯s mate usually killed itself because they could not live with the loss.


    She thought that was interesting-and incredibly romantic.


    She wondered if anyone would ever kill themselves because they could not bear the thought of living without her, but then her heart grew heavy because she didn¡¯t have to think before knowing what the answer was.


    A big fat no.


    One of the things that baffled Maria was the fact that Corey was still alive.


    If everything that Olivia told her was true, then why was he still alive even after the death of his mate ages ago?


    Why had he not taken his own life?


    When she¡¯d asked Olivia this, the woman shrugged and told her that she wasn¡¯t the first to ask that question.


    That was very odd.


    Mated creatures were also stronger than the ones without mates, being twice more powerful than they usually were, and with all the information she¡¯d garnered, it had her wondering if mating worked the same way with all creatures.


    She knew for a fact that it wasn¡¯t the same way for the Sorceri. Most of them didn¡¯t even have mates. They just found a woman they thought suited them best and formed a union, and in some cases, more than one woman.


    Her mother and her father had been mated and yet¡­ And yet, he still did the things that he did.


    No, mating definitely didn¡¯t work the same for her species.


    Learning how vital a mate was to a demon¡¯s life, Maria was so filled with regret over what she¡¯d done to Corey, that she was almost sick with it.


    No wonder the man wanted her dead. No wonder he couldn¡¯t stand to look at her.


    Honestly, she couldn¡¯t me him. But at the same time, killing her wouldn¡¯t bring his dead mate back so she really saw no point in him killing her.


    But then again, revenge didn¡¯t really have to make sense, did it?


    Maria wasn¡¯t going to deny the fact that their revenge was warranted, but she was not a child. She was not going to sit down and wait for her execution. She would do everything within her powers to escape that horrible fate.


    She didn¡¯t know how she was going to manage to get out of her room without being seen, not to talk of escaping thepound. It seemed almost impossible when she thought about it, but the main problem was finding her way out of this realm after she¡¯d left thepound.


    Just a week ago, she¡¯d learnt that portals could be essed without being conjured, but she didn¡¯t know exactly where the portals were and she wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d be able to locate one before she got caught.


    If only there was someone she could ask¡­


    Olivia wouldn¡¯t tell her for fear of being caught and she knew no one other than Olivia in this house. Well, the vampire was there, but asking him where the portal was, was equal to asking him to take the cor off of her.


    Impossible.


    Sighing, she rose from the bed and walked over to the window, draping her hand on the window frame as she looked through it, staring down at the ground of the building, a sight she saw more often than nottely.


    It was always the same. The dry stone grounds, a few men walking about from time to time and the single tree.


    The different thing about it today was the two people standing there, obviously locked in conversation. The both of them with their legs spread wide in dominant stances, both tall and broad, both dark haired and both with formidable expressions on their faces.


    But one in particr made her heart beat faster.


    Leaning forward to get a better look at him, she saw that he looked¡­ different.


    Like he¡¯d looked when he saw his friend for the first time. Not exactly smiling, but close. The look on his face was soft, easy and that was as close to a smile as he¡¯d evere.


    He¡¯d never looked at her like that before, and she hated it.


    His inky ck hair fell haphazardly over his face as though he¡¯d been running his hands through it, and the sight was so inviting that her palm twitched with the urge to run them through his silky hair.


    Tamping down the urge, she went back to staring at him, watching the way he easily discussed with his friend.


    It was a dull evening, the sky was gloomy and the sun hadn¡¯t even shown it¡¯s face much today, so the vampire clearly had no issue standing outside.


    She leaned against the wall beside the window and her finger rose to her cor, fingering it absently as she stared at the vampire.


    As if he¡¯d felt his eyes on her, he lifted his head and looked directly at her with intense eyes.


    A millennium seemed to pass as they stared at each other, meanwhile in reality, it was no more than seconds. She was very far up and well, he was far down. His eyes wouldn¡¯t justnd on her casually. In order for that to happen, he would have to have actually wanted to look at he.


    Had he sought her out?


    She squashed the feeling of hope that bloomed in her chest before it could grow and turn into something bigger. She didn¡¯t care. He wanted her dead.


    She was going to keep remind herself that whenever she thought about him with anything other than hatred in her heart-which was almost all the time.


    His eyes narrowed on her and she held his gaze unflinchingly.


    Maria might have done a lot of evil things. She might have taken from people who didn¡¯t deserve to have anything taken from them and she had might have killed, but it didn¡¯t make her a monster.


    She was only a young girl who¡¯d had all other options-and her freedom-taken from her at a very young age.


    Maybe they didn¡¯t understand now, but they wouldter.


    Until then, she was going to have to do everything she could to protect herself.


    Even if it meant slipping into the shell of the person she¡¯d once been, the Maria Hatzi that was feared just as much as she was hated.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Small talk

    BRAN


    ¡°They remind me of when we used to train back at your castle.¡±


    Bran¡¯s eyes found Corey¡¯s who was standing beside him, but the man wasn¡¯t looking at him. He leaned forward to rest on the picket fence as he watched the children training with their swords in the training grounds.


    ¡°I believe we started earlier than they did, didn¡¯t we?¡± Without waiting for Bran to reply, Corey turned to him with a curious line in his brows. ¡°Do you still keep in touch with Lancaster?¡±


    Bran frowned at the mention of the name, his mind struggling to put a face to it and when he did, he frowned. Lancaster was another kid in their little circle back when they used to train at the pce and they¡¯d all been tight until they weren¡¯t anymore.


    Everyone had gone about doing their own thing while Lancaster had grown into an insufferable prick. He¡¯d thought himself above everyone else-even Bran who had been the crown prince-and him and Bran had gotten into several fights. Eventually, they¡¯d cut ties.


    Bran shrugged. ¡°Last I heard, he¡¯d found his mate and they¡¯d relocated to another country. He lives among the humans now.¡±


    Corey¡¯s brows lifted at that. ¡°That man doesn¡¯t know how to keep his mouth shut and when he doesnd in trouble, he wouldn¡¯t know how to get himself out of it even if he was provided with a map.¡± Bran coughed out augh. ¡°He couldn¡¯t keep a low profile to save his life, living among humans is the worst decision he could ever make.¡±


    ¡°A better way to learn a lesson,¡± Bran supplied forck of anything better to say.


    Corey pushed away from the fence and they continued their walk, Bran falling into step beside him.


    It was a mellow day, the sun hid behind the clouds and it wasn¡¯t hot out, which meant that it was a good day for Bran to step out. He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had, to be honest. He¡¯d been cooped up inside the house, spending more time in his room than with his friend whose house he was living in for the time being because his friend, Bran realised, had grown even darker than thest time he¡¯d seen him.


    Bran didn¡¯t want to broach the topic of his mate because it could only cause the man pain, reminding him of what he had lost, but he knew for sure that that was the cause of his friend¡¯s darkness.


    The man didn¡¯t smile anymore, nor did he joke or do anything remotely lively. All he thought about was his mate and even on the rare urrences when he didn¡¯t think about her, something reminded him of her.


    Death was actually a better fate than living like this.


    Bran felt sorry for him and it¡¯d made looking at Maria impossible. It would only make him remember every evil thing she¡¯d done to the people he cared about and it would only make him hate her more.


    His feelings towards her were already conflicted as they were.


    Infortable silence, they walked to the front of thepound where a few of Corey¡¯s men were stationed. He¡¯d wanted to talk about it before when he¡¯d first arrived but he¡¯d forgotten.


    Bran frowned as he took in the men scattered scantily around. ¡°You don¡¯t have much men.¡±


    Corey¡¯s eyes jumped to his. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought about getting a few more?¡±


    ¡°Not really, seeing as I don¡¯t have much use for them.¡± At Bran¡¯s lifted brows, he exined. ¡°Who are they protecting exactly? I¡¯m perfectly capable of defending myself if dangerous situations were to arise, which they haven¡¯t in a while, mind you.¡±


    Bran nodded and decided to let it go when it was so obvious that the man had a point that could not be argued.


    The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end and his skin prickled. Suddenly having a feeling that he was being watched, he turned around and scoured the open space of thepound with his eyes. When he saw that there was no one there, he looked straight up and he saw who was looking at him.


    The sorceress stood by her window, staring down at him. For the mere mortal, she would be too far up for him to see the expression on her face, but he was not and that was why he was able to see that the expression on her face was one that didn¡¯t let him in on her thoughts.


    A nk one.


    She¡¯d never really stared at him like that before and it made him feel an odd sort of way. She stared at him as though he was a stranger. As though they hadn¡¯t shared a kiss that night at Elizabeth¡¯s inn. As though he hadn¡¯t taken in her blood and was now having the beginnings of odd dreams that he couldn¡¯t really understand fully.


    As though he didn¡¯t long for more of her blood.


    It was forbidden for natural vampires to drink directly from a living source because once they did, they would dream the memories of the people they¡¯d drunk from, and most times, when a vampire drank from more sources than it could count, it mostly ended on them running mad. They would dream too much of their victims memories that even when they were awake, they would see them and they would not be able to separate what was real from what was not.


    It would drive them right into the arms of madness and it was almost impossible to get them back once they got to that point.


    Bran had met a few mad vampires who suffered from this and because of that, his parents had raised them up by feeding them strictly on blood bought from the  blood bank. It was safe since they didn¡¯t drink from a direct source.


    The only case where it was safe for a vampire to drink from the flesh was when they drunk from their mates. It was also part of the mating process.


    Bran had broken the rule by identally nicking Maria and swallowing her blood. And now, he was having dreams that didn¡¯t really make sense.


    His dark thoughts had probably shown on his face because when he blinked back into focus, her gaze had sharpened and a defiant look had settled on her face. She looked a lot like they did when they had one of their fights, and as if in answer, his cock stirred in his pants,ing alive at the sight of her fire.


    ¡°I see the way you look at her, you know.¡±


    The words prated the stare down he and Maria were locked in, and they distracted him enough to make him wrench his eyes away and turning to his friend.


    He hated how jumpy and guilty he must have looked right then. He quickly covered it up with a nk look of cluelessness. ¡°At who?¡±


    ¡°You know who I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Bran denied a little too forcefully. A little too quickly.


    Corey shook his head and his eyes darted up to the sorceress quickly beforeing to rest back on his, almost as though he couldn¡¯t bear to look at her for long. ¡°She looks at you the same way, just so you know.¡± His lips twisted ruefully. ¡°But then again, you probably already noticed.¡±


    It was then that Bran noticed that they were standing. Why were they standing? They were supposed to be walking.


    Bran continued walking and Corey did too after a while. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Corey. Could you be more specific?¡±


    ¡°The sorceress,¡± Corey finally said. ¡°It¡¯s so outrageously obvious that you want her.¡± Bran had opened his mouth to speak but he pushed on. ¡°Denying it would be pointless.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Bran wanted to argue that he didn¡¯t want the sorceress, but he also knew that his friend wasn¡¯t a fool. As he¡¯d said, denying it would be pointless, so to save both their times, he decided to let it go.


    ¡°Wanting her doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m going to act on it,¡± Bran told him, shoulders tight with tension.


    He hated that Corey had seen through him so inly in just a matter of seconds. The only reason he wasn¡¯t freaking the fuck out was because he knew that the man knew him better than anyone else and that was probably the only reason he could see something that Bran had tried to hide from everyone else-including the sorceress.


    Corey studied him through intense brown eyes for a long time, before appearing satisfied with what he saw and he nodded. ¡°Only a foolish man would act on it, of course,¡± he said finally. ¡°I trust you, Bran. You know better.¡±


    Bran¡¯s thoughts were divided for the remainder of their walk.


    He didn¡¯t have the same trust that Corey had in him. With every second he spent in the same room with the sorceress, his resolve weakened and resisting her became even harder.


    He was doing everything he could do to make sure that he didn¡¯t act on his desire for her-one of which was staying away from her-but he wasn¡¯tpletely sure that he could keep resisting her.


    If that made him foolish, then maybe he was after all.

 Chaos

    BRAN


    When Corey left the housest night and didn¡¯t return, Bran knew that there was something wrong.


    He¡¯d held the feeling off for as long as he could but the longer Corey didn¡¯t return, the more intense the feeling got. Bran wouldn¡¯t even have felt as uneasy as he did if the man had simply sent a message telling him that he was going to be backte.


    It wasn¡¯t like Corey to just disappear without letting him know beforehand.


    That feeling of uneasiness increased when one of Bran¡¯s men who had left with him that night came into the house, terribly injured and missing an arm, his eyes darting around in fear.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Bran asked, shooting up from the couch he¡¯d been sitting on.


    The man¡¯s voice shook as he spoke, ¡°Men¡­ they attacked us¡­ have master.¡±


    Confused by the man¡¯s words that didn¡¯t add up, Bran hurried over to him and gripped him by the shoulders, shaking him and his eyes blinked into focus. ¡°What happened?¡± Bran asked again, forcefully this time.


    The man¡¯s throat bobbed on a swallow. ¡°We were attacked by some men, every one of them heavily armed.¡± He swallowed again, eyes wide and awash with terror as he relieved whatever it was he¡¯d gone through. ¡°I don¡¯t know where they came from, I don¡¯t know how it was even possible, but they descended on us before we could see them¡­¡± The man trailed off and his eyes darkened again.


    Bran shook him again, impatient, and he blinked, remembering where he¡¯d left off. ¡°We fought back as best as we could, but they had guns and machines with them. They overpowered us. They took Master Corey and two other men with them.¡±


    ¡°The rest?¡± Bran asked even though he wasn¡¯t so sure that he wanted to hear the answer to that question.


    ¡°Dead.¡± The man said, confirming his thoughts.


    Bran tensed and his hold on the man tightened unconsciously. When the man winced, Bran cursed and dropped his hands, remembering that the man was injured. But, hell, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what the man had just said.


    He¡¯d never heard of any creature in the lore attacking with guns and machinery, not once in his entire existence, which meant that the men couldn¡¯t be from the lore.


    ¡°They¡¯re humans.¡± He muttered on a stunned breath.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the man nodded quickly, clutching his ribs with his one hand. ¡°They¡¯re humans and they came in great number. They came in a huge car that I can only imagine they use during war¡­¡±


    Bran zoned off, turning his mind away rom the man¡¯s ramblings. The only question running through his mind was why? Why would a bunch of humans attack his friend?


    The creatures stayed as far away from humans as they could, creating their own realms instead of living in the same world as the humans to avoid scenarios like this. This was one of the disadvantages of living amongst the humans, and it was crazy because the demons didn¡¯t live among them-they had their own realm.


    It was only the specie of demons without horns that weren¡¯t scared of living amongst the humans because the chances of them getting caught were incredibly slim. They ate just like the humans, looked like them-except for the fact that they were naturally more good-looking than them-and didn¡¯t have fangs that would give them away.


    But what on earth had caused his friend to go into a ce where humans lived?


    Only the man standing behind him could provide the answer to that question.


    Turning back to him, Bran asked, ¡°What was he doing there in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°He got news that his cousin had been taken by a group of men, whether they were creatures of the lore wasn¡¯t confirmed, but now we know the people that took him.¡± The man told him. ¡°We¡¯d just arrived, but we didn¡¯t even have the time to get the details before we were attacked.¡±


    Fuck.


    Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.


    ¡°Where did this happen?¡± He asked the man, restless with the thought that his friend was in danger. He didn¡¯t even want to consider the fact that more could have happened to him.


    ¡°Down Woodcove street.¡±


    A frown settled on Bran¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s in this realm.¡±


    The man nodded.


    ¡°Humans know of the demon realm? How were they able to ess it?¡± Bran asked to no one in particr. Then he cursed as he remembered that on the other side of the portal, was Chicago.


    Could it be that the portal had been discovered by one of its citizens? If that was the case, then this new development didn¡¯t bode well for them.


    Bran had been to that ce before and he could have easily traced there, but the sun was up and high and if he traced andnded under the harsh sunlight, then he was toast. Literally.


    Tracing into his car downstairs, Bran started the engine and drove straight towards the destination, cursing when he realised halfway through the journey that he had not brought any weapons with him, but going back would only mean wasting precious time. He would have to fight with his hands.


    That wasn¡¯t so impossible, right?


    His lips pressed down in a t line when he remembered that the men had machines and guns. What hope did he have to fight against them without a weapon?


    When Bran got to the location, he saw a huge car-if it could even be called that-driving away, the exact same way Corey¡¯s man had described it. He could bet his ass that Corey was in that vehicle and it wouldn¡¯t be wise to attack now. Sure, he could lift the vehicle and turn it over, but that could cause a fire and his friend was in there. He couldn¡¯t do that.


    Instead, he decided to wait until they arrived at their destination.


    He followed them until they stopped in front of a huge building. That was his cue to strike. No one got down from the car but the gate slid open slowly. Bran was far behind them, keeping a pace that they wouldn¡¯t suspect, but now that they were entering the house, he had to strike.


    Speeding down the street, he parked his car behind the vehicle and jumped down before the car could even stop. He ran towards the vehicle and let himself go berserk, unleashing a fury he hadn¡¯t let himself feel in a very long time.


    ***


    ¡°How did you find me?¡± Corey coughed about a half hourter when Bran, along with Corey¡¯s men that he¡¯d freed, had fought through the men and they were now lying t on the ground, dead.


    Bran was in the car sitting on the bench opposite Corey, trying to heal from the burns his skin had suffered under the scorching sun from when he¡¯d fought the men.


    ¡°One of your men escaped,¡± Bran told him, his jaw tight as he took in the extent of his friend¡¯s injuries. ¡°Found his way to the house and filled me in on everything that happened.¡±


    ¡°Remind me¡­¡± Corey gasped, dragging in breaths through his teeth. ¡°To tell him thankster.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Bran forced. ¡°Later. For now, let¡¯s focus on getting you out of these chains.¡±


    The chains were abnormally strong-so strong that even Bran couldn¡¯t break Corey out of them-and he focused on struggling with them so as to take his mind and eyes away from the injuries marring his friend¡¯s body. There were several cuts on his body, a bone was shooting out of his leg at an odd angle and one of his arms was gone from the elbow.


    It was going to take him at least a week to regenerate and heal.


    Bran tried again to break the chains but they didn¡¯t budge. Turning confused eyes on Corey, he saw that the man was already shaking his head. ¡°You can¡¯t break me out of them. They¡¯re reinforced.¡± When the furrow on Bran¡¯s brows deepened, Corey struggled to exin. ¡°I think¡­ they have someone working for them. The chains are enhanced with magic. You¡­¡± He shook his head, his eyes closing. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to bend it; I¡¯ve tried.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Bran cursed, raking a hand through his hair. The movement caused the bullets in his chest to dig in more and he winced, dropping his hand immediately. ¡°Then how do we get you out?¡±


    Corey was chained to the vehicle. There was no way they could get him out of there without cutting the chain-well, unless they wanted to take the vehicle with them-so they were stuck until they found a way to get him out of there.


    ¡°In the armoury back at my house, there is an axe that cuts through anything,¡± Corey told him. ¡°If you can get it, you¡¯ll be able to cut me out of this thing.¡±


    Bran shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a while for me to drive back to the house.¡± Then his eyes flicked to Corey¡¯s men standing a few feet away, pain marring the lines of their faces. ¡°Your men aren¡¯t in a condition to drive either and I can¡¯t leave you here defenceless.¡±


    Corey gave him a confused look-well as much as he could manage in his condition. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just trace?¡±


    Oh. That was true.


    Fuck, Bran wasn¡¯t thinking well.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Nodding, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a second.¡±


    Bran traced into the living room where he¡¯d been sitting before he left and blinked in confusion when he caught a blur of white.


    He turned quickly and saw that the blur had actually been Maria running outside, and before he could even think about what he was doing, he ran after her.


    And right into the afternoon sun¡­

 You were running

    MARIA


    ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    More urate words could not have been uttered in that moment, because seriously, what the fuck?


    Maria wasn¡¯t sure what just happened. One moment she¡¯d been running out of the house, her escape n going surprisingly well without any interruptions, when suddenly, she¡¯d felt arms around her and before she could even process what was happening or found the strength to struggle, she¡¯d found herself being dropped unceremoniously on the floor in the living room.


    Had one of the guards seen her after all?


    She¡¯d looked through the window, searched very well before finally making up her mind to make a run for it when she¡¯d found the grounds empty, without a single guard.


    She hadn¡¯t focused on the fact that it was odd that there were no guards; she¡¯d simply taken her chance.


    Well, if she was going to dwell on odd things, then she would ponder on why Corey had left the housest night, hadn¡¯t returned, then only for the vampire to leave the house too, but no, she wasn¡¯t going to.


    Bracing her hands on the floor, she pushed herself up, eyes searching for the person that had effortlessly put a stop to her escape.


    She froze when she saw the man¡¯s familiar towering frame, broad shoulders barely covered by a short sleeved polo shirt, and dark hair that brushed his neck.


    He had his back to her so she couldn¡¯t see the expression on his face, but she could bet her ass it was anger.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Where the hell did youe from?¡± She asked his back, disbelief clear in her voice. ¡°I could have sworn you weren¡¯t in the house two minutes ago¡­¡± She trailed off when he turned and angry green eyes stared back at her.


    But that wasn¡¯t the only thing that caught her attention.


    Smoke rose from his hands and the distinct odour of burnt flesh reached her nostrils. Her stomach roiled when she realised that his hands were burnt in several ces. There was also a hole in the front of his shirt where the skin on his chest had burned.


    Vampire¡­


    Sun¡­


    He¡¯d been burned.


    The sun was bright out and shinning with a vengeance. Why would he even dream of going outside at a time like this without a cover up?


    Simple; Maria had been escaping, and catching her and bringing her back to her gilded cage was more important than keeping himself safe.


    ¡°What the fuck did you just try to do?¡± He seemed to force the words out, as though he was too angry to speak.


    Swallowing, she said, ¡°Escape.¡±


    She was probably digging her grave by talking back at him and making him angrier but Maria too, was angry. Actually, she was torn between being angry and being scared for her life right now, but her anger finally won out and she wiped the dust off her ass, standing tall.


    He took one menacing step towards her and she lifted her chin, undeterred. His eyes zed with fire and his jaw was clenched so tight, she genuinely worried that his teeth were going to shatter.


    ¡°You were running,¡± he repeated her words like he was trying to make sense of them. As though she¡¯d spoken in anothernguage and not English.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what it looked like?¡± She snapped.


    His eyes widened slightly, like he hadn¡¯t been expecting that little burst of anger and from the way his tall form coiled tighter, from the way his shoulders tensed even more and he fisted his hands at his sides, she knew that she was definitely ying with fire, and when she got burnt, it was going to leave ugly scars.


    ¡°What did I tell you would happen if you ever tried to run again?¡± He took another step and this one had him standing in front of Maria finally.


    Toe-to-toe, greys on greens, captive and captor.


    They couldn¡¯t have been more wrong, and yet Maria¡¯s breaths were quickening with the promise of danger and the lust crackling in the air, more pronounced now that they were standing next to each other.


    Her head was tilted back so that she could hold his eyes and even though she really hated that she had to look up at him like that, she couldn¡¯t deny that it was very hot.


    ¡°What did I tell you, Princess?¡± He asked, his words low and dark, filled with all the evil things he nned to do to her.


    She remembered when she¡¯d tried to escape in his castle and he¡¯d told her that if she ever tried something like that again, he was going to kill her.


    She remembered clearly. But she wasn¡¯t going to give him the satisfaction of telling him, nor was she going to give him the satisfaction of acting like she was scared.


    His head dipped and his face was just a few inches from hers, spurring her desire and taking her mind back to that kiss. Making her want to kiss him. Making her want him to kiss her.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re having a hard time remembering, I¡¯ll dly refresh your memory.¡± He murmured low. ¡°I told you that the next time you try to escape, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Then a wicked glint entered his eyes and he smirked, ¡°Remember now?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± she spat, taking a step back from him, but he caught her by the jaw and pulled her back to the spot where she¡¯d been standing.


    His eyes shed as her insult registered and he scowled hard, all traces of wicked yfulness leaving his lips. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Fuck. You.¡± Maria repeated, the wordsing out a bit muffled due to the hand he had on her jaw.


    Before her eyes, his eyes shed ck and his hand dropped to her neck right on top of the cor, squeezing hard.


    Okay, maybe Maria had taken it a bit too far. The vampire wasn¡¯t a man of many words and when he said he¡¯d do something, she should have known that he would actually do it. She¡¯d thought him telling her that he¡¯d kill her if she ever tried to escape again was him bluffing, but with his hands squeezing the life out of her now, she believed him.

 Playing with fire

    MARIA


    ¡°Do you see now that testing me is a terrible idea?¡± He sneered, tightening his hands until she choked and she was sure that her face was turning purple from theck of air. ¡°Do you see now how easily I could end your life? I could just snap your neck like a twig, make it look like an ident. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t even have to pretend because no one would be able to find your body.¡±


    With those words, he threw her onto a couch and Maria coughed, finally able to breathe again. Sheid on the couch, breathing and struggling as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put guards at your door, make sure you¡¯re watched every single second of the day.¡± Then he spun on his heel and faced away from her. ¡°Hell, I¡¯d even put two inside your bloody room. We¡¯ll see how you¡¯ll be able to escape when you have people breathing down your back everywhere you go.¡±


    She heard his words. She could hear them. But¡­


    ¡°Did you just strangle me?¡± She asked, a feeling of hurt settling inside her no matter how hard she tried to shove it down.


    ¡°Believe me, I was two seconds away from fucking killing you.¡± He barked, his eyes flitting to the window, before turning back to her.


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re such an ass.¡± She breathed with slight wonderment in her tone.


    Maria wasn¡¯t naive. She knew that one stupid kiss hadn¡¯t changed anything, but did he still have to be such an asshole to her after everything?


    How could he even want to kill her?


    She couldn¡¯t even stand the sight of the burns on his skin. She deliberately avoided them by looking into his eyes. Eyes that stared back at her with nothing but anger and frustration in them.


    ¡°If you¡¯re just realizing that, then your heart isn¡¯t the only problem you have.¡± He delivered dismissively, walking away and Maria watched with open fascination as he went over to a table, grabbed a jug and poured a hefty dose of its content into a ss.


    Blood.


    He tipped his head back and threw the entire thing into his throat then mmed the ss back on the table. When he turned back to her, his throat was working on a swallow.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with my heart,¡± she told him, suddenly remembering what he¡¯d said.


    She pushed off the couch slowly and stood, watching him walk towards her.


    ¡°Nothing, except for the fact that it¡¯s as ck as a night.¡±


    He was wrong. So wrong. And in that moment, she wished she could prove it to him.


    Knowing that she couldn¡¯t, knowing that he¡¯d never believe her, frustrated her to no end.


    The mean glint in his eyes didn¡¯t help matters either and before she knew it, she wasshing back at him. ¡°It¡¯s your heart that¡¯s as ck as night, vampire, and I am never going to stop trying to escape.¡± She fisted her hands by her sides to stop them from shaking as she continued. ¡°You might as well kill me now because I¡¯m never going to stop trying until I¡¯m free.¡±


    Maria caught movement out of the corner of her eyes and saw that a few men had actually gathered and they were now watching the two of them fight in the living room with wide eyes.


    She didn¡¯t care, and the vampire didn¡¯t seem to give a fuck either.


    ¡°Careful with your words, sorceress, because I¡¯m very tempted to make good on my promise right this fucking moment.¡± He sneered, his nostrils ring as he breathed out fire. ¡°It¡¯s been a hell of a day today and you¡¯d be smart to not fucking testing me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯ve had a rough day,¡± she enunciated each word slowly, so thoroughly pissed that she could just lunge at him and bite his head off. ¡°You could¡¯ve spent your day in hell with the devil and I wouldn¡¯t give a quarter of a fuck because it¡¯s none of my fucking business!¡± Her voice rose with thest seven words, bouncing off the walls of the living room.


    The vampire¡¯s eyes shed and he made to lunge at her. ¡°You vile-¡±


    She pped him. Hard.


    The sound rang out loud across the air and there were collective gasps from the men watching.


    But she didn¡¯t look at them. She kept her eyes trained firmly on the vampire¡¯s face, her chest rising and falling with herboured breaths, adrenaline coursing through her veins.


    The vampire¡¯s face had turned to the side with the force of her p and as he turned back to her slowly, a voice at the back of her mind telling her that she¡¯d overstepped. If she loved her life, she should probably be cowering and apologising to him.


    But Maria was livid and apologising was thest thing on her mind.


    When the vampire turned back to her, his eyes shed ck, a color she¡¯de to associate with his anger, and a muscle popped in his jaw. When he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous.


    ¡°Did you just¡­¡± he trailed off, eyes narrowing. ¡°Did you just p me?¡±


    Maria let a cold smirk touch her lips, one of those ones he wore so well. ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time remembering, I¡¯ll be more than willing to refresh your memory.¡±


    Surprise flickered in the vampire¡¯s eyes and his anger seemed to pour off him in waves.


    She should be scared.


    She should probably be scared.


    But, for the life of her, she couldn¡¯t find it in her to be scared.


    He took a step back, took another one, and another, his jaws bulging. All the while, his fists clenched and unclenched in his battle to fight back his anger.


    He was retreating.


    Oh, so now he wanted to back off? Too bad she was in the mood to fight.


    ¡°Running away, vampire?¡± She taunted, smirking evilly. ¡°Are you suddenly too scared to fight me?¡±


    The vampire ignored her and turned to face the men watching. ¡°Take her back to her room.¡± He told the men. ¡°I want every one of you to keep eyes on her all the time. If she somehow manages to escape these walls, you¡¯re all as good as dead.¡±


    She bristled.


    How dare he treat her like she was a child? Talk over her like she wasn¡¯t standing right there?


    Before she knew it, the men descended on her and proceeded to drag her out of the room.


    She cackled, sumbingpletely to the waiting hands of insanity as they pulled her out of the room.


    ¡°By the way, those burn marks look good on you, vampire!¡± She called before the men dragged her into the hallway at the same time the vampire traced away.


    She threw her head back and cackled even more.


    He might think that he had won this round, but he hadn¡¯t.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Maria was going to escape.


    She vowed it.

 Queen of Evil

    MARIA


    She fought against the men as they dragged her away, determined to make the task as stressful as it could be for them.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± one of them growled and yanked her arm, forcing her to move faster down the hall.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± she retorted, jostling herself just to piss him off even more.


    Her legs skidded across the tiled floor as they pulled her along without care, and she tried to force her hands out of theirs so that she could walk on her own, but they tightened their grip, their hands like steel bands on hers, unbending.


    They dragged her up the stairs and her legs bumped against each step, the bone in her toes aching her. She gritted her teeth as she tried to block out the pain.


    She just needed to endure. That was all.


    She would endure for the time being and strike again. She was not going to let the vampire win. It might take her days, weeks, months, but she was going to escape eventually.


    She would not rest until she did.


    A loud crash rang out through the air, causing the men holding her to stumble-which meant that she did too-and they barely righted themselves in time before she could face-nt on the floor.


    She would have bitched at them if she herself wasn¡¯t curious about the source of the sound. It had to havee from outside because it would have sounded louder if it hade from inside the house.


    There were three men leading her up to her room and, needing to go down to investigate, two of them stepped back and shoved her into the arms of thest one.


    ¡°Take her up to her room,¡± one of the men said, his attention already diverted as he turned to walk back down the stairs. ¡°Ron and I will go down and check where that came from.¡±


    The second man sprang into action, following the man down the stairs and the man holding Maria stared after them for a short time before he tugged on her arms. ¡°Come on then.¡±


    Sheplied, throwing him a re, although her mind was already working, the wheels already turning.


    Two of the men that had been assigned to her were already distracted and she was left with just one. All she needed to do was distract that one and she was good to go.


    But how would she distract thest one?


    A cold smile crept up her lips as she remembered vividly how she¡¯d easily ¡®distracted¡¯ the vampire¡¯s guard back at the castle when she¡¯d wanted to escape too.


    The method was efficient and swift. The best when dealing with particrly handy men that thought they had all the power just because they were of the other sex-such as this one-and it was going to work well on him too.


    She wrenched her arm out of his hand when they reached thending upstairs and he was so surprised by the sudden movement that it took him a while before he cursed and lunged for her.


    Before his hand could reach her, she whirled around brought her knee up, driving it into his balls so hard, there was no way his tailbone wouldn¡¯t suffer damages after that hard hit.


    ¡°Fucking bitch,¡± He groaned as his hands fell to cup his injured organs, his face crumpling in sheer pain as he doubled over.


    He fell to his knees, eyes pressed tightly closed and Maria was so mesmerised at how such a single move could cause a man great pain that she didn¡¯t run right away. It was when his hand shot out weakly and he made to grab her that she jumped back and ran around him, stopping only to m her foot into his back which caused him to fly forward and fall, before she ran downstairs.


    Her heart jackhammered in her chest as she took the stairs two at a time, the only thing running through her mind being how she could escape the two other men outside and leave thepound.


    The sight that weed her when she ran out of the house, however, sent ice spearing through her veins.


    She froze when she saw a head flying through the air and her mouth dropped when itnded in front of her, missing her feet by mere inches.


    Lifeless, open eyes looked up at her, terror and fear woven into the expression on the dead man¡¯s face. The man whom had just been forcing her up the stairs a few minutes ago.


    She looked away, unable to bear the sight of the blood pooling on the ground from the man¡¯s severed head. Her feet were suddenly nted to the ground, unable to move for some reason.


    ¡°There she is,¡± she heard a feminine voice say and Maria looked up quickly, searching for it.


    A woman floated a few feet away from Maria, with energy crackling around her. She had long, flowing white hair that reached the back of her knees, a face so cold and beautiful with an odd smile that unnerved her, and she was wearing a long ck gown that covered her from her neck to her toes.


    Her hands were extended in front of her in what would have been a defensive pose on any other person, but on her, it was definitely a pose for striking.


    This woman wasn¡¯t prey; she was the predator.


    And she had to be a sorceress. Maria could perceive it.


    A sharp cry rent the air and when Maria¡¯s eyes followed the sound, she saw that it was the second man soaring through the air, the sound stopping abruptly when the man hit the wall-the one that was still standing-with a thud and copsed to the ground.


    Maria¡¯s wide eyes took in the people spread around thepound, her heart rate doubling.


    The sorceress floating in air had an army of ten men behind her-not that she really needed them-and a dog sitting next to her on the ground, it¡¯s eyes a striking blue. Next to her was an active portal, but Maria wasn¡¯t sure where it lead.


    The dog stared at Maria the same way the sorceress did-with an intense watchful gaze-and Maria was almost scared to move a muscle. She liked animals, but dogs were another thing entirely. Not to mention the dog of a sorceress with great powers.


    ¡°Come to me.¡± The sorceressmanded, her voice sounding like smoke, almost intangible, while at the same time, itmanded Maria¡¯s attention, had her eyes sharpening and trying to think her way out of the situation.


    Who was this woman?


    ¡°Get back in here, you little shit,¡± Maria heard someone say and she turned around in time to see the man she¡¯d injured limping towards her with frantic eyes. But apparently, she didn¡¯t have to bother about him because no sooner had he stepped out when the sorceress killed him by smashing him head first into the wall.


    Bile rose up Maria¡¯s throat and she fought the urge to throw up right there in front of all of them. She silently willed Olivia to stay upstairs in her room and note out because if she did, the woman would end up just like the men.


    ¡°Come to me, girl.¡± The sorceress ordered again, her eyes shing silver in anger, and Maria knew then that she really was a sorceress.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Maria asked, her confusion and apprehension obvious in that question.


    Seeing that the woman was a sorceress, Maria¡¯s instincts told her that she¡¯de from the realm of Sorceri, but the men standing behind her were massively built and the Sorceri men were usually tall and lean, so Maria couldn¡¯t be so sure.


    Plus, even if she dide from the realm of Sorceri, Maria wouldn¡¯t just follow her without knowing why she was here for her. For all she knew, she could be an enemy of Ariti wanting to take revenge on him by torturing the daughter they all believed he loved so much so she had to be cautious.


    The woman blinked, but the terrifying smile never left her face. ¡°Why, I am a lot hurt that you don¡¯t know me, which is a huge surprise considering how very popr I am when you think about it actually, and I should kill you for that alone, but as luck would have it, your father wants me to present you to him,¡±-she paused dramatically-¡°Alive. So kill you, I shan¡¯t. But what I shall do if you ask me any more annoying questions, is make your knees bend backwards and have you wobble like a child over to me while the entire time, your mind struggles to make sense of what¡¯s happening.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria blinked.


    ¡°However,¡± the woman continued, creepy smile in tact. ¡°I am ine, the Queen of Evil and, of course, the pleasure is all yours.¡±


    Maria was positive that her head was spinning from all the talking the woman had just done. As her mind struggled to process the words, the woman spoke again.


    ¡°Now, I really do not like repeating myself, but-again, for your father¡¯s sake and because I have so much to gain-I will make an exception. Come here.¡± When Maria still stood there motionless, the woman threw a confused look at one of her men. ¡°Do you think she might be daft? Her father didn¡¯t say, but I¡¯m starting to think that bit of information might have slipped his mind.¡±


    Her father?


    Maria¡¯s father had sent this woman to get her?


    The Queen of Evil didn¡¯t even wait for the man she¡¯d spoken to, to give her a reply before she turned around with a shrug and said, ¡°Well, then. If she won¡¯te, then I¡¯ll bring her.¡±


    Maria yelped when her feet suddenly left the ground and, as though she was lying on air, she floated over to the woman. She struggled, but no matter how hard she fought against the woman¡¯s hold on her, she couldn¡¯t free it.


    Was this how it felt when Maria had people within the grips of her powers?


    Marianded on the ground next to the woman¡¯s dog and she was just about to freak the hell out when a figure walked through the portal and her breath caught as she looked up at an all-too-familiar face. Good-looking and defying his old age, the benefits of immortality.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to show my face, but you guys were taking too long,¡± he said conversationally as his eyes swept the yard beforending on her. ¡°Ah, Maria. It¡¯s so good to see you.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡± Maria asked in disbelief, something odd lodging in her chest at the knowledge that she was going back with him.


    But wasn¡¯t that what she wanted?


    Wasn¡¯t that why she¡¯d been escaping?


    Suddenly, she found herself wishing that the vampire would appear suddenly and fight them. When the thought passed, she asked herself what the hell that was.


    Before she could ask Ariti how he¡¯d somehow managed to find her, a ck bag was pulled over her head and she screamed into the darkness.


    Her scream was cut off abruptly when somebody hit her head hard and she passed out.

 She鈥檚 gone

    BRAN


    Immediately he stepped into the house, he knew that there was something wrong.


    It wasn¡¯t just the fact that the gate was missing, that the walls supporting the gates weren¡¯t there anymore, or the fact that three dead bodies awaited them in the yard. No, it was the fact that when he¡¯d stepped into the main house, he¡¯d heard nothing.


    Nothing at all.


    The sounds that usually came from the cook when she was busy in the kitchen, the children training at the back of the house, Corey¡¯s cousin watching TV upstairs, none of it.


    There was just nothing.


    He supported Corey over to a couch and walked away, telling him that he¡¯d be back shortly as he ran up the stairs, going straight to Maria¡¯s room. His heart caught in his throat when he pushed the door open and saw that her room was empty. He stalked into her closet and checked, praying that she was miraculously hiding in there because she didn¡¯t want to see him, but she wasn¡¯t in there too.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Her bed, clothes, everything was in there. But she wasn¡¯t.


    He grabbed the single wooden chair in the room and threw it, watching it hit the wall and scatter into many bits before, not wanting to destroy anything anymore, he stalked out of the room and found his way back downstairs, seeing that a few men were already gathered around, rying everything that had happened to Corey.


    They stopped talking when they noticed that he was there, apprehension showing on their faces.


    ¡°Anyone care to tell me what the hell happened between the two hours that we were gone and now?¡± Bran asked. When none of the men made any move to speak, he snapped. ¡°Well?¡±


    A man snapped to attention and told Bran in detail everything that happened. How a sorceress and an army of men had showed up and destroyed the gate, killed the three men he¡¯d assigned to Maria and taken her with them-unwillingly, the guard added, because apparently, they¡¯d put a bag over her face.


    Why would her own father do that to her?


    ¡°Are you sure this man you saw was her father and not some other person?¡± He asked the man just to be sure.


    ¡°It was her father.¡± The man confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m very sure of it.¡±


    Still, some things about his story didn¡¯t add up. First and foremost being that her own father had resorted to forcing her out of here, putting a bag over her face like she was being kidnapped.


    Then second was that the man told him that the sorceress killed everyone she saw. How had she not killed the man then?


    When he asked the man this, the man told him that he¡¯d perched by one of the windows on the third floor and watched everything from there. Bran didn¡¯t know whether to kill the man for his cowardliness or to reward him because if not for him, Bran wouldn¡¯t have known what happened.


    He ended up doing neither.


    Fuck, Bran thought as he ran his hand through his hair, so agitated, he didn¡¯t even know when he started pulling on the strands. It wasn¡¯t until his skull felt as if it was splitting into two that he realised just how hard he was pulling on it.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he cursed out, pacing. He didn¡¯t even give a flying fuck that the men were watching him. ¡°Shit. Shit. Shit.¡±


    He carried a couch and threw it across the room then stormed out, the sound of the couch crashing against the wall not doing anything for him. He¡¯d felt Corey¡¯s tired eyes on him, watching him the entire time, but the man hadn¡¯t said a thing, probablying to the conclusion that it wasn¡¯t the right time.


    ***


    Bran heard the door creak open behind him, but he didn¡¯t turn. He already knew who it was. There was only one person who coulde into the room like that without knocking and it was no one other than Corey.


    He cocked a brow when he saw the man struggling over to sit on the couch beside Bran, his hand bandaged and his injuries stitched. In less than a week, the injuries would healpletely and the marks from the stitches would be invisible.


    Bran downed the scotch in his ss and got up, walking to the other side of the room to refill it.


    That was the only thing he¡¯d been doing ever since he got back, drinking and thinking, his mind working overtime. There were so many questions running through his mind.


    What would he do now?


    Should he strike back?


    Should he steal her back?


    And right there was the problem. That bloody word.


    Steal.


    That was what he would be doing if he went back into the realm of Sorceri to get Maria back, because she definitely wouldn¡¯t being back with him willingly. And then even if he did bring her back with him, what was the point? Why was he bringing her back?


    If the man¡¯s story was true-and Bran believed it was-then the sorceress had obviously been taken by her father and that was what she¡¯d always wanted, wasn¡¯t it?


    Just this afternoon, they¡¯d fought over the same thing. She, wanting to escape and him catching her and bringing her back. The argument had gotten so heated that she¡¯d pped him so hard, his ears had ringed even minutester. And God, it had turned him on so fucking much, he¡¯d battled a raging hard-on even while cutting Corey out of his chains.


    And it wasn¡¯t like she knew where his sister was. He¡¯d asked her several times, even gone as far as torturing her and summoning an oracle and yet, he still hadn¡¯t gotten answers.


    If Bran was beingpletely honest, a huge part of him was starting to believe that she really didn¡¯t know where his sister was. Honestly, he didn¡¯t want to think about what that fully meant because she was the one that had killed his parents and taken his sister.


    Could that mean that she really had been working on orders?


    Believing that would mean rethinking everything he knew about her. It would mean seeing her in a different light.


    But Bran didn¡¯t want to. He didn¡¯t want to believe that was possible.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± His friend started, already sounding better than he did a few hours ago. ¡°And I still don¡¯t know how he was able to trace you and the sorceress to my house.¡±


    After hours of racking his head, Bran still hadn¡¯t been able to answer that question.


    There were only two possibilities. One, that Maria had somehow managed to reach her father and tell him where she was, and two, that they¡¯d been seen by Ariti¡¯s spies and they¡¯d filled him on where they were.


    The former wasn¡¯t possible unless she¡¯d gotten her hands on a phone and used it, but then Corey¡¯s men watched her constantly and there was no way she could have managed to do that. Thetter, however, would mean that he hadn¡¯t been as careful as he thought he¡¯d been.


    That made his blood boil, but it was very much possible.


    Cradling his ss in hand, Bran walked over to the couch. ¡°He probably had us followed.¡±


    He thought back to that prickly feeling of being watched he¡¯d felt in Elizabeth¡¯s bar when he¡¯d been following her up to her room. He¡¯d turned around but there had been no-one there and he hadn¡¯t thought much about it, thinking that he¡¯d just been paranoid and that the stress was finally getting to him.


    ¡°He definitely had us followed,¡± he said with more conviction as he dropped next to Corey.


    Hell, he should have known better. His instincts had never failed him; they¡¯d always been spot on. So why had he ignored that feeling?


    Now see what it had cost him.


    ¡°Her father¡¯s taken her back, Bran.¡± Corey delivered tly. ¡°It¡¯s over¡±


    Bran snapped to attention at that. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Corey asked innocently.


    It was obviously fake.


    ¡°Do you forget how important she is to me?¡± When his friend gave him a pointed look, he paused, reyed the words in his head, and realised how they¡¯de out. Shit. ¡°What I mean, is that she¡¯s the only one who knows where my sister is. If I let her go, I might as well kiss all the chances of seeing my sister again goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± his friend cursed suddenly, surprising him. ¡°You know that¡¯s not true, Bran, so would you stop saying it like you believe it?¡±


    Bran¡¯s heart hammered in his chest because he knew exactly where his friend was going, and he couldn¡¯t say for certain whether the man was wrong or not.


    ¡°It was you who told me that she doesn¡¯t really know where you sister is not long ago.¡± Corey continued, turning to face him as much as his injured hand would allow him. ¡°You sounded so sure when I asked you that day and I knew that for you toe to that conclusion, you must have been thoroughly convinced. So why do you still say that she knows where your sister is?¡± His eyes searched Bran¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t truly believe that.¡±


    Bran hung his head, unable to look his friend in the eye after calling his bluff like that.


    Corey was right.


    Bran believed that she really didn¡¯t know where his sister was. No mortal would allow their hand to be cut off because they were withholding information, not when they knew that they would freeze into their immortality that way.


    Now, the question was; Why did he still want to go after her even when she was of no use to him?


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he cursed, slouching in the couch.


    Some minutester, he heard the door creak open and close, signaling his friend¡¯s departure.

 Vampire鈥檚 regret

    BRAN


    ¡°Please, no.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself, child.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gods, no. I don¡¯t want to kill them.¡±


    ¡°You will.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me do this.¡±


    ¡°If you want her to live another day, you will stop making me repeat myself, walk out of this room now and go do what I asked you to do.¡±


    There was silence except for the distinct sound of her restricted sobs, her heart aching from the burden she was being forced to carry, aching from the knowledge of what she was about to do.


    She loved her mother too much to let anything happen to her. And if losing Maria¡¯s soul was the price she had to pay to keep her mother alive, then so be it, Maria thought, making up her mind to do what this man who called himself her father was forcing her to do.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± he crooned, his face lighting up with excitement. He must have realised that she¡¯d made up her mind.


    Turning away, unable to bear looking at him anymore, she crept out of the room, her long gown trailing on the floor behind her.


    She dressed differently now. She usually wore short leather skirts and halter tops with jewellery adorning her fingers and wrists, but not anymore. Now, all she wore were long, dark, conservative clothes that pleased her father.


    When she stepped into the courtroom and faced the couple sitting on the ground, tied with their backs to each other, her heart gave a sharp guilty pang.


    They had been murmuring softly to each other, words that she was too far away to hear but from the soft looks on their faces, they had to have been reassuring words.


    They were in love. And she was going to have to kill them.


    Her soul cried over the unfairness of the situation.


    As she lifted her hands and ended the couple¡¯s lives, as she held their pain filled using eyes while she killed them, she couldn¡¯t help but think about how things could have been different had her mother been there, couldn¡¯t help but think about how she could have had a better life had she had a different father.


    ¡°You did that very well, my child,¡± her father praised when the coupley lifeless on the floor. ¡°Now, your mother gets to live another week. See what happens when you obey me?¡±


    Maria couldn¡¯t speak. She simply stared into the dead eyes of the couple.


    As she¡¯d snuffed the life out of them, she¡¯d felt her own soul dying inside her, felt her heart cracking inside her chest.


    That day, after killing for the first time, Maria lost a huge part of herself that she was never going to get back and she knew it.


    Bran jerked up in the bed into a sitting position, sweat pouring off him in waves down his chest even in the cold of the night.


    He¡¯d just had a dream about Maria and the dream had felt so real, it was like he had been experiencing all her emotions with her. He¡¯d felt her pain, fear, sadness and then the numbness.


    He¡¯d felt everything as though he was right there in the dream with her. As though he was the one that the things had happened to. He¡¯d heard her thoughts clearly in his mind as though they were his own.


    Another odd thing about the dream was that she¡¯d appeared younger, not like she was now. She¡¯d looked smaller, her eyes more innocent than they were now, her expression trusting and unsuspecting.


    Until she¡¯d killed the couple.


    Then a light in her eyes had died and her face had crumpled into a nk, unexpressive mask.


    But that dream couldn¡¯t be real, could it? Her father hadn¡¯t really ordered her to kill anyone. It must just be that Bran¡¯s overthinking was now making him dream all sorts of things-even the ones that didn¡¯t make sense.


    Turning over on the bed, he forced his eyes closed and tried to go back to sleep, but he immediately found himself in the grips of another confusing dream about her.


    The room was huge. Wide, with dark walls and empty but for the woman who stood in the middle of it.


    Well, she wasn¡¯t really standing. She was floating in air. Her hands were stretched on either sides of her petite form, her legs like an arrow straight down with a long blue gown that drifted past her toes.


    She was on a pir of some sorts, her eyes firmly closed and the peaceful expression on her face would give the notion that she was sleeping.


    The sadness that resonated from the younger version of Maria standing in front of the woman proved otherwise. Peace was the furthest thing from this woman; she was in suffering.


    In this dream, Ariti appeared by the door of the room, leaning against it and staring at the woman with an odd smile on his face. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Maria jerked around, appearing startled by his presence, and the moment she saw him, she wiped the tears that were trickling down her cheeks and spoke in a soft voice Bran had never heard her use. ¡°Why do you do this to her? How can you do this to your own wife?¡±


    A confused from marred Ariti¡¯s expression. ¡°The answer to that is quite simple; because I can.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you love her?¡± Maria cried, her heart shattering in her chest and Bran felt it like it was his own.


    Her father shook his head as though he was dealing with a child. ¡°Love is a fickle notion and as you grow older, my child, you¡¯ll see that for yourself.¡± Then he turned suddenly. ¡°But wealth? Lands? Possessions? Those are the things worth fighting for.¡±


    ¡°You already have those!¡± Her chest heaved as she dared to raise her voice at him, regretting it immediately and praying that he would pardon her. ¡°How much more do you want?¡±


    His eyes shed in warning and he made a move to hit her. ¡°You can never have too much.¡±


    Bran jerked up from the bed, flinching like he was the being hit.


    This time when he woke up, he didn¡¯t bother trying to sleep anymore.


    He got up from the bed, fastened the button on his jeans and pushed the door to his balcony open, walking through it.


    The cold night air washed over him, cooling his hot, sweaty skin. But no matter how cold and refreshing the air was, it did nothing to soothe the confusion inside him.


    He braced his hands on the railing, staring into the dead of the night with unfocused eyes, while a thousand and one thoughts ran through his mind.


    Over the past few days, Bran had been having series of dreams about Maria. Most of them had been short and uneventful, nothing like the two he¡¯d had this night.


    Actually, it was the first time he was dreaming about her twice in one night. It was usually one dream a night and Bran believed that something must have triggered the second dream.


    His stomach roiled as he thought back to the feeling that had gripped him when Maria had killed that couple. That had been her feeling. It was what she¡¯d felt. And he didn¡¯t really know what to make of a person so young, having a feeling like that course through them.


    When Bran was at that age, the people he¡¯d killed had all been in self-defence. They¡¯d had iting.


    But with Maria¡­


    Maria had killed because she needed to. Not because she wanted to.


    He¡¯d gotten it all wrong.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Bran cursed as his head fell against the railing, his head spinning from his chaotic thoughts.


    There was no denying what he¡¯d seen-he¡¯d dreamed her memories, felt everything she¡¯d been feeling and seen everything through her own eyes.


    Miserably, Bran realised that when she¡¯d told him that when she¡¯d killed his parents, she¡¯d been acting under orders, she actually had been saying the truth. But he hadn¡¯t believed her because he¡¯d thought she was just saying that so that he would let her go.


    Now he had proof and, fuck, he¡¯d been wrong. So fucking wrong about her.


    The revtion was almost too much for him to bear.


    Her father was the real culprit and he was the one that Bran should have captured. Hell, Bran should have killed him right then and there, but then he still wouldn¡¯t have been able to find his sister.


    If Maria had only been acting under orders, then that meant it was her father that knew where his sister was.


    Shit.


    Shit. Shit. Shit.


    Fucking shit.


    All this time he¡¯d been torturing the wrong person, had even gone as far as giving her a scar on her hand-a scar that would freeze into immortality-when the real culprit roamed free, unharmed.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to tell Corey about everything tomorrow. Maybe then he would see reason and not hate Maria anymore.


    Bran froze at the train of thought he was having.


    Why did he care if Corey didn¡¯t hate her anymore? It wasn¡¯t like she was here to be on the recieving end of his hatred.


    Even as Bran asked the question, he knew what the answer was.


    He was going to fight to get her back.


    It had been almost a week since she¡¯d been taken by her father and Bran hadn¡¯t made any move to get her back because his friend¡¯s words were true.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    He¡¯d captured her because he thought she knew where his sister was and now that it was in as day that she didn¡¯t, there was absolutely no reason to fight for her.


    However, Bran¡¯s discovery tonight changed everything.


    No wonder she hadn¡¯t wanted to go back with her father when he¡¯de for her.


    Fuck, she must have felt so helpless. Wanting to run away from Bran while at the same time, wanting to escape her father when she had nowhere to go to.


    A sharp painnced through Bran¡¯s chest as he thought about all that he¡¯d done to her.


    Bran wasn¡¯t really sure how to apologize when he managed to get her back-he wasn¡¯t big on those-but he would treat her differently.


    Surely, she would see just how sorry he was about everything he¡¯d done to her.


    There, on his balcony in the dead of the night, Bran made up his mind.


    He was going to get the sorceress back if it was thest thing he did.

 Cell hopping

    MARIA


    Despite all the things that her father had done to her-and there were a great number of things-never once had he locked her up in one of the cells down in the pce dungeon.


    She¡¯d only been here about once or twice and on those asions, she¡¯d never been on the other side of the gate. Always on the outside, never on the inside. But now, she found herself locked on the inside, watching and waiting for the man she called her father to face her finally.


    Sitting on the ground by the gate, she leaned on it, wanting to stay as far away from the depths of the cell as she could. The bed, if it could be called that, was a wooden bench that was wider than the usual bench, and the cell didn¡¯t have a toilet-it had a bucket, and Maria threw up in her mouth whenever she so much as looked at it.


    Gods, how ironic was her situation?


    She¡¯d wanted to escape the vampire toe back here, but now she was here and being kept in a cell. Leaving one cell only toe to another. Well, at least her old ¡®cell¡¯ had a toilet, closet, bath and a moderately better view.


    The sun was starting to give way to darkness and Maria began to wonder if her father would show his face today. She needed him to. She had a lot of questions for him.


    She wanted to know who the sorceress was to him and how he¡¯d gotten someone so powerful to get her back. He didn¡¯t even care about her and since he was able to get the sorceress to help him get Maria back, then he should be able to get her to help him in the ways Maria did.


    Why was she suddenly so important to him?


    Maria heard the faint sound of a lock turning and she froze, straining her ears so that she could hear more clearly. When she heard the sound again, she jerked away from the door in time to see it creep open as a booted feet appeared.


    Slowly, her eyes trailed up the small frame until they rested on cold grey eyes, so very much like hers. She hated that they had that one simrity.


    He held her gaze as he came towards her, his eyes only darting to the side once and lingering for a bit, before they rested back on hers and when they did, they appeared lighter. Happier.


    Maria stood up and backed away from the gate as her father stood in front of it, sping his hands behind his back.


    ¡°I trust you¡¯re enjoying your amodation.¡± He said conversationally, eyes flicking over her and briefly resting on the cor at her neck. His eyes shed and his face tightened in anger. That was enough to tell her that he wasn¡¯t happy about the new development.


    ¡°Amodation?¡± She asked, her eyes sweeping over the cell incredulously. ¡°Why am I in here?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He repeated slowly, a small slow smile creeping into his expression and taking root in his lips. ¡°Because you¡¯re worth more to me now than you were before.¡±


    Maria didn¡¯t know whether it was the tone with which he said it, or if it were the words, but a coldness slithered down her spine and spread out into her body like poison. Without knowing that she was doing it, she took a step back. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out all in good time,¡± he told her. ¡°For now, just enjoy your new room while I work on getting that cor off you.¡±


    Her fingers itched to touch the cor, but she held her hands firmly by her sides and fisted them to quell the urge.


    Who was this man?


    Sure, he had her father¡¯s face, build and height. He had her father¡¯s body and voice, but it wasn¡¯t really him. It couldn¡¯t be. It wasn¡¯t news that her father was a tyrant, and it was definitely not news to Maria that he could be extremely ruthless when he wanted to get his way, but this was new.


    How could her own father lock her up in a cell?


    ¡°You¡¯re going to keep me locked up in here until you find a way to get the cor off of me?¡± She asked, puzzled and he nodded. ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Well, as it turns out, I can¡¯t risk you running away from the pce, because as I said before, you¡¯re more important to me than you were before.¡± He exined, confusing her even more with those words. ¡°Of course, I would rather you keep staying in your room, but my hands are tied on the matter.¡± He lifted said hands and grinned, showing them to her. ¡°Not literally.¡±


    She stumbled back a step, then another, and another, until the back of her knees bumped against the wooden bench.


    Oh gods.


    He¡¯d gonepletely crazy.


    During the short time that she¡¯d been away from him, he must have plunged more and more into the darkness he was swamped in and must have started to go insane gradually.


    If not, what did he mean when he said that she was more important to him now? If she actually was more important to him, didn¡¯t that mean that he should treat her better than he used to? Why was he doing theplete opposite?


    ¡°When have I ever tried to run away?¡± She asked. ¡°You know I would never-¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t before, but you might now.¡± He cut her off, the smile vanishing from his face as his expression turned hard. ¡°You think I don¡¯t remember the look on your face when the vampire took you away from me at his castle?¡± His voice rose with his words, losing his grip on control. ¡°You were shocked and maybe a tad scared, but you never once protested. You didn¡¯t even try to!¡±


    She frowned as she realised that what he was saying was true.


    She remembered being shocked by the vampire¡¯s sudden appearance, then the fear that had gripped her when she¡¯d had both the vampire and her father in the same room, but she couldn¡¯t remember ever struggling out of the vampire¡¯s grip when he¡¯d held her. She couldn¡¯t even rememberining when he¡¯d traced them out of the castle.


    Instead, she¡¯d been apologising to him.


    Shit.


    Her father had taken note of something she herself had failed to notice and now, she was paying for it.


    So, he was going to keep her locked in here because she was useless to him with the cor around her neck and apparently, until he found a way to take the cor off, she would remain in here.


    In that case, she wanted him to get the cor off as soon as possible because if she stayed in this cell for longer, she would fall sick. It was so dirty, she couldn¡¯t even stand to look at it.


    Since she was on the other side of the gate and there was no way he could get to her with the gate in his way, she decided to take advantage of it and ask him some questions that would definitely spike his anger.


    ¡°How did you find u-me?¡± She¡¯d just been about to say ¡®us¡¯ but if she¡¯d said that, he might have taken it to mean something else and she would only be digging her grave deeper.


    ¡°Why, I had you followed, of course.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± She asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her words.


    He was obviously pleased with himself because his face broke out in a grin that was the very definition of evil. ¡°I nted people everywhere. The nymphs, vampires, demons, witches, every faction of the lore, really.¡± Her heart beat faster in her chest as he pped his hands in excitement. ¡°Imagine how delighted I was when one of men came back and told me that he found the vampire in his mistress¡¯s pub. It¡¯smon sense that you would be with him, of course, and from then on, everything fell into ce.¡±


    Maria didn¡¯t know what caught her attention more. The mention that Elizabeth really was the vampire¡¯s mistress or the fact that the vampire had been seen in there.


    She decided to focus on thetter and think about the formerter.


    If they¡¯d been seen that day, then it meant that they¡¯d been followed all the way to Corey¡¯s house, which meant that the spies had been patiently watching, biding their time and waiting for the right moment to strike.


    They¡¯d taken their chance to strike at the exact same time Maria had made up her mind to escape.


    She swallowed as he continued.


    ¡°Now, I regret that the vampire hadn¡¯t been around when the Queen arrived. I would have loved to watch her kill him as slowly and painfully as possible.¡±


    Maria¡¯s stomach roiled at the thought of the vampire being killed. For reasons she couldn¡¯t possibly understand, the though hurt her even more than the thought of being locked up in here for another day.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°How did you convince such a powerful creature to help you?¡± She wondered out loud, still amazed by that.


    He took one menacing step forward and although the gate was between them, fear coursed through her heart and she took another step back, almost summersaulting onto the bench. ¡°You forget that I am an equally powerful creature?¡±


    She nodded quickly, retreating physically as she did mentally. She wouldn¡¯t want to get him pissed at her when she was still in here. He might just want to punish her by keeping her locked up for longer.


    It was then that she remembered that she had one more question to ask him.


    ¡°What happened to the vampire¡¯s sister?¡±


    She expected him to look shocked that she knew about the vampire¡¯s sister, but he wasn¡¯t. Far from it, actually. The expression on his face changed from one of anger into a nk one.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look surprised.¡± She observed and he shrugged.


    ¡°The moment I found out who he was, I knew why he captured you.¡± Ariti told her, not the slightest hint of remorse in his voice. ¡°An eye for an eye and all of that. Fair, I agree, but I had to bring you back.¡±


    Maria¡¯s legs almost gave out from under her. All this time that she¡¯d been suffering, everything that she¡¯d gone through was all because of her father.


    A small part of her had suspected that her father might know about the vampire¡¯s sister, but she hadn¡¯tpletely believed it. Now that she knew the truth, it was almost too much for her to carry.


    ¡°I truly am sorry that you had to pay for it, but then again, you look well.¡± He shrugged again. ¡°The treatment must not have been that bad.¡±


    Anger suffused her, filling her up and covering her vision until she could barely see past the red haze.


    This man she called her father was the cause of her suffering.


    She stared at him as he walked out, barely able to bear the sight of him. She wasn¡¯t sure that she should keep calling him that because he definitely didn¡¯t deserve to be called one.


    A few secondster when the door shut behind him, she heard a voice speak.


    ¡°He¡¯s such an asshole, isn¡¯t he?¡±

 The girl in the cell

    MARIA


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± Maria called out after a few seconds of trying to convince herself that the voice was real.


    If the voice wasn¡¯t real, then that meant she¡¯d started hearing things, which meant that she was going crazy and she didn¡¯t believe that. At least not yet.


    ¡°Yes,¡± came the voice again.


    It was soft and feminine with a lilting ent. Out of nowhere, Maria wondered if the girl could sing. It would be a wonderful thing to hear-and watch.


    Speaking of¡­


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Maria asked the girl-it was definitely a girl-and she moved over to the gate, gripping the iron bars and craning her neck as she tried to look down the long dark corridor if the girl was standing out there. She wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°In the cell next to yours,¡± she spoke again, that lilting ent sounding both strange and oddly wee to Maria¡¯s ears. ¡°I saw them bring you in but held back from talking to you because, well, I didn¡¯t want to spook you.¡± If she continued talking for an hour more, Maria was positive that she would fall asleep. Her voice was just that sweet. ¡°Also, there¡¯s been no noise from your cell, so I wondered if you were sleeping until he showed up.¡±


    Maria stared at the wall dividing their cells, wishing that it was like the cells back at the vampire¡¯s castle that had iron bars instead of a wall dividing them. She would have been able to see the girl.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Sheughed lightly, drily when when she remembered the girl¡¯s words. ¡°Oh, no, I wasn¡¯t sleeping. I was just struggling toe to terms with the fact that I¡¯ve just left one cell only to be ced in another.¡± she said without thinking, then paused when she realised that that information might have been too much.


    But she had nothing to worry about, right?


    The girl in the cell next to hers definitely had to be a prisoner as long as she was in there, so she had no reason to panic.


    She was just sessfully convincing herself that it was okay when a sudden thought hit her. What if the girl had been nted in the cell as a spy to act like they were in simr situations just to gather information from her?


    That was possible, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Oh,¡± the girl said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s a bummer. I can imagine how hard it must be for you.¡±


    But she sounded so honest. So pure in that lilting voice.


    How could she be faking that?


    She also sounded young. Like a teenager. Just how young was she?


    ¡°It is,¡± Maria admitted on a sigh, walking over to the bench and dropping her ass on it. She scooted in until her back was to the wall andid her head on the cool stone. ¡°I¡¯m starting to believe that I¡¯ll probably spend my entire life moving from one cell to another.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say that,¡± the girl said quickly, sounding a bit sad. For someone she didn¡¯t even know. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be leaving soon, and then you can go home.¡±


    Home.


    Maria didn¡¯t have a home.


    It used to be this cursed pce, but now¡­ Now that she¡¯d left for a while into the outside world where she¡¯d seen different creatures for the first time, where she¡¯d stood by that window, overlooking the beauty of the vampire realm, where she¡¯d slept in a cave, and spoken with a woman like herself after a long time without being forced to, now that she¡¯d experienced all these, she knew that she didn¡¯t have a home.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure I have a home anymore,¡± she whispered brokenly, her voice so low that it was a miracle that the girl heard her.


    The girl was quiet for a while before speaking again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    Maria nodded, not that the girl could see her, but she was unable to speak past the huge lump in her throat.


    Until the girl had asked her the question, she didn¡¯t fully realise just how lost and alone she was in this world. She¡¯d been captured and tortured by a vampire king because he believed that she deserved everything that he was doing to her, only to be captured-yes, she was going to use the word captured because she hadn¡¯t gone with them willingly-back by her father so that she could resume her duty.


    As his weapon.


    Other than her mother, who wasn¡¯t even conscious and therefore could count as nobody, she had no-one. Not even the man she called father, because she was positive that if it ever came down to it and she had to choose between her father and the vampire, she would choose the vampire in a heartbeat and it wasn¡¯t just because she was attracted to him.


    He might hurt her with his words and the even more hurtful looks he gave her, but he didn¡¯t make her do things she didn¡¯t want to. He might torture her in a lot of ways-some physical, some mental-but he would never ask her to torture others.


    He could treat her in the cruelest way possible, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt as much as anything her father did to her because he wasn¡¯t family.


    Families were supposed to have each other¡¯s backs. Why was it different with her?

 The Vampire鈥檚 sister

    MARIA


    Tears sprang in her eyes as she thought about how viciously the vampire went about finding his sister. He¡¯d risked his life by storming one of the most powerful sorcerer¡¯s castle unharmed. He¡¯d captured her, tortured her, anything to get the location of his sister.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    He was ruthless, and he¡¯d never given up.


    Why then was her own father treating her this way?


    The only reason he¡¯d fought to get her back-and not as viciously-was because of what she had to offer. He¡¯d also said that she was of more importance to him now and even though she didn¡¯t really understand that statement, she knew that it had to be for one of his selfish reasons.


    Was that supposed to make her feel better?


    It made her feel worse!


    She didn¡¯t realised that she¡¯d been crying until she felt a tear tickle her nose and she wiped it away, sniffling silently.


    Get it together, Maria, she thought sternly, trying to pull herself together.


    Crying wasn¡¯t going to make her feel better and it definitely wasn¡¯t going to get her out of here.


    To take her mind off her situation, she decided to get to know the girl in the next cell a little bit more.


    ¡°You said you saw mee in here?¡± When the girl said, ¡®yes¡¯, she asked. ¡°How long have you been in here then?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The girl¡¯s hesitation was obvious and Maria got the feeling that she was contemting over telling her the truth. She was probably wondering if she could trust her.


    That had a small smile touching Maria¡¯s lips. Hadn¡¯t she just been thinking the same thing a few minutes ago?


    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re close to the man who just left here and, honestly, I¡¯m not sure how much I can trust you.¡±


    Maria frowned in confusion before remembering that her father hade to see her and they¡¯d talked. She¡¯d almost forgotten that the girl was sitting right there which meant that she¡¯d heard everything.


    Maria hurried to assure her. ¡°You can trust me. I have¡­ There is no love lost between the both of us.¡±


    ¡°Is he your boyfriend?¡±


    A crease formed between Maria¡¯s brows. ¡°Boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, is he?¡± The girl pressed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means. Do you mean a boy who happens to be my friend?¡± She asked. ¡°If that¡¯s what you mean, then no, he¡¯s not. ¡±


    She heard a huff ofughter and reluctantly, a smile pulled at Maria¡¯s lips even though she really didn¡¯t understand why the girl wasughing. Had she said something funny?


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± She said in between bouts ofughter. ¡°I mean, is he like, you know¡­. your lover.¡±


    Oh.


    That was what she meant.


    A reaction that the dirty cell had not been able to elicit out of her, the thought of her father being her lover did it and it was out of sheer will-and knowing that she would not see water to clean up-that she fought back the incredible urge to vomit.


    ¡°Oh, gods no. He¡¯s not.¡± She shivered again. ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The girlughed even more before she finally sobered up. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯m sorry, I just assumed because you guys sounded¡­ close? I think.¡± She paused. ¡°How old are you, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-three. Why?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± She could picture the girl that sounded a lot like a teenager shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t mean this in a rude way but shouldn¡¯t a girl of your age know what a boyfriend is? You must have had a couple.¡±


    Maria couldn¡¯t even take offense if she wanted to, but she did feel a bit ashamed that she hadn¡¯t had one. And because she didn¡¯t want to delve into a long exnation as to why she hadn¡¯t, she decided to change the topic.


    ¡°So,¡± she urged, making deliberate effort to hide the sadness she felt from her voice. ¡°How long have you been in here?¡±


    She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her hands around them. Suddenly, she realised that the hollow feeling in her chest had dissapeared and she no longer felt as lonely as she did before.


    She knew it was because she now had someone to talk to and silently, she sent a prayer up to the gods in thanks.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been in here for about three months.¡± The girl spoke up again and Maria¡¯s eyes widened.


    Three months in this cell?


    She¡¯d spent weeks in the vampire¡¯s cell and she¡¯d almost run mad. How had this girl managed to survive?


    ¡°Shit. That¡¯s a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Honestly, this might sound crazy, but I¡¯m not in a hurry to leave.¡± The girl told her and Maria was just about to ask why when the girl continued. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to look forward to when I leave. Absolutely nothing at all. There¡¯s nothing waiting for me on the other side.¡±


    Maria¡¯s heart gave a sharp pang.


    Those words¡­ She understood them so much because she was going through the same thing. Maria had nothing to look forward to when she left. The only difference between her and the girl was that she-Maria-actually wanted to leave. She just didn¡¯t know where she would go.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a home?¡± Maria asked her. ¡°Parents? Siblings?¡±


    ¡°I do have a home, but can it really be called a home anymore? My parents were killed right before my very eyes and as for siblings, I have a brother but I rarely see him.¡±


    ¡°Your parents were killed in front of you?¡±


    Gods, how traumatising the experience must have been for her. No child deserved to watch their parents being killed in front of them.


    ¡°They were. By an evil sorceress,¡± she confirmed, and Maria froze, her muscles knotting as tension stole through her. ¡°Right before they captured me and brought me here. So, yes, I really do not have anything to go back to.¡±


    Oh gods.


    Oh fuck, fuck, fuck.


    The girl kept on talking, but Maria wasn¡¯t paying attention anymore.


    Her heart was mming against her ribcage like a jackhammer and her fingers were shaking around her legs.


    The girl in the cell next to her¡­


    The girl she¡¯d been talking to for the past hour was none other than the vampire¡¯s sister.

 Introspection

    MARIA


    It had been a week since she¡¯d been here and all Ariti¡¯s attempts to get the cor off her have been futile.


    His frustration increased each time and after thest try, he¡¯d backhanded her out of anger, looking away as she¡¯d collided against the wall and fallen to the ground. The amount of strength he had in that his small frame never failed to amaze her every single time he wielded it on her.


    The strength of an immortal came with age, and by that rule, the longer an immortal lived, the stronger they got, irrespective of their species.


    Ariti was over a thousand years old. Therefore, he was a thousand times stronger than the average Sorceri.


    It was there, in that moment when she¡¯d been lying on the cold floor of the court-room, the court-room where she¡¯d once been the one torturing people and not the other way round, that she made up her mind that she was going to escape.


    It seemed an impossible feat and unlike before where she¡¯d been careful in order not to get caught, this time she didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t care if she got injured or killed while trying to escape because she didn¡¯t have anything left. She had absolutely no-one.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Was dying not a better option than living from one cell to another? Was it not better than forever living in bondage?


    Because deep inside her heart she knew that if Ariti somehow found a way to get that cor off her, she was going to go back to doing all his dirty work for him. Killing and torturing innocent people, soiling her name even more than it already was.


    And she didn¡¯t want to go back to doing that. She didn¡¯t want to go back to that life.


    Before, she¡¯d killed those people because she had to, tortured them because she wanted to protect the one thing she valued more. But not anymore. Now, she understood that her actions had consequences. Irreversible and unsalvageable ones.


    And meeting Corey and the girl in the next cell had made her realize that.


    Her heart was heavy from the number of deaths she¡¯d caused and she could barely breathe through the pressure in her chest.


    The death of Corey¡¯s mate still haunted her even in her sleep. She just couldn¡¯t bear the thought that she¡¯d sentenced the man to a life without his mate, which was a fate worse than death. And everytime she thought about him finally deciding that he¡¯d suffered enough and wanted to take his life, a sharp painnced through her chest.


    Then there was the vampire¡¯s sister.


    She¡¯d also taken from the girl. Taken her parents from her and her freedom as well. She¡¯d taken so much that the girl couldn¡¯t even find it in her to want to leave this godsforsaken ce because she thought she had nothing waiting for her on the other side.


    When Maria had found out who she was, she¡¯d wanted to tell her that her brother was fighting ruthlessly to get her back, that he was going out of his way and doing everything he could. But that would only mean exposing her identity and she couldn¡¯t do that.


    She felt guilty as hell for speaking to the girl, acting like a good person when really, she was the cause of the girl¡¯s suffering but she just couldn¡¯t tell her who she was. She¡¯d reduced their interaction, thinking that it would help, but it only made Maria feel worse because she was holding back from talking to a girl she genuinely liked due to what she¡¯d done to said girl.


    She was hurting and drowning in regret. She had to leave and a small part of her hoped that she¡¯d die in the process. She¡¯d rather be dead than keep watching the one thing she valued most in the worlds suffer. At least then she¡¯d be free from the ache she constantly carried in her heart.


    At least then she would stop feeling.


    Maria¡¯s hands shook with hunger as she sharpened the wood she¡¯d cut off from the edge of the bench.


    She¡¯d requested for a knife along with slice of bread they¡¯d given to her today. The guard had been a bit hesitant, refusing to grant her request, but then she reminded him that Ariti had ordered him to give her anything she wanted as long as she stayed inside her cell and he¡¯dplied-albeit grudgingly.


    She hacked at the piece of wood until it¡¯s tip formed a sharp point that when put under pressure, could prate the skin.


    Perfect.


    Her n was toe up with something that would make the guarde closer, then she would shove the weapon into his neck as far as it would go. Then, she would collect the set of keys from his belt loop, unlock her cell and unlock the girl¡¯s cell too. She was not going to escape without her.


    That, Maria knew.


    She kept the de carefully hidden by her dress and sat on the bench, resting her back against the wall.


    Immediately, she thought about the girl. It was mostly when they talked that Maria sat like this, wishing that the wall wasn¡¯t between them so that they would see each other.


    All the times the guards havee for her to drag her to the courtroom, they always had a bag over her head and only took it off when they¡¯d reached the court-room, making it impossible for her to see the girl. She believed that they did it deliberately.

 Brother?

    MARIA


    ¡°Hello?¡± Maria called out in a loud voice. ¡°Is someone there?¡±


    She¡¯d wanted to wait for another day before carrying out her n, but she¡¯d had it. She was hungry and angry and so fucking frustrated, she could barely sit still for another second.


    She wanted to get out of here and she wanted to get out of here now.


    ¡°Hello!¡± She shouted when nobody appeared still.


    Then, as if angry with her shouting, the door flew open and and the guard poked his head in, an annoyed look on his face. ¡°What?¡± He barked.


    ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°With what?¡± He barked again and Maria wished she could have her powers back even if just for a second so that she would render him speechless. Literally.


    She gingerly cradled her left arm. ¡°I fell from the bench while I was sleeping and I think I might have dislocated it.¡± She lied. ¡°Could you please help me pop it back into ce?¡±


    The brown-haired, crusty-faced, miserable piece-of-shit stared at her as if she¡¯d asked him to crawl to her on his knees. ¡°I¡¯m not going to help you with that.¡± He pointed at the wall in her cell. ¡°Move over to the wall and get it done yourself.¡±


    Anger boiled in the pits of her stomach likerva and she barely held herself back from hauling all the curse words she knew at him.


    Gritting her teeth to hold back the words, she forced a tremor into her voice and said, ¡°Please.¡±


    He red at her for a full minute, still standing by the door, half in and half out. He grunted then stepped into the space, shoving his sword into the sheath at his hips. ¡°This better be yourst fucking request for the day or I swear, I¡¯m not going to give you your meal tomorrow.¡± He threatened, making his way over to her cell slowly. ¡°Gonna eat it right on top of mine. Not like those meals ever really satisfy me, anyway.¡±


    She¡¯d experienced severe hunger and now she knew that it was far worse than a lot of torture techniques, and yet this fool had the audacity to threaten her with taking her food?


    He was a fool. And it would make killing him all the easier. She would do it with a clear conscience.


    She rose up from the bench, her hand tight around the wood and she hoped the material of her gown kept it hidden. She walked over to the bars as he drew closer to it, and suddenly, he halted, his eyes darting around and widen.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°What was what?¡±


    Why was he just standing there?


    He was so close. All she needed was for him to take two more steps and she¡¯d be able to attack.


    Why the hell did he decide to stop walking now?


    ¡°That noise.¡± He clipped out. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear it?¡±


    Now that she took note, she did hear something. It sounded like a man groaning in what had to be pain, then another groan cut his short and now, it was two men groaning.


    It was disturbing. But she didn¡¯t give a fuck. All she wanted was for him toe closer to her so that she could strike.


    The keys swung off his hips as he walked, clinking with every step he took and it drew her eyes, making her crazed with the need to grab him and get it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the bloody noise, just get over here and help me!¡± She snapped in frustration, and that was apparently the worst thing to do because his eyes snapped to hers and anger clouded them.


    ¡°Fucking selfish bitch,¡± he spat, already turning around. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you¡¯re locked in there. And why you¡¯ll remain in there.¡±


    Tears filled her eyes as yet again, her chances of escape slipped right out of her grasp. She barely held the tears in check as they threatened to fall.


    Frustrated, she turned around and stormed over to the bench, dropping down on it.


    The guard walked out and closed the door behind him as the sounds grew louder and this time, she was positive she heard the ng of swords amidst the groans and grunts.


    There was a fight going on out there, and from the sounds of it, a bloody one.


    ¡°Are you there?¡±


    Maria perked up at the sound of the soft voice, at the same time she felt a wave of sadness hit her.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s obviously something going on out there and there¡¯s a huge chance we might get caught in it.¡± She said softly. ¡°If at all we do, and we don¡¯t see each other again after today, I¡¯d love to know your name.¡±


    The tears Maria had been trying to hold back broke free, and one slid down her cheek, quickly followed by another.


    She knew that she was making a mistake. She knew that there was noing back from this. But she was willing to risk it. She liked the girl too much to keep holding back the truth from her.


    ¡°Maria,¡± she choked.


    There was a smile in the girl¡¯s voice when she said, ¡°I love your name. I¡¯m Iris.¡±


    She didn¡¯t ce the connection.


    More tears fell down Maria¡¯s and she fought back a sob so that Iris wouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°I love your name too, Iris.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    There was a silence where the both of them just absorbed the moment, with Maria struggling to stem her tears.


    Suddenly, something hit the door and then fell to the ground with a thud.


    Maria¡¯s heart quickened as she braced herself for what was toe. If she died now, at least she would know it was not at the hands of Ariti.


    Then the door was wrenched open and a big man stepped through.


    Her breath caught.


    He had hair as dark as night, and an expression so ruthless, no one would dare cross him. Anger marred the handsome lines of his face and his lips pressed down in an unimpressed line.


    ¡°Vampire?¡± She gasped at the same time Iris screamed, ¡°Brother?¡±

 I鈥檓 going to get her back

    BRAN


    Bran walked down the long corridor to Corey¡¯s private room, a thought running through his mind over and over like a record on loop, until it pushed out all his other thoughts and it was the only thing he could think of.


    When he reached the door, he pushed it open and barged in without knocking, announcing, ¡°I¡¯m going to get her back.¡±


    The upants of the room froze, shocked by his sudden presence and manner, and stared at him with simr expressions of shock mixed with wariness on their faces.


    Corey snapped to his feet, his eyes widening with surprise before he quickly masked his expression and with his eyes never leaving Bran, said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to cut this meeting short. We¡¯ll continueter.¡±


    The men nodded and hastily rushed out of the room, one of them reaching for a sheet of paper but Corey told him to leave it and he nodded sharply, hurrying out.


    ¡°What the hell, Bran?¡± Corey asked, pushing away from the table and running his hand through his hair roughly.


    It was then that Bran noticed that a maid-the one that had been assigned to Maria-was slowly clearing the table in front of Corey. He stood, waiting for her to finish up and leave before they started talking, but she was taking forever. Bran¡¯s eyes narrowed and he had the sinking suspicion that she was doing it deliberately so that she would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    Corey, probably noticing that Bran had been silent for a long time, looked at him and saw that his narrowed eyes were on the maid who thought she was being discreet.


    Understanding lit up Corey¡¯s eyes. ¡°Leave.¡±


    The maid, at first, must not have known that the words were for her because she kept loading empty sses on a tray.


    ¡°Leave, Olivia. Now.¡± Corey¡¯s voice was firm enough to have her head flying up and her eyes widening in mock innocence. ¡°You maye backter and finish it up.¡±


    She nodded at that, bent in greeting and turned to leave with the tray in her hand. Her eyes flitted up to Bran briefly as she passed and when she saw that Bran was staring right at her, her eyes jerked away. She kept her head down until she left the room.


    ¡°Why is she so interested in what we have to say?¡± Bran asked as he walked over to the chair on the other side of Corey¡¯s desk and dropped down on it.


    He¡¯d barely fed these past few days. He¡¯d been doing too much thinking and most times, he¡¯d end up forgetting to drink. Today his eyes had caught his reflection in his bathroom mirror and he saw that he¡¯d lost weight. It wasn¡¯t ringly obvious, but anyone who knew him well would notice it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice until you pointed it out,¡± Corey said from his position by the window. ¡°Olivia has worked for me for a very long time. I believe it was nothing more than harmless curiosity.¡±


    Bran was jaded as hell and hard a hard time epting things on the surface. He always made sure to investigate and find out why a person did anything they did, but just this once because he was tired and had other things to worry about-one of them being why he was here in the first ce-he decided to take Corey¡¯s word for it.


    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re going to get her back?¡± Corey asked, bringing them back to the topic at hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m going after her, Corey.¡± His friend turned away from the window and levelled Bran with an unbelieving, almost betrayed look that made Bran sigh tiredly and lean back into the chair, pressing his fingers into his eyes. ¡°There is something you should know.¡±


    Bran proceeded to tell Corey about his dreams. About how he¡¯d seen Maria being forced to kill and torture people by her father and how she¡¯d refused but he¡¯d threatened to kill her mother, who, apparently, was Maria¡¯s only parent.


    He refused to ssify Ariti as a parent.


    At first when Bran had seen the floating woman in his dream, he¡¯d wondered who she was. But he¡¯d had more dreams ever since that night and the more dreams he had, the more everything started to make sense to him.


    Maria loved her mother with a fierceness that staggered Bran. He knew; he¡¯d felt it. And that love for her mother was the only reason Maria carried out her father¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± was the only thing Corey could say when Bran was done.


    The man had seen a whole lot in his life-he was just as old as Bran and they¡¯d fought together in several battles-and things rarely surprised him, but his eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open.


    That said something.


    He pushed away from the window and walked over, dropping into the chair opposite Bran. He frowned. ¡°Wait, how were you able to dream her memories when you didn¡¯t drink her blood?¡­ Or did you?¡±


    Bran was sure that his expression was answer enough. He felt a bit guilty and suddenly like he was being studied under a microscope, and he was sure that it showed in his face.


    Shock wove into Corey¡¯s expression. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°The night before we came here.¡± Bran looked away, ufortable with the intensity in Corey¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Corey sounded like he was hedging for more. More that Bran wasn¡¯t so sure he wanted to give. ¡°Hell, Bran, you know I wouldn¡¯t usually stick my nose in your business like this, but I just want to know¡­ How?¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    He figured he might as well give Corey a watered down version of what happened that night. ¡°We kissed, my fang pierced her identally, her blood slipped down my throat, you get the gist.¡±


    Silence.

 Get the witch here

    BRAN


    Bran looked away and started fiddling with the cor of his shirt. Had the room suddenly grown hotter?


    ¡°Her blood slid down your throat?¡± Corey asked slowly, a hint of something in his voice, but Bran couldn¡¯t ce it. ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°The hell do you mean?¡± He snapped.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± His friend said quickly, lifting his hands in surrender. ¡°Of course I was just thinking that maybe the blood didn¡¯t just slide down your throat. Maybe you swallowed it?¡±


    It was then that Bran noticed that his friend was fucking with him. It was so strange that it took Bran a while to even realize that that was what he was doing, mainly because he¡¯d slipped so much into the dark, he rarely smiled orughed anymore.


    Bran grunted and sat up. ¡°Do you realize what this means? It means that everything we med her for wasn¡¯t at all her fault. She might have been the one that did the killing, but she didn¡¯t have any other choice.¡± A sudden desperation to make Corey understand gripped him. ¡°I felt her pain each fucking time, Corey. She would never have done those things if she¡¯d had another choice and she couldn¡¯t run away because of her mother, so she had to stay while Ariti used her like¡­ like a¡­¡± he struggled to find the word, his thoughts in dissaray.


    ¡°Like a weapon,¡± Corey supplied, his expression nk, fingers steepled in front of him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Brantched onto the word like a lifeline. ¡°Like a weapon. That¡¯s why he came back for her. That¡¯s why he¡¯s fighting for her.¡±


    Fuck.


    Bran shot up from the chair, unable to sit still as he thought about what Maria must be going through now that her father had her back.


    How many people had he forced her to kill?


    How many people had he forced her to torture?? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    How was she coping?


    ¡°Forgive my silence,¡± Corey said from behind him. ¡°I¡¯m still trying toe to terms with the fact that I¡¯ve been holding a grudge towards an innocent woman for years.¡±


    Bran spun on his heel and faced him, a weight lifting off his chest at Corey¡¯s words which meant that he believed him.


    He fucking believed him.


    He struggled to mask his relief. ¡°I need to go after her. I need to bring her back. She must be suffering, thinking-¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure she¡¯d want to follow you?¡± Corey cut him short, the words sending a needle into his little balloon of hope. ¡°She hates her father, yes, but how are you so sure she doesn¡¯t hate you too? Are you suddenly forgetting everything? How you¡¯ve treated her?¡±


    Bran squeezed his temple, wishing that he could unhear the words he¡¯d just heard because he knew that they were perfectly reasonable questions. He suspected she might hate him just as much as she hated her father. Proof of that being her two attempts at escape.


    He¡¯d treated her wrongly, in a way he¡¯d never treated any other woman because he¡¯d thought that he was doing what he needed to do. That he was merely treating her the way she deserved to be treated.


    He¡¯d starved her, refused to let her have a bath while he kept her in that dirty cell. He¡¯d almost cut her hand, she still bore the scar till this day and she would forever.


    How could she not hate him?


    Even he hated himself so much for what he¡¯d done to an innocent. Someone that was as much a victim as his sister was.


    ¡°Bran, I know you-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about thatter.¡± The words came out harder than he¡¯d intended. He hated taking his anger out on his friend, but he just didn¡¯t want to think about the possibility that she might not want toe back with him. He just didn¡¯t. ¡°I just need you to help me reach out to the witch who can open portals. I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Today?¡± The surprise was obvious in Corey¡¯s voice. ¡°Do you even have a n?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one. I didn¡¯t have one the first time I went there.¡± He turned back to face his friend. ¡°Just please get the witch here.¡±


    Corey¡¯s jaw was tight as he nodded once, reaching for his phone to ce the call.


    ***


    ¡°A little birdie told me that my services are required.¡± The witch announced as she strode into the house in all her spooky glory.


    She had on jeans that sat low on her hips, a shirt that stopped above her belly button with the words ¡®SCREAM¡¯ boldly written on it in an equally spooky font, and a raven perched on her shoulder.


    Bran barely held back a shudder.


    ¡°I need you to open a portal.¡±


    ¡°She also told me that it was a certain vampire.¡± The beautiful woman said with her red lips stretched in a smile. ¡°I guess she was right. She didn¡¯t mention he was royalty, though. Bummer.¡±


    ¡°Get on with it, witch,¡± Bran snapped, his sword clutched in a death-grip in his hand.


    Sheughed breezily, either unaware of Bran¡¯s rising ire or disregarding it. Bran didn¡¯t know which pissed him off more.


    ¡°My, someone¡¯s in a mood.¡± She flipped her blue hair over her shoulder and faced a wall in the living room, both hands stretched in front of her. ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Same asst time.¡± Bran gritted out. ¡°Realm of Sorceri. Specifically, Ariti¡¯s house.¡±


    The woman cocked a brow before nodding and moving her hands in a circr motion and before their very eyes, a portal swirled into life, growing bigger with the minute.


    Bran caught Corey¡¯s eye over the witch¡¯s head and gave him a nod of reassurance.


    Corey had volunteered to go with him, but news hade that more demons had been captured by the same group of humans and he had to intervene. He¡¯d wanted toe regardless but Bran had told him to stay back and help his people.


    Bran had to face this battle alone.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± the witch announced and when Bran turned back to the portal, he saw that he was staring into the inside of Ariti¡¯s house.


    He nodded once to the witch and without another nce at Corey, stepped through the portal.

 Reunion

    BRAN


    Damn, but the man had a shit ton of guards, Bran thought as he wiped the blood from his sword on the dead man¡¯s shirt, before continuing down the hall.


    The house was huge with several wings. He¡¯d gone through some, checking the rooms in search of Maria, but he hadn¡¯t found her in anyone. Instead, he¡¯d found a group of guards more than ready to chop his head off.


    Too bad they were the ones that had gotten their heads chopped.


    He was lucky, though, that the men hadn¡¯t raised rm. Well, to be fair, he hadn¡¯t given them the chance to. He¡¯d descended upon them before they could even raise their swords and the frozen looks of shock on their faces could ount for that.


    He reached another door in the hallway and pushed it open, frowning when he still didn¡¯t see Maria. Where the hell was she?


    There were still a few rooms that he hadn¡¯t searched but in all honesty, Bran was starting to doubt that she was in any of them.


    What if she wasn¡¯t in one of the rooms?


    She hated her father, right? And she¡¯d gone with him unwillingly. He probably wouldn¡¯t keep her in a room where the chances of escape were higher, especially now that she¡¯d been taken from him before.


    What if he¡¯d kept her somewhere where she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape?


    He decided to ce himself in Ariti¡¯s shoes. Where would he keep someone if he didn¡¯t want them to escape?


    He froze as the answer came to him.


    A cell.


    Jumping into action, Bran made his way down the dark staircase, hoping not to run into any guard that would raise rm.


    His wish was short-lived, however, when he turned a corner down in what he hoped was the dungeon and bumped into a few guards. They shouted with both shock and anger and they were a lot less quieter than the few he¡¯d killed upstairs, groaning and grunting as his sword cut through them.


    Seriously, where did Ariti find these weaklings he called men?


    Bran killed them in no time and again, wiped his sword on them. It was something he¡¯d learnt when he was much younger.


    He hurried down the corridor as his sharp ear picked up the sound of two voices. They were female and not only that, he was getting a strong sense of familiarity from them.


    Could one of them be Maria?


    A door sat at the end of the corridor and Bran sheathed his sword, moving to open the door just as a body mmed into his from behind, causing his grip on the door handle to slip.


    Angry that he was being dyed, Bran turned around and gripped the man by his cor then mmed him into the door. Once, then twice, making sure that his head hit the iron door on each m, before dropping the man to the ground.


    Bran didn¡¯t have to check. The man was dead.


    He wrenched the door open and let it m against the wall, his eyes making a sweep of the room.


    ¡°Vampire?¡± A throaty, familiar voice called, filled with surprise, just as another small, familiar voice asked, ¡°Brother?¡±


    There were a few times in Bran¡¯s life when he¡¯d been rendered speechless. In fact, he could count on one hand the number of times.


    Now, however, was one of those times.


    Bran froze, unable toprehend or believe what his eyes were seeing.


    A row of cells lined the wall on the other side of the room and on two of those cells, side by side, were Maria and¡­ and his sister.


    Maria sat on a bench on the cell to the left and his sister whom he hadn¡¯t seen in ages, sat on the bench on the cell on the right.


    His heart quickened, beating at a fast pace that he was certain if it went on for much longer, would give him a heart attack.


    How was it possible that after months of searching for her, after the length he¡¯d gone to get her back, she was just sitting in this cell, waiting for him toe rescue her?


    ¡°Is it really you?¡± She asked again, her eyes wide and shock-filled. She was probably just as in shock as Bran was, if not more.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    If he was taking it this way, then he could only imagine how hard it must be for her to process.


    He took a step forward, saw how rubbery his legs were, and forced strength into them before taking another step.


    ¡°Iris?¡± He asked in a voiceden with disbelief, making his way over to her cell slowly.


    She leapt from her bench and hurried over to the gate, gripping it, and Bran was sure that if she could pass right through it just to get to him, she would.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you,¡± she whispered, tears springing into her eyes, and just like he used to do to her when she was little, he wanted to pull her into a hug and tell her that everything would be okay. But that damned gate prevented him from doing it.


    ¡°Neither can I,¡± he told her, then observed the gate.


    It was held in ce by a single lock. If he could break it, then she was out of there.


    He leveled her with a soft, yet firm look. ¡°Step back.¡±


    She nodded and hurried back and Bran took two steps backward, braced himself and rammed his foot hard into the lock. It shattered immediately and he pushed it open for her to walk through.


    She didn¡¯t just walk through; she ran and leapt into his arms, hugging him so tightly, she almost cut off his air-flow, but Bran didn¡¯t mind. He hugged her back just as fiercely, cing his chin on top of her head and giving her back reassuring pats.


    She sobbed against him, wetting his shirt and the sight of her crying made Bran hurt. His heart ached in his chest and he struggled to reduce the shaking in his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Iris,¡± he soothed her. ¡°We¡¯re okay now.¡±


    He felt her nod and also noticed that her tears had reduced to snifles.


    He finally had his sister back. She was fine. She was okay.


    But why did he feel like he was forgetting something?

 Separation

    BRAN


    His eyes popped open suddenly and he saw Maria in the next cell, sitting on the bench with her arms around her legs, staring at them with a lost expression on her face.


    She looked sad and small sitting in the corner like that, looking lonely and abandoned, and Bran saw a look of longing fleet across her expression as she stared at them hugging.


    A strange feeling filled his chest, his lungs tightening until he could barely get any air. He didn¡¯t know whether it was because he¡¯d dreamed her memories and seen first hand what she went through that made his feelings for her so acute and strong, but he could not bear to see that look on her face for another minute more.


    How abandoned she must feel. How lonely.


    She needed to know that he¡¯de here because of her. She had to know that she was important. He would tell her, but not now. He would tell her when they were back safely in Corey¡¯s home.


    He pulled away from Iris softly and backed away so that he could break into Maria¡¯s cell. Her eyes widened as he broke the lock and wrenched the gate open.


    Slowly, she rose from the bench, her expression skeptical. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re letting me out?¡±


    Had she thought that he was just going to take his sister and leave?


    Yes. Yes, she¡¯d thought so.


    Because he was cruel to her. Because she believed him to be just as heartless as her father was.


    Little did she know that he¡¯d dreamed her memories and his perception of her had done aplete one-eighty.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said simply and he had to force that single word out of his mouth. His throat was clogged with emotions-regret, tenderness, self-hate and a few that he couldn¡¯t name at the moment.


    She stared at him, unable to believe that he was actually letting her go and that made him wonder just how much of an asshole he must have been to her.


    She nodded and stepped out of the cell, halting suddenly when she saw Iris. Bran could almost feel the charge in the air as they stared at each other, the expressions on their faces unreadable.


    Maria knew who Iris was but did Iris know that this was the woman who had killed her parents?


    Bran watched the women with bated breath, at a loss for what to do. Dread filled him as he waited for what woulde next even when at the same time, he was curious to watch how it would y out.


    Suddenly, Iris crossed the small space between them in three quick strides and engulfed Maria in a hug, burying her face in the older woman¡¯s neck.


    Bran blinked.


    What the hell?


    Maria¡¯s eyes were wide as saucers as she slowly wrapped her hands around his sister, hugging her back tentatively. Almost immediately, her eyes flew to Bran, a silent question in them.


    She was asking him if it was okay to hug her back. Bran¡¯s throat worked on a swallow and he gave her a sharp nod, looking away quickly.


    He now had an answer to his question. Iris didn¡¯t know who Maria was-at least what she¡¯d done-and from the tense lines of Maria¡¯s shoulders, she didn¡¯t know how she was going to handle it.


    Bran almost felt bad for her.


    Together, the three of them crept out of the dungeon and made their way back to where the portal waited for them.


    Just a few feet away from the portal, their way was blocked by a group of guards and Bran unsheathed his sword, telling Maria and Iris to stay behind him.


    The men were much and as he struggled to fight them, he saw one run towards Maria, his intentions clear.


    Panic seized Bran and he shoved the man in front of him away, narrowly missing the man¡¯s sword by mere centimetres. The man leapt at him again, preventing him from getting to Maria and frustration filled him.


    Just as he finally fell the man and turned to help Maria, he watched her shove something into the man¡¯s neck and the man froze, shock filling his face as he crumpled to the ground.


    Bran, too, was shocked as hell. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I had¡­ wood.¡± She muttered.


    He bent and turned the man over. It was then that he understood what she meant. A sharp splinter of wood protruded from the dead man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    She held his eyes when she said, ¡°I made it.¡±


    His mouth gaped.


    He quickly turned to his sister, wondering how she was dealing with witnessing such brutal killing, but she merely shrugged. ¡°He deserved it.¡±


    He almostughed. Almost.


    His sister was apparently tougher than she¡¯d been before.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he urged guiding them towards the portal.


    They were so close, he couldn¡¯t believe it. He was so close to getting both his sister and Maria out of here, more than he bargained for.


    He could almost taste the beginnings of freedom on his tongue.


    ¡°Bran!¡± His sister screamed suddenly. Bran turned sharply and saw her floating in air and away from him as though being pulled away by an invisible force.


    A roar tore from his throat as he ran after her. He caught her hand and tried to pull her back but the force was just too strong. No matter how hard he pulled, she kept going away from him.


    ¡°Vampire!¡± He heard a voice call from the other side of the portal. ¡°You have toe back now. I can¡¯t keep the portal open for much longer.¡±


    Ignoring the voice, he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip, his legs skidding across the floor as moved with her.


    He couldn¡¯t just let her go after trying to get her back for such a long time. He just couldn¡¯t.


    But then she seemed to be wrenched out of his hands and his grip slipped.


    ¡°No!¡± He shouted as she flew away from him just as Ariti and a woman in a flowing blue gown appeared a few feet away from them.


    ¡°How wonderful it is to see you again, vampire,¡± Ariti grinned coldly and Bran felt unholy rage course through him.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± He yelled.


    ¡°How about I strike a deal with you?¡± Ariti asked, all calm and collected, not the least bit bothered. ¡°You bring my daughter to me and I¡¯ll give you your sister.¡±


    Irisnded on the floor next to the woman, her hands pressed to her sides as though she was bound. Her eyes widened in shock as they darted between Ariti and Maria, and hurt filled her eyes. ¡°Daughter?¡±


    Then the woman in the blue gown lifted her hand andunched a st at Bran thatnded directly on his chest, blew him a kiss, then they dissapeared into thin air.


    Bran shoved his fingers into his hair, yanking hard on the strands. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Vampire!¡± The voice called again with more urgency than the first time. ¡°You have to leave now.¡±


    Bran¡¯s heart was heavy with the realisation that he was going to leave once more without his sister. This time it was worse because he¡¯d seen her with his eyes.


    He stepped through the portal, knowing that there was no way he could find Ariti and try to fight for his sister and the thought made every step he took harder.


    With onest look at Ariti¡¯s house, he stepped through the portal with Maria.


    It wasn¡¯t until he was on the other side that he remembered that he¡¯d been hit by that woman, but nothing had happened to him.

 I don鈥檛 know

    MARIA


    Maria shifted on the bed, pulled out of sleep by a terrible nightmare.


    She¡¯d dreamt that her father, furious that she¡¯d left him, had taken his anger out on her mother by torturing her endlessly until her mother had given up. Dead.


    Sitting up, she pushed her hair back from her face with shaky hands, dimly registering the sheets falling to her thighs because her nerves were frayed, her thoughts and feelings all over the ce from the activities of the day-and the past week if she was beingpletely honest.


    From being captured by her father-she was not going to dwell on how ironic that was-to discovering that the girl in the cell next to her¡¯s was the vampire¡¯s sister-who she now knew his name was Bran-to being freed by said vampire, then to his sister being taken from him again.


    Honestly, she felt bad for him.


    So bloody guilty because it was all her fault and she should be the one paying for it. Not his sister.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    It was her that had killed the vampire king and queen. It was her that had captured Iris. If she hadn¡¯t done any of those things, then none of this would have happened. The vampire would never have lost his sister and the two realms would have never had bad blood between them.


    The vampire would have never captured her and the vampire realm would still have their beloved king and queen. She would have still been with Ariti¡­ torturing and killing innocent people.


    Right.


    She was back to the start again. There was-


    Suddenly, she felt a presence in the room.


    A body stood by the window, blocking the light from the moon and therefore, casting the it upon the person. She couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face, but they were big and from the lines of the body, she knew that this person was male.


    Her heart mmed against her ribcage as she scooted back on the bed, fear coursing through her and almost rendering her paralyzed, unable to make her muscles move. But when she thought about the thought of dying or being captured again, she forced her mouth open and prepared to scream.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± the man said quickly, his voice deep and familiar.


    It wasn¡¯t because he¡¯d told her not to scream that she¡¯d stopped and it certainly wasn¡¯t because she was scared of him-it was because she knew who he was. And that was the only reason she kept her mouth shut.


    Her heart slowed to it¡¯s normal pace as the vampire-she just found it strange to call him Bran in her head when she¡¯d been calling him ¡®the vampire¡¯ for so long-stepped out of the shadows, his face slightly illuminated by the light from her bedsidemp.


    He was still dressed in his clothes from earlier when he¡¯d rescued them. ck pants and a ck T-shirt that moulded to his body, showcasing all his mouthwatering muscles.


    ¡°What are you doing in here?¡± She asked as he walked slowly to her bed.


    He stopped suddenly, then frowned as though he didn¡¯t know why she was asking him such a question. Or maybe he, too, didn¡¯t have an answer to the question and was just as confused by his presence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he ground out.


    So she was right.


    She cocked her head, confused. ¡°You don¡¯t know why you came into my room?¡±


    He sighed then shook his head. Tension lined his shoulders and he looked like he was strung tight, ready to pounce-or flee-at any moment.


    Restless energy poured off him in waves and she had to wonder what was making him this way. Looking like he would rather fight a thousand men than be there standing in front of her in that moment, and yet looking like he wanted to be right there anyway.


    She was sure that he was torn, struggling with his thoughts and it made a sudden feeling of tenderness for him wash over her until she felt like she had to do something about it. She was surprised to realize that she didn¡¯t like him feeling so ufortable. So out of sorts.


    ¡°Do you want to sit?¡± She offered and his beautiful green eyes jumped to hers, shock and confusion written all over his devastatingly handsome face.


    ¡°Sit?¡±


    She nodded, patting the bed next to her. ¡°Yes. Here.¡±


    His eyes red with surprise as though he couldn¡¯t understand why she would want him to sit with her and honestly, she didn¡¯t know why she thought asking him to was a good idea.


    Maybe it was because she¡¯d thought she was going to die in that cell and all of a sudden, he¡¯d showed up and freed her.


    She wasn¡¯t going to lie. When she¡¯d seen him, she¡¯d been surprised, wondering what he¡¯de there to do, but then his sister had called out to him and she figured he¡¯d decided to search for her. Yet, of all the strange activities of the day, it was the fact that he¡¯d freed her that shocked her more.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but he¡¯d done it. And that was why she was being nice to him. She owed him thanks despite how things had gone thest time they saw each other.


    You should probably apologize for that p too, she thought.


    Maria blinked when he settled on the bed just beside her leg, startled at the wave of heat she felt just from being so close to him. She was suddenly so aware of him, of his presence, the rise and fall of his chest and the strength in his arms as they ghosted her thigh.


    His high cheekbones, firm lips, stubbornly strong chin, that straight aristocratic nose, and those beautiful, beautiful green eyes.


    She was now very aware of all of them and it made thinking about anything not rted to him impossible and filling her mind with all things him, very much possible.

 Taking charge

    MARIA


    A gust of breath escaped her lips and as if he had heard the sound, his eyes left the bed and rested on her face. They roved over it like a caress, leaving trails of fire on every part of skin he touched.


    Her breathing kicked up.


    That soldering gaze dropped to her lips and stayed. Her tongue peeked out to wet her dry lips and his throat bobbed.


    ¡°I¡­¡± He shook his head hard. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a good idea.¡±


    Maybe it was because her head was clouded with lust, thoughts of him, but she couldn¡¯t for the life of her process the words he¡¯d just uttered. ¡°Huh?¡±


    He braced his hands on the bed and made to stand. ¡°I should leave.¡±


    Her hands shot out to stop him,tching onto his arm and he froze, his muscles bunching under her fingers. His eyes bounced between her hand on his and her eyes, then his jaw tightened.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± she whispered softly.


    They fell silent and the moment stretched out between them like a river, tension filling the silence until the air felt so thick, she was sure if she tried, she would be able to cut it with a knife.


    It was a struggle to pull breaths in through her nostrils so she opened her mouth to aid her breathing. Her chest rose and fell with her fast breaths, her eyes silently begging him to kiss her, to touch her and erase the emptiness she felt between her legs, the hollowness deep in her belly.


    Please kiss me.


    Please touch me, she internally begged and she could literally see the moment where his resolve shattered.


    ¡°Fuck it,¡± he growled suddenly and shoved his hand into her hair, yanking her to him.


    Caught off guard, she squeaked, flying into him and bracing her hands on his chest. As though he was angry over the space between them, he dragged her into hisp and she quickly adjusted, shuffling until she was straddling him, her legs on both sides of his thighs.


    Before she could even settlepletely, he brought her face closer to his with his grip on her hair, then when their lips were only a hairsbreadth from each other, he froze. His eyes crawled slowly up to hers, his breathingboured. ¡°Can I?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed, drowning sopletely in want and need that she didn¡¯t care about anything else. ¡°Please, yes.¡±


    That did it.


    His lips crashed down on hers. They were sweet and soft, especially the fuller bottom one, yet hard and unyielding at the same time as he dominated the kiss.


    His tongue shoved against the seam of her lips, seeking entrance and she opened for him, damn near sighing when his tongue forced his way into her mouth and met hers in a sensual tangle, fucking her mouth so thoroughly, the flesh between her legs pulsed, begging for equal attention.


    This wasn¡¯t enough. She wanted more.


    Digging her knees into the bed on both sides of him, she rose so that her head was above his, so that she could take control of the kiss exactly the way she wanted to and he groaned.


    This was what Maria craved; the tussle for power between them.


    One minute he was yelling at her, the next she was yelling at him. One moment he wasing onto her, the next he was backing away as though she was a creature he¡¯d never seen.


    One minute he was dominating the kiss, the next she was taking charge.


    Her tongue chased his back into his mouth and the message could not be clearer-she was in charge now.


    She dragged her tongue slowly along the roof of his mouth and a full body shiver moved through him. Seeing what that little action did to him, she shoved her hand into his hair to hold him steady and did it again.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he moaned against her mouth.


    Moaned.


    Her brain fried, liquid desire pooling between her legs.


    One hand untangled from her hair and slid down the side of her body, squeezing slightly when he reached her breasts before moving down to palm her ass, cupping it and rocking her into him.


    The hand in her hair dropped to the spot where her waist red into her hip and he held her there, using the grip to force her down on his thighs, right at the perfect spot where her core brushed his erection.


    They froze, shocked at the intensity of the pleasure they felt from just that contact.


    She did it again and they groaned simultaneously.


    His head fell into the hollow of her neck and his tongue flicked out to wet the skin there, sending shocks of pleasure through her. ¡°Can¡¯t believe how much I missed you.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was going to die and not see you again,¡± she breathed, not giving much thought to what she was saying.


    She only processed the words when he froze suddenly. His hands tightened on her waist and his chest rose and fell beneath hers.


    Had she said something wrong?


    She must have because that was the only conclusion she coulde to for him stopping so suddenly.


    Hell, why did she have to go and ruin the mood? She should have just kept her mouth shut.


    Cursing herself, she attempted to salvage the situation as best as she could. ¡°I do-¡±


    She didn¡¯t get the chance to finish the sentence before his fingers flexed onest time on her body and he pushed her off, dropping her beside him.


    ¡°We need to talk.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

 Don鈥檛

    MARIA


    ¡°Talk about what?¡±


    ¡°Your past.¡± The words left his mouth like a whip, sharp and loud in the otherwise silent, almost dark room.


    She flinched away from him as the word left his lips, recoiling at the shes of imagery that went through her mind, evoked by those two words.


    Her past.


    His eyes darkened at her reaction. Where lust had once been, wariness and a certain hardness now took root. ¡°Don¡¯t, Maria.¡±


    Well, she guessed she should be d that he was now calling her by her name and not the annoying ¡®sorceress¡¯, although with the tone he used, sounding somewhat exasperated, she wasn¡¯t really sure she liked him calling her name in that moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡±


    It was crazy how the night had taken such a sudden turn. A few minutes ago, she¡¯d been eating at his mouth like she didn¡¯t have another day to live and now it was like a bucket of ice had been poured over her, extinguishing all traces of desire in her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to run away from this.¡± He warned in a surprisingly even voice. ¡°I need to know.¡±


    She stared at him in shock, not bothering to hide it from showing on her face.


    How did he just go from hot to cold in such a short amount of time?


    How was it possible that this was the same man that had been kissing her a few minutes ago, ravenous in his need for her that he¡¯d looked like he would die if she didn¡¯t kiss him back?


    She was still reeling from the onught of emotions his sudden words had brought. He¡¯d taken them from one dimension to another in a span of seconds and she was still struggling to find her footing. Almost like how she felt when he traced with her.


    That confused, heady feeling where it took her a while toe to terms with what just happened and where she was.


    Why would he be asking her about her past? Where did thate from?


    The only reason he would be asking her such a question was if he¡¯d heard something and if he had, then it didn¡¯t bode well for her. She didn¡¯t even want to ept that he might have heard something. She didn¡¯t want to.


    But if she sat close to him like this, he was going to force her to answer.


    She leapt out of the bed with a start and he must not have seen the moveing because he cursed, surprised, but he was also fast because she had barely taken three steps when his hand snagged her around the waist and he pulled her back and into him.


    With nothing to break her fall, shended on him in a sprawl, her back to his front, ass to his crotch. Undeterred, she struggled against him but his grip was hard and unyielding.


    She froze when she felt him begin to harden underneath her.


    His mouth dropped to her ear and when he spoke, his voice brooked no warning. ¡°Stop.¡±


    Unable to stop herself, daredevil that she was, she squirmed once more and he groaned, his fingers tightening like a band around her waist.


    ¡°Maria¡­¡±


    His hot breath gusted across the side of her face, then he nipped at her earlobe, causing her breath to hitch, before his wet tongue flicked against it, making her already hot skin burn even hotter, her breathsing out in short pants.


    She did stop this time. The danger and finalty in his words were obvious and she knew better than to keep testing him, especially when he was like this.


    But, gods help her, she couldn¡¯t help it.


    He was just so big, so warm and strong with him holding her like that and it didn¡¯t feel like he was behind her. No, it felt like he surrounded her. It was like she could feel him everywhere.


    She wasn¡¯t even joking, she could feel him in front of her and he wasn¡¯t even there. It was crazy.


    Maria cleared her throat, but the words still came out husky. ¡°If you want me to stop, then let me go.¡±


    She felt him shake his head. ¡°Not when I know you¡¯re going to run.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to run,¡± she exined. ¡°I¡¯m going to sit on the couch over there.¡±


    His grip on her didn¡¯t so much as lessen. ¡°We can have the conversation with you sitting right here, Maria.¡±


    She frowned. What conversation?


    Oh.


    It was then that she remembered her reason for wanting to leave the bed in the first ce. He wanted to know about her past and she had no intentions of telling him.


    Redoubling her efforts, she fought against him, wanting him to let her go and he must have realised that she meant it this time because he cursed softly before removing his hands from her body.


    She staggered away from him, her legs unsteady.


    ¡°Why are you asking about my past?¡± She questioned, forcing strength into her voice in order not to appear weak. If she appeared strong, then maybe he would take her seriously. ¡°Did you hear something?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± When he saw the doubtful look on her face, he dragged a big hand down his face and sighed. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t.¡± Then suddenly, he looked up at her with hard eyes, his hands fisting and unfisting the sheets. ¡°You do realize I¡¯m being a fuck of a lot more amodating right now, don¡¯t you?¡±


    He was. He really was.


    But then there were several topics that she couldn¡¯t talk about just because he was asked her to. Not only would telling him about it be risky because 1, he might not believe her and 2, she¡¯d be leaving herself vulnerable and deliberately making herself vulnerable to a man like him was very stupid, but recounting her past would only reopen old wounds that had never fully healed.


    But it still didn¡¯t make sense. Why was he suddenly asking her out of the blue?


    Easy; Because he wasn¡¯t. He¡¯d heard something and he wanted to confirm if what he¡¯d heard was true.


    Which was why she was asking so that she would know what he¡¯d heard and know just how much to tell him. Or how much to bend the truth.


    ¡°You¡¯re considering lying to me.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    The words had her blinking as she realized that she¡¯d been staring at him this entire time although she¡¯d zoned out while doing it.


    Maria schooled her features, trying to smoothen her face into a nk mask. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Then answer my fucking question,¡± he snapped, showing the first signs of anger. When she blinked in shock and took a step back, he sighed and ran an agitated hand through his hair. ¡°Damn it, Maria,¡± he muttered and shot up off the bed, pacing and making her all the warier with his height and restless energy. When he spoke again, his tone was softer, careful. ¡°Just answer my question.¡±


    ¡°Not until you answer mine.¡± She was scared, but it didn¡¯t stop her from lifting her chin. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    He stopped pacing suddenly, his big body freezing in the middle of her living room, looking so out of ce yet right where he should be at the same time. Her throat dried when he swiveled suddenly and faced her, his green eyes filled with the familiar fire of anger and maybe hunger, but she couldn¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He said, surprising her. ¡°How about this? You answer my question and I answer yours.¡±


    Chewing on her lower lip, she thought it through. It seemed fair.


    ¡°Who gets to answer first?¡±


    He didn¡¯t even need to think. ¡°You.¡±


    She blinked at his tone. She ruled off trying to change his mind; it was not going to work. Besides, what was actually happening here?


    Why wasn¡¯t he forcing her to answer and was asking her to instead? She¡¯d been too lost in her own thoughts to think about that huge change before but now that she was, she couldn¡¯t not think about it.


    Why was he acting so strange?


    First there was their kiss, his mention about her past and now this. What was going on?


    If she wanted to find out why he was acting strange, then he had to answer her questions which meant she had to answer his own questions.


    ¡°What about my past?¡± She asked him, her choice made up. ¡°Can you be more specific?¡±


    The vampire pinned her in ce with intense eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the deal between you and your father?¡±


    Shit.


    He knew.


    He had to know.


    Well, since he knew there was no point hiding it from him right? And why was she even protecting him-her father?


    The only risk she took was him not believing her and he wouldn¡¯t because obviously he¡¯d heard something.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said to no one in particr as she turned and walked over to the couch.


    ¡°Come here.¡± He offered, but she shook her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± She shook her head again. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to do this if I sit close to you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She swallowed and her eyes darted away. He wouldn¡¯t understand so there was no need exining to him.


    She just felt¡­ antsy. Unsettled. And ashamed that he was going to know how much of a monster her father was.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡± Then, so that he would let it go, she added, ¡°Please.¡±


    His jaw tightened, his face fell and he nodded, thankfully deciding to let it go.


    Maria trudged over to the couch, dropped down on it and folded her hand on herps, preparing to tell her story.


    ¡°My father is a tyrant.¡±

 Forced confessions

    BRAN


    ¡°That¡¯s not news, Maria, and that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get there,¡± the words came out hard and clipped, yet her tone was soft, cautious. ¡°Can you just let me talk?¡±


    Bran bit his tongue and told himself to shut the hell up and let her talk now that she was willing to.


    But she was sitting on the other side of the room, far from him, and she looked so small, so vulnerable with her hands sped on her thighs like that and he felt this strange urge to protect her even though there was nothing to protect her from.


    ¡°Okay, back to what I was saying¡­¡± Maria sighed and with her eyes fixed on her hands, started talking. ¡°As you well know, my father is hated by a lot of people because of his abusive use of power. I really can¡¯t say how it started, I suppose he¡¯s always had a thing for being evil, but anyway, he wanted to expand far outside the realm of Sorceri. He already hadnds, countless possessions, but his greed made him want more and when he goes after something, he does anything to get it. And I mean anything.¡±


    She took a deep breath, one that Bran assumed was for courage and pushed on. ¡°The first time he made me kill was when I was fifteen.¡±


    Bran shot up from the bed and started pacing. He¡¯d braced himself for the information he knew was toe because he¡¯d known that it would be triggering for him, but he didn¡¯t think it would affect him like this.


    Bran had faced a lot of enemies, he¡¯d fought against a lot of opponents that he loathed, but never had he felt hate like what he felt for Maria¡¯s father. He didn¡¯t even like referring to him as her father because it just didn¡¯t make sense to him that a man as hateful as Ariti could have birthed someone as selfless as Maria.


    ¡°Almost a week before my birthday, his powers got¡­ got witheld. The leaders, they¡­¡± She shook her head, her eyes bouncing between him and her hands, and her breaths quickened. ¡°You¡¯re making me nervous with your pacing. Can you please sit?¡±


    He red at her. It wasn¡¯t deliberate, he didn¡¯t really mean to. But it was something that he¡¯d be so used to doing whenever she so much as spoke to him that he didn¡¯t think twice before doing it and now when he did it, it felt wrong.


    He half expected her to re right back at him but he was surprised when she flinched back. It gave him pause.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    She¡¯d reacted exactly like that when he¡¯d asked her about her past and it was then Bran started to realize that he¡¯d only been thinking about how triggering the topic would be for him-he hadn¡¯t even thought about how it must be for her. Her that had gone through the main ordeal.


    Fuck.


    He ground down on his mrs as he stalked back over to the bed and sat on it woodenly, his movements robotic. Sitting when he felt like this was thest thing on his mind but he would do it if it would make this whole thing easier for her.


    She blew out a breath which caused the little tendril of hair in front of her face to float around. ¡°Thank you,¡± she breathed and Bran felt an odd feeling spear into his chest at how beautiful she was.


    He doubted she knew. If she did, she wouldn¡¯t be sitting there in front of him. She wouldn¡¯t be letting her father treat her the way he was.


    She¡¯d do whatever she could to set herself free because she was a goddess. And she deserved to be treated as such.


    Oh, like how you¡¯re treating her?, a sarcastic little voice asked in Bran¡¯s head but he ignored it and tried to focus on what she was saying and not how delectable she looked.


    Was this how she looked when she just woke up? If so, then he had toe to her room and watch her sleep more because hell, she was nothing short of lovely with her messy hair, beautiful soft face, trusting look and her baggy T-shirt which served as a gown for her since it reached her mid-thighs.


    He might probably never admit it to her but he hade into the room for one reason-to watch her sleep. It hadn¡¯t been a conscious decision. He¡¯d just been pissed, frustrated and a bit lost and he¡¯d wanted to leave but then somehow, he¡¯d traced to her room.


    For the first minute, he¡¯d questioned himself as to why he¡¯d traced to her room identally but then he¡¯d taken one look at her sleeping form, so innocent and peaceful, and he¡¯d been unable to leave.


    ¡°So the leaders had a meeting about Ariti and they all came to the conclusion that his powers should be withheld temporarily,¡± she continued. ¡°He went crazy without his powers and he tried to convince them to give him back but they refused. They would only give him back his powers if they saw improvements in his character and until then, they were going to hold onto them.¡±


    Bran¡¯s heart quickened and he suspected that he knew what wasing. He was not going to like it. At all.


    ¡°I believe he attempted killing some of them but obviously, he didn¡¯t seed.¡± She smiled softly at that. Almost bitterly. ¡°I remember a few days to my birthday, he really started to go crazy. He tried to make me do a few things that I wasn¡¯tfortable with. Torture some people, kill them, but I never agreed. I always fought him on it.¡± She swallowed and Bran tensed, waiting for her next words. ¡°A day to my birthday, he¡­ he put my mother in a state of suffering and told me that if I didn¡¯t do anything he wanted me to do, my mother was going to pay for it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean he put her in a state of suffering?¡± The words came out rough, like gravel.


    ¡°He put her in limbo,¡± there was a catch in her voice. ¡°Asked one of his sorcerer friends to do it. In limbo, time freezes. There¡¯s nothing but darkness and emptiness. When a person is in limbo, they aren¡¯t conscious of what happens in their physical world. It¡¯s like they¡¯re sleeping, but it¡¯s not really sleep. They¡¯re suffering, struggling and trying to find their way out buting up short. However, they can feel pain.

 I came for you

    BRAN


    ¡°Ariti doesn¡¯t hesitate to torture her whenever I fail to carry out his orders and on that day before my birthday, he tortured her for a long time and made me watch, knowing that I was helpless to stop it.¡± Her voice broke and a small sob escaped her, but she swallowed it back down. Bran¡¯s chest tightened. ¡°Then came the day when he finally broke me-my birthday.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Bran couldn¡¯t believe it, but she just shrugged.


    ¡°The previous day, all through when he tortured my mother, I threw up continuously. The next day when he told me that she was going to get the same treatment if I didn¡¯t do what he wanted, I knew that I had to do it.¡± She shook her head, eyes downcast as she stared absently at a spot on her dress. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let him continue torturing my mother. I love her too much and I couldn¡¯t stomach it. So I did what he wanted and that¡¯s how it¡¯s been ever since.¡±


    How could a man do that to his own child? There were certain things that shouldn¡¯t just be done and ckmailing one¡¯s own child into doing their dirty work should be one of those things.


    And her first kill on her birthday? How heartless could a person be?


    Bran had never thought about being a father-he wasn¡¯t sure that he wanted to be one-but he knew that he would never ask his child to kill for him. Not to mention how young she¡¯d been.


    ¡°Why did you never leave?¡± He wondered. ¡°I¡¯m sure opportunities to run might have presented themselves several times, so why didn¡¯t you grab one?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± She cried, still not looking at him. ¡°If I leave, he¡¯ll take it out on my mother. Whatever I do, my mother pays for it. I can¡¯t let her suffer for me. I just can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯d rather suffer for her?¡±


    Her shoulders dropped and curved in, defeated. When she spoke, her voice was low. Withdrawn. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it.¡±


    He shook his head and stood, storming over to the window and letting his fist fly into the wall beside it. She yelped and he saw her jump in his periphery.


    He would probably have done it again had it not been her reaction.


    Shit.


    He needed an outlet.


    He just needed to pour the anger off him. He was so bloody pissed at himself for not knowing better. For not seeing the truth that had been sitting right in front of him this entire time. For torturing an innocent woman who was still carrying so much pain in her heart from what she¡¯d gone through-what she was still going through.


    He was also mad at her for putting herself through everything. For being so goddamn selfless and putting her mother¡¯s needs first before hers. For caring about the older person at such a young age when it should have been the other way round.


    And he was so fucking mad at Ariti, he couldn¡¯t see straight. The man had taken so much from him and he was pissing Bran the hell off by the minute. He was going to get what wasing for him.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay.¡± Bran heard her soft voice call to him. ¡°I know what I do is wrong, but I¡¯m used to it now.¡±


    That was exactly the problem. She shouldn¡¯t be used to it.


    She was doing the wrong thing for the right fucking reason and he hated it.


    ¡°Why did I find you in a cell when I came for you?¡± He asked, ignoring her earlier words.


    She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure that one out.¡±


    She shrugged. She fucking shrugged.


    How could she act so non-chnt about it? About being locked up in a cell by her own father. How could she brush it off like it was no big deal when it was eating him up inside?


    Just how much had she gone through that made these things bounce off her like they were nothing?


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    He turned to her with a frown and nodded, crossing his arms across his chest.


    ¡°Why did youe in here?¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    He froze.


    Hell, his decision of not telling her why he¡¯de in here initially was going to die a quick death.


    It was his turn to shrug like it wasn¡¯t important. ¡°Just wanted to make sure you were okay.¡±


    He decided to change the words at thest minute and not tell her that he¡¯d actually been watching her sleep. It sounded creepy and strange to him and he hadn¡¯t even said them out loud.


    Shocked grey eyes flew up to his and he forced himself to maintain the nk expression on his face. But it got even harder when she rose from the couch and took one small step towards him.


    ¡°Can I ask you another question?¡±


    Not if she was going to make him admit things he didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°You just asked me a question, Maria.¡±


    ¡°You ask me two,¡± she told him.


    He frowned. After doing a quick rundown in his head, he realised that she was right. Scowling, he nodded for her to go ahead.


    She took another small step towards him and Bran had to physically fight the urge to go to her by digging his hands into the windowpane behind him in what he hoped was a casual stance.


    ¡°Before, you said you came for me.¡± Bran¡¯s heart quickened in his chest. He was so busted. ¡°Is that true? Did you reallye to the realm of Sorceri because of me?¡±


    Bran had two options.


    Lie to her and tell her that he¡¯de in search for his sister, or tell her the truth.


    He decided to go with the former. Letting her know that he¡¯de to her realm because of her would be giving her too much power and he didn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°I-¡± the word died on his lips as he met her eyes.


    There she was, deliberately making herself vulnerable for him because she wanted to know the truth but he was too much of a coward to give it to her.


    If this girl that had been through so much could take that bold step, then what reason did he have not to meet her halfway?


    That was exactly why Bran shook his head, forgetting what he¡¯d been about to say and instead, said, ¡°Yes, princess. I came for you.¡±

 Make out

    BRAN


    The words seemed to echo, bouncing off the walls of the room anding to rest between them, daring him to move. To quit being a fucking coward and take the next step.


    But Bran stood right where he was, still unsure of everything.


    What were they doing?


    Most importantly, what was he doing?


    But he knew what he was doing, didn¡¯t he? He was finally admitting to this amazing woman that he didn¡¯t really hate her as much as he liked to make her believe. He was finally admitting that he felt something for her-something other than hate and anger and derision.


    Something that made his chest tighten every fucking time he looked at her.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what it was. He didn¡¯t want to put a name to it. But he had a sinking suspicion it came dangerously close to like.


    Because if he didn¡¯t hate her then that meant he liked her right? Even though he wasn¡¯t exactly there yet, but he was getting close. And if she continued showing him those little vulnerable bits of herself, he was going to divepletely into like with her and he was sure it wasn¡¯t going to be a pretty fall.


    ¡°But why?¡± She asked, pulling him out of his thoughts and making him focus on her standing a few feet away from him, her hands sped together as she wringed the fuck out of them. ¡°Why did youe for me?¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to.¡±


    A shaky breath escaped her lips. ¡°Vampire-¡±


    ¡°Bran.¡± He couldn¡¯t stomach her calling him that word anymore. Not when the status of their rtionship had changed so thoroughly-they weren¡¯t captor and captive anymore. ¡°Call me Bran.¡±


    Maria blinked slowly, staring at him with owl eyes. ¡°You¡¯re telling me your name?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said slowly, gauging her reaction.


    Her eyes fell to his hands, which were still clutching the windowpane and he removed them, bringing them to his sides. He just felt so useless with them hanging like that.


    ¡°Oh, Bran. Why in the worlds are you all the way over there?¡±


    Before he could process the words or ask her why the hell she kept saying ¡®worlds¡¯ instead of ¡®world¡¯, she had already started crossing the room towards him with a determined expression on her face.


    When she reached where he was, she rose on her toes and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, pulling him down as she met him halfway, pressing her lips against his in a surprisingly sweet kiss.


    All lips, no tongue. Just contact.


    Like a kiss between two shy teenagers who were sneaking around behind their parent¡¯s backs.


    With great difficulty, he leaned away from her, breaking the kiss. ¡°We¡¯re not done talking.¡±


    ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll continueter.¡± she said dismissively and kissed him again.


    Hell, why was he even fighting this?


    Bran decided to let it all go and the moment he did, the kiss turned from sweet to scorching hot in less than a second.


    He shoved one hand into her hair to hold her steady, then cupped her ass with his other hand and pulled her against him, wanting her to feel his hard-on. He needed her to know what she did to him.


    She moaned when she felt it and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her hot mouth.


    ¡°Bran¡­¡± she whispered against his lips then did that thing where she dragged her tongue along the roof of his mouth and he groaned, his legs buckling.


    It drove him fucking crazy.


    He lifted her off the ground and hoisted her up with his hands on her ass. She quicklytched onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist as he walked them over to her dresser, never once breaking the kiss.


    Bran shoved the things on the dresser to one side then dropped her on it, settling into the space between her legs that she¡¯d created for him.


    He needed his hands free. He had great use for them.


    Forcing his mouth away from hers, he dragged them to her jaw, peppering it with kisses as he made his way to her neck, kissing and licking at the soft flesh.


    She turned her head to the side so as to make room for him, sighing. ¡°To think that you would rather talk than make out.¡±


    It was in that moment that Bran fell stupidly in like with her.


    He smiled against her neck, biting softly on the flesh, then he pulled back and let her see his face. She opened her eyeszily. ¡°Never ever dy this because of talk. Got it.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­¡± She blinked again, looking like she was trying to gather her thoughts. ¡°Are you smiling? Is that a smile I see on your face, vampire?¡± She was on the verge of hysteria.


    The smile dissapeared. ¡°I said to call me Bran.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized quickly, her handstching onto his as though she wanted to stop him from leaving. ¡°I¡¯ve be so used to calling you vampire, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll work on it.¡±


    He simply stared at her, eyes falling to her moist lips, her puckered nipples very well visible through her shirt, then lifting back to her eyes only to see that she was watching him. She¡¯d caught him looking.


    He would do it again in a heartbeat and his unapologetic gaze told her as much.


    ¡°Can you smile again?¡± She asked suddenly. ¡°Please. I need to see it.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    It was awkward and unnecessary and he didn¡¯t see any reason in doing it again. If he¡¯d been able to stop it, he wouldn¡¯t have done it the first time.


    ¡°Please?¡± She begged again with beseeching eyes, her thumb making small circles on his hands. ¡°I would try to make you, but I¡¯ve never performed as a clown before so I wouldn¡¯t really know how to. Although I could try.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    He shook his head and looked away. What did she mean by ¡®never performed as a clown¡¯? Did she usually put up acts as entertainment for people, namely her father?

 You should rest

    BRAN


    He wanted to do something for her. Wanted to give her his smile since it was what she wanted.


    When he turned back to her, there was a smile on his face that made him feel raw, exposed. Her breath caught when she looked at him and her eyes swept over his face countless times as though she wasmitting the picture to memory.


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re so beautiful,¡± she breathed right before she kissed him on the side of his mouth.


    He shuddered before he could stop it, then cursed afterwards.


    Wanting to erase the innocence of that kiss, Bran yanked her to the edge of the dresser and kissed her. He worked his hands under her dress then paused when the tip of his fingers brushed the top of her thighs.


    If he went further than that, then there was no going back.


    ¡°Do you want me to take it off?¡± He asked her, giving her the chance to tell him to back off if it was all bing too much for her. But she didn¡¯t.


    His lips parted on a surprised breath when she grabbed the material and took it off, baring her body to him for the second time.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t the second time that she was baring her body to him. It was the first actually. The only time he¡¯d seen her naked was when she wanted to bathe so she hadn¡¯t done it for him. But he¡¯d seen her naked that day and that was what he meant.


    Now, however, she was naked for him. Him.


    And, fuck, what a sight she was.


    ¡°All this time we¡¯ve been talking, you weren¡¯t wearing underwear,¡± he murmured as his eyes swept over the expanse of her body.


    He was almost too scared to touch her and for a full five minutes, all he could do was stare.


    Her skin was creamy and slightly tan although she wasn¡¯t as tan as she used to be, probably from all the days of being indoors but she still had a light tan and it wasn¡¯t just on her face.


    His nostrils red when his eyes dropped to her breasts, taking in the creamy, supple flesh with the dark pink nipples at the tips. They budded before his eyes, tightening and distending until they stood out proud and his mouth watered with the need to have them inside.


    Still, he forced his eyes away and dragged them lower to her tiny waist that he could cover with the span of his hands, then her round hips, curved perfectly in an obscenely womanly way that made him harden even more than he already was until it felt like there was steel attached to his body.


    Yet then he dragged his eyes lower to the flesh between her legs. It was pink and glistening behind little curls of ck hair that gave her an edge of innocence.


    His legs shook as desire mmed through him and he was positive that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold himself up for a moment longer.


    He dropped to his haunches which put himself exactly at eye-level with her core. Dragging a finger down her lower lips, he looked up into her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful.¡±


    She groaned, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as her head fell back against the mirror.


    He wanted to know what she tasted like. He needed to know. He felt like if he didn¡¯t find out right there and then, he would die.


    Wrapping his hands around her thighs to hold her steady, he breathed in her delicious scent, then dove in.


    This was something that Bran didn¡¯t do for a lot of women. He could count on one hand the number of times he¡¯d gone down on a woman and the first time had been an experiment. The second was because she¡¯d liked it and wanted him to do it again.


    The difference between this time and the others was that she wasn¡¯t asking him to. He was doing it willingly.


    She was supple, pink and wet, getting even wetter by the second as he feasted on her. Her moans were music to his ears and when he popped one eye open to watch her and saw that she was ying with her breasts, he almost came in his pants.


    ¡°I¡¯m so close,¡± she breathed with her eyes pressed tightly shut. ¡°So close.¡±


    Good. He wanted to taste her.


    He added a finger, sucking in a breath at how tight she was, then he flicked her clit, added a bit of pressure and that did it.


    When she came, she screamed and he almost leapt up to cover her mouth with his hand, but then thought, fuck it, let them hear. He didn¡¯t care either way.


    Her essence flooded his taste buds and he groaned,pping it all up hungrily. Like a dying man presented with a huge banquet.


    After riding out her orgasm, he shot to his feet and kissed her with a hunger that shook even him. His mouth ate at hers, biting hard on her lower lip and pulling on it with his teeth. The move reminded him of that night when he¡¯d identally taken her blood and suddenly, the urge to drink from her assualted him, filled his mind until he actually started to consider doing it again.


    But he didn¡¯t want to steal from her and he fought the urge back down with all his will.


    He pressed his hand on her back so that she was arched and with that same hand, started ying with her nipple, flicking it with his thumb.


    He jerked when he felt her hand sneak discreetly under his shirt. She felt up his muscles, dragging her nails down the grooves and ridges in his stomach, then her hand went farther down and flirted with the waistband of his trousers.


    He hissed out a breath and his hand tightened unconsciously on her waist. He paused when he felt a certain hardness and blinked. Disentangling his lips from hers, looked down and saw something that he hadn¡¯t seen before.


    Ribs.


    Her ribs were visible now and her skin clung to them. Even her hipbones were more defined than they usually were.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Her voice was filled with confusion as he took a step back from her. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯ve reduced.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve reduced,¡± he repeated with a strain in his voice.


    She followed his eyes and saw what he was talking about. ¡°Oh.¡±


    His heart squeezed in his chest and he almost couldn¡¯t breathe. He¡¯d done this to her.


    Him.


    Even though her father might have a hand in the whole thing, Bran started it. He¡¯d contributed and that was enough to make him hate himself.


    He took another step back, already retreating out of the room, then stopped when he realized that she was still sitting on the dresser. With his eyes carefully averted, for his sanity and not for hers, he picked her up and dropped her on the bed, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked, panicked. ¡°Bran don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°You should rest,¡± he cut her off, then traced out before he could change his mind about leaving.

 Short walk

    He wanted to do something for her. Wanted to give her his smile since it was what she wanted.


    When he turned back to her, there was a smile on his face that made him feel raw, exposed. Her breath caught when she looked at him and her eyes swept over his face countless times as though she wasmitting the picture to memory.


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re so beautiful,¡± she breathed right before she kissed him on the side of his mouth.


    He shuddered before he could stop it, then cursed afterwards.


    Wanting to erase the innocence of that kiss, Bran yanked her to the edge of the dresser and kissed her. He worked his hands under her dress then paused when the tip of his fingers brushed the top of her thighs.


    If he went further than that, then there was no going back.


    ¡°Do you want me to take it off?¡± He asked her, giving her the chance to tell him to back off if it was all bing too much for her. But she didn¡¯t.


    His lips parted on a surprised breath when she grabbed the material and took it off, baring her body to him for the second time.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t the second time that she was baring her body to him. It was the first actually. The only time he¡¯d seen her naked was when she wanted to bathe so she hadn¡¯t done it for him. But he¡¯d seen her naked that day and that was what he meant.


    Now, however, she was naked for him. Him.


    And, fuck, what a sight she was.


    ¡°All this time we¡¯ve been talking, you weren¡¯t wearing underwear,¡± he murmured as his eyes swept over the expanse of her body.


    He was almost too scared to touch her and for a full five minutes, all he could do was stare.


    Her skin was creamy and slightly tan although she wasn¡¯t as tan as she used to be, probably from all the days of being indoors but she still had a light tan and it wasn¡¯t just on her face.


    His nostrils red when his eyes dropped to her breasts, taking in the creamy, supple flesh with the dark pink nipples at the tips. They budded before his eyes, tightening and distending until they stood out proud and his mouth watered with the need to have them inside.


    Still, he forced his eyes away and dragged them lower to her tiny waist that he could cover with the span of his hands, then her round hips, curved perfectly in an obscenely womanly way that made him harden even more than he already was until it felt like there was steel attached to his body.


    Yet then he dragged his eyes lower to the flesh between her legs. It was pink and glistening behind little curls of ck hair that gave her an edge of innocence.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    His legs shook as desire mmed through him and he was positive that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold himself up for a moment longer.


    He dropped to his haunches which put himself exactly at eye-level with her core. Dragging a finger down her lower lips, he looked up into her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful.¡±


    She groaned, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as her head fell back against the mirror.


    He wanted to know what she tasted like. He needed to know. He felt like if he didn¡¯t find out right there and then, he would die.


    Wrapping his hands around her thighs to hold her steady, he breathed in her delicious scent, then dove in.


    This was something that Bran didn¡¯t do for a lot of women. He could count on one hand the number of times he¡¯d gone down on a woman and the first time had been an experiment. The second was because she¡¯d liked it and wanted him to do it again.


    The difference between this time and the others was that she wasn¡¯t asking him to. He was doing it willingly.


    She was supple, pink and wet, getting even wetter by the second as he feasted on her. Her moans were music to his ears and when he popped one eye open to watch her and saw that she was ying with her breasts, he almost came in his pants.


    ¡°I¡¯m so close,¡± she breathed with her eyes pressed tightly shut. ¡°So close.¡±


    Good. He wanted to taste her.


    He added a finger, sucking in a breath at how tight she was, then he flicked her clit, added a bit of pressure and that did it.


    When she came, she screamed and he almost leapt up to cover her mouth with his hand, but then thought, fuck it, let them hear. He didn¡¯t care either way.


    Her essence flooded his taste buds and he groaned,pping it all up hungrily. Like a dying man presented with a huge banquet.


    After riding out her orgasm, he shot to his feet and kissed her with a hunger that shook even him. His mouth ate at hers, biting hard on her lower lip and pulling on it with his teeth. The move reminded him of that night when he¡¯d identally taken her blood and suddenly, the urge to drink from her assualted him, filled his mind until he actually started to consider doing it again.


    But he didn¡¯t want to steal from her and he fought the urge back down with all his will.


    He pressed his hand on her back so that she was arched and with that same hand, started ying with her nipple, flicking it with his thumb.


    He jerked when he felt her hand sneak discreetly under his shirt. She felt up his muscles, dragging her nails down the grooves and ridges in his stomach, then her hand went farther down and flirted with the waistband of his trousers.


    He hissed out a breath and his hand tightened unconsciously on her waist. He paused when he felt a certain hardness and blinked. Disentangling his lips from hers, looked down and saw something that he hadn¡¯t seen before.


    Ribs.


    Her ribs were visible now and her skin clung to them. Even her hipbones were more defined than they usually were.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Her voice was filled with confusion as he took a step back from her. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve reduced.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve reduced,¡± he repeated with a strain in his voice.


    She followed his eyes and saw what he was talking about. ¡°Oh.¡±


    His heart squeezed in his chest and he almost couldn¡¯t breathe. He¡¯d done this to her.


    Him.


    Even though her father might have a hand in the whole thing, Bran started it. He¡¯d contributed and that was enough to make him hate himself.


    He took another step back, already retreating out of the room, then stopped when he realized that she was still sitting on the dresser. With his eyes carefully averted, for his sanity and not for hers, he picked her up and dropped her on the bed, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked, panicked. ¡°Bran don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°You should rest,¡± he cut her off, then traced out before he could change his mind about leaving.

 Lifeless

    MARIA


    ¡°Oh. Co-Your master trains there?¡± Maria had just been about to call him Corey when she remembered that he was called ¡®Master Corey¡¯ by Olivia and she felt like she should refer to him the same way when speaking to her.


    If Olivia noticed her little slip, she didn¡¯t say anything about it.


    Olivia shook her head. ¡°No, not him.¡± She jerked her chin in the general direction of the houses. ¡°The kids in those houses. He has his men train them.¡±


    Maria frowned. Why would Corey ask his men to train them? And most importantly, why did they live inside hispound?


    ¡°Why does he train them? And these houses in here, do they belong to him? Who lives in them?¡±


    Olivia blinked at her rapid fire questions. ¡°You¡¯re awfully inquisitive today, aren¡¯t you?¡± But there was no malice in her words. That trace of warmth and smile still lingered on her face.


    Maria pouted at her and the smile Olivia was trying so hard to suppress, finally broke free.


    She and the woman had gotten so close over the time they¡¯d spent together, but they¡¯d been holding some bits of themselves back because of the status of their rtionship, but it was like Maria¡¯s capture had broken something inside them. Ever since yesterday when she came back, they¡¯d gotten closer.


    Maria loved it. She genuinely liked Olivia.


    ¡°Are you going to answer me?¡± Maria pressed and Olivia sighed, her eyes darting to the men behind them.


    When she spoke, her voice was hushed. ¡°About sixty years ago before the tenure of the current king, thete king sent a great number of families packing-¡±


    ¡°Why did he send them packing?¡± Maria cut in.


    ¡°Well, he was a tyrant and he believed that there was not enough food to go around for everyone, which was why he asked some to leave.¡±


    Maria gasped, angry at the unfairness of it. The king sounded a lot like Ariti.


    ¡°The families had nowhere to go. Even if they decided to go into other realms, what would they do? Where would they start from?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes darted to the men again. ¡°Master Corey decided to take in most of them. He kept the ones he could in his home and for the rest, he asked that houses be built for them. Since he didn¡¯t want the king to find out, he built the houses inside hisnd and has been helping them ever since.¡±


    Maria¡¯s mouth gaped in surprise and wonderment.


    ¡°The children he¡¯s training are from those families. He¡¯s trained quite a few that have turned into good soldiers for the present king.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Maria breathed, shocked to the very bones of her.


    She¡¯d assumed Corey was a cruel man. She knew that the loss of his mate was what made the man so dark and terrifying but she¡¯d always assumed that he was not a kind man.


    Hearing these things, knowing the kind of person he was¡­


    It floored her. He¡¯d gone out of his way to help people he didn¡¯t even have familial ties with. People he didn¡¯t even know.


    He¡¯d risked his life for them. How much more selfless could a person be?


    Olivia smiled when she saw Maria¡¯s surprised look. ¡°I had the exact same expression when he offered to help.¡±


    Maria blinked. ¡°You were¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my family was one of the ones sent packing.¡± She pointed to a house in the distance. ¡°My parents live over there.¡±


    Sure, Maria was surprised by the information. But that wasn¡¯t why she was suddenly blinking like something had entered her eyes.


    ¡°You said this happened sixty years ago.¡± Maria frowned. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°Eighty-five.¡± She supplied. ¡°I¡¯ve been working for Master Corey for eight years.¡±


    What. The. Hell.


    ¡°Hell, I would never have guessed.¡± Maria admitted. ¡°I mean, I knew you must have frozen into your immortality, but I just¡­ I don¡¯t know, I assumed you were in yourte twenties.¡±


    ¡°Well, technically you are right.¡± Olivia chuckled lightly. ¡°I froze at twenty-nine.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Maria probably sounded like a broken record at this point but she was just shocked-by a lot of things.


    Olivia was very beautiful with light brown hair that was always held tightly in a ponytail by a band, beautiful pale skin and a lithe figure that Maria admired so much.


    She had that kind of lovely beauty that drew the eyes and it made Maria wonder why she was alone. Didn¡¯t she have a mate? Or did she? Maria didn¡¯t really know anything about her because she was being very careful.


    One wrong question and Olivia might close downpletely.


    They continued walking, the cool breeze blowing at Maria¡¯s gown and making it stick to her legs. She held the gown away with one hand and with the other, pushed her hair away from her face. ¡°Can I ask you another question?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s lips thinned but she said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°How did C-Master Corey and Br-His Majesty be friends?¡±


    Shit. She really had to get used to their titles.


    ¡°They used to train together when they were younger.¡±


    Maria frowned. ¡°How did that work? His Majesty is a vampire and Master Corey is a demon. They live in different realms.¡±


    Olivia shrugged, gripping her shawl to prevent the breeze from taking it away. ¡°I really don¡¯t know much, but what I do know is that they used to train together when they were younger and that¡¯s how they met, I believe.¡± She turned her lips to Maria and whispered, ¡°Another thing, Master Corey is both a vampire and demon.¡±


    Maria¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and she stuttered a step. ¡°What?!¡±


    Olivia rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. There-¡±


    ¡°Open the gates! Bring him in!¡±


    Maria¡¯s eyes jumped to Olivia¡¯s, twin expressions of panic on their faces. The shouts sounded like they hade from the front of the house and fear raced through Maria at the thought that something might be happening.


    Corey and Bran had left earlier in the day but she didn¡¯t know where they¡¯d gone, of course. She had only seen them leave in one of the cars through her window.


    The voices weren¡¯t familiar, but could one of those people be them?Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Conversation forgotten, Maria and Olivia broke into a run to the front of the house, the guards following closely behind them.


    They reached just as two cars parked haphazardly in thepound. She recognised one of them as the one Bran and Corey had gone in this morning, but she didn¡¯t recognise the second.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Olivia muttered, her voice filled with something like sadness.


    ¡°Shit,¡± One of the guardsmented and Maria was just about to ask them what the hell they were talking about when the car door was pulled open and three men rushed forward with a stretcher that she hadn¡¯t even seen them holding, and a body was carried from the car and deposited on it.


    Maria¡¯s heart dropped to her stomach when she saw how badly injured the person on the stretcher was. When she saw that the person was missing a leg, she rocked on her feet, fighting a sudden incredible feeling of nausea.


    The person¡¯s head lolled to the side, facing her and her skin went cold when she saw who it was.


    Bran.


    Lifeless.


    Her legs gave out.

 Life

    MARIA


    Death.


    One word that evoked thousands of emotions in a person.


    How could it not when it was a thief that stole from people when they least expected it? When it robbed them of their friends and loved ones, plunging them into an eternal life where they would have to bear the loss of those people. Where they would have to think of them every single day, knowing that they would never see them anymore.


    The irony of the situation wasn¡¯t lost on Maria. Was it not just a week ago when she¡¯d been praying for death toe for her because she was tired of living the way she did?


    And now death hade. But it wasn¡¯t for her.


    It hade for Bran.


    Okay, shit, she might be taking it too far. Bran wasn¡¯t dead. He was just terribly injured and unconscious and was currently being attended to in his room.


    But in that moment when she¡¯d seen him so lifeless, his body pale up on the stretcher, his hands hanging limply by his sides, eyes shut, she¡¯d thought that he was dead and cold, terrifying fear unlike anything she¡¯d ever felt had gripped her.


    It had been terrifying.


    Maria hadn¡¯t seen him since he¡¯d been taken into his room but from what she¡¯d seen when he was being carried away, she knew that he was only alive out of sheer luck.


    Several cuts marred his body, so deep that one could see the insides of him. There was also a gash on his head and the missing leg which was the worse of his injuries.


    She¡¯d held the urge to throw up for as long as she could but the moment she took one look at his leg again, she dove for the nearest bathroom and emptied her guts into the toilet.


    Olivia had been there to hold her hair back as she threw up and Maria silently thanked the woman since she couldn¡¯t do it out loud at that moment.


    She hadn¡¯t said a word since they came back. She was still in shock.


    What had happened? How did he get so badly injured?


    It was ringly obvious that there had been a fight. Even Corey had been badly wounded too, but he wasn¡¯t as worse off as Bran. He¡¯d been angry, his expression tight with something that looked a lot like pain although she couldn¡¯t be sure.


    When he¡¯d turned, she saw that one of his horns had been cut halfway and it was then she understood the reason for his pain.


    She knew what a demon¡¯s horns were to them, knew that they were incredibly sensitive and it was probably the part of their body that they cherished and protected the most.


    Having his horn cut¡­ She couldn¡¯t imagine what pain he must be going through.


    ¡°Are you just going to keep standing out here?¡±


    Maria turned and saw Olivia standing beside her, her hands folded across her chest and a wary, somewhat reprimanding look on her face.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    ¡°They won¡¯t let me in.¡± Maria sighed from the depths of her soul, only now realizing that she was terribly exhausted.


    ¡°They won¡¯t let you in because you cannot see him now, and I believe they¡¯re not going to change their mind anytime soon. Pleasee into your room so that you can rest.¡± Olivia tried to reason with her.


    Maria, however, was not having it.


    She wanted to see him. To know that he was okay. Or at least she wanted to speak to Corey or one of the men inside the room so that they would tell her the status of things. Things, being Bran in this case.


    ¡°I will,¡± Olivia nodded immediately, satisfied with what she thought was Mariaplying, before she heard the remainder of the sentence. ¡°As soon as I know that he¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Maria,¡± Olivia sighed. ¡°You¡¯re being so stubborn. What if you don¡¯t hear from them untill tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep standing right here,¡± Maria said without hesitation.


    Olivia sighed again then proceeded to wait with Maria for a few minutes longer. Maria, happy that she now had apanion-misery needspany and all that-was quite saddened a whileter when Olivia huffed and walked away.


    Well, she was just going to have to do this herself. Just like she¡¯d been doing it.


    About half an hourter, Maria started to have a change of mind. Her legs had lost all feeling and were now numb. Her stomach, too, was growling with hunger.


    A man had stepped out of the room a few minutes ago and from the way he was dressed, Maria thought he was a physician. She¡¯d tried to approach him and get him to talk, but he¡¯d refused.


    Ever since then, no one else hade out of the room.


    Maybe she should really just go back to her room, rest and ask after Bran tomorrow.


    She pushed away from the wall and took a step, bracing for that walking-on-needles feeling as her legs came back to life.


    Still, no amount of preparation could have readied her for the sensation.


    A whimper escaped her lips as she jumped from foot to foot, waiting for the feeling to pass before walking.


    And that was exactly how Corey found her-hopping from foot to foot with her lips mped shut as she tried to contain her whimpers of pain.


    She stopped hopping, cursing herself for not being more careful. She¡¯d taken her eyes off the door for what? Not more than a few seconds and it was then someone had decided toe out of the room.


    This was exactly why Maria believed that good things didn¡¯t happen to her. She had bad luck.


    It was the only exnation for how unfortunate she always was.

 And death

    MARIA


    His sure strides slowed to a stop when he saw her. If not for the light in the hallway, she would not have been able to see his expression and she thanked the gods for it.


    His expression was one of¡­ confusion?


    A cross between confusion and surprise, actually.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The words were hard but he sounded genuinely curious like he wasn¡¯t trying to be mean, so she tried not to let them sting.


    ¡°I¡­¡± She shook her head, swallowed and tried again. ¡°I just want to know how he¡¯s doing. I saw¡­ I saw the physician leave some while back-at least I think he is a physician-and I¡­ well¡­¡± She stumbled all over her words as Corey just kept staring at her, his expression smoothened into a nk mask that unnerved Maria. ¡°I wanted to know if he¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been waiting out here?¡± He asked again,pletely ignoring Maria¡¯s embarrassing, jumbled words.


    Had he not heard her?


    She held back a sob. ¡°Two hours.¡±


    Why were they all treating her this way?


    Then she remembered. For a minute there, she¡¯d forgotten who she was.


    She¡¯d forgotten that she was Maria Hatzi, daughter of the ruthless sorcerer, Ariti. A sorceress that was feared far and wide across different realms by both mortals and immortals.


    A sorceress that was hated just as she was feared.


    But she didn¡¯t want to be feared and she didn¡¯t want to be hated anymore. She just wanted to be Maria Hatzi. If she could ditch herst name, she would.


    But she was stuck with it.


    That faint look of confusion appeared on Corey¡¯s face again but he refrianed from saying anything. He simply gave her a sharp nod and turned to walk away.


    Maria¡¯s heart cracked even more in her chest.


    This time, she couldn¡¯t hold back the sob as she watched him walk away. It was just when he was about to step out of the hallway that the broken words escaped her. ¡°I just want to know if he¡¯s okay.¡±


    As if pulled by a string, maybe from Maria¡¯s words, he stopped, turned to her, and kept his eyes carefully averted from her face when he said, ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡±


    Then he turned and walked away.


    Maria felt a tear slide down her cheek.


    ***


    It had been three days.


    Three days since they¡¯d brought Bran in, three days since she hadn¡¯t seen him and three days since shest stepped out of her room.


    She¡¯d gone back to being the prisoner she once was.


    Maria still couldn¡¯t believe how one of the best days in her life had turned so drastically into one of the worst.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    How was it possible that one moment she¡¯d been happy, finally let out of her room and into the brightness again, then the next moment, she¡¯d been plunged into darkness, the brightness stolen from her?


    Everyday, she sat by her window, hoping to see Bran walk out of the house in all his six-foot-seven glory, that seductive stride and that peculiar harsh scowl on his face.


    But she knew that it was only wishful thinking.


    She pestered Olivia whenever she brought her meals, asking her if there were improvements on Bran, but she was just as clueless as Maria was.


    Apparently, the situation was being contianed as much as it could because they didn¡¯t want word of it getting across these walls and she understood why.


    If people found out that the vampire king was badly injured and unconscious, it would cause a stir that would spread out like wildfire.


    And nobody wanted to tell her anything because they considered her a person of insignificance.


    Maria looked up when her door creaked open and Olivia¡¯s head snuck in between the small space.


    ¡°They¡¯re moving him to the living room on this floor,¡± she whispered. ¡°This is your chance to see him.¡±


    Maria¡¯s heart leapt in her chest as she felt the beginnings of hope blossoming inside her chest.


    She was finally going to see him!


    She stood up from her chair and hurried over to Olivia, yet then she stopped when she remembered. ¡°But the guards outside my door-¡±


    ¡°I distracted them,¡± Olivia cut in impatiently. ¡°Now hurry.¡±


    Maria did just that.


    She wasted no time in shoving her feet into slippers and running out of her room, only stopping to hold onto Olivia¡¯s hands. The woman turned to her with wide, surprised and confused eyes-they didn¡¯t initiate contact a lot.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Maria told her. ¡°I owe you.¡±


    Olivia simply smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Then she gave Maria a light shove. ¡°Now go before the guardse back.¡±


    Nodding, she hastened away then realised that she didn¡¯t know where the living room was on this floor and when she turned around, she saw that Olivia wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    She would find it herself. It couldn¡¯t be that hard to find it, right?


    After walking for a bit, she found a huge door closed firmly shut.


    This must be it.


    Taking a deep breath and hoping that what she was about to do didn¡¯t go south, she gripped the door handle and pulled it open.


    Corey leaned against the wall on the far side of the room, his legs crossed at the ankles, and a familiar woman stood not far from him.


    There, lying on a huge bed in the middle of what was supposed to be a living room, was Bran. His face was turned towards Corey and the woman, and she couldn¡¯t see the rest of his body because it was covered by a sheet pulled up to his neck.


    When she pulled the door open, all three heads turned in her direction and Maria thought that she would melt under the intensity of their stares.


    She deliberately kept her gaze averted from Bran-she couldn¡¯t look at him just yet.


    ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m not the one you need,¡± the woman said, her voice low andmanding, carrying out across the huge room. ¡°She is.¡±


    Maria realised two things simultaneously.


    One, this woman was the oracle she¡¯d met in the vampire¡¯s castle and two, she was pointing at her.

 Oracle, witch and sorceress

    BRAN


    ¡°Your wounds are not healing.¡±


    Bran already knew that when he saw the grim look on the man¡¯s face, whatever he had to say couldn¡¯t be anything good so he wasn¡¯t particrly surprised when those words left the older man¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s actually why we requested for you,¡± Corey piped in like a smart-ass but the look on his face was a serious one. Solemn.


    ¡°The wounds are deep, yes, but they were stitched.¡± Ezra, the physician, said, sounding like he was speaking to himself. ¡°Even if they weren¡¯t stitched, they would have healed on their own but they¡¯re not healing. His leg isn¡¯t regenerating either.¡±


    At the mention of it, Corey¡¯s eyes dropped to Bran¡¯s legs and a grimace flitted across his face. Bran fought against the urge to look, knowing that he would not like what he saw.


    It had been three days since the incident, three days since he¡¯d been caught in a grenade explosion and yet, his injuries were still wide open, looking exactly like they¡¯d been that day and his leg stilly there, useless and embarrassing.


    So fucking embarrassing.


    Not to mention the unholy pain he was in.


    Blood continued to pour from the injuries no matter how hard they tried to stop them and because of that, his bandages had to be redressed every five hours.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Bran was suffering from severe blood loss and pain unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt. He couldn¡¯t walk, could barely adjust on the bed and every single bloody thing he seemed to do only made him hurt even worse.


    Was it blinking his eyes? Adjusting his hand? Turning his head? Name it. Every single thing hurt and had him gritting his teeth in pain.


    When the wounds had gotten restitched yesterday, he¡¯d barely been able to hold back his screams.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that this weak person lying on a bed the whole day, having people clean, feed and clothe him was him.


    He was a fucking king. How had he gotten here?


    If only he¡¯d seen that grenade sooner and stepped out of the car, all this would have been avoided. But that wasn¡¯t the only cause of his current predicament and Bran knew it.


    Something else was at y.


    His injuries weren¡¯t healing. Instead, they were getting worse and it was insane.


    Injuries that usually took Bran a max of twelve hours to heal, were now keeping him bed-ridden for three whole days.


    Something was wrong. Very wrong.


    And he knew he wasn¡¯t the only one that thought that.


    ¡°I think magic might be at y here,¡± the physician said, pulling Bran back to the present.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought so too, but the people who did this have no ess to magic.¡± Corey told the man from his perch on the couch in Bran¡¯s room. ¡°They¡¯re humans.¡±


    Frown lines marred Ezra¡¯s face. ¡°Tell me again what happened.¡±


    Corey proceeded to exin what happened that day.


    The humans were getting bolder. They¡¯d ventured into several other realms to catch creatures of various species and ignoring the warning given to them, they¡¯de back to the demon realm to capture a number of demons-mothers and children included.


    Corey had been livid. He¡¯d grabbed his weapons and hopped into his car, but he¡¯d been surprised to see Bran entering the passenger¡¯s side. He wasn¡¯t going to let his friend fight alone.


    The humans must have been expecting them because they were heavily armed this time around and when they arrived, theyunched a ton of grenades at Corey¡¯s car. The car had gone up in mes and the door on Bran¡¯s side had been jammed, unable to open.


    It must have been the panic of the fire licking at his skin or maybe the general confusion of their n being shot to hell even before they¡¯d attacked, but Bran had forgotten momentarily that he could trace out of the car and what a crucial mistake that turned out to be.


    ¡°I broke him out but by the time I did, half his leg was gone and the ss from the windshield had cut him in several ces,¡± Corey finished.


    Bran squeezed his eyes shut, the words making relive the torment all over.


    Ezra shook his head and walked over to his kit by the dresser, dragging his hand gloves off. When he was done, he closed the kit and turned back to the both of them with heavy shoulders and a wary expression. ¡°You need the help of the witches.¡±


    Shit.


    Bran had been thinking the same thing since yesterday but he hadn¡¯t said anything because he wanted to give it more time. But apparently, the more dyed, the worse he got and since the physician had washed his hands off him, there might be no other option for him.


    ¡°Do you believe they will be able to help?¡± Corey asked with a frown etched on his face.


    ¡°I fear they¡¯re the only ones who can.¡±


    With those ominousst words, the physician exited the room.


    ***


    ¡°Oh boy,¡± the witch whistled, long and low. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just a week ago that I saw you? Sure, you had that annoying scowl on your face that makes me want to kill you as much as I want to jump you, but at least you looked loads better than you do now.¡±


    Bran and Corey shared a look.


    If he¡¯d had another choice, he wouldn¡¯t have asked Corey to call for the witch. She was terribly insufferable.


    Her brows quirked. ¡°Is anyone going to tell me what happened or are you guys just going to keep talking to each other with your eyes?¡±


    Corey sighed and crossed his legs at the ankles, leaning against the wall as he ryed the incident to her.


    Before they¡¯d called for the witch, they¡¯d decided to move Bran to the living room on the same floor in order not to have strange people entering his room unnecessarily.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Shemented when Corey was done. ¡°He definitely should have healed by now. Something¡¯s not right. Can I?¡± She gestured to Bran, asking Corey for permission since Bran could barely open his mouth to speak.


    Corey nodded, his eyes sharpening.

 She鈥檚 the one you need

    BRAN


    Bran¡¯s shoulders tightened as the witch came closer, that bloody raven still resting on her shoulder and staring at Bran through its beady little eyes. He would never admit it out loud, but the bird freaked him out.


    He tensed when she ced her hand on his chest. She ttened her palm as her face took on an odd look of concentration, then she lifted her hand slowly and Bran felt as though something was being forced out of his chest with a string.


    His back arched with the force of it, disturbing his injuries and causing a stitch to loosen. He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the pain.


    Suddenly, his back hit the bed and the sensation stopped. He took a shaky breath and it was a while before he could calm his heart and force his eyes open-no matter how adamant they were on remaining closed.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Corey asked, pushing off the wall.


    ¡°That,¡± the witch pointed at Bran, slightly breathless. ¡°Is something I¡¯ve never seen before, all right.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been hexed.¡± She delivered bluntly, taking a step back from Bran, pausing to stare at him in confusion, before turning and walking back to where she¡¯d been standing before.


    He¡¯d been hexed.


    Fucking hexed.


    Of all things¡­


    Bran had never been hexed before. He¡¯d heard of it before, had even seen it happen to several friends of his when he was younger but they were all harmless hexes.


    One time, his friend had been hexed to make fart sounds with his mouth whenever he attempted to talk to a girl he was attracted to and it had been fun to watch. Never something so serious.


    Something so dangerous.


    Who could have done this to him?


    ¡°Hexed? How?¡± Corey voiced out Bran¡¯s confusion.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯ve put a spell on him that would make his injuries not heal. A mortality spell.¡± The witch exined. ¡°Basically, he¡¯s an immortal with the mortality spell and it¡¯s what¡¯s stopping his injuries from healing.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Corey rubbed a hand over his mouth, his expression angry and frustrated as he ran his eyes over Bran¡¯s form.


    ¡°We could do that, but we have more important things to focus on right now.¡± The witch¡¯s lips pursed. ¡°Question. Who put the hex on him?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Corey sighed, lifting a brow at Bran. ¡°Do you?¡±


    Bran thought long and hard, racking his head as he thought about the activities of the past week. Nothing. He went farther back to the activities of the past month but still nothing.


    He hadn¡¯t had a meeting with a sorceress or witch, other than the witch standing in front of him and Maria, whose powers were bound and only he had the key.


    He shook his head at Corey, ignoring the pain that shot up his neck from that movement.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know who did it to him.¡± Corey sighed again and went over to the wall to lean on it, facing the witch. ¡°Can you help?¡±


    The witch swept her eyes over Bran. ¡°I wish I could, but I can¡¯t.¡± She sighed, showing the first signs of genuine concern for the first time since Bran had met her. ¡°Potions and portals, I can do. But hexes? No. Not to mention hexes as powerful as this one.¡± Turning to Corey, she said, ¡°There¡¯s a witch, Ari. She does hexes and also undoes them.¡±


    Bran perked up at that and he noticed Corey did too.


    ¡°How do we get her here?¡±


    ¡°She would have been able to help as at two days ago, but right now? Not possible.¡± Bran was just about to ask why when she exined. ¡°A vampire fed off a witch yesterday, almost draining herpletely and also parting with precious secrets. So the witches have been banned from working for vampires in the meantime. If I¡¯d known that it was actually you who needed my services and not the demon, I wouldn¡¯t havee.¡±


    Shit, Bran thought.


    As soon as he got back on his feet, he was going to kill the fucking vampire.


    If he got back on his feet because chances of that happening were dwindling by the minute.


    Corey rubbed at his eyes, weighed down by tiredness. The man had been of so much help to Bran and Bran couldn¡¯t be more grateful. ¡°Is there no help for him at all?¡±


    The witch mulled on her lower lip and the action reminded Bran of Maria.


    He forced thoughts of her out of his mind. Not now.


    ¡°I think you should get the oracle here. I believe she¡¯ll be able to help.¡± She said eventually. ¡°And you better do that fast because if his situation gets any worse, he could die. He¡¯s exactly like a mortal now and those wounds would easily kill one.¡±


    Her raven scwaked suddenly, making all the hairs on Bran¡¯s body stand at attention.


    ¡°Shush, love,¡± she calmed the bird, but it¡¯s eyes were jumping around, ten times freakier than they usually were. ¡°Now, as I was saying-¡±


    ¡°Get the oracle here, I heard you the first time.¡± A voice piped in and all of them in the room turned, surprised by the new familiar voice.


    The oracle stood in a corner, her eyes locked on Bran.


    ¡°How did you get here?¡± Corey gritted out.


    Fuck knows how he was taking this whole freak show. Bran would be equally freaked out if he physically could.


    ¡°I believe the witch said you needed me, and naturally, I came.¡±


    ¡°But how did you know? She¡¯s still right here.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± the witch smiled, petting her raven absently. ¡°This must be what my pet sensed. The oracle hears everything and now that she¡¯s here, I¡¯m going to leave. She¡¯s who you need.¡±


    ¡°You should leave,¡± the oracle said, finally turning to the witch. ¡°You risk your head just by being here, but don¡¯t worry, your people would never find out about this.¡±


    The witch¡¯s smile widened at the oracle. ¡°Many many thanks.¡± Then she turned to Corey. ¡°Until next time, Corey.¡± Then she blew a kiss at Bran before turning, flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking out of the room with her raven.


    Then, and only then, did the oracle turn to face Bran. ¡°You think you need me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Corey said quickly. ¡°We believe Bran has been hexed-¡±


    The door creaked open and all their heads flew in that direction, thinking that the witch hade back in, but it wasn¡¯t her.


    Maria took one step into the room and stopped, staring at them with wide, terrified eyes.


    Bran¡¯s heart clenched with longing at the sight of her beautiful face, framed by her long ck hair that cascaded down past her shoulders.


    She was wearing a beautiful bright gown that ended at her knees and fuck, she looked so bloody beautiful, Bran wished he could walk over to her and kiss the hell out of those parted lips.     ¡°As I said before,¡± the oracle continued, but Bran couldn¡¯t for the life of him, pull his eyes away from Maria to look at her. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you need. She is.¡±


    That had Bran turning to the oracle so fast, he almost snapped his neck.

 She hexed you

    BRAN


    ¡°Who?¡± Both Bran and Corey asked at the same time.


    ¡°The sorceress, of course,¡± the oracle said, leveling a meaningful look at the both of them before turning to the door where Maria was standing.


    Bran, too, turned carefully towards her, ignoring the pain and instead, watching the expression on Maria¡¯s face to know how she was taking this. But she still wasn¡¯t looking at him-she kept her eyes on the oracle.


    ¡°Why exactly do we need her?¡± Corey asked and Bran turned to him, wondering if that was anger he¡¯d heard in his friend¡¯s voice.


    The expression on Corey¡¯s face was carefully neutral. He didn¡¯t look like he was angry, but that didn¡¯t mean he actually wasn¡¯t angry.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    If he was, what reason did he have to be? Had Bran not exined to him already that Maria didn¡¯t intentionally kill his mate?


    ¡°The hex was ced on him by a powerful sorceress and therefore, can only be removed by one equally as powerful.¡±


    ¡°You know who put the hex on him.¡± It was a statement from Corey and not a question.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the oracle said simply, then turned to Maria once more. ¡°Come, child. Close the door.¡±


    One of the weird things about being an immortal was for someone that looked not two years older than a person, to refer to them as ¡®child¡¯.


    Physically, the oracle looked to be in herte twenties and was almost as fresh-faced as Maria was. He could imagine how Maria felt about being called ¡®child¡¯ by her, but then again, if she knew that the oracle was thousands of years old, she wouldn¡¯t think about it anymore.


    Anyway, those were all unimportant at the moment. What did the oracle mean when she said that Maria was who they needed?


    How could it be?


    If it was Maria that was going to remove the hex from him, then that meant he would have to give her her powers back by taking off the cor and that was not going to happen.


    Which meant that he was as good as dead.


    Bran heard the door m shut and he knew that Maria had entered the room. She drifted closer to them hesitantly. She wasn¡¯t even standing close to Bran and still, he could perceive her scent.


    That familiar smell of flowers and jasmine. It made him think of all the bright things. Of life.


    ¡°Who put the hex on him?¡± Corey¡¯s voice cut through the air like a whip, surprising everyone and even Bran-but that was mostly due to the fact that he was so lost in his thoughts about Maria.


    The oracle didn¡¯t respond immediately. She walked over to the couch Corey had been sitting on before the witch came, and sat on it, sping her fingers on herps.


    ¡°Four days ago, you went into the realm of Sorceri-where your presence is highly unwee, mind you-and captured the sorceress back.¡± Bran was about to force his mouth open and tell her that he didn¡¯t ¡®capture¡¯ her, that she¡¯de with him willingly, when the oracle red at him and continued, ¡°Before you left, you were stopped by Ariti and a sorceress. Do you remember?¡±


    Bran thought back to that day, then nodded when he remembered what she was talking about. Initially, he hadn¡¯t known that the woman standing next to Ariti was a sorceress until she¡¯d taken his sister from him-via air.


    Familiar anger burned inside Bran as he was reminded of that day anew. Of the loss he¡¯d borne.     ¡°Good,¡± The oracle nodded. ¡°Do you remember her hitting you?¡±


    He scrunched his face. He didn¡¯t remember her hitting him-she hadn¡¯t evene close to him-but she had hit him with a st.


    That counted as a hit, didn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bran grated out on a stunned breath.


    Fuck, yes.


    He remembered the womanunching a st at him, then blowing him a kiss before all three of them, Ariti, the sorceress and Iris, had dissapeared.


    He remembered his feeling of confusion when nothing had happened afterwards and he¡¯d simply thought that maybe it was a spell gone wrong.


    ¡°She hexed you,¡± the oracle rified. ¡°That was her puttig a mortality spell on you, as the witch called it, and only a reverse can get it out of you.¡±


    Shit. That fucking bitch had hexed him.


    No wonder she¡¯d seemed so happy, that cunning smile pulling at her lips as she left. No wonder she hadn¡¯t bothered to kill him. She¡¯d known that he would meet his death soon anyway.


    But how could she have known that he was going to be involved in a fight?


    ¡°Do they work with the humans?¡± He forced the words out of his mouth.


    She shook her head. ¡°That just happened to be a coincidence-an ill-timed one. It worked all in Ariti¡¯s favour.¡± She cut a look at Maria. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Maria said softly and it was like Bran was reminded anew that she was still in the room.


    He still refused to look at her. He was having conflicting thoughts and looking at her would only make them worse.


    ¡°Well, there you have it. You wanted a solution to your problems and you have one now. It¡¯s up to you to make your decision.¡± Somehow, Bran knew that the oracle¡¯s next words would be ones that he didn¡¯t want to hear. ¡± You either let her help you or you die.¡±


    The silence in the room was deafening.

 Another way

    BRAN


    Corey stared at Bran and Bran, in turn, stared at the wall in front of him with a hard expression. So many things were making him feel out of sorts and they were making his anger spike, clouding his thoughts and making it impossible for him to think smartly.


    For one, he was lying on a bed like a fucking wimp, avoiding the gaze of the woman he¡¯d eaten out not five days ago in her room because he couldn¡¯t bear to look at her and say the words that he wanted to say next.


    Secondly, he was pissed that she was seeing him like this-weak, helpless, useless, fucking powerless. It was usually the other way round with them and the change was throwing him. He hated it.


    So fucking much.


    Thirdly, he couldn¡¯t have heard a news worse than the one he¡¯d just heard from the oracle. He¡¯d been prepared to pay a great fortune to the healer, whoever the person was.


    What he hadn¡¯t expected was for that person to be Maria of all people.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the oracle called and Bran turned to her slowly. ¡°You have to let her heal you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    The expression on her face didn¡¯t waver. She must have expected Bran to refuse already.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any other option.¡± She tried to reason with him, but it was pointless. It wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he repeated with great effort.


    ¡°You can,¡± a small, husky voice piped in. ¡°You just don¡¯t want to.¡±


    It was Maria.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Fuck, why couldn¡¯t she just kept her mouth out of it? It had been easier when she hadn¡¯t said anything.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take off your cor, Maria,¡± he sighed, tired of the conversation. ¡°You know that.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± She opposed and next thing, she was standing in front of him, her hands in fists by her sides, the expression on her face fierce. Fuck, she was so beautiful. ¡°Let me help you. All you have to do is take off this bloody cor and I¡¯ll be able to do that.¡±


    Bran sighed again. ¡°No.¡±


    He was tired. So bloody tired.


    And, hell, why was saying ¡®no¡¯ to her so hard?


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked quickly, taking a step closer to him. ¡°Give me one reason.¡±


    Her grey eyes were alive with anger, nostrils ring like she was breathing fire and her body coiled tightly like she was ready tounch herself at him any moment.


    Magnificent. That was what she was.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough to make Bran change his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to take it off, Maria. Forget it.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a reason, Bran,¡± she bit out through clenched teeth. ¡°Give me one and maybe I¡¯ll let it go then.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re going to fucking leave if I take it off, damnit.¡± He snapped,pletely frustrated with the conversation.


    It wasn¡¯t until the words were out of his mouth that he remembered that there were two other people in the room-Corey and the oracle-and they had been listening to the conversation this entire time.


    They¡¯d heard what he just said.


    ¡°Why the hell is she even in here anyway?¡± He ground out, hating that his breaths were quickening because of the strength he was exerting and hating that he felt so weak. ¡°I thought she had people watching her? Why did they let her in here?¡±


    Corey blinked at him while the oracle merely listened on. She wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised by what was going on.


    ¡°There are guards by her door.¡± Corey shrugged, expression tight. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how she managed to get past them.¡±


    The guards were as good as dead.


    ¡°I need her to leave.¡± Bran said, looking directly at Corey and not at the woman standing in front of him. ¡°Now.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think you should let her help.¡± the oracle finally intervened when she saw that Bran wasn¡¯t going to be persuaded into taking Maria¡¯s cor off.


    What she still had not realised was that he was not going to change his mind.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to find another way.¡±


    ¡°There is no other way.¡± The Oracle said in that same calm, collected voice. ¡°She¡¯s the only one who can help you, don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    Bran tried to put as much finalty and strength into his words as he could. ¡°I¡¯m not taking that cor off.¡±


    ¡°Then you ept that you¡¯re going to die?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find another way.¡±


    Her eyes shed with anger and Bran¡¯s own eyes rolled back in his head with frustration. ¡°There is no other way.¡±


    ¡°Bran,¡± Corey sighed, walking closer to him. He dragged a hand down his tired face, appearing just as frustrated as Bran was. ¡°I think you should just do-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bran cut him off, his anger rising. ¡°I am not taking the cor off and that¡¯s final.¡±


    He could feel the energy pouring off of Maria in waves. It was dark and angry andmanding, and like a moth drawn to a me, he turned to her, bracing himself for the look he would see on her face.


    The fire.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it? You¡¯re really going to let yourself die?¡± She asked, voiceden with disbelief. Bran stared hard at her, matching her re. She gave a disbelieving huff ofughter, eyes turning manic. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± She swiveled on her heel to look at Corey and the oracle. ¡°Are you people listening to him? He¡¯s going to let himself die just because he doesn¡¯t want to remove the cor? That¡¯s crazy!¡± She cried.


    ¡°Call it whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gods, he¡¯s crazy!¡± She shrieked, hysterical. ¡°Why am I the only one who¡¯s seeing something wrong with this?¡±


    There was no response, although Corey looked a lot like he wanted to take her side in that moment and that said alot.


    She took a deep calming breath, pushed her hair away from her face with shaky hands that caused a small pang in Bran¡¯s chest, and exhaled. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can help you right now, but you¡¯re not going to remove the cor because you think I¡¯ll run away.¡± She summarised. ¡°Is that correct?¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond to her, but his silence was answer enough for her.


    Maria nodded and the light in her eyes dimmed. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Then she turned and walked out of the room the same way she¡¯de-quietly. Except that this time, she looked defeated.

 Hi, powers

    MARIA


    I¡¯m not going to take it off, Maria. Forget it.


    The words rang over and over in Maria¡¯s head even days after.


    She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it, that little part of her that had thought Bran had been truly changing, unable toe to terms with the fact that he¡¯d actually been able to look her in the face and say those words.


    He wasn¡¯t going to take the cor off. He was serious.


    She¡¯d known before that Bran was stubborn but with that conversation, he¡¯d unlocked a whole new level of stubbornness entirely.


    What person would consciously, in their right mind, pick dying over doing anything they could to help themselves?


    Bran, apparently, because that was exactly what he was doing.


    Maria had almost freaked out two days ago when the oracle had pointed at her and told her that she was the one that Bran needed. At first she¡¯d been floored, terribly confused, and it wasn¡¯t until the oracle exined that Bran had been hexed by a sorceress, the Queen of Evil, that the words made sense to her.


    It had been a bit spooky, she wasn¡¯t going to lie, because for a moment there it had seemed like something out of a fairytale, her being the destined one who could help Bran and such. But then the exnation brought her back to reality, reminding her that it was the furthest thing from a fairytale.


    She was the only one who could help him because the deed had been done by a powerful sorceress, as the oracle had said, and only one as powerful as she could undo it. It wasn¡¯t news that Maria was powerful, that hadn¡¯te as a surprise to her, and sure, there were a lot of powerful sorceresses, some even more powerful than Maria herself, but they wouldn¡¯t help unless they wanted to.


    That was the difference between the witches and the Sorceri.


    Witches demanded a fee for almost everything they did for anyone; the Sorceri did it simply because they wanted to. No matter how high and attractive prize was, the Sorceri could not be lured into doing anything if they didn¡¯t see a reason in doing it.


    It went without saying that Bran couldn¡¯t get any of them to help him now-not when all they wanted was his head on a tter-so she was the only one who could help him.


    But he wasn¡¯t going to let her because he thought she was going to run if he so much as removed the cor. Like she was some sort of animal.


    How fucked up was that?


    She thought things had been changing for the better between them. She thought she was no longer his captive. She thought that he liked her-genuinely liked her.


    She thought that they were finally moving forward.


    All these things, she¡¯d wanted to say to him but she hadn¡¯t been able to because there had been two other people in the room and one of them was his friend-his friend whom she¡¯d identally killed his mate, who hated her with a vegeance and didn¡¯t know about the new development between her and Bran and might not approve of it even if he did know.


    No, not might. Definitely won¡¯t.


    Gods, she¡¯d been so hurt when he¡¯d refused to let her help, to take her cor off. That only meant that he still saw her as a captive and didn¡¯t want her going anywhere.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Well, at least now she knew the answer to her question.


    She¡¯d been considering bringing the cor up when next they talked but now she knew what his answer would be.


    Bloody infuriatingly stubborn man.


    When she¡¯d stepped into the room that day, she¡¯d been shocked to see that his injuries were still very much as fresh as they¡¯d been the day he had them. If possible, they¡¯d gotten worse.


    That must be why they had called for the oracle and even before the oracle had confirmed it, Maria had known that there was something wrong.


    He¡¯d been in so much pain, he¡¯d tried to hide it but she could still tell. He grimaced everytime he turned and talked, the bandages on his body dotted with blood in several spots.


    He wasn¡¯t recovering. He needed her.


    And it hurt her so much that he would rather suffer¡­ that he would rather die than let her help him.


    There was a knock on her door and she looked up. It was probably Olivia.


    ¡°Come in.¡± She called and hid the sadness she felt, adopting a neutral mask.


    The door opened and she was surprised to see that it wasn¡¯t Olivia. It was a guard.


    ¡°You¡¯re needed in the living room,¡± he told her and her heart skipped. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    She got up and hurried after him, wondering what the hell she was needed for.


    Had he changed his mind? Was he going to let her help him now?


    If he had changed his mind, then good for him; he was going to live. But whatever they had between them was gone.


    She didn¡¯t want to call that night a mistake because they¡¯d both been conscious of what they were doing, but in her defense, she¡¯d thought that he was changing and that was why she¡¯d let it happen.


    If she had known that he still saw her as his ¡®captive sorceress¡¯, she wouldn¡¯t have let it happen.


    She wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake again.


    The guard pushed the door open for her to enter and when she did, he closed the door. Her lips pursed when he didn¡¯t enter with her.


    She made sure that the nk mask was intact before she lifted her head and looked at the upants of the room-Bran on the bed, Corey on a couch, and two guards standing far from them.


    Her eyes swept over Bran and she hated the way her heart clenched when she looked at him. He was lying under the covers again, his skin so pale it appeared almost white, lips blue and eyespletely shut.


    A quick dip to his chest confirmed that he was still breathing, although from the looks of things, not for long and the pensiveness around Corey told her that he knew it too.


    ¡°We need your help.¡± Corey gestured to Bran¡¯s still form, his eyes hard but she could see the worry in them.


    She couldn¡¯t stop the bitter smile that formed on her lips. ¡°Oh, so after searching for other options anding up short, he¡¯s finallying back to me.¡± She was positive that her expression was just as snarky as her words were. ¡°How honoured I feel.¡±


    Corey ignored her. ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Remove the hex,¡± he answered. ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°I believe I can.¡±


    His fingers tapped on the armrest. ¡°That answer doesn¡¯t give one hundred percent. I need to know if you can do it, ¡¯cause if this goes wrong, it goespletely wrong.¡± His voice was hard, words clipped as they left his lips in rapid-fire session. ¡°There¡¯s no way to reverse it and I want you to k-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try my best,¡± she cut him off, meeting his hard stare with one of her own. ¡°It¡¯s not something that I¡¯ve done before but I¡¯m willing to try to help. It¡¯s not like you have another option, else you we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation right now, so can you stop fucking acting like you do?¡±


    The guards in the room drew in several astonished inhales and Corey¡¯s eyes widened slightly, almost imperceptibly, and if she¡¯d not had her eyesser focused on his, she would have missed it because he schooled his expression into its usual hard, nk mask.


    He said nothing and she didn¡¯t know whether it was because she¡¯d rendered him speechless or if it was because he didn¡¯t want to rile her up anymore.


    Or maybe it was because he knew that there were truths in her words.


    Either way, she was in a shitty mood and she was not to be messed with.


    Suddenly, Corey pushed up from the couch, stretching to his full height which meant he towered over Maria by far, and for a moment there, Maria thought he was finally done reeling in his anger towards her and was finally going act on it by knocking her out-or strangling her to death-but he only walked over to Bran and nudged him softly.


    Thetter blinked slowly, opening those green eyes that were now dulled with pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to remove the cor,¡± Corey told him and she watched Bran move his head slowly, searching for her.


    Wanting to make it easier for him so that he wouldn¡¯t have to stress himself much-even though she was so bloody angry and almost hated him in that moment-she stepped around to Corey¡¯s side so that he wouldn¡¯t have to look far to see her.


    She didn¡¯t try to read the look in his eyes. She didn¡¯t want to.


    He lifted his hand and made a gesture for her toe closer, which she did. Yet then he motioned for her toe even closer. This time, she bent her knees until her face was not so far from his battered one and despite the situation, started to remember their kiss.


    Forcing it out of her mind, she stared at him stonily.


    He put his hand to the side of her neck and she jolted from the contact of his cold mmy skin on hers, but she held still. A few secondster, she heard a beep and she felt the pressure around her neck give way.


    She stood quickly and felt for it, astonished to see that one side had dissapearedpletely. Exhrated, she pulled the remaining side away and brought it up close to examine it, seeing that one side had only retracted in, sort of like a hidden sword.


    How did he open it? Was it his finger? W-


    She swayed on her feet as a rush of power filled her, her eyes rolling back in her head at the sublime feeling of having them once more.


    They caressed her as though telling her that they¡¯d missed her too, and swirled around her body, going every which way and almost lifting her off the ground with their excitement.


    She held on to the nearest thing she could find, which surprisingly turned out to be Corey-and she was even more surprised when he didn¡¯t push her away-at least until she wasn¡¯t dizzy anymore.


    Thest of her powers rushed into her and her world righted, her eyes focusing. She removed her hand from Corey¡¯s strong bicep and muttered an awkward ¡®thanks¡¯ to him.


    Maria popped her knuckles and prepared to use her powers for the first time since getting them back-on the vampire king.


    ¡°You might want to move out of the way,¡± she warned the man standing next to Bran.


    Corey stepped back, giving her a wide berth, but she wasn¡¯t even looking at him. She was focused on Bran who was staring at her through half-opened eyes, reciting the anti-mortality spell in her head.


    When she¡¯d gotten it, she stretched her hands, magic swirling around them and recited the spell in her mind, watching as wisps of her powers swirled all around Bran, building, building and building, until it turned into one bright light and exploded on top of him.


    Her heart leapt when his eyes red open, happy that the spell had worked. But then suddenly, his lids slid shut, head lolling to the side and she watched in horror as his breaths slowed to a stop.


    Dead.

 Spell gone wrong

    MARIA


    ¡°What have you done?¡± Corey appeared in her line of vision, his voice filled with horror and usation.


    Maria couldn¡¯t get her mouth to move no matter how hard she tried. Her heart was racing in her chest, mming against her ribcage. Her breaths were shallowing and her hands were shaking.


    What had she done?


    She¡¯d recited the anti-mortality spell, hadn¡¯t she?


    He couldn¡¯t be dead. No, something had to be wrong.


    She stumbled a step forward just as Corey lurched forward and with narrowed eyes, watched for movement on Bran¡¯s chest. There were none.


    Next, he put his fingers on his pulse and with the way all the blood drained from his expression and his eyes widened, Maria knew that there was no pulse either.


    Bran was dead. She¡¯d killed him.


    She¡¯d killed the vampire king all over again.


    Was she cursed?


    Corey spun and faced her, ck forking out over his eyes in anger, expression tight and arms bunched, taking a terrifying step forward. ¡°What did you do to him?¡±


    Maria cowered, walking backwards as if she could escape his wrath. ¡°I-I-¡±


    ¡°What did you fucking do to him, witch?¡± He was walking towards her now. No, not walking. Prowling. Like a predator, watching it¡¯s prey, poised to strike.


    Her eyes darted to Bran¡¯s lifeless form on the bed as she backed away from him-from Corey-and once again, an overwhelming sense of fear filled her. Her instincts were screaming at her that she shouldn¡¯t be walking away from him; she should be helping him.


    And she wasn¡¯t sure what she could do, she was just as confused by the surprising turn of events as Corey was, but he would never believe. He would think that she¡¯d killed Bran on purpose.


    Oh gods, Bran is dead.


    The vampire king is dead.


    The thought of Bran being dead filled her heart with pain and made her chest clench tight, making it impossible for her to breathe past the ache that threatened to swallow her whole.


    But at thought of the vampire king being dead, a sense of foreboding filled her. Chills ran down her spine and her head filled with various images of the kind of death that awaited her when people found out.


    His people were ruthless and one of them was standing in front of her, looking like he very much wanted to rip her apart.


    ¡°You killed him!¡± Corey yelled, showing the first signs of rage ever since Maria met him. Definitely, she¡¯d seen him angry before, but this right here was rage. ¡°You fucking killed him on purpose!¡±


    Maria¡¯s eyes darted to Bran again, unable to take her eyes off him. The pull to go to him was strong and she knew why. This time, it wasn¡¯t just her instincts telling her to go to him-her powers had joined in too.


    Her eyes flitted back to Corey¡¯s livid brown ones, barely able to hold them. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I promise,¡± she tried to exin. ¡°Just let me go to him and-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± His didn¡¯t shout this time. His voice was calm, lethal and it made her jump a mile high in the air. Her shoulders started to tremble. ¡°Lock the doors. Make sure she can¡¯t get out.¡± He gestured to the guards in the far end of the room and they stood frozen for a moment,pletely enraptured with what was happening before them, then at the same time, when they realized that they were being spoken to, they jumped into action and hurried to lock the doors.


    Maria gulped.


    She was trapped with nowhere to go.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Well¡­ Unless she used her powers.


    But she didn¡¯t want to do that. She¡¯d caused enough harm already and for the sake of all the gods, she just wanted to get to Bran.


    ¡°Corey, I need to go to Bran,¡± Maria tried to reason with him again, her voice breaking on the words and her shaking hands sped in front of her in begging. ¡°I think I can help him. Please just let me go to him.¡±


    ¡°I asked you,¡± he pointed a finger at her, seething. ¡°I asked you if you could do it. I bloody asked you if you knew what you were doing and you said you did! Now look what¡¯s happened!¡± He yelled, shoving his hands into his hair, then dragging one down his face before stabbing a finger at the bed. ¡°You¡¯ve fucking killed him!¡±


    Tears welled in her eyes, both at the obvious pain in Corey¡¯s eyes and the thought that she¡¯d killed Bran. Oh, she couldn¡¯t just stomach it.


    A sob escaped past her lips. ¡°I was only trying to help!¡± she cried, frustrated with everything. ¡°I was doing the right thing, I swear it. I cast the right spell in my head and¡­ and¡­¡± her eyes widened, a cold dread settling over her skin as she realized where she¡¯d gone wrong. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Her eyes jumped to Corey¡¯s. ¡°Oh shit, I think I cast the wrong spell.¡±


    Somehow, she had gotten the spells mixed up in her head.


    Instead of casting the anti-mortality spell, she¡¯d cast the mortality spell on him again, thereby snuffing the remaining life out of his body.


    Maria couldn¡¯t remember whenst she¡¯d mixed up spells. It had happened to her when she was much younger, when she¡¯d been learning the spells and mastering them. But it hadn¡¯t happened ever since she¡¯d turned thirteen.


    What could have caused it? Was it because her powers had been shut down for such a long time? Was that the reason she¡¯d mixed up the spells?


    Whatever the reason was, it had cost her something far greater-Bran¡¯s life.


    And she was determined to fix it. She was determined to try. She would do anything.

 He鈥檚 alive

    MARIA


    She¡¯d never once heard about a dead person being brought back to life-she¡¯d seen a spell like that a while back, but she had never really heard of anyone who had sessfully used the spell before-and she was going to try it on Bran.


    There was a huge possibility that it wouldn¡¯t work or that it could go wrong, but what did she have to lose? He was already dead.


    ¡°You cast the wrong spell on him? What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded quickly. ¡°The spells got mixed up in my head and I cast the wrong one but it wasn¡¯t intentional, I swear to you. I¡¯m going to try to fix it, just please-¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No.¡± He was already shaking his head before she could even finish speaking. ¡°You¡¯re going to stay the hell away from him and you¡¯re going to pay for deliberately-¡±


    ¡°Oh, for fucks sake,¡± she cried, frustrated. ¡°I did not do it on purpose. I¡¯ve told you it was unintentional.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Hate bled from his eyes, anger and venom pouring off his words. ¡°Fuck, I shouldn¡¯t have let you do this. I should have kept searching for another way.¡± He went on. ¡°I should have kept you as far away from him as possible. I should have-¡±


    She¡¯d had it.


    She¡¯d fucking had it.


    Her powers were screaming at her to go to Bran and she was positive that if they had literal hands, they would have pped her in the face for disobeying them for so long, then shoved her in his direction. But since they couldn¡¯t, they settled on yelling at her.


    Corey¡¯s voice trailed off when his eyes focused on her and saw what she was doing. They narrowed dangerously on her. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Yes, she would.


    She very much would.


    Her hands were lifted in front of her, palms out and fingers stretched. She pushed her shoulders back, and lifted her face to his, daring him as she stood her ground.


    But it wasn¡¯t the move in itself that had him taking a step back.


    It was the purple magic that swirled from her fingers, billowing in the air like smoke, except stronger and definitely a lot more deadlier.


    It also caused a lot more damage.


    ¡°Let me through.¡± Maria said the words slowly. A warning.


    Corey merely stared at her through narrowed, calctive eyes, probably thinking of his next move.


    Maria didn¡¯t know if it was because her powers were back or if it was because of how strung tight she was, but she heard the lightest clink of metal behind her and she immediately knew that something was creeping towards her.


    Not something-someone.


    The guards!


    With her eyes leveled on Corey, deliberately to let him know that she wasn¡¯t in the mood for games, she turned the back of her palms to him, giving the men behind her the front of them and with a flick of her fingers, she sent them flying into opposite walls.


    The hit was not strong enough to kill them, but it was definitely strong enough to make them pass out.


    To quit disturbing her.


    She hardened her eyes at Corey and with the same hard tone, repeated. ¡°Let. Me. Through.¡±


    Maria was giving him the chance to do the right thing because she didn¡¯t want to hurt him. He was a good man and he was rightfully angry at her because he thought she¡¯d killed his friend on purpose.


    She would be angry too if the tables were turned and that was the only reason why she wasn¡¯t passing him out along with the other men right now.


    His eyes were wary and angry, his jaw tight with frustration. He knew that he couldn¡¯t fight her.


    He stepped to the side for her.


    It was a small movement, but she took that as a yes.


    She dove for Bran and knelt by his bed, her hands shaking as she ced them on his chest, startled and terrified by how cold he was.     ¡°Please work. Please work.¡± she whispered to herself repeatedly, fresh tears welling in her eyes anew and free-falling down her cheeks.


    Maria nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his barely-there scent. The tears wet his neck and when she felt snot start to dribble from her nostrils, she pushed away and sniffed, wiping her face with the back of her hand.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she told herself, gulping a deep, shaky breath. ¡°You can do this. You¡¯re Maria Hatzi. You can do anything.¡±


    Squaring her shoulders, she ced her hands on Bran¡¯s chest and squeezed her eyes shut, reciting the spell of life in her head.


    When she was done, she popped her eyes open and looked at him. He was still motionless on the bed.


    Her heart was hammering in her chest, her lips trembling with the urge to cry. Not just cry-bawl hard and deep into his shirt. But she fought it back and closed her eyes, reciting the spell again.


    Still, nothing happened.


    She did it again and again and a-fucking-gain and still, nothing happened.


    He kept lying there, skin stark white against the brown of the sheets, still bloody lifeless.


    Unable to bear it anymore, she slinked away from him and sat on the ground by the wall close to his bed, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her hands around them as she cried.


    The tears ran down her cheeks, unbidden. Her head fell back to rest on the wall and her heart ached in her chest. It felt like it was going to burst any moment now.


    Bran was dead. He wasn¡¯t waking up.


    She¡¯d killed him.


    The thought made her cry even harder.


    She felt a shadow hovering over her and knew that it must be Corey. He¡¯d probably decided to end her life for killing his friend and frankly, she wouldn¡¯t fight him. She deserved it.


    Maria opened her eyes to tell him exactly that when she saw the look on his face and paused.


    He was hovering over the bed, mouth slightly open in wonderment and eyes astonishingly wide in their sockets.


    As if he¡¯d felt her looking at him, he turned to her, shut his mouth, opened it, then shut it again. He swallowed hard, then opened his mouth again and this time, he produced words. ¡°You killed him then brought him back to life. How is that possible?¡±


    Maria leapt up from the ground at once, her eyes widening and her insides filling with hope, doubt, disbelief. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s¡­¡±


    But Corey didn¡¯t have to answer.


    The vampire¡¯s eyes shed open, very much green and very much filled with life.


    They locked on her and his mouth opened and whispered something that she didn¡¯t quite catch, then they closed almost immediately and his head lolled to the side again.

 Mate who?

    BRAN


    ¡°You called for me.¡±


    Bran¡¯s eyes flitted to the oracle.


    Unlike thest time when she¡¯d just appeared in the room like she owned the fucking ce, she walked in this time, her obscenely long gown trailing a long line behind her.


    He turned his eyes to the cup in his hand and shook it, watching the red liquid swirl inside. ¡°I did,¡± he told her and, in a sh, emptied the content of the cup in his mouth and mmed it down on the coffee table in front of him, rising. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that she¡¯s my mate?¡±


    The room turned silent. So silent that if a pin were to drop to the ground, they would have been able to hear and locate the exact spot where it fell. It was a loaded silence, filled with unsaid words.


    Words that were going to change Bran¡¯s lifepletely.


    If they hadn¡¯t already.


    When Bran had woken up that day-after Maria had killed him and miraculously brought him back to life-an alien feeling of power had filled him. It had been almost too much for him to contain and it was like it possessed his body and his movements weren¡¯t his own anymore.


    It had forced his eyes open and when they opened, he¡¯d been greeted to the sight of an angel.


    White flowing gown that reached her ankles, ck long hair, beautiful golden skin and a devastatingly beautiful face with a heartbroken expression on it, tears streaming down her cheeks. The tears had hurt him and he¡¯d wanted to do everything he could to get her to stop crying. An angel as lovely as her shouldn¡¯t be crying. She deserved to have all the good things in the world.


    There had been a halo of light around her, making her appear brighter and lovelier in his eyes and he¡¯d been so certain that she was an angel. His vampire instincts had suddenlye alive, screaming to him that she was his mate and for the first time in his two-hundred-and-fifty-six years of life, Bran had felt his heart beat a new rhythm in excitement.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    He¡¯d found his mate!


    He was pretty sure he¡¯d even whispered it.


    But then the angel had taken a step closer to him and Bran had seen that it was Maria.


    Then the ever wee hands of unconsciousness had pulled him back in.


    ¡°What would have been the fun in that?¡± The oracle finally responded, amusement in her voice and words.


    Bran stood with his back to her but on hearing those words, he turned and faced her. There was a small vacant smile stretching her lips, a light of amusement in her eyes. Did she think that it was funny?


    She thought that this was a game?


    ¡°You think this is fucking funny?¡± He snapped.


    Her smile vanished and her eyes shed. ¡°Watch your tone, Your Majesty,¡± she warned as dark, violent magic swirled around her, giving Bran pause. ¡°Do not raise your voice at me.¡±


    Shit.


    Shit.


    Fucking shit.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± Bran hissed, using the oracle¡¯s given name, something he didn¡¯t usually do. ¡°You must understand why this new discovery has me reeling.¡±


    ¡°I do and it¡¯s fun to watch.¡± The oracle said breezily, the angry expression on her face disappearing in a sh and giving way to a cunning smile. The woman¡¯s mood changed like whish and it was impossible to keep up with it if one tried.


    Seeing that she wasughing when he was going through crisis, had Bran¡¯s anger spiking again and he turned away from her, plowing his fingers through his hair, yanking on them.


    He paced the length of the big room, kicking a wooden chair and sending it flying into the wall when it came into his line of view. ¡°Fuck!¡± He roared, pouring his pent-up frustration into that one word.


    ¡°Now, now, Your Majesty.¡± The oracle crooned as though she was talking to a child. ¡°It is not that bad, is it?¡±


    He was not going to take the bait and look at her. If he did and saw that annoying smile on her face, it would only piss him the hell off even more and right now, Bran was having a hard time putting a lid on his anger.


    ¡°She¡¯s very beautiful, easily one of the most beautiful women I¡¯ve ever seen and trust me, I¡¯ve seen a lot.¡± The oracle went on, ¡°And she¡¯s taken with you too from what I saw the other d-¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that she is my mate?¡± He cut her off, spinning on his heel to face her as he yanked his hair harder, weing the pain. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just fucking tell me?¡±


    The oracle cocked her brow. ¡°But I did, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    What the hell was she on about? ¡°You never did.¡±


    ¡°I did. Think again.¡±


    Bran frowned, running his finger along his lower lip as he tried to recall the oracle telling him that Maria was his mate. Had they even had any conversation that would lead to such discussion?


    He couldn¡¯t remember them having any conversation like that.


    He thought back to every single encounter they¡¯d had. At his castle and here in Corey¡¯s home, reying everything they¡¯d said, ever single fucking thing.


    And that was how he got it.


    His breaths shallowed as he thought back to the day when he¡¯d asked the oracle to break into Maria¡¯s head. When he¡¯d been about to leave, she¡¯d said some things that Bran had considered to be insignificant.


    You might want to be careful with her.


    Don¡¯t do anything you¡¯ll regretter.


    You¡¯re going to need her.


    Fuck.


    He¡¯d assumed that she was only talking about how Maria would be useful to him in getting his sister back. Bloody hell, how was he supposed to know that was what she meant at the time?


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t I feel it before?¡± He was so terribly confused. ¡°How could I not feel that she was my mate? Why didn¡¯t I feel it before now?¡±


    ¡°You took her powers away, Your Majesty, which meant you took a part of her soul away.¡± The oracle frowned. ¡°She wasn¡¯t whole and the vampire inside you couldn¡¯t recognise her as its mate.¡±

 Ominous words

    BRAN


    He pointed an using finger at her. ¡°You told me that I was going to need her but you never told me that she would turn out to be my mate. How the hell was I supposed to know?¡±


    ¡°My words only breach the surface of what they usually mean and you know this.¡± A wisp of hair blew into her face and she pushed it back with a flick of her wrist-without touching it. ¡°There is no point beating yourself over what has already been done. What¡¯s that thing people say?¡± She tapped her smiling lips. ¡°Ah. No point flogging a dead horse.¡±


    ¡°Fuck your idioms.¡±


    She pretended he hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°Now, my advice for you is this; look forward only, the past was only meant to shapen the future.¡±


    A harshugh burst from Bran¡¯s throat. ¡°Really? Another one of your fucking cryptic words?¡±


    But the oracle wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. Her face had smoothened into its nk, neutral, almost vacant mask and her eyes had this absent look to them. She was staring at him but Bran had this sinking feeling that she wasn¡¯t seeing him. She was in her head.


    ¡°Ignore my words at your own peril,¡± she said when her eyes finally focused on him, sharpening eerily. ¡°Remember, Your Majesty, forward only. The past was only meant to give shape to your future.¡± Then she disappeared and Bran stood there, staring at the spot she¡¯d just been in.


    He forced himself to sit back on the couch he¡¯d recently vacated but still, his leg bounced, his fingers drummed on the armrest and his whole body thrummed, vibrating with restless energy.


    Maria was his mate.


    Maria Hatzi, the sorceress he¡¯d captured a few months ago was his mate. The woman he¡¯d locked up in a cell, starved, almost cut her arm off, almost fucking killed was his mate.


    His. Fucking. Mate.


    What the actual fuck was that? How could fate be so cruel to him?


    He shot up from the couch again and resumed pacing, his thoughts in disarray. He was so lost, so bloody confused.


    All Bran¡¯s life, he¡¯d always known what was in front of him. He always knew his next step, always nned before going on a mission and always had a n B to fall back to incase things went south. Always.


    But right now, Bran didn¡¯t know what he was going to do next. He felt so lost, so confused, like he¡¯d been thrown into a battlefield without weapons or knowledge of what was happening and he had to stay alive no matter what.


    Bran was lost.


    So fucking lost.


    He punched a hole in Corey¡¯s wall and the wall cracked vertically, sand and blood coating his knuckles as he stretched them, weing the pain.


    He did it again and again and again until his hands went numb and heavy and when he straightened his fingers, they almost protested, hanging off his palm like they were no longer part of him.


    Abruptly, he traced into the bathroom in his room and went over to his sink, running his bloodied hand under the tap and watching the blood wash off, mixing with the water as it went down the drain.


    The way the blood and water mixed, tangling as they drifted away had him staring transfixed. Two liquids that couldn¡¯t be any more different, yet dancing together like they weren¡¯t, blending into one. Whole.


    Just like him and Maria. They couldn¡¯t be any more different but when they came together? Fuck.


    His eyes lifted and he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His colour hade back and he¡¯d filled out nicely, looking now like he did before the incident. He¡¯d fed enough to make sure of that and Corey had been there beside him to make sure that Bran got back on his feet.


    It had been two days. Bran had never regrown a leg so quickly in his life and he suspected that Maria¡¯s powers had a hand in it.


    He groaned.


    Fucking Maria.


    What was he going to do? How was he going to deal with this?


    He hadn¡¯t told Corey that she was his mate yet because saying it felt so fucking strange to him. Hell, thinking it even freaked him out because what the actual fuck was that? How could fate do him so dirty? What had he done to deserve such cruelty from fate to pair him with her of all people?


    Mating was supposed to be a good thing. It was supposed to fill one with happiness, excitement, and when he¡¯d felt the mating pull the first time, he¡¯d been filled with it.


    He almost couldn¡¯t believe that fate had paired him with such a delectable female, one that looked so much like an angel, until he¡¯d stepped closer, his vision had cleared and he¡¯d seen that it was Maria.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Of all fucking people.


    He was the vampire king. How was he going to tell his people that he was mated to the person who had killed their beloved king and queen and had captured the lovely Iris?


    He couldn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t tell them.


    It would never work.


    Yet, the pull to go to her was so fucking strong, he could barely think past it.


    He squeezed his head in his hands, trying to fill his mind with something else, finances, his kingdom, any-fucking-thing. Yet her face remained in his mind, clear and sad and so fucking beautiful, his heart ached, and Bran couldn¡¯t fight it anymore.


    Fuck. This. Shit.


    Bran traced into her room, eyes frantic as they searched for her on her bed, but it was empty. He calmed when he saw her curled up on a couch beside her window, magic dancing around the tips of her fingers and she watched them, so taken with them that she didn¡¯t see him standing there-at least that was what he thought.


    He was surprised when her head turned and she looked at him, that purple light sifting around her fingers and a vacant smile on her lips.


    Somehow, of all the crazy things that had happened recently, it was that smile that made Bran¡¯s hairs stand on edge.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the vampire king.¡±

 Lover鈥檚 spat

    BRAN


    Her tone told Bran to tread carefully, but then again Bran had never reacted well with being told what to do and that was probably why he stalked forward and gripped her, lifting her from the couch to her feet and nting his lips on hers, swallowing whatever she¡¯d been about to say in a kiss.


    She opened her mouth and Bran almost sighed in relief at the weing action.


    He¡¯d thought that she was going to fight him, that she was going to push him away because of what happened, so he was pleasantly surprised that she was doing the opposite by letting him kiss her.


    But she wasn¡¯t kissing him back.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t an issue. He would coerce her into the kiss soon enough.


    He slid his tongue into her mouth, instantly searching for hers and instead, what he got had him groaning into her mouth, the sound more pain-filled than pleasure-filled.


    She brought her teeth down on his tongue. Hard. And he tasted his own blood from the cut.


    A p had his lips disconnecting from hers and a hard shove sent him stumbling backwards a few steps.


    What the fuck?


    He stared at her in confusion, wondering why she¡¯d gone from wanting him to wanting to murder him in two seconds t, until he took a good look at her face and the lust clouding his head dulled into the background


    He swallowed.


    She was angry. Extremely.


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are toe into my room without my permission and kiss me? Also, without my bloody permission.¡±


    He blinked, eyes darting to the side.


    What was going on here?


    ¡°Bran, King of The Vam-¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut the hell up and get out.¡± She snapped, then with a huff, dropped back on the couch and stared stonily out the window. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to get out, please step back. You¡¯re standing in my personal space.¡±


    Bran was at aplete loss for words.


    Why was she suddenly so hostile to him? Even more hostile than she¡¯d been when they were back at his castle?


    He understood that she was angry at him, he¡¯d been able to tell as much when he¡¯d refused to remove her cor, but he¡¯d thought that if he kissed her, showed her how much his body craved hers, she¡¯d forget about it.


    She craved his touch. He was willing to give it to her.


    That was chivalry at its best.


    ¡°What reason do you have to be angry at me?¡±


    Her eyes flickered to him, her face contorting with anger and disbelief. ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?¡± She shot up off the couch and poked him in the chest. ¡°You think you can casually trace into my room after refusing to take the cor off? After treating me that way in front of everyone?¡±


    So it was about the cor. He didn¡¯t understand why she was making it such a big deal.


    ¡°Treating you that way in front of everyone?¡± He asked, incredulous. ¡°You didn¡¯t seriously expect me to be happy about taking the cor off, did you?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be?¡±


    His brows furrowed. ¡°For the same reason the cor is around your neck in the first ce. I don¡¯t want you to run away and I don¡¯t want you to kill any more people than you already have.¡±


    ¡°I already told you that I don¡¯t kill on purpose and you believed me. Didn¡¯t you?¡± There was that small annoying half smile on her face again. ¡°Or did you just pretend like you did so that I would let you have your way with me?¡±


    Have his way with her?


    Bran scoffed and folded his arms across his chest, his pants tightening as he remembered that night, remembered her exquisite taste. ¡°Pretty sure you were the one that got your way that night, but if you need me to refresh your memory, I¡¯m more than happy to.¡± He gave a dramatic pause, the fire in her eyes making his cock harden even more. ¡°Here¡¯s the orgasm count; You-1, me-zero.¡±


    Liquid fire burned in the grey depths of her eyes and purple mes emanated from her fingers and palm. Literally.


    Bran found it so fucking hot for some weird reason.


    She stepped away from him, stalking towards the bathroom. ¡°Leave. You fucking disgust me.¡±


    Leaving her right now was thest thing on Bran¡¯s lust-addled mind.


    He watched her ass bounce with each step she took, her long hair swaying with her angry movements, the tips brushing the aforementioned ass.


    He swiped his tongue along his lower lip, the mating instinct in him rising to the surface and telling him to go to her and at the same time, warning him to be careful with her. She was pissed and she had her powers.


    That made her extra dangerous.


    He followed after her and was just about to step into the bathroom with her when the door mmed in his face.


    He red at the door like it was the cause of his current predicament and stood in front of it with his arms sped behind him. He was going to wait for her out here.


    She would speak to him whether she wanted to or not. She did not have a say in the matter.


    The door flew some minutester and she appeared, her face looking fresher and wet with water. Fuck, but she was a beauty. How was it possible that someone was so beautiful?


    Her eyes narrowed with anger when she saw that he was standing there. ¡°You¡¯re still here? What part of leave did you not understand?¡±


    ¡°I understood it perfectly,¡± he cocked a condescending brow, knowing that it would piss her off even more. ¡°I¡¯m just choosing to ignore you because in case you haven¡¯t realized, you don¡¯t own the fucking building.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you won¡¯t leave, then I will.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    That was a joke if Bran had ever heard one. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    A brow arched. ¡°Watch me.¡± she said breezily and walked past Bran but he stopped her by encircling her wrist with his fingers, pulling her back and flush against him.


    His head whipped to the side with another one of her sharp ps and his grip on her hand loosened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me,¡± she seethed, hands clenched into lit up fists by her sides, eyes narrowed into slits and her nostrils breathing fire.


    She was livid. She was gorgeous.


    And she was his.


    The mating instinct in him howled with pride at being blessed with a mate so fearless and beautiful, while Bran¡¯s jaw tightened with anger, rubbing at the spot where she¡¯d hit him because, damnit, she was one powerful little thing.


    ¡°Would you stop fucking hitting me?¡±


    ¡°Not until you stop fucking touching me,¡± she retorted. ¡°Leave me the hell alone. Why is that so hard for you to understand?¡±


    Frustrated, Bran flung his hands in the air. ¡°This doesn¡¯t even make sense. You have no right to be this angry at me.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t what Bran had envisioned when he¡¯de into her room and honestly, he wouldn¡¯t havee if he didn¡¯t miss her so bloody much and if his mating instincts hadn¡¯t been crying for it.


    She shook her head slowly, the movement almost pitying. ¡°You really don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± It was a rhetorical question because she went on. ¡°You really don¡¯t know what you did.¡±


    ¡°If I did, I wouldn¡¯t be asking.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± She crossed her hands and cocked a hip, drawing Bran¡¯s eyes to that body part and it wasn¡¯t until she cleared her throat that he was able to pull his eyes away. Her irritated look made him scowl. ¡°So, here I was, excited that things were changing between us and thinking of bringing my cor up when next I saw you because silly me thought it just slipped your mind, and then what happens next?¡± She paused and tapped her lips, pretending like she was thinking. ¡°Right. I walk into a conversation where I¡¯m told that I¡¯m the only one who can help you but only if you take the bloody cor off And. You. Refuse.¡±


    ¡°Of course I fucking refused.¡± Bran snapped, ¡°What the hell did you think was gonna happen?¡±


    ¡°Well, since I was under the impression that things were changing between us, I expected you to remove the damn cor.¡±


    What the hell did she mean by ¡®things were changing between us¡¯?


    ¡°Why do you keep saying things were changing between us?¡±


    ¡°Because they were,¡± Maria cried, spreading her arms out wide. ¡°I told you everything and you admitted you cared about m-¡±


    ¡°Oh for fucks sake Maria,¡± Bran started pacing, unable to hear her say what she¡¯d just been about to say. He pulled his shirt away from his skin, feeling suddenly hot. ¡°A bunch of words and a kiss doesn¡¯t mean things have changed between us. You should know better.¡±


    He stopped pacing when a long time had passed but she still hadn¡¯t said anything.


    Facing her, he was surprised to see her wringing her shaky hands at her stomach. She hid them behind her back.


    His heart clenched, jaw tightening. ¡°Maria-¡±


    ¡°I confided in you.¡± she whispered in a broken voice. ¡°Told you things I¡¯ve never told anyone. You¡­ you told me you came for me and we kissed¡­ we¡­¡± she shook her head slowly. ¡°Those things equaled nothing. My words, everything, they¡¯re pointless. Did you even believe me?¡±


    Bran couldn¡¯t answer because his chest had grown so tight, he couldn¡¯t speak and not because he actually didn¡¯t believe her.


    Of course he did. He¡¯d seen evidence.


    But Maria must have taken his silence to mean he didn¡¯t believe her because she staggered backwards, her eyes widening. She shoved a trembling fist against her mouth and moved her head from side to side slowly. ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Bran forced his voice to work. ¡°No, Maria. I did.¡± He lunged forward and made to hold her but she quickly stepped back.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Maria-¡±


    ¡°Would you just listen to me?¡± He tried again, his anger and frustration building at her easy dismissal of him.


    ¡°I said leave!¡± She yelled, still not willing to listen to a word he had to say and his frustration boiled over, patience hitting it¡¯s peak.


    ¡°Fucking fine!¡± He yelled, running a hand through his hair. ¡°You can be mad at me all you want but we both know that¡¯s misced anger. It was no one¡¯s fault but yours for thinking that something as insignificant as a kiss could change things so drastically. Open your fucking eyes, Maria, this isn¡¯t a fairytale.¡±


    Tears welled in her eyes but she didn¡¯t let them fall. The sight of them started an ache so profound in Bran¡¯s chest, he barely held himself back from rubbing at it.


    Her hand lifted, purple light still swirling around it, and she pointed to the door. ¡°Get the fuck out.¡±


    If that was the way she wanted it, then he wasn¡¯t going to try to get her to see reason anymore.


    Shoulders up to his haunches, Bran did.

 Another mate

    MARIA


    ¡°Another mate?¡±


    ¡°Hell, I don¡¯t know,¡± the other man sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a person getting two mates. Have you?¡±


    ¡°Just because it¡¯s never happened before doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t happen. You told me how you felt and only your mate can make you feel that way.¡±


    ¡°And what would you know about mating?¡± The other man turned the tables around. ¡°Are you speaking from experience?¡±


    ¡°No,mon sense,¡± the first man barked. ¡°What did the oracle say when you asked her?¡±


    Man two sighed. ¡°Three words; ask the sorceress.¡±


    ¡°Fucking Amelia.¡± Man one grunted without heat in his words. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°Damned if I know.¡±


    ¡°The oracle already told you what to do. You therefore have no other option but to do it.¡±


    ¡°I know, but-¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it like having powers?¡±


    A frown found its way to Maria¡¯s face. Powers?


    Where had thate from?


    That question had absolutely nothing to do with the conversation they were having and also, the voice had sounded feminine. Small, yet firm and it also sounded a lot clearer than the two other voices.


    Like the person was in the same room with her-


    Oh shit.


    Her eyes jumped up to Olivia, who had stopped cleaning the dresser and was now staring at her oddly, a tiny smile on her face.


    Maria had been so lost in what she was doing that shepletely forgot that there was someone else in the room.


    ¡°Powers?¡± She asked Olivia because she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d heard her clearly.


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s it like having them?¡± Olivia flicked her eyes to Maria¡¯s lit up fingers pointedly, her gaze lingering for a while before she pulled them away.


    Her palms and fingers lit up with a purple light whenever she wanted to use her powers and they were currently lit up because she was using them. Well, had now because Olivia had sessfully distracted her from the conversation she¡¯d been eavesdropping on.


    She hadn¡¯t heard from Bran ever since their argument. He hadn¡¯t bothered to see her and she hadn¡¯t bothered to see him either.


    She saw him everyday when she sat by the window, anyway. Tall, gorgeous, arrogant and a massive ass. She¡¯d caught him more than three times looking up at her window but she always made sure to look away whenever he was looking.


    He didn¡¯t need to know that she was watching him. She was trying to get over the feelings she¡¯d grown for him-however small they might be.


    Today, he¡¯d stared particrly longer than he usually did and despite Maria¡¯s decision to get over him, she couldn¡¯t help wondering if maybe he felt something for her but was too much of a coward to admit it. It wouldn¡¯t be the first cowardly behaviour he¡¯d exhibited.


    And that was exactly why she decided to eavesdrop on him today.


    She cast a spell that would enable her hear everything he said and he¡¯d turned out to be with Corey-she knew from the voice.


    She couldn¡¯t describe how shocked she¡¯d been when Corey had mentioned her name. She¡¯d began listening when the conversation had already started so she didn¡¯t have aplete idea of what they were talking about.


    Blinking, she faced Olivia. ¡°What¡¯s it like being a demon?¡±


    ¡°Demoness,¡± Olivia corrected.


    ¡°Sorry. Demoness. Right.¡± Maria covered her palm, extinguishing the light. ¡°It¡¯s just like it is for you. It¡¯s a part of me. I was born with it so I really don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to be without it, you know? Although these past few months with that cursed cor were really frustrating.¡±


    Olivia sat on the edge of Maria¡¯s bed and Maria tried not to freak out that the woman wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave today. ¡°How so?¡±     ¡°Well,¡± she cleared her voice. ¡°I had to do things the manual way. If I wanted some water, I had to go and get it. If I wanted to fight someone off, I had to get a weapon and do it. But with my powers¡­¡± Maria lifted the rag from Olivia¡¯s hand and the woman barely stiffled a gasp. ¡°I don¡¯t have to do so much work.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Olivia breathed as Maria dropped the rag back on her thighs. ¡°That felt like someone pulled it out of my hands.¡±


    Maria simply smiled and with the way Olivia¡¯s eyes fell to her hands, she knew that they were lighting up. They did that when she was happy, excited or angry.


    ¡°When did you start learning to use them?¡±


    ¡°Around five or so.¡±


    ¡°Wow. You were so young.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, actually, we learn young.¡± She paused, thinking. ¡°It¡¯s just like eating. Your parents feed you until you¡¯re old enough to do it by yourself, then you start doing it yourself.¡± Then she remembered something she¡¯d always wanted to ask her. ¡°You¡¯re a demoness, right Olivia?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you have horns?¡± Shit. That was so insensitive. What if it was a condition that made her not to have horns? Hastily, Maria added, ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    The woman shook her head, stood up and resumed wiping the dresser. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine.¡± Then she proceeded to exin. ¡°There are two types of demons; the horned demons and the hornless demons.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Maria breathed.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m part of the hornless demons.¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    For a while now, Maria had been wondering what Elizabeth, Bran¡¯s lover, was and then she¡¯d met Olivia and the woman didn¡¯t have horns too. She¡¯d been confused, wondering whether they were actually part of the demons or other creatures of the lore, but now she knew.


    A knock on the door disrupted Maria¡¯s thoughts and she didn¡¯t even have it in her to act surprised when the same guard who had taken her to the living room that day-the guard stationed outside her room-poked his head in and told her that Corey was asking for her.


    She¡¯d been waiting for them to ask for her. As long as the oracle had told them to, they were going to do it.


    She¡¯d known it was only a matter of time and from how hasty they were being, they had to be very desperate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll finish and leave soon,¡± Olivia told Maria as she made her way to the door.


    Maria smiled at her. ¡°Of course.¡± When she walked past the guard, she said, ¡°Pretty sure I¡¯m your favourite person in this entire house. Next time you¡¯reing for me, you¡¯d bettere bearing gifts.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened in shock and he blinked, at a loss for words.


    It was when Maria was entering the living room and the man was closing the door for her, that she realized that he was smiling.


    The first thing she noticed when she entered the room was the absence of the bed. They¡¯d probably brought it in here because of Bran and now that he was fine, they¡¯d taken it away.


    Next thing she noticed was Bran sitting on a sofa, one hand extended along the back of it and the other, resting on the arm of the chair. He had his eyes fixed on her, staring intently with those forest green eyes.


    He didn¡¯t look away as she closed the door and his gaze still didn¡¯t shift when she took several steps into the room. It was like he wanted to see into her soul and the more he looked at her, the more she felt like he could.


    Like he could see past her bravado and see the loneliness she felt deep inside. Like he could see how much she wanted him, how much she needed him. Like he could see how terribly she missed him¡­


    No.


    She was not going to give him that power. She was not going to give him the power to hurt her anymore.


    If she had it, then he didn¡¯t and that meant he would not be able to hurt her.

 Ghost mate

    MARIA


    Forcing her eyes away from him, she looked for the other man in the room and saw him sitting on the couch opposite Bran. He definitely hadn¡¯t miss the eye-lock between her and Bran, and honestly? Maria didn¡¯t care.


    Let everyone know. She had nothing to lose. Not like she had a golden reputation to protect anyway.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Corey gestured to one of the couches.


    Well, at least he had manners. Loads better than his asshole friend.


    She sat on the couch furthest from them, noticing the way Corey¡¯s brow cocked at that but wisely, he said nothing. Not that Maria had expected him to anyway.


    The man wouldn¡¯t be speaking to her if he had a choice.


    ¡°I have a question. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Corey was the one who spoke, yet it was Bran that captured her attention. She was staring fixedly at Corey, but Bran¡¯s intense stare was making it impossible for her to focus on what he was saying.


    The hairs at the back of her neck stood on end and she was fidgety, sping and unsping her hands.


    She crossed her legs, hoping that it passed for a casual act. He was turning her on with his stare and her traitorous body waspletely on board with the n.     ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± She bit out through clenched teeth. ¡°Go on.¡±


    If Bran didn¡¯t fucking stop staring at her like that, she was going to walk over there and p him. At least that would turn his head the other way, fucking bastard that he was.


    Bitch.


    Asshole.


    Wait, bitch?


    ¡°Do you know if it¡¯s possible for a person to have two mates?¡±


    She blinked. Frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. At least, it¡¯s never happened to anyone that I know of.¡±


    And how many people do you know exactly?, a little voice asked in the back of her head.


    They had better chances asking a child than they did asking her. She knew nothing because she¡¯d been barely let out, but she didn¡¯t say that part out loud.


    Corey sighed and ran an agitated hand through his hair. ¡°The oracle said you might know.¡± He braced his elbows on his knees and dropped his face in his hands. ¡°That¡¯s actually why I asked you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what she meant.¡± Bran piped in and they both turned to him-at least before Maria remembered that she wasn¡¯t supposed to look at him and she looked away.


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°I believe she meant that Maria would be able to help.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± The words sounded like they were being pulled from Bran¡¯s mouth forcefully. He was frustrated and Maria was loving it.


    He was probably angry that she wasn¡¯t giving him the time of the day and he maybe had a reason to, because Maria was staring at her nails as though they were more important than what he was saying.


    What if they were?


    ¡°Is there any way you think you can help?¡± It was Corey and the question was directed at her.


    She looked up from her nails immediately and focused on him once more. ¡°Maybe I will be able to if you exin what¡¯s happening.¡±


    She could literally hear the sounds of Bran¡¯s teeth as they grinded to dust.


    Corey nodded. ¡°Okay. Over the past week, I¡¯ve been noticing my tie with my mate loosening.¡± That had Maria¡¯s brows climbing high on her forehead. ¡°The grief, the anger and the regret aren¡¯t as overwhelming as they used to be. I mean, I still feel them, but they¡¯ve dulled to a low ache. They¡¯re bearable now.¡± He sighed again and looked away from her. It had to be hard speaking about his dead mate to the person that had killed her and that just proved how desperate he was. ¡°The oracle said it could mean that there¡¯s another mate for me, but she isn¡¯t sure.¡±


    Wow, that was alot.


    So he didn¡¯t feel the loss as strongly as he used to. Could that really mean that he had another mate?


    It could be possible but she¡¯d never heard anything like that. She wasn¡¯t even sure if that was possible.


    But there was something else¡­Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What if it means that your mate is severing all ties with you?¡± She wondered out loud.


    The two men sat up straighter and since she was only looking at Corey, she saw that his face scrunched up in confusion. She could only assume that Bran was wearing the same look.


    ¡°Is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Just as possible as you having another mate, I¡¯m sure.¡± Maria said absently, already deliberating on how she would go about the situation.


    How would they know for real if his mate was severing all ties with him? Because there was definitely no way they could go around searching for his new mate-if he had one.


    She wouldn¡¯t lie, the idea of his mate severing all ties with him was crazy. The woman was dead for fucks sake. How could a dead person cut ties?


    But the oracle had said that Maria could help and Maria was choosing to follow her gut.


    Her gut was telling her to do the impossible.


    She was screwed.


    But she was going to attempt it anyway.


    ¡°There¡¯s this feeling deep in my gut that tells me your mate might know what¡¯s happening. I think she could be severing ties with you and that¡¯s why you don¡¯t feel things as strongly.¡±


    Corey sighed raggedly. ¡°But we can¡¯t know for sure. There¡¯s no way-¡±


    Rising, Maria went around the back of the chair where there was enough space for her, and lifted her hands, her powers swirling to life.


    ¡°What is your mate¡¯s name?¡± She asked Corey.


    The man was obviously confused by the abrupt change of topic. ¡°Ruth.¡±


    Maria¡¯s brow lifted. ¡°Herst name?¡±


    ¡°Tobias.¡±


    She nodded and focused on the task at hand. So she needed to search for Ruth Tobias, a certain demon¡¯s dead mate.


    Bran shot to his feet. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    A sly smile formed on her lips. ¡°You ever seen a dead womane back to life?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± both men answered at the same time.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re about to find out if that¡¯s possible.¡±


    Maria concentrated, reciting a spell she hadn¡¯t thought she would ever recite in her life.


    It was risky.


    So dangerous, that they¡¯d put two red warning exmation marks right under the spell in the book just to make sure that people knew what they were getting into before attempting it.


    This could go so wrong. But it could also go so so right.


    And as the feet of a woman formed in front Maria, she knew that the spell had chosen to lean toward thetter.

 Ruth?

    MARIA


    ¡°Ruth?¡± Corey asked with disbelief in his voice, eyes wide like he¡¯d seen a ghost-which was apt if one actually thought about it because the ghost of his wife was literally standing in front of him.


    Ruth was tall and lithe, appearing almost fragile with the way she teetered on her feet. She had creamy brown skin, a shade darker than Corey¡¯s and big curly hair that Maria had to admit she admired.


    She had horns running down the sides of her head, small and pretty, not as big as Corey¡¯s but of the same length.


    Ruth was beautiful, lovely even, but she was also confused as hell.


    She blinked and staggered back a step. ¡°C-Corey?¡± Her voice was a whisper, her face haunted. The expression on Corey¡¯s face matched her own perfectly. ¡°I¡­ Why can I see you? How is this possible?¡±


    Maria watched from her spot,pletely enraptured in what was happening before her. She was torn between freaking out that the spell had worked-that she¡¯d actually brought a dead woman into the world of the living-and jumping up in the air with a ¡®whoop¡¯.


    Ruth and Corey were standing only a few feet away from each other, their bodynguage, easy to read. They wanted to go to each other, but were held back by doubt. Fear.


    Fear that this wasn¡¯t real. That if they blinked their eyes, the other person would disappear. They didn¡¯t believe that the other person was real and yet at the same time, they longed to go to each other. To feel each other again after so long.


    Corey was the first to move, walking over to the confused woman. He sped her cheeks with shaking hands and ran his eyes over her lovingly. ¡°Ruthie¡­¡± He whispered, probably not meaning for the other people in the room to hear the words. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    Maria¡¯s heart clenched at the longing in their gazes, the love they had for each other shining in their misty eyes.


    She felt like she should turn away, like she should give them privacy. This was obviously a very emotional moment for them and she should probably leave-along with Bran-but she didn¡¯t want to move because that would only draw eyes to herself and she didn¡¯t want that.


    She wanted to stay right where she was and watch this whole thing y out. She was curious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± Ruth whispered back, eyes sweeping over Corey¡¯s face. ¡°But¡­ how, Corey? How am I here?¡± Her eyes darted to where Bran was and she stood straighter. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re here too.¡±


    Bran nodded at her, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Maria looked at him long enough to note that his fingers dug into the armrest and his legs bunched with tension. But other than those little gives, there was nothing to show that he was on edge.


    She didn¡¯t know why exactly he was on edge-whether it was their current situation or what was happening in front of him.


    Ruth gently pried her mate¡¯s hands off her face. ¡°Corey, please tell me why I can see you and your friend.¡± She looked away from him and for the first time, noticed the room she was standing in. ¡°This ce hasn¡¯t changed at all. I never thought I would see it again.¡± Then she turned back to Corey. ¡°Corey¡­ why am I here?¡±


    Why wasn¡¯t she excited to be seeing her mate again? Sure, it was expected for her to be a bit freaked out all things considered, but she should be excited at least, shouldn¡¯t she?


    Corey sighed and took a step back from her, running a hand through his hair in frustration.


    If Maria had to guess, he was probably trying toe up with the best way of telling her that they had pulled her from the realm of the dead into the living so that they could question her.


    ¡°Ruthie, something¡¯s not right and I thought maybe you could help.¡±


    ¡°How can I possibly be of help?¡± Ruth blinked, appearing even more confused than she¡¯d been before. ¡°I¡¯m dead.¡±


    Corey flinched at the blunt words, pain filling his expression and clouding his eyes. Maria¡¯s heart clenched and she crept slowly towards the wall, leaning on it as she watched them.


    She had killed this beautiful woman. She¡¯d taken this woman from her mate, separating them forever.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Regret filled her until she was almost haunted with it.


    ¡°I know, Ruth,¡± Corey¡¯s voice was ragged, pained. ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me.¡±


    There was silence in the room for a minute and other than the sounds of their deep breathing, nothing else could be heard.


    Without meaning to, Maria¡¯s eyes wandered to Bran and she was surprised to see him looking at her, which meant that he¡¯d been staring at her for a while now. She usually could tell when he was looking at her and the fact that she hadn¡¯t been able to, just proved how disorganized her emotions and thoughts were over what was happening.


    The light reflected on his ridiculously high cheekbones, his expression intense as he stared at her though hooded eyes.


    When he looked at her like that, she forgot herself, forgot all her promises and vows, threw them at his feet and wanted nothing more than to kiss him.


    To do more than kiss him.


    But that was the Maria of before. She was different now and she was going to stop letting him get to her so easily.


    Her eyes hardened and she looked away from him, dismissing him as easily as one dismissed a piece of furniture. Frustrated anger poured off him in waves-she wasn¡¯t looking at him anymore, but she could feel it.


    He was just that pissed.


    ¡°How am I here?¡±


    Maria was pulled back to the scene in front of her by Ruth¡¯s low question.


    She noticed then that the woman didn¡¯t really seem all that excited to see Corey. Maria could tell that she¡¯d missed him, yes, it was obvious from the way her eyes had swept over him, but other than that, she wasn¡¯t initiating contact. She just stood siffly with her hands sped at her stomach, like she was being disturbed and would rather be anywhere but here.


    What was going on?


    Corey gestured to Maria. ¡°She¡¯s a sorceress.¡±


    Ruth¡¯s eyes flew to Maria and the woman pauses visibly, obviously not having seen Maria standing there before. ¡°Oh. A sorceress?¡± Her brows lifted a bit higher and her lips pursed. ¡°Since when was the ban lifted on the Sorceri not entering the realm?¡±


    Maria tensed.


    Now she understood why Olivia didn¡¯t like Corey¡¯s mate. How could she speak of Maria that way when she was standing right there? How could she speak of her that way to her face?


    That was cruel. And it was something Maria would never do to anyone. Which meant she would not tolerate anyone doing it to her.


    ¡°You should show a little gratitude,¡± Maria, who had not wanted to intrude, had to say. ¡°I just brought you here.¡±


    A perfectly shaved brow lifted. ¡°Gratitude? It¡¯s not like I asked to be disturbed.¡±


    Disturbed?


    Maria¡¯s eyes narrowed and she was just about to give the woman a piece of her mind when Corey spoke up, sping the woman¡¯s hand gently and turning her to face him. ¡°Ruth, I asked her to bring you back because I wanted to talk to you.¡±


    Corey was lying. He hadn¡¯t asked Maria to bring her back, but he was only saying that because it was the only way his stuck-up mate was going to let this issue go.

 Deception

    MARIA


    ¡°Talk to me about what?¡±


    ¡°We should sit.¡±


    Corey ushered her towards the couch with his hand on her lower back like she might drift away if he let her go. Honestly, maybe she might. There was just something about the way she carried herself that made her appear fragile. Very fragile.


    When they sat down, Corey braced his elbows on his knees and linked his fingers, staring at her with somber eyes. ¡°Ruth, ever since you¡­ ever since your d-death, there has been a hollowness inside me.¡± Corey started. ¡°I feel empty, like my heart has been ripped out of my chest and there¡¯s nothing inside any-¡±


    Ruth sighed loudly. ¡°Can you just get on with it already?¡±


    Maria stood up straighter by the wall, feeling a sudden weakness in her legs, but she ignored it, instead focusing on Ruth.


    Did she seriously just cut the man short and tell him to ¡®get on with it¡¯?


    Maria would swoon if a man ever admitted how terrible he¡¯d been without her-actually, it was a fantasy in itself in her head-and here was a woman who was getting it for free but she was brushing it aside, deeming it unimportant.


    Corey sighed in an exasperated manner that told her it wasn¡¯t the first time Ruth was doing something like this, and cleared his throat. ¡°Alright then. Recently, the feeling has¡­ dulled. It¡¯s not there anymore-not like it used to be-and I want to know if you have anything to do with it.¡±


    Ruth frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m a dead woman, what can I do?¡±


    Corey flinched again at the mention of the word, ¡®dead¡¯ and a termor ran down his body. ¡°Can you stop reminding me?¡±


    ¡°My presence alone should serve as reminder enough,¡± she shrugged dismissively, seeing nothing wrong with the way she was casually mentioning her death.


    Did she not see that it affected the man?


    No, Maria thought, she probably didn¡¯t.


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t do anything?¡± Corey asked softly and Maria could see how dissapointed he was. He¡¯d really thought that his dead mate had a hand in it. Maria had too. ¡°Then what happened? The oracle also mentioned that it could mean that I have another mate but, Ruth-¡±


    Ruth gasped audibly, her eyes widening.


    A wave of dizziness hit Maria and again, she ignored it, focusing instead on the scene before her.


    ¡°What?¡± Corey asked immediately, eyes sharp as they roved over Ruth¡¯s body. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°T-t-the oracle said that you h-have another¡­ mate?¡±


    Corey shook his head sharply, thinking that the words were hurting Ruth, but Maria suspected it was something more than that. ¡°No. It was just a spectio-¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Maria butted in, her instincts telling her to y a different narrative. She just crossed her fingers and hoped Corey went along with it. ¡°The oracle said that Bran has another mate out there, but I have never heard of a man having two mates. Have you?¡±


    Ruth was too pale to move. All the blood had drained from her face and she looked a hell of a lot more guilty than a person should look-except if they actually were guilty.


    Corey stared at her as if she¡¯d grown a second head. ¡°What are you-¡±


    ¡°Care to tell us why Corey has another mate when he already had you, Ruth?¡± Maria pushed on, levelling Corey with a pointed look that screamed ¡®shut the hell up and let me do this¡¯. ¡°Want to tell us why Corey didn¡¯t kill himself when you died? Why he¡¯s still here right now?¡±


    Ruth¡¯s outline flickered along with Maria¡¯s vision and she had to quickly hold onto the wall to keep her bnce, else she would have fallen to the floor.


    What was going on?


    Ruth pressed a hand to her chest as her outline flickered again. She didn¡¯t notice that she was fading away because she was too busy focusing on other things-namely, the fact that they were onto her.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Ruth?¡± Corey pressed, his eyes filled with curiosity. ¡°Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡±


    Through a somewhat blurry vision, Maria made out the outline of Ruth falling to her knees in front of a very confused Corey.


    ¡°It was a spell,¡± she whispered brokenly. ¡°It was all a spell. You, thinking that I was your mate was a spell. I¡¯m so sorry, Corey, I just wanted you so much.¡± She sobbed. ¡°You were such a good man and every woman wanted to have you. I had to make you mine before anyone else did.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    What the actual fuck?


    What


    The


    Fuck?


    She¡¯d used a spell to make him think that she was his mate? How had she gotten her hands on magic as powerful as that? Why would anyone do such a thing?


    Corey shook his head hard. ¡°Ruth¡­. no. Get up. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    Ruth¡¯s outline flickered again and Maria felt a huge dose of strength evacuate her body.


    Oh, gods. Maria knew what was happening.


    For every second Ruth spent in the world of the living, Maria paid for it with an equal measure of her powers and now, she was weakening.


    Ruth had to leave soon or else¡­


    Maria wasn¡¯t sure what would happen.


    It was either she would lose all her powers or she might just get sucked into the world of the dead along with Ruth. And shit, none of those options were appealing.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Corey. I¡¯m so so-¡±


    ¡°How could you do something like this to me?¡± Corey¡¯s tone was disbelieving, heartbroken. ¡°I was your friend!¡±


    ¡°And that was exactly the point!¡± Ruth cried. ¡°I was only going to be a friend to you and nothing more. Eventually, you would have found your mate then you would have cast me aside.¡± Her voice was broken when she said, ¡°I just had to have you.¡±


    The sadness in her voice called to Maria. She understood the woman a little because she knew how desperate she felt at times to have Bran show her anything other than hostility, but she would never go as far as doing something as heartless just to have him.


    But the more Maria thought about it, the more it started to make sense. No wonder Corey hadn¡¯t killed himself after her death. No wonder she didn¡¯t feel for him as much as he felt for her!


    Because she wasn¡¯t meant for him and neither was he meant for her.


    ¡°You robbed me of a life with my mate!¡± Corey shouted, shooting up from the couch. ¡°My real mate! How could you be so heartless?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear those words anymore.¡± Corey cut her off, voice low and hard. ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you for this. Never.¡± Then to Maria, he said, ¡°Send her back.¡±


    Oh, thank fuck.


    She felt sorry for Corey and the woman¡¯s presence was obviously upsetting him. She needed to leave. Not to mention, Maria was only a few seconds away from passing out.


    Maria lifted her hand and started casting the spell to send Ruth back.


    ¡°No!¡± Ruth screamed and made to reach for Corey who stepped out of the way quickly. She leapt forward and as she was about to touch him, Maria finished the spell and Ruth disappeared.


    Terribly exhausted, Maria crumpled to the ground and passed out, but not before hearing her name shouted on a panicked cry.

 What do you want?

    BRAN


    Bran was pretty sure that a few minutes ago when he¡¯d asked the man standing in front of him to deliver a message to Maria, he¡¯d been speaking, so except by some form of magic, his tongue had disappeared from his mouth and he didn¡¯t have the ability to speak anymore, then he should still be able to speak.


    ¡°Well?¡± Bran pressed. ¡°Are you just going to keep standing there staring at me?¡±


    The only reason Bran wasn¡¯t flipping the hell out on the man right now, was because he was curious as to why it was him standing in front of Bran and not Maria.


    He¡¯d asked for her toe to him and he¡¯d been expecting her. Yet, here a guard stood instead of Maria.


    ¡°I-I want nothing more than to tell you, Your Majesty. Of c-course, I would l-love to tell you.¡± The smallish man stuttered and Bran found his ire growing by the second. ¡°It¡¯s just that eh¡­ her words were a tad¡­ inappropriate-¡±


    ¡°Out with it!¡±


    The man jumped a mile-high in the air. ¡°Very well.¡± He swallowed, adams apple bobbing. ¡°Your Majesty, she said¡­ she said to tell you to go f-fuck yourself.¡±


    One of Bran¡¯s eyebrow lifted in surprise and the man must have taken Bran¡¯s silence as an okay for him to go on because he kept talking.


    ¡°She said she doesn¡¯t answer to you and that you can shove your words up your¡­ up your-¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    The man¡¯s head flew up, surprise etched in his features. ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I said get out.¡±


    The man wasted no time in scurrying out of Corey¡¯s living room, closing the door softly behind him.


    Bran¡¯s temper red at the thought of being disobeyed by Maria yet he felt a stir in his jeans as he grew hard. He always reacted that way to her fire-loving it even as he hated it. Craving it even as he never wanted her to disobey him anymore.


    Wanting to burn in her mes even as the king in him roiled at being disobeyed.


    She¡¯d said those words to him. Not just to him-she¡¯d said them to the guard and the guard had ryed them to him. Now, the guard knew that a woman spoke to the vampire king in such manner.


    Bran wondered if there had been other people there who had heard what she¡¯d said.


    How dare her speak to him in such manner?


    How dare her disobey him in front of people?


    He traced directly where he¡¯d seen her-at the backyard-and he was thankful that the sun had gone down, if not he would have been burned.


    His heart gave a sudden jerk of excitement when he saw her leaning against the picket fence, exactly like he did when he was out here.


    She was conversing with her maid, who was leaning on the fence next to her. Her words were hushed and even with Bran¡¯s peculiar hearing, he couldn¡¯t hear them. Or maybe that was because he was standing considerably far from them.


    Her long hair cascaded down her back but it wasn¡¯t free, Bran realized, because they weren¡¯t spilling over to the front of her shoulders the way he liked. They were held in ce by a band of some sorts and Bran found himself fighting the urge to walk over to her and rip it off, free her hair and watch it drape over her like an angel.


    His angel.


    No, not his.


    He traced closer to them and caught the tail end of their conversation-along with Maria¡¯s exquisite scent, made even more pronounced by the mating.


    ¡°¡­ I only know a few¡­¡± The maid trailed off when she took note of him standing there, her eyes widening a fraction. She lowered her head and curtsied. ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    At the mention of his name-well, his title-Maria turned to look at him and Bran could swear that he was hit in the knees with a sledgehammer with the way they suddenly wobbled and threatened to give out under him.


    It was nothing but sheer will that had him standing and not giving in to the urge. Or even worse, go to her, take her hands and ce them on his face. He missed her touch, but he would probably cut his sword arm off rather than admit such a thing to her.


    The maid¡¯s eyes jumped between Maria and Bran, waiting for one of them to make a move or say something, and when it became abundantly clear that they were not going to, she picked up her skirts and turned to Maria, although Bran felt like she was talking to the both of them. ¡°I¡¯ll let you speak in private.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Maria stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, turning back to what she¡¯d been doing-people watching.


    Bran¡¯s back teeth grinded to dust.


    She was dismissing him. Publicly. As if he was a mere messenger or a guard or some other man of equally low status and he would not ept it.


    ¡°Yes, you will let us speak in private,¡± Bran gritted out through clenched teeth, his lips barely opening to let out the words.


    He was so angry, he could burn the whole ce to the ground.


    And then storm over to Maria, throw her over his shoulder and smack her ass as he carried her back to his castle.


    Wait, what?


    Where had thatst bite from?


    ¡°Ignore him.¡± Maria shook her head, still staring at the people at the children in the training ground and she still had her fucking back to him.


    The maid¡¯s eyes were jumping frantically between them now, looking like she was torn between who to listen to. She had loyalties to Maria because she was her maid and therefore had to put her first, but she also had to respect Bran because he was a king-even though not her king.


    Still, he could make her life miserable or even possibly kill her for trying to disobey her.


    Maria clearly thought the girl to be a friend-he noticed that they went around together-and that was the only reason Bran chose not to punish her for disobeying him for even a second.     ¡°Leave,¡± he gave her onest opportunity to obey him and wisely, she took the hint.


    She curtsied again before hurrying away, and Bran was finally alone with his mate.


    His fucking mate.


    Fuck, it sounded so strange. He would just stop thinking itpletely, but his mating instincts lit up like a fucking bulb every single fucking time he saw her.


    ¡°What do you want, vampire?¡±


    He was back to being vampire, was he?


    shes of their past erupted in Bran¡¯s mind, awakened by that word, and Bran was reminded anew why she hated him so much.


    Why he couldn¡¯t ept that she was his mate.


    He forced the disturbing thoughts out of his mind, but let his anger towards her remain. ¡°Do you care to exin why I sent for you and you refused toe?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t, actually.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Bran ground on his teeth harder, his fist clenching and unclenching at his sides. He wanted to hold her, to shake her until she returned into the person she¡¯d once been.


    He wanted to shake her feelings back into her. Herughter, her unending words, her eyes, her kisses, her attention, her fucking touch. He wanted them back.


    When he had them, he hadn¡¯t valued them and now that he couldn¡¯t have them, he wanted them even more. He was starved for them. Like a man in the desert without a droplet of water in sight, he hungered for her, thirsted for her.


    His skin grew sweaty with want, his balls drawing tight with his arousal and cock extending in his trousers.


    Hell, he was hard as rock and she wasn¡¯t even looking at him.


    As discreetly as he could with people all around them, he adjusted himself in his jeans and shoved his hands into his pockets, then remembered that a king didn¡¯t stand that way and sped his hands behind his back.


    A stance of dominance, authority.


    Good. She had to respect him.

 Spitfire

    BRAN


    When Bran lifted his eyes and looked back at her, his throat dried up. Her beauty was so spell-binding, it rendered him breathless and for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t remember what she¡¯d said in answer to his question. So he decided to ask her again.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe when the man asked you to?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    Bran would probably have been able to put up with her dismissive tone if she was looking at him, but she wasn¡¯t and it irked Bran so much, he couldn¡¯t really tell if it was because she was dismissing him or if he just hated not having her eyes on him.


    Something told him it was thetter but he refused to believe it.


    He was simply angry that she would dare speak to a king in such manner.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± hemanded.


    ¡°No.¡±


    When he spoke again, the words came out on a growl. ¡°Fucking look at me.¡±


    She stared stonily ahead. ¡°I said no.¡±


    From Bran¡¯s periphery, he could see that they were starting to gather a curious audience. Some of the children training-and even their trainers-had stopped and were now watching them avidly, no doubt surprised to see the vampire king arguing with a woman almost half his height.


    He was just as surprised as they were. That she would dare to oppose him in the presence of others.


    Letting her get away with pping him behind closed doors was one thing. Letting her oppose him in broad day light while people watched was another.


    And Bran was going to put her in her fucking ce.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to turn around and look at me right now, Maria.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± she retorted and that did it.


    Bran reached for her to forcefully turn her towards him when suddenly, his hands froze mid-air, as if there was an invisible barrier stopping his hand from going forward. Like a wall.


    He lifted his other hand and the same thing happened.


    Instantly, he knew what was happening and his enraged eyes flew to Maria¡¯s cunning ones, a cold smirk on her lips and a hand raised, fingers aglow.


    ¡°What are you doing to me?¡± He barked, trying not to freak out that she was using her powers on him. ¡°Stop it this very minute, Maria. Now.¡±


    ¡°Not until you tell me why you sent for me in the first ce.¡±


    Bran gritted his teeth and fought against the powers with all his strength but his hands just wouldn¡¯t move. When he saw that going forward was the problem and that he could go backwards, he took one backward step and then tried to take another one when suddenly, he couldn¡¯t move.


    His legs turned to two lead weights on the ground like they were cemented in and he couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Maria, stop this.¡± He hissed, anger making the words came out fast. ¡°People are watching. Stop this now.¡±


    She simply cocked her head. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Fuck.


    How could he still find her hot even now?


    ¡°I wanted to inform you that we leave tomorrow morning.¡± He finally said. ¡°The castle has been rebuiltpletely, which means we can go back now.¡±


    ¡°And you decided to tell me because?¡±


    ¡°So that you can get ready, dammit.¡±


    Her eyes shed silver and Bran felt the hold on him tightening to a point of choking. ¡°To get ready?¡± She asked incredulously. ¡°Like we merely came here on a visit? Like this was nothing but a vacation? Like you didn¡¯t bring me here without my fucking consent?¡± Her eyes were two ming greys. ¡°What would you have expected me to say? ¡®Oh, thanks for letting me know. I¡¯ll get my bags right away¡¯?¡±


    She shook her head and looked away.


    ¡°Remove this hold you have on me, Maria.¡± He couldn¡¯t move and it was fucking with his head. ¡°People are watching for fucks sake!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking about right now? You¡¯re not even worries that I might kill you?¡± She shook her head, lips pursed. ¡°Two things. One, stop talking to me like your own personal maid. Don¡¯t think whenever you call for me, I¡¯m going toe running.¡± She warned as she dropped her hand and Bran felt the hold on his body loosen. He could breathe again. ¡°If you do so again, I will not hesitate to show you the consequences.¡±


    Now, this was exactly why Bran had not wanted to remove her cor in the first ce. He knew that this was going to happen. That she was going to grow bold and start opposing him. It was a must.


    If she¡¯d dared to talk back at him even when she didn¡¯t have her powers, she was bound to do more with them.


    And with powers as great as hers? There was no predicting the extent she would go.


    ¡°You know, Maria, I could easily just take your powers back.¡± As he said it, he started to realize just how great of an idea it was. ¡°I¡¯d love to see how bold you can be without them.¡±


    Bran regretted the words immediately when suddenly, his hand-hand that he¡¯d been unable to move a few seconds ago-flew towards his face and connected with his jaw.


    Again, again and a-fucking-gain.


    He heard the unmistakable sounds ofughter and snickering behind him and his blood boiled with anger.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Not only was he a king that was pitied by his own people, he was now also aughing stock to the demons.


    Finally, the hand dropped and hung by his side uselessly, his body still under her control.


    How fucking apt.


    ¡°Now,¡± Maria announced, loud enough for everyone watching to hear and Bran wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground right then and there. ¡°If you dare bring that cor within ten feet of me, if you even think about doing it, you¡¯re going to regret it and I am not bloody joking.¡±


    Bran red at her. Really fucking red at her.


    He wanted to talk back at her, to tell her to watch her fucking tone, but she was livid and her powers were unimaginable.


    He might love being an asshole, but he loved his life more and she could decide to end it with a flick of her finger. Right there in front of everyone to watch.


    The shame would be unbearable.


    Seeing how much she truly hated him startled him, and wounded the mate inside him.


    The mated vampire that lived inside Bran couldn¡¯t ept that it¡¯s mate loathed him so much.


    Bran turned away from her, and he was just about to trace away when her voice stopped him.


    ¡°Oh, vampire?¡±


    He lifted a brow as he turned to her, wondering why the hell she was smiling so sweetly at him after what just happened.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me what two was.¡±


    Two?


    Out of nowhere, a bucket appeared above Bran¡¯s head and dumped water all over him, drenching him to his boots.


    Bran¡¯s eyes grew red with anger and the children¡¯sughter followed him as he traced away.


    What a mate he had.

 Fight

    BRAN? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°It was good to have you here.¡± Corey forced a smile but it didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°This house is definitely going to feel it now that you¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Bran, too, forced himself to smile when it was thest thing he felt like doing. His head was too upied with the woman standing a few feet away from them, and also, he was worried about his friend.


    Corey had shut downpletely after finding out that his ¡®mate¡¯ was not actually his mate after all, which answered a lot of questions that people-including Bran-had been asking.


    Actually, he was quite relieved.


    He didn¡¯t want to speak bad about a dead woman but he¡¯d never really liked Ruth to begin with. She¡¯d been a bit stiff, alwaysining about something and she¡¯d also never been interested in the things Corey liked.


    But since he¡¯d believed that she was his mate and that fate could not pair one with someone that didn¡¯t suit them, he¡¯d decided to let it go.


    Well, what he said about fate was definitely not true. Take his situation for instance. He was mated to a woman he¡¯d initially nned to kill. A woman that had killed his parents and captured his sister.


    A woman that he¡¯d tortured.


    Fate had done Bran dirty, and a huge part of him believed that it was punishment.


    For what? He didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit as soon as I can,¡± Bran told him then paused. ¡°Or you coulde when all this is over.¡±


    By ¡®all this¡¯, he meant the killing and capturing of demons. On top of dealing with Ruth¡¯s betrayal, Corey had his hands full with the case as he was trying toe up with the best way of keeping the humans out permanently and freeing the captured demons.


    It had turned into a war of some sorts and a lot of immortals from other factions of the lore were also trying to get their people back. If they could all put heads together and fight the humans, they would be able to conquer them no matter how powerful the humans¡¯ weapons were.


    Corey nodded and his eyes drifted over Bran¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What are you going to do about her?¡±


    Bran knew who his friend was talking about. Of course he did. What other ¡®her¡¯ would Corey be talking about other than Maria?


    But Bran still turned anyway, anything to steal nces at his mate. She had a small smile on her face as she talked to her maid and he noticed that they were holding hands as they spoke.


    In all Bran¡¯s life he¡¯d never met someone so close to their maid as Maria was. She treated the maid like she was a real person with feelings and not just someone that saw to her needs.


    An odd feeling of tenderness took root in Bran¡¯s chest as he watched them. He knew that she wasn¡¯t pretending to care about the maid because there were people watching. He¡¯d spied them several times and all those times, the look on Maria¡¯s face had been genuine.


    ¡°You might not know what to do about her, but I know you definitely want to keep her.¡±


    Those words pulled Bran out of his thoughts and he turned to his friend, blinking to clear his head.


    There was no point denying it, was there?


    ¡°Honestly, I still don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do.¡± Bran admitted, a truckload of tension leaving his shoulders because he was finally talking to someone. ¡°I need her but I can¡¯t have her. Not only would that mean betraying my family, I¡¯d also be betraying my kingdom. There¡¯s no picking her over my kingdom.¡± Bran shook his head. ¡°If ites to that, I¡¯m going to have to let her go even though she¡¯s my mate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still so impossible to believe that she¡¯s your mate,¡± Corey grunted. ¡°A more unlikely pairing has never been made.¡±


    Bran sighed. ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    He barely held himself back from bringing up Corey¡¯s mate and how something like that had never happened in history before, but he knew that it was too soon to joke over it. The wounds were still fresh in Corey¡¯s mind and the slightest mention of it might hurt him.


    Bran didn¡¯t want to turn a perfectly beautiful day sour.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s all going to y out eventually. Fate doesn¡¯t do anything without thought and the fact that she¡¯s your mate is definitely not a coincidence. If you¡¯re meant to keep her, you¡¯ll find a way. But if you¡¯re not, then you¡¯re not.¡±


    The words were simple enough. But the situation? Not so much.


    A honk announced the arrival of the SUV that was going to take Bran and Maria back to the pce and at the sight of it, Bran pulled his friend into a hug and pped him on the back twice.


    ¡°I still think you should merge forces with the other factions of the lore who are being affected too,¡± Bran told Corey before he pulled away. ¡°Think about it.¡±


    Since they¡¯de to the demon realm with nothing, they were returning back with nothing and that was why they didn¡¯t have bags to keep in the booth.


    He saw Maria hug the maid before turning and entering the car.


    It was going to be a long ride. A painful one too-if Maria¡¯s short gown was anything to go by. It wasn¡¯t really short in the ideal sense-t was knee-length. But when she sat, it hiked up to her mid-thighs, revealing the golden, supple flesh that Bran fought the urge to mark with his teeth.


    He squeezed his eyes shut and tipped his head back on the headrest, pretending that he was taking deep breaths when in truth, he was inhaling her irresistible scent.


    She smelt like all the beautiful things of life and looked the epitome of it. She smelt like a ce where Bran would want to be, a ce where he would like to let go of all his problems and rest, like a ce where he would like to go back to at the end of the day, like¡­


    Like home.


    Maria smelt like home.


    His home.


    When his eyes popped open, he saw that she was staring at him with those mesmerizing greys. Her lips werepressed in a small frown and her hands dug into the leather seat on either sides of her, her left hand only a few inches from his thigh. The awareness of her had his legs bunching with tension, his body springing to attention as he hardened in his pants.


    His eyes dropped to the juncture where her shoulder met her neck, bared by her gown and he swiped his tongue along his lower lip as he imagined his fangs digging into that flesh, puncturing her skin and marking her as his.


    The need to do it was so strong, so overpowering, he actually leaned a few inches forward.


    The vampire craved it¡¯s mate. Craved to ruin her perfect skin, to taste her blood, to make her carry his mark.


    Her blood would fill his mouth, blessing his taste buds and he would groan from the rich taste, while she would feel intense pleasure from his bite-he¡¯d been told as much-and she would orgasm faster than she ever had, her body going wanton with the sensation.


    He went hard as stone in his jeans and he grunted with inconvenience. With the way he was sitting, his hard cock dug into his zipper and painnced through him.


    Gritting his teeth, he shifted on the seat as best as he could to relive his torment-which wasn¡¯t much because she still had her eyes on him and he didn¡¯t want to let her know that she¡¯d won.


    A vein almost popped out of his head when her eyes shed silver with lust, her lips parting.


    Fuck, she wanted him too.


    She suddenly wanted him after a week of pushing him away?


    Now, Bran might think with his lower head sometimes but in certain situations, his pride won over.


    And this right here was one of those situations.


    He hardened his gaze and looked away, staring out the monochrome windows. He wasn¡¯t really looking at anything, he just needed to take his mind away from the situation.


    When he finally managed to get himself under control, he spoke, eyes still trained on the window. ¡°When we get back to the castle, you¡¯ll not be returning to the cells.¡± He started. ¡°You¡¯ll keep staying in the room you used before we left and a maid will be assigned to you. If you want to have short walks around the castle, you¡¯re free to, but you will never step foot outside the gates and your assigned maid-along with a few guards-must be with you at all times. You also must not stay out longer than an hour a day. Am I clear?¡±


    When there was no response, he turned and saw her staring through the opposite window, her posture calm for someone who was being lectured.

 And make-up

    BRAN


    ¡°Am I clear?¡± He repeated, a muscle popping in his jaw when she leisurely turned to face him.


    ¡°Oh, you were speaking to me?¡± She lifted a brow, crossing her hands. ¡°Forgive me for not figuring out soon enough that it¡¯s me you were speaking to. But then again, I remember clearly warning you to never use than tone with me agai-¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± Bran snapped and he hardened himself not to feel guilty when she jumped slightly, surprised by the sudden outburst. ¡°Perhaps getting your powers back has gotten to your head and made you forget why you¡¯re here in the first ce, but as ever, I am more than happy to remind you.¡± His eyes narrowed with his anger and his voice lowered to a dangerous purr. ¡°You¡¯re here because you killed my parents and took my sister and I don¡¯t care if it was your asshole of a father that ordered you to do it. The fact remains that they died by your hands and therefore, their blood is in your hands.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed in anger and her shoulders went up, but she kept her eyes on his and Bran saw guilt creep in. Good.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think for one second that your powers suddenly give you the right to disobey me as easily as you please, because, princess,¡± he smiled and he was positive that it was a cold one. ¡°I took your powers once and I can take them back if I damn well please. Disobey me again and that cor wille around your neck so fast, you¡¯ll get whish.¡± His anger was pouring off him in waves and he fought to keep it under control. ¡°Do not dare fucking oppose me, Maria. I let you get away with hitting me before doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll let you get away with it again. When I speak, you shut the hell up and do as I say. Understood?¡±


    The sound of her quick, short breaths filled the car and a sheen of tears covered her eyes. Bran¡¯s chest threatened to cave in at the sight of her tears and the tremor in her lower lip, but he stood his ground.


    ¡°Am I fucking understood?¡±


    She gulped and in a cracked voice said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bran leaned back in his chair and turned his gaze out the window.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    She could cry all she wanted but he was not going to fall for her tears. She would respect him now and that was all that mattered.


    ***


    Bran was freaking the hell out.


    He was a few seconds away from going crazy and he was positive that if he didn¡¯t go out of the building right fucking now, he would gopletely insane.


    When they¡¯d returned to the castle-which was now rebuilt exactly how it was so that one who saw it would never know that it had been destroyed-Maria had taken off, refusing to go inside the house with him.


    He¡¯d assumed that she just needed some time to cool off but when the day had darkened and she hadn¡¯t returned, Bran began to guess that it was much more than that.


    She was gone.


    That was what a voice had whispered in the back of his head, but his gut told him that she wasn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t leave.


    She wouldn¡¯t dare leave him!


    Not after the warning he¡¯d given her on their way here.


    But that was exactly what had made her run. He¡¯d pushed her to the wall and she¡¯d decided that she¡¯d had enough.


    She¡¯d run.


    Gone.


    No, he couldn¡¯t ept that.


    After several hours of pacing, pulling at his hair and having his men search the grounds for her ande back empty, he finally decided that it was time he went in search for her himself.


    She couldn¡¯t be gone. She just couldn¡¯t.


    The vampire inside him was roiling at the thought that its mate could be in danger and it was one of the reasons Bran had not been able to think about anything else but her. One of the reasons because Bran, himself, was dying.


    Her absence was killing him.


    If he¡¯d known that his words would push her into taking an action like this, he would not have said them. He would have simply let her mouth back at him. After all, he missed her sassyebacks now. He missed them so much.


    He traced into the darkness outside, lit only by the lights outside his building, and started searching for her.


    He searched the training grounds, the garden behind the house and even the huge masses ofnd on both sides of the castle, but still couldn¡¯t find her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He roared, shoving his hands into his hair and pulling at the roots.


    She had left him. She¡¯d fucking left him.


    But where had she gone?


    She didn¡¯t have any means of transportation. Not a car or a horse or a-


    Horses! He hadn¡¯t checked the barn!


    He traced directly into the barn and searched for her with wild, panicked eyes, tearing every stall open in case she might be in them. He didn¡¯t even hesitate to rip the door on thest stall open-a door he usually refused to open because of the hatred the animal inside had towards him-but he did freeze at the sight before him.


    Maria, petting the stallion¡¯s hair, tear streaks on her face and thick mud coating her bare feet.


    Where were her slippers?


    She jerked in surprise when the stall door opened and her eyes widened when she saw that it was him. Bran felt pain spear through his chest when her eyes filled with hurt.


    The horse snorted when it saw Bran and it¡¯s eyes filled with malice that Bran had be familiar with.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked him, swiping at her fresh tears with the back of her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for such a long time, I worried-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She cut him off and turned back to the horse, who was more than happy to shove it¡¯s nose into Maria¡¯s hands.


    Bran felt jealousy grip him. Jealousy that she was giving this annoying horse the time of the day while he stood there begging for her attention.


    Because that was what he was doing. Begging.


    ¡°Come back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine here, thanks.¡±


    Bran sighed and his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as he fought the urge to go over to her and hold her, beg for her forgiveness until she thought him worthy to have it.


    He didn¡¯t know what hade over him that possessed him to speak to her like that. He regretted it now and she needed to know that.


    He decided to use another approach. ¡°Please, Maria,e back inside the house. It¡¯ste and you¡¯re tired.¡±


    This time, she did turn to him, sweeping untrusting eyes over him. ¡°Why do you care? You want me toe back in so that I can hear more of your condescending words? So that I can listen to you speak to me in that disrespectful manner?¡±


    That she was even talking to him after the way he¡¯d spoken to her, the things he¡¯d said¡­


    It was a fucking miracle.


    Bran swallowed hard, took a quarter of a step towards her, then forced his body to stay right where it was. ¡°No, none of that.¡±


    Her eyes clouded with suspicion and she just stood there, staring at him. She probably didn¡¯t trust him and Bran couldn¡¯t me her. He hadn¡¯t given her reason to.


    But he was willing to try now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He tried again and noticed the way his voice cracked on the words. He cleared his throat. ¡°Please.¡±


    They stared at each other for a long time, Bran¡¯s eyes pleading and filled with regret, and Maria¡¯s, hurt and untrusting.


    Yet then this beautiful woman that fate had given to him nodded. It was a small thing, and he would have missed it if he wasn¡¯t staring at her, starved for any positive reply from her.


    Bran sighed out and his knees weakened with relief.


    Hurrying towards her, he lifted her in his arms, ignoring the snorts of the angry horse and traced them the hell out of there and into the house.

 Making a decision

    MARIA


    Was she dreaming?


    She was a thousand percent sure that she was. She had to be because what the hell was happening right now?


    It was only in a dream that Bran would carry her in his arms like this, like she was fragile as an egg, like she was something he cared about and cherished so much, like she was the centre of his worlds.


    Yes, she was certain that it was a dream.


    And as if to prove to her that it was very much real and not a dream, Bran¡¯s arms tightened around her before he dropped her carefully on the ground.


    She¡¯d lost her slippers at one point in the mud when it had caked around her legs and refused to let her go. She didn¡¯t want to but she¡¯d had to abandon it if she didn¡¯t want to sink and that was exactly what she¡¯d done.


    Now that she was looking down at her very dirty legs, she cringed, asking herself why she¡¯d even thought walking in the dark was a smart idea.


    But then again, she¡¯d been hurt.


    ¡°Can you stand right here for a moment so that I can run you a bath?¡± Bran asked, and she had to tilt her head far up to look at him due to how close he was standing to her.


    His cheekbones were slightly flushed and he wore a look of shame, his eyes stealing away from hers momentarily.


    He was ashamed, and regretted his actions.


    This was the same man that had scolded her in the car, the same man that told her that he would take her powers from her-her dear dear powers-if he wished to. Yet here he was, telling her that he wanted to run her a bath.


    Sounding for all the worlds like he actually meant it.


    She¡¯d been so surprised when she¡¯d seen him in that barn, wondering if he¡¯d simply decided to take a stroll in the barn-in the evening, which was weird-but then she¡¯d taken another look at his crazed, panicked eyes and she¡¯d known that he¡¯de for her. She¡¯d just known.


    He cared about her-at least he acted that way sometimes-so why did he treat her the way he did?


    Why was he hot one moment and cold the other?


    She suspected it was because he had feelings for her but he didn¡¯t want to. Maria may not be sure of the answer to the question, however, but she was sure of one thing; she couldn¡¯t keep up with his mood swings and she had no interest in doing so.


    They hurt her too much and it would be foolish to keep putting herself through this, hoping that he would magically change one day.


    She felt useless, standing awkwardly as she waited for Bran to fill up the bath-tub with clear water. When he was done, he turned and walked over to her.


    ¡°Do you need help taking¡­¡± He trailed off, shaking his head suddenly and gripping the hem of her gown. ¡°Can I?¡±


    It took Maria a total of ten seconds of thinking and rapid blinking to understand that he was asking to take her top off, and another ten seconds to formte a reply.


    When, after those ten seconds her voice still didn¡¯t work, she settled on a nod.


    He promptly tugged on the material, pulling on it slowly until it passed her head and he dropped it on the floor of the bathroom.


    A loud breath wheezed past his teeth and it was in that moment that Maria realized that this bathroom wasn¡¯t the one in her room. It was far bigger and lot more beautiful with its white walls and bath-in fact it was the bath-tub that made her realise that this wasn¡¯t her room in the first cs. She didn¡¯t have a bath-tub.


    ¡°Is this your bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He grated out the word.


    Her eyes jumped to him at his tone, thinking that he was back to being his usual asshole self, but then her heart stuttered in her chest when she saw the heat in his eyes, the lust zing in those green depths.


    He was staring down at her bra-well, her breasts-and his breathing was starting to growboured, his chest rising and falling with his quick breaths. His jaw bunched with tension, and before Maria could even blink, he turned her around softly and started working on the sp of her bra.


    His fingers brushed the skin of her back as he removed the bra and Maria wasn¡¯t sure if it was just her mind ying tricks on her, but his movements seemed slowed and the feelings were exaggerated.


    She could barely keep still as he dragged the straps of the bra down her hands and she knew that he wasn¡¯t better off because she could feel his breaths on her shoulders, coasting down her chest and reaching her nipples which tightened into two little hard points.


    Her legs threatened to turn to jelly with the magnitude of her lust, the bad day long forgotten, and she leaned backwards into him, feeling his erection through his jeans. Her eyes rolled back in her head.


    Gods, he was so big and just everything she wanted. Why couldn¡¯t he be everything she needed?


    ¡°Maria,¡± his voice was rough, like gravel. ¡°You-¡± he gasped when she rubbed her ass on his erection. ¡°You need to get into the water before it turns cold.¡±


    Her desire dimmed, like a bucket of cold water had been upended over her body-which was ironic considering the situation-and she pushed away from him, remembering that she¡¯d promised herself she wouldn¡¯t deal with his instability anymore.


    Just to make him hurt even more, she bent in half-slowly-and dragged her panties down her legs, knowing that Bran would undoubtedly get a prime view of her bare mound, which his muttered ¡®fuck¡¯ provedter on. Then she tossed the panties and bra on top of her discarded gown and made her way towards the bath.


    Despite everything, knowing that she still affected him made her smile a little.


    And a few secondster just as she was about to lower into the bath, when she felt a kiss pressed to her shoulder des, her smile copsed under the weight of her tiredness.


    What was this?


    Why was she putting up with this?


    Why was she letting him treat her this way?


    Yes, she could obey him, hold herself back from talking back at him, and do all the things he¡¯d told her to in the car. But she didn¡¯t have to keep letting him treat her this way.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    She didn¡¯t have to keep letting him kiss her one minute then push her away the next. She should put an end to this. For her own sanity and to protect her heart because, gods help her, she already had feelings for him. Strong ones.


    And allowing him treat her this way would only make her hurt more.

 Naked truths

    MARIA


    Maria lowered into the water, sighing in relief at the same time she heard him hiss in a breath. She looked up quickly, catching the look on his face before he could turn around.


    Was he¡­ hurt?


    That she hadn¡¯t responded to his kiss?N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be outside in case you need me.¡± He announced, already walking out of the bathroom.


    ¡°Stay.¡±


    He froze.


    Literally froze.


    His right leg hung mid-air, his hand was unmoving on the bathroom door and not a single part of his body shook.


    Slowly, he turned to her. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to stay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    His eyes trailed from her face to her neck, then to her knees which were visible through the water, and her bare feet propped up at the end. His throat worked on a swallow as his eyes trailed back to her face, lighting up a fire inside her. ¡°Maria, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea-¡±


    ¡°Sit, Bran.¡± She sighed, frustrationcing her words.


    His eyes shed blue and she didn¡¯t know whether it was because she¡¯d used his name or because she¡¯d ordered him, but that had him turning and walking towards her. He parked his ass on the edge of the tub and stared at her expectantly, his eyes dipping into the water once in a while as if he could see through it.


    Maria wanted to make a decision, but before she did, she needed to know that it was the right one and that she was not actually making a mistake.


    ¡°Why did youe for me?¡±


    He blinked, obviously thrown by her question. ¡°It was gettingte and-¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, not that.¡± When she saw his frown, she rified. ¡°Before, in the realm of Sorceri. Why did youe for me?¡±


    His eyes widened and he looked away sharply. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Tell me the truth, Bran,¡± she begged. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to yell at him. She was exhausted and she needed to make her decision and ept it. ¡°I need to know. I can¡¯t keep feeding off these little crumbs you give to me, so just please tell me why you came for me.¡±


    Bran¡¯s shoulders went tight as tension stole through his body and his hand on the tub tightened until Maria was certain that he would leave cracks behind on the marble.


    ¡°I dreamt your memories.¡±


    It took her a second to process the words and when she did, she jumped into action.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± She lurched to her feet so fast, she almost slipped in the slippery water and fell. But Bran was quick, his armstching around her as he caught her.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay, Maria.¡± He tried to calm her but she pped his hands away, slinking away from him and reaching for one of the towels on the pole, wrapping it around her body.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± she snapped, tightening the towel around her body and knotting it under her armpit. ¡°But of course you¡¯ll say it is because you¡¯re so unbelievably selfish. It¡¯s not your memories that are at stake, it¡¯s not your secrets, your whole life, your-¡±


    ¡°Will you just fucking listen to me?¡± He snapped.


    ¡°No, I am done listening to you. I do not care for anything you have to-¡±


    He shot up from the tub and reached out to touch her, but she shifted away from his touch and his hand hung, his eyes shing with hurt. He ended up shoving his hand into his hair and pulling hard.


    She fought a wince because she knew that it must hurt like hell. Then she mentally kicked herself because she still fucking cared about him even after everything.


    ¡°I came for you because I saw your fucking memories, Maria.¡± He yelled, losing control of his emotions for the first time in a very long time. ¡°I came for you because I finally understood that your father is a disgusting old man who¡¯s obsessed with ruining people¡¯s lives. I came for you because I saw you for what you were-an innocent, selfless person, doing anything she can to help her mother.¡± She thought she would melt when he added, ¡°I came for you because I fucking missed you, goddamnit.¡±


    He was breathing hard with his word vomit, his fingers tugging hard at his hair. They stared at each other, Maria shocked with everything she¡¯d just heard and Bran, probably regretting his admissions.


    His cheeks flushed and his lips parted. He swallowed and took a half step back. He shook his head. ¡°I¡­ I don-¡±


    Maria was almost too scared to ask. ¡°So you saw everything? From when I was young and the things he¡­ he made me do?¡±


    Gods, the things he must have seen in her memories. Her father had made her do a lot of horrible things. Things that still made Maria throw up when she thought about them and Bran had seen everything.


    He knew everything¡­


    ¡°No. Not everything.¡± He stretched his arm out as if to¡­ what? Touch her? She felt like she could really use some support right now-both physical and mental. ¡°I only saw a few things, but I was able to piece everything together.¡±


    He might be lying but she didn¡¯t care. At least he wasn¡¯t going to make her talk about them.


    So he¡¯d seen her memories and decided to take her out of her father¡¯s house. Why would he do that?


    Why did he care what happened to her?


    Only one way to know.


    ¡°Do you care about me?¡±


    Her body thrummed, filling with awareness of the man standing in front of her. Of this big, beautiful, confused man that knew what he wanted, but was too scared to admit it.


    Too scared to give in to what he was feeling.


    His eyes flew up to hers, surprise filling them at her sudden question, and he shook his head even as his eyes dropped to her lips and he licked his own lips.


    ¡°Do you care about me, Bran?¡± She asked again.


    She wanted nothing more than to jump this man right now. Bloody hell, she wanted to kiss him so bad, she was almost restless with the urge.


    She wanted to touch him. To put her hands on him-


    ¡°Yes.¡± The word was gruff, filled with longing. ¡°Fuck, yes, I care about you a fuck of a lot more than I¡¯d like to.¡±


    Without letting another second slip by, she ran towards him, jumped on him, pulled his head down on hers and kissed the hell out of him.

 V-card gone

    MARIA


    Bran let out an ¡®oomph¡¯ from the impact of her body on his, but he was remarkably strong and only staggered back a step before recovering quickly and gripping her ass, hoisting her high on his body.


    She wasted no time in wrapping her legs around him, locking them at his back and with the leverage she now had, dragging herself up and down over his growing erection.


    The knot of her towel loosened and fell apart at the top which meant her breasts were now bared and her nipples dragged against the fabric of his shirt with every up and down movement she made. The sensation only made her all the more crazed and what she wanted most in that moment, was Bran¡¯s hands on her. Her hair, breasts, everywhere.


    What mattered was that he had his hands on her.


    ¡°Touch me,¡± she whispered against his lips, biting down on his lower lip and tugging. ¡°Put your hands on me. Please.¡±


    A ragged groan tore from Bran¡¯s chest and suddenly, his head shot forward, stealing her lips in a consuming kiss, before pulling back. He looked at her-just looked-then he kissed her again, pulled back, looked at her and whispered in a voice filled with awe. ¡°Fucking hell, Maria, you¡¯re so beautiful, I can¡¯t stand to look at you sometimes.¡±


    She melted.


    Actually melted into a gooey mess on the floor.


    Her breath caught in her throat, butterflies took flight in her stomach, her limbs startled to tremble-her legs shook around his waist and her hands shook on his cheeks-her thoughts nked for a minute and her entire body just went woozy.


    She blinked back into focus when she felt him removing her legs from around his waist and she began to panick. No, no, no. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Her legs were jelly-like from her desire and she wasn¡¯t really sure that they would be able to hold her up. Most importantly, she didn¡¯t want him dropping her. But when she looked up at him and saw the intensity of his lust both in his eyes and expression, she found the strength to stand, dimly realising that the towel had droppedpletely and was now pooling on the floor, around her legs.


    ¡°Let me?¡± His voice was like smoke, low and husky and drifting across her shoulders.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Goosebumps broke out on her skin and her nipples tightened painfully. She was naked in front of him and she should probably be shy and trying to hide her nakedness.


    But this was Bran.


    The same man she¡¯d stripped in front of before. Maybe he had not been watching her at the time when she¡¯d started stripping, but he¡¯d damn sure been watching her when she was having her bath. Gods, she¡¯d even touched herself in front of him. Brought herself to orgasm. He, too, had touched himself.


    So, really, why should she be shy?


    The emotion was nowhere to be found at the moment and Maria had absolutely no interest in searching for it.


    Not when Bran seemed to be enjoying it too much. Not when he was looking at her like that-like she was the most beautiful thing he¡¯d ever seen, the most precious gift. And he wanted to take his perfect time unwrapping it. Unwrapping her.


    She forced her mind to remember his question. He¡¯d asked her something, hadn¡¯t he?


    He¡¯d said to let him do something. Do what?


    She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, but she nodded anyway. She¡¯d let him do anything as long as he kept making her feel the way she did. As long as it made her feel good.


    Bran ced a hand on her corbone. His fingers brushed her neck and elicited a shiver from her. Her lips parted and she tipped her head back, giving him more room.


    His hand was big and warm on her body and as she thought about their size difference, her body thrummed with desire. She felt a tug low in her stomach as she imagined giving herself over to himpletely and letting him do what he wanted to her.


    It was a fantasy she¡¯d had more times than she could count from back when she hadn¡¯t known him. The man in the fantasy had always been a faceless person, a ghost, but now when the fantasy came to mind, it was Bran¡¯s face she saw.


    ¡°You¡¯re so small,¡± Bran sounded gutted, like he was in pain and struggling to breathe-just like Maria. ¡°Yet so curvy. So beautiful, so perfect for me.¡±


    He dragged a finger across her corbone and just when Maria was leaning into his caress, he trailed the finger over her shoulder and to the back of her, dragging it down her spine and down to her ass.


    Maria trembled with lust and frustration. Lust from what he was doing to her with that faint touch, with just one finger, and frustration that he wasn¡¯t where she needed him to be. That he wasn¡¯t soothing the ache she felt between her legs.


    ¡°This ass, Maria¡­¡± he trailed off and she gasped when she felt him cup her, grabbing fistfuls of her ass in his palms and massaging. Maria¡¯s head fell back to rest on his chest and that was why she felt his ragged inhale. ¡°Princess, you have no idea how much I¡¯ve dreamed of it. And when you wear those bright sundresses, you don¡¯t know what they do to me, do you?¡±


    She somehow found the strength to shake her head.


    ¡°They fucking kill me. Every single fucking day you wear them and walk around. At first, I thought you were wearing them on purpose just to taunt me, but you don¡¯t even know the effect they have on me, do you?¡±


    ¡°T-they¡­¡± Her voice was scratchy and her throat was parched, her lips dry. She licked them. ¡°They were the only things in my closet.¡±


    Bran massaged her ass again and this time, the tip of his finger brushed her center. Quickly, then it left. Whether it was by ident or an intentional act, she didn¡¯t know, but it had her moaning and pushing backwards against him, seeking the contact again. But it was gone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a closet full of them here as long as it means I get to watch you walk around in them,¡± Bran grunted, abandoning her ass and trailing that same bloody finger to her side before before he appeared in front of her.     ¡°Then these,¡± He was staring at her breasts, his eyes two deep pools of heat. ¡°You have no fucking idea how terribly you tortured me with these.¡± He cupped one in his palm, looking like he was testing its weight, before his head dipped and he covered the nipple with his hot mouth, his eyes sliding closed with an expression like bliss on his face as he sucked on it.


    Lust, unlike anything she¡¯d ever felt before, mmed into Maria and she could keep herself up no longer. Her legs gave outpletely under her and luckily, Bran had quick reflexes and he caught her before she could sink into the ground like a copsing building.

 Sated

    MARIA


    He hiked her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips. He took her lips in a kiss as he walked out of the bathroom and into his room.


    Maria wanted to know what this man¡¯s room looked like but she¡¯d be damned before she stopped kissing him.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    She registered her backing in contact with soft sheets-a bed-and Bran followed. It was almost like he didn¡¯t want to let her go, like he couldn¡¯t. His hands were everywhere on her skin, her face, hands, breasts, legs. It was amazing.


    He had only two hands but he was touching her everywhere all at once and Maria thought that she would definitely go crazy from the onught of sensations. She felt bombarded with them


    When he pulled away from her, she sat up with him and watched as he whipped his shirt over his head, baring that muscle-packed body. The minute his head was clear from it, he dove down and kissed her again. Him on his knees on the mattress, his legs on the outside of hers, and hers, between his thick thighs.


    Maria wrenched her lips away from his and spread kisses across his chest, which was directly eye level with her, and Bran¡¯s head tipped back, his jaw ck. The fact that such a simple thing as a kiss could elicit such reaction out of a man as powerful and controlled as Bran, had Maria¡¯s desire sky-diving, and wetness pooled between her thighs.


    Her hands went to his jeans and she popped the button, dragging the zipper down. She didn¡¯t even have to go far because his erection was already straining against the jeans, struggling to eacape.


    When her hand wrapped around him, the both of them sucked in breaths. Maria¡¯s own filled with surprise and Bran¡¯s, filled with startled pleasure.


    He was hard and big and long and so fucking solid in her hand, it was unlike anything she¡¯d ever imagined. Her fantasies couldn¡¯tpare. Veins ran down the enormous length of him and when she felt him jerk in her hand, she almost passed out from excitement.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Bran cursed, the sound sharp and pained.


    She would have thought that she was hurting him had the expression on his face not been one of blissful torture-he was enjoying it too much.


    Curious, she dragged her hand down the steel length up and down, then circled the head with her thumb, spreading the moisture she felt there. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip when he hissed in a breath and thrusted into her palm.


    Then a thought hit her.


    ¡°Can I put it in my mouth?¡±


    She would never have guessed that he would react that way to her question.


    He froze. Completely froze to the point that there wasn¡¯t a part of him moving-not even his chest-then he exhaled a breath so ragged, it had to have hurt his insides, and ced his hand on her stomach, pushing her back gently, until her hand slipped from him and she was lying t on the mattress.


    ¡°Princess, if you put your mouth on me, I wouldn¡¯tst more than two fucking seconds.¡± He grated through clenched teeth, his jaws bulging as he dragged his jeans off his legs until he was finally naked in front of her.


    Impossibly big, hot, hard, so fucking beautiful, and not a single fat on his body.


    And that was when Maria realized that he hadn¡¯t been wearing briefs.


    Somehow, that made a small smile touch her lips.


    Now naked, he settled between her legs and they went back to kissing. The skin-on-skin contact felt so bloody good, Maria considered asking him if she could sleep in his room everyday-naked-just to experience the feeling again. Forever.


    His erection brushed her stomach once, twice, and when she moved against him, he brushed directly at her entrance and Maria¡¯s eyes rolled back in her head at the exquisite feeling.


    Bran¡¯s big body shook as she did it again and again until he pressed her hips to the mattress and restricted her movement. ¡°If you keep doing that, I¡¯m going to lose what¡¯s left of my sanity.¡±


    ¡°I need you,¡± Maria gasped, her body overheated. ¡°Now, Bran. Now.¡±


    The vampire king wasted no time in lifting her legs and wrapping them high on his waist. He poised at her entrance and Maria held her breath, knowing that it would sting at first before it got better.


    No amount of preparation, however, could save Maria from the unfathomable pain that gripped her when he pushed the first few inches in.


    Her eyes had been firmly shut to block out the pain, but she forced them open when she realized that Bran had stopped moving.


    His eyes were filled with shock, surprise, doubt, as he stared down at her. ¡°You¡¯ve never done this before?¡±


    Maria bit down on her lower lip, something making her chest grow tight as she shook her head.


    Bran blinked. ¡°You¡¯re a¡­ You¡¯re a virgin?¡±


    Was she supposed to tell him that beforehand?


    For all Maria¡¯s confidence, she didn¡¯t really have any experience. And other than that boy she¡¯d kissed when she was still a child, there had been no one else.


    Her situation had made sure of that.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she admitted and his nostrils red.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± He shook his head hard. ¡°Princess, I can¡¯t¡­¡± He made to move away from her but she tightened her legs around him. ¡°Maria¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He still looked unsure even though his erection hadn¡¯t gone down at all. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want this?¡±


    It hurt like hell, but she¡¯d never been more sure of anything in her life. So she leaned up and brushed her lips against his. ¡°More than anything.¡±


    His throat bobbed on a swallow. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt alot.¡±


    Still, she whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± and that was all the assurance he needed because he kissed her long and hard, stealing her cries of pain in that kiss as he shoved home.


    Oh fuck.


    Oh gods.


    He was big.


    He was so big, she felt every single breath he took, and breathing became hard for her.


    But after a few seconds of letting her limate to his size, he started moving and the pain was sharp at first but eventually, it dulled to a low throb and she started enjoying it.


    And Bran, this beautiful man, kept whispering words of encouragement in her ears, telling me just how beautiful he thought she was. How precious, wonderful and how she fitted him perfectly.


    Soon, the pain disappearedpletely and she began to move with him, meeting him thrust for thrust and lifting her lower body to meet his and they started moving as one.


    Gods, she never thought this would feel so good.


    When he brushed a particr spot deep inside her, a moan escaped her lips and she felt something start to unfurl low in her belly. A particr tension started to build and the only thing she could focus on, was freeing herself of it.


    Finally, they came together, Bran reaching his peak before hers. Then they fell on the mattress, a heap of sweaty, satisfied, mess.


    Maria couldn¡¯t even keep her eyes open a few seconds longer and before she knew it, she was sumbing to sleep.


    ¡°Angel,¡± Bran murmured against her skin as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. A kiss that felt a lot like he was thanking her. She smiled softly with her eyes closed.


    Sated, Maria slept.

 Unwelcome visitor

    BRAN


    Was this what it felt like to sleep next to a woman? Or did the light feeling in Bran¡¯s chest have to do with the fact that Maria was his mate?


    He suspected it was thetter.


    Mere sleeping next to a woman should not have this effect on him. It should not be so pleasurable to the extent that Bran didn¡¯t want to leave the bed.


    He¡¯d just returned to the castle after a very very long time away and he needed to sit with the men at the round table and have some important discussions-one of them being about the supposed vampire that had drunk from a witch-but Bran had not the slightest inclination to leave the bed. He didn¡¯t even want to shift from the spot he was lying on.


    And the sole reason for his reluctancey with her body half on the bed and half on top of him.


    His heart clenched as he looked down at her, a feeling of happiness and contentment filling his chest.


    She slept soundly, her little breaths gusting across Bran¡¯s chest and her mouth, slightly parted. The upper part of her bodyid over Bran¡¯s, her head on his chest and her soft breasts pressed against his stomach.


    He was already hard as stone, naturally, but he tried to ignore the feeling. He tried to pretend like she wasn¡¯t right there, naked and all easy ess.


    Whoever thought a person could have just one taste of something and walk away was so damn wrong.


    He¡¯d had a taste of Maria and immediately she¡¯d fallen asleep, he¡¯d wanted her again instantly. But he knew that he needed to let her rest so he¡¯d ignored his raging erection and let her sleep. She needed it.


    Fuck, Bran couldn¡¯t believe it.


    He was her first. Him.


    His mate had been pure, untouched, as though she¡¯d been waiting for him all this time, just like he¡¯d been waiting to find her-but in a different way.


    Her hairid in huge curls on his chest and Bran sifted his hand through them, simply enjoying the feeling. He realized then that taking care of her made him happy. Touching her filled him with contentment, made him feel like he was doing the right thing.


    It made him feel¡­ whole.


    He hadn¡¯t been protected when he¡¯d entered herst night, and Bran began to wonder if it was possible that she could conceive. Suddenly, an image of Maria¡¯s t belly, big and round with his child filled his mind and had his cock jerking in excitement.


    He liked that.


    He liked it very much.


    It was weird that he¡¯d never really had any interest in having children, but with her, he could envision it. He was a king and therefore would be expected to produce an heir, but never once had he given much thought to it. Immortals didn¡¯t have to worry-not when they lived for a very long time and could sire children whenever they chose to.


    But now¡­


    Now, the idea of having kids didnt seem so bleak anymore. Having a little girl that looked like Maria would be a sight that Bran very much wanted to see.


    His thoughts screeched to a halt.


    Was he making ns concerning the future? A future with Maria in it?


    But he could have it, couldn¡¯t he? He could have her and have his sister too. He could make it work.


    He could meet with a witch that would help him scry for his sister¡¯s location and he would go there, taking Ariti unaware. Hopefully, that powerful sorceress wouldn¡¯t be with Ariti-and even if she was, he didn¡¯t fucking care.


    It would work.


    He¡¯d been thinking about it ever since he woke up, wondering how he could keep both Maria and his sister and he¡¯d finally settled on a brilliant idea.


    He was the king. He would seek the ruler of the witches and make peace with them. Then, he would be able to get one of them to work for him.


    Letting Maria go wasn¡¯t possible. He didn¡¯t want to have to choose between her and his kingdom. Not when she was so valuable to him.


    She stirred then and her raised knee brushed his cock, eliciting a sharp hiss from Bran. He should wake her up with his mouth-


    A knock rang out.


    Bran blinked, confused. Then when he heard another knock, he carefully-albeit very reluctantly-slid out from under Maria, not wanting to wake her, shoved on his clothes from the previous night, then hurried out to meet the knocker. He didn¡¯t want them waking Maria.


    ¡°What?¡± He barked when he saw that it was one of his guards.


    The guard stepped back and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty. Your uncle is banging on the gates, demanding entrance.¡±


    Bran sighed and dug his hands into his eyes. He didn¡¯t make it a habit of showing signs of tiredness or weakness in front of his men, but there were just some reactions that couldn¡¯t be hidden and when it came to Bran¡¯s uncle, he did a terrible job of hiding it.


    Fucking Elijah.


    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Bran waved his hand, already turning to go back into the room. ¡°Let him keep knocking.¡±


    ¡°We have been ignoring him, Your Majesty. He¡¯s been out there for over two hours now and he¡¯s not just knocking, he¡¯s yelling and telling everyone that you are keeping him out.¡±


    Fucking fuck.


    Elijah wanted to have an audience with him at all costs and Bran would happily ignore him, but if the people saw that he had locked his ¡®uncle¡¯ out of the castle, it wouldn¡¯t be good. Also, he could only imagine what he was telling everyone.


    He wanted an audience with Bran?


    Then he was going to fucking get one.


    ¡°Let him in.¡± Bran finally said. ¡°Escort him into the throne room and make sure he waits for me.¡± Then, on a thought, he added, ¡°I don¡¯t want him alone in there. Not even for a second.¡±


    Bran was deliberately making him wait on purpose. He could go to him now, but he wanted to anger Elijah, to make him stand and wait until he was bristling with anger and only then would Bran show up.


    But he didn¡¯t know what to do to bide his time. If he went back into the room and he saw Maria, he was not sure that he would be able to make himself leave her for a second time. So instead, he traced into several parts of the castle that he hadn¡¯t been in for a while.


    By that time, almost an hour had reached and it was only then that Bran traced into the throne room, a smirk on his face-too piss off Elijah, of course.


    His smirk almost turned into a full blown grin when he saw how red Elijah¡¯s face had gotten. Add that to the fact that two of Bran¡¯s guards were waiting behind Elijah and they hadn¡¯t even bothered to give him a chair or stool, Elijah was livid.


    ¡°Oh, how kind of you to join me an hourter, Bran.¡± Elijah sneered and Bran matched his sneer with a smirk.


    ¡°My pleasure, uncle.¡±


    He¡¯d used the word, ¡®uncle¡¯ sarcastically, and there was no way Elijah hadn¡¯t picked up on it.


    His blue eyes filled with hate and his lips pulled back from his teeth, looking like he very much wanted to kill Bran in that moment.


    He only wished he could.


    Bran wondered how Elijah was able to stand looking at him when he hated him so much. If the situation was reversed, Bran would have either cut all ties with Elijah, killed him, or Bran, himself would have been killed for attempting to kill a king.


    He didn¡¯t have the patience that a lot of people possessed. He liked to act now and fast.


    ¡°What is this rubbish I¡¯ve been hearing that you¡¯re keeping the sorceress, Maria Hatzi, here when you¡¯re supposed to be giving her back to her father so that he¡¯ll let Iris go?¡±


    What. The. Fuck.


    Where had Elijah heard that?


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± Bran asked, forcing himself to keep his voice low and not give into the rising panic he was feeling.


    As far as he knew, only a few guards here in the castle knew who Maria was and even though, for instance, she had somehow managed to go out and the people had seen her, they would not be able to identify her as Maria Hatzi because that was not the appearance that she was known with-and she hadn¡¯t even gone out to begin with. His guards at the gate stayed there 24/7.


    So where on earth had his uncle heard something like that?


    Elijah spread an arm out wide. ¡°The kingdom is awash with rumours that you¡¯re keeping her for your selfish reasons. Of course as soon as I heard these rumours, I set out to see you immediately to confirm if they¡¯re true or not.¡±


    Bran couldn¡¯t help but scoff.


    Elijah was only here to confirm if the rumours were true so that he would tell the remainder of the kingdom that hadn¡¯t heard of it yet, and parade Bran as a bad king.


    There was no way Elijah would have had his hands on news like this if he had not really heard it from someone else because Bran had not had any meetings with him recently. And that could only mean that a man from his own castle had betrayed him.


    Or a man from Corey¡¯s castle.


    But how had the person heard that he had to give Maria back to Ariti for him to return Maria?


    This person had to be an insider.


    But the identity of the person was the least of Bran¡¯s problems right now because all he could think about, was the fact that the whole Kingdom knew of his personal matters now.


    They now knew that Maria was with him and they believed that he was deliberately letting his sister suffer in Ariti¡¯s hands.


    If only they knew what Bran went through everyday¡­


    ¡°The rumours are true, then, I suppose. The people are saying that you¡¯ve betrayed them,¡± Elijah went on, happy with the torment that Bran tried to hide. ¡°They¡¯re saying that you¡¯re not a man worthy to be called king and they¡¯re saying that they want their beloved princess back. They¡¯re saying that you¡¯re an evil-¡±


    Bran turned away from him in hopes that the urge to shut Elijah up-eternally-would fade. ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re saying that you¡¯re an evil man and the worst king they¡¯ve ever had.¡± The foolish man continued. ¡°They¡¯re saying that the safety of the kingdom is the least of your worries and you know what? I bloody well stand with them.¡±


    With a maddening below, Bran turned and charged at Elijah and just as he was about to reach him, he traced out of the way, appearing to the right of Bran.


    ¡°The fact that you can¡¯t handle the truth just proves how right I am.¡± He threw his head back andughed loudly, manically. ¡°Some king you are.¡±


    Then Elijah traced out of the throne room. Gone.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Bran walked to his seat on wooden legs and dropped down on it, his head pounding, a thousand thoughts running through his head.


    The people knew now.


    They knew everything he was trying so hard to hide.


    They knew that Maria lived in the castle and they knew that he had to give her away to get his sister, their beloved princess back.


    They thought Bran was the worst king they¡¯d ever had.


    They probably hated the sorceress-who didn¡¯t?-and they would never ept a future with her and Bran.


    Fucking hell, how was he going to work on a future with her when his own people wouldn¡¯t even ept her?


    As he struggled to answer that question, he heard a knock on the door.


    For fucks sake.

 Prepare for war

    BRAN


    It was like people had somehow heard Bran¡¯s thoughts, that he nned to work on a future with Maria, and they-his enemies-had all set out to give him reasons why he couldn¡¯t have it.


    This was what Bran was thinking as he partially listened to what the man who had just entered his throne room, was saying.


    ¡°Can you just give me a summary of what you¡¯ve been saying?¡± Bran cut him off, suddenly so exhausted.


    What he¡¯d woken up to as a bright, beautiful, day-a day he¡¯d felt the happiest he had in a very long time-had turned into one of the most disappointing.


    And it was still morning.


    The man¡¯s irritation was clear in his expression but Bran didn¡¯t give two fucks. He was the one that was being disturbed. Bran was the one that was being asked to give away his fucking mate, not this messenger-who was obviously a sorcerer.


    Speaking of,


    ¡°Who let him into the castle?¡± Bran asked the two guards standing by the wall, just now remembering that he¡¯d ced a ban on the Sorceri entering his realm. ¡°Who let him into this realm?¡±


    The two guards looked at each other, then one spoke up, ¡°I believe it had to have been the guards stationed at the gate, Your Majesty. As for him entering the realm, I do not know how.¡±


    Bran¡¯s eyes narrowed in anger.


    Perhaps he had gotten too soft with his men. Or maybe it was his absence that had caused them to forget a few of the rules he¡¯d given them. Whichever option it was, the n remained the same-he was going to have a long talk with them soon. One that involved screams, bloodshed and a few broken bones.


    Just a few.


    In the meantime, he turned narrowed eyes at the sorcerer standing in front of him, noting that the man looked not the least bit scared. Because of his powers, perhaps?


    Bran almostughed at that.


    If the man didn¡¯t tread carefully, then he was going to learn something today; that Bran wasn¡¯t scared to go after anyone, no matter the kind of powers they had.


    ¡°Did you not hear that there is a ban on the Sorceri entering this realm?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°And still you enter?¡±


    The man shrugged. ¡°You say the Sorceri is banned from entering your realm, yet a sorceress lives with you in this house so I¡¯m assuming the ban doesn¡¯t extend to all Sorceri. If that, however, isn¡¯t what you mean, then maybe you should have been clearer.¡±


    In a sh, Bran traced out of his throne-seat and appeared in front of the man. The sorcerer didn¡¯t see himing until it was toote-until Bran lifted his hand like a whip and sent the sorcerer flying backwards with a backhand p.


    Bran¡¯s blood boiled with pent-up rage and frustration, and all he could think about was unleashing it on this man who had foolishly decided to make himself a scapegoat.


    He traced to the man before he could even push himself up on his elbows, turned him over, and sent three hard punches to his face in rapid sessions. On the fourth one, the man¡¯s nose cracked, and Bran was about tond another one, happy to pummel the man to death, when he remembered-albeit angrily-that the idiot had a message for him.


    Unfortunate, really.


    Dragging him up by his shirt, Bran shoved him backwards, not wanting the man¡¯s blood on his shirt. He didn¡¯t want to have to exin that to Maria when he got back to the room.


    It was crazy that that was what he was worried about a time like this, but there it was.


    ¡°Let that serve as a warning anytime you dare speak to a king that way.¡± Bran wasn¡¯t even out of breath and the rage was still burning a fire inside him. ¡°The only reason I¡¯m not fucking killing you right now is because you have something to tell me-which I am not the slightest bit interested in hearing, mind you, but I cannot allow my precious time to be wasted.¡±


    Before any man in the room could blink, Bran was sitting on his throne again, his fingers drumming on the armrest. ¡°I assume you know better than to keep me waiting. At least, if you didn¡¯t before, you do now.¡±


    Hate bled from the man¡¯s eyes as he wiped his bloody lip with the back of his hand. Eyes levelled on Bran, he spoke. ¡°My master, Ariti, is offering a truce.¡± Before he could even finish, Bran already knew what it was all going to boil down to. ¡°He apologizes for all what he has cost you and he wants to exchange your sister for the sorceress so that there can be peace between the realms.¡±


    Whether or not the exchange took ce, there would never be peace between both realms. His people would make sure of it. That, Bran knew.


    ¡°Did Elijah put you up to this?¡± Bran couldn¡¯t resist asking.


    There was no twitch in the man¡¯s expression when he said, ¡°I have no idea who your uncle is.¡±


    Bran studied the man. He was a sorcerer and imed to have been sent by Ariti. But could Elijah have a hand in it?


    There was no way Elijah could have gotten in touch with a sorcerer and paid him to do something like this for a lot of reasons. Some being that, ording to the Oracle, the Sorceri could not be made to do something unless they wanted to do it and another being that Elijah wouldn¡¯t have anything to gain from Irising back.


    It would only make the kingdom more united, stronger, and that was precisely what Elijah didn¡¯t want.


    Bran also didn¡¯t believe that a sorcerer would lie on Ariti¡¯s name-not unless they had a death wish-and this man looked like he valued his life. A bit.


    ¡°Tell your master that there is no deal.¡±


    Words would never be able to exin how much saying that hurt Bran, but he had to. He was going to think, to n ande up with a way to find his sister and get her out of there.


    He would make peace with the witches and have one of them search for her just as he¡¯d nned already.


    He could do it. It would work.


    He just couldn¡¯t let Maria go. He fucking couldn¡¯t.


    Not when he¡¯d seen what she could do to him. What she meant to him. He¡¯d only spent one night with her-one fucking night-and Bran had felt the lightest and happiest he¡¯d ever felt.


    No war he¡¯d ever fought and won had made him feel that way. No amount of wealth that he had achieved had ever made him feel that way and not even when he¡¯d been crowned king had he felt the way he did when she¡¯d been sleeping in his arms.


    And he was expected to give her away?


    No. That was impossible. There had to be another way.


    Bran would find another way.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the sorcerer grated out with great effort. No doubt saying those words was physically painful to him. ¡°I must have not heard you clearly.¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Bran stated, already pushing up and off his chair, ready to be done with the conversation already. ¡°There will be no exchange. Tell that to your master.¡± Then to his guards, he said, ¡°Make sure he leaves this castle and the realm.¡±


    The guards sprung into action, each one gripping the man¡¯s arms on either sides. The man was obviously very displeased by this but he wouldn¡¯t fight them. Couldn¡¯t.


    First rule of being a messenger? Deliver the message and do nothing else.


    ¡°No exchange?¡± The man asked again and just as Bran began to wonder if he had trouble hearing or processing the words, he said, ¡°Then prepare for war.¡±


    With onest scathing look at him, Bran traced away.


    He didn¡¯t want to go to the room so soon. Not when he was so fucking angry and frustrated with the entire situation. His mood was not an approachable one and if he went back to Maria like this, he might piss her off or hurt her.


    Bran didn¡¯t want either of those things.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    So he traced into the huge mass ofnd beside the castle, and ran.


    He ran for minutes that turned into hours, then two hours and by the third hour, he was exhausted, his steps slowing until he was walking, strolling.


    He had no energy left to burn and his anger had dissipated a great deal. He didn¡¯t feel it anymore.


    Wiping sweat from his forehead, he took off his shirt, squeezed the sweat out, and was about to put it back on when he remembered that there was an angel waiting for him in his room and going back to her in his smelly, sweaty shirt would be off-putting. So he threw it around his neck and traced back into the room.


    She was not in the room.


    Bran turned to stalk out and search every single room until he found her, when he heard a slight creak. Pausing, he turned back around and saw one of the most amazing sights he¡¯d ever been presented with.


    Maria, fresh from a shower, in a towel, with her damp ck hair cascading down her back.


    His angel.


    Bran¡¯s dick waved enthusiastically in his jeans, excited to see her.


    She froze when she saw him, one feet in front of the other. Her eyes swept over him, lingering on his sweaty torso, and he could have sworn he saw a blush steal across her cheeks and travel down her neck.


    Was she shy?


    Maria? Shy?


    He would believe that the day he saw pigs fly.


    Her skin glowed from her bath, her face looking even softer and younger than it had been before. Hell, she was so bloody beautiful, he forgot everything else when he stared at her and it wasn¡¯t until his chest started to grow tight that he realized that he was holding his breath.


    He let it out on a sigh and almost fell to his knees with want when he traced in front of her.


    Maria¡¯s startled eyes flew to his face. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going to get used to your tracing.¡±


    Bran hummed absently, following the curve of her cheek with a finger. ¡°You are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever met.¡± Her lips parted, but no sound came out, only a gust of breath, and her blush deepened. ¡°You¡¯re blushing. How lovely.¡±


    Her eyes darted away. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s hard not to when you say things like that.¡±


    He felt the corners of his lips lift. ¡°Then I¡¯d better get used to seeing you blush because I n on telling you how beautiful you are every single chance I get.¡±


    Could her face get any redder?


    ¡°I need to find something to wear.¡±


    ¡°I need to eat you.¡±


    Her astonished eyes flew up to his, wide and so fucking beautiful, it loosened the lingering tightness in his chest and expelled the remaining anger.


    ¡°I-You¡­¡± She opened her mouth, closed it and opened it again. It was fun to watch. ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°I want to bury my face between your legs.¡± He rephrased in case she hadn¡¯t understood him-which he knew that she had. Dragging his finger down her neck to the valley between her breasts, collecting droplets of water as he went and dipping his hand in, he asked, ¡°Can I?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed.


    Bran had no idea how much he liked hearing that three-lettered-word until she said it. In fact, it might be his new favourite word.


    And as he whipped the towel off her body, his shirt off his neck and traced her to the bed, he thought that she might be his new favourite meal.

 A walk with him

    MARIA


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go for a walk-¡±


    ¡°Call for your maid. I¡¯ll have the guards-¡±


    ¡°-with you.¡±


    A pause. ¡°I don¡¯t go for walks.¡±


    ¡°I gathered as much, which is why I¡¯m asking you to give it a try. With me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Maria sighed and fell forward, leaning against the chair in front of her and bracing her hands on it as she watched Bran write.


    The past few days had been joyful for her. She¡¯d never have thought that it was possible for Bran to be caring, but apparently, he was. It was new and strange, but it was joyful and it filled Maria¡¯s days with light. And they¡¯d been sleeping together ever since.


    That morning-after he¡¯d buried his face between her legs, just like he¡¯d said-when she¡¯d started to search for her discarded gown from the previous night on shaky legs, he¡¯d asked her what she was doing and when she¡¯d told him that she was looking for her gown so that she could leave, he traced to her, lifted her off the ground and carried her back to the bed, telling her that she would sleep in his room from then henceforth.


    She¡¯d found it to be too good of an idea for her toin.


    The thing was that even though Maria was having what she could call the best time of her life, she sensed a tension around Bran. In the mornings on most days, after giving her an orgasm, he would trace away and she wouldn¡¯t see him until night-which meant more orgasms.


    It wasn¡¯t as if she didn¡¯t enjoy the orgasms she was getting-of course she freaking did, Bran waspletely selfless in bed-she just did not like that it was all they had. They barely spoke, other than the sweet nothings Bran whispered in her ears and when heplimented her, and it was starting to get frustrating.


    She wanted to talk to him. To see him in the daylight and to know a bit about his childhood. She wanted to get to know him far more than his title, and today must be her lucky day because for once, he hadn¡¯t gone out.


    She¡¯d asked a guard about him and he¡¯d informed her that Bran was sitting in his court room. After being pointed in the right direction, she¡¯d gone after him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to give it a try? Not even once?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll love it.¡±


    ¡°Doubt it.¡±


    When she¡¯d walked into the room, he¡¯d lifted his head, took one look at her, did a double take, then his eyes stayed, sweeping over her from head to toe as his eyes grew hooded with want, instantly igniting hers.


    Yet then he groaned from the deepest parts of him and dropped his head back down, going back to writing on the paper, even though Maria noticed that his grip on the pen was tighter and the veins in his arm now stood at attention.


    It was always like that between them and she wasn¡¯t even going to pretend like it didn¡¯t surprise her. All they had to do was see signs that the other was horny and it would ignite theirs. But she knew that it was because they were so deeply attracted to each other.


    The intensity of their attraction might terrify other people, but not her. Everything she felt about the man, she felt strongly and she hade to terms with that.


    ¡°Bran¡­¡± She decided to try again and when he lifted his head and looked at her with hard eyes, she said, ¡°Please just this once. For me.¡±


    She watched his hard eyes turn wary immediately. The pen fell from his hand and he dug his fingers into his eyes, massaging as he let out a sigh.


    ¡°Okay. Fuck. Fine.¡± He pushed his chair backward and stood, arranging the papers into a brown envelope before waving one of the guards in the room over and handing it to him. ¡°Keep this on the desk in the library. ¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    The guard¡¯s eyes darted to Maria once before he bowed, took the envelope and left.


    She would never get tired of seeing the looks of surprise on the men¡¯s face whenever Bran spoke to her in their presence-or when she spoke back at him. They got particrly surprised whenever Maria refused Bran something.


    For instance, two days ago, she¡¯d gone in search of Bran and seen him walking down the hallway. He¡¯d asked her why she¡¯de out of the room and she¡¯d reminded him that she wasn¡¯t a prisoner.


    Next, he¡¯d told her that she couldn¡¯t search for him during the day because he was usually busy, to which she¡¯d replied, ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll go through your busy days together. I have plenty of time on my hands, you see.¡±


    She was positive that one of his guards had snickered.


    Now, however, Bran rounded the table and came towards her, instantly sending a spike of excitement through Maria.


    His steps were slow, deliberate, like that of a predator and the closer he drew to her, the more the urge to retreat gripped her. It was because of the look in his eyes-dark and hungry-like he wanted to consume her.


    To feast on her.


    When he reached where she was, he stopped and lifted a finger, trailing it down her face. She noticed that he liked to do that.


    Maria liked it too. His touch was amazing.


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve gone and disturbed me from work, princess,¡± he murmured, eyes intense on hers. ¡°What do you n to do with me now?¡±


    She swallowed. ¡°I want to take you on a walk.¡±


    It should probably be him taking her for a walk because she didn¡¯t know her left from her right and he would be the one to guide her. But she was the one convincing him into going for a walk with her and that was why she¡¯d worded it that way.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious about that?¡± His tone was indecipherable, the expression on his face one of curiousity¡­ and slight disbelief.


    Did he not know that she was serious?


    Maybe he was doubting her because she was staring at his lips like she wanted nothing more than to be kissing them that very moment, like she wanted him to bring her body to life with them. She thought of the way he made her lose all her thoughts with his mouth and her face grew hot.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she croaked. ¡°Very.¡±


    With a resigned sigh-and a quick dip to her lips-he wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck-that, too, was one of his favourite things to do-and traced.

 A Cat!

    MARIA


    Green. So much green.


    And she wasn¡¯t just talking about his eyes-even though that, too, stole her breath.


    All around them were trees lined up in a great mass ofnd with a pathway in the middle. A pathway in which she stood with Bran currently.


    Her heart beat a new rhythm as she took in the beautiful green trees, so very much like the eyes of the man standing next to her, and when she sucked in a breath, she could smell the freshness of the leaves.


    How wonderful.


    She turned to Bran and found him already looking at her, a very tiny smile on his face. Had he been watching her all this time? ¡°Where is this ce?¡±


    The way he pulled his eyes from her face, it was like he did it reluctantly. ¡°It¡¯s just beside the castle. Do you see?¡± He pointed to a spot over Maria¡¯s shoulder and when she turned, she saw that it really was beside the castle.


    From here, she was presented with the beauty of the castle in its side view. She¡¯d never seen it before, only having seen the castle from up front, and she had to agree that it was lovely.


    ¡°Is it yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he stated simply.


    Wow.


    But she shouldn¡¯t be surprised, should she?


    He was a king and had to own a great number of properties. Yes, she knew that he was a king but she so rarely saw him as one. Not when he didn¡¯t even bother with wearing his crown, not when he didn¡¯t dress like one and definitely not when he didn¡¯t order her around like one-well, except when he was being an asshole, which she now saw that he did on purpose because Bran really could be nice if he wanted to be.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± she whispered, without actually knowing that she was whispering. ¡°There¡¯s this feeling about it. It¡¯s like¡­ like I¡¯m being weed by the trees.¡± She gasped. ¡°As if they¡¯re hugging me.¡±


    Dazedly, she watched as a branch extended from the tree before their very eyes, and the leaves brushed her hair.


    ¡°Is there a ten-feet-tall, extremely flexible tree branch touching your hair or am I perhaps seeing things?¡± Bran murmured as though the tree could hear him.


    Maria, herself, wasn¡¯t exactly sure what was happening either.


    Did she just watch a tree branch extend and carress her hair? As thoughforting her, assuring her that she would be okay? As though praising her for all that she had gone through?


    ¡°I dont-¡±


    The branch might actually be able to hear them after all, because it flew from her face and seemed to smack Bran in his before retreating back to the tree and to it¡¯s normal size.


    Bran¡¯s eyes narrowed as he red at the branch. ¡°And why the hell did it just hit me in the fucking face?¡±


    Maria smothered herughter. ¡°I think it¡¯s angry at you.¡±


    ¡°Why would it be angry at me?¡± He was still staring at the tree, part surprised and part angry. ¡°I don¡¯t even know the bloody tree. Plus, it¡¯s mine!¡±


    The branchshed out again and whipped Bran in the back, sending him staggering forward a few steps. Maria couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore-she burst outughing and because she saw the anger starting to grow in his eyes, because his light mood was starting to turn sour, she grabbed his arm and pulled him along with her before the tree could strike again.


    He let her lead him away and discreetly as she could, she looked behind him and smiled at the tree. She didn¡¯t know why it hadforted her, why it had reached out to her, but she¡¯d loved the feeling.


    She¡¯d genuinely feltforted. Like the branch had hands and was had actually hugged her.


    Silently, she thanked the tree.


    ¡°Tell me about your childhood?¡± She asked him when they¡¯d been walking for several minutes infortable silence.


    His steps faltered for a bit, proof that he was surprised by her question. ¡°There¡¯s not really much to tell. What do you want to know?¡±


    Maria shrugged, just now noticing that her hand was still linked around Bran¡¯s. No wonder she felt warm, grounded. She loved the feeling so much and she hoped that Bran loved it too because, hell, it felt too good to let him go.


    ¡°I want to know how young Bran was like.¡± She told him. ¡°There are no portraits of you from when you were younger, nothing at all to give me a clue. I was hoping you could paint a picture.¡±


    ¡°It probably wouldn¡¯t be a clear picture. I¡¯m not really good with words.¡± Then he turned a semi-smile on her. ¡°How about I show you instead? All the portraits are lined up in a wall you¡¯ve never seen.¡±


    It took her a while to process the words because she was too distracted by that small smile. He still didn¡¯t smile much-other than his feelings for her, not much had changed about him-but whenever he blessed her with those little smiles, she felt her world shift, then be right.


    When she finally blinked and processed his words, a rush of excitement filled her. ¡°Really? You¡¯ll show them to me?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Bran shrugged like it was no big deal when, from the tense lines of his shoulder, she could tell that this was, in fact, a big deal for him. ¡°What about you? How was your childhood?¡±


    Maria¡¯s childhood had been the only time in her life when she¡¯d been truly happy. Excluding her present, of course. And she was more than happy to tell him about it.


    ¡°Well,¡± she started. ¡°I was this rebellious child with huge, crazy hair, always being where I shouldn¡¯t be and not where I should be.¡± His smile widened a bit at that. ¡°I used to sneak out of the house any chance I got and well, I got my nanny into a lot of trouble more often than not.¡±


    He turned slightly to look at me. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere really.¡± Maria shrugged, lost in the memories of herself when she¡¯d been younger. ¡°I used to hide behind trees, benches, eavesdrop on people¡¯s conversations and sometimes, see this boy.¡±


    Bran stopped walking suddenly and swiveled to face her, his expression suddenly serious, brows drawn. ¡°What boy?¡±


    Seriously? That was the only thing he was focusing on?


    ¡°There was a-¡± she stopped abruptly when she saw something on the ground a few feet ahead of them. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± He cut her off without even bothering to look. ¡°Now back to what-¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Is that¡­ is that a-¡± she gasped, heart growing in excitement. ¡°A cat!¡±


    Then she abandoned Bran¡¯s hand and ran towards the cat, much to Bran¡¯s chagrin.

 Her first

    MARIA


    ¡°Maria!¡± Bran called and she heard the light sounds of his steps as he came towards her.


    She didn¡¯t turn to look at him. She didn¡¯t want to take her eyes off the cat, not even for one second, for fear that it would run away.


    It was a small scruffy thing with its hair going every-which-way. It had to have had an owner before because it didn¡¯t run away as she approached, even though it looked quite cautious, and it had obviously been out here for a while now-from how dirty it¡¯s once probably rich white fur looked-but it was letting her get close which meant it wouldn¡¯t try to harm her, right?


    Kneeling on the bare sand, Maria extended her hand to it hesitantly, expecting it to cower and run away even though she didn¡¯t want it to.


    She exhaled in relief when it didn¡¯t, in fact, run away. It¡¯s nted eyes dropped to her outstretched hand-her open palm to be exact-and it blinked. It¡¯s eyes lifted to hers, then it let out a little ¡®meow¡¯ before taking a small step towards her.


    Trust.


    Her heart swelled as she carried it in both palms, frowning at how light it was. Shouldn¡¯t it weigh more for its size?


    It wasn¡¯t very big, but it was not small either and she¡¯d expected it to weigh more, not to be as light as feather in her hand. But it had been disced from its owner so maybe that was why it wasn¡¯t eating well.


    Bran caught up to her just when she was rising to her feet and she felt a bit guilty that she was the reason he was here and yet she was running away from him at the first sight of a cat.


    The aforementioned man braced his hands on his hips, frown lines marring his forehead and in that moment, he looked very much like the king that he was. ¡°Why would you just run away like that?¡±


    Maria went for an innocent blink, lifting the cat in front of her face sheepishly.


    His eyes moved from her face to the cat several times, his frown deepening as though something wasn¡¯t adding up. She suspected she knew what.


    ¡°You took off like that because of a cat?¡±


    Her shoulders rose defensively even though she found the situation amusing. ¡°Not just a cat,¡± she stressed, a guilty smile finding its way to her face. ¡°A pretty cat.¡±


    As if it knew that it was what they were talking about, the cat rubbed his head against her bicep once. She smiled down at it and shifted it¡¯s weight onto one hand, brushing her fingers slowly through its fur with the second.


    She was trying to be careful because the cat didn¡¯t know her and might just decide to attack her at any moment. Since it had not attacked her this far, then she would keep doing what she¡¯d been doing since she picked it up-treating it with care.


    ¡°Even worse, it¡¯s a stray.¡± Bran¡¯s hands shot out and he made to take the cat out of her arms, but Maria stepped back quickly, cradling it against her stomach. He sighed exasperatedly and Maria had the sinking feeling that had he been the type, he would have rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going to let it go eventually. Do it now so that we can continue on our walk. It was your idea anyway, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Thest part was true-yes, it was her idea to go for a walk-but the other part wasnt. She wasn¡¯t going to let the cat go. It had no-one.


    Thend was huge with lots of trees and some areas that were obviously not ventured into. What if it went in there and got harmed by a snake, or worse, got killed?


    ¡°Can¡¯t the cat go on our walk with us?¡± She asked, hoping that Bran would by some form of miracle, agree. That hope was dashed when she saw the incredulous look he gave her. ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± When she still didn¡¯t move, hugging the cat tighter, he looked up at the sky as though trying to get his anger under control and when he looked back down at her, his eyes were not as hard. In fact, they were pleading. ¡°It could hurt you, princess.¡±


    The words were soft, tired. And they tugged on Maria¡¯s heart.


    Oh, so it was just her safety he was worried about after all. She¡¯d thought that maybe he just didn¡¯t like the cat-from the disdainful look he threw at it, that was still very true-but now he was talking about her safety, so maybe he didn¡¯t like the cat because it was a stray and he thought that it would harm her.


    That was sweet. Very. But she was okay.


    Still feeling emotional that he cared for her, she went to him and stretched up on her toes, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. His eyes were dark when she pulled away from him. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried but the cat won¡¯t hurt me. If¡­ If it does, then we can let it go.¡± She leaned up and kissed him again but when she broke the kiss, she didn¡¯t put much space between them. ¡°Please?¡± she whispered against his lips.


    Several beats passed between them. Then suddenly, Bran threw his head back on a groan.


    ¡°Fuck. Fine.¡± The look on his face was a defeated one, although his eyes shone with lust.


    Maria¡¯s heart leapt in excitement. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Just keep it away from me.¡±


    Maria grinned, happy that she¡¯d gotten her way and turned to resume walking when Brian¡¯s fingers encircled her free wrist and pulled her into his body. Before she could ask him what was happening, he swooped down and stole her mouth in a deep kiss.


    She didn¡¯t even try to fight for the upper hand when his tongue slipped into her mouth, hot and wet, because he was obviously dominating the kiss. The kiss was a ship and he was the captian, steering it whichever way he deemed fit.


    He tipped her backward like they were on a dance floor-the cat crushed between them-and pressed his hands into her back, causing it to arch and her breasts to push into his chest, her hardened nipples, grazing the hard muscles.


    She would very very much like to rub up against him but he held her immobile, a ve to his desire, and she could do nothing but kiss him back as he fucked her mouth so thoroughly with his tongue.


    He gave her lip onest nip before letting her go, his hands still around her waist as if he knew that if he let her go, her weak legs would fail her.


    Forcing her eyes open-they failed on two tries and only opened on the third one-she looked up at him, her lust-addled brain trying and failing toe up with what she had done to earn that kind of kiss.


    But apparently, she¡¯d done nothing because he only slid his hand around her waist and motioned for them to keep walking.


    Of course it took Maria a while to get her legs to move.


    ¡°Back to the conversation, before you got distracted by that cat,¡± he threw said cat a cutting look. ¡°You were talking about a boy.¡±


    How could he so easily go back to their conversation after that scorching kiss? Had the kiss not affected him the way it did her? She was still reeling from the aftermaths of it and here he was talking about ¡®a boy¡¯.


    After the first time they¡¯d had sex-the night he took her virginity-they had not engaged in the act again. Sure, he¡¯d gone down on her countless times and he¡¯d given her the basics of doing the same to him-she was positive she¡¯d done well because he came quite a lot faster than she¡¯d thought he would-but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    She wanted the real thing. And when she¡¯d asked him why he was avoiding it, he¡¯d said that he didn¡¯t want to hurt her.


    It was ridiculous. She was okay.


    But he insisted that she needed a while to ¡®heal¡¯ else he would ¡®hurt her¡¯ and honestly, she was starting to get frustrated.


    Maybe it was time for her to grab the bull by the horns. Not literally.


    ¡°Maria?¡±


    She blinked back into focus. Bran¡¯s eyes were twinkling with knowingughter as he watched her and she smacked him on his arm. He grinned wide.


    ¡°The boy?¡±


    ¡°A long time ago,¡± she finally told him. ¡°I stopped seeing him when I turned thirteen. Although I never informed him about it so he probably still went to our spot for a while, waiting for me.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I guess he finally gave up.¡±


    Maria was so busy talking that she didn¡¯t notice sooner how stiff Bran¡¯s hand had gotten on her waist or how he was now staring down at her with an odd look.


    She stopped walking immediately, turning to him, shocked by his sudden change in mood.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look like that?¡±


    He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. ¡°What do you mean when you say you see him?¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Oh. That.


    Of course out of everything, that was what he¡¯d chosen to listen to.


    She bit back augh. ¡°Oh, you know, just seeing-¡±


    ¡°Maria,¡± he warned, voice dark.


    Oh, for fucks sake.


    ¡°We used to kiss, that¡¯s all!¡±


    Still, the tension didn¡¯t leave his shoulders. In fact, it seemed like it got even worse. ¡°Was he your first kiss?¡±


    He was staring at her with those piercing green eyes, his feelings written clearly on them. Anger, hurt maybe, and¡­ jealousy. He was jealous.


    Bran was jealous of a boy she didn¡¯t even know whether he was still alive or not. A boy she hadn¡¯t seen in over a decade.


    Was he serious?


    ¡°He was.¡± She confirmed, partly because she didn¡¯t see the point in lying to him and partly because she wanted it to annoy him since it apparently was.


    ¡°I hate that he was your first kiss.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯s not as important as being my first¡­¡± she left the word hanging. It wasn¡¯t that she was shy to say the word ¡®fuck¡¯ to him, she just wasn¡¯t sure if what they¡¯d done could be called that.


    Was it love making?


    Or was it just in sex?


    Maria watched as heat filled Bran¡¯s eyes. They dipped to her nipples, which were still straining against her top, then back to her face.


    He stared at her lips. ¡°I really really like that I was your first.¡±


    She took a step towards him. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Very much.¡±


    Another step that brought her closer to him. ¡°I like it too.¡±


    He took thest step, bringing their bodies flush together. ¡°Maybe I could remind you why you like it so much.¡±


    And it was in that moment that she realized that her cat wasn¡¯t in her arms anymore. In fact, her hands were by her sides and the cat was nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Where did my cat go?¡± She cried, her eyes flying everywhere, but she couldn¡¯t find the cat.


    Bran¡¯s eyes swept the area then came to rest on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you before because I didn¡¯t want to make you feel bad, Maria, but cats hate vampires.¡± Bran shrugged, looking very honest. So honest that she couldn¡¯t me the cat¡¯s disappearance on him. ¡°It was going to leave sooner orter, anyway. Better it left sooner.¡±


    Maria sighed and crossed her arms, about to open her mouth and say something when she heard a sharp noise. She frowned, turning to search for the source of the noise when she saw Bran shoving his hand into the pocket of his trousers.


    He felt in his back pocket and produced a phone. The easy expression on his face disappeared when he saw what was on the screen, the once soft lines of his face bing hard, his jaw clenching.


    Her heart started a quick race. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We have to go,¡± was all he said before tracing her into their room, then tracing himself out of it to gods knows where, leaving her standing there, dumbstruck and alone.

 Attack

    BRAN


    He moved on auto-pilot, tracing Maria to his room, then tracing to meet Edgar outside.


    When he¡¯d seen Edgar¡¯s text, he¡¯d only been able to think about two things; getting Maria to safety-as far away from whatever was happening as possible-and hurrying to meet Edgar.


    From the tone of his message, this was urgent and therefore should be treated as such. This was the message he¡¯d sent:


    Edgar: Something is happening downtown and it demands your attention. We¡¯re outside the castle.


    The reason why Bran kept his phone on him always, was because of times like this. When he was far away from the easy reach of messengers and it could take them a while to get to him. He didn¡¯t have much use for the phone-apart from when he wanted to send texts or make important calls-but having it on him always, had proved helpful more times than he could count.


    Like now.


    Chaos.


    Utter chaos.


    That was what Bran met in the yard of his castle and he had never been more thankful that his room didn¡¯t have a front view of the castle, else, Maria would have been able to see that something was wrong. He was still in the process of learning her, but he knew for a fact that she would want to know what was happening. Always curious.


    A small woman sat on the ground, an unconscious little body lying on her outstretched leg and surrounding her, were a few of Bran¡¯s men. They were shouting and so was she. As Bran drew closer, he saw that they were not just shouting at her-they were trying to get her to calm down. To get her to stop shouting and drawing attention, because that was exactly what she was doing.


    The men standing far from the woman saw him and bowed, creating space for him to pass as he made his way slowly to the woman, trying to listen to her hysteric ramblings so that he could make sense of them. But it was as if the closer he got, the more unclear her words became.


    When he finally made it to the front of the crowd of his own men, he saw that Edgar was standing in front of the woman, his face smoothened into a nk, yet alert mask. The little figure on the woman¡¯s leg was a young girl that could not be more than eight or nine years old, her hands stretched out on both sides of her and her eyes, shut.


    A sense of foreboding gripped Bran.


    The woman¡¯s eyes were wide, panicked and red-rimmed with just a little hint of madness in the hazel-orbs. When she opened her mouth to talk again, her sharp fangs made an appearance.


    A vampire.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    What exactly was going on?


    Edgar did not show any signs of surprise when he saw Bran standing next to him. He simply turned his head and levelled those serious eyes on him, taking a few steps closer. When he spoke, Bran knew it was so that no one would hear what he wanted to tell him.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Bran asked before Edgar could speak, hushed so that the woman wouldn¡¯t hear. She was a vampire so she could hear them, but she probably wouldn¡¯t right now because she was mumbling to herself.


    ¡°Unknown at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Then what is she doing here?¡±


    Since when did his men at the gate start letting just anyone into the castle? Had his warnings thest time not been sound enough?


    ¡°She was causing a scene outside so we had to bring her in. There¡¯s an ongoing attack downtown and her husband has been killed while fighting for her and her child.¡± Bran¡¯s eyes flitted to the little girl on her legs. ¡°The child was hit but she wasn¡¯t harmed much. She¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Then why is she still here?¡±


    Edgar nced at him briefly before returning his eyes to the woman as though he didn¡¯t want to let her out of his sights for a minute and not because he was taken with her, but because he wanted to be able to gauge her movements.


    ¡°Action couldnt be taken until you ordered it. It¡¯s one of the reasons I said you needed to be here.¡±


    ¡°What is the other reason?¡±


    The woman¡¯s head lifted then and her eyes locked on his, cold and very very angry. Her once worried expression morphed into one of pure hate and disgust, and she bared her teeth, shooting her head forward and snapping.


    Bran barely held himself from stepping back. Barely.


    Why did this woman look at him with so much hate?


    ¡°The other reason,¡± Edgar whispered into Bran¡¯s ear, reminding him anew that he was still there. Still, Bran had difficulty taking his gaze off this woman that hated him so much for reasons unknown to him. ¡°Is that the people behind this attack, are the Sorceri.¡± At the mention of that word, Bran¡¯s eyes flew to Edgar, shock making them grow wide. Edgar nodded. ¡°They know.¡±


    Oh fuck.


    Oh shit.


    Now, he understood the woman¡¯s hatred for him. But¡­ how could she have linked the attack to him? Surely, they had to think it was just Ariti making trouble.


    Then he remembered what Elijah had told him, that the people knew, and there was no hiding from the truth anymore.


    ¡°King Bran, is that you?¡± The woman sneered, eyes filled with malice. It was obviously a rhetorical question because she didn¡¯t wait for anyone to answer her. ¡°How easily you sit in your high chair while your kingdom is being burnt to the ground. How happy you are while your people are dying, trying to fight for their lives.¡± Bran¡¯s hackles rose as she turned her manic eyes on his men, pointing at him. ¡°This is the man who is supposed to protect us, yet he is the cause of all evil that is befalling us.¡± Then on a scream, she yelled, ¡°He is the reason my husband has died! My husband is dead, my child, near-dead! Why not just take my life? Please put me out of my mystery and-¡±


    Bran turned on his heel, giving his back to the woman as he waved for Edgar to follow him. His gut was churning and his blood was heating.


    To think that Ariti would dare enter his realm and kill his people¡­


    Had the sorcerer not taken enough from him already? He had Bran¡¯s sister for fucks sake. His sister, who he had been trying every possible way to get to, and now he was killing Bran¡¯s people. An obvious insult to Bran and a p to his face.


    He could not let this go. He wouldn¡¯t.


    Ariti had bitten off more than he could chew by turning Bran¡¯s own people against him by making them think that he was bringing danger to them on purpose.


    Bran was going to show him that he could bite back. And his bite would be far more deadly, drawing blood and leaving scars.


    ¡°Where is the attack?¡±


    ¡°Around the area of the bar you frequently visit.¡± Edgar¡¯s face was tight, his movements wooden. ¡°I hear he has killed a great number of people, and some, injured. Do you want some men toe with us? I believe it would be easier to take more people to the physician that way.¡±


    Bran nodded. Then with a, ¡°Grab your weapons,¡± to Edgar, he traced into his own armoury and collected his sword, shoved a few daggers into his boots and two into his pockets.


    Done, he traced back outside a split second before Edgar appeared in front of him. He waited for Edgar to clear out the men surrounding the still-shouting woman and assign some to stand with Bran.


    Bran should have been the one doing that, but he was too angry, too ashamed to face his men and say something that wouldn¡¯te out as a bark or an insult to himself-because he very much, in that moment, felt like cursing himself for doing this to his own people. People that his father, thete king, had done everything he could to take care of. His father, with his mother by his side, had gone out of their way to make things easier for their people and that was why the vampires, out of all other factions of the lore, had lesser to no people living in poverty. Because there were opportunities for everyone.


    His father had done that. He¡¯d made sure of it.


    Now look at Bran.


    Instead of him to pick up where his father had left off, he was doing the opposite. Burning all his father¡¯s hardwork into the ground and bringing harm to innocent people.


    His own people.


    This couldn¡¯t be the life that his father had envisioned for him-and it wasn¡¯t the life Bran had envisioned for himself either.

 Consequences of his actions

    BRAN


    Dimly, he noted that about two of his men were ushering the woman away-he didn¡¯t know where exactly-but she was screaming, fighting against them, probably thinking that they wanted to harm her-or maybe she knew that they didn¡¯t want to harm her but she was too hysterical to let them help her. One of the guards had the little girl in his arms and the other, held the woman, gently pulling her along.


    When her hysterics showed no signs of reducing, the guards shared a look then traced them away.


    If he had to guess, they were taking her to the physician.


    ¡°Should we bring some cars out?¡± Edgar asked when he had returned and Bran shook his head.


    ¡°Cars would bring attention to us and it would also take longer for us to get there. Longer than tracing, that is.¡±


    Edgar gave a sharp nod.


    Turning to face the men, Bran yelled, ¡°Gather around. We will all trace to the location.¡± They did quickly, linking their hands together as it wasn¡¯t the first time they were doing something like this.


    Then Bran traced them to the bar¡­ and right into the bosom of choas.


    It was pathetic. The fight, that was.


    If it could even be called that.


    Vampires kept running towards a woman from all directions, throwing weapons when they couldn¡¯t reach her fast enough, but every single thing was deflected by the woman, while the vampires that tried to fight her, all ended on the ground, dead. Some groaning in pain, blood pouring from their injuries and bones protruding from their flesh at odd angles.


    Bile rose up Bran¡¯s throat when he saw both children amongst the dead, their small forms injured, and expressions frozen in pain forever.


    How could someone be so evil as to do this to children?


    The woman wading the vampires off was the sorceress Bran had seen with Ariti that day-the one who had hexed Bran with the mortality spell-and anger tightened his chest anew at the sight of her.


    Next to her, merely enjoying the show, was Ariti, a sneer on his face as he watched everything y out, at the same time his eyes scanned the perimeter. Searching for what?


    It was when, as he was looking, his head turned and fixed on Bran and his eyes lit up, that Bran realized he was the one that the sorcerer had been waiting for.


    ¡°Ah!¡± He eximed, drawing closer to the vampires and away from the sorceress. He wasn¡¯t scared that the vampires would harm him because he believed the sorceresss would fight them away. ¡°The king finally joins us. I¡¯ve been expecting you, I must say. But how do I show my excitement that you¡¯ve finally joined us?¡± He tilted his head, lips drawing up in a chilling smile. ¡°Do I bow?¡±


    ¡°Tell your dog to stop attacking.¡±


    That drew the sorceress¡¯ attention, as Bran had hoped. She paused her attack and her head turned swiftly in Bran¡¯s direction, a look of absolute shock on her face. ¡°Did you just call me a dog?¡±


    In the short time it took for her to realise that she¡¯d stopped fighting the vampires away, one of them shoved a sword into her back from behind her and she shrieked in pain. Her back arched and the sword dislodged with a burst of light as she whirled around, grabbing the vampire with a hand around his neck and snapping.


    The man dropped dead.


    Bran¡¯s fangs bared in anger at seeing another one of his people killed so effortlessly and yelled, ¡°Ask her to stand down now or you will not get what you want.¡±


    ¡°Foolish vampire!¡± The sorceress screamed, drifting closer, her feet not touching the ground. ¡°Do you know who I am? One does not tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°I just fucking did!¡±


    She shrieked again and ran into Bran. He¡¯d seen the moveing so before she could reach him, he moved out of the way. She was so hellbent on getting to him and him alone that she didn¡¯t take note of the other men closing around her and she only saw them when it was toote and they were alreadyunching strikes.


    The fight continued for several minutes more. Bran got some hits at her but she too, got some hits at him. The only upper hand she had was her powers. They enabled herunch a strike withouting close.


    Several of Bran¡¯s men had fallen but the remaining still fought. When Bran traced to the side of the sorceress and drove his sword deep into her side, she groaned and stumbled. Bran quickly drew back his sword and plunged again at another spot, enjoying her screams of pain far more than he should have.


    ¡°This is payback for that mortality hex,¡± he sneered as he kicked her, forcing himself not to allow guilt creep in that he was hurting a woman. He had to remind himself that she wasn¡¯t just a woman-she was an evil one, and she deserved it.


    ring up at him with watering eyes, she stretched her hand out and Bran felt something connecting with his chest that sent him flying backwards.


    Ariti, fed up with everything, screamed, ¡°Enough!¡±


    The men that had been fighting them before Bran and his people showed up, had all retreated, dragging their injured people away.


    ¡°This fight is unnecessary.¡± Ariti continued, the smile on his face dying as a cruel look took root. ¡°Give me my daughter and I will return your sister. Peace will reign between us and all will be right with the worlds.¡±


    Bran¡¯s chest flew up and down with the force of his breaths, his hand itching to throw a dagger at Ariti as he rose to his feet, stifling a groan at the bite of pain he felt in his back . ¡°You started the war when you murdered the king and queen,¡± Bran grated, red clouding his vision that they were having this discussion in front of everyone to see and hear. ¡°You started the war when you abducted my sister-¡±


    ¡°And now, I want to end it.¡± Ariti cut him off, spreading his arms out wide. ¡°I see now how I have wronged you,¡±-he faced the people listening-¡°I apologize sincerely for the death of your beloved king and queen. Never will I harm anyone from the vampire realm again if he gives me back my daughter.¡± Ariti¡¯s voice grew louder and it was clear that he was addressing the crowd. ¡°There will be peace and I will have no reason to step into this realm ever again if and only if he gives me back my daughter. If he doesn¡¯t, however, you can guarantee that I, and mypanion,¡±-he pointed to the sorceress-¡°will keep visiting. A lot.¡±


    Bran was shaking with anger, shame scalding him as he took in the looks of betrayal on his people¡¯s faces.


    But what could he say?


    What could he do?


    He didn¡¯t want to let Maria go, but he also couldn¡¯t let his people continue to suffer.


    Bran could think of nothing to say. Absolutely nothing. He couldn¡¯t open his mouth and ask Ariti to leave-which would mean that he was telling him to leave with all hopes of getting his sister back-and he also couldn¡¯t give Maria to him because that would mean subjecting her to more suffering by his hands-and living without his mate.


    His silence rang loud and clear, clearer than the hushed whispers of his people as they watched him.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Well,¡± Ariti spoke again. ¡°There you have it. Your king has just guaranteed my return and by extension, guaranteed more deaths in this kingdom.¡± He waved the sorceress over and she got up reluctantly, ring at Bran, her look telling him that the fight wasn¡¯t over. ¡°Come, we have somewhere to be. And of course by somewhere, I mean torturing the Princess.¡± He grinned. ¡°Oh, how I love her screams.¡±


    A roar tore from Bran¡¯s chest as he let his sword tter to the ground, shoving both hands into the fronts of his pockets in a sh, producing the daggers, and sending them sinking into Ariti¡¯s chest.


    Ariti groaned and yelled curses at Bran, even going as far as lunging at him, but they were already leaving and the portal closed before he could make it through.


    Bran¡¯s shoulder hunched in shame as his men carried the dead bodies and the injured, tracing them out of the area.


    The dead bodies were now out of Bran¡¯s sights but their blood remained, causing Bran to face the consequences of his own actions.

 Nightmares

    BRAN


    ¡°Strap her to the chairs! Hold her hands down!¡±


    A man held Maria¡¯s hand down on the wooden table and another forced her on the chair in front of it, bending to strap her legs to it while the other forced her hands to the table top.


    Cold fear gripped her unlike anything she had ever felt before and it paralysed her, making her limbs weak and useless and unable to fight off the men.


    They were no doubt wondering why she was not fighting back, but in all honesty, she didn¡¯t care about that. She was asking herself two questions right now and why she wasn¡¯t fighting back wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Why were they strapping her to the table?


    What did they n on doing to her?


    There should have probably been a third-why was her own father asking his men to handle her like that?


    But she knew the answer and that was precisely why she wasn¡¯t bothering to ask herself that question. Her father was cruel, hands down the cruelest man she had ever met, and he did not care whether she was his blood or not-he would hurt her if it was the only way he got what he wanted.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Perhaps I need to teach you a few lessons so that the next time you consider disobeying me, you will remember the consequences of doing so, and think twice,¡± Her father murmured almost to himself as he plucked a clipper from the shelf of weapons on the far end of the room, his eyes glued to the tool as he yed with it, clipping and unclipping.


    Each step he took towards her made her heart beat faster in trepidation and every clip and unclip of the clipper had her jumping slightly off the chair.


    What did he n on doing to her with that?


    Of all the things her father had done to her, the vile things he¡¯d made her do, the stomach-turning and churning acts he¡¯d had her carry out on people, never once had any of those acts been carried out on herself-and definegly not by her father.


    He lifted his head and stared at her-or through her-with his cold, dead eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered how quickly nails can regrow on a mortal. Might as well satisfy that curiousity now.¡± Her heart seized beating both at the words he¡¯d just uttered and when he turned to the men holding her down and said, ¡°Strap her hands to the table.¡±


    Hysteria grabbed her in a chokehold as the man holding her hands secured them with the mps and the man holding her legs, checked to make sure that she couldn¡¯t move, then they stepped back, creating space for her father toe to her.


    He dropped down on the chair facing hers, the iron legs of the chair making a scraping sound on the ground as he scooted forward, looking her square in the eye as though they were about to have a conversation. Except that his eyes were filled with darkness and anger and the tool he was holding hung between them like a dark cloud.


    It was when she saw the evil in his eyes, when she saw how really angry he is and realized that this wasn¡¯t a joke, that he was actually going to harm her, that she suddenly found the strength to start struggling and she fought against her binds, but no matter how hard she tried, the mps wouldn¡¯t give.


    She was locked in ce with nowhere to run to.


    As though in a sh, her father¡¯s hand shot forward and gripped her outstretched fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the index one, shall we?¡± He said conversationally, the smile on his face, sick and terrifying. ¡°After all, you love to point it at me when you¡¯re feeling particrly mouthy.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this,¡± Maria sobbed as understanding dawned on her that the clipper¡¯s use was to pull her fingernails out. She¡¯d heard about it happening to people and it was said to be terribly painful. ¡°Please, father. Don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but I have to.¡± He held her index finger tight and she moved her fingers, trying to free her finger. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t budge the finger. ¡°If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson, you won¡¯t learn to stop disobeying me.¡±


    As he brought the clipper towards her finger with his other hand, her cries grew louder and the need to do anything she could to get herself out of this situation made her crazed. ¡°I¡¯ll stop. I swear to you, I¡¯ll stop disobeying you.¡± Her tears increased and her body started shaking once the clipper held her nail firm. ¡°P-please father. I¡¯ll never disobey you anymore. I-¡±


    A shriek tore from her throat as the clipper started pulling, forcing her nail away from her flesh and her finger. Blood welled under the nail and started trickling out, and just as it separatedpletely from the flesh, her vision blurred around the edges and her head fell back.


    A second passed and the room was quiet. Then, on another second, the all consuming pain from her now nail-less finger crashed into her and Maria screamed as loud as she could, the sounding out warbled because of the tears in her throat.


    Tears fell freely down her cheeks like twin rivers, her body convulsing with the pain that travelled through it.


    ¡°Now, just another one to make sure that this memory stays in your head forever,¡± The man who called himself her father murmured softly, almost crooning as he dropped the extracted nail on the table top and moved onto her right finger.


    Her pleas had turned into a garbled mess at this point, words that didn¡¯t make any sense at all, yet still managed to pass the message across that she was dying. That she needed to be saved.


    Yet they fell on deaf ears.


    The feel of another nail being forced out of her already traumatized hand, had her body jerking on the chair, twisting in every direction, she didn¡¯t care. As long as she was away from this evil man.


    But the mps held her down and fast and there was no escaping for her.


    Her second nail gave away and she passed out from the sheer pain, unable to bear it anymore.

 Protection bracelet

    BRAN


    Bran shot up from the bed, his hands stretched out in front of him as he struggled to fight off Ariti, to get the man as far away from his mate as he could.


    He was surprised, however, when a warm body pressed into his from the side, a handing to rest on his chest and soothing him with small, wonderfully rubs that had him moaning.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a dream,¡± a sweet voice murmured softly, the hand still making patterns on his chest. ¡°It¡¯s over now,e back to me.¡±


    Bran blinked. Then blinked again.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He was in his room at his castle, on his bed. And the hand on his chest belonged to Maria, the body pressed to his belonged to her too and the voice¡­ the sweet angelic voice that had pulled him out of the grips of the nightmare, was none other than hers.


    ¡°Angel,¡± he let out on a broken whisper, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into him.


    She settled with her ass nestled on hisp-not directly on his cock, but it didn¡¯t stop the asshole from getting hard anyway-and one hand around his neck. With the other, she pushed the hair stuck to his forehead due to his sweat back.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± She asked after a while of them just holding each other and when Bran¡¯s racing heart had calmed, his anger subsiding.


    Bran wasn¡¯t really sure if that dream was something he wanted to talk about. The anger had reduced to a dull thrum inside him-one he constantly felt for a while now-but the fear from the dream still gripped him and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t shake it.


    He¡¯d obviously just dreamed her memories and her father was apparently even more cruel to Maria than he¡¯d imagined.


    He was so fucking scared because¡­ Because, fuck, he didn¡¯t want to consider it. Didn¡¯t even want to let it stay as an option in her head, but if at all things boiled down to that and he had to¡­ fuck, he had to give her back to her father, he was scared that she would suffer.


    That she would have to go back to living like that. Sad, alone-


    ¡°Bran?¡± Her voice brought him back to the present. She was still sitting on hisp and running her hands through his hair soothingly, and she was still staring at him with those worried grey eyes, groves in her brows.


    Here she was, worried for him and he was even letting the thought of returning her back to her father creep into his head?


    Fuck.


    He would have to be another level of stupid even consider it.


    ¡°I dreamt one of your memories,¡± Bran told her, swallowing as he reached for her left hand and searched the two fingers frantically, wanting to make sure that they were intact. They were. He let out a relieved sigh. ¡°In this one, I saw him ask men to tie you to a chair, then¡­¡± He swallowed, the words hard for him to say. ¡°Then¡­ Fuck. He got a clipper and-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she hushed him, bringing his head to her breast andying it there, brushing her fingers through his hair slowly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s in the past now.¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand and he didn¡¯t bother to try to make her. She didn¡¯t understand that even though it was in the past didn¡¯t mean that all chances of it happening again were gone.


    She didn¡¯t know what was happening. Didn¡¯t know that her father had dered war. She just didn¡¯t know.


    Because he was starting to care too much for her, he had realized, and couldn¡¯t bother her with her asshole of a father¡¯s recent doings.


    And that was why when she gently led him back toy on the bed and ced her head on his chest, he let her.


    It was why when she lulled him back to sleep with her soothing touch and head on his chest, he let her. And soon, he was slipping into a dreamless sleep.


    ***


    ¡°How much longer do I have to wait?¡±


    ¡°Just a minute now.¡±


    ¡°You said that seven minutes ago. How long exactly does it take to make the goddamned thing?¡±


    The witch¡¯s head turned and her eyes narrowed on him. ¡°This goddamned thing is what had you driving two hours to meet me at a shady-as-hell location.¡± She turned back to face the iron table-the iron bracelet on top of it-then swiveled to face him again. ¡°And it¡¯s called a protection bracelet, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°A protection bracelet?¡± Bran asked from his perch on the wooden table a few feet behind her, incredulous. ¡°Protection from what?¡±


    ¡°Protection from your mate¡¯s extraordinary charms,¡± she drawled.


    Bran lifted a brow at that, but said nothing more.


    He couldn¡¯t argue with her on that. He actually did need protection from his mate¡¯s charms and not because they wanted to harm him, but for a totally different reason.


    What he was doing was so wrong, it could be considered as betrayal. He tried not to think too much of it, but it was impossible when he was right there doing something that would put a sort of barrier between him and his mate.


    The need to im her as his was getting stronger by the day and harder to ignore, and every single time she kissed him, every single time she looked at him like she wanted more-because he knew that his mouth wasn¡¯t doing itpletely for her; he had eyes-the need to im her ratcheted up even more and he had to physically stop himself most of the times by leaving the room, the house, as far away from her as he could get.


    It wasn¡¯t with a clear mind that Bran had decided to reach out to the witch, asking her if there was anything that could be done for him. She¡¯d told him that a certain lycan hadined about the same situation and she¡¯d made a bracelet for him that quelled the mating urge to a manageable level.


    After an hour¡¯s hesitation, Bran had asked her to make the same bracelet for him.


    Since the vampires and witches still weren¡¯t on good terms, they¡¯d decided to meet at a hidden location-one where they wouldn¡¯t be sighted by anyone.


    ¡°Here,¡± the witch announced, turning with the bracelet clutched in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡±


    He collected the bracelet from her outstretched hand and slipped it around the top of his bicep, noting how it fitted perfectly.


    Running his hand across the surface of it, he couldn¡¯t help but think about how wrong what he was doing it. How much of a betrayal the bracelet meant and what it could do to Maria if she ever found out about it.


    But he had his reasons, and even though they wouldn¡¯t make sense to other people, were perfectly reasonable to him and that was the only thing that mattered.

 Plans to seduce him

    MARIA


    She¡¯d barely seen him yesterday.


    After he¡¯d woken up from a dream of her memories and after she¡¯d coaxed him back to sleep, she had woken up to an empty bed. She had not even been surprised because it wasn¡¯t the first time she was waking up to find him gone already, but it stung nheless.


    Why was he so hellbent on not spending time with her?


    It had been over a week already and she knew that he was trying to adjust, to fit into the man he now was when he was with her. She, too, was adjusting because, hell, this man had once been her captor.


    He¡¯d locked her up in a cell for ages, restricted her from having baths-which should be considered an evil on its own-attempted to cut off her hand-she still bore the mark-spoke to her in a degrading manner and to top it all off, he¡¯d taken her from her home.


    Sure, here was a million times better than her home and she¡¯d rather be here than be with Ariti, but she was only making that decision now. He¡¯d taken her from her home without her consent, captured her, and she was still trying to fit her head around the fact that she was developing feelings for such a man.


    Yet she was trying.


    She talked to him and actually wanted to spend time with him. But all Bran thought about was getting as far away from her as possible-because honestly, there was no other exnation for the man¡¯s absence. It couldn¡¯t just be work.


    He was leaving on purpose, and it hurt her to know that she was the cause.


    Maybe she should just stop trying?


    Maria sighed as she pushed the room door open, feet dragging across the floor as she made her way inside.


    She¡¯d woken up to find Bran gone as usual and she¡¯d decided to go for a walk, secretly hoping to find the cat that she¡¯d lost that day and after almost an hour of walking, she¡¯d given up and turned around, walking back to the castle.


    Left with no-one to talk to, she¡¯d decided to strike up small conversation with her maid, but the girl had looked too terrified of her to speak and Maria wondered what reason the girl had to be scared of her.


    They didn¡¯t know who she was, did they?


    They couldn¡¯t; not with the way she looked.


    Freeing her hair from its ponytail, she sighed, tossing her head from side-to-side to free the tresses. She hooked her thumbs into her stic shorts and dragged them down her legs, her shirt and bra following suit immediately.


    After such a long walk, the only thing she could think about was soaking in the tub.


    It was when she was in the process of taking off her panties, that she realised that she wasn¡¯t alone in the room.


    She paused, panties tangled around her ankles as she tried to listen carefully, straining her ears. The shower was running, which meant that someone was having a bath.


    Now, because this was the king¡¯s chamber, no one would daree in here-well, except for the maids-but then again, it couldn¡¯t be him because he was never around by this time so, really, what the hell was going on?


    Silently, she stepped out of her panties, tossed them in the direction of her discarded clothes, then crept slowly to the bathroom. When she reached it, she turned the knob slowly and opened the door just as slowly in order not to draw attention to her movements, then poked her head in and¡­


    And the sight she met nearly felled her.


    Bran. Naked. In the shower. Body glistening with soap. Water running down the muscle-packed length.


    She was seeing the vampire king naked in all his almost-seven-feet glory.


    Was there a hotter sight? If there was, then she did not know of it.


    Maria¡¯s mouth went dry as she stared at him, her lower muscles drawing tight with want. With need. She was positive that her brain fried for a moment there because suddenly, she couldn¡¯t even remember why she¡¯d taken her clothes off in the first ce.


    Oh, wait. A bath.


    She¡¯d been hoping to use the bath-tub which was not far from the shower but now that Bran was having a bath, why not join him?


    She could, right?


    Yes. Yes, she could.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    As the thought solidified, a n started to form in her mind.


    Ah, her day just took a turn for the better.


    She wanted sex. She¡¯d made it obvious quite a number of times, and every single time, he¡¯d backed off, getting her off with his mouth instead.


    This was her opportunity to take what she wanted. She trusted her body-and it¡¯s hold over him-well enough to know that he would not be able to resist her. She has not been persuasive enough those other times, but she was going to go in for the kill today.


    His head snapped towards her when she closed the bathroom door and her eyes immediatelytched onto the metal glinting on his bicep. It was a gold¡­ bracelet? And she¡¯d never seen it before.


    It was wide, about two inches, and the way it molded to his hand, the way the metal hugged the muscle like it was tailor made for it-and maybe it was-was nothing short of erotic and had her breaths quickening, the need to have him inside her even worse than it had been before.


    ¡°Maria¡­¡±


    She reluctantly dragged her eyes from the bracelet to his face at the sound of her name and saw that he was now facing her, giving her his full attention and, gods, he was so sexy, so fucking hot, her knees lost strength and she thought they were going to sink into the ground with the weight of her desire.


    His thick legs were nted wide, wet torso corded with muscles and ridges so defined that Maria had to fist her hands to fight the urge to touch them. His ck hair, made even darker by the water, stuck to his forehead and on one hand, he held a bar of soap and the other sat idly on his chest.


    Holding her gaze, he dragged the hand slowly down his body. When he passed the happy trail, her breaths quickened and when he fisted his very very hard and erect length, she thought she was going to pass out.


    He stroked it.


    From root to tip.


    The room lurched.

 Shower sex

    MARIA


    ¡°Why are you here naked?¡± His eyes were two burning mes of grey and he did nothing to hide his desire. The way his jaw tightened when she took a step closer, then went ck with want when his eyes fell to the space between her legs.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    The way he stroked his shaft again from root to tip, but this time slowly and with more force. The way he took one small step towards her then seemed to rein his need in, holding himself stiffly.


    Oh, how she would love to watch his control snap.


    If only he knew that there was no way she was leaving this bathroom today without him having sex with her.


    If only he knew, then maybe he would stop fighting it and just give in.


    But then again, watching him break would be so much more exciting.


    Now, if only she could control her own attraction to him long enough to go through with her n.


    ¡°I should be asking you that. You¡¯re usually not around by this time.¡± Her voice came out breathy as all fucks, but she was not the only one suffering from the pull of desire so she decided not to think much of it.


    She wanted to seduce him, but she couldn¡¯t deny that she was falling under his spell too. And how could she not when he looked like a bloody Greek god with his golden glistening skin, impossibly beautiful face and that damn bracelet around his bicep.


    Gods, had she actually nned on seducing him?


    His looks screamed seduction. And he was still stroking himself, whether deliberately or not, she didn¡¯t know, but his eyes never left hers as she entered the shower.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± She asked as she fingered the bracelet on his bicep. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    He ignored her question.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± He repeated the question.


    ¡°To have a bath.¡± She shrugged and the movement drew his gaze to her breasts. Her nipples tightened and lengthened before his eyes.


    His chest rumbled with a groan and he backed her up until she had her back to the wall and he braced the hand with the bracelet on the wall while still stroking himself with his other hand.


    She¡¯d suspected that he was doing it absently before and now, she was sure that he was.


    ¡°The truth, Maria. Now.¡± He growled and that sound¡­ the sound sent Maria¡¯s pulse pounding and her thighs clenching. It was animalistic and shouldn¡¯t turn her on so much, but gods, it did.


    She bit back a moan.


    He wanted the truth? Then she would give it to him.


    Lifting to her toes-it didn¡¯t bring her up to his ear, not even close-she whispered, ¡°I want you to fuck me.¡±


    His eyes widened with shock, delighted surprise and disbelief as a groan tore from his throat. His hands pped against the wall and his head lowered until his breaths were brushing her face, until his lips were a few inches from hers and his erection was digging into her stomach.


    Maybe the fact that the water was beating down on them heightened things, but when she reached out and closed her hand around his shaft, he jerked and his face tightened into a mask of blissful pleasure.


    She watched him closely, gauging his reactions to know what he liked as she dragged her hand up and down his silky length. His eyes shed open and she saw that they were pain-filled.


    Her breath escaped her on a pant, her hand slowing on his still hard shaft. ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡±


    Her gut told her that he was enjoying this immensely, but then he¡¯d opened his eyes and she¡¯d seen the pain that clouded them and she wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.     ¡°Fuck no,¡± he grunted, thrusting into her hand. ¡°Your hand feels so good around me. So fucking good.¡± His thrusts continued and his head fell forward to rest on the wall until the water was almost not touching her anymore. ¡°Wrap your hand around it tighter.¡± She did so, and he groaned. ¡°Yes, just like that.¡±


    He was thrusting into her hand with abandon now, and Maria wondered why she was finding it so erotic. Maybe it was the way her fingers couldn¡¯t even touch but he was still finding pleasure from it, or maybe it was because of how he lookedpletely lost in seeking in his pleasure.


    She wasn¡¯t sure.


    She slipped her free hand around his neck and pulled him down to her, stealing his mouth in a kiss. Their tongues danced as he thrust into her hand, the act dirty and so fucking hot.


    ¡°No more of that,¡± he managed as he wrenched his mouth away from hers, scooped her into his arms and she quickly locked her legs around his waist. ¡°Say it again.¡±


    In between bathing his neck with kisses, she asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± He asked with an underlying note of impatience in his voice. ¡°Tell me again.¡±


    ¡°I want you to fuck me.¡±


    He rammed into her and she gasped in surprise, then screamed from the sheer fullness of him. Her legs automatically tried to close to reject the invasion, but he forced them apart and gave one hard thrust.


    He wasrge and she was tiny.


    The pressure inside her was unlike anything she¡¯d ever felt and the pain that came from him stretching her, him being in so unbelievably deep, was sharp, but she was growing wetter and the pain was disappearing gradually.


    At first, she wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he didn¡¯t give her time to limate to him that made it even hotter, because hell, she was still learning her own body. But when he gave another hard m that had his hip bones grinding against her ass, she confirmed it because the pain dissapearedpletely and pleasure speared into her.


    ¡°Oh, shit.¡± She gasped, throwing her head back against the wall.


    Brantched onto her exposed neck, sucking on it and when his sharp fang grazed her skin, she wondered if he was going to bite her. She was surprised to find that she didn¡¯t mind at all.


    ¡°You. Are. So. Fucking. Tight.¡± He punctuated each word with a m, his mouth still wrecking hell on her neck, then he moved to her lips, kissing them. ¡°And so fucking beautiful.¡±


    Thepliment had her inner muscles tightening around him and he seemed to give an involuntary thrust of his hips. ¡°Do that again.¡± He begged, voice hoarse.


    She did and his head fell back as a blissful look clouded his face, his jaws going ck. ¡°Yes, just like that,¡± the words were ragged and they made Maria unconsciously tighten around him again.


    Pushing away from the wall with her still clutched firmly in his grip, he stepped under the spray of water and began to fuck her in earnest. Hitting deep spots inside her that had her moaning in pleasure, her head falling back with abandon.


    Bran was a dirty talker and he didn¡¯t stop murmuring filthy words in her ear. Words that should have made her want to die, but instead, they had her growing even wetter and urging her towards her climax in short time.


    It was almost embarrassing how quickly she orgasmed, but that just told how good he made her feel.


    After she¡¯de, after she¡¯d tightened even more around him and he¡¯d groaned in pain from her vise-like grip-as he¡¯d said-he gripped her by her ass-cheeks and started to give her long, hard strokes that made her teeth chatter.


    His tip rubbed on a particr spot deep inside her that had hering in less than five minutes after her first orgasm and soon, Bran was hitting his peak too.


    ¡°Oh fuck, fuck, fuck,¡± he whispered harshly as he pounded away, chasing his release. And there was just something so incredibly hot about him using her body for his pleasure, chasing it with such abandon that she couldn¡¯t exin.


    He came on a shout of her name, his cum spurting deep inside her, and he was so hot, scorching her insides and marking her as his, that her orgasm extended a bit.


    ¡°That was¡­ wow,¡± was all she could muster as her head lolled to the side, her body depleted of energy.


    He gripped her nape and brought her face to his, capturing her lips in a kiss and nipping at her lower lip. ¡°Yeah, it was amazing,¡± he said, sounding out of breath.


    Then he carefully slid out of her, ced her jelly feet on the ground, and grabbed the soap that had fallen to the floor at one point.


    Over the next few minutes, they bathed each other.

 Stop looking at me like that

    MARIA


    ¡°Stop staring at me like that.¡±


    A perfectly curved brow lifted. ¡°Like what?¡±


    After they had finally managed to drag themselves out of the shower-turned out Maria had not needed to seduce him much after all-he¡¯d dried her up before drying himself. She¡¯d wanted to do it herself but apparently, Bran was in a peculiar mood and he¡¯d insisted on doing it.


    He had wanted to dress her too, but Maria had smacked his hand away, telling him that she wasn¡¯t disabled. She had no idea why he would want to willingly dress her when he would not be getting anything out of it, so she tried to imagine herself clothing him. Picking out his outfit and helping him wear them one by one. The amount of pleasure she got just from imagining it alone, had her wondering how much more she would get from the actual act.


    She¡¯d settled for him picking her outfit instead and Bran had walked into their shared closet-yes, they now shared a closet-with an excited glint in his eyes.


    She¡¯dughed when he¡¯de out of the closet with a short bright sundress-sans panties and bra. When she¡¯d sampled it, she saw that the spaghetti strap didn¡¯t make for a bra, so she¡¯d reached for panties instead but Bran had stopped her, telling her that he had deliberately not included them.


    And that was how she¡¯d found herself standing in front of the mirror in a bright blue gown with nothing underneath. It was risqu¨¦, considering that the sundress could blow up at any moment and expose her, and maybe that was what made it all the more interesting.


    She flicked a hand in his general direction. ¡°Like that.¡±


    He had not been able to take his eyes off her ever since she¡¯d worn the gown and if he wasn¡¯t careful, he might really start to make her believe that she was the prettiest woman in the worlds.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific,¡± Bran said as he shoved his legs into sweats. It seemed almost unbelievable, but she had never seen the man wearing one even though he had a closet full of them.


    Maria huffed and sauntered over to him, loving the way his eyes stayed glued to her movements, her hips, as though he could see through the material. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching me. I know it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dressed for me,¡± he said simply, shrugging. ¡°Am I not allowed to look?¡±


    ¡°Only if you do something for me in return.¡±


    His eyes shed and she knew that he was probably thinking about something sexual. If only he knew. ¡°Something like what?¡±


    ¡°Smile.¡±


    His expression shuttered and he stared at her nkly.


    She reached where he was standing and rose to pull his cheeks into a forced smile. When he still continued to look at her like that, she shoved her thumb into his mouth. She didn¡¯t know why she did it, honestly, but when he bit down on her finger, she yelled and tried to withdraw it, smacking him on the arm.


    A hint of a smile touched his face but he didn¡¯t let her finger go. He swirled his tongue around it in a bid to soothe the ache, then sucked on it. Hard.


    Maria gasped at the shot of desire that fired into her, and withdrew her finger quickly, wondering how her thumb was now suddenly connected to her core.


    Was that even possible?


    He knew what that little action had done to her, knew that it was why she was pulling back, and he grinned wickedly, indirectly giving her the smile she¡¯d asked for and she¡¯d be damned if it wasn¡¯t the most beautiful thing she¡¯d ever seen.


    Those clean white teeth and the sexy fangs-she had never thought that they were sexy before, until now-showcased in his equally sexy grin.


    Really, how was she supposed to handle all this hotness?


    Speaking of hotness, her eyes fell to the bracelet around his upper bicep and she touched it, marvelling at the feel of it.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She¡¯d asked him in the bathroom but they¡¯d both had way more important things on their mind.


    His eyes dropped to it as though he was just now noticing it and when he looked back up at her, the yful glint in his eyes was gone and his expression was now hard, reminding her of the man he¡¯d been before.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said quickly and stepped back but she followed, wrapping her hands around his neck.


    Why was he suddenly tense?


    Did she say anything wrong?


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked with her heart in her throat.


    She hated that the yful Bran was gone, and she wanted him back. If there was anything she didn¡¯t like seeing, it was that stern look he wore. Sure, it could be hot at times, but not when he was shutting her out.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Bran,¡± she refused to let him go even though he wouldn¡¯t look at her. ¡°Is it something I said?¡±


    He sighed. Deep and heavy, and his shoulders went ck, the tension in his posture dissapearing.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really.¡±


    She watched him through narrowed eyes. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    How was he possible that he went from zero to hundred and back so quick?


    He bent and pressed a kiss to her lips. Well, it was supposed to be a quick kiss but she should have known that Bran didn¡¯t do pecks. He slid one hand around her waist and dropped the other to her ass, grabbing it as he deepened the kiss.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    She moaned into his mouth, her head swimming with desire when he pushed his tongue into her mouth. He was getting hard again; she could feel it against her stomach and if they continued like this, she would be on her back on the bed in no time.


    And she couldn¡¯t have that.


    They had ns.


    With great effort, she broke the kiss and turned away, breathing hard with her head against his chest. His breathing was just asboured as hers and when he tried to kiss her again, she shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He scowled.


    ¡°Because,¡± she started, wanting to put space between them, but his hands tightened around her. She red up at him. ¡°You promised to show me your portraits, remember?¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± his scowl deepened, but then he shrugged. ¡°We can always do it another time.¡±


    ¡°No. Now.¡±


    He sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Okay, how about this? Sex now, portraitster.¡±


    Was he serious?


    She looked down and saw that yep, he was still hard. The man obviously had incredible stamina.

 Family portraits

    MARIA


    ¡°But we just had sex,¡± she cried. ¡°Portraits now, then maybe sexter.¡±


    She still had her hands around his neck and he still had his hands on her ass. Her nipples were two puckered little points digging into his chest and her breaths were shallow, betraying her.


    How could he even take her seriously when she was still rubbing against him like a freaking cat in heat?


    Taking a much needed step backwards, she was surprised to see that he let her go. But his eyes still didn¡¯t leave her body and the scowl didn¡¯t leave his face either. He still very much wanted her, and of course it got her all hot and bothered to see how much he wanted her, mere minutes after just having her, but it wasn¡¯t enough to take her mind off the portraits.


    She would take anything that would give her a peek into his life as a child and if portraits were the only avable way, then she wanted to see them.


    ¡°You should be punished alone for pushing sex tillter,¡± Bran muttered gruffly, and the word ¡®punishment¡¯ had a variety of images crashing into Maria¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Punish me how?¡± She breathed, staring up at him from under hershes.


    Bran¡¯s eyes darkened and he absently palmed his erection. Throwing his head back on a tortured groan, he grunted, ¡°Fuck me,¡± then traced away.


    The tracing gave her pause because she still wasn¡¯t used to it, and she was just about to start looking for him when he traced back to her, now wearing a shirt.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    His hair was damp-like hers-and went in every direction on top of his head, and with his grey sweatpants, which did nothing to hide his massive erection, and ck T-shirt, he was so sexy, he took her breath away.


    How on earth had she managed to get this man¡¯s eyes on her long enough for him to decide that she was worth his attention?


    Simple; She¡¯d killed his parents and captured his sister.


    Oh gods, that was so dark. Too dark, maybe, because it killed her happy mood and reced it with guilt.


    Attempting to hide it as best as she could, she extended her hand to him, palm up, and forced a smile. ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    With one more heated nce at her body, lingering on choice parts, Bran¡¯s scowl deepened and he slid his hand into hers, tracing them.


    Her jaw dropped once she saw where they were. It was a room, and like Bran had said, on one side of the wall were a ton of portraits. She couldn¡¯t see what was on them because the room was dark and the only light trickling in was from the window.


    But then Bran left her side and a few secondster, the room was bathed in light.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she gasped, because what the actual fuck?


    The room wasrge as hell and she¡¯d thought that it was only the wall she faced that had portraits but when she turned, she saw that there were more.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    A lot.


    So much to feed her eyes for hours.


    And that was exactly what she spent the next hour doing.


    Young Bran was beautiful with the same shade of green eyes, and the same tan that he had now, which meant that he was born with it. Puzzled by that, she dragged her eyes from his face and stared at the woman he was standing next to, his mother.


    A face that was vaguely familiar as it was strange.


    She was hauntingly beautiful with dark olive skin-that was where Bran has gotten hisplexion from-and a smile that just seemed so¡­ perfectly in ce on her face. Like she wore it constantly.


    ¡°Did your mother smile a lot?¡± She asked the second person in the room without taking her eyes off the portrait.


    ¡°Yes,¡± was all Bran said and even though she was not looking at him, she could tell that he was sad.


    She heard it in his voice and knew that if she turned, she would see that his face was in a nk mask because he so liked to hide his emotions from her.


    A huge part of her wanted to turn and check, but the smaller part warned her to stay put. That if she turned and looked at him, he would hate her anew.


    Gods, how insensitive was it of her to ask him to see his family portraits when these people were no longer alive because of her?


    Swallowing past a tight throat, she dragged her eyes from his mother, the Queen, and saw that the next person on the portrait, was the King. For someone with such handsome features, there was no smile to be found on his face, very much like his son-or the other way round.


    Iris wasn¡¯t in that portrait, probably because she had not been born then, but she was in the next one.


    Fair and beautiful, she had her mother¡¯s looks, but her father¡¯splexion. And in the picture, she was smiling up at Bran.


    Oh, Iris.


    She continued exploring, looking at different portraits that elicited different reactions in her. Guilt, love, happiness, sadness, name them.


    When she reached a particr portrait where a strange man stood behind Bran, she asked, ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°My father¡¯s brother,¡± the man who had been quiet behind her all this while, answered.


    ¡°Are you close with him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    That sounded a bit too final, and without hesitation.


    She turned to look at him and saw that his expression was hard, eyes vacant. ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    Bran shrugged dismissively. ¡°We¡¯re rted, yes, but I do not consider him family.¡±


    Well, that was enough of an answer, wasn¡¯t it? She could ask why but she didn¡¯t want to dig deep. The atmosphere was already strained as it was and she didn¡¯t want to make it worse.


    Plus, what were the chances of him actually telling her the truth?


    Yet, she worsened it when she opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Bran, aren¡¯t you worried about Iris?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how she had expected him to react. Maybe give her one of his one-word answers or tell her not to worry about it, but whatever it was, she had not expected something so dramatic.


    He sagged, shoulders hunching forward and his hands flew to his face, scrubbing at it fiercely before digging his fingers into his eyes. He suddenly looked ten years older.


    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m terrified for her, princess.¡±


    Maria ached with the need to go to him, to do anything that she could to make him feel better.


    Gods, she hated seeing him like this.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Her voice cracked, her body weakening. ¡°My fa-Ariti still has her and gods knows what she¡¯s going through.¡± Those words obviously made Bran feel worse because he squeezed his eyes shut, his expression one of pure torture. ¡°Is there anything I can do? Anyway I can help? We could-¡±


    ¡°Just touch me, Maria,¡± he begged in a guttural voice.


    And she did.


    She hurried over to him and wrapped her hands around him in a hug. She wished ahe could absorb some of his pain and make it bearable for him but unfortunately, her powers didn¡¯t do that and all she could do was hold him and hope that she was actually helping him.


    She would hold him as long as he would let her.


    Always.

 Castle crasher

    BRAN


    The silence in the room was deafening.


    Bran sat with his men in his courtroom and for all the five minutes they had been in here, no man had opened his mouth to speak.


    Of course no one had said anything. They were waiting for him to address them. To kick off the meeting before they would each pipe in with their various suggestions because, even though the activities of the past week threatened to contradict it, he was still their king and they would always wait for his orders before putting anything into motion.


    But honestly, he didn¡¯t know how he was going to kick this meeting off. He didn¡¯t know what he was going to tell them.


    Sure, he knew what the aim of this meeting was. The people weren¡¯t happy with the attacks and they were starting to be increasingly agressive, banging on the castle¡¯s gates and demanding that he did something about the lives that had been lost and the injured people that were still healing.


    He felt guilty as all fucks because everything that was happening to his kingdom was all because of him and all he had to do to put an end to his people¡¯s suffering, was to let Maria go.


    The people knew it too. But Bran couldn¡¯t let her go, and that was why the people were not happy with him.


    They believed him to be a selfish king, thinking only about himself. And maybe he was.


    Maybe he was all the things they called him after all because he couldn¡¯t let her go. He just couldn¡¯t.


    Edgar, who was sitting to Bran¡¯s left at the long table, cleared his throat quietly, a subtle nudge at Bran to kick off the meeting.


    Without looking at the man, Bran sat up straighter in his big chair and started, ¡°I suppose you all already know why I called for this meeting, and if you don¡¯t-which is highly unlikely-the purpose is toe up with the best approach to this unprecedented war Ariti has waged on us.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have to look at Edgar to know that he lifted a brow at the word ¡®unprecedented¡¯.


    Okay, Bran might have done something to incur the man¡¯s wrath, but Ariti had literally begged for war between the two realms when he¡¯d decided to kill Bran¡¯s parents. Surely, the sorcerer had not expected him to let that go.


    One of the men cleared his throat, preparing to speak. ¡°I¡­ I would suggest giving the sorcerer¡¯s daughter back to him.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Bran said without a moment¡¯s hesitation. He¡¯d seen that oneing. ¡°Anything but that.¡±


    It was the first thing anyone would think of. Giving Maria back to Ariti, that was, but they were going to have toe up with something else.


    There was no way he could give Maria back, but the men didn¡¯t understand that because none of them knew what she was to him. What she meant to him. They probably just thought he was warming his bed with her while simultaneously spitting in Ariti¡¯s face, letting him know that his daughter was Bran¡¯s mistress.


    No one knew that she was his mate. Well, no one but Corey, and he nned on letting it stay like that for a while. He didn¡¯t need news of it spreading and people pondering on how an enemy of the realm had ended up being his mate.


    Even he still didn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°We could attack,¡± another man spoke up and Bran turned to him with barely concealed interest. He wanted to know where the man would go with this.


    He steepled his fingers on the table. ¡°Attack how?¡±


    Obviously proud that he had Bran¡¯s full attention, the man sat up straighter. ¡°We could journey into their realm andy low while we figure out where Ariti lives. It wouldn¡¯t take long considering that he¡¯s fairly popr and when we do, we could strike, taking him unawares.¡±


    ¡°That is not a terrible idea at all,¡± another man piped in, shifting forward to brace his elbows on the table. ¡°Although I would say after entering the realm of Sorceri, we shouldy low for a while and during that time, a few of us could find his home, check for a back entrance or other ways to get in, and when we do find one, we woulde back to tell the others about it. It would make the operation easier.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Yet another man supplied, ¡°We could evene up with a distraction. Some of us creating a scene outside and drawing all attention to us while others sneak in and take the princess out of there before they even know what hit them.¡±


    These were all good ns. Real ideas contributed by men that actually wanted to help.


    But there was one big problem.


    ¡°There is no doubt that such a n, if it is carefully plotted and executed, would make us end up victorious. However, say for instance, he has evacuated his house and we have no means of knowing where he is.¡± He gave a meaningful pause. ¡°What would youe up with then?¡±


    An ominous silence hung over the table, a frown settling on the men¡¯s faces as they stared at each other, sharing confused looks. They had probably never thought of that, but Bran had because he had stayed up at night and even in the daytime, thinking of different ways to get his sister back.


    Bran would agree that Ariti was a lot of things but he wasn¡¯t a fool and since Bran had gone into his home to take Maria and his sister before, he would be a lot reluctant to keep Iris in his house when he knew that he could appear at any moment and take her back.


    He might have taken her to anither location, one unknown to Bran, and would probably hold her there until Bran agreed to his stupid deal.


    That was exactly why Bran had not been able toe up with a suitable n. Well, except get a witch to scry for his location and find out where they were. As things were now, however, that couldn¡¯t happen because the witches still were not working for the vampires.


    Really, he wanted to skin the bloody vampire alive-the one who had caused this strain between the realms-but the man was on the run so there was no way Bran could get his hands on him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I know how reluctant you are to do so, but I would suggest letting the sorcerer¡¯s daughter go.¡± A man on Bran¡¯s left side said, his tone cautious. Hesitant. ¡°Is she really that important to you? She is lovely, yes, but there are other equally beautiful women-some even more so-that would kill to be your mistress.¡± The man hesitated again. ¡°You could have your pick, Your Majesty. Why not let her go and rece her?¡±


    The mated vampire in Bran wanted to growl that another man dared to look at his mate, but he tamped it down. Best not to draw attention and have the men suspect that she was more than just a woman to him.


    He also wanted to bite the man¡¯s head off for so casually saying that Maria could be reced, but again, he had to keep the feeling tightly under wraps because-again- these men didn¡¯t know what she was to him.


    ¡°Letting her go is not an option.¡± When he saw the way the men stared at him with both confused and surprised looks, no doubt wondering why he was so adamant on not letting her go if she was just a mere woman to him, Bran knew that he had to give them an exnation. ¡°He killed thete King and Queen. That is not something that I can let go. Making his daughter my captive, is payment for all what he has done to me. To this kingdom.¡±


    He had to give them an exnation; he just didn¡¯t have to give them the truth.


    Reducing his growing feelings for Maria to nothing but a mere revenge, writing the rtionship off to be nothing more than a parasitic one-one in which only Bran benefited-killed him, but he had no other option.


    He needed them to understand that he couldn¡¯t let her go.


    Edgar had been quiet next to him the entire time, but apparently, he decided that this was the right moment to speak up.


    ¡°We understand your need for revenge, Your Majesty. However, if the only reason you have her is because of the notion, I would suggest that you let her go. If not for anything, for the life of the people and to get the Princess back.¡± Bran¡¯s jaw tightened and it was already on the tip of his tongue to refuse when Edgar put the final nail in the coffin. ¡°The people are terrified and dissapointed. As a King, your people should alwayse first and if you would have to give up revenge for their safety, then so be it.¡±


    Fuck, Bran didn¡¯t want to do it.


    He didn¡¯t want to let Maria go, but the pressure was bing too much. Even his own men were telling him to let her go and he was still refusing?


    He hated to admit it but Edgar was right.


    His people shoulde first. Even before his mate.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Bran nodded, much to his men¡¯s surprise. ¡°I will ask a messenger to get the message across to Ariti as soon as possible.¡±


    With those final words, he rose from the table and stalked out of the courtroom, a single thought, the only thing that kept him sane.


    He would let Maria go, but he would get her back. He would go back for her, scour the ends of the earth until he found her. He would do everything within and outside his powers to make sure that he did.


    What he wanted more than anything right now was to get to Maria as quickly as he could and forget all his problems, which was why he was quite displeased however, when he heard a disturbanceing from downstairs.


    Of course he wanted nothing more than to ignore it, but he knew that it would onlye back to him eventually.


    With a tired sigh, he traced into his living room and stopped short when he saw the source of the disturbance.


    His men were trying to stop a woman from going into the main house.


    A very familiar woman.


    Elizabeth.

 Not anymore

    BRAN


    She saw him the moment he arrived and her posture rxed, a smile creeping to her face.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please ask your men to stop harassing me.¡± Her eyes flicked towards said men and she threw them a re. ¡°I have no idea why they¡¯re treating me like amon thief.¡±


    None other than the fact that she showed up at his castle unannounced.


    The guard restraining her from going forward quickly spoke up, defending himself. ¡°We were merely telling her to stay put while we informed you of her presence but she insisted on entering the house anyway, and that was why we had to take matters into our own hands.¡± The man exined with hard eyes. ¡°We weren¡¯t harassing her, Your Majesty. We were just stopping her from going in.¡± He red at Elizabeth. ¡°Physically.¡±


    Bran realised two things then.


    One-For his men to disrespect Elizabeth so openly in front of him, then there was obviously no love lost between them. And that was surprising because even if they didn¡¯t respect her, they should at least make effort to respect her in front of him. The fact that they didn¡¯t, just showed how much they hated her.


    Two-Had his men not intervened and stopped her from going inside the house, she would havee up to his room and barged in on him and Maria, and that would have been a very ufortable situation.


    Three-well, there wasn¡¯t supposed to be a three and it was more of a question than a realisation-what the fuck was Elizabeth doing here?


    ¡°You may return to your posts,¡± Bran told the men, waving them away, and as soon as they left-with onest re at their backs, of course-Elizabeth prowled towards him, all hips and legs. ¡°Elizabeth.¡±


    Her lips stretched in a wide smile. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s been so long.¡± She lifted her hand and made to touch his chest but Bran saw the moveing and quickly took a step back, putting space between them.


    Her smile faltered a bit, but in ssic Elizabeth fashion, it was back up like it had never left in the first ce, except that this time, it looked a bit forced.


    Bran sped his hands behind his back. ¡°You show up to a king¡¯s castle unannounced and you don¡¯t expect the guards to stop you froming in?¡±


    A brow quirked up at that. ¡°It is not my first visit to the castle and not once have your men stopped me from entering.¡±


    She pushed her hair behind her ears, something that Maria did a lot. But on Elizabeth, it appeared fake. Forced. Unnecessary. Maybe even annoying.


    Shocking, because it had never annoyed Bran before. But had she ever done it? If she had, Bran couldn¡¯t remember.


    ¡°All those times, you were invited,¡± he told her, giving her a pointed look that said ¡®what the hell are you doing here?¡¯ ¡°This time however, you were not.¡±


    Her smile crumbled under the weight of her insecurities and Bran was positive he saw a hint of fear creep into her brown orbs. ¡°You said you were going to send for me while you were at your friend¡¯s house. Imagine how devastated I was when I learnt that you had already returned to your castle.¡± She took a step closer and her scent wafted to Bran¡¯s nostrils. It was strong. Too strong. Nothing like Maria¡¯s soft, weing scent that made him think of all the bright things. ¡°I thought that I should visit you. Surprise you.¡±


    Bran cocked his head at that. When had Elizabeth ever decided to surprise him?


    She usually always remained scarce until he requested for her. True to her words, she had been here several times before but Bran had always requested for her. Never once had she decided to surprise him, and Bran couldn¡¯t help but think that it was odd.


    She took another step closer to him and lifted her hand, trailing it down his chest. She might as well have just told him that she was vegetarian because he had not a single reaction to her touch-well, except for the disturbing sensation of an insect crawling over him, and he had to fight the urge to shift backwards so as not to hurt her feelings any more than he already had.


    ¡°What are you really doing here, Elizabeth?¡± Bran asked, suddenly very tried. He couldn¡¯t handle this distraction right now. He had too much on his te already. ¡°We both know a surprise isn¡¯t the real reason you showed up in a different realm, barging into a king¡¯s castle.¡±


    A gust of breath escaped her lips and her shoulders sagged. ¡°The inn is under renovations at the moment and I have nowhere else to go.¡± Her eyes lowered to her feet, her hands sped in front of her. ¡°It would not take more than a week for everything to be set and I thought it would be harmless staying here until the work ispleted.¡±


    Bran tried not to let his rm and irritation show on his face.


    A week?


    She was going to live here for a week? And under the same roof as Maria? Even if he managed to exin the situation to her, how on earth were they going to live under the same roof?


    Elizabeth must have seen the panicked look on his face because she quickly assured him, ¡°I¡¯ll leave as soon as it is done, Your Majesty.¡±


    Bran¡¯s back teeth grinded to dust.


    The castle was huge, right? There were lesser-to-no chances of the two women bumping into each other.


    He had no reason to panic.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    A triumphant smile touched her face. ¡°I have to admit that I expected a much¡­ warmer reaction to my appearance.¡± She breathed, looking him square in the eyes. Her fingers crept to his chest and lower.


    Bran¡¯s chest tightened and he suddenly had this choking feeling in his throat that made it impossible for him to breathe properly.


    This was all wrong.


    Elizabeth was all wrong.


    She was too tall, too slender, too pale and too forting. Too easy. Her smile was too wide, her eyes were not the grey ones that he loved to look at, and her hair was not the right shade of ck that he was used to running his hands through.


    Her fingers were too long, too cold on his chest and her, touching him, felt wrong for some reason. It made him feel guilty.


    Like he was doing something wrong.


    Bran caught her hand, stopping it¡¯s descent. He squeezed it-maybe too tightly-before dropping it and taking a step back. He deliberately didn¡¯t meet her eyes as he waved one of the guards stationed in the living room over.


    If he looked at her, he knew that he would see hurt in her expression no matter how hard she tried to hide it, and for some reason, that made him feel guilty. It wasn¡¯t like he owed her anything. The arrangement between them was strictly sexual, and he didn¡¯t want it anymore, but he had known her for a very long time and telling her that he was calling it off seemed cruel for some reason even he couldn¡¯t grasp.


    ¡°Please show Elizabeth to one of the guest rooms,¡± Bran told the man.


    Elizabeth gasped. ¡°A guest room? But I always stay in your room-¡±


    ¡°Not anymore.¡± Bran cut her off, wanting to be done with the awkward conversation already. ¡°I¡¯ll see you as soon as I can.¡±


    Then he traced away, leaving Elizabeth to the care of the guard. She would be okay. It wasn¡¯t like she had told him she would being anyway.


    He traced inside the room.


    Thest time he¡¯d done it, Maria had smacked him on the chest and warned him to always knock before entering, to which he¡¯d replied that it was ridiculous to trace outside the room, knock, before entering when he could save himself all that stress by simply entering.


    The real reason why he didn¡¯t like to knock before entering, was that he liked catching her unawares. He liked not knowing what to expect every time he entered the room.


    Like now, she wasying on the sofa face down, her elbow propped up on one hand, while the other moved in circles in front of her, purple light circling it.


    One of Bran¡¯s button down white shirt and a ck gown of Maria¡¯s danced together in the air. The hand of his shirt was ced at the waist of her gown as though a man really wore the shirt and a woman, the gown, and they were dancing together in a slow tango.

 Trouble in paradise

    BRAN


    It was oddly amazing. And strange.


    Bran had never seen a thing like it in all his life.


    Tracing behind Maria so that she wouldn¡¯t know that he was there, he bent and ced his hands on the back of her thighs, dragging them up slowly.


    She jerked and whipped around in surprise, the gown and shirt ttering to the ground now that she wasn¡¯t controlling their movements anymore. Her eyes were wide with fear and when she saw that it was him, she sighed and fell face down on the sofa, mumbling something that he didn¡¯t catch because she was speaking into the sofa.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°I said you scared the shit out of me!¡± She snapped, twisting to sit up, but Bran pushed her back down. ¡°Would you stop tracing in and out of here like a fucking creep? Let me up.¡±


    ¡°No, I like you like this.¡± He decided to ignore her request for him to stop tracing. That wasn¡¯t possible. He liked seeing the surprised look on her face whenever she saw him too much to stop.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    She blew out a breath and her whole body wentx with surrender, sending a bolt of lust shooting directly to Bran¡¯s dick. Her head moved to the side so that she could watch him out of the corner of her eyes. She wouldn¡¯t be able to see what he was doing, but he guess she just wanted to know that she could see him.


    Bran dragged his hand slowly up her thighs until he reached the under of her ass-cheeks and a groan tore from his chest. Fuck, he would never get over this part of her. He lifted the skirt of her gown slowly until it pooled around her waist, and her ass, d incy panties, was bared to him.


    Generous and shapely and so fucking edible, he lowered his head and nipped at one cheek, then the other.


    He heard her sharp intake of breath as clearly as he felt the shiver that ran through her small form.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, I want to keep you in my pocket and take you everywhere with me so I don¡¯t have to miss you every second,¡± he murmured absently as he pressed a kiss to the base of her spine. ¡°Whenever the day gets too rough, I could just shove my hand into my pocket, have a feel of you, and all that¡¯s wrong in my world would right itself.¡±


    ¡°Bran¡­¡± Goosebumps broke out across her back and a delighted rumble spread across Bran¡¯s chest as he bent and licked at the skin of her back, loving the salty taste.


    He pressed kisses on every surface he reached, moving slowly to her shoulders and bathing the area in open-mouthed kisses too, before shoving his face into her hair and inhaling her scent.


    It spread far and wide across his chest, reaching every fiber of his being and as Bran had known that it would, his world righted. Grounded.


    The mated vampire in him sighed and when Bran¡¯s tongue brushed her neck, it begged him to pierce her with his fangs. To mark her and make her his finally, but the bracelet did its job and tamped down the urge.


    The thing worked like magic.


    Well, itwas magic.


    Maria moaned as Bran brushed her hair to one side of her neck and left one side bare, peppering it with kisses up to her ear.


    ¡°Bran?¡± She asked almost sleepily and when Bran managed to blink into focus to look at her face properly, he saw that there was a small smile on her face.


    He loved it. He would do anything he could to make her smile more.


    His heart beat with the promise of it and his muscles tightened with the urgency to make her his. Hell, he wanted her. More than anything he¡¯d ever wanted in his life.


    He¡­ Oh, fuck. He might love her.


    ¡°Yes?¡± He hoped the word hadn¡¯te out as weakly as it sounded in his own ears, because, fuck, he was terrified that he might be falling in love with her.


    He couldn¡¯t.


    What did he know about love anyway?


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Maria asked, popping one eye open when Bran didn¡¯t go back to kissing her. ¡°You smell different.¡±


    Bran hoped that the panic he felt on hearing those words didn¡¯t show on his face.


    He smelt different?


    ¡°How do I smell?¡± He asked as he moved over to her front to sit next to her on the sofa.


    ¡°Usually, you smell like man and your cologne, of course. But now, there¡¯s this other scent like¡­¡± she waved her hand haphazardly, her nose scrunching up. ¡°There¡¯s this other sharp scent that I can¡¯t quite ce my finger on. But it¡¯s different and you don¡¯t usually have it.¡±


    This was his cue to tell her that Elizabeth would be living with them for the next week.


    ¡°Elizabeth is here.¡±


    That gave Maria pause. Her brows furrowed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth, the owner of the inn we spent the night at.¡± He tried to exin, and for some reason, his heart wouldn¡¯t stop smacking against his ribcage. ¡°In the demon realm, before we made it to Corey¡¯s house.¡±


    Realization dawned on Maria. ¡°Oh. Elizabeth. Your¡­ Lover.¡±


    ¡°Ex-lover,¡± Bran corrected quickly as Maria sat up slowly, thereby putting a huge space between them. He wanted to scoot closer and hold her, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he was supposed to hold her while he was telling her that his ex-lover would be living under the same roof as her.


    ¡°Then why is she visiting you?¡± Maria asked carefully, staring at him through untrusting eyes.


    Bran wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. Why the hell did he feel so guilty? ¡°She said the inn is under renovation and she needs somewhere to stay for a week. She¡¯ll leave as soon as-¡±


    ¡°A week?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bran wanted to hold her so bad. To bridge the distance between them both emotionally and physically. ¡°A guard showed her to her room right before I came up here.¡±


    A furrow settled between Maria¡¯s brows and her eyes moved past his shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s the other scent I perceived on you. Of course she is,¡± she murmured. ¡°Is there a reason you smell like her?¡±


    Bran¡¯s heart turned to stone and sank into his stomach. ¡°She touched me.¡± Then he added quickly, ¡°But I moved away.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Maria said tly, then rose up from the sofa and padded into the closet with a throwaway, ¡°I¡¯m going to have a bath.¡±


    Bran dropped his head into his hands and squeezed hard, wanting to scream all his frustration away.


    He didn¡¯t need to guess to know that Maria was mad at him. She¡¯d never dismissed him like that ever since they mended things between them and now, she was pissed at him because of Elizabeth¡¯s presence, walking away from him when he needed her to calm the raging storm inside his head.


    Maybe he deserved her scorn. Maybe he needed to suffer for the decision he was about to take.


    A decision that would shove her right into the arms of the man she loathed so much.

 Stress-walking

    MARIA


    How did one react to their lover telling them that their ex-lover-who neverpletely turned into an ex in the first ce-was going to be staying with them for the next week?


    Simple; They go out for long walks to clear their head. And if the first walk still doesn¡¯t do the magic, then they keep going until their heads are sessfully cleared.


    Walking out one¡¯s frustration. Was that even a thing?


    It didn¡¯t matter whether it was a thing or not. What mattered was that Maria was doing it and it was going to work for her-hopefully.


    She wouldn¡¯t lie and say that the thought of Elizabeth living under the same roof as her didn¡¯t freak her the fuck out. She¡¯d seen the woman-she looked like some ethereal being, tall, lithe, beautiful and oozed sexual appeal-and there was no way a man wouldn¡¯t see her and not think about sex.


    Bran was well on his way to developing feelings for Maria, she was sure of it, but at the end of the day, feelings were one thing and lust was another. She wasn¡¯t there when Bran had met his ex but she imagined that one look at her would remind him about what he was missing. Knowing that they used to have sex before only made Maria feel worse.


    Two days ago when Bran had told her that Elizabeth was around and would be living with them, it was like a cold bucket of water had been poured on her.


    She had grown sofortable with him and what they had that she¡¯d forgottenpletely about the woman. She¡¯d been so close to asking Bran why out of everyone she knew, she¡¯d decided to ask to live with him while her ce was being renovated, but then remembered that they used to be lovers-or still were? It was so confusing-and she probably hadn¡¯t seen anything wrong in staying with him.


    Still, it pissed her off because why would she just show up unannounced?


    If there was anything that Bran¡¯s ex lover showing up had done, it was to remind Maria that she didn¡¯t have as much hold over Bran as she liked to believe. The woman still had a considerable level of hold over Bran for him not to be able to refuse her, and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, she¡¯d touched him.


    ording to what Bran told her, Elizabeth touched him but he¡¯d rejected the touch. Maria had not been there so how was she to know that it was the truth?


    Wait, was she saying now that Bran was cheating on her? This was all so confusing.


    She was acting like a jealous lover and she hated it. She¡¯d never been in this position before.


    Taking the bend that led to the area where therge piece ofnd was, Maria stopped short when she heard voices. From the sounds of it, it was two women talking. Their hushed whispers told her that whatever they were saying, they didn¡¯t want anyone to hear and naturally, it only made Maria curious.


    Why not spice up her day with secrets from the ones who knew more about the castle than any other person did?


    After all, it wasn¡¯t like she had her chaperone today. The closer she and Bran had gotten, the more he trusted her and he now allowed her to walk freely within thepound and without anyone following her. It wasn¡¯t a statement that he¡¯d made out loud.


    She¡¯d simply said she was going out for a walk by herself one day, and he hadn¡¯t opposed her.


    Since the distance she stood from them made it unable for her to hear what they were saying clearly, she amplified their voices with her powers and soon, it was almost like she was standing right next to them.


    ¡°She¡¯s the first one to sleep in his room with him for this long. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s strange?¡± One woman asked.


    ¡°It is but surely, once he finds his mate, she¡¯ll move out. She has to.¡± Another woman replied.


    Maria stood straighter, concentrating more on their conversation. Were they talking about her?


    ¡°But what if she¡¯s his mate? Have you never considered it?¡±


    In a chiding tone, the other said, ¡°She cannot be his mate. She doesn¡¯t bear his mark and even at that, fate could never pair the king with a Sorceri. It can never happen.¡±


    Maria¡¯s heart mmed against her ribcage as she realized that they were definitely talking about her.


    She was the only member of the Sorceri living in this castle and coincidentally, she happened to be living with their king in his room, so it was her they were talking about.


    But how did they know that she was a sorceress? She didn¡¯t wear her mour anymore and she¡¯d never used her powers here for them to be able to guess that she was one, so how did they know?


    ¡°True,¡± a sigh from the first one. ¡°His majesty is one of the oldest unmated vampires in the realm. Do you really think he¡¯s even searching for his mate?¡±


    ¡°What creature wouldn¡¯t?¡± The second one sighed as though tired of the first one¡¯s questions. ¡°And a king at that. He needs an heir. Of course he¡¯s searching for his mate. And even if he weren¡¯t, what business is it of ours?¡± She snapped. ¡°Hush now before someone hears us. I have a husband and two children that I love.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so cruel. Not everyone has found their mate, Sophia.¡±


    Maria staggered away from the wall, done listening to their conversation.


    Oh gods, the people knew who she was. No wonder her maid had stared at her like she was death personified when she¡¯d tried to talk to her. No wonder the guards watched her with surprise and wariness whenever she let them know that she wanted to go for a walk.


    They knew who she was and they were scared of her. And if they knew, there was a possibility that everyone else in the realm did too.


    She didn¡¯t even have to ask how they felt about her being their king¡¯s lover because it was quite obvious that they didn¡¯t approve.


    Fate could never pair the king with a Sorceri, the woman had said.


    Her time with Bran was temporary. He would find his mate eventually.


    But why did the thought of him finding a woman and raising kids with her feel like a punch to Maria¡¯s stomach?


    Her mood now sour from the conversation she¡¯d heard-now knowing what people thought about her, how they saw her-she turned around and walked back in the direction she¡¯de.


    ording to Bran, there was an identicalnd on the other side of the castle. She would go there instead. She¡¯d never been before and should probably be going for the first time with a guard or her maid incase anything came up, but she didn¡¯t need them. She had her powers. And it wasn¡¯t like they wanted to be around her anyway-at least not with what she¡¯d heard.


    But before she turned and left, she caused a strong breeze to blow and it had the women letting go of the clothes they were hanging on the line to clutch at their flying skirts. Which meant that the wet clothes were now on the ground. They would have to rewash them.


    She hadn¡¯t even been able to smile when they started yelling curses.


    ¡°Hey, you look a bit pale. Are you okay?¡± Came a soft, scratchy voice.


    Maria was just passing the entrance of the castle, lost in thought, when she heard the voice so she had to stop and look in the direction she¡¯d heard it.


    Her brows rose when she saw who it was. Elizabeth.


    She considered ignoring her, but that would mean that Maria was angry at her, which would mean that she was intimidated by her.


    Maria had brought a man back from the dead. She¡¯d brought the ghost of a woman to the living world for a while. She was not going to be intimidated by Bran¡¯s ex-lover.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she managed to ground out before turning away with all intentions of forgetting that this woman had just found the guts to speak to her, and continue on her walk.


    ¡°Would it be okay if I joined you on your walk?¡± The woman asked again, making Maria stop. ¡°Staying inside with nothing to do is starting to mess with my head a bit.¡±


    Staying inside with nothing to do? What did she expect when she came here? That she would be warming Bran¡¯s bed?


    Maria opened her mouth to say no because this woman was the reason she was stress-walking in the first ce. But then she stepped down from the steps and came to Maria¡¯s side, staring at her expectantly.


    The ¡®no¡¯ hung at the tip of Maria¡¯s tongue, unspoken, and Maria had to bite down on it to hold the word in.


    She could do this. She could endure going on a walk with her lover¡¯s ex, couldn¡¯t she?


    ¡°You¡¯re the woman that apanied His Majesty when he came to my inn that night, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Maria nodded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you lived with him,¡± she said, then in a tone of innocent curiousity, asked, ¡°What are you to him?¡±


    Maria swallowed the ¡®It¡¯s none of your business¡¯ she wanted to say and instead, decided to do one better. ¡°What are you to him?¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s eyes sharpened at the question and Maria was positive she saw a hint of real malice in the woman¡¯s eyes before she hid it quickly. A good actress.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± She asked innocently, all wide-eyed. ¡°I thought it would have been obvious that night. I¡¯m his mistress.¡± Then she cocked her head, giving Maria an assessing nce. ¡°How long have you known him? You must not have known him long if you don¡¯t know who I am. Everyone in the castle knows that I am his mistress.¡±


    Okay, this woman was definitely trying too hard?


    Why was she trying to make the fact that she was his mistress so believable? And she honestly thought that she could make Maria jealous by telling her that?


    Maria didn¡¯t want to brag about being a man¡¯s mistress. She didn¡¯t believe that was something to be proud of.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said in answer to Elizabeth¡¯s question. ¡°I have not known him long. But I have known him long enough to know that you haven¡¯t been around for a while. Why is that so?¡±


    Panic red in Elizabeth¡¯s eyes, and she yed with the edges of her body-hugging gown as a fake smile touched her lips. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been very busy with personal matters, which was why I decided to take time off to pay him a surprise visit.¡± She sighed dramatically. ¡°I know how much he must have missed me.¡±


    This bitch was obviously lying.


    Paying Bran a surprise visit? Hadn¡¯t Bran told her that she was here because the inn was being renovated?


    If the evidence wasn¡¯t clear enough, Maria would have believed that Bran was the one lying, but this woman was trying too hard and that was enough to let Maria know that her words were lies.


    They both stopped when they heard the sound of someone running towards them. No, not running. Light steps. Jogging.


    The jogger was none other than Bran and she kicked a stone and stumbled a step when she saw that he wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He had on sweats that sat low on his hips, a shirt around his neck and a body covered in sweat. They ran down the hard nes of his chest and torso in rivulets, making his body glisten beautifully.


    He slowed to a stop when he saw her and Elizabeth standing there. His brows dove down in confusion and his mouth parted just a bit.


    When he swiped his eyes over Maria¡¯s short gown, his green eyes zed with heat and his jaw cked even further. A tent started to form in his sweats-because sweatpants made it all the more visible-and his hands fisted and unfisted by his sides.


    Maria took a hesitant step forward just as Elizabeth broke into a run and hauled into an unsuspecting Bran.


    She had asked herself before if she could endure going on a walk with her lover¡¯s ex and now she knew the answer.


    She couldn¡¯t.

 Jealousy

    MARIA


    Bran caught Elizabeth around the waist and Maria¡¯s eyes zoned in on that point of contact, wanting to see if the touch was romantic at all, but he simply extricated her from his body and ced her on the ground next to him.


    Immediately he dropped her, his eyes shot to Maria¡¯s and she was sure she saw guilt in them, although she wasn¡¯t standing close enough to him to be able to tell properly.


    Her insides felt hot and alien, like her body didn¡¯t belong to her anymore. Knowing that the jealously she couldn¡¯t hide even if she tried to was showing on her face, she wove on a mour of utter calmness. When both Bran and his ex saw her, they would think she had no reaction to them touching.


    Her powers came in handy sometimes.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Elizabeth asked him, obviously unhappy that Bran was putting her at arms length.


    Maria didn¡¯t know whether he had done that simply because she was there and it pissed her off. She hated this, hated not knowing what was going on his head. She hated feeling so insecure and so bloody jealous.


    ¡°I¡¯m justing back from a run,¡± he told her, his eyes briefly flicking to her before they came back to rest on Maria.


    She didn¡¯t know why he kept looking at her like that withouting to her. She would go to him and stake her im-Maria wasn¡¯t shy and this woman brought out a whole new cavewoman part of her that she didn¡¯t know existed-but she needed him to give her a signal, eye-twitch, anything to show that he actually wanted to be imed. That Maria was who he wanted, not Elizabeth.


    But he just continued to stand there like a fucking ass and he was really beginning to piss her the fuck off.


    ¡°Are you stressed?¡± The imposter asked, gingerly lifting a hand to ce on Bran¡¯s cheek and using it to turn his head to the side. ¡°You only run when you¡¯re stressed.¡±


    Oh, was that so?


    Maria didn¡¯t know that. In fact, she didn¡¯t even know that Bran went for runs. She remembered that day when he¡¯de into their room, wearing nothing but pants and a t-shirt slung over his neck, sweaty as all fucks, but she hadn¡¯t had the chance to ask because he¡¯d distracted her pretty quickly with his mouth.


    Just how much more about Bran did this woman know that Maria didn¡¯t?


    The thought had Maria¡¯s face-her real one-turning sour and she was do thankful that she had her mour on, else, Elizabeth would be rejoicing over Maria¡¯s bitterness.


    Bran leaned back from Elizabeth¡¯s touch and Maria felt a swell of hope at the action. Ouch. That had to have stung, being rejected so openely and in front of another woman for that matter.


    Not just another woman-his current lover.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Bran grated and put much appreciated space between them. Again, his eyes left Elizabeth¡¯s dissapointed face and came to rest on Maria¡¯s.


    Why in the worlds was he staring at her like that? Was he waiting for some sort of permission from his ex-lover before he woulde to her?


    Or did he not want toe to her at all?


    She would leave, but she wanted to see where this would go. Whether Bran would keep on staring at her like they didn¡¯t know each other or whether he would close the distance between them and prove to this woman that whatever the both of them used to have, was gone. In the past. Forever.


    Elizabeth, as if just now remembering that Maria was still there-or maybe it was a deliberate act-turned around slowly and her mouth dropped to form a perfect ¡®O¡¯. ¡°Oh goodness,¡± she ced her hand on her chest dramatically. ¡°I almost forgot you were there for a moment.¡±


    One of Maria¡¯s brows lifted and she deliberately didn¡¯t cover that with her mour. ¡°I¡¯m sure you did.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Maria could have sworn she saw amusement flicker across Bran¡¯s face, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. Finally, fucking finally, he took one step in her direction and Maria¡¯s heart gave a happy jump in her chest that he was finallying to her when the goddamn bitch ced her hand on Bran¡¯s chest to halt his movement, sessfully distracting him.


    ¡°I expected youst night,¡± the fucking seductress breathed up at him, fluttering her eyshes and moisturising her lips.


    For fucks sake.     ¡°You did?¡± Bran¡¯s obvious confusion should not have made Maria feel as victorious as she did in that moment-as though she had conquered a great battle-but it did.


    And also, she was curious. Why would Elizabeth have expected himst night? Did it mean that Bran still hadn¡¯t told her that whatever he had with her was now in the past?


    With the way she still acted around him, all touchy and whatnot, it was beginning to be obvious that Bran had not made it clear enough.


    Elizabeth pouted prettily and Maria hated to admit it but the woman really was terribly beautiful. ¡°You said you woulde to me yesterday. Did you forget?¡± She threw a pointed nce at Maria-one that Maria responded to with a nk look. ¡°If you did, then maybe you really are as stressed as you look.¡±


    Bran shook his head as realization dawned on him. ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah, I¡­ I said so.¡± He looked to Maria quickly, his eyes clouding with guilt and shame.


    Pain and betrayal shoved their parasitic roots into Maria¡¯s chest and spread out, extending to her hands and legs until they hurt so bad, they could barely hold her up anymore.


    So yesterday when he¡¯de back to their room smelling like his ex, he¡¯d promised her that he was going to go back to her. All that time that he¡¯d spent kissing her and making her feel like she was as important to him as air, he¡¯d known inside him that he would be meeting his ex that same day.


    How could he do that to her?


    How could he write off what he had with Elizabeth when they were alone, then act differently when she was with them?


    And from the tone of Elizabeth¡¯s words, she was definitely referring to something sexual happening between them. What if Bran had implied that to her?


    Oh gods.


    A sharp painnced through her chest as though someone had plunged a sword into her, then twisted it to make sure that they left behind damage. Irreparable damage.


    She couldn¡¯t do this. Her mour could fail her any moment with the kind of pain she was feeling. She had to leave here. She had to get away from them as fast as possible.

 Staking her claim

    MARIA


    Elizabeth made to touch him again and Bran shook his head while stepping back. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the living room tomorrow for our discussion.¡± With those words, he turned away from Elizabeth and made his way over to Maria. Maria, who had just been about to hightail it out of there as fast as she could.


    Oh, he was finallying to her, was he?


    How generous of him to bestow the leftovers of his attention on her. How proud he must be of himself that he had somehow managed to fool her into believing she was the only one.


    But then she looked at him-really looked-and saw the fierce expression on his face as he stalked towards her, all shinning and rippling muscles, his gait sure and sensual. Perhaps Maria should be falling to her knees in gratitude that he had even decided to acknowledge her in front of-


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so fucking much, so please don¡¯t bite my tongue off for this,¡± he breathed when he reached her and Maria was struggling to make sense of the words when he slid one hand around her nape, cupping it, then wrapped the other one around her waist, yanked her the remaining distance to him, then sealed his lips over hers, stealing what remained of her breath and her sanity.


    The first thing that came into her head was to push him away, maybe even p him for daring to kiss her after ignoring her so thoroughly in front of his ex-lover, yet then her entire being seemed to freeze as she registered what was happening.


    He was kissing her in front of his ex. Making a statement to the woman that he was hers and hers alone.


    There would be no mistaking it after today.


    He was staking his im. Or rather, he was putting himself in Maria¡¯s hands. Showing the other woman that he belonged to her.


    Gratitude and love-fuc, yes, love-filled Maria¡¯s heart and she slipped her hands around Bran¡¯s neck, kissing him back.


    Bran exhaled in relief and his whole body rxed. Had he been worried that she would push him away? What woman could do such a thing to a man who was making her feel like the most treasured woman in the worlds?


    Definitely not her, that was who.


    Her mour fell as she moaned into the kiss, pouring her heart into it. All the words she couldn¡¯t tell him right now, the ones she would probably never be able to say and even the one that was singing in her heart, terrifying her as much as it exhrated her. She told him everything in the kiss and she heard his response. Felt it as much as she heard it.


    A throat cleared behind them.


    It was Elizabeth and she had to be very angry and irritated that they were kissing in front of her, that they were disregarding her.


    But, fuck, it felt so good.


    Maria was surprised that Bran too didn¡¯t even so much as turn to look at the woman. If anything, he deepened the kiss even more, desire soaring inside her as he dipped his hand to her ass, farther down to the hem of her gown, then lifted it.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Cool air brushed Maria¡¯s backside as it was exposed, and was it crazy that knowing that his ex was there and watching them made it just that much more hotter?


    Seriously, she had never been this desperate to have Bran inside her.


    Pushing back against his exploring hand, thereby encouraging him, Maria chased Bran¡¯s tongue back into his mouth, dominating the kiss from over a foot under. It was hot as hell.


    ¡°I need you so bad,¡± Bran grunted against her lips as he slipped his hand into her panties and pressed a finger inside her, hissing when he felt how wet she was. ¡°So fucking bad.¡±


    A shiver racked Maria¡¯s frame, and she transferred all weight from her body onto his when she leaned against him. ¡°Get us out of here. If I don¡¯t have you inside me soon, I¡¯m going tobust.¡±


    With a painedugh and a nip to the side of her lips, Bran traced them away from thend and into their room. Away from his ex. Maria couldn¡¯t even feel bad for her if she tried to. Elizabeth would find her way back. Alone.


    The moment they appeared in the room, Maria stayed put to adjust to her surroundings-she was starting to get used to tracing-and the moment she did, she pushed Bran onto the bed and climbed in after him, straddling his hips.


    She was in the mood to be on top and thankfully, Bran didn¡¯t object.


    He gripped her on her waist and made to move her up until she sat on his face, but she smacked his hands away. She loved it, but she loved the feeling of him inside her more and right now, that was what she wanted.


    ¡°No forey,¡± she whispered desperately. ¡°I just want you inside me.¡±


    Hell, how could Bran merely giving himself to her in front of his ex make her this horny? Was that even normal?


    ¡°Fuck yes,¡± Bran grunted and Maria lifted her weight off him so that he could push his pants past his erection. ¡°Anything you want.¡±


    She didn¡¯t let him take his sweatpants offpletely. She didn¡¯t even have the time to take her gown off.


    She simply lifted it, pushed her panties to the side and positioned herself, her mouth falling open as she impaled herself on his hard, throbbing length.


    A mewl escaped her lips. Gods, he was so big. And fuck yes, this was what she craved. Him big, thick and long inside her, rubbing against her walls with every movement.


    It was like she was reminded anew of his size everytime.


    Bracing her hands on his chest, she rode him, chasing her pleasure. The filthy words he grunted in her ears had her tightening around him ever so often, and that too, had him nearing his release quicker than he wanted to.


    When she came, he flipped her over onto her back and then started to fuck her in those long, hard stroked that she loved so much.


    Soon, she wasing again and her second orgasm triggered his.


    ¡°F-f-fuck, you¡¯re squeezing me s-so tightly,¡± he stammered before he gave one sharp thrust, filling her with hise.


    Spent, he copsed on top of her and she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting them to stay that way with him still inside of her.


    He was big and heavy and felt like he was crushing her, but she loved it. She loved having his weight on top of her, his head resting on her breasts.


    Soon, he fell asleep, and in no time, Maria¡¯s eyes too, started to grow heavy.


    They had a lot to talk about. She needed to ask him about his mate and the situation with Elizabeth, but he was sleeping and she, too, was sleepy.


    No worries. She would ask him when they woke up.


    After telling herself that, she let sleep take her.

 Cozy

    BRAN


    Maria gave me an incredulous look. ¡°You don¡¯t like animals?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Bran shoved his hands into the sleeves of his shirt, rolling the material down. ¡°They don¡¯t like me.¡±


    As he left the closet, he caught his reflection in the mirror and couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at how different he looked. He didn¡¯t look different in the sense that his physical appearance had changed-that wasn¡¯t possible since he had frozen into his immortality ages ago. It was his eyes, his expression, the lines of his mouth.


    Even though he had a lot going on and he was more stressed than he would be normally, he still looked more rxed. Younger. His eyes brighter and less shadowed.


    And it was all due to Maria¡¯s effect.


    ¡°But do you like them at least?¡± The woman responsible for the lightness with which he now carried himself, asked.


    ¡°I feel nothing towards them.¡±


    He heard a gasp, and her voice was curious when she spoke again. ¡°What if I decide to get some as pets?¡±


    Not one but some?


    Bran walked out of the closet, running ab through his damp hair. Maria was sitting cross-legged on the bed and she was wearing something that was both a shirt and shorts in one. She¡¯d told him the name when he¡¯d asked her what it was called, but for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t remember it right now.


    All he knew was that it was a stretchy material that clung to her body like it was painted on, leaving nothing to the imagination. It hugged her ass so obscenely, Bran had gotten hard at the first sight of it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do animals like you?¡±


    The corners of her lips tilted up in a smile. ¡°They do. And I happen to like them right back.¡±


    Bran shook his head and went over to the dresser to ce theb on it. ¡°That was a stupid question. Of course they love you. Everything does.¡±


    There was a red stain on her cheeks when he turned to face her, and like a moth to a me, Bran went to her, ignoring, again, his meeting with the messenger.


    He was supposed to have told the man to tell Ariti that he was ready to ept the deal but every single fucking time, he took one look at Maria and thought; fuck it, I¡¯ll do it tomorrow. It had been about four days now and if Bran continued like this, he might just not tell Ariti after all.


    But what was a man to do? He was being asked to give his mate in exchange for his sister and he didn¡¯t know who to put first.


    Duty demanded he put his sister first, but his heart told him to put both. Putting the both of them first wasn¡¯t possible which meant that Bran¡¯s heart was an asshole and he was going to have to lean towards duty.


    Still, he was having a hard time bringing himself to do it.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong about that, you know,¡± Maria said, jolting him out of his thoughts. ¡°Everything doesn¡¯t love me. I remember vividly how much a certain vampire detested me.¡±


    Bran¡¯s steps faltered and shame scalded him, hot and raw. They¡¯d adapted to this new rtionship between them so easily that it was so easy to forget about how things used to be between them but sometimes, Bran would ask himself if the topic of their rocky past would evere up.


    Well, his question had been answered now.


    Dropping down on the bed next to her, Bran wrapped his fingers around her hand and yanked her forward. Obviously having not expected the move, she fell into him and he caught to him, pressing his chest against hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m positive the vampire realised he was being an ass towards the loveliest girl he had ever seen, and changed his ways.¡±


    Warmth and another emotion Bran wasn¡¯t so sure of, shone in her eyes and she slipped a hand around his neck. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bran answered. ¡°Well, not before he smacked himself for being so bloody oblivious.¡±


    ¡°Did he, really?¡± Mirth danced in her features and Bran couldn¡¯t fight the urge to drag his thumb over her ample cheeks. Her skin was so soft, so smooth.


    Fuck, she was so beautiful, so sexy. She was everything Bran had ever dreamt of and the embodiment of everything he never knew that he needed.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t, but he went through hell and that was much worse.¡±


    Maria¡¯s smile turned watery as a breath escaped her lips, her whole body ckening like a deted balloon. Her lips moved, but she never said the words so Bran didn¡¯t know what they were, then she pulled him down with her grip on his neck and kissed him.


    ¡­ Just as an explosion rocked the building.


    They flew apart from each other in shock. Maria¡¯s eyes were wide as they searched the room as though the cause of the explosion could be in here, then they came back to settle on his face.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Bran was already thinking, wondering what could have caused that explosion.


    It couldn¡¯t be that it was one of the other buildings close to the castle because the explosion had affected the building, shaking it and the tremors still remained even now. There was no way that it wasn¡¯t from the castle.


    So if it was from the castle, what could have caused the explosion?


    There was one name ringing clear across Bran¡¯s skull and it was none other than Ariti, but he didn¡¯t want to believe it because if it was, then there was no way what was about to happen would end well.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing,¡± he tried to assure Maria but just as he uttered the words, another explosion hit the castle and the bed they were sitting on skidded several inches across the floor.


    Fuck.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t nothing,¡± Maria cried, rising up to kneel on the bed, eyes frantic and a bit scared. The sight of the fear in her eyes roused Bran¡¯s anger and he found himself wanting to end whoever was behind this disturbance for putting that look in her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he told her as he rose from the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll go check what¡¯s going on.¡±


    His mating instincts were telling him to protect what was his. They were telling him to keep Maria safe and he would make sure that he did.


    Ariti dared to attack his castle for the second time? He had insulted Bran too much and Bran was done letting him get away with it. The sooner they ended this, the better.


    And he wasn¡¯t giving Maria away.

 Final battle

    BRAN


    Her father could go to hell. Bran would kill him and find another way to get his sister back.


    He would do anything-but he would not let Maria go.


    He turned away from the bed to trace away when a small handtched onto his leg, staying him. He looked down at Maria and saw that she was kneeling at the edge of the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Even at a time like this, he almost scoffed. ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°Why? You said you¡¯re going to check, right?¡± Her tone was desperate, her fingers digging into his legs. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. We¡¯ll check together.¡±


    ¡°It could be something dangerous, princess.¡± he tried to exin to her. He was more than happy to know that she cared about him, but she would not be able to change his mind. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you get hurt.¡±


    She stared at him we though he had grown an extra head. ¡°Do you forget I have my powers now?¡±


    He had, actually.


    Still.


    ¡°Will you just stay here? I can¡¯t risk you getting hurt.¡± The words came out harsher than he¡¯d intended. Letting out a sigh, he made efforts to calm himself. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll stay.¡±


    Biting down on her lower lip, she nodded once. And even though Bran didn¡¯t fully trust that nod, he would take it.


    He traced out of the room to the guards standing just outside the door on either sides. ¡°No matter what happens, make sure she doesn¡¯t leave this room. Am I clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± they chorused and Bran, satisfied with their response, traced to the armoury, collected his usual weapons-swords and daggers-then traced to the grounds.


    It would have been much more preferable if it wasn¡¯t just Ariti and the sorceress wreaking havoc on the castle and if it had been a greater number of people. At least that way, Bran would have had a lot of people to kill, to let out the anger inside him somehow.


    ¡°Do you never get tired, Ariti?¡± Bran asked from his position not that far away from Ariti, watching his men move in on him slowly, preparing to tackle him even though they were obviously scared.


    ¡°Tired?¡± Ariti smiled as though they were two friends merely having a discussion. ¡°Never. Not when the reward is so sweet. You can testify to that, can¡¯t you?¡±


    Liquid rage burned in Bran, infecting his bloody and traveling to all parts of him until it was the only thing he could feel. Until he was breathing fire through nostrils.


    The men tackled Ariti,nding punches at him from different sides and trying to get him with their swords. At the same time, Bran aimed for the sorceress, sending a dagger sinking into her leg.


    She moved like smoke, whirling in a sh. ¡°You again!¡±


    Then she moved into him like a frieght train, sending Bran smacking into the wall of his castle. She didn¡¯t leave him still, no, she lifted him by her hold on his neck and squeezed until Bran couldn¡¯t get air into his lungs anymore.


    Her eyes were narrowed, angry. ¡°Today, you die.¡±


    Despite her hold on Bran¡¯s neck, he forced out the words, ¡°No. Today, you die.¡± Then he felt for one of the daggers in his jeans pockets and drove it deep into her shoulder.


    Her hand slipped from him as she stumbled back, screaming in pain. Bran reached for his sword quickly and sliced her hand clean off. That elicited another pained cry from her, but before his very surprised eyes, he watched the arm grow back and out in less than ten seconds.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± He breathed, disbelief making his wordse out light and barely audible.


    Her teeth showed in something too shark-like to be called a smile. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you mess with, child.¡±


    In a sh, she backhanded him, sending him skidding against the ground and his skin peeling in the process. He coughed from the impact of his back mming into the ground and when Bran could see again, he saw the sorceresss drawing her hand back, her hand aglow with light.


    ¡°Leave him,¡± Ariti shouted from somewhere behind Bran and when he could maneuver enough to spot him, Bran saw that the three men that had been fighting him, were all dead.


    Bran forced himself up and leaned back on his elbows.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°The vampire king is mine.¡± Ariti drew closer to him and his smarmy face, the disgusting smile on his face, the sight of Maria¡¯s grey eyes in his evil face, pissed Bran off all over again and the anger filled him with strength.


    He traced to Ariti and lifted his sword to strike when suddenly, he couldn¡¯t move his hands. He frowned, looked down and was beyond puzzled to see a thick chain winding around his body.


    He tried to move his hands but he couldn¡¯t. He even tried to move his legs but his limbs were pressed to his body by the chain and they wouldn¡¯t budge.


    What the hell?


    The chain was a featherpared to what Bran could move. He could lift cars, motorcycles, and once, he¡¯d moved a train. So why couldn¡¯t he get out of the chain?


    ¡°Surprised, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ariti asked him and Bran looked up, seeing the pleased smile the man¡¯s face. ¡°They¡¯re hexed. You can¡¯t get out of them until the Queen here gets you out of them herself.¡±


    Bran turned quickly to the so called ¡®Queen¡¯ and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Get this fucking thing off me.¡±


    She simply blew on her fingers, extinguishing the light dancing there.


    A sharp cry rent the air just then. From the sounds of it, it hade from inside the castle, and Bran recognized the voice instantly. Maria.


    Fear made Bran froze even more than the chains had, and his entire being trembled with the urge to get to her. To make sure that she was safe.


    The mating instincts told him that his mate was in danger, that she would be hurt and he needed to save her. But he couldn¡¯t move out of the chains. He just couldn¡¯t move out of the damn thing.


    ¡°Ah. My men have found Maria.¡± Ariti smirked, rubbing his palms together. ¡°Let¡¯s take this inside, shall we? We wouldn¡¯t want the people knowing what¡¯s happening in the castle, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Bran¡¯s sword ttered to the ground as he was lifted into air, floating along with Ariti and the sorceress as they entered his house like they fucking owned it.

 Truths exposed

    BRAN


    He was dropped into a kneeling position on the ground and his knees stung from the hard impact it made with the dark linoleum floor of his living room.


    The urge to get up and fight redoubled when two men dragged Maria into room. Her arms and legs had been bound and when they dropped her on the ground just as harshly as they¡¯d dropped Bran, he saw tear-streaks on her face and a bright red spot on one cheek.


    Had one of these men pped her?


    Bran saw red.


    The minute he was free from the chains, he would rip them in two. Extricate their limbs from their bodies bit by bit and enjoy their cries of pain. Even in death, they would remember to nevery a hand on anything that belonged to him.     ¡°Hello, daughter,¡± Ariti said to Maria, walking over to her and dragging a finger down her face. She shook away from his touch but that didn¡¯t deter him. ¡°This isn¡¯t the reunion I hoped for, but you have never looked more healthy so I can¡¯tin.¡±


    The asshole. As if he cared about her.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Maria¡¯s head lifted and when her eyestched onto Bran¡¯s from behind Ariti¡¯s average frame, a fresh wave of tears flooded her eyes and ran down her face.


    Don¡¯t cry, he wanted to tell her.


    We¡¯ll be okay, he wanted to tell her.


    But he knew better than to say those words out loud because, hell, Bran didn¡¯t know what he was going to do right now. He was bound, as was Maria. They both had no means of breaking out with these people in the room.


    Right now, the odds were stacked fully against them and it was making it impossible for Bran to think properly. Add that to the mating instinct screaming inside him to get Maria to safety, he was just shy of goingpletely insane.


    ¡°I guess I have the vampire to thank for that, don¡¯t I?¡± Ariti went on, his lips twisting in a wry smile as he threw a look at Bran. ¡°But he was doing it out of his own selfish desires, so that means we¡¯ve evened out.¡±


    Selfish desires? What was he talking about?


    Maria looked just as confused as Bran. The tears were still streaming down her face even though her hair had fallen forward to cover her face like a curtain.


    The sight of her tears made his heart ache, his body restless and his mind worried. So he tried to tell her with his eyes that they would be okay. That he would do everything he could to get her out of this situation, even though he didn¡¯t have the beginnings of a n.


    Creeping down the hallway and into the living room, was Elizabeth. Her head was up and her shoulders were pulled back in that confident way she walked, not knowing that she was walking towards her doom.


    And because Bran still cared about her-even though she had pissed him off alot recently-he yelled at her to go back, that the living room wasn¡¯t safe. But she just kepting and Bran started to think that she couldn¡¯t hear him.


    Until she threw a nervous smile at Ariti, lowering to greet the Queen, then Bran knew that she had heard him. She¡¯d just chosen to ignore him because apparently, she knew these people. Was even friends with them.


    But how?


    ¡°Now the both of you must be wondering how I know Elizabeth here, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll clear your confusions tonight. All of them.¡± Ariti began to pace, his strides long and slow, the look on his face telling Bran that he was enjoying this a bit too much. ¡°You were very unwilling to let my daughter go even after guaranteeing that you¡¯ll get your sister back.¡± Maria¡¯s eyes flew to him at that and her eyes screamed ¡®what the hell?¡¯. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t exin himself right now, he forced himself to look away from her and focus on Ariti. ¡°My first guess was that you were growing feelings for her. So I thought, what better way to open your eyes that Maria isn¡¯t for you than sending your long time mistress to you?¡±


    Bran¡¯s breath caught.


    No. No.


    Fuck, this couldn¡¯t be heading where Bran thought it was.


    ¡°I told her to seduce you,¡± Ariti announced, confirming Bran¡¯s suspicions, and Bran could barely breathe under the weight of the betrayal he felt. ¡°The demoness is one of the most beautiful females I have ever seen. I thought seducing you wouldn¡¯t be an issue. So imagine my surprise when she tells me that she failed.¡± He paused dramatically. ¡°I almost admitted defeat. Almost. But thankfully, I had a back-up n, and this is where my manes in.¡±


    Before Ariti could speak up again, Bran lurched forward like he wanted to attack something. Preferably someone.


    ¡°Elizabeth, how could you do this to me?¡± Bran and Elizabeth¡¯s rtionship went way back. Even though they weren¡¯t going to be lovers anymore, he still cared about her and would always help her any way he could. It hurt terribly that she had betrayed him like this. ¡°I trusted you. I let you into my home-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a man, Bran,¡± Elizabeth snapped, using Bran¡¯s given name for the first time since he¡¯d known her. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly understand what women have to go through everyday.¡± Her face morphed into something evil and ugly and she looked so different, Bran could barely recognise her anymore. ¡°He offered me protection for as long as I lived and in the state I was in, it was the best thing that anyone could ever do for me.¡±


    Situation? What situation?


    ¡°If you were going through anything, you could have told me. I would have helped you in any way that I could.¡±


    Herugh was mocking and it grated on his nerves. ¡°For how long? Until you found your mate?¡± She scoffed. ¡°You expected me to ept your help until you cast me away to the side like I was never there?¡±


    Bran shook his head slowly, unable to believe that this side of Elizabeth existed. That the woman he¡¯d called his mistress for as long as he could remember, had an evil streak in her. That she had the ability to hurt him this deeply.


    ¡°Now,¡± Ariti spoke up when the room had been quiet for a while. ¡°That was fun to watch, but I have toplete my story so that we will all go on our merry ways.¡±


    A quick nce at Maria confirmed that she was still watching, still following everything that was happening, and Bran wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the fact that she¡¯d just watched his ex confess to betraying him so boldly.


    ¡°As I was saying, this is the part where my manes in.¡± Just then, a man entered the living room. Bran recognized him instantly as one of the men he usually had meetings with, and as he did, a chill settled over his spine. ¡°I thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a spy among your men. Someone who would get back to me incase they got useful news, and imagine how delighted I was when I heard that you were agreeing to the deal.¡±


    Fuck.


    Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.


    This couldn¡¯t be happening to Bran. This couldn¡¯t be happening to him right now. Maybe he was dreaming one of Maria¡¯s memories and he would wake up soon.


    But he had never been in Maria¡¯s dreams before, and this felt too fucking real to be a dream.


    ¡°What deal?¡± Maria, who hadn¡¯t said a single word this entire time, asked.


    If Bran could make a wish right now, he would wish for Ariti¡¯s mouth to be sealed forever. For everything to be a dream.


    He didn¡¯t fucking care. He just didn¡¯t want Maria to know the truth.


    ¡°Why, the vampire agreed to give you back to me in exchange for his sister.¡±


    Maria gasped and she fell back on her ass, as though knocked off bnce by the news.

 Queen of Sorceri

    BRAN


    He opened his mouth to exin to her that he had never intended to let her go but his mouth wouldn¡¯t open and his lips wouldn¡¯t move. His lips were sealed together and no matter how hard he tried to open them, they remained firmly shut.


    A thought entered his head and he turned to the sorceress, understanding dawning on him when he saw the amused glint in her eyes.


    She had taken away his ability to speak so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to deny what Ariti was saying.


    That wouldn¡¯t deter him.


    He faced Maria and his eyes pleaded with her to understand. To know that he would never have given her back.


    He could never.


    But her eyes were filling with tears and she just kept shaking her head from side to side, her expression both one of disbelief and immense hurt.


    ¡°Come now, child,¡± Ariti crooned. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect him to choose you over his sister, did you? Do you forget that you were the cause of his parent¡¯s death and his sister¡¯s capture after all?¡±


    The impact the words had on Maria was visible. Her body lost all strength and she sagged into a defeated kneeling position, her head lowered.


    Bran¡¯s frustration damn near killed him. He needed to get to her and exin everything. She would understand. She had to. She had to know what she meant to him. How could she even believe what they were telling her?


    ¡°The destruction of the castle¡¯s walls could have been avoided, of course, but after waiting for several days and the vampire still hadn¡¯t reached out to me, I thought maybe he was merely¡­ enjoying you before he said goodbye and, as always, I was right.¡± He paused. ¡°If you think my words are lies, then ask him what the bracelet on his hand signifies.¡±


    No. No.


    Fuck no.


    Please not that, but he was helpless to stop anything. Not when he was bound and made dumb.


    But it was the sorceress that spoke. ¡°Oh, I like this part.¡± She smiled, gliding over to Maria to cup her cheek. ¡°He asked a witch to make him that bracelet so that he wouldn¡¯t bite you.¡± When Maria¡¯s face filled with confusion at that, the woman smiled. ¡°Crazy, I know. They¡¯re usually in a hurry to bite. But, my dear child, if he bites you, then he¡¯s marking you his forever because¡­¡± She smiled cruelly at Bran, enjoying his torture. His demise. ¡°Because you¡¯re his mate.¡±


    Bran¡¯s heart stopped beating in his chest.


    Both Elizabeth and the guard gasped. Maria probably would have too, but she looked too weak to do anything at this point.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    With her hand on Maria¡¯s face, the sorceress turned her to face him. ¡°Look at him. He can¡¯t even deny it.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°To learn that a man would rather go this length than be mated to you? It must be truly devastating.¡±


    Bran had never wanted to kill a woman more than he did the sorceress.


    And he had never wanted to die more than he did now.


    When a single drop of tear fell from Maria¡¯s eyes, heartbreak itself written over her features, Bran shook his head, desperate to tell her that it wasn¡¯t what she thought it was. That he had a perfect exnation.


    But he couldn¡¯t fucking speak and the words remained trapped in his throat. She was hurting and he was hurting. He wanted to hold her so bad, he vibrated with the urgency.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the remainder of the story.¡± Ariti spoke up, pushing away from the wall he had been leaning on. He nced at Maria. ¡°I have told you before that love is a fickle notion, have I not? You refused to believe me.¡± Then to the room in general, he said, ¡°I do not really care about my daughter this much, I must say. I just need her blood.¡±


    ¡°Blood?¡± Elizabeth asked, puzzled.


    Maria said nothing.


    ¡°Yes. Do you seriously think I would go this length to get you back?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Some while back, I found out that my powers are being withheld by the Sorceri permanently. They weren¡¯t going to tell me, can you believe that?¡± He shook his head as though he really couldn¡¯t understand why they would do that. ¡°So I meet the queen and she tells me that she knows a way to get my power back. But I would need a sacrifice of the queen of Sorceri and a female vampire from a royal bloodline.¡±


    The whole room was pin-drop silent now.


    ¡°If I¡¯d taken your mother,¡± this one was addressed at Bran. ¡°Your father would have killed himself anyway. And if I had taken your sister, I would have had the whole kingdom after me. I had to kill your parents, then take your sister. It was safer that way.¡±


    Bran¡¯s vision turned red with anger. That Ariti dared speak about his parents that way¡­


    ¡°You must have done the calctions already, but just incase, I¡¯ll do it for you. Your sister is the female vampire from a royal bloodline and Maria, my clueless daughter here, is the Queen of Sorceri.¡± He smiled. ¡°Shocking, I know. I was shocked when I found out too.¡±


    There was a gasp, and when Bran turned, he saw that it hade from Maria. Her grey eyes were two pools of pain, the waters, tears, running down her face unbidden.


    Queen of Sorceri?


    He didn¡¯t know exactly what that meant but he didn¡¯t have to. Ariti nned to sacrifice his sister just so that he would get his powers back. Fucking hell, Maria must be carrying so much pain right now. How much more could she take before she broke under the weight?


    ¡°Imagine how envious I was when I heard it,¡± The queen said with a small, absent smile.


    ¡°So there you have it.¡± Ariti pped loudly. ¡°I never intended to give your sister back to you. Both her and my daughter are going to have to die in order for me to get my powers back.¡± He waved to the queen, his movements hurried. ¡°We have to leave soon. I am excited to begin the process. But before we do, please end the vampire.¡±


    The queen smirked. ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    Bran waspletely helpless. He had no way of exining himself, no means of fighting back. No one woulde to their aid.


    Maybe it was time to ept his fate. He deserved it for all the pain he¡¯d caused Maria.


    The sorceress lifted her hand to deliver Bran¡¯s death blow, and Bran turned to look at Maria onest time, memorising her features,mitting them to memory when suddenly, Maria, with her eyes locked on his, squeezed her eyes shut and gave an ear-splitting scream.


    A white light burst from her, spreading across the room and shrouding it in brightness until it was too bright for even Bran to see.


    Then suddenly, he heard pained groans, terrified cries, and finally, felt the pressure in his body giving away.


    Even in his blinded state, he kept asking himself one question; What just happened?

 Maria鈥檚 revenge

    MARIA


    ¡°You must have done the calctions already, but just incase, I¡¯ll do it for you. Your sister is the female vampire from a royal bloodline and Maria, my clueless daughter here, is the Queen of Sorceri.¡±


    After those words, Maria heard nothing else. It was like her ability to hear disappeared and she could only think. Feel.


    What did her father just say?


    She was the Queen of Sorceri?


    How was that even possible?


    The Queen of Sorceri was basically the most powerful sorceress amongst the Sorceri and if she was that creature, then she was the most powerful sorceress in the worlds. But how could that be? She had never felt weaker than she did right now.


    And to think that her own father wanted to offer her as a sacrifice just to get his powers back. After using her to do all his evil work, he was going to kill her? Was she so worthless to him?


    Tears slid down her cheek continuously but no sound came out of her mouth. She was too astonished by everything she¡¯d learnt today. First, finding out that she was Bran¡¯s mate-she still did not know how to take that news-then hearing that the bracelet she¡¯d been admiring on him all this while was to stop him from iming her as his. Then to learning that Bran had decided to give her to her father like she was a piece of paper being passed back and forth, from one cruel man to another, until it tore under their rough hands.


    Bran had broken her heart so thoroughly that she¡¯d almost been able to hear it cracking in her chest, and with it, pain had swamped her, making her it¡¯s best friend as tears flowed unhindered down her cheeks.


    But Bran looked tortured, wrestling against some sort of hold like he wanted toe to her. Like the words weren¡¯t true.


    Gods, she wanted so desperately to believe that everything she¡¯d heard wasn¡¯t true but all evidences pointed to them being true.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    No wonder he had been so closed off about the cor. No wonder he didn¡¯t let her venture past the castle grounds. It hurt to know that all those times he would kiss her and curl on the bed with her, he¡¯d been nning on shoving her into Ariti¡¯s arms.


    How could he do this to her? How could he hurt her this way?


    When Maria looked back up, she saw that the Queen of Evil had moved until she was now standing beside Bran, her hand drawn back from her. Her intent was clear in the way she stood, her shoulders drawn back, ready to unleash evil.


    Oh gods they were going to kill Bran.


    She turned quickly to her father and saw him watching the scene y out, his hands sped behind him and the expression on his face, one of absolute excitement. The queen wouldn¡¯t do anything without her father asking her to, and right now, it looked like her father had ordered her to kill Bran.


    No.


    No.


    He might have hurt her but she couldn¡¯t let him die. Feeling her gaze on him, he looked at her then and her heart hurt at the yearning that filled his eyes. The longing that reflected in the green depths, calling out to her soul. To her very being.


    She couldn¡¯t let him die. She couldn¡¯t watch him die. He had a sister that loved him. A sister that was probably waiting right now for him to save her. She loved him too much to watch anything-


    Oh fuck.


    Maria loved him. She loved him more than anything in the whole bloody worlds to the extent that she¡¯d picked being with him over going back to Ariti and doing everything she could to make sure that her mother was safe.


    Maria was finally feeling love for the first time in her life and this sorceress would dare kill the one man that had sprouted the feeling in her?


    Her father would dare try to take him away after everything he¡¯d already stolen from her? Her life, her happiness, her mother, and now Bran?


    To think that he would dare try to kill him¡­


    Unholy rage filled Maria and she threw her head back on a scream that shook her body. A pressure started up in her chest and forced its way up her throat, wanting to be let out along with the scream.


    Confusion filled her, as did a rush of power. Spreading to her limbs and taking up every inch of her until she felt so full, she thought she was going tobust.


    What was happening to her?


    Her vision went blurry as white light filled the room and the rope tying her legs and hands together gave way. She suddenly felt free-freer than she had ever felt-and much more powerful than she had ever been. So powerful that it almost felt too much for her, like her body couldn¡¯t contain the amount of power it was holding.


    Again, what was happening to her?


    Just as quickly as her vision had gone blurry, it cleared. The room was suddenly ten times sharper than it had ever been and her hearing was amplified.


    At first, she thought that she was using her powers until she looked down and saw that her palms weren¡¯t lit. They weren¡¯t even open-and they definitely weren¡¯t bound anymore.


    There were pained groans and grunts all around her and as she rose to her feet on unsteady legs, she saw that both Ariti and the Queen of evil were on the ground, bloodied and injured.


    What the hell?


    Ariti was dragging himself across the floor, blood dripping from his fingers on every surface he touched. His face was twisted with pain, his mouth hanging open.


    The Queen of evil had been disposed far from Ariti, her limp body sagging against the wall as she stared straight ahead, her eyes unseeing. Both Elizabeth and Bran¡¯s man that had betrayed him were near dead as well.


    Speaking of¡­


    Her head whipped in the direction Bran had been kneeling and she saw that, thankfully, he was still in that same spot, but the chain no more binded him and he wasn¡¯t kneeling anymore.


    She was surprised to see that he hadn¡¯t been hurt like the other people-not a single part of him. He lurched to his feet and made a move toe towards her, taking one step, before stopping, unsure.


    ¡°Who did all this?¡± She asked him, gesturing to Ariti who was still groaning in pain, trying to crawl his way to her.


    Bran¡¯s voice was hoarse when he spoke. ¡°You.¡± He swallowed, ran his eyes over her as though he couldn¡¯t stop himself, then forced his eyes back up to her face with great effort. ¡°You did.¡±


    But how?

 Heartbreak and separation

    MARIA


    She turned to face Ariti, giving her back to Bran. She felt different. Her hair, which usually stopped at her waist, was brushing against her backside. She didn¡¯t know how that was possible, but she knew that was what she was feeling. Her movement was also different, her thighs brushing against each other more than they usually did. Even her breasts felt heavier on her chest, straining against the material of her bra.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Something was different and she didn¡¯t quite know what it was. She would take her time to check, butter.


    For now, she had more important things to do. Namely, putting an end to the evil that was her father.


    A force drove her, prompting her to go towards him. She didn¡¯t understand it. When she moved, it was like it wasn¡¯t her moving, more like it was her powers driving her forward and had her crouching low before Ariti.


    ¡°For so long you have treated me wrongly,¡± she began, her voice a harsh whisper that had Ariti struggling to look up at her. ¡°You used my love for my mother against me, making me do all your dirty work while you stood on the sidelines, watching and smiling like the evil bastard that you are.¡±


    ¡°M-Ma-¡± he struggled to say her name but she hushed him.


    ¡°You took everything away from me,¡± she snapped, fighting the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes. ¡°My freedom, my innocence, my childhood, my mother, and now this.¡± She whispered thatst part so that Bran wouldn¡¯t hear if he was paying attention to them. ¡°You took this away from me too. You took too much from me, father, and I am done letting you take.¡± She rose to her feet and stared at him lying down there beneath her. Exactly where he ought to be. ¡°The time hase for you to pay.¡±


    Ariti gasped and rolled over onto his back with great effort. His breaths wheezed in and out of him through his teeth. ¡°B-but I a-am your f-f-father.¡±


    A cold smile settled on Maria¡¯s lips as her decision solidified in her mind. ¡°No. You never were a father.¡± Then she lifted her hand, static purple light ring to life in her palm and forming into an orb-like shape before sheunched it straight into his chest.


    She had thought that she would feel satisfaction, relief, freedom, anything at all when she killed him. But as she stared at his body depleting of whatever life was left in it, she felt nothing.


    Absolutely nothing.


    Launching another st into the Queen of Evil¡¯s chest, Maria turned around and faced Bran. She would not touch either Elizabeth or his man. Let him do whatever he wanted with them.


    She just needed¡­ closure before she took her next step. And Maria already knew what her next step was.


    Not only did she feel different, she felt driven. Like she had a purpose. And the longer she stood here, the more time she wasted.


    The look of wariness mixed with desperation on Bran¡¯s face told her that he had been waiting for her to acknowledge him for a while now, which did not add up considering all that Ariti had told her.


    Why did he continue to pretend like he cared for her when all she¡¯d been to him was just a woman that warmed his bed?


    ¡°Maria.¡± He took two quick steps towards her but she warded him away with a lifted hand, and he halted.


    ¡°The things he said¡­¡± She forced herself to swallow. Her throat was tight, like there was a rock the size of her fist lodged in. ¡°Were they true?¡±


    ¡°Maria, you have to understand-¡±


    ¡°Answer me.¡±


    His hands went to his hips, dropped to his sides, then went to his hips again and he looked away from her. ¡°Yes, but not for the reasons you think. I can exin-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± She shook her head and stepped away from him, wanting to put as much space between them as possible because suddenly, being near him hurt. It hurt so bad. ¡°I perfectly understand why you did them.¡± Her heart was aching and her body started shaking. ¡°I was nothing but a warm body to you, was I? You knew all along that I cared about you, you knew how I felt and yet¡­¡± A sob escaped her lips as her decision to keep her feelings in check shot to hell. ¡°And yet you hurt me this way. You¡¯re no different from him.¡± She pointed at Ariti¡¯s dead body and Bran lurched forward, wanting to hold her. She yanked her hand back.


    He growled. ¡°Don¡¯t everpare me to him.¡±


    ¡°But you did the same thing he did, didn¡¯t you?¡± A clip of her memories with him seemed to sh before her eyes in slow motion. Him kissing her, telling her how beautiful he thought she was, love shinning in his eyes, him smiling at her, letting her see those little parts of him that she had never seen before. They were all fake. ¡°You used me. You tricked me into believing that you cared about me, even if a little.¡±


    ¡°Goddamn it, Maria. Let me hold you.¡± His eyes were filled with torment, his voiceced with pain. His hands were fisting and unfisting by his sides, legs nted on the floor.


    Maria was sobbing uncontrobly now and she couldn¡¯t think past her pain. She¡¯d thought that her heart had broken before but now that he¡¯d confirmed that everything Ariti said was true, it was like a chunk of her heart had been removed, and it was never going to be whole again.


    Her heart was never going to be the same again.


    ¡°I gave you everything. My secrets, my virginity, every single thing I hold dear.¡± Her voice broke when she said, ¡°You made me fall in love with you.¡±


    She watched, through eyes blurry with tears, as his whole body jerked with that confession.


    ¡°Please, Maria, let me exin.¡± He begged, the words ragged.


    ¡°No!¡± She yelled. ¡°There is no excuse for what you di-¡±


    ¡°I had no choice!¡± His outburst took Maria by surprise and it silenced her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do it. Fuck, I didn¡¯t even want to. But Ariti had killed over a hundred vigers already and they all knew why he was doing it. He told them that I had you.¡± His breathing was harsh, his hands fisting his hair and pulling at the dark strands. ¡°I had no choice,¡± he repeated. ¡°The only way to save my people was to give you back but I swear on my life, I vowed toe back for you. I was not going to rest until I had you back.¡±


    It was like the words had been wrenched from the deepest parts of him and they made Maria want to believe him. He sounded like he was saying the truth and she wanted to believe him so bad.


    So fucking bad.


    ¡°What about the bracelet? Why did you do it?¡±


    His breath left him on a sigh and when he looked at her, his eyes were filled with guilt. ¡°With everything that was happening, I couldn¡¯t risk marking you and having the people know that you were my mate. The cor reduced the urge.¡±


    Maria nodded as her heart took another hit. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the organ stopped workingpletely after today.


    ¡°Were you ever going to tell me?¡± His eyes flew up to hers. ¡°Were you ever going to tell me that I was your mate?¡±


    His eyes darted away and that was all the answer Maria needed.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    He rushed forward and reached out to touch her but she red at him with tear-filled eyes and he cursed, running his hands through his hair instead. ¡°You have to understand. How will I tell the people that the king¡¯s mate is the same person that had killed thete king and queen?¡±


    Maria stumbled back as another wave of hurt crashed into her. He would never stop thinking about her past, would he?


    ¡°So what was your n?¡± She asked him, more angry than hurt now. ¡°To make me your mistress forever? Did you seriously think that the bracelet would work that efficiently? Everything has an expiry date, for fucks sake.¡±


    ¡°I know! Fuck, I know. But I just needed time to sort things out¡­¡± He trailed off at the sight of her shaking her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no justifying what you did, Bran.¡± Forcing strength into her spine, she lifted her head and wove a mour of indifference over herself. She had never needed one with him before but he wasn¡¯t the person she¡¯d thought he was. ¡°You hurt me far more than my father ever could. Gods, I feel so fucking stupid right now for believing that you had truly changed. You treated me like a dirty little secret and you were just going to keep what we had that way, weren¡¯t you? A dirty little secret.¡± His face contorted in pain but she pushed on. ¡°I should have known that a cruel person would always remain cruel and I should have known better than to believe in love. In men.¡± She smiled, the smile as hollow as she felt. ¡°Of course my father told me but I didn¡¯t believe it. Thank you for proving it to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Bran pleaded with panicked eyes. ¡°What I did was stupid and selfish, I see that now. Please-¡±


    She turned away from him, unable to bear the sight of him begging her. It was making her weak and causing her heart to hurt more.


    She needed to leave here. She needed to leave so badly.


    ¡°Princess¡­¡±


    That endearment hurt even more right now.


    With her back to him, she said, ¡°You said you were torn over choosing between your kingdom and me.¡± Pressing her eyes shut as a lone tear slid down her cheek, she said, ¡°Now, you don¡¯t have to choose anymore.¡±


    When she opened her eyes again, she saw that she was standing in Ariti¡¯s house. She didn¡¯t understand how she had appeared here but she knew why.


    This was the next step towards her future.


    Wiping her eyes, she put one foot in front of the other and began to walk, wiping the tears from her eyes.


    She knew what she had to do.

 Mother and daughter reunion

    MARIA


    She searched all the rooms in the house, even went down to the dungeons to check but she still couldn¡¯t find who she was looking for.


    Then she came face to face with the door to the room she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to enter. Its huge ck mahogany door taunted her, daring her to push it open. To step into the room that she had not entered since she was a child. A room that was no doubt still filled with the presence of herte father.


    But she shouldn¡¯t be scared, should she? She was the Queen of Sorceri, and with every second that passed, the thought started to solidify in her mind.


    With a wave of her hand, she sent the door flying back and she stormed in, her eyes sweeping the dark walls of the room where a single portrait of Ariti hung. Her powers had the frame crashing to the ground face-down.


    The man in the picture was dead. It was fitting that the picture should be destroyed too.


    Her eyes searching the room, she saw a door behind a shelf. The shelf obstructed the door sopletely that she would have not been able to see through it, but her powers had heightened everything and the door behind the shelf became a bright light, calling to her.


    She opened the door with her powers and creeped in. The room was dark and filled with restless energy that automatically drew her in. It transferred its energy to her and made her restless.


    Restless and anxious to help the creature within.


    Feeling along the wall for a light switch, she found it and flicked it, and the room was bathed with light. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness, her body slumped forward and a gasp escaped her lips.


    Floating in the air smack in the center of the room, was her mother. Tall and curvy and so bloody beautiful, she made Maria¡¯s heart ache.


    When Maria had gone into the room where her father usually kept her mother and hadn¡¯t found her there, she¡¯d thought for a brief second that maybe her father had taken her out of the house, but then her powers had brought her directly into this house for a reason. There was no way her mother couldn¡¯t be in here.


    And with that thought, Maria had kept searching all the rooms until she¡¯d stumbled upon Ariti¡¯s room and something had told her to go in.


    Her mother¡¯s face was pale from years of being inside, her eyes closed as though she was sleeping. Her expression was peaceful, calm, and to anyone that saw her, they would think that she was merely resting, not knowing that she was in torment.


    Knowing that her mother was suffering hurt her and she couldn¡¯t bear seeing her like that anymore.


    There was a spell for putting a creature in limbo and bringing it back out, but Maria didn¡¯t know it. She¡¯d never bothered to learn the spell because it was an incredibly powerful one and only truly powerful Sorceri could pull it off.


    How ironic was it that she was now the most powerful Sorceri?


    She started pacing, her head bowed so that the sight of her mother wouldn¡¯t distract her.


    How was she going to get her out now? She didn¡¯t know the spell and didn¡¯t know where the book of spells was in the house. Sure, she could easily go and find it or better still conjure it out of air, but-


    Words mmed into her mind just then, causing Maria to stumble for a bit before righting herself.


    Her mouth moved as she spoke the words out loud, her eyes widening when she realized that it was the spell that would take a creature out of limbo. A spell that would take her mother out of limbo.


    But it was jumbled, the words not quite what they should be. They didn¡¯t make sense to her, at least. So she rearranged them in her head, said them out loud, repeated the process again and again until they finally made sense to her.


    Okay, okay.


    She blew out a breath, bracing herself for the spell and any impact it might have on her. Squinting in concentration, she began to narrate it and instantly, there was a change in the atmosphere. The air grew thick with an ominous presence and the wind blew faster, sending the windows in the room flying open.


    Maria, surprised by this but having expected something of the nature, focused on the spell she was reciting, her voice growing higher as she reached the end and the forces in the room growing more violent, more forceful.


    As she recited the spell for thest time, it was like the forces holding her mother up gave way and she started to float to the floor, her long white gown pooling around her.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Maria cried as she rushed towards her, unable to believe that her mother was now free. That her body was finally touching the ground after over thirteen years.


    When she reached where her mother was, she sat on the ground and lifted her until her upper body was lying on top of Maria¡¯s legs. cing a palm against her cheek, Maria felt her cold skin starting to show signs of warmth. She had always been able to breathe even when she was locked in limbo but now her breaths came faster, with purpose.


    Maria cradled her mother, hwr head thrown back as she thanked the gods for giving her the gift of her powers. For making it able for her to avenge her and her mother, and to free the one thing she cared about most in the worlds.


    Her heart gave a sharp pang as she thought about Bran, about how she had grown to love him and how he had be as important to her as air. Why was it now that her life was finallying to make sense that she¡¯d found out that he didn¡¯t care for her? Or rather that he¡¯d betrayed her?


    Because she¡¯d seen the look in his eyes. He still cared for her. He just had a crappy way of showing it-or maybe he just didn¡¯t want to show it at all.


    ¡°I hope those are not tears I see in your eyes, my love.¡±


    Maria¡¯s breath caught.


    Slowly, painstakingly slowly, Maria looked down with her heart in her throat. When she saw her mother¡¯s warm brown eyes looking back at her, alive and so very well, a single tear slid down her cheek.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, love?¡± Her mother lifted one hand and cupped Maria¡¯s wet cheeks with it. ¡°Is there a particr reason you¡¯re crying right now?¡±


    Her mother had always told her to stand strong and to never let her situation get the best of her to the point that she started crying.


    Sniffling, Maria shook her head even as the tears poured more forcefully from her eyes. ¡°No. I¡¯m not crying.¡± She shook her head again, forcing a wet smile. ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Her mother lifted herself to a sitting position with some series of grunts that made Maria¡¯s heart ache. Looking around the room, she asked, ¡°Where are we?¡±


    Unable to fight the urge anymore, Maria threw herself at her mother, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug and after a moment in which she was probably surprised, her mother wrapped her arms around her tight and they stayed that way for a while.


    When they pulled apart, Maria told her mother that there was something she needed to do.


    Taking her mother safely to the front of the house, Maria went back in. The house was empty and all Ariti¡¯s workers had run for their lives, not wanting to have anything to do with him anymore.


    Just as the man who had brought such evil to people far and wide was now dead, the house needed to die too and the best way to kill it, was to burn it.


    Maria was going to burn it to the ground.


    Before her eyes, a single line of fire appeared at the entrance of the house and spread out slowly, destroying things as it went.


    Maria sucked in a surprised breath. She was still surprised, she wasnt going to lie. The things she could do with her new powers¡­


    All she had to do was think something and it was already happening.


    Before, she would have envisioned a gallon of fuel and a matchbox and she would have started a fire with them. But with her new powers, she just had to think about burning the ce and it was set aze.


    ¡°As soon as we get there, you are going to tell me everything,¡± Maria¡¯s mother told her from where they were watching the house go under.


    ¡°Everything,¡± Maria nodded and took her mother¡¯s hand.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Hand in hand, they set out to their new home as the house they had both lived in for the past years, burnt to the ground, leaving ruin in its wake.


    ***


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe your father put you through that,¡± her mother whispered brokenly, tears free-falling down her cheeks.


    Over the past hour since they¡¯d arrived at a house her mother had secured about twenty years ago when she¡¯d been nning on running away from Ariti, Maria had narrated her experience at the hands of the man who called himself her father to her mother.


    As expected, her mother had taken it personally, ming herself for everything and Maria couldn¡¯t bear it.


    ¡°He was a heartless man, Mother,¡± Maria wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand, tired of crying. She had cried enough for one day. ¡°I¡¯m just d we don¡¯t have to worry about him anymore.¡±


    ¡°But the vampire!¡± Her mother cried, her tall frame folded in the grey couch in their living room. When they¡¯d arrived, Maria had cleaned the whole ce with her powers, doing what would have taken them days, in mere minutes. ¡°What he made you go through. I can never forgive him for that.¡±


    Sighing, Maria covered her face with her hands. She¡¯d told her mother everything. Every single thing. But she hadn¡¯t told her that she¡¯d grown feelings for the vampire, that they¡¯d grown to care about each other.


    Well, at least that was what she¡¯d thought.


    ¡°I love him, Mother.¡±


    The room was silent but for the ticking of the clock.


    ¡°You love the vampire?¡± The surprise in her mother¡¯s voice was evident. ¡°The same one that locked you in his cells, starved and tortured you?¡±


    Maria nodded, her hands still pressed to her face.


    ¡°Well, then I forgive him.¡±


    Peeling her palms from her face, Maria peeked at her mother, wanting to see whether she meant the words or not.


    ¡°You do?¡±


    Her mother nodded easily, her eyes lingering on Maria¡¯s face. ¡°I know for a fact that my daughter is no fool. If you love him, then he has to be¡­ something.¡±


    Emotion clogged Maria¡¯s throat and fresh tears sprang to her eyes. ¡°He is something, Mother.¡± She forced herself to swallow past the lump. ¡°I love him so much but he hurt me. H-he doesn-¡±


    ¡°Come here, my love.¡± Her mother extended her arms and Maria hurried over to her, sitting next to her on the couch and burying her face in her mother¡¯s neck as sobs wracked body.


    Her mother held her as she cried, murmuring soothing words in her ear and running her hand through Maria¡¯s hair.


    When her sobs finally died down, her mother said, ¡°If he has half a brain, my love, then he¡¯ll realize that he¡¯s made a mistake and cone after you.¡± Her touch was feather light, her words just as soft. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t, then he¡¯s not the one for you. In the meantime, can you stand so that I can look at you? I honestly cannot believe how much you¡¯ve grown.¡±


    Despite how heavy Maria¡¯s heart was, a smile formed on her lips.


    They had a lot of catching up to do.


    Gods, she¡¯d missed her mother so much.

 Finding Iris

    BRAN


    ¡°If you value what is left of your miserable fucking life, you will tell me where my sister is right now.¡±


    Bran might as well be talking to himself because there was no sign on the man¡¯s face to show that he¡¯d just heard what Bran said. His eyes remainedpletely shut and his face, nk.


    Making a fist, Bran reared his hand back and sent his fist flying into the man¡¯s face, getting him right in his nose.


    The asshole jerked from the impact and groaned, his hands flying to his face to cradle his broken bone, confirming Bran¡¯s suspicions that the man actually was alive but was just pretending that he wasn¡¯t so that Bran would think him dead and abandon him.


    This was the man that had betrayed him. The man that had given confidential information to Ariti. The man that had indirectly contributed to him losing Maria.


    At the thought, his heart gave a sharp throb and an ache started at the back of his right eye. Hating the man even more for what he had caused him, Bran sent two more punches into the man¡¯s face and only stopped because he still needed him to answer his question.


    ¡°Where the hell is my sister?¡± Bran yelled, gripping the man by his cor and shaking him.


    The man groaned and his head lolled to the side. ¡°Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me where my sister is right fucking now or I¡¯m going to extinguish the remaining life from your body so fucking slowly that you¡¯ll beg me to make it quick.¡± Bran sneered, his hands tightening on the man¡¯s cor with the urge to follow through on his threats. ¡°I will tear your limbs out one by one until you beg me to put an end to your suffering.¡±


    The air reeked of something acidic and Bran felt something touching his boots. Looking down, he saw that the man had pissed himself.


    A grimace formed on Bran¡¯s face. How fucking perfect.


    ¡°Tell me.¡± The man¡¯s eyes has ssed over-probably-with fear and Bran had to shake him again to get him to focus.


    Stammering, he said, ¡°S-she¡¯s being held close to the cells. That was where the portal led us.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Close to the cells? In his castle?


    His sister had been within reach this entire time they had been fighting and he didn¡¯t know?


    Lips peeling back from his teeth in anger, Bran gripped the man¡¯s head in his two hands and twisted, snapping the man¡¯s neck. His head dropped to the ground with a thud, eyes rolled back.


    Bran rose from where he had been crouching next to the man and wiped the urine on his boots on the man¡¯s shirt before side-stepping him, his eyes lingering on the dead corpses on his living room floor.


    Fuck, he couldn¡¯t believe that Maria had done this without even knowing that she¡¯d done it. He suspected that she had hit her immortality but she hadn¡¯t known either.


    He believed that she had, because after that moment when she¡¯d screamed and fallen everyone in the room, when she¡¯d stood, she¡¯d changed. She had appeared rounder, fuller. Her hips had been fuller, her breasts rounder and her hair longer. Even the way she walked had been different, her strides more sensual, the greys of her eyes darker.


    And, fuck, Bran had never been more attracted to her than he¡¯d been in that moment and he had never loved her more than he did when she¡¯d turned and faced him with her fierce expression.


    Yes. Yes, he loved her.


    It was just unfortunate that it had taken her leaving him for him to realize that.


    He¡¯d wanted to tell her.


    To tell her that she was it for him, to convince her toe back. Hell, he had been willing to get down on his knees and beg, but she had not been willing to listen to him. She had been too angry, her feelings too raw.


    He would give her a few hours even though it fucking killed him. He would give her a few hours to calm down, then he would go after her.


    As he passed Elizabeth, he saw that her fingers were still twitching with life but not for long. Her injuries were fatal and in less than an hour time, she would be out cold. He felt absolutely nothing at all for his ex-lover. She deserved a worse fate for betraying him the way that she had.


    Bran was already running down the hallway when he suddenly skidded to a halt, cursed then traced. Why on earth had he been using his legs when he could easily trace?


    That just showed how lost he was. How out of sorts he was from the events of the day, the betrayals he had suffered and the loss of his mate.


    He appeared in the corridor that led to the cells and saw that the space was packed full with bound men and women. The sight answered the question of where his men had been when Ariti had them bound in the living room.


    So him and the sorceress had bound all his men and left them down here so that they would not be able to help.


    ¡°What are you all doing down here?¡± He asked as he made his way through the throng of bodies, searching for the one that resembled his sister.


    ¡°We were bound by the sorceress.¡± One man leaning back against the wall answered. ¡°The ropes are hexed so that even if we try to trace out of them, we cannot.¡±


    Now that answered Bran¡¯s other question.


    Leaning down, he quickly untied the man¡¯s hands and legs. ¡°Untie the other men.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for the man to reply. He hastily continued his search for his sister until he found a slight form at the end of the corridor, her knees pulled up and her head bent low.


    Bran¡¯s heart gave a sharp pang from both excitement and relief.


    With her milky white skin and bright blue gown, Iris would stand out anywhere even if she tried to blend in as much as she could.


    Bran hurried over to her and tapped her on her shoulder. ¡°Iris.¡± She didn¡¯t move. ¡°Iris, we have to leave.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡± The words were muffled by her gown.


    ¡°I would if I could but you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m here and-¡±


    Her head flew up immediately and her eyes grew wide. ¡°Brother?¡±


    Words could not describe how happy Bran was to finally see and hold his sister after so long. To know within him that the war was over, that the people would have their princess back and that he would have his sister back, was almost impossible for him to believe.


    Joy filled him, but it was held back by one thing. Sadness that Maria was not with them to celebrate. That she was the only reason Iris was here because he¡¯d had to give her up.


    And that knowledge was why Bran couldn¡¯t muster up a smile for his sister no matter how hard he tried.


    So that she wouldn¡¯t worry, he crushed her to him and hugged her tightly, breathing in her familiar scent, although tainted by grit, smoke and dirt.

 You love her

    BRAN


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that when I finally step into this castle for the first time in many months, it had to be the dungeons.¡±


    Bran looked up from the ss of blood he was holding.


    To celebrate her return-a private celebration before the official one-she had requested for food because apparently, the blood Iris had been fed in the realm of Sorceri had been terribly stale andcked taste.


    Iris was at her third cup already, but Bran had not been able to take a single sip of his drink. All he did was stare at the clock on the wall of his study room, and count the hours until he could finally start to search for Maria.


    While Iris had gone into her room to freshen up, Bran had gone into his own room, wrenched the bracelet away from his arm and tossed it out through his window, hating the damn thing for what it meant. How it had contributed to him losing his mate.


    ¡°Bran,¡± At the mention of his name, Bran blinked, only now realizing that he had been staring at Iris this entire time. ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet.¡±


    Of course his sister had noticed the dark cloud that settled over his mood. He had tried to hide it as best as he could because it was her first day back and he wanted her to know that he had missed her, but some things were just impossible to hide.


    He sighed, abandoning the ss of blood on the table and falling back to rest on his chair. ¡°I¡¯ve a lot on my mind.¡±


    Iris sat up immediately, her eyes growing sharp. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    Bran studied his sister, noticing how she had changed so much in the few months that she had been taken away from him. It was like she had matured more, her eyes sharper and much more intelligent for someone her age, her words more direct.


    Before they had taken her, Iris used to be timid, running away from conversations, but she was different now. More outspoken.


    He wasn¡¯tpletely sure if that was a good thing.


    ¡°Not really,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Why do I have a feeling that it¡¯s about the sorceress?¡± Iris asked with light amusement in her tone.


    ¡°The sorceress has a name.¡±


    One brow lifted. ¡°So it is about her after all.¡±


    ¡°I did not say that, did I?¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Honestly, Bran did not want to talk about her with Iris. Well, it wasn¡¯t really that he didn¡¯t want to. He wanted to, but he wasn¡¯t much of a talker and Maria had killed their parents after all. Iris could not be happy about that.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that she¡¯s not who we want her to be, brother,¡± Iris sighed, her shoulders sagging. ¡°I liked her. A lot. She was my first friend, I believe, and I thought that when we got out, I would get to know her more.¡± Bran was so surprised by Iris¡¯ confessions, he could only watch her speak. ¡°Imagine how surprised and ted I was when I saw that you let her out. I merely thought that you were helping her but then I found out who she was and¡­ and it broke me.¡±


    A lump formed in Bran¡¯s throat and he felt an odd stinging sensation in his eyes that made him rub at them.


    Hell, after Iris had freshened up, he¡¯d told her everything. About Maria¡¯s role and how she was Ariti¡¯s daughter, but he hadn¡¯t told her that she wasn¡¯t really who he¡¯d thought she was.


    He hadn¡¯t told her that he was head over heels in love with her.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t kill mother and father on purpose, Iris,¡± Bran told her after a moment of quiet.


    Lines formed between Iris¡¯ brows. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Those things she did¡­¡± Bran shook his head, frowning when his eyes started to sting even more. What the hell was happening to them? ¡°Everything she did, her father made her do. He ckmailed her and tortured her until she had no choice but to do what he wanted.¡± When Iris¡¯ jaws hit the ground, Bran repeated. ¡°She never meant to do those things.¡±


    With seemingly great effort, Iris picked her jaw back up, her eyes wide and shocked. ¡°Wow.¡± She pushed her hair back from her face and it reminded Bran of Maria. His chest tightened and he turned to look at the time. He would give her another hour. ¡°But¡­ wow. Just wow. How could her own father do that to her?¡±


    ¡°Because he was an evil man.¡± Bran shrugged. ¡°Maria would never do those things. She would never hurt anyone without reason. She¡¯s too good for that.¡± He turned away from his sister, unable to look at her anymore. Not when he was so raw, he felt like he was cut and syed wide open. ¡°She¡¯s the sweetest. The absolute best. Sometimes, I feel like she¡¯s too good to be true.¡±


    The room was silent for a while, then, ¡°You love her.¡±


    A quiet statement, not a question.


    Bran didn¡¯t answer because it was pointless. The fact couldn¡¯t be argued.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± His sister asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go after her in the next hour.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going after her?¡± There was surprise in her voice. ¡°Why did she leave? Where is she?¡±


    Squeezing his eyes close to fight back the burning sensation which was getting worse by the minute, Bran told his sister everything that had happened. About the bracelet and how he had nned on giving Maria back to her father.


    About how he had refused to tell her that she was his mate.


    He didn¡¯t look at her but he could hear the tears in her voice when she said, ¡°Oh, Bran. You must have hurt her so deeply.¡±


    Fuck. That did nothing to help the burn in Bran¡¯s chest-the gaping hole where his heart was.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make it right.¡± He hoped he sounded confident because he sure didn¡¯t feel it. ¡°I¡¯m going to fix it.¡±


    Iris sighed warily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother, but you can¡¯t go to her. Not now.¡±


    Bran sat up immediately and red at her. ¡°Why the hell not?¡±


    His sister¡¯s eyes were soft andpassionate. ¡°Because she¡¯s still very much hurt right now and nothing you say is going to get across to her.¡±


    ¡°I know but-¡±


    ¡°No buts, Bran.¡± Her voice turned hard with authority, surprising him. ¡°Take it from a fellow woman. She¡¯s not going to listen to you right now. Give her a few days before you go.¡±


    A few days?


    He was already shaking his head. ¡°No, Iris. Fuck no.¡± She¡¯d been gone just a few hours and he already felt like his world was being torn apart, his heart shedding bit by bit in his chest. ¡°I won¡¯t survive a day without her. I won¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Iris shook her head slowly and reached out across the table to grip Bran¡¯s hand, squeezing it. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a few days then you¡¯ll go to her.¡± Bran was about to speak when she pushed on. ¡°Even better, I¡¯ll go to her and exin everything. There¡¯s a greater chance of her listening to me than her you.¡±


    Even though Bran hated it, he had to admit that she was right. Maria had just today learnt that her father had intended to offer her as a sacrifice and that he-Bran-had betrayed her in more ways than one.


    Maybe she needed a few days to heal from everything and yes, there were greater chances of her listening to Iris, than her listening to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, brother,¡± Iris said, squeezing his hand once more before she let go and Bran drew strength from the confidence in her gaze. ¡°We¡¯ll make it work.¡±


    Fucking shit. He was going to be apart from Maria for days.


    How was he going to survive it?

 A Vampire visitor

    MARIA


    We need a cook, Maria thought as she stirred the mixture in the bowl while fetching pans from the rack on the wall at the same time with her powers.


    Over the past few days, she had taken on the task of hiring a live-in maid, a cleaner that woulde every two days and gardener, but she hadn¡¯t employed a cook yet.


    She had not been allowed into the kitchen when she was younger and therefore didn¡¯t know how to prepare a decent meal, so for the past three days-because while heartbreak couldn¡¯t kill her, she could very well die of hunger-she had taken up the task of cooking.


    To save her time, all she would have to do was envision the meal she wanted and it would appear in front of her, but she had recentlye to see how important a cook was. She wanted to learn how to make at least a few meals and it didn¡¯t hurt to learn with a cookbook. That was what she¡¯d been doing for the past three days anyway, and the meals hade out okay-most of the time.


    The doorbell rang through the house and Maria sighed as she remembered that they needed a doorman too.


    Puffing her cheeks, she blew a tendril of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face. She let the pan drop on top of the kitchen counter and left the spoon in the mixture as she hurried over to the front of the house, wondering who it could be.


    The cleaner wasn¡¯t due toe until tomorrow and the live-in maid was currently upstairs, helping her mother with a bath. It wasn¡¯t like her mother couldn¡¯t bathe herself-she could-but Maria had updated the furnitures and design of the house to a more modern one and her mother wasn¡¯t used to them, having been frozen in limbo at a time when things had not been so updated. So she had asked the maid to help her incase she had any difficulties.


    Without using the peephole, Maria pulled the door open and blinked when she saw the person on the other side.


    ¡°Hello.¡± The slight brte¡¯s soft voice drifted across the small space between them to Maria, causing her grip on the door to tighten.


    ¡°Iris,¡± Maria breathed.


    She was sopletely taken aback by her presence that Maria forgot to invite her in and just kept standing there, running her eyes over her svelte form d in a yellow sundress.


    Her green eyes, so very much like her brother¡¯s that it made Maria ache, were bright with life, her hair covered with a scarf tied just under her chin. Male boots adorned her feet, the masculine thing so at odds with her otherwise feminine outfit, that it made Maria want to smile.


    What confused Maria, however, was Iris¡¯ presence on her doorstep and the slight, unsure smile on her face.


    What was she doing here? And how did she manage to know where Maria lived?


    ¡°May Ie in?¡± Iris asked after what felt like an eternity had passed with them staring at each other, and Maria snapped into action.


    ¡°Forgive my manners,¡± she apologised as she stepped out of the way for Iris to enter. ¡°Pleasee in.¡±


    As Iris walked ahead of her into the house, Maria tried to calm her racing heart. What was Bran¡¯s sister doing here?


    After the way they¡¯d parted thest time they saw each other, Maria had been riddled with guilt, knowing that the next time they saw each other, things would be awkward. In fact, she had expected that Iris would want absolutely nothing to do with her after that day-she would have understood if Iris hated her even-which was why she was quite surprised that the girl had sought her out. But for what reason?


    She hadn¡¯t spied a car outside too, so there was also the question of how she had arrived here. Perhaps she was here to give Maria a piece of her mind.


    Still, that didn¡¯t exin the smile on her face when she¡¯d arrived and how she knew where Maria lived.


    ¡°Would you like me to get you anything?¡± Maria asked as Iris sat on the couch, her hands sped on herp gently. ¡°Water? Tea?¡±


    A small, kind smile touched Iris¡¯ lips, proving to Maria again that a confrontation was thest thing on her mind. ¡°You¡¯re being awfully polite. Are you nervous?¡±


    Leave it up to Iris to ask a person so bluntly whether they were nervous. At first nce, one would think her timid. Shy. But after a full conversation with her, one¡¯s perception of her would change.


    ¡°No.¡± A brief hesitation. ¡°Why do you think so?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You just asked if you could get me tea.¡± When Maria simply stared at her-because what did offering a visitor tea have to do with them being nervous-she exined. ¡°I¡¯m a vampire.¡±


    Oh.


    Oh shit.


    She¡¯d just asked a vampire if she could get them tea.


    Maria pped a hand to her face, groaning in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m so nervous.¡± She shook her head and forced her hand away from her face to look at the teenager who was watching her avidly. ¡°It¡¯s just-you know. You just appeared on my doorstep and I wasn¡¯t expecting that after what¡­ after what happened thest time.¡±


    Maria didn¡¯t have to borate. They both knew what had happened thest time they saw each other.


    Iris sighed and leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees and dropping her face into her palms. ¡°When I heard the man who took me away from my family call you daughter, I was heartbroken.¡± She started, her eyes focused on a spot beside Maria¡¯s leg. Maria had decided to sit on the sofa opposite her so that she would have this conversation with her squarely. ¡°Do you know what the funny thing is?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for Maria to answer before she continued. ¡°When you told me your name back when we were still in the cells, I knew. I knew that it was you. You were the Maria Hatzi everyone was talking about, but I didn¡¯t want to believe it because I liked you.¡±


    Oh gods. To think that Maria had been keeping her identity away from Iris when she already knew who she was.


    ¡°But if you knew who I was, then why did you still talk to me?¡± It didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Why did you keep talking to me even after everything that I had done to you?¡±


    Green eyes flicked up to Maria¡¯s face. ¡°You sounded different from what I had imagined and then from our conversations, I just couldn¡¯t believe that you were the same person.¡± Everyday, Maria hated herself for what she¡¯d done to people, but knowing that she¡¯d hurt people she cared about was a different feeling entirely. ¡°I assumed it was a coincidence that your name was Maria and that you somehownded in Ariti¡¯s cell. Actually, the fact that he had you in the cells was enough proof to hold onto the idea that you weren¡¯t the same person.¡±

 For You

    MARIA


    There were over a thousand words that Maria knew of, but she wasn¡¯t sure that they would ever be enough to convey to Iris how deeply sorry she was for wronging her so terribly.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Iris,¡± Maria began, her voice soft. ¡°If I could take everything back¡­ if I could reverse the hands of time, I would. But I want you to know that I never did those things intentionally. I never did them out of my own will-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin.¡±


    Maria shook her head vehemently. ¡°No, I do. You don¡¯t know how terrible-¡±


    ¡°My brother told me everything.¡±


    Silence.


    In the past few days, Maria had done everything she could to keep thoughts of Bran out of her mind. It was hard and often impossible, but when she busied herself with things such as hiring house helps and doing small chores, she managed to seed a bit. But for the most part, she failed.


    Iris¡¯ eyes had been a shock and a reminder of the man that she¡¯d lost, like salt on the ever fresh wounds she bore. Her presence in itself was almost unbearable for Maria too, but hearing his name¡­


    The pain was too much for her to bear.


    Call her a glutton for punishment, but Maria couldn¡¯t fight the urge to ask about the man that she had parted with.


    ¡°He did?¡±


    Iris nodded soberly. ¡°The day you left. When he found me down in the dungeons, I knew that something was wrong.¡± At first, Maria thought that something had happened to him until she went on. ¡°He was¡­ off. His eyes were panicked and filled with pain. You¡¯d think that our reunion would be a happy one, but Bran wasn¡¯t happy. He was sad and in pain.¡±


    Maria¡¯s heart clenched.


    A sharp painnced through her middle and she fought the urge to double over with it. It was so acute, it terrified her. The hole in her heart ached, begging to be filled.


    To be made whole.


    Except that the only person who had the missing piece, was Bran. The only person who could make her whole was the same person who had turned her into this hollow shell in the first ce.


    ¡°He told me what he did to you, Maria,¡± Iris went on. ¡°And I am not telling you this just because he¡¯s my brother but because it¡¯s the truth. His exnations for everything he did were perfectly reasonable.¡±


    Maria was already shaking her head, not wanting Iris to continue. Not wanting to relive the torment she¡¯d gone through that day and even the days after, but Iris didn¡¯t listen to her.


    ¡°He was only going to give you back to your father because his advisers had told him to. Along with the fact that he couldn¡¯t refuse his advisers without giving them a valid reason, Aritiunched attacks on the vigers and when they were being killed repeatedly, they started rioting. Those things pushed him to make the decision, but he was going toe back for you.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Maria gasped through her pain. ¡°How are you so sure?¡±


    Iris¡¯ mouth twisted wryly. ¡°You¡¯re his mate. There was no way he can let you go and remain sane.¡±


    He only nned on going after her because of what she meant to him. Not because of what he felt for her.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me I was his mate, Iris. If he really cares about me the way you say he does, then why didn¡¯t he tell me? Why would he keep it away from me?¡±


    Iris sighed again. ¡°I honestly do not know the logic behind his reason, but he said that he wanted to tell you when everything was over.¡±


    Right. How convenient.


    Maria wanted to keep arguing but she honestly didn¡¯t have the strength for it anymore. She had tried to make sense of everything he¡¯d done and why he¡¯d done it but at the end, it all boiled down to the fact that he¡¯d hurt her and she couldn¡¯t move on from that.


    She was still so hurt.


    ¡°Can we just stop talking about Bran?¡± Maria all but begged Iris, her voice cracking on the words. ¡°Please?¡±


    Iris¡¯ face fell. It was very obvious that she was disappointed, but she hid it quickly with a small smile. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stop ¡±


    ¡°Do you forgive me?¡± Maria asked softly after a while, wanting Iris to forgive her. Needing her to forgive her.


    She honestly liked her a lot and would not be able to be at peace with herself if Iris didn¡¯t forgive her. Her forgiveness was just that important to Maria.


    ¡°I already did a long time ago,¡± Iris told Maria and got up from her couch, crossed the small space and dropped next to Maria, slinging an arm across her shoulder. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t say for certain that I wouldn¡¯t do what you did if I was in your shoes.¡±


    She was so d that Iris understood.


    So fucking d.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Maria breathed, exhaling a pent-up breath that she hadn¡¯t known she¡¯d been holding. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°Thank me bying to my wee party.¡±


    Maria sighed and her body slumped forward. She¡¯d seen something like thising, hadn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Iris¡­¡±


    The teenager turned to her and gave her the full force of her pretty green eyes. ¡°Please don¡¯t say no. There¡¯s going to be a lot of strange people there and I¡¯m going to feel so alone.¡±


    Going to Iris¡¯ wee party would meaning face to face with Bran and she wasn¡¯t ready for that yet. She might just crumble into an emotional mess if she saw his face, especially now that he wasn¡¯t hers anymore.


    She couldn¡¯t go through that kind of pain.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t think I can face your brother so soon.¡±


    For the second time, Iris¡¯ face fell and her eyes lowered. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡±


    Maria sighed from the depths of her soul. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was about to say these words but¡­


    ¡°I could try. For you.¡±


    Gods, what kind of torture was she about to put herself through?


    Iris perked up. ¡°Really?¡±


    She forced a smile. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Iris asked, skeptic.


    ¡°Yes, Iris.¡±


    Her body smacked into Maria¡¯s unexpectedly and they would have toppled to the ground had it not been for the arm of the chair that kept them in.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Iris murmured into Maria¡¯s neck.


    Facing Bran in such a short time might just be the worst kind of hell Maria could go through right now, but it was worth it to see the look on Iris¡¯ face.

 The Grandest apology I

    MARIA


    ¡°Why are you dressed like that?¡±


    It was the day for Iris¡¯ wee party, and the host, currently standing on Maria¡¯s doorstep, was wearing a simple straight gown that reached her ankles.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my gown?¡± Iris frowned, pulling the material away from her body to examine it.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it except for that fact that it¡¯s too casual to wear for your own party, don¡¯t you think?¡± Maria subtly stepped out of the way, making space for Iris to pass but she kept her feet firmly nted on the mat.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Realisation flicked across her features and she waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll change once I get to the castle. There¡¯s time.¡±


    Maria nodded, now understanding why she was wearing that gown. She had probably showed up like this because she didn¡¯t want her gown to get rumpled or stained whileing here.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Still, Maria hedged. ¡°Do you want toe inside for a few minutes before we go?¡± Her eyes flicked to the car sitting in the driveway. ¡°Your driver wouldn¡¯t mind, would he?¡±


    ¡°We can go now.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    Iris rolled her eyes and linked her hand through Maria¡¯s, tugging her out of the house and down the steps.


    ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t lock the door.¡± Mariained, trying to get her arm out of Iris¡¯ hold but if anything, Iris held on tighter. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave it open!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lock it for you!¡± A voice called back and Maria turned to see her mother standing at the threshold of the house, grinning wide as she watched Iris drag her daughter away.


    She knew that Iris was Bran¡¯s sister and she also knew about the party. Her mother had supported her going, telling her that the best way to get over a man was to see him constantly until his face blended with the hundred other men¡¯s faces she saw until there was nothing special about him anymore.


    It didn¡¯t quite make sense to Maria because seeing him would remind her of her loss-she was sure of it-so how was it possible that she would be so used to seeing him that she wouldn¡¯t care for him anymore?


    ¡°Have a good day!¡± Iris shouted to Maria¡¯s mother as they entered the car, sealing Maria¡¯s fate.


    Oh gods.


    Two days ago when she¡¯d agreed to attend the party, all that she¡¯d been thinking about was making Iris happy. Now that she was sitting in the car, on the way to the vampire realm to see the man that had broken her heart so thoroughly, now that she was facing reality, she was freaking the hell out.


    How was she going to react when she saw him? Would she walk over and say ¡®hello¡¯ like nothing had happened?


    Or what if he came to her? Could she actually string words together and speak to him or would she cower away with her broken heart?


    ¡°Hey,¡± came Iris¡¯ soft, lilting voice that had Maria¡¯s head turning to the right. ¡°I can literally hear you thinking over there. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    Maria shook her head. ¡°I know, I just¡­ Your brother is going to be there and¡­¡± She trailed off, unable to find the right words to express what she was feeling. Her thoughts were utter chaos and she could not make sense of them.


    Iris covered Maria¡¯s hand with hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be by your side when you have to face him, I promise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll appreciate it.¡± She didn¡¯t know how much that could do but at least it was something.


    The remainder of the journey went on with mild conversation. When they reached the portal that each dimension had, Iris kept talking about how cool-and deceptive-they were. It reminded Maria that she now possessed the ability to trace into another dimension without using a portal and a smile graced her lips as she thought of how powerful she had be.


    She was now an immortal-yes, she¡¯d found out when she nicked herself and the injury healed in less than a minute-and the Queen of Sorceri. After a long conversation with her mother, she¡¯d found out that she hadn¡¯t known the extent of her powers before because she hadn¡¯t hit her immortality. Her mortal body had been too weak to contain her full powers so they had decided to wait until she was immortal before they merged with her.


    Maria blinked when she realized that the car wasn¡¯t moving anymore. They were parked at a very crowded street. In fact, it was so crowded, she could barely see past the throng of people.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asked, and it was Iris that spoke, not the driver.


    ¡°The road is blocked and we can¡¯t get through.¡± Iris was already moving to open the door. ¡°We¡¯ll have to walk the rest of the way to the castle.¡±


    Iris, the vampire princess, was going to walk? Past these people?


    As Maria stepped down from the car, she craned her neck but she couldn¡¯t see any signs of the castle. Turning to Iris, she asked, ¡°How long is the walk to the castle exactly?¡±


    ¡°Not long,¡± Iris called back. She rounded the car and clung to Maria¡¯s side as they fought their way through the crowd.


    Wait a minute¡­


    They weren¡¯t fighting their way through. Not at all.


    The crowd was parting for them, people stepping out of the way for them to pass as if they were people of authority. Well, Iris was a person of authority but Maria was not-or maybe she was as of recent, but not here.


    Why were there no looks of surprise on the people¡¯s faces as they passed?


    Or was it somon for the Princess to move around the city on foot?


    Maybe it was, but Maria couldn¡¯t help but feel like something more was at y here. The looks on the people¡¯s faces as they parted for them to pass was both curious and expectant, like they were waiting for something to happen.


    It was then that Maria remembered that these people now knew who she was. And that they hated her with a vengeance.


    Her hackles rose and she became ten times more conscious of herself, of the way the people were looking at her, wondering if it was malice she saw and not curiousity. She was even sure she saw sneers on some of their faces.


    ¡°Iris¡­¡± She tugged on the teenager¡¯s arm, her steps slowing. They were now in a clearing which happened to be the center of a very wide circle. A circle of bodies. Her heart started racing. ¡°Why are they-¡± she stopped abruptly when, up ahead on the opposite side she and Iris hade from, the crowd parted, revealing a man so huge and tall that she didn¡¯t know how it was possible that the crowd had covered him in the first ce.


    A man whose sheer presence made Maria¡¯s heart quicken, her breaths shallow and rational thoughts flee her mind.


    The first and only man she had ever loved.


    Bran.


    His shoulders were so wide, they brushed the people on the sides as he walked past them in that predatory stride. Sure and so fucking sensual it reminded her of the kind of explosive passion they¡¯d had, it made Maria¡¯s heart race. And he seemed to being towards the circle too.


    Yet then his steps faltered, a leg hanging mid-air in a half stride when he saw her standing there. His eyes didn¡¯t move to Iris, not for the briefest moment. He just stared at her and Maria stared at him too and they just stood there, staring at each other.


    He was leaner.


    That was the first thing Maria noticed.


    She¡¯d seen him wear that shirt before and he usually filled it beautifully but now, he could barely even fill it. His jeans, too, seemed to hang lower on his hips and not because he wanted it too but because they were now slightly bigger than him.


    Lines of stress and sadness marred his face, taking his handsomeness and cloaking it in something that looked a lot like sadness. His lips were downturned, his once lively green eyescking their fire and appearing bleak and empty.


    He was unhappy. Terribly.


    And he wasn¡¯t eating well either.


    A truckload of emotions mmed into her and she turned abruptly, pulling free of Iris. There was no wee party. Iris had obviously set her up.


    How could she not have known that there was something fishy going on?


    She couldn¡¯t do this. She couldn¡¯t face Bran. She had to leave.

 The Grandest apology II

    MARIA


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± The object of her suffering called out, his voice low and broken, filled with longing, want and all the things Maria couldn¡¯t bear to hear right now but wanted to hear still. ¡°Please.¡±


    Maria stopped, hyper aware that they were in the middle of a crowd and that everyone was looking at them. She wanted to run away from the onught of emotions that she was feeling, but a greater part of her wanted to stay, to go to the one man who could make her feel whole again.


    ¡°Please,¡± Iris added, weakening Maria¡¯s already tenacious grip on resolve.


    She felt betrayed that Iris had pulled such a move on her but deep down, Maria knew why she had done it and that was the only thing stopping her from feeling real anger towards Iris.


    Maria stopped but she didn¡¯t turn back around for fear of what she would do if she faced Bran again. She couldn¡¯t bear seeing him hurt and not go to him.


    Even with her back to him, she knew that he had walked closer to her. She was just that in tune to him, feeling him from the deepest parts of her soul that she never thought possible for a person to reach.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t Iris¡¯ idea to trick you intoing here,¡± Bran began in his familiar deep voice, except it was rough with emotion now. ¡°It was mine. She just agreed to help me, so please don¡¯t be angry at her.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    His words were registering in her head. She was hearing him, yes, but was he actually saying those words in front of these people?


    His people?


    The people he so valued?


    There was a deep inhale, as if for courage, then, ¡°I remember when Corey and his mate used to have little disagreements and Corey would say that he would give his left arm to get her to speak to him. I always thought he was being a bit dramatic.¡± A pause. ¡°Until you left.¡± There were collective gasps from the crowd. ¡°I would have given away everything I owned if it would get you toe back.¡±


    Maria squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that wanted to make an appearance at the longing thatced the words. The sadness. And, oh gods, what was he doing?


    Had he forgotten that they were in the midst of people? That everything he was saying, the people could hear?


    Perhaps he had.


    ¡°I would keep saying I¡¯m sorry for what I put you through, but those words will never be enough to tell you how truly terrible I feel.¡± His voice told Maria that he hade closer. ¡°People think they know our story when they actually don¡¯t, and I hope you don¡¯t mind me putting our business out in the open for everyone because, Princess, I¡¯m about to correct them.¡±


    Maria¡¯s chest rose and fell in tandem to her racing heart, her body begging her to allow it turn around and look at Bran, but she fought the urge with all her power. She could see Iris in her periphery but she wouldn¡¯t turn and face her too. She couldn¡¯t. She would rather these people saw the raw emotions on her face than Bran and Iris.


    ¡°A few months ago, I came back from war only to find out that my parents had been killed and my sister, captured.¡± There was a hitch in Bran¡¯s voice and it made Maria¡¯s chest tighten painfully, the familiar arms of regret wrapping around her. ¡°Now, I have always heard about the powerful sorceress, Maria Hatzi, but I never thought that a situation would arise where our paths would cross. I took her, locked her in my cells like amon thief. I starved her, tortured her-¡± His voice broke and he stopped suddenly, seeming to get a hold of himself. ¡°Almost everyday, we would fight and I didn¡¯t realize that I was falling in love with her until it was toote.¡±


    Maria¡¯s heart stopped beating. He was in love with her?


    She couldn¡¯t bear to not look at him anymore. She turned around slowly and saw that he was now standing not-so-far from her, his eyes sad and filled with yearning and the emotion she had been seeing in his eyes but had not been able to name.


    Love.


    ¡°I treated her wrongly because I believed her to be the cause of all my problems. I treated her like a monster when in truth, I was the real monster.¡± The people were listening with rapt attention, hanging onto his every word-just like Maria. ¡°I found out that Maria here was being ckmailed by Ariti to do his dirty work. I could go into details to talk about the horrors she went through at his hands but I do not want to open healed wounds.¡± He had been addressing the crowd this entire time, but now, he turned to Maria and his voice broke low. ¡°I found out that you were my mate when you healed me-¡°-astonished gasps rang out-¡°-and I was terrified out of my fucking mind. I thought only about our past and the history we shared, and not about the beauty of having found my mate.¡± He took a half step towards her and Maria fought the urge to take one towards him. ¡°I failed to think about the future, about the life that lies ahead of us and that was where I went wrong. I got the cor, I withheld information from you and I didn¡¯t ask you for help when I should have.¡± Another step. ¡°We were supposed to be a team but I contradicted that when I sought to fight Ariti myself. I should have known that I couldn¡¯t do it myself.¡±


    He shook his head and took another step towards her. He was so close now and Maria¡¯s body began to thrum with his nearness. ¡°Everyone wanted me to let you go. It was the only way, they said, but fuck, I couldn¡¯t and maybe Ariti was right. Maybe I held on to you selfishly but now I know why. I couldn¡¯t let you go because I love you and I couldn¡¯t imagine my life without you.¡± Maria¡¯s legs turned to rubber and she couldn¡¯t stifle her gasp. ¡°Yes, I nned on letting you go but it was only because everyone said so and I thought it was the only way, but I was going toe after you. I swear it.¡± His eyes grew suspiciously bright as he took yet another step closer to her. ¡°I could never let you go, princess. I never wanted to live without you. But I did these past few days, and it was the worst form of torture. I considered taking my life just to end my suffering, but I was also hoping that I was your mate as much as you were mine and I didn¡¯t want you to have to bear the pain of living without a mate.¡±


    Maria shook her head, unable to stop the tears that were silently falling down her cheeks. Her heart was aching, every cell in her entire being wanting to go to him and hold him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to living without you, Maria,¡± His tone was so soft, so at odds with what she was used to, it amazed her. ¡°I¡¯ve done it and it¡¯s not something I want to do anymore. I don¡¯t think I can and I¡¯m determined to grovel if it means I¡¯ll get you back.¡± He took another step towards her that brought him so close, his scent drifted across her nostrils.


    After the activities of the past few days, Maria had not thought it possible for anything to shock her anymore. Yet her heart stopped beating in her chestpletely when Bran took another step towards her and lowered onto both knees, his expression wretched as he looked up at her, pleading with everything in him. His eyes, his words, his whole body.


    It was amazing. It was unbelievable. It was beautiful.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s good sport for a king to kneel in front of his people, but today, I am not a king. Today, Ie to you as a man who is desperately in love with you. A man begging for your forgiveness.¡±


    He was epting her in front of these people. He was making a statement to his people that she was his mate. He was professing his love for her in front of them.


    Maria had asked herself before if anyone would ever love her so deeply that they would not be able to imagine living without her and, gods help her, Bran might be that person for her.


    An ugly sob escaped through Maria¡¯s lips as she pped a hand to her mouth, unable to believe what her eyes were seeing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess, for everything.¡± Bran¡¯s throat worked on a swallow and a single tear welled in his eye, clung precariously to hisshes, and finally fell down his cheeks, breaking Maria¡¯s heart all over again. ¡°Can you forgive me?¡±


    Maria¡¯s legs finally gave out and she fell to the ground, wrapping her shaking hands around Bran¡¯s neck and burying her face into the space as she sobbed uncontrobly, the dam on her tears breaking.


    ps, sobs and distinctive words could be heard all around them until she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and she brought her lips to his ears.


    ¡°Take us out of here.¡±


    As always, Branplied and in the next second, they were in their room inside the castle.

 I missed you

    BRAN


    Bran wasn¡¯t going to lie. When he¡¯d walked into that crowd, he¡¯d gone in with a n B because he knew that he had wronged Maria terribly and the chances of her forgiving him-or even listening to him-were very slim.


    With his heart in his throat, he¡¯d poured out his feelings, baring the contents of his soul in the words he¡¯d spoken to her. He¡¯d gone against everything he¡¯d learnt and knew, using his words instead of his actions to show her how he felt.


    He had put everything on the line, professing his love out in the open for his people to hear, knowing fully well the risks behind it-knowing that she could refuse him and that the shame would have destroyed him, along with the pain.


    The news of what he¡¯d done would no doubt travel far and wide across all realms, but he¡¯d been prepared for it. As he had been prepared for the disappointment he would feel if she¡¯d refused him. His n B, had she refused him, was for him to tuck his tail between his legs and return back to his castle even more wounded than before.


    But now, he¡¯d returned with her.


    The mated vampire inside him roared in satisfaction. Atst, it was united with its mate again.


    Over the past few days that Iris had suggested he wait, the mating instinctbined with his feelings for her, had damn near driven him to insanity. He¡¯d locked himself in his room and refused to drink or see anyone.


    During the time he¡¯d spent in his room, alone and far from the reach of anyone, he had contemted suicide several times, the ache in his heart too much for him to bear. But thoughts of Maria and Iris always won out, reminding him that if he died, then that would mean leaving them in this world without protection.


    That was the only reason he had continued living. Even though it had been the equivalent of hell for him.


    ¡°I missed this castle,¡± Maria breathed against his lips, kissing him in between the words as though she was reluctant to let him go even for a second.


    An exact mirror of Bran¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°I missed you.¡± He admitted, the words alien on his tongue and somehow right at the same time. sping her shoulders firmly, he rose, taking the both of them off the ground.


    He was almost scared to touch her and that was why he had done so at a safe area-her shoulders. That he hadn¡¯t seen her in four days,bined with the raging desire of the mated vampire inside him-along with his own-his need for her was violent and it was almost impossible to speak to her.


    He didn¡¯t want to talk; he wanted to feel.


    She pulled away enough for him to see that fresh tears had sprouted into her eyes. ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    Bran¡¯s chest felt tight. He opened his mouth to speak but he couldn¡¯t produce words. Even though she was standing before him, he couldn¡¯t believe that she was actually there. Some part of him still believed her to be a figment of his imagination as he had conjured her up several times in the past few days, seeking her presence so much that he¡¯d had to resort to memories of them.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been feeding properly,¡± she observed quietly. There were two lines of worry between her brows as she cupped his cheeks, her fingers brushing both his jaws and cheekbones.


    Before he even knew that he was doing it, he sank into her touch, pushing his face into her small palm so that she would keep touching him. He¡¯d missed her touch so much. It soothed his soul, calmed the storm inside him.


    ¡°Eating has been thest thing on my mind with you gone.¡± Before, it would have taken a war, a witch, and maybe an oracle to get those words out of him, but now he gave them freely.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    They poured out of him from a ce deep down he hadn¡¯t known existed.


    A ce only Maria had been able to reach.


    Maria¡¯s eyes were brimming with unshed tears. ¡°When was thest time you fed?¡±


    Bran squinted as he thought. ¡°Iris forced blood down my throat two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Bran,¡± she murmured and hid her face in his chest.


    Did she not understand what she meant to him?


    With her gone, Bran had lost the desire for anything that wasn¡¯t her. She was the only thing he¡¯d thought about morning, afternoon, evening and night.


    He hadn¡¯t slept since she¡¯d left him. Hadn¡¯t been able to.


    ¡°You are everything to me.¡± He held onto her hands and tugged her deeper into him, wrapping his arms around her. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent, sighing as the famr feeling of calm that he had missed so much washed over him.


    ¡°You are everything to me too. I thought I would never see you again,¡± Maria confessed, pulling back to meet his eyes. ¡°I thought that was it. That you wouldn¡¯te after me, and even if you did, I wasn¡¯t sure how I would react.¡±


    Unable to hear her downy his feelings for her anymore, Bran hurriedly spoke. ¡°I wanted toe to you that same day.¡± Had his sister been wrong about him not going after her immediately? ¡°I was going to search for you that same day but it was Iris¡¯ idea to give you a few days. I didn¡¯t want to, but-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she shushed him. ¡°She was right. Had youe to me that day, I think I would have mmed the door in your face.¡±


    Bran¡¯s face fell. ¡°Oh.¡±


    That hurt. A lot. But then again, he had hurt her. There was no way she would have just weed him with open arms without some grovelling on his side.


    When Iris had suggested that he tender a publicy apology to Maria, Bran had refused, telling that doing it in private was hard enough. Her logic had been that since Bran had put his people before her feelings and had made her feel insignificant, telling her how sorry he was in front of his people would be grand. Still, Bran had refused.


    Well, for three hours.


    He¡¯d knocked on his sister¡¯s room door around 2am and told her that he was ready to do whatever it took to get her back.


    Maria smacked his chest, bringing him back to the present. ¡°Now, I may have forgiven you but I won¡¯t if you hurt me like that again.¡± She warned, her grey eyes that had been emotional just a few seconds ago, now filled with fire. ¡°Always talk to me, Bran. Let me into your head.¡±


    Fuck, he had missed her fire so damn much.

 His queen

    BRAN


    He felt himself beginning to grow hard in his jeans, the semi he had been sporting since he saw her, now growing into a full blown erection.


    With her hips now rounder, her backside and breasts fuller than they¡¯d ever been, she was a vision in her red dress, the material hugging her curves like it had been painted on. To make matters worse, she was wearing make-up and red lipstick that tempted Bran to kiss it off.


    Forcing his eyes from her lips, he said, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± And he meant it. ¡°From here on, we¡¯re a team. I won¡¯t exclude you from anything that¡¯s happening anymore. I¡¯ll alwayse to you first.¡±


    She froze, then began to stare at him.


    Her eyes roved his face and she took her time looking at his eyes, his hair, his lips. She just stared at him as though she wasmitting his features to memory, and Bran felt a low thrum re to life under his skin.


    He had missed her so much and now that he had her in his arms without the bracelet to dull his need, he was ravenous for her. He wanted her under him so fucking bad, and he wanted to mark her so that all who saw her would know that she belonged to him.


    ¡°You have changed so much,¡± Maria muttered as she ran her hands over him, making him even more desperate for her.


    ¡°Only for you.¡± The words barely left his mouth befor he dipped his head and caught her lips with his.


    A relieved sigh escaped him when she returned his kiss, sagging against him.


    If there was one thing Bran loved, it was watching her go from spitfire to submissive the second he put his mouth on her. It showed him just how much she loved what he was doing to her and it drove Bran crazy to know that she was helpless to fight her desire for him just as he was for her.


    He traced them to the bed and supported her down. She gasped in surprise at the change in position and Bran used that opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth, goosebumps breaking out across his skin as his tongue met hers.


    He jolted at that first contact before groaning into her mouth and grinding his hips into her stomach. One hand braced on the bed to keep his weight off her, Bran dragged his lips across her jaws, her corbone and shoulders, peppering the area with kisses before taking his attentions to her breasts.


    He worked the full globes through the material of her gown and sucked directly over the areas where her nipples were.


    ¡°You reached your immortality that day, didn¡¯t you?¡± Bran asked when he had finally managed to wrench his lips away long for him to speak.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she gasped, head thrown back and eyes shut. ¡°H-how do you know?¡±


    The look of absolute pleasure on Maria¡¯s face was almost too much for him to bear. Seeing the way her eyes were squeezed shut in bliss, her head thrown back and the way her hips undted against his wantonly, ripped a growl from Bran¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Your body¡¯s different,¡± he said in answer and gripped the hem of her gown, rolling it up her body. When he encountered some difficulties because she was lying down, she rose from the bed and assisted him, taking the gown off the rest of the way and Bran¡¯s jaw went ck, lust mming into him.


    Her lips parted as her eyes swept over him. ¡°It¡¯s been a bit hard adjusting to the changes.¡±


    He¡¯d bet it was.


    Her breasts were spilling out of hercy bra, the dark pink aers visible. If he jostled her just a bit, her nipples would pop out, so he did and stifled a groan as the tight bud peeked out, pulling tight and begging for his mouth.


    Lowering his head, he sucked it into his mouth, flicking the tight bud back and forth with his tongue before pressing it against the roof of his mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me,¡± she gasped, writhing underneath him. ¡°Just get inside me. It¡¯s been too long.¡±


    But Bran didn¡¯t stop the torture he was inflicting on her breasts, moving from one nipple to another in order not to leave anyonecking.


    ¡°Please,¡± she begged again, this time, sliding her hand lower to cup his erection and that was it.


    From there on, everything was hurried.


    He undressed in a sh, unsping her bra and dragging her panties down her legs. He didn¡¯t pause once, except for when she was bared before him and he found himself staring, awed by her beauty.


    Hell, he¡¯d never had a chance in leaving her, had he?


    ¡°You are exquisite,¡± he murmured against her, dragging his tongue along her neck and tasting the salty tang of her skin.


    Already, the mating instinct was screaming at him to mark her, but Bran struggled to fight it. He had only just reunited with her. He didn¡¯t want to scare her with something as intense as a bite.


    Yet when Bran pushed inside her, wrapped in her warm heat and the intense pleasure that shot down his spine from being inside her again, the instincts began mouring inside him, forcing him to bite her, to mark her. Until he could think of nothing else except his most basic desires. Fucking and biting.


    ¡°Princess.¡± His jaw went ck when she moved against him just then, causing him to sink even deeper inside her. ¡°The instinct¡­ telling me to bite¡­ can¡¯t fight it.¡±


    Although Bran¡¯s vision was clouded with lust, he saw clearly as Maria tilted her head to the side, giving himplete ess to her neck. Smooth, golden skin beautifully bared.


    ¡°Mark me,¡± she purred, her sex fluttering around him in ripples that flung him over the edge of release. ¡°Make me yours.¡±


    Groaning as he pumped faster into her, his head shot forward and his fangs lengthened, puncturing her skin as they pierced into it. His eyes slid into the back of his head in agonized bliss as her rich, warm blood flowed into his mouth, blessing his taste buds.


    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Maria shrieked, the sound loud and filled with either pleasure or pain, Bran wasn¡¯t sure. But when he suddenly felt her milking his cock tightly-almost desperately-as she came, he knew that it was pleasure she was feeling.


    He thrusted into her tight channel as he fed from her, holding tightly onto his release with iron will, flicking his tongue back and forth over the injury as he drew even more from her.


    Her orgasm drew out into another one and, unable to hold back his orgasm anymore, Bran let go with an agonized shout of her name.


    He continued to pumpzily for sometime, flicking his tongue back and forth over the punctured skin before he fell next to Maria on the bed, exhausted.


    As they struggled to catch their breath, Bran said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    For letting him im her.


    For soothing the mated vampire inside him.


    For forgiving him despite the unforgivable things he¡¯d done.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    On hearing the words, Bran¡¯s heart beat faster and his chest tightened with intense emotion. Love was too tame a word for what he felt for this woman, but forck of anything else to convey his feelings, he would stick with it.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± he forced out, voice rough with emotion. And he had never meant anything more.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He had Maria, which meant every other thing coulde second. He should have probably been worried about tomorrow and what it would bring. How the people would react to hearing that she was his mate.


    But he didn¡¯t care.


    He would get through it all-with Maria by his side.


    He had found both love and a mate in the strangest way possible-with the same woman he had captured-but there was no other way Bran would have wanted to find his mate and there was no one else he would rather have, than her.


    His only love.


    His queen.

 Epilogue

    ONE MONTH LATER


    MARIA


    ¡°Put the head in.¡±


    ¡°Bob your head faster.¡±


    ¡°Squeeze it-yeah, just like that.¡±


    ttening her tongue along the underside of Bran¡¯s cock, Maria watched his hands clench into fists, lost in the throes of pleasure and pain, his face contorted to match the emotions.


    In broad daylight when they both had things to be doing, such as Maria learning her new duties as a queen and Bran who was supposed to be having a meeting with his most trusted advisors, they had both snuck off into their room, wanting to take the edge off.


    One would think that with how hot their passion was, it would burn out quickly, but instead, it was like the more they had each other, the more insatiable they became for one another, seeking each other out during the day to get the most intense parts of their desires off before they would meet at night.


    But then again, maybe it was because they rarely saw each other during the daytely.


    Right now, he was leaning against the door shirtless, with jeans still on but the top button and zipper undone. His legs were spread wide with Maria kneeling between them, his shirt probably somewhere behind her.


    His words urged her on, stroking her desire and prompting her to take him deeper. She swirled her tongue around the tip, marvelling at how he felt both hard and soft in her mouth, the smooth velvety feel of him making her want to see if she could take him into the back of her throat. It wasn¡¯t the first time she was giving him a blow job, but it was the first time she was actually considering it.


    Bracing herself and holding his heavy-lidded gaze, she slipped him down her throat and the urge to gag came up immediately, but she fought it back down.


    ¡°Fucking shit,¡± Bran muttered and squeezed his eyes closed, head banging against the door.


    Tears burned her eyes but she kept him there for a second longer to get herself used to the sensation, before she slipped him back out, gripped him at the base and started pumping him as she closed her lips around the head, tightened and sucked hard. His whole body shuddered and his knees bent even more, the movement looking like he wasn¡¯t aware of it.


    ¡°Maria.¡± His voice was hoarse, rough like gravel. ¡°Fuck, that mouth is going to be the death of me.¡±


    He swelled in her mouth and she knew that he was close. She moved her hand from where she was gripping his left leg to keep bnce, to her core, touching herself as she pleasured him.


    Blowing him should be something that only him benefitted from-or at least that was how it looked at first-so why was she growing ten times wetter than she¡¯d been before just from doing it?


    ¡°I¡¯m going toe, Princess. If you don¡¯t want me toe in your mouth, then let me out now,¡± he warned, the words as harsh as his breathing.


    His chest was shining with sweat, his legs trembling with his nearing release that he had just warned Maria about, but instead of her to let him go, she tightened her lips around him and fluttered her tongue along the head, triggering him.


    ¡°Oh shit fuck-¡± His words cut off as he swelled almost impossibly inside her mouth, then the first spurt of cumnded on her tongue, followed rapidly by another one and another.


    He came buckets, and Maria swallowed everything, not allowing a single drop escape.


    cing a kiss on the head of his still-hard dick, Maria was delightedly surprised when she was pulled up roughly by Bran and he kissed the ever living shit out of her. She felt the aftershocks still travelling across his body.


    ¡°Did I wring Your Majesty dry?¡± She teased, dragging her tongue along his bottom lip.


    Bran growled and yanked her to him, saying, ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for that.¡±


    Next thing, she saw that she was sitting on the dresser and Bran was standing between her thighs, all hard, gorgeous male. Standing between her thighs like that with his erection out and proud, the ps of his jeans on either sides of it and his chest covered in a sheen of sweat, his intent was clear and he looked very much like a sex god.


    And he was all hers.


    Gods, Maria couldn¡¯t exin what seeing him like this did to her. Eliciting such primal reactions out of him that he lost all control of himself and handled her as though she was nothing but a rag doll, an object to use as he desired, made her hot and just as hungry for him.


    She brought her lips to his ears. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful, I fall in love with you all over again every single time I look at you.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    When she pulled back, he was scowling.


    ¡°I¡¯m beautiful?¡± He asked with narrowed eyes, but she could see the tenderness in his eyes over her telling him that she loved him.


    Maria fought a smile and lost. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you beautiful.¡± He yanked her to the edge of the dresser, positioned his shaft at her entrance, and entered her in one hard thrust that had Maria¡¯s head falling backwards.


    The smile dropped from her face and she groaned, long and low, her inner walls clenching around him as she struggled to adjust to his size. Every single bloody time, it was a damn struggle.


    Then Bran started moving. Slowly at first to get Maria used to it, before his strokes grew faster, longer and harder.


    Her back arched and sounds of pleasure escaped her lips as she clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulders to hold him in ce-as if he was going anywhere.


    ¡°Bite me,¡± she said, offering her neck to him and she watched through almost-shut eyes as his own eyes turned ck. ¡°Feed from me. You haven¡¯t fed enough today.¡±


    Ever since the night he¡¯d imed her, marking her as his forever, he had been drinking from her. His bite was the most pleasurable thing she had ever known, and it was her that had suggested he started drinking from her after he¡¯d told her that her blood was the sweetest he¡¯d ever tasted.


    Other creatures would probably consider it an oddpliment, but it was one of the best she¡¯d ever gotten.


    ¡°You are straight out of my dreams, Princess,¡± Bran murmured before his head lowered and he bit into her.


    Maria screamed in pleasure as her orgasm crashed into her, shaking when she felt the pulls from within as he drank from her, prolonging her orgasm as it always did whenever he drank from her during sex.


    Who knew that a vampire¡¯s bite could be so pleasurable?


    ¡°Ah, fuck. You¡¯re wringing thee from me.¡± No sooner had the words left his mouth didbhe starting inside her, the heat of his spend marking her inner walls as his bite had marked her neck.


    He withdrew his fangs and dropped his head into her neck, still thrustingzily as he flicked his tongue over the spot he had bitten. ¡°When you clench around me like that, you make mee sooner than I¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s apliment in there so-¡±


    ¡°Bran? Maria?¡± A shrill voice rang out, causing Maria and Bran to jerk apart in shock. ¡°Weren¡¯t you told you haveba visitor?¡±


    Oh shit.


    About twenty minutes ago, a guard had knocked on their door and told Bran that he had a visitor but they¡¯d both been too busy to respond to him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be out soon, Mother,¡± Maria called back, hoping that her mother hadn¡¯t heard their shouts of ecstasy.


    Her mother clucked her tongue loudly, before walking away saying, ¡°These children are something else.¡±


    Maria¡¯s cheeks heated.


    She¡¯d heard them.


    ¡°She¡¯s heard us countless times now,¡± Bran said, pulling her eyes back to him. There was a smug smile on his face and she felt like pping it off. ¡°Your embarrassment is pointless.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure that she has?¡±


    Bran slid out of her carefully and she moaned softly at how empty and cold she suddenly felt. His eyes darkened when he heard the sound and his eyes fell to her lips.


    ¡°Well, even if she hasn¡¯t heard us, everyone knows why wee in here in the middle of the day.¡±


    Maria frowned as she thought about that. Did people really know what they came in here to do?


    He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and tugged her down from the dresser, holding onto her for a moment because he knew how weak her legs were after an orgasm, before letting her go to wear his shirt.


    Maria was preparing to go wash up then head back to her training, when Bran slipped her hand into his. She looked up, surprised. ¡°Am Iing with you?¡±


    ¡°You are.¡±


    ¡°But I need to wash up-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he cut her off. ¡°I like you smelling like me.¡±


    And without panties.


    Well then.


    He traced them into the lower receiving parlor where guests usually waited and Maria was surprised to see that the guest was Corey. Bran was too, if his initial faltering was anything to go by.


    ¡°Corey?¡±


    The big man, almost as handsome as Bran was, rose to his full height, and even from where he was standing, Maria had to crane her head to look at him. He was just so tall.


    ¡°Bran. You look great.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could say the same,¡± Bran said bluntly and Maria couldn¡¯t stifle a wince. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Maria understood why Bran had said that. Contrary to thest time they saw him, Corey was looking leaner, his usually light brown skin appearing pale, and his eyes, dark and sunken.


    He held himself stiffly as though he might break-or attack-any second and his eyes looked troubled. They were so dark, Maria could almost see his demons within. No pun intended.


    ¡°Everything is wrong,¡± he said in that husky voice of his, rougher now, like smoke. ¡°Ie bearing good and bad news-for me anyway.¡± His eyes flicked to Maria as though he was just then seeing her, and he nodded. ¡°Maria.¡± Then he turned back to Bran. ¡°The good news is that I have found my mate.¡± Maria could not hold her gasp. ¡°The bad news, however, is that she is the daughter of the enemy.¡±


    Bran went tight with tension. ¡°Your mate, brother? That is news worth celebrating.¡± Then he shook his head. ¡°But how? What do you mean she is the daughter of the enemy?¡±


    ¡°That is all I want you to know.¡± Corey said, turned, then with a backward nce, said, ¡°Do not worry about me.¡±


    With those final words, he traced away, leaving Maria staring open-mouthed and Bran, looking suspiciously like he was fighting back a smile.


    ¡°He can trace?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. He just doesn¡¯t like to.¡± Bran answered.


    ¡°And why the hell are you smiling?¡± She wondered. ¡°Did you see his face? I feel so bad for him.¡±


    The smile turned into a full blownughter and Bran came to her, sweeping her off her feet. Literally.


    He carried her like one would carry a bride.


    ¡°He looks exactly like I did when I told him I wasing after you,¡± he informed her and Maria¡¯s mouth formed an ¡®O¡¯.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about him?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t close to Corey at all-didn¡¯t even know the man by all ounts of the word-but she found herself worrying over him. Why would he visit them, wait for long for them to see him, only to spend barely five minutes with them?


    Bran shook his head. ¡°He¡¯ll be okay.¡± He walked into the hallway and Maria caught the intrigued looks on the guard¡¯s faces as they saw her in his arms. ¡°If he needs my help, he¡¯lle to me just like I went to him. That¡¯s how it is between us.¡±


    That seemed¡­ Functional.


    She turned her head and saw that they were heading up the stairs to their room. Bran did that sometimes-walk when he could easily trace, she meant.


    ¡°Why are you taking us to the room?¡± She arched a brow at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to meet your advisors?¡±


    He shook his head, smiling down at her. Oh gods, his smiles. He gave them to her more frequently now.


    ¡°I have everything I need right here in my arms,¡± Bran told her and she swooned.


    ¡°Gah. You love birds are so disgusting,¡± a soft voicemented and Maria turned in time to see Iris running past them and down the stairs.


    ¡°Love you too, Iris!¡± Maria called after her and heard herughter.


    ¡°You are awfully cheesy, Your Majesty,¡± Maria whispered to Bran, her insides threatening to burst with excitement.


    Bran grinned wide. ¡°You are awfully amazing,¡± he murmured, swooping down to press a quick kiss to her lips. ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    The sounds of their happy words andughter carried all through the castle and all who heard them knew that they were joyful and contended.


    When the people heard about the union between them, some were happy and some weren¡¯t. Some found their story romantic and worthy to be written and told for years toe, some simply epted it, and some found it strange and refused to believe it.


    But Maria and Bran were past thinking about how others felt about them and they had chosen to start thinking about themselves only.


    After all, they were happy with family that loved them. What else could they possibly want?


    ¡°I love you, Bran,¡± Maria told him, never wanting a day to go by when she didn¡¯t tell him the words.


    He dropped her on the edge of the bed and knelt before her, gazing at her reverently. ¡°My whole being belongs to you, Maria. I love you too.¡±


    Whatever came tomorrow, they would go through it together. There could not be a couple more powerful than they were anyway, and that was enough to kill her worries.


    Maria cupped his jaw and kissed him.


    They had each other and that was the only thing that mattered.


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