The herb-infused blood, which on any other day was one of her favorite drinks, now smelled absolutely putrid. This couldn’t be happening.
There had to be a way to stop all this.
The cold gaze of her mother told her otherwise.
“Are you nervous, my dear?” Fredrick asked, his voice high-pitched and irritating. Azurdee flinched, her tea sloshing around in her cup, nearly dropping onto her gown. Such an event would immediately be proclaimed as a bad omen.
“No.” She managed to answer through gritted teeth. She held onto the teacup so hard that her knuckles turned white.
“Then, let us drink to our good health and happiness!” He said, his voice light and cheery. He didn’t seem to mind marrying a complete stranger.
Reaching forward, he tipped her teacup toward her lips, letting her take a sip. Some of the liquid spilled from her lips, as it was supposed to.
Fredrick allowed it to run down her chin and onto her neck before he leaned into her body, licking up the blood with his long, pointed tongue. He lingered on her neck, his lips dancing across her flesh, toying with her.
Azurdee thought she would vomit if he kept this up a moment longer.
To her relief, he pulled away, offering her a handkerchief.
All too quickly, she wiped up the residual blood. If only she could wipe away the feeling of his papery lips just as easily.
“In our bed chamber, I will not be so gentle…” He murmured, his hand on her knee, squeezing it tightly. His beady eyes were devoid of emotion.
She couldn’t marry a man like this. She had to find a way to get away.
“If you don’t mind, I’m not feeling well.” Azurdee excused herself, rushing out of the room before even her mother could respond.
The large doors slammed behind her and without stopping to think, she started running down the corridor. She barreled into one of the servants, knocking her down, along with all the dishware she was carrying.
It shattered, little pieces of glass littering the floor.
The servant looked horrified, her golden-colored eyes instantly turning bright red when she saw the blood spilling from a cut on Azurdee’s arm.
“Fuck…” She cursed under her breath, knowing she had little time before the lesser vampire’s bloodlust kicked in.
She scrambled to her feet, running down the corridor. The servant growled, bending over until she was almost on all fours. Her eyes glowed crimson, her small fangs bared and ready to sink into her flesh.
Azurdee turned the corner, breathing hard, her hand on her injury to prevent further bleeding.
She could hear the servant following her. The sound of footsteps echoed off the cavernous hallways, making Azurdee panic.
Sweat formed on her temples as she struggled to find an escape route.
Up ahead, she spotted the doors to the royal garden. Looking over her shoulder, the servant had yet to turn the corner. Picking up the pace, she rushed for the doors, opening them wide and slipping outside, just in time to lose the rabid girl.
She breathed in relief, a hand on her chest, trying to recuperate. But, she knew she wasn’t safe in the garden. Her mother would surely find her there. She needed to find somewhere else to hide for the time being.
Picking up her petticoats, she marched forward, heading for the mountainside.
Chapter Three
Azurdee had been in the forest plenty of times before. She always stuck to the path, knowing it would be dangerous for her to deviate.
Now, the forest looked uninviting, the large trees looked like giants preventing her from venturing further, but still, despite this ominous feeling, she continued forward, determined to put as much distance between herself, her mother, and her alleged fiancé as possible.
The hem of her dress was becoming covered in filth. Her mother would certainly chastise her for this, along with everything else she had done tonight.
But, Azurdee no longer cared.
She needed some fresh air. She needed to clear her head.
She reached a fork in the road, the trail breaking off in two directions.
The right-hand path was weather-beaten and smooth, the other overflowing with high grass and hidden obstacles.
Azurdee braved the grass. Brambles and branches snagged at her delicate skin, but her emotions were running high, masking the stinging pain.
She tripped on an upturned root, nearly tumbling to the ground. Her palms scraped against the ground before she managed to regain her balance. As a result, she slowed her pace, carefully navigating through the thicket of trees.
The sound of running water began to rise from a nearby valley. She decided to follow it.
Soon, she arrived at a beautiful lake, its water sparkling in the starlight. A massive waterfall seemed to flow from the heavens, crashing into the calm water, creating a numinous mist that danced like fairy light.
Despite the countless times Azurdee had walked through the forest, she had never come across this lake.
She walked toward the water’s edge until the tips of her toes nearly grazed the surface. She leaned down, running her fingertips along the surface, distorting the near perfect reflection of herself that had appeared in the water. All the makeup, the done-up hair, it wasn’t her. She wasn’t that kind of girl.
She sighed, sitting down. Her arms wrapped around her knees, pulling them close to her chest.
Why couldn’t she be one of the lesser vampires? Sure, most of them lived in poverty, but at least they were allowed to love and marry whoever they wanted. They weren’t trapped like her. Just because her room was luxurious, didn’t mean it wasn’t a prison cell. A golden cage.
She hugged her knees harder, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her emotions got the best of her as her body shook with the sobs she could no longer keep away.
It wasn’t fair!
She started ripping the grass around her, pulling it from its roots and throwing it into the water in anger. She tore at it faster and faster, her fingers digging into the dirt.
Her mother had always controlled her life, had always made it a living hell.
With her eyes burning from her tears, she stared at the waterfall. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to just stay out here in the woods. There were quite a few vampires that left the city to live in the wilderness. What was stopping her from doing the same?
But, Azurdee was a pampered vampire. She had never spent a night out in the wilderness by herself. She didn’t know the first thing about survival in the woods. She’d probably die before anyone even noticed she was missing.
Azurdee was just about to get up when she heard a loud noise, like a thick branch cracking in half. She whipped her head toward the source, watching as a large tree limb crashed toward the ground. It took some time to settle, wobbling against the forest floor before it finally halted.
Seconds later, there was another deafening crack. This time, it sounded like a whole tree was falling over. Azurdee got up quickly, edging toward the water, her eyes widening, her breathing ragged.
She had heard of wild animals in the woods, but she had never encountered them. She gulped down her fear, clenching her fists together, her palms impossibly sweaty.
“W-Who’s there?” She called out, trying to sound confident, but her voice cracked, giving away her fear.
Then, there was the sound of running.
Feet thundered, breaking twigs underfoot.
Azurdee took a step back, the soft ground by the water’s edge nearly giving way under her weight.
She bit her lip to keep from screaming, her body tense with nervous energy.
Silence.
The seconds ticked by slowly, each one longer than the last. Azurdee barely breathed, waiting for something to happen.
To her surprise, however, nothing did. It was like whatever was just in the forest had vanished into thin air.
Her shoulders sagged from their tense position and she breathed a sigh of relief. She rubbed her arms that were now
covered in goosebumps.
Thinking the danger was gone, she sat back down.
“You know, pretty girls like you shouldn’t be out in the woods all by themselves.”
Azurdee nearly jumped out of her skin, her heart rocketing into her mouth as she heard a deep, husky voice behind her. In her fright, she scrambled to get up, only to trip and tumble into the water with a loud splash.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening and, by then, she was already sinking toward the bottom of the lake, her body like a rock. She opened her eyes, desperately looking up at the surface that now seemed so far away. Her arms and legs flailed about but did nothing to propel her upwards.
She didn’t know how to swim.
“I got her.” A black t-shirt went flying into the nearby grass before a muscular, young man dove into the water.
Effortlessly, he swam toward the bottom, scooping her up in his arms and dragging her back toward the top.
Azurdee gasped for air once she broke through the surface, her hair and makeup now ruined.
Before she could figure out what was going on, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her onto dry land. He had a strong, firm hold on her like he would never let go. As she struggled to regain her composure, she felt a heavy leather jacket being placed on her shoulders. Grateful, she pulled it around herself, shivering slightly.
“A vampire who’s cold? You must be one of the nobles.” The man that saved her hoisted himself out of the water, shaking his luscious black locks, getting droplets of water everywhere.
“Must you do that?” The other man chided. “You’re getting her all wet.”
“She’s already wet.”
Azurdee finally looked up, her eyes falling on the half-naked man that sat in front of her, wringing out the water from his jeans. Her breath instantly caught in her throat.
His body was like nothing she had ever seen before. Broad shoulders, thick arms packed with muscle. A hard set of abs. A deep V-like groove that disappeared into his pants. Long, lean legs. A handsome face, complete with a hint of stubble that softened his otherwise sharp jawline. Deep, black eyes.
He had just fed.
She could even smell the blood lingering on his breath.
He turned toward her, flashing an impossibly attractive smile. “Like what you see, princess?” He asked, his tone mocking.
“Don’t listen to my brother. He’s rather ill-mannered.”
“Oh, lay off, will you? We all know that your nice guy act is nothing more than a sham.” The black-haired man scoffed.
The man shot his brother an icy look, his eyes narrowing into small slits, his lips pressed together into a hard line before he turned back to the girl. “Are you alright?” He asked, his voice kind and compassionate.
Azurdee just nodded, struggling to find the words to speak now that she was surrounded with not one, but two attractive men.
The one that kept his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it soothingly, had light blonde hair, pale skin, but the same, bottomless black eyes as his brother.
Azurdee ventured to glance at the rest of his body, only to discover that he was also very muscular, although not quite as ripped as his companion. His body was lean like an artist had sculpted him out of marble. Azurdee bit the inside of her lip, a sudden desire to pull off his shirt overwhelming her.
“Well, in any case, my name is Kai and this here is my brother, Noah.” When she offered him no response, he sat down beside her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
Again, she just nodded.
“Well, why don’t you tell us your name and why you’re out here all by yourself?”
Azurdee was distracted when Noah got up, stretching his limbs, his muscles tensing, nearly bulging out of his skin. She felt a profound lust spark up inside of her that she only felt whenever she was reading the dirty literature she wasn’t supposed to have. These men were just like the protagonists she had pictured in her stories.
Noah stepped away from the water’s edge and started to gather pieces of dry timber in his strong arms.
“He’s just going to make a fire, so you can dry off,” Kai explained with a soft smile.
Azurdee turned in his direction, blushing slightly when she realized just how close their faces really were.
“So, can you tell me your name?”
“A-Azurdee.”
“That’s a very beautiful name.” His thumb caressed the back of her hand, being very gentle with her. “And can you tell me why you’re out here all by yourself? You must know that the woods can be very dangerous.”
“Oh, very dangerous indeed.” Noah leaned in over her shoulder, flashing a bright smile, his long fangs flashing in the moonlight. “You never know who might be lurking in the shadows.” His voice lowered, a small growl emerging from his throat. “A pretty girl like you? She might find herself in trouble.”
Azurdee shivered, wrapping the jacket around her tight as if it would keep her safe from harm.
“Noah.” Kai’s voice was hostile, serving as a warning toward his brother.
Noah shrugged. “All I’m saying is she’s lucky we’re the ones that found her and not some of the others. There’s no telling what they might have done.” He finished piling the wood together. “Got a light?”
Kai fished in his pocket, tossing a lighter at his brother.
With barely any lighter fluid left, it struggled to spark. The tsk, tsk, tsk seemed louder than it really was in the stillness of the forest.
Finally, he managed to light the pyre, a small, warm flame dancing amongst the logs.
Azurdee held out her hands, warming up her cold, stiff fingers. “Thank you.” She whispered. Her mind had yet to fully comprehend what had happened to her, but she was grateful that she could warm herself by the fire.
Noah plopped down beside her, running his fingers through his still damp hair. “So, you going to tell us why you’re out here all by yourself or what?”
Azurdee looked at each man in turn. They were complete strangers, but they had helped her. Seeing no reason not to, she decided to confide in them. After all, she needed to get it off her chest.
“I ran away.” She wanted to say more, but her lips locked shut after those three words, tears once again forming in the corner of her eyes. She didn’t want to cry in front of these men, but she just couldn’t help it. Her chest felt so tight like someone was squeezing it to the point of breaking.
“What did you run away from?”
“Everything.”
Chapter Four
The men waited for her to elaborate.
Frustrated with herself, she wiped her tears with the back of her arm. “I… I’m supposed to be married soon.”
“Don’t most women live for that?” Noah asked.
Azurdee shook her head. “Not when your mother arranges everything and expects you to marry a man you don’t even know.”
“Ah, so you truly are one of the nobles, then,” Kai said with a slight nod of his head.
“It’s not fair. Why shouldn’t I be able to decide who I get to marry? I don’t even know who this Fredrick person is. I met him today and now, I’m supposed to want to marry him? How does that make any sense? Sure, he seems like an okay guy, but I don’t know him, I haven’t fallen in love with him, how can they expect me to live out my life with him?” She asked, looking at the two men.
She started to rip up the grass beside her once again before Noah grabbed her hand and stopped her. He didn’t say a word, only held her hand for a moment before letting go, his dark eyes sending a shiver through her spine. If these men had just fed, that meant they were hunters, some of the most powerful vampires on the island. They could crush a stag’s neck with a single bite.
“And…” Azurdee paused, wondering how much she should tell these strangers, but the more she spoke, the better she felt. “… it’s not like I can do anything about it. My mother is the matriarch of the Hallowed– “
“Hallowed?” The two men repeated, cutting her off.
“We really do have a little princess on our hands.” Noah mused, his fangs once again flashing into view.
“I’m not a princess.”
“Sure.” Noah chuckled. “Not a princess. Then why are you wearing that fancy dress and being assigned to marry some high-brow aristocrat? There aren’t many Fredricks, you know. If I had to guess, he’s that politician in the capital, the one that’s trying to completely destroy any rights the lower-class still have. Red, curly hair, large, sharp nose, eyes like that of a rodent.”
“Y-Yeah… that’s him. How did you know?”
“Noah and I are part of the Sanctioned Clan.”
“That’s one of the lower-class clans…” She whispered, her initial attraction to these men fading slightly now that she knew they were both lesser vampires. But… Noah’s fangs were so big.
“Don’t look at us like that.” Noah spat, noting her derision almost immediately. “Just because we aren’t purebloods like you, doesn’t mean we’re any less vampires.” His tone took a lethal edge as he got closer to Azurdee, his eyes burning with something of a hatred.
“Noah.” Kai grabbed his shoulder, squeezing it slightly, forcing him to calm down.
Noah mumbled something under his breath that Azurdee couldn’t quite understand.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just… upset.”
“Don’t worry, my brother has a habit of losing his temper.” Kai offered her a kind smile. His fangs were significantly smaller than his brother’s, but still quite large for a lesser vampire.
“You know, I should probably go… they’ll start looking for me soon and I don’t want to get you two in trouble for being seen with me.” She got up quickly, shrugging off the leather jacket. She held it in her hand for a moment, feeling the soft leather between her fingers. It was warm and she could smell the men’s strong, musky scent rolling off it. In a way, she didn’t want to part with it.
“You can keep it if you’d like.” Kai offered, noticing how she clung to his jacket.
“No. No.” She handed it back to him. “I really should be going and if my soon-to-be husband is who you say he is, I think it’s best if we weren’t seen together.”
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