Chapter 39. Jealousy

**39. Jealousy**
***Third Person's POV:***
"Get out, Rafael." Eva shoved Rafael outside.
"What? That's also my room; why can't I come in?" Rafael objected.
"Because you have to go get your date," scoffed Astrid.
Rafael smirked as he sensed Astrid's envy. "Are you jealous?" he asked.
"No, I have a date coming up," Astrid lied, uncertain about her plans after venting her rage at Rafael. Rafael was clearly having a good time in this setting. Why wouldn't he? He, too, didn't have a 'date,' but he wanted Astrid to tell him that she wanted to go with him.
His blood boiled at the thought of Astrid leaving with someone else. "No, you're not," Rafael retorted, but Eva shut the door in his face.
His rage lessened slightly when he heard Eva giggle from within, hopeful that Astrid was getting on his nerves.
"Do you have something on your mind, Astrid?" Eva inquired, noticing Astrid lost in her thoughts.
Astrid sighed, deciding to confide in Eva. "I'm not sure how to express it, Eva, but I've been struggling with my own moods lately. I'm not sure what's going on with me; one minute I'm snapping at him, the next I feel awful about it, but before you say anything, there's this strange sense inside that something bad is about to happen," Astrid elaborated.
"Are you nervous?" Eva asked.
"Perhaps yes... I'm not sure," Astrid shrugged.
"If that's the case, you shouldn't be concerned. Everyone already loves you; all you have to do now is sit back down and let me work my magic." Eva clapped her hands.
Unlike Astrid, Eva excelled at cosmetics and was ready to dress up Astrid to rile her brother. Astrid stayed put as Eva styled her hair and applied makeup, finally revealing the outfit after completing the look.
Though Astrid had a vague idea about the dress's color and pattern since it was bought for her, she was stunned to see a beautiful navy blue dress.
"Umm... my brother has excellent taste in everything," Eva mumbled, her gaze shifting between the dress and Astrid as if admiring both. Astrid blushed and went to put on her outfit.
The strapless gown with a heart neckline suited Astrid's figure, emphasizing her curves.
Her front was a little too short for her liking, but her gorgeous legs were on display. The dress reached her knees from the front but trailed behind her.
Astrid emerged, and Eva praised her once more for her stunning appearance.
"Oh, come on, have you seen how gorgeous you look?" Eva said, and Astrid laughed.
"Rafael is going to have a difficult time keeping everyone's attention away from not only me but also you. I think that will be a task for him." Eva and Astrid both laughed.
"Will you accompany me, or should I go alone?" Astrid inquired, standing near the doorframe.
"I still have some touch-ups to make, but I'll follow," she said.
"Oh, come on, you already look like a goddess," Astrid said as she walked away.
Rafael effortlessly resembled a Greek deity here. He was dressed in his branded suits like he does every other day; the only time he is seen in casuals is when he is not on business. The only difference today is that he has combed his hair back into place and cut his beard just enough to put his gorgeous jawline on flex.
He stood by the side, leaning against a neighboring wall, his eyes fixed on the stairs. He had looked at his wristwatch a hundred times, yet each second felt like a year to him. He was surrounded by humans who were nothing more than "feed" for them. They were the ones who offered their blood to vampires in exchange for a hefty payment.
Rafael, of course, was not stupid enough to risk humans discovering their presence. He had ordered them not to say anything that happens when they are among humans. His abilities are so powerful that only once compelling was enough to endure an eternity.
Strange enough, recently he wasn't thirsting over their blood, which he would take directly from their warm veins, but these days all he wanted was Astrid's blood.
He tries to control his urges by going on hunts and quenching his hunger with the blood of various animals, but it has little to no effect.
Rafael's senses were heightened as he sensed Astrid's presence getting closer and closer.
Rafael couldn't take his gaze away from the steps as Astrid descended them like a goddess.
His fangs began to protrude, and his eyes went scarlet and electric blue. He gulped, shutting his fangs and licking his dry lips, moistening them.
Astrid's gaze met his, and she noticed the change in the vampire's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, but Eva's warning to not give in easily came to mind, so she kept a grim look.
Rafael expected Astrid to appear and stand beside him, as usual.
Astrid got closer and closer to him, and he took his hand out of his pocket, expecting Astrid to accept it, but she never did.
Astrid strolled past Rafael with a sneer on her face. Rafael was taken aback by this and began following Astrid. He grabbed her hand and drew her closer to him.
"Where do you think you're going?" Rafael asked, turning Astrid to face him.
"I don't think you need me here, so I thought I'd find someone nice to hang out with," Astrid said, pressing Rafael's buttons. "Anyway, where is your date?" She looked around. "I think she is late."
Rafael became enraged and let Astrid go. He was never a patient person, but since Astrid entered his life, he has been trying to be for her sake, but her mood swings have been bothering him. Though he didn't want to admit it to himself, the thought of Astrid leaving him and other men lusting after him was making him sick.
He couldn't understand why Astrid would prefer someone else over him. He hasn't even done anything wrong. Yes, he unwittingly crossed the line by mentioning her wolf, but it was all in good fun. He would not have even broached the subject if he had known the repercussions.
he yanked his hair in frustration and began chasing Astrid. He couldn't leave Astrid alone, no matter how angry he was, especially since he hadn't marked her.
Rafael approached Astrid as she drank from a glass of water. Rafael spoke up before Astrid could finish her sentence. "I'm not leaving your side, so bear with me." Astrid suppressed a laugh. She was about to inform Rafael that he could crown her queen if he wanted to, but she decided to have some fun first.
As everyone began to arrive, Rafael and Astrid greeted them. Rafael was taken aback by Astrid's confidence in their presence. He didn't want to show Astrid that he was proud of her because he was angry with her. They walked and sat silently on a chair just as a speaker asked if everyone could join them for a dance. Retro music began to play, and everyone started moving to the beat.
Rafael, uninterested in such frivolous pursuits, was interrupted when one of his vampires, known for his idiocy, approached Astrid. "Excuse me, my queen, may I dance with you?" Astrid saw no harm in just dancing, so she consented.
Rafael was taken aback by who had the audacity to ask his queen right in front of him. He interrupted him and pushed him away from Astrid.
Rafael hissed, "Stay away from her, or you'll wish you hadn't been born, Austin," Rafael said.
Austin gasped and peeked around the corner before sprinting away.
"This motherfu................" Rafael chased him down and grabbed his collar just as he was leaving the parking lot.
Astrid, who had followed Rafael, attempted to pull Rafael away from Austin, but not before Rafael delivered a jaw-breaking punch to his face, causing him to fall face-first on the ground.
"Please, Rafael, calm down." Astrid took both of his hands in hers and led him away from the sight.
Rafael kicked him in the stomach and said, "I better not see you in my office starting tomorrow."
Austin was worried about losing his job, so he began pleading with Rafael. "Please, sir, do not do this to me, our princess, miss. Eva requested that I do so. "Austin clasped his hands together.
Astrid whisked Rafael away from the scene before he could respond.
Eva was standing at the entryway. "What kind of nonsense is this, Eva?" Rafael screamed.
Rafael was really angry at his sister for the first time, and she became emotional. She lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, Rafael; I noticed a lot of tension between you two, so I asked Austin to help me. You both are away from each other, so..." She didn't complete the rest of the sentence and ran away.
"You shouldn't have agreed to dance with him then." He sighed. "I know I was insensitive to you. Please understand me, Astrid. I have a million things running through my mind, and I  can't
Astrid's attention was on the car that had just made it into the gate.
It stopped at some distance, and Astrid was stunned to see people getting out of the car.
"What are they doing here?"
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