18 dead ring

Rojan

“Rojan? What are you doing in our humble abode?” Hilda’s voice, laced with a mixture of surprise and annoyance, echoed through the grand hallway.

I smirked, stepping further into her family mansion. I’d been here countless times, a thousand times perhaps, but always for formal gatherings or parties. This was the first time I’d visited on a normal day.

"What are you doing here? Didn’t my words make it clear that I don't want to see you so often?”

Anger burned in Hilda’s eyes, making her face look even more beautiful. I couldn’t blame her. After all, I’d been her annoying ex-lover for most of my life.

Yes, I had been her lover long ago. I had fallen for her, hard. But even though my feelings for her lingered, there was nothing I could do. My father had chosen Hilda to be Raige's fiancée, and she had readily accepted. She had a huge crush on my brother ever since they were kids.

Hilda had used me to get closer to Raige. She thought I was close to my brother because we were siblings, but she didn't know the truth. I hated Raige with a passion, the hybrid, powerful vampire who had been chosen to be the next king of our clan, not me.

For now, all I could do was to try and ruin anything that might make my brother happy.

“Relax, sweetheart. I just came here to get an invitation. I want to be at the party you’re throwing for my dear brother,” I said, a sardonic smile playing on my lips.

“I didn’t give you anything for nothing, Rojan. I don’t want you there,” Hilda replied, her voice laced with icy steel.

“Come on, sweetheart. Don’t think I'm here to bother you. Get over yourself. I’m not into you anymore.”

I said it, but a part of me still longed for the days when I was in her mind. But my anger toward my brother was far more intense than any lingering feelings I might have for this woman.

“Just give me the invitation, and I’ll disappear like I’m invisible,” I said, my voice hardening.

Hilda rolled her eyes, then sighed. “Good. It seems you’ve finally gotten over me.”

“Wait for me here. I’ll grab the invitation from my room.”

Hilda disappeared up the grand staircase, leaving me alone in the hallway. As I waited, my gaze fell on an old painting tucked away in a shadowy corner. It was Hilda’s late sister. She had died, I remembered, from an overexposure to sunlight. A young vampire body, even with pure blood, couldn’t withstand too much sun.

I didn’t know her well, but I often saw my brother talking to her when we were kids.

She was as beautiful as Hilda, but in my opinion, she was even more stunning. But why did she look so familiar? Her purple eyes, the hint of a sarcastic smile playing on her lips in the painting - I felt like I had seen her somewhere before…

******

Raige


A playful smile spread across my lips. I couldn't help it. The thought of Aliyah maybe liking me was a huge accomplishment.

"What are you smiling at?" Aliyah asked, her voice sharp.

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. The food arrived, and I looked up at the waitress. It was someone different from earlier. But as I looked back at Aliyah, her sharp glare sent shivers down my spine, but not from fear. It was a different kind of thrill - happiness.

"Nothing, love. Let's eat?" I said, showing her my pair of sharp teeth. I wasn't just smiling; I was seducing her. And I think it was working because her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink.

We dug into our food, but my mind was not on the meal. My focus was on Aliyah.

After we ate and rested for a while, we drove to the nearest expensive boutique.

“I said I don’t want one, Raige,” Aliyah complained, her voice laced with frustration.

“I want you to be the most beautiful girl at that party, love. I want you to be my partner.” I said, my voice firm, unwavering.

Aliyah sighed, her frustration evident.


“I don’t want to be the center of attention, Raige. The closer I get to you, the more I seem to become a target for those bullies. Please, if you care for me, you won’t throw me to the wolves. ”

Fear glinted in her eyes. It was clear she didn’t trust me to protect her. I couldn’t blame her. To her, I was just a college student, still relying on my parents’ money.

"Raige, I want to ask, is your family like a monarchy in this country? Is it a tradition, something that has to be passed down through generations? Because as far as I know, royal families these days are mostly just tradition. They’re respected, of course, but they don’t have any real power in government like in ancient times.”
I smiled, and nodded. We were silently powerful, capable of manipulating anyone, but we didn't interfere in people's lives or government affairs. We had our own regime, our own rules, and we took care of our own. We were a secret society, and only a handful of humans knew about our existence. We socialized with humans, of course, but they didn't know what kind of creatures we truly were.

For now, I had no plans to tell Aliyah the truth. She was happy in her human life, and I thought her happiness was more important. Besides, as long as no one realized she was the spitting image of Sierra, she would be safe.

No one knew except my late friend Lothian. But I knew he was dead. He had never left the cave after I'd stolen the elixir that day. I guessed my secret was safe.

"Raige, I’m still talking to you. Come back to Earth. Hello...?" Aliyah said, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

I smiled, but a nagging thought lingered in the back of my mind. What if she ever found out about my secret? Would she accept me for who I am, or would she hate me?