Chapter 91

TOM did not know what to say to the black-haired lady in front of him right now. She must be mad, she has to be mad, Tom mused as he was looking at the blue orbs that were shining under the moonlight. She was smiling at Tom as if he was a prize for her.
“I don’t know what are you thinking about but know this, I am dangerous and you don’t want to be around me,” he said as the woman was still adorning his face. When Tom thinks about it, this would be his chance to find a bride after that disastrous night with a Lady that refused to be in his presence.
Maybe this was his prayer being answered.
“Oh please, you cannot mean that. I mean, look at you. Sure, you have blood on your hands but it was not mine and that was enough proof that you are not harmful as you thought you would be,” she said as she was looking at Tom.
He arched his eyebrow before he was shaking his head. He took her hand on his wrist before the sparks were flying all over his body. That…never happened before, he mused before he was releasing the wrist of the young peasant.
He missed it already.
“Please, kind sir. I am merely wanted to pay my debt to you. Is there anything that you would want? Surely I can give it to you,” she said as Tom was regarding her. She looked like she was dressed as a peasant but her accent and pronunciation did not indicate that she was low born.
If anything, she spoke like a Lady.
“Who are you?” Tom asked her as the woman was blinking her blue orbs at Tom. He felt like he has seen those eyes before. But where?
“Pardon me, my lord?”
“What’s your name and why do you want to associate with me so much?” Tom asked her as she was looking at Tom. Then, she did something that throws Tom off-balanced.
She smiled.
“My name is Jessica. But you can call me Jessie. I am in a search for the legends and folklore in the coastal city but I think I would rather have you to be my subject of study now,” Jessie, the young woman, said as Tom was blinking his eyes.
Well, one thing he knows, she was a blunt woman.
“Should you not tell your intention if you want to know about my legend? About the truth behind the gentry?” He asked as Tom was looking at the woman. She waved her hand dismissively before she turned to look at him.
“In my life, it has been an old boring routine that was mundane. Now that I know the legend of the gentry was not a myth, I think I can die happy now,” Jessie said before Tom was feeling something inside him.
Something that wanted to control Jessie and have her as his own.
Tom shook his head before Jessie was looking at him. He was about to turn away from her before something was making him reconsider his decision.
“If you wish to read about the legend of the gentry on The Island headline tomorrow, I suggest you think wisely before making your steps, milord, as I am sure the young queen of Niapachad Island would hate it if the secret was out in the public,” Jessie said as Tom turned to look at her. She was smiling sweetly at him before an idea was stuck inside his mind.
The young queen did ask him to find a bride after all.
Then, Tom was making his way to Jessie with a smirk plastered on his face. Jessie saw the change before they were locking eyes as Tom was in front of Jessie. She was staring at him before Tom was taking a strand of her hair and played it between his fingers.
He felt sticky on her hair before he was noticing that her hair was pomaded and powdered to cover the real color of her hair.
I wonder what was the real color of her hair, Tom mused before he was locking his eyes with Jessie and he can see that she shivered at the intense gaze that Tom gave to her.
“Are you sure you wanted to blackmail me, milady? I don’t think you would like to hear what I have to say on this matter,” Tom said as he was trying to play as the bad guy in this matter. He never felt like he wanted to keep someone before when he was bantering and flirting with the women of the ton but there was something about Jessie that made him wanted to know her better.
And maybe I was just mad because I did not have blood in my body, Tom mused before Jessie was breathing hard. Tom looked at her as her eyes were dilated. He never knew that women find him attractive before.
Or maybe it was the lure of Porphyria that made him irresistible and enchanting to his prey. Tom smiled before he was caressing Jessie’s cheek. She leaned into the touch.
“Then, I think there was only one way to solve this problem,” Tom said as he was looking at Jessie. She was out of her trance now as she was blinking her eyes at Tom. He smirked.
“And what is that, milord?” She asked before Tom was moving his mouth to her left ear. She stiffened before Tom was breathing out the words that Queen Arabella would be proud to know that his meeting 2 days ago was bearing fruit. He wanted to scowl at that notion.
“You have to marry me,” Tom said as Jessie was blinking her eyes. Then, she smiled.

“YOU have to marry me,” the stranger said as Jessie was looking at his violet eyes. She never knew that the eyes would be the ones to open someone’s heart to know their intention. Jessie was looking at the stranger’s uncanny violet orbs before she saw there was something pooling inside them.
Something dark that Jessie wanted to uncover for herself, and only herself.
When the stranger was speaking of marriage, Jessie can picture himself being under him every night, on their marriage bed, writhing and begging for him to take her to oblivion. Jessie smiled at him before she was leaning forward to the stranger.
“And what is your name, milord? I cannot marry someone that I don’t know,” Jessie said as the stranger was blinking his eyes. He would not think that Jessie would agree to marry him, did he? Well, news flashed, she would and this time, she has something that will keep her preoccupied for the rest of her life.
“No,” he said curtly before he was turning to walk away from Jessie. She frowned as she did give him her name before she was running after him. She gathered her skirts before she stopped the man by standing on his way to get out of the road.
“My lady, I am doing you a favor—“
“I heard that you gents need to have someone to feed and I noticed that you are trying to control your anger after the fight. I can be a service to you, my lord. You can have my blood as I am indebted to you,” Jessie said as the man was clenching his jaws. Jessie knew that he did not like her suggestions but she can see that he was thinking about it.
Tempting to have her blood on his lips.
“You are driving a hard bargain, my lady,” the stranger said as she was smiling at him. He sighed before he nodded.
“Alright, I consider your bargain but only until we arrived at the coastal city. I don’t want to be around you anymore and your debt to me is considered paid,” the stranger said as she was smiling from ear to ear.
“Thank you, milord,”
“Tom,” the stranger said as Jessie was blinking her eyes at him. He sighed before he was extending his hand to Jessie.
“My name. It’s Tom.” He said as Jessie was beaming at him. She took his hand and the sparks were there again. Something happened to his stomach before Jessie was shaking his hand.
“Then, I am in service to you, Tom, until we can get to the coastal city,” she said before Tom was sighing inwardly.
Why do I have to deal with this eager woman out of all people who would run away from me when they know I am a Vampyre? Tom mused before they were walking on the road that was leading to the nearest village of Royal Lothso, Towngasp.
Jessie was holding his hand the whole time as they were walking on the trail to the village and something inside Tom, the darker side of him, was smiling at the gesture that this woman showed that she was not afraid of him.
And Tom wanted someone that will not afraid of him when his secret was out. He only hoped that he can find someone like Jessie to be his bride, knowing that the Ladies of the Ton would not be like Jessie at all.

ARABELLA was looking out into the sea as she was smiling from ear to ear. She has traveled to Royal Lothso to find out that the Earl of Raine was not home. She wondered where could he be until she received the telegram from one of her spies around the island.
It was unbearable not to share this news with her husband.
Aiden just got off from the bathing as Arabella was looking at his hard chest as well as the glistening water droplets on his pale skin. Arabella smiled before she was making her way to her husband as Aiden was eyeing her up and down.
She was adorning the thin muslin chemise that she knows would drive Aiden crazy. She was caressing his chest as Aiden’s eyes were darkening.
With desire, lust, and love for her. As well as bloodlust.
“You’re staring, milord,” Arabella said as Aiden smirked at her. He took her hand before kissed the knuckles.
“Only for you,” he whispered before Arabella was showing him the dismissive that she got earlier. Aiden took it before reading it. Then, he chuckled.
“It would seem that your plan worked after all,” he said as he was putting the dismissive on the night table. Arabella smirked.
“Of course, who do you think I am?”
“The queen of Niapachad Island? My wife?” He said as Arabella was slapping his chest playfully. Arabella sighed before she was looking at the full moon over the horizon before she turned to look at her husband.
“Shall we tuck in for bed?” She asked before Aiden smirked.
“I think we have something else better to do to occupy our time right now,” he said before he scooped his wife and went to tumble in bed together, waiting for the arrival of the earl as well as the woman that he would be bringing along with him.