Chapter 15

Alina

“We’re here!” Kendrick announced just as we entered the driveway.
Erick, the chevalier, got off first and came around to my side to help me out in vampire speed.
“What’re you doing? There are people in plain sight!” I grumbled under my breath so that any vampires in the crowd won’t hear us.
“Contrary to what you think, I’m not an idiot.” He gave me a smirk while lacing my hand through his. “They’re all vampires.”
“I thought we’re here for the press conference?” I asked as I watched several vampires, mostly in couples, stroll around the huge garden in front of the four-storied mansion that was the blood bank.
“Press conferences are for dedicated, responsible people,” he said as if they were the worst possible qualities a person can have. “It’s the after party where all the fun is.”
“And here I thought you were a changed person,” I said deadpan.
“I am,” he countered, “but no one said changed people can’t party!”
“Of course.” I rolled my eyes as Kendrick came to join us after parking the car.
I could hear the sound of waves from a distance. We must’ve been really close to the sea.
“Erick!” A man of Erick’s age jogged towards us. He was dressed up in a blue suit, white shirt, and blue jeans. He had dark-brown hair and blue eyes as well, but not as beautiful as Erick’s. Gosh, I couldn’t believe I was comparing him to other men... err... vampires now. Thank God he couldn’t hear my thoughts anymore! I could tell that the new guy was a vampire by his speed as he literally flew from the entrance to the driveway.
“Jordan!” Erick left my side to meet the man halfway with a hug.
“Long time no see, man! Where have you been? Knee deep in etiquette classes?” Jordan joked as they separated.
“Ha ha. Funny.” Erick made a sour face, but I could tell he liked this guy. Friends, maybe? I’ve never seen him in Erick’s usual crowd.
Jordan’s gaze turned to me after the greetings were over. He raised an eyebrow at Erick, seemingly asking for an introduction.
“Jordan, meet my—”
“Wait, wait! I know!” He moved past Erick and came to stand in front of me before taking my hand in his and placing a kiss on my knuckles. “You must be Princess Alina Deluca, Erick’s fiancée. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
I laughed awkwardly as he raised his head. “Thank you, but I’m pretty sure you got the honoraries wrong. It’s just Alina.”
Jordan frowned and looked towards Erick with a questioning stare while Erick shook his head. Jordan turned back to me. “I’m pretty sure I haven’t. You’re Erick’s fiancée, and you wear his ring. That automatically makes you a princess.”
“Really?” I frowned as Erick returned to my side and Jordan took a step back. “But won’t that title apply after we’re married?”
“Sometimes, but since you’re the royal bride-to-be, the title already—”
“Prince Erick! Look, it’s Prince Erick!”
A shrill feminine cry followed by several ear-splitting screams sounded, and the next thing I knew, we were surrounded by a horde of female vampires in bold but elegant dresses. The shift was slight, but I still noticed Kendrick and Jordan take protective stances in front of me while Erick moved slightly in front of me.
“Prince Erick! My goodness, you look even better in person than in the photos!”
“Will you have a drink with us?”
“Come join us, Your Highness! I’m sure you’ll find us suitable company.”
Eyelashes were battered, and lips were pouted. Some even pulled down their dresses to reveal the sensuous curve of their breasts while I stood behind Erick, teeth gritting and blood boiling. I knew Erick was popular, not just because of his status or wealth but also because amongst vampire kind, he was considered to be one of the most handsome of men. But in all of this, I couldn’t have imagined the jealousy I felt as I saw the women around who were like porcelain dolls because of their vampire beauty.
Then Erick did something that I would never have contemplated, and from what I could read of their facial expressions, neither could the women. “Thank you for gathering here everyone. Please enjoy the drinks, but before you leave,” he said, pulling me forward to his chest and making sure the ring on my finger was visible to all, “meet my fiancée, Alina.”
The buzzing died down immediately, and all the flattering gazes turned murderous. Thankfully, Erick pulled me out in the nick of time. “Well then, it was nice meeting everyone. Please enjoy the party.”
Then he turned to the boys. “Give us a minute alone, Jordan, Kendrick.” Erick excused us and took a hold of my hand, pulling me after him to a different route that led to a small stony road through the greenery around the mansion.
“What’s wrong? Where are you talking me?” I asked as he dragged me deeper into the woods. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore got louder with every step we took.
“Not now. They can hear us.” Erick took us further inside, and it wasn’t long before the woods gave way to a cliff overlooking James Bay.
“Good. With the waves making this much noise, no one will be able to hear us no matter how close they are.” Erick mused before he turned to look at me. I stared back, waiting for him to answer. Instead, he replied with another question. “Alina, how much do you know about your mother’s side of the family?”
Now, that was a weird question. “I know that my grandmother was the principal of West Coast High and my grandfather was an ex-mayor, which was how he came to have connections with your parents, and you already know that my mom worked as a professor in Uni. Why do you ask?”
“No.” He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Well, there has to be something if you’re asking me about this. What is it?”
“Let’s just say I was trying to figure out why you were thought suitable for marrying me.” He was lying. I could tell that much, but I had no idea what he was lying about. Maybe it was from seeing those beautiful women in the courtyard? Was he having doubts about me?
Why did I suddenly feel like I just might collapse? Did he not want to marry me anymore?
“It’s not what you’re thinking, Alina. I’m not planning on nullifying the marriage. I was just curious.”
My eyes widened. “How did you know?”
“Sometimes you’re like an open book. I can read your face better than I can read mine, but the rest of the time, you’re just so closed up.” He turned to look towards the sea, the wind blowing back his hair from his face. “I just want to know what goes on in your mind all the time, so I know I’m not doing anything wrong.”
I balled my hands into fists to stop myself from reaching out to him. Standing at the edge of the cliff with the sun acting as a halo around him, the scenery was beautiful yet heart-breaking. Right now, he looked so impossibly alone, yet just a few moments ago he was surrounded by a huge crowd. If our circumstances had been different and if the past events had never happened, it would’ve been so easy to fall in love with him for Erick might tease mercilessly, even bully people, but when he cared for someone, he gave his all in protecting them.
“Let’s head back now.” Erick turned back from the ocean. “People might get the wrong idea.”
“Yes.” We started back on the path we came from, walking through the little patch of greenery that separated the blood bank from the cliff. I wasn’t paying proper attention to where we were going, so my heels slipped on an elevated tree branch.
“Are you alright?” Erick wrapped an arm around me to steady me. I didn’t even notice we were already out of the woods until now.
“Yes. I just slipped, and I guess I have a headache.” I leaned on to him for the support. I had a rough day at the office, especially with Erick coming in and thrusting that engagement ring onto my finger and then draining my blood. Plus, I hardly slept a wink last night ever since Erick told me he had given me his blood.
“We’ll be out of here soon. Just hold on for the next hour.” I nodded against his shoulder; feeling tired all of a sudden.
We went inside the mansion this time, where the main hallway was lined with small tables and chairs. People sat in small groups while talking and drinking the donated blood from wine glasses. If it continued like this, I doubt there would be any blood left when the guests departed. It was a stale reminder of the fact that I wasn’t one of them. The difference between me and everyone else here was that of a lion and a mouse. Anyone here could easily rip me to spreads and won’t even bat an eyelash before sucking every last drop of blood from my veins. The only thing stopping them was Erick’s arms around me and the ring that caterwauled his claim on me.
“Sit.” Erick sat me down at a table further from the rest then motioned for Kendrick beside me to follow him. After that, he went over to talk to Kendrick alone. Their voices were low enough for the rest of the room to drown out.
“Back from the woods already? Didn’t take Erick to be the type who fancied barn sex.” Jordan appeared on the seat to my right, making me jump out of my skin and forget to blush at the obvious tease. Stupid vampire speed!
“Sorry.” He apologized.
“Wow! A vampire actually apologized to me! This should be noted down in the Guinness Book for Vampires or whatever you guys call it,” I commented.
“Red Book of Outstanding Activities, and no, vampires have done far more remarkable things for this to count.” Jordan smiled. He looked kind of handsome when he smiled. Plus, he had a dimple on his left cheek. “If you’re talking about the almighty vampire you’re about to marry, then you should know that it’s how he’s been raised. His parents, our Great King Valroy and Queen Kenna, aren’t exactly a fan of humans. It’s Erick who wants to change things between the two species. Then again, he grew up in an environment where humans are considered under him, so it’ll take him some time to forget years of belief. Give him that time, and who knows, maybe you’ll be the one thing Erick has been waiting for all along.”
His words were a bit hard to believe. Me changing Erick? Yeah, maybe when hell freezes over, and daisies rain down from the sky. Maybe we weren’t talking about the same Erick after al—
“Wait, Queen Kenna? How can you say that! She’s such a nice and kind person,” I said incredulously, my thoughts about Erick sidelined for now.
“To you, of course, but have you seen her with anyone else? I’m guessing not and hoping you don’t,” he said solemnly. “You like her, and I don’t want you to think otherwise. She’s a great person, but she’s also a royal, and all the royals have one thing in common: they think humans are beneath us.”
“You obviously don’t think the same or you wouldn’t be here. Oh, wait! You’re just here because I’m Erick’s fiancée, right?” I corrected myself.
“No. I like humans. Their lives are so short, and yet, they’re happy. I think it’s a wonderful gift.” He smiled again. “I doubt vampires truly understand the value of life. We aren’t immortals, but we age very slowly. It gives us an opportunity to experience everything but one at a time. Humans are more spontaneous.”
A small smile formed on my lips. “Glad you think that.”
“You’re worried.” He noticed.
“Wouldn’t you be?” I sighed. “I’m a human who’s engaged to a vampire, but not just any ordinary vampire. Oh no, I’m engaged to their prince. I have no clue as to why I was even chosen for this role. Plus, there’s so much that I want to ask, and so much that I want to know, but I have no idea who to ask them to.”
“I get where you’re coming from, but know that everything happens for a reason, and all the answers will come to you in due time,” he answered. “Our world is full of secrets, but only because it’s full of dangers too. Sometimes, knowledge can be dangerous even for us vampires.”
“Alright, enough of the heavy!” I shook my head to clear my mind. Jordan just kept sounding like a withered old saint. “Tell me about yourself. You seem like you’ve known Erick for a long time and yet I’ve never seen you in his usual group before. Why’s that?”
“Because I’m not his friend. I’m his cousin, and I’m two years older than him. I’m from his mother’s side of the family. My dad and his mom are siblings. There are plenty more in the family you’ll learn about from Erick that I can’t tell you now,” he said then halted a waiter carrying champagne instead of blood. He took two glasses and handed one to me.
“Great, more secrets. Then I’ll learn that you two were team Casanova back in college,” I grumbled.
He nearly spit out the champagne he was just taking a sip of. “That’s one thing I have to disagree on. He had been preparing for the crown for the past four years, so he didn’t attend a human college. I haven’t seen him with anyone in that duration. I know I haven’t been in touch with him in person, but everyone had their eyes on the next king. All those people can’t be lying all at once.”
He couldn’t be serious about this! No way! Erick had been celibate these past four years? My head was spinning. “Okay, I really need to get to the washroom.”
“Last room on the right-hand corner down that corridor,” he pointed out.
I gulped down my champagne in one go and almost ran off to the ladies’ room. Halfway through, I realized I shouldn’t have done that because the alcohol was now making me a bit dizzy.
I shut the main door and leaned against it, not caring about hygiene for once. Then I started taking deep breaths.
In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.
This wasn’t working! I really needed to get out of here, possibly out of town or the country, and never come back!
Erick wasn’t with anyone other than me while all he made me believe was that he had the time of his life away from me. Kenna, who I thought was a great person, might hate me enough to kill me if only I weren’t special. Papa kept from me the fact that Erick came to visit him often, thus making me believe that he truly was a heartless vampire. And for God’s sake, how on Earth am I special?!
I went over to the sink, sprinkled some water on my face, and wiped it clean. Right now, I didn’t care if I looked like a mess. I needed to find Erick, and I needed to get the hell out of here! I felt lightheaded, and I didn’t think I could keep going for long.
After I had regained some of my composure, I took a deep breath and stepped out the room, only for my heart to stop again.
“Dear God! Erick! How many times do I have to tell you not to just appear out of thin air?” I snapped at him, agitated. “And why did you change clothes?”
“Sorry to scare you.” He apologized, making my eyebrows disappear into my hairline. “Someone tripped and spilled blood all over my clothes. I couldn’t possibly roam around like that.” He now wore a black jacket and pants with a red shirt underneath. They might have been inside the car.
Well, that made sense. His voice, though.... something just felt off. Maybe I was just hearing things. Couldn’t blame me, I’ve been having a revelation day today.
“Hey, wanna get out of here and stroll around the cliff? It’s getting suffocating in here,” Erick suggested.
“Yeah, I was coming to get you. I think it’s time we—”
“Went for a stroll? I think so too. Come on.” He cut me off before I could finish and pulled me with him. Weird. What was up with him?
“But we just came here!” I whined as he dragged me behind him through the woods again.
“When?” he asked.
“Erick! How can you forget? You brought me here to ask about my family all of a sudden,” I told him. How did Erick forget we were here? He had the sharpest memory I’ve ever seen. Something pricked at the back of my mind.
“Sorry, it slipped my mind. I was in some really deep discussions.” We came to the clearing, the cliff right in front of us. Maybe he was right. He was discussing something serious with Kendrick when I last saw him.
This time, I went near the cliff to have a look at the waves crashing on the rocks down below. It was an intriguing view. The blue waves looked orange in colour with the setting sun.
“You’re right. Today has been filled with too many deep discussions. Even Jordan—”
“Jordan? He’s here? I mean, he spoke to you?” he asked. Now I knew something was definitely wrong.
“Who are you?” I whipped around to face him, the wind blowing my hair in front of my face. That was when I finally noticed what I missed for so long. His eyes weren’t the captivating electric blue of the Erick I knew. They were of different colours. One was the same blue as Erick’s while the other was lighter and had a hint of green in it that was so not Erick’s.
“What gave it away? Wait, my eyes, right? No, no! It must be my British accent, I’m sure.” Now that he mentioned it, he did have a very slight British accent. It must be what felt off about his voice from the beginning. “What a short encounter. It makes me a bit sad, but it was fun.”
“Who are you?” I asked again. “What do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?” Fear was finally setting in. I was alone on a cliff top with a possible mad vampire and far away from the mansion with the waves blocking all other sounds. The odds were not in my favour.
“From you? Nothing. From Erick? What rightfully belongs to me.” I could swear his eyes flashed red for a second. “But to get what I want from Erick, I have to get through you since you’re the key to what he wants.” He smirked.
Key? What the hell was he talking about?
“Doesn’t make any sense to you, I know. Just know that, right now, you’re gonna have to die.” He smiled at me and began advancing towards me in slow, measured steps.
“Please, stop.” I pleaded, but he didn’t seem to notice me. “Please, don’t do this. Just... please let me go.” Fear held my heart in its icy grip, and there seemed to be no way out of this situation.
I kept backing away from him as he kept advancing. He had Erick’s face, but his aura was different. It was like I could almost touch the evil force emitting out of him. He was out forblood, and he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted. To think that he looked exactly like Erick...
Soon enough, I felt the earth give way to air under my feet, and I retracted a step, barely being able to regain my balance. I have reached the edge of the cliff.
“Looks like the only way for you to go is down.” He let out an eerie laugh. “It was nice meeting you, Alina. Oh, and I’m Emiel, by the way. Just wanted to let you know.”
“No! No, please!” I begged helplessly as he closed the remaining distance and gave me another one of his eerie smiles before he pushed me back over the cliff.
“Erick!”
I screamed and closed my eyes just as I lost my balance. An arm grabbed mine at that exact instant.
“Alina!”
Erick! I knew this voice. There was no mistaking this time. I recognized his touch. It was Erick!
He pulled me back up with incredible strength and into his arms and wrapped me in them tightly. “Alina, are you hurt? Talk to me.”
Before I could answer, I heard that laugh again, the laughter of a madman.
“Perfect timing, brother dearest. Too bad I can’t stay and enjoy the show. Hope to see you soon.”
The last thing I remembered before my vision went blank was Emiel disappearing from my sight like a gust of wind.