74__Haunt my lucid dreams.

***Ten days later***

It was starting again. The fifth time tonight. A strange warmth slowly crept through her body before Kamilla could even react to it, causing her to squirm in the bed. The air was particularly cool and yet glistening sweat beaded her forehead as though the heat surrounded only her body.

Kamilla knew she was dreaming, but she was helpless to stop it. Like every single night since she’d left Onyx, she began to feel him. Viktor, the Vampire King of Onyx. The dreams were vivid and powerful enough to affect her body even as she slept.

Her fingers gripped the covers, tugging at them as her mind filled with images that fueled her body’s desire. He was hot and heavy on top of her, his large hands circling her wrists as Viktor pinned her to the mattress and ravished every inch of her body with his mouth. His seductive scent of pure masculinity wafted up and filled her lugs as she breathed it in. He smelled so good and... so near, it was like he was right there with her.

Kamilla didn’t know whether it was the power of her mind or just her memories of him, but it felt too real to ignore. He filled her thoughts every night, making her gasp and moan as he pinned her down, pounding deeply into her and feeding both their cravings and desire. His hands stroked over her body, kneading her breasts and Kamilla felt the heat rise, parting her lips on a breathy gasp.

His beautiful face vividly filled her mind, taking her breath away as his sapphire blue eyes stared down at her with desire and hunger.

“Kamilla,” he whispered to her, lowering his head to trail his mouth along her neck.

She turned her head to the side, sighing when cool air blew over her over-heated flesh.

“Kamilla?”

Kamilla clutched the covers tighter, her core about to explode in climax.

“Kamilla!”

She shot up in the bed, eyes wide and dazed as she repeatedly blinked. “H-huh?”

Adelaide stood by the open windows with hands on her hips as she looked at her daughter in puzzlement. “What’s wrong, love?” she asked. “You look like you’ve been struck by the smallpox. Are you alright, darling?”
Walking away from the windows she’d just opened, Adelaide sat beside Kamilla, feeling her face and neck for a temperature.
“My, you’re hot as a stove!” exclaimed Adelaide.

Kamilla swallowed and looked at her mom guiltily. “Uhm...” Releasing a shaky breath, she held a hand to her own face to feel her hot cheeks. “Uhm, no, mum. I’m... alright! I’m fine.”
Adelaide narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “You’re strange this morning. And you’re also late this morning.”

Kamilla blinked. “Huh? Wait, what?” Turning to the other side, she grabbed her alarm clock.
Bloody hell, she’d forgotten to set it! And she’d already missed her first class!
“Shit, mum, I’m late!” hissed Kamilla as she scrambled to get out of bed. “Why didn’t you wake me sooner?!”

“I don’t understand why you’re determined to resume studying immediately, Kamilla,” said Adelaide. “After what happened... don’t you want to take a rest?”

Kamilla paused in the act of grabbing her toiletries and clothes and turned to give her mum a look of determination. “N-no! It’s a good thing I returned in time for the beginning of a new semester. I’m an independent young woman and I will get my qualifications in architectural design and become even *more* independent and *rich* and *happy*! I don’t need *anyone*.”
Adelaide blinked at her daughter as Kamilla huffed with bright red cheeks.
Kamilla gave her mum a sudden smile and darted forward to kiss her cheek. “Except you, mum!” she said before running out of the room and into the bathroom.

The moment the bathroom door closed, Kamilla released a sigh and slowly deflated like a balloon. Placing her stuff on the counter, she turned to the mirror to brush her teeth and found herself looking at her reddened face.

She bit her lip, feeling the effects of her dreams that weren’t as visible as the red of her cheeks. Kamilla clenched her thighs together, feeling more than frustrated as sharp sensations shot though her core.

Annoyed, she grabbed her toothbrush and dumped toothpaste on it before shoving it into her mouth and brushing with more aggressiveness than she’d planned. Damn him, thought Kamilla, scrubbing her molars to a sparkle.

If he’d sent her away, not giving a damn about how she felt, he could at least have the decency to stay out of her dreams!

It was bloody torture! She couldn’t even try to forget him because she saw him every single night! She felt him, his presence seemed to be a constant around her. And his scent! Lord knows where it came from but it was always teasing her senses and Kamilla was just about sick of suffering like this.

Huffing out little clouds of foam, she glared at herself in the mirror. That was it! From today, she would no longer think about Viktor King. Starting from *that very moment!*
***********************

Viktor’s mouth pressed against her cheek from behind, his lips caressing her ear. One of his hands was stroking and doing unmentionable things to her, while the other held her back firmly against his chest.
Kamilla couldn’t have stopped the moan from rising out of her throat if she’d been frozen. She was caught up in the throes of pleasure. Pleasure which came to an abrupt end.

Suddenly, Viktor’s hands grew tighter and he gave her a rough shake. Kamilla gasped and frowned. Well, this was different. Her whole world trembled as Viktor have her shoulder another shake.

Kamilla’s eyes flew open and she sat up in alarm. Blinking at her surroundings, she realized that every single person in the class was staring at her.
The girl next to her withdrew the hand she’d woken Kamilla with and gave her a raised brow.

The professor at the front lowered her glasses onto the bridge of her nose and gave Kamilla a look over the rims. “Interesting dream, dear?” she asked with an expressionless face.
Kamilla swallowed. “Pardon?”
The woman tilted her head. “We all see the fascinating beauty of Mathematics, but kindly refrain from moaning so loudly.”

Kamilla’s face slowly drained until she resembled the paper on her desk. God, no. She held her breath. There’s *no* way she’d moaned aloud in class!
She looked around at her snickering classmates as the professor turned back to the images on the projection screen, and sunk into her chair, her face going from white to cherry pink in moments.

Kamilla bit her bottom lip tightly, wishing for the earth to swallow her and swallow her whole! Why?! Lowering her head, Kamilla squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Why was the universe so against her?! Was it *her* fault that she’d been bound to the soul of a Vampire King?! Why was Viktor doing this to her?! In class? Of all places?!
Unable to wait any longer, Kamilla quickly packed her stuff and left the class, her head hung low.

She released a shuddering breath when she arrived out in the sunlight, looking up at the blue sky.

“Damn you, Viktor,” she muttered to herself, swallowing when her throat grew tight and her eyes filled up.

Shaking off the embarrassment, Kamilla began to walk through town, looking in at shop windows as she walked. It was very early afternoon and so the roads were empty, everyone busy in their stores, offices, schools or houses. It was refreshing.
Kamilla looked across the road and, spotting the library where she’d worked for a short time, scoffed with a shake of her head.

They’d fired her back then, because apparently her presence in the library was discouraging people from spending time there. The old librarian had said Kamilla carried a dark energy with her and it showed in her witch-like eyes. Kamilla scoffed even louder. *Witch-like* eyes, she’d said!
The inaccuracy was insulting! Back then, Kamilla had had no idea why people reacted to her that way, but now that she knew she was part-Vampire, the thought of being called a Witch was irritating.

Scowling at the old library, she continued walking, looking down at her shoes as she did. A heavy sigh escaped her and Kamilla came to a stop on the sidewalk. She blinked down at the brick-paved ground with a pout.

Bloody Viktor King! What was he doing at that moment? Was he in joy? Delighted that the annoying half-Vampire girl was gone from his castle? Was he twirling about at a royal ball filled with his Trueblood Vampire subjects while her half-Vamp self was out in the rain?!

Kamilla felt crippling sadness fill her heart and her pout grew wobblier, the resolution she’d made a week ago to sort herself out and forget him gone with the wind.
Suddenly, in her peripheral vision, she noticed someone approach along the sidewalk. Kamilla lifted her gaze to the man’s and he gave her a mild smile, his eyes a clear golden-brown and his face boyishly handsome.

“Good day,” he said as he passed by her.

Kamilla would have answered, but found herself struck into silence by his aura.

The man in turn came to a sharp halt only a little way past her. Kamilla frowned. That man... She turned and looked at him. He wasn’t human.

Slowly turning his head, the man looked at her with awe in his eyes.
“You...” he said. “You read into me just now. What are you?”

Kamilla felt her heart arrest with fear. “S-sorry?”

The man fully turned and took a step towards her. Kamilla saw that the awe was quickly turning into something much darker and scarier.
“What are you?” he demanded quietly, his gold eyes brightening to a strong yellow and his pupils elongating to resemble a serpent’s. “Answer me!” he hissed.

Kamilla gasped and took a frightened step back. “I-I... I’m no one! I’m sorry!”

Turning away from him, she tried to run off but was held back when he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.
Kamilla stood quivering in his grip as he scanned her face with his frightening eyes. “You sensed that I’m a Shifter, did you not? Are you not a human? What are you?”

“I d-didn’t sense anything!” Kamilla lied hurriedly, her eyes tearing. “Please let me go, I’m so tired of getting attacked by creatures!”

The man’s eyes narrowed sharply. “Nobody in this town knows I’m not human. And I plan on keeping it that way,” he whispered and looked around at the empty street. Kamilla gasped when he jerked her arm, tugging her towards the alley of a restaurant backdoor. “You’re coming with me!”

“No, wait!” Kamilla cried. “This isn’t okay, I just got embarrassed in class and I’m having the worst day and Viktor won’t leave my mind, please leave me alone!!” Before she could even think of screaming, he’d clamped a strong hand over her mouth, stopping her even from ranting about her day.
The shifter was so strong, he was practically carrying her when they reached the mouth of the alley, but Kamilla gasped in surprise even as the Shifter came to an abrupt halt.

It was so sudden, it surprised both of them when a man suddenly landed in their path like a superhero. His hat was low over his head and his lower face was covered in a black mask.

Her heart sped when he tilted his head back and from underneath the brim of the black hat, she saw a pair of familiar red eyes wink at her.
Kamilla almost cried. *Syre!*
With a groan, the Shifter was suddenly wrenched away from her and Kamilla found herself thrown forward, caught by Syre’s waiting arms.

“Still clumsy as always, my Queen,” he teased and Kamilla hugged him with a relieved wail.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in shock as she turned around to see the Shifter get held down by three other men in black clothes.

Kamilla couldn’t believe her luck. The Legion was here!

“Are you alright?” asked Syre, pushing up his hat and skillfully ignoring her question.

Kamilla nodded, watching in fascination as the Shifter became still on the ground and the other three straightened to look at her.
Reaching for their masks, they ripped them off and smiled at her. Well... two of them did.
Kamilla gasped. “Zen, Xavier and... *Vlad*?”

“I was forced to come,” he stated flatly, running a hand through his luxurious black curls before giving Kamilla a look. “Not even a month gone and you’re already getting yourself into trouble.”

“He attacked me first!!” she defended herself.

“You alright?” Zen asked and Kamilla nodded.

“Great to see you, my Queen,” said Xavier with his charming smile.

Kamilla gave them a teary smile. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize how much I *missed* you guys!”

Xavier got down on a knee to restrain the Shifter’s hands and Kamilla looked at them in puzzlement.

“But wait. Why are you guys here? How did you know I was in trouble?”

Syre shrugged. “Coincidence. We were sent and you just happened to be in trouble.”

Kamilla frowned. “Sent?”

They exchanged looks amongst themselves and Kamilla raised a brow. The suspicion swept smoothly into her and she eyed them. “No way. Did... did you guys come to kidnap me again?”