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Emiel. The attacker was Emiel. The fool decided to show up after all. "Miaka Von Feltsper, I give you the right to grant punishment to those who try to harm the royal bloodline." My voice was carried over all of them. The air currents changed the next instant and grew stronger by the second. Emiel's cries followed soon after. It took me some time to realise that the air was wrapping around him like an invisible hand and was crushing his limbs and his chest. He would be dead soon if I allowed the torture to continue, and God knew he deserved just that. We can never be brothers no matter what Alina thought me capable of. There were some things that can never be changed. However, I also couldn't kill him yet. "Get him!" I called to the guards. Immediately, fifteen swords were pointing at his throat just as the air currents subsided bit by agonisingly slow bit. The currents vanished, and Emiel fell to the floor, gasping for breath. The guards didn't waste any time. Someone hit him with the hilt of a sword on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious, while the others carried him to the dungeons below the castle where no natural light could penetrate. Miakamaterialised out of the darkness next to me. "I'll contact a mage. Tell her to seal the dungeon so no magic can get in," she said. "You do that," I told her. "I need to return to Alina to make sure she's safe." "Go. I'll take care of things here. Acelin stayed back. I'll get him to help." Teleporting out, I arrived at my beach house. I checked the entire house before heading out to the pool. I also checked up with Kendrick to confirm if he'd heard or felt anything unusual. Walking up the gazebo stairs, I released a breath I'd been holding as I saw her sleeping peacefully on the bed with rose petals scattered all over her long brunette locks and the pendant around her neck emitting a dull glow in the moonless night. Stripping out of my shirt, I slid in beside her and placed my arms around her waist. Within seconds, I fell into a deep sleep. Alina The sound of a thousand seabirds chirping in unison woke me up from my slumber. The sun hadn't risen yet, but there was some light on the horizon. However, the most surprising fact was, I was ina bed with sheets up to my chest, and Erick was fast asleep beside me with an arm slung over my waist. Wait, let me rephrase that, Erick slept beside me. My head was on his shoulder, and his arm was under my head. My hand was on my waist with his on top of mine. We had nothing but the covers draped over us. Well, it was the case for me, at least. Erick's upper body was bare, but I could definitely feel some silky material on his legs. He looked young, like someone who could easily pass as a college student if not for the depth of knowledge in his eyes. Those eyes were now closed, and his long dark lashes cast shadows on his cheekbones. I curled my fingers into my palm to try to reign in my urge to touch his face and trace his lips with mine. I was about to get up and get a shower, or do something to avoid the 'morning after' awkwardness when I realised that this didn't have to be awkward. Erick was mine, just like I was his. We had our entire lives ahead of us, and it was for eternity. This reminded me. I needed to ask Erick about the whole vampire thing. How do I even become one? "Why are you up so early?" His sleepy voice snapped me out of my ponderings. I turned to look at his face, but his eyes were still closed. I felt him remove his hand from on top of mine. He was probably giving me an escape route. "I'm an early riser," I answered truthfully, voice hushed. But instead of leaving, I snuggled up to his side. The scent of dark chocolate with an undertone of spices and something darker that was entirely Erick washed over me, calming my nerves. How did I get caught up in all this? It won't be long before Erick gets crowned king of the entire vampire race... and me, the queen. There were no choices and no other options for the both of us. He said it himself; there wouldn't be anyone else for either of us. We were bound together for eternity. However, I wasn't ready for it. Not yet. It felt like everything was happening too fast and too soon. What would it be like to be a vampire? I was not stupid. I knew I would have to turn sooner rather than later, and I was not about to fool myself by saying I'd rather not lose my humanity. Vampires were kind, too. In my short time knowing them, I've met enough good vampires to know that. It was the person that mattered. But no matter what their character is, everyone had a touch of arrogance in them, the 'superior race' kind of arrogance. Erick had it in ample. "You know, I'm starting to hate myself for giving you your engagement ring." I met the piercing blue of his eyes. "What're you thinking?" I frowned. "How can you not be hearing me? We both drank the ceremonial blood mixture thingy yesterday, didn't we?" I was confused. Didn't drinking a vampire's blood allow them to read minds because of the established connection? Erick jumped up so fast, it was enough to give me a whiplash. He was tugging me towards him a second later. Gasping, I clutched the covers to my chest while Erick had a death grip on my other hand. His fingers turned my face to his panicked eyes. "Erick? What's wrong?" The look in his eyes and the urgency in his touch as he searched my eyes were starting to scare me. "Do you remember anything about last night? After I placed you on the bed?" he asked urgently. After he placed me on the bed? It was a vague memory painted in smudge colours and on frayed edges. No, I didn't remember anything after that, but why was... Forgetting the sheets, my hands flew up to my neck. "Did you bite me?" There was a sharp pain in my neck. That was all I could remember. I'd been too deep in my slumber to wake up. "Shit!" Erick let go of my hand to run his fingers through his hair and down his face. "Shit!" He repeated. "I'm so sorry. I didn't... I shouldn't... I-I should've known!" "Erick." I touched his shoulders tentatively. "What's happening? You're scaring me." "When a vampire injects venom into the bloodstream of a woman after coupling," he said hesitantly, "it starts the transition process." "What transition pro—" My eyes widened as recognition set in. "You're transitioning into a vampire."