I Want To Sleep

I Want To Sleep
Sera's POV

The next few days were spent being queen to a vampire race that loathed me and making mind-blowing sex. I wasn't into Cassian’s sex fetishes, but I’d agree they produce mind-blowing results. After every lovemaking, I am always waiting and hungry for another one.
While sex with Adrain was passionate and soul-gripping, sex with Cassain was adventurous and exciting. He was always introducing me to different kinds of pain and made them blend so well into pleasure that I was screaming my lungs out during our every sexcapade.
I wish sex was all we had to do, but according to Cassian. I had to play the part of being his queen. And for that, the bastard had to wake me up as early as five in the morning every day, as if I were in paid employment to be the queen to his people.
He tapped me gently on the lap this morning. By now, I had already lost it. I started from sleep, grunting with the whole of my lungs. “What the hell is it, again, Vampire?” I growled, my teeth rattling in my jaw painfully from my own growl.
Sleep veiled my eyes, making them swirl about, so I couldn't see him, but I felt the bed sink from his large bulk. “A leader has to be prepared and ready at all times. You have to lead by example so your subjects can watch and emulate. You have to wake up early so your subjects can do that too. Remember you have a kingdom to govern as its queen.” He said.
“I didn't ask to be queen. It was all your idea, remember, Cassian.” I fell back to the back, and soon I was drifting into Dreamland once again.
Then I fucking felt his hand tapping my thigh again, once again pulling me up from the wonderful and loving embrace of sleep.
I jumped up again. “What is it, Cassian?” I screamed into his face. Now I could see his face through the veil of sleep. The rage bubbling up my veins widened my eyes, and I glared at him.
He just smiled. “You have to be up for your kingdom to be up.”
Seeing his lips stretch in a smile at me as if he was enjoying my suffering made me growl, my veins boiling with so much heat. “I didn't ask to be queen, Cassian. So just let me sleep. And…” I paused, searching through my sleep-muddled brain for the right words. “I renounced, or abdicated, dethroned, or whatever, my queenship. So let me sleep, huh!” I told him. I fell back, and I rolled over to the other side of the large bed, keeping clear of him.
I was committing myself to another romance with sleep when I felt his fingers tap my thighs again. “Wake up, moonshine,” he teased. I grunted from my sleep, my whole body quivering with anger. He was a persistent fellow. He was just intent on not letting me sleep.
I felt for my sword from under the pillow where I had kept it. I unfolded it and swung it for his neck. He blinked down at it as it froze an inch from his neck.
“You can’t use that on me. We both know you can't kill me, bride.”
“Disturb my sleep once again, and you will find out.” I growled. I slumped on the bed faster this time. Weak, weary, and sleepy. The sword slipped from my fingers.
My eyes shot open, cold water pouring over my head. I lunged for him. But he traced away from the bathroom before my claws could clamp down on his neck. He grinned from just outside the bathroom, while the shower unleashed cold water on my naked body. Somehow, he’d not just traced me to the bathroom but also managed to take off my sleeping robe too.
I kept glaring at him, infuriated enough that I couldn't speak. He strode towards me in the bathroom.
“I am sorry, Seralyn.” He whispered gently. “It is not like I don't want you to sleep, but your subjects would never take you seriously if they don't see you regularly to lead them.”
I was done hearing that silly excuse. “They are not my subjects. They are fucking yours,” I retorted.
“And that makes them yours, Seralyn. Because you are my bride.”
“How about I stop being your bride?” I jumped out of the bathroom, my body damp with water. I headed for the bed to grab my things and leave.
He was so fucking obsessed with strictly following the rules and etiquette he made for himself that he was blinded by the fact that I want no part in it. I have no business waking up at five a.m. in the morning, overseeing what his people are doing around the castle, supervising their affairs, hearing their complaints, and being their leader. Those were all his things, not mine.
He snatched my wrist and pulled me to his broad chest. I struggled from beneath me, but the bastard was just too strong.
“I am sorry, Seralyn.” He said, caressing my hair gently, pressing me hard to his body, his warmth enveloping, and soon I stopped struggling.
“Perhaps I am a little hard on you, Serayln. I just want you to bond well with my people so you can lead them as their queen.” He said, his fingers sifting through the strands of my dark hair, caressing them with care.
“They don't love me and can never do. I am a hunter, and they are vampires.” I returned.
“They have no choice but to accept you, Seralyn. You are my bride, and that automatically makes you my queen. Anyone who disagrees with that either has to leave my kingdom or die.”
I jumped away from his chest now. “That is the problem, Cassian. You rule with fear, not love. Soon you are going to make your people hate you because of…” I realized we had started to deviate from the topic of him not letting me sleep, and I stopped. He doesn't listen anyway. He just does whatever pleases him. “I have to go, Cassian. I can't continue to live like this, being deprived of sleep because of what you want. I have my own want too. Everything doesn't have to be about you alone.” I said. My voice strained as I bawled my heart out at him.
I continued for the bed after, going for my things.
He sighed heavily, so hard I could almost hear his lungs moan. “And what do you want, Seralyn?” He asked.
I spun around to reply. “For starters, Cassian. Sleep. I want to fucking sleep like I want to. I can give you power over my body, but I want to have my own life controlled by me, not anyone else.” I said, and I turned again, snatching my robe from the bed.
He traced to me, and before I knew it again, I was being squeezed into his broad chest, consumed by his warmth.
“Okay. I am sorry, Serayln. Perhaps I am too selfish. I want desperately to make this work between us. So let's make a compromise.” He paused, and he swallowed. “I won't pressure you into acting as queen to my people, but once in a while, just try to come out and see them and rule them so they can learn to accept you fully and respect you.”
I doubt they would accept me, but coming out to see them only when I want to, during my duration here, feels like a fair deal to me, so I mumbled. “Okay.”
“Let's make another compromise, Serayln. Now, you get dressed for me and attend with me this important business meeting with my top chiefs. When we are done in an hour or two. I promise to trace you back to the room and let you sleep till whenever you want. I have declared you to the ordinary subjects as my queen. The elites too need to know you are my queen.” He said.
I was silent for a minute, not knowing what to say, not knowing even what to feel—anger or doubt. Not knowing if I should just leave as intended earlier or stay because every inch of me wants to be with him. But finally, my lips loosened, and I whispered, “Okay.”
I felt the excitement surging through him as he held me tight to his big body, and for some reason it made me smile. He eventually pulled me from his arms and steered me towards the bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, he held my hand regally and with royal grace, and I felt like a queen, almost wanting to be one. But I knew better. I hated to be bound by stupid rules and traditions. I was a free bird. Freedom was my thing.
He led me into a well-decorated conference hall. A large semicircular oak table took up the whole room, and around it were vampire elites, seated on high-backed chairs, among whom was Sigurd. Sigurd didn't fail to hide his hate for me. His eyes breathed it as they pinned me down, following every movement I made into the room.
I still hadn't forgiven the bastard for what he did to me in Fabian's club. I plan to make him pay for that soon—obviously when Cassian wasn't looking.
The other vampires glared at me too, their gazes pinning me down like a predator’s does its prey. Their expressions turned sour, and soon they began to trade whispers.
Sigurd was the first to speak. “Don't you think she shouldn't be here, Prince Cassian?” He said, his tone a bit scathing when his eyes nudged forward to me. He could barely hide his displeasure.
“Do you have a problem with your queen staying for a meeting that concerns the affairs of her kingdom?” Cassian answered, his heated gaze narrowed on Sigurd.
“I have no problem with it,” Sigurd stuttered, turning white. He looked restless as he turned to face the others.
Cassian carried his eyes to the others one after another, the heat in his eyes enough to melt steel. “Or does anyone else have a problem with your queen being in this meeting with you?”
The whole room was instantly thrown into confusion, everyone making uncomfortable adjustments to their seats, turning away from us. Most stuttered, uncomfortably whispering a thing or two in support of my presence.
“Better,” Cassian declared, and he led me to a seat at the top of the table beside him.
He stared into the room once again, his gaze narrowed and serious. “Shall we begin?”
I leaned back on my seat, watching the room with a little interest. I was practically useless to whatever they were discussing anyway. I refused to look at the hostile eyes darting to me from different corners of the room and instead concentrated on Cassian.
He ruled with fear, but other than the business about me, he talked and communicated with his men casually, while still making them fear him at the same time. He was so in control, confident, and business savvy that everyone in the room listened attentively to whatever he said. They feared him, and still they respected him.
I yawned through the whole conference, trying to keep my eyes open and not embarrass myself before my subjects, as Cassian would say. I yawned low and satisfactorily, smiling exuberantly when Cassian finally declared the meeting over.
The other vampires disappeared from the room after a handshake with Cassian, except Sigurd. He had to use the door.
With the room emptied, I threw myself into Cassian's arms. “Trace me away from here, Cassian. If I don't sleep soon, I think I might die.” I said, drowsily, already submitting myself to the embrace of sleep, feeling its loving arms wrapped around me.
Cassian chuckled, staring into my eyes already red from being sleep-starved. “I see you truly need to sleep, moonshine.” He said.
He was about to trace away when my phone rang in my pocket. The ringing noise loud between us.
I grunted as I rummaged in my pocket for it. My eyes swirled lethargically as I stared at the large screen. They widened when I read the caller’s name—Silas.
He never calls me? So much so that I had no idea I had his number saved on my phone. There could only be one reason for him to call me now. He must have found out something about what happened to our family all those years ago.
I started with urgency around Cassian, and I punched the answer button with insane speed. I put the phone to my ear.
Silas's voice rang through instantly. But it wasn't as clear, teasing, and playful as I have known him to be these past few weeks. His voice was low and hoarse, and he coughed. I could swear I heard him groan in pain too. “I am dying,” he whispered. Now I heard him clearly as he groaned, hard. I could even hear his teeth shattering in his jaw as he did.
My heartbeat spiked, thrashing wildly against my chest. I jumped away from Cassian's arms.
“What is it, Silas? What is happening?”
“I am being chased, Sera.” He coughed again. “Someone want to…” and the phone went dead.