Dedication: angela_montero_06 thank you for checking out the first book of this, hope you get to read it through, and then this. Enjoy! :)
***
The next day, they were all invited to go hunting above the ground, during the sunset. The entourage and all the guests were gathered together.
"Are you prepared? It's your first real hunt," Era whispered to Raven. Everyone was there, they all looked wonderful, as you can expect from a vampire community.
Raven was giddy with anticipation. "Yeah, I'm so excited." Era smiled and nodded at her queen.
And so it has begun...
The crowd was split into partners, and Raven was paired with Reynard. The forest was dark, but with Raven's now super sensitive ears, she could hear the tiniest movements in the forest. Like how the bees hummed, the squirrels scurried their way across the trees, or how the water droplets tricked by. Everything was all too new to her, It was an incredible feeling.
They walked into the forest, trying to find a beast good enough for a feast. "It's a beautiful night," Reynard commented, looking at the full moon before gazing back at Raven. "Your highness, excuse me for my imprudent manners, but may I inquire something?" he asked.
Raven looked on, she eventually nodded, curious at what he had to say.
He bit his lip, but he just had to know. "Are you and Gabriel in a relationship?"
Raven was caught off guard, she never really thought of Gabriel that way, even though they lived together. He was just doing his duty as a guardian, at least, that was what she was trying to remind herself every day.
Reynard was amused at her expression, clearly she was surprised. He wondered if there really was something more than meets the eye. He had never fallen in love before, waiting for a woman like her to be born. She was the perfect bride for him.
Raven cleared her throat. "No, he is just a friend." A special friend to be exact, she mused.
"But, do you love him?" he asked.
Again, she was taken aback. Raven hated to face this kind of inquiries.
Gabriel has been a perfect gentleman. She used to love him before, back when she was still in her sophomore year in high school, but then he abruptly said goodbye in her dreams, leaving her with a broken heart. She yearned for him, but then Daniel came into the picture.
Raven was not on a rebound, she mourned over Daniel and her twin, but she just could not help herself getting lost in Gabriel's vivid green eyes. She was still unsure of her own feelings, so how could she even reply to Reynard when she didn't even know the true identity of her heart.
"I-I-I guess so, but as a friend," she mumbled.
Reynard looked at Raven with an expression of wise contemplation, he knew before she even did with herself, but nevertheless he still accepted it without a word. He respected her. "I was just wondering... you know... if you could come with me tomorrow night-" He urged his horse to keep on trotting. "-To the city." Reynard asked her, nervously.
Raven frowned. "Sure, why not?"
The King grinned. "Thank you, it's a date then!" He tried to revise it, shrugging in the end. "Well, that's what youngsters say nowadays." Raven laughed, and so the hunt continued.
***
After an hour, Raven and Reynard finally detected a beast padding his way in the forest. The queen's heartbeat palpitated quickly. This was going to be her first hunt, she was excited and scared at the same time. Throughout her first two years of becoming a half vampire, Gabriel had always been providing blood for her. She didn't need to hunt nor worry if it was an innocent blood. Gabriel either bought blood donations from the blood bank, or from a healthy blood in Valerya, either way, he double checked it. He had to make sure the owner of the blood had a criminal record since it was forbidden to drink blood from the pure ones.
Their feet were as light as a feather when they ran. They finally found the enormous bear, crouching behind the bushes. Reynard ordered Raven to stay put, while he showed her the right way to feed from a monster.
Swiftly, like the wind, Reynard attacked the poor animal, wrestling with it. At first Raven was afraid for the King's sake. But soon enough, her pity was directed towards the bear. Reynard's striking beauty was only a deception to conceal how stealthy he could be, when in fact, he was a powerful hunter. Not for long, the beast was thrown to the ground and Reynard broke its neck for safety precaution, and then he drank blood from it.
His brown eyes automatically turned golden. He was too engrossed by his feeding that for a moment he had forgotten Raven. She was also too preoccupied by the scene that she wasn't able to detect the lurking threat.
A hungry lion was behind her, It roared, about to attack her. In that precarious moment, Raven screamed for Gabriel, and in a split second, he came out of nowhere, and blocked the lion from devouring her. Just as Reynard was about to help, Gabriel punched the lion hard on the face, breaking its teeth, falling on the ground.
In that instant, Gabriel looked so dangerous with his golden eyes and glistening white hair. It was a his true form. That happened when a royal vampire was either feeding, or pissed. But when he faced Raven's terrified face, all his anger dissipated and his expression softened.
Raven was too traumatized, that she fell onto the muddy soil. Gabriel surprised her when he threw all his caution at the window and hugged her tight, acting like they had not seen each other for years.
She was lucky that Gabriel was actually keeping his senses glued to her, guarding her even from afar. So when he sensed the lion, he was instantaneously by her side. Gabriel had never feared anything or anyone in his whole life, but at that very moment, he was scared out of his wits for her.
You are so silly! I could have lost you. You scared me. Gabriel conveyed to her mind. "Don't you ever do that again, okay?" He reprimanded her. Raven meekly nodded, feeling safe in his arms.
Reynard came towards them and apologized to Raven, bowing as low as he could. "I'm truly sorry ein Anowae." (vampire word for "my queen")
Gabriel wanted to punch him right in the face, and he almost did, if only Raven had not stopped him. Her guardian's expression was indescribable. He was brimming with anger. "Next time, be careful with, my lady." He seethed. Both men looked each other in the eyes.
Raven was nervous. Damn it, please don't fight. Raven thought. Gabriel sensed her thoughts, he tried to get a grip on himself.
After a moment, Reynard broke the silence by patting Gabriel on his shoulder as a friendly gesture. "I promise," he assured Gabriel.
"You better be, sire." And with that Gabriel took Raven in his arms and in a sudden flash, they were already back in the castle.
***
Gabriel tended to Raven's bruises and then tucked her in her bed. But before he left, he kissed Raven on her forehead. "Sleep well, my lady." He smiled, showing off his dimples. Before drifting off to sleep, he noticed Raven was already slumbering. He held her hand. "Be safe, always," he whispered, softly, leaving a smile upon Raven's lips.
***
Now we're finally seeing the true nature of Raven's other side eh? :)
what do you think so far?
Do you think Gabriel is being too over protective? or does he have that right? And that makes him understandable? :)
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Deception: Unbridled pt. 2
الخيال (فانتازيا)Raven is now a college student at Paris and tries to move on. But then she still experiences nightmares that she wishes to leave her alone, while getting uncanny visits from Daniel--her first love. Why won't he let her rest? And who is this mysterio...
