Captured To Become A Vampire Prince's Bride {Book 2}

Captured To Become A Vampire Prince's Bride {Book 2}: Chapter 25

It was the following afternoon before I saw Alexander again. He didn't come to my room to talk to me and explain everything like he said he would.

We were all sat around the table in the General's office after he called for us to meet him for an emergency meeting. Me and Alex were sat opposite sides and opposite ends of the table, in each other's lines of sight.

The General stood up from his seat at the foot of the table, "the reason I called you all here, is because King Austin has taken more hostages," he looked right at me, his face softening for a mere few seconds before going back it It's usual concreteness, "Francine and Mark Maldivo."

Selena's parents.

It wasn't until I was about to speak that I realised I was holding my breath. "We-we have to help them. Please!"

What was he planning to do with them now he had them? After what he did to Alexander I couldn't even imagine...

My head hurt, my heart hurt, everything was hurting. I couldn't deal with the stress of everything for much longer. I'd tried so hard and whenever things seemed good, Austin came back like a relapse. Every time! Ever since I got here to Nox Aterrima, Austin had tried his hardest to ruin it. Now... now he had the parents of my best friend. Why couldn't he leave them? Why couldn't he leave all of us? He'd done enough.

"We have to stop him! You know he'll never stop until we do," Alexander stood up from his seat and all eyes were on him.

"Alexand-"

He narrowed his now red eyes at me and stood up, "I don't know what kind of feelings you're harbouring for him but he needs to stop, and one way or another, I'll make sure it happens."

"F-feelings? Now, wait a second. I don't want you doing something you'll regret!" I shot up too, consumed by my emotions. The more I tried to hold them back, the more my tears fought to be free.

"Keeping everyone I care about safe, isn't something to regret, Arianne," he snarled menacingly, slamming his hands on the desk.

I flinched slightly, I'd never seen him like this before. I probably should've been scared. I probably should've backed down, he was sort of right after all. But I couldn't. I couldn't sit back while Austin had the Maldivo's captive. We couldn't just do nothing. They were innocent people.

Not being able to save everyone was something that felt impossible to get to grips with. Realising you're nothing in the world, surrounded by so many powerful people. Being drowned out by the beliefs of others was hard.

The King also stood up from his seat and looked between me and Alex, "now I know tensions are running high but we are not arguing. Not now. Alexander, you're hot-headed because of your training, and Arianne, you're worried. But please, we can't argue. We need to work together."

I took my seat, and when my eyes finally met Alexander's again, they were back to their usual purple colour, and they were filled with guilt. He bobbed his head towards me slightly, maybe as an apology, maybe just acknowledging he went too far, and then turned back to the General, who was now the only person stood up.

"We'll do our best," was all the General said.

His words didn't reassure me at all.

Once the meeting was over, I darted back to my room, collapsed on to my bed and cried on to my pillow until it was drenched. I didn't stop until there was a knock on my door, I froze, thinking it was just in my imagination, and then the knock came again. Maybe it was Alexander coming to apologise for earlier.