The King Of All Vampire Kings (Book 1) ✔️

|13|~A Game Of Chess~

The King of all vampire Kings is number 7 in the vampire hotlist... Thanks to my lovely and devoted fans! King Xander in media.🔥

Claire POV.
Edited.

I open my mouth to respond, but he raises his hand to stop me.

His stormy-gray eyes watch me intensely as he leans over the sleek coffee table separating our couches from each other.

"When we first met at the auction, I thought I made the affection I feel for you quite clear. The courage you demonstrated in the presence of the world's most dangerous predators amazed me, along with your intoxicating and extremely rare beauty."

He pauses and my heart rate seems to increase by the second.

His eyes darken before he continues, "If that wasn't enough to catch my eye, you also have a heart of gold. You allowed yourself to be humiliated, all to save the life of a human who didn't show an ounce of remorse when you were raped.

"Humans in this day and time don't possess such qualities. My kind made sure of that, but somehow, you managed to slip through the cracks, Claire."

I open my mouth to respond, but this time he doesn't stop me. It's me. I seem to be at a loss for words. I don't know what to say. No one has ever said anything so . . . so nice, not to me. I'm only human, and he's a vampire, a king at that. He hates my kind.

I don't . . .

"Claire, I want to respect your wishes and not invade your privacy by reading your mind. However, you must converse with me if we are ever going to have an understanding."

Xander's smooth voice breaks my train of thought.

An understanding?

"I'm sorry, King Xander b—"

"I told you, call me Xander," he abruptly cuts me off.

King Xander, I mean Xander, has been kind and affectionate from day one. But it's still strange hearing him say nice things about me and compliment my character. I'm only human. I don't know what to do with this information.

"I just don't understand," I confess.

It's not like every day humans receive compliments, especially from vampires. This is just strange and foreign.

He leans further over the table and grabs my hands with his own. His eyes darken as he speaks, "I know you were taught that you exist only to benefit my kind. I know you don't understand what it feels like to be adored and cherished . . .  and I take full responsibility for that. I will right my wrongs if that's the last thing I do. And I want that  to start with you, Claire."

If I was speechless before, now I'm mute. I totally lost the capability to speak, breathe, or even think properly.

This is unreal. I must be dreaming. That's it. That's exactly what this is. It's just some sick and twisted dream.

I let go of King Xander's dream-like hands and do the only thing that I can think of. I pinch myself, literally digging my nails into my skin.

The dream-like king tilts his head to the side and burst out laughing. That's right. He laughs his ass off, nearly stumbling over the coffee table in the process.

"You're not dreaming, Claire. This is reality. I'm real," he informs in between laughs.

But he can't be. There's no way a vampire, especially a king, would ever in a million years say what he stated to a human, let alone me.