The King Of All Vampire Kings (Book 1) ✔️

|22|~WTH~

Claire Pov.
Edited.

WTH by Jhene Aiko. I can imagine That Claire can understand her pain right now 😉

The moonbeams through the balcony door when I open my eyes. The beauty of late-night is shining into the room. My neck feels stiff, and the throbbing, searing pain is way too hard to ignore. I feel like I'm in a dream state, but oddly content. I'm at peace. Strong arms lock me into place. I turn my body over, only to be met by unapologetic, silver‑cerulean, glowing eyes. King Nicklaus.

He's awake and staring into my irises. I feel like I'm looking into the depths of the coldest sea. A dark, roaring, raging sea. I'm lost, adrift even. But I don't want an SOS.

His eyes are perfect. The moon glowing on his skin makes him look so desirable. In the back of my mind, it feels like something isn't right. I shouldn't be so drawn to him.

He doesn't say a word. He pulls me even closer to his muscular frame, then watches me, assessing my reaction. Obviously, waiting for me to oppose, or put up a fight. I'm not objecting, even if I should. If I'm going to be completely honest, I have to ask myself, "Who would?" Rejecting his embrace is like declining the offer to walk through the gates of heaven. No one is that stupid.

I can smell his aromatic cologne and his personal unique scent. He smells so rich, and it reminds me of cedarwood burning in the fresh, crisp air. It's addicting.

My head is lying on top of his chest. I know this looks bad. He is a vampire and my captor, but this feels right. Something is different about us. I can't place my finger on it, but it is. I don't know what happened or when it happened, but I no longer have the desire to stab him with a dagger. I just want to stay in his arms forever and ever, plus another forever. I just want to live in peace alongside him. It may sound silly, but I do, even if we never actually have peace. A girl can't help but imagine a life beside him.

Who am I fooling? There will never be peace between a vampire and a human. I know this.

There's a little voice inside me screaming at me to snap out of it. That still doesn't stop me from wrapping my arms around him and snuggling closer. Just for tonight, we can pretend to be something special. If that makes me a nutcase, so be it. I'm going to enjoy my night with him. I'm going to enjoy lying in his arms. The king of vampires, King Nicklaus—no, scratch that—my Nicklaus, runs his fingers through my hair. My nerves are shot, especially when another one of his fingers slowly trails down my skin, gently brushing the throbbing pain on the right side of my neck.

I shiver. That one single gesture makes my knees feel weak, and I'm not even standing. Can someone please explain to me how that is even possible? I look into his eyes that are now glowing like lanterns lighting the room. I love his eyes.

"Now, that you're awake, I'm going to grab you some food from the kitchen," Nicklaus tells me, after another moment of lingering silence passes between us.

"I'm not hungry," I quickly respond, stopping him from rolling out of bed. "Please, don't go. I just want to live in this moment. Stay."

I know that I sound desperate, and probably a little hypocritical. Okay, I sound really, really hypocritical. I hate humans that bask in the glory of vampires' affection. I always have something bad to say about them, just like I did with Jadis. Now, look at me, I'm begging for him to stay, just like I begged for his bite. How desperate does that sound?

"You lost a lot of blood, Claire. You need something to eat. Eating food will help you regain your strength," he tells me and then rolls out of the bed anyway. He ignores my frustrated sigh and complaints. "Besides, once my venom is out of your system and your high goes down, you will hate me for taking advantage of you."