The King Of All Vampire Kings (Book 1) ✔️

|23|~ Traits of a queen~

Nicklaus POV.
Edited.

King Nicklaus

I've commanded Claire to fall asleep and forget everything we discussed, right after telling her the truth. I watch her sleep for a moment, admiring every inch of her beauty. I'm in love with how her plump red lips part slightly, releasing her quiet snores. I'm in love with her silky, soft golden waves that have grown a great deal longer over the last couple of weeks. I love her full, luscious lashes that highlight her smoky green eyes. I'm in love with how peaceful she looks when she is asleep. I'm in love with her. I'm infatuated with this human girl. I'm at peace just watching her sleep.

Claire's stunning features and intoxicating scent have somehow managed to make my still heartbeat. She has no idea how much control she has over me. I plan to keep it that way.

I have to keep her safe at all costs, even if that means her hating me.

I continue to watch her sleeping form. She looks paler than usual, but that can be expected with her losing so much blood. I still can't believe that I lost control before her. Not once, and I have lived for a very long time—six hundred and nineteen years to be exact. No one's blood has ever put me in a vampire frenzy, except her, my little firecracker.

The very first day I laid eyes on Claire, I knew she was special. I have never entertained the auctions into I've got myhands on Claire's file.  After I readover her file I couldn't get those smoky eyes out of my head I couldn't get those smoky eyes out of my head. I had no idea that she was my beloved until we officially met in person.

The school requested that I mark her as a bleeder. I couldn't allow that, so I did the first thing that came to mind, claiming Claire as my chosen. It felt like I was doing the right thing, the only thing to keep her safe; or maybe that was just what I wanted to believe. The truth is that I'm too selfish to let her go.

I could have granted her freedom and allowed her to live a life without chains. I could have her delivered to the hunters, and they would protect her and teach her their ways. She would be happy but most of all, she'd be safe. The only issue was I couldn't. The urge to claim her was so very strong. Now, I'm placing her life in jeopardy.

My family would have never allowed me to claim her. They would kill her! Everything would be my fault. I would be the cause of her death.

I run my fingers along her soft skin and place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Her beauty is bewitching. I kiss her forehead softly again and give her one last glance before the sun starts to rise. I leave the room and my sleeping beloved behind only to ensure that a servant will bring her breakfast. She hasn't eaten in a while, and I can no longer give her my blood without someone becoming too suspicious of why I'm aiding her.

No one but Xander is trustworthy enough to know who she is to me. Cyrus can't even be trusted with my secret even though he's my best friend.

My head is spinning. All I can think about is keeping Claire out of harm's way. I must speak to Xander at once. I consider him my most trusted advisor, despite our disagreements and different upbringings.  He will know what to do. He always does. Besides, he has an experience with this type of situation. He shall help ease my roaming thoughts.

Xander and I are so close that our mother hates the bond that we share. She has tried everything in her power to break it. I figured her hatred for him stems from the fact that he's a constant reminder of her past life. A life she lived long ago when she was Antoinette, a French courtesan. She used to be one of the most-desirable courtesans of her time, but she fell from grace tremendously when she became pregnant with a duke's bastard son.