The King Of All Vampire Kings (Book 1) ✔️

|26|~ Your Burning Me Alive ~

Edited.
Claire POV.

My palms start to sweat and my heart rate increases the moment Xander steps out of the room, leaving me all alone with this sex god.

"Why are you so nervous?" King Nicklaus asks. He takes a step forward, and I take a step back. "Your heart is beating loud enough to pop my eardrums."

"Uh, I'm not nervous . . ."

I really don't want to admit to him that I'm nervous, really, really nervous. He doesn't need to know the effect he has on me. Gosh, can a girl catch a break?

"Really? It seems like you're nervous. Your heart beats say you are."

"I-I am not. I'm fine," I quickly lie.

Why does it matter if I'm nervous anyway?

"Hmmm, your palms are dripping with sweat."

"Oh, um, Xander and I were playing chess. It's a game of great thought."

"Most certainly. It takes a great mind to be a successor in the game of chess, just like it takes much skill to read another person's mind. And your mind is screaming how nervous you are."

Freak, he's caught me there. Ewww, why does he have to be a mind‑reader?

"I can still hear you, you know?" he says with a wink.

Gosh, that's so annoying.

"So, we have three days before we journey to North America," he changes the subject.

Thank God!

"As my chosen, you will be with me at all times. That means you may sometimes be placed in dangerous situations."

Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger. Hahaha.

"Claire, this is not a joke!" he snaps. "I have declared war against another barbaric species." His voice is low, dangerously low. "They will rip your heart out with their bare hands. They will feast on your liver while your heart takes the last beat. Werewolves are wild and dangerous. They will kill you. This,"—he taps my heart with his finger—"Will be theirs to do with as they please if you don't take this matter more seriously, " he says, giving me chills.

"Okay," I respond quietly.

I can no longer hide how nervous I feel. Okay, I may be scared—shaking in my boots scared—but not of werewolves. I'm not a punk. It's his tone now that's scary. Well, maybe I'm a punk when he's involved because I'm kind of petrified.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Claire," he speaks, taking another step towards me. "You must be able to defend yourself. If the opportunity presents itself, you must know how to fight. I'll feel better if you know how to fight," King Nicklaus admits, making me feel all bubbly inside.

His words send another wave of icicles erupting inside my heart and exploding into my core. His words make me feel special and confused. Very, very, confused. He's a vampire, and I'm a human. Why would he care about my well-being? I'm just a slave, his chosen. There's nothing special about being his chosen slave. He shouldn't care, and it shouldn't matter if I'm alive or dead because I can be replaced. He can replace me quicker than any werewolf could rip my heart out.

"I'm going to train you," announces King Nicklaus, taking another step forward.

Now we're only inches apart. Oh geez, I'm going to explode into a million and one-pieces.

"I will teach you basic defense techniques, like how to throw a punch and dodge an incoming attack. By the end of our lesson, you will be able to handle yourself well enough. I'll make sure of it," King Nicklaus assures.