Aliya's POV
It's appears I had just been brought back from a deep and long nap, as I blinked my eyes open and stretched my arms over my head. Pushing back the covers, I stepped over the edge of the bed and stood up on my feet. As I curled my toes against the plush rug, I suddenly felt the urge to run for miles. I felt a sudden energy sweeping through my core, and it seemed like I could run for hours without feeling tired.
I was feeling different.
The reason was so unknown to me.
Maybe I just needed a long shower to calm my nerves, to feel a little less on the edge.
There wasn't anybody else in the room, it was midday and the AC was on full blast. But what surprised me was that it didn't bother me at all. Usually the king would keep turning it on the lowest setting possible, and I would keep increasing the temperature when it started to feel like the Arctic.
The king.
The bite.
Memories of this morning flooded my mind. The pain had been so unbearable that I could barely breathe anymore, and I ended up passing out.
I wondered what happened after that. I looked down to my wrist and there wasn't any sign of a bite mark there.
How is that possible?
Was it just my imagination?
I really do need that shower.
Grabbing a new set of clothes from the closet, I made my way into the restroom. Walking over to the bright vanity, I started to brush my teeth.
After I was done washing my mouth, I took a hold of my hair and put them up in a messy bun, while humming to a random tune in my head.
An idea came to my mind as I looked over to the black speakers that were built into the ceilings. The king would always command them to play something for him while he was in the shower.
"Hey, Serene," I called out, looking at the roof, "play The Weeknd."
No response.
It didn't make sense because that's all the king had to say and she would happily obey, while even sending a compliment his way. The AI technology in his room and bathroom was far too advanced for me to understand it. But I had only given her a simple task.
"She only listens to me, you know?"
I jumped at the king's voice. Turning back to look at where it was coming from, I was consumed with shock.
He had been here the whole time.
Half naked.
Damien's god-like body was covered by the soft waves of the water which was filled to the very top of the jacuzzi. His head was relaxing back, with his arms stretched out to the sides as his elbows rested on the edge. Even from the distance, I could see his eyes were closed as he spoke to me.
How did I not notice him before? Perhaps my mind was too occupied with the earlier events that I failed to glance around the bathroom to make sure I was alone.
And why doesn't he use a lock?
Right, because he's probably not used to having company in his own bedroom.
Stepping on my toes, I tried to walk closer to the door without making any noise to give him some privacy. I was too embarrassed that I walked in on him having a bath when I should've checked my surroundings. I'll just shower after he was done.
"I can hear your heartbeat from a mile away, I don't know why you're attempting to be quiet," he said.
Damn vampire hearing.
"Why didn't you tell me you were here?"
What if I was peeing or something? I shuddered at the thought.
Damien snapped up to look in my direction, "I was just enjoying some peace, it's pretty rare these days for me. That is, before I was rudely interrupted by the awful singing."
Did he just insult my singing?
"On second thought, why don't you join me since you're already here?" He surprisingly asked.
Why was he acting like he didn't just almost die yesterday? Oh, and let's not forget about the part where he thought I was his dinner served on a plate.
"What happened to you?" I brought it up, dying to know who was behind this.
"That is a long story, but it's taken care of now. So I'm celebrating," he sighed, relaxing back once again.
"This is your definition of celebrating?"
"Yes, can't really do much when my body still hasn't healed. I feel like I just came back from the dead," his mouth formed a firm, annoyed line.
"But you are dead," I took a step closer to him.
"Thanks for the reminder," he narrowed his eyes at me.
"I have a few questions," I couldn't fight the urge anymore to let them out.
Since yesterday, it had been a chaotic time with too many things happening all at once. I was still trying to wrap my head around them.
"You always do," he said, "you can ask them once you're in the water."
Did I hear him right?
He wanted me to jump in with him?
Sensing my hesitation, he said, "don't worry, it doesn't bite."
"No, but you do."
He chuckled, "well, I'm well fed now, thanks to you. So you don't have to worry about that either."
My feet took me to the edge of the stairs that led up to the tub, well, more like a pool because of how big the jacuzzi actually was.
The water did look very inviting, as if calling me to indulge in its purity, and wash away all the worries that had been piling up in my mind over the last few hours.
The entire city of Eveland was visible through the massive windows right next to the pool. I'm sure if we turned all lights in the bathroom off, we'd still have visibility due to the bright sunlight barging in through the windows. It seemed like it was a warm summer day outside, and the water bodies were still. Yet, the castle felt as cool as ever.
The thin fabric of my robe slid down my shoulders as I pushed it away to reveal a cami top and a pair of shorts. I let it drop to the floor behind me as I stepped onto the first set of stairs.
Damien's eyes followed my actions as he lowered them down to take in what I was wearing. Surprisingly, I didn't feel awkward or insecure because he had already seen every part of me.
His hands had felt every curve of my body.
Another step up and I was standing right next to the water. Slowly lowering my body, I welcomed the hot temperature of the water as it creeped up my legs and the torso, until I sat down so it reached just above my breasts.
Damien was sitting on the opposite side of me, I felt his eyes watching me as I got used to the warm temperature.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Not how I was expecting to feel after you bit me, I feel fine physically. But my mind is still in shock of what happened. You bit me and literally drank my blood like I was the remaining supply of it, and it hurt like hell."
"I know, I'm sorry," his voice lowered, "I wasn't in my sense. It was never my intention to hurt you."
"I guess I kinda deserved it since I was the one who told you to drink from me," I sounded regretful.
"And if you're wondering why you feel alright, it is because I gave you some of my own blood to heal you."
"What?! That's the second time you've done that, without asking."
"Did you want me to wake up your corpse and ask it if it's okay to feed you my blood; long after you were gone?" He asked.
I guess I kind of saw his point there.
But then I thought of something else, "since you fed me your blood, does that mean I'm a vampire now?!"
I was about to lose my shit.
He laughed, "no, you're not. Turning you into a vampire would involve much more complex steps than just giving you a few drops of my blood."
Phew.
"And I know how much you loathe our species, so I would never turn you without your permission," he added, but there was something hidden in his eyes. As if the thought somehow affected him in a bad way.
"I would never want to be a vampire," I declared the obvious.
"I know," he said, holding my gaze as something else flashed within his eyes.
Disappointed.
But it was the truth, I could never imagine myself being one of them and being stuck here for another eternity.
"How do you feel? You scared us," I told him, recalling how worried we all were for him that we stayed up the whole night watching over him.
"You were scared?"
"Yes?! Why wouldn't I be? You just appeared in your balcony looking all torn up and bloody as hell, then we find out you won't even heal naturally because of the silver. I didn't know what to expect; I just felt so helpless."
"Okay... But did you cry?" His question caught me off guard.
"Shut up," I splashed some water onto him.
The short distance between us was clouded with the steam coming off the water. His face was wet with water droplets that just landed on him, making him rub his eye to clear it.
"What, it was a serious question?" He said.
A small smile played on his lips.
"No I didn't cry. But I did feel guilty, so I want to apologize for the way I acted towards you yesterday."
He seemed confused.
"I mean when I yelled at you and kicked you out of your room after finding out about your marriage situation," I was hoping he would catch on.
And he did.
"And when you continued to throw random things at me like a mad woman?"
"Yes, exactly. Although I would do it again if you hide anything else from me."
"Does that also include my..."
"I'm bored," I said the first thing that popped up in my head, to make him stop right there. I could feel a blush making its way over to my cheeks.
It was definitely getting warmer in here, and him being shirtless just a few feet away from me did not help the tension.
"Do I look like a GameStop dealer to you?" He raised an eyebrow at my comment.
His tattoos were on full display, I noticed that he had gotten some new ones ever since I left the vampire world. There were two dove birds with their wings flapped open, just underneath his elbow. They were flying over some roses that were lightly shaded in. There was also a round clock between the flowers. Different elements of the art came together to form a beautiful masterpiece.
"You do look like a dealer, just not for games."
"You wrong for that; the human world has had a negative impact on your innocence, I see." He pretended to be offended, but clearly amused.
"That and your sexual comments," I reminded him.
Trust him for turning any moment into a sexual one, his good looks just captivate you and prevent your mind from focusing on anything else besides him. As if reading my thoughts, he licked his lips and looked over to the side, acting innocent. But his eyes were filled with pride and a form of charm. He knew he enchanted everyone with his charisma.
His sexiness was dangerous and compelling, but it was his confidence that made it deadly.
"You got these recently," I pointed out the obvious, glancing at his arm.
He nodded, "yes, they're doves. They symbolize grace, beauty, and peace. I've spent decades trying to keep the peace within this realm, but I wanted a daily reminder to also find peace within myself."
"They look divine," I told him.
"Thanks; they also allow me to tackle every obstacle with grace and a clear mind. Sometimes my judgement becomes hazy, and my decisions are often empowered with anger. My anger gets triggered easily and it's something that I am working on."
"Is it because you know you have such big responsibilities that it can be overwhelming at times?" I asked him, genuinely interested in what he had to say.
"I can handle the responsibilities, I basically grew up that way. I wouldn't know how to survive if I wasn't making an impact," he pushed his hair away from his face, wetting them some more.
"So you enjoy being a king? Don't you ever feel the need to be... just normal?"
He had been a king for years, to the point where that was the only lifestyle that he was exposed to. But I wondered if he ever felt the need to be a normal person who didn't have to wake up every morning and run the whole world. I mean of course he had people to help him, but there isn't a stone in this place that gets turned without his approval.
"Does it make you happy?" I added onto my list of questions.
"There's no room for happiness in my life. For power, yes. And I am content with that. I'm not a king by choice; I was never given the choice. Over the years, I grew to accept it. Acceptance, yes. But not happiness. I must address my people. And it gives me power, a form of authority. It makes me feel better about not getting a choice in the first place. Because from now, I make decisions not just for myself, but for the whole vampire realm, and that is choice enough for me."
Power and authority, but not happiness.
My heart reached out to him, everybody deserved to be happy. Even him.
"But I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you have that choice, to decide what kind of life you want for yourself," he said to me, making my heart melt.
It made me wonder what kind of life I even wanted for myself. The more I thought of it, the clearer it became. I didn't want power or authority over someone. I would choose happiness; over a million times if I was given the chance. I just had to find my own version of paradise; where I felt the most joy and at peace. But the question was, where did my happiness lie?
Or rather, with who?
I noticed that it was starting to get darker, making me wonder how long we had been chatting for. The sun had started to set, giving the sky a breathtaking makeover with pinkish orange hues that covered the whole city.
As I looked at Damien casually sitting across from me, his hands lightly playing with the water, I realized yet another heart pounding truth.
This was my paradise.
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Author's Note
Are we enjoying some alone time with Damien? :) It has definitely been a while hasn't it?
Don't worry, some more of that coming soon.
Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in your comments down below and also, don't forget to vote if you liked it!
See you next time.
-J.S