Vada's POV
Today was the last day of the meetings and minor celebrations for the European and African clans. I was glad that this was almost over. The increase of vampires set everyone around me on edge. I wasn't comfortable with it either. I stayed away from most of them however I did come within a few feet when I had to leave the kitchen to grab something. When they weren't in meetings they were all over the castle, talking in the hallways or trying to catch a servants attention for a meal. Luckily I was able to politely say no and they let me walk away. It aways came with some remark as I left though, I never paid much attention.
That wasn't really what put me on edge though. It was the thought of one of them catching the news of a witch hunt by the wolves. I tried to be discreet when I passed some of them talking, attempting to catch anything that might indicate I should leave.
The thought of leaving was bitter now. I wanted to stay for so many reasons that I had never had before. In the beginning I had nothing to lose if I left. Now I had friends and the minimal safety the mountain provided. So far no one thought the Alpha would even try to come up here because of the king. I didn't blindly trust that however it was a strong possibility.
The king. He was another reason I didn't like the thought of leaving. I was sure my feelings weren't that strong; I simply enjoyed his company. A bit more than I'm willing to admit. In fact every time the thought occurs I push it away. This was temporary. I wouldn't be able to stay here forever and he wouldn't be able to keep up our agreement for very much longer either. I assumed he would move on to another woman or perhaps look for a queen. The thought hit me wrong and I had to remind myself I wouldn't even be here to see it. That hardly comforted me. I was just glad by the time I used up whatever luck I had now I wouldn't have to be around for it. Actually it was better that way. He could focus on that and I could move on to a new town west of here. From the books I had read I knew Asia was a beautiful continent. I would travel there then probably head south before moving back towards the African continent.
I stopped myself from thinking about it. I had a general plan and that was enough until I heard something worse from the vampires or humans. I hoped I wouldn't. For once I would like to leave on my own volition and now through terror.
I stacked the cart of deserts neatly then moved to assemble the one with drinks on it. The cart held blood, water, and a variety of alcohol bottles. The first two were in large pitchers that matched the gold décor in the hall.
It was insane the details that the princess focused on. The last event was all about pure silver dishware and now she chose all gold. I wondered if she just purchased all this or it was left over from the others. Knowing her this was all new.
Once everything looked good and functional I moved back to the countertop to start cleaning up. I knew that this would probably be the last set of carts going out unless one of the tables orders seconds or more drinks. They probably would ask for more drinks based on the other nights however I doubt they'd want more food.
The doors opened and the other maid pushed to carts down the dark hallway. I could see the lights from the hall flood the walkway before they closed the door behind them.
I walked to the stack of towels by the sink and grabbed a towel so I could wipe down the countertops. I pushed any scraps that were on there into a small trash bag I grabbed and wiped up some spills. When it appeared clean I walked to the disinfectant wipes. The few maids that were left were doing the same thing. Some of them were washing dishes while the others were sweeping the floor.
I heard noise in the opening to the servant hall making me look that way. I was wiping down the large island making it to the right of me. I couldn't see anything right away so I placed the now dirty wipe in the trash bag.
I walked over to the opening, trying to see into the hall. With the doors to the dining hall closed the entire hallway was incredibly dark. I knew there was more passageways beyond the first door but I hadn't explored them nor would I want to alone.
Another noise made me jump; it sounded like footsteps. I wanted to close the door all together but the maids would be coming anytime soon to bring back the trays and they'd appreciate the light.
I noticed one of the lights was dimmer than before, probably loose. Before I had enough time to really look at it I felt hands wrap around my waist and mouth. I felt wind against my skin but couldn't see anything, my hands pulling at theirs to get away.
I heard the faint noise of a door closing before I was shoved up against it, "I knew one little noise would make you curious enough to move closer." The kings familiar voice broke me from my panic.
I gaped at him, now realizing what had happened, "You scared me half to death." I barely scolded, my heart pounding in my ears.
He chuckled at my reaction, clearly enjoying scaring me.
"Where are we?" I asked suddenly. I looked around the room but I couldn't see anything.
The room was completely dark and my eyes barely adjusted enough to see him, his eyes the most visible thing.
"It's an old office, no one uses it anymore." He said before kissing me.
His mouth was on mine like he was starving and I was more than willing to be his meal. I let him devour me, my body molding against his though it wasn't entirely up to me because of the door behind me. My entire body felt like it was on fire, our mouths moving against each other aggressively.
I was shocked to see him before dinner was over. I expected to meet him up in his wing like normal. This was the first time he had come before it was over to see me. Even the last time when he waited for me outside the kitchen for me caught me off guard. This was ten times that.
It made me wonder how he really felt. That if this was becoming more than just some temporary interest I assumed he had for me. The thought didn't last long. This could just be how he decided to react tonight. My ego wasn't big enough for me to convince myself otherwise.
My hands balled the opening on his suit jacket, tugging it so he was closer to me, panting quietly when he pulled away from my lips. A small pleading noise left my throat when I felt his fangs on my skin.
"Not yet." He still teased me with the sensation, "I have nothing to patch you up with and I don't need everyone smelling how good you taste."
I wasn't surprised by his denial but I was disappointed. He liked to leave marks as much as I did however he was picky about when. If he couldn't cover the wound while it was still fresh he waited until he could. I appreciated it sometimes just so it wasn't a big mess. He could choose to heal me right away but that would heal the other markings.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you." He admitted lowly, his lips moving against my neck, "I barely heard the clan leaders speaking. My thoughts are monopolized by you."
His warm breath fanned over my skin making my temperature rise, his words only adding to that heat. His voice was raspy and low, his accent thicker only making him sound hotter. I was puddy in his hands and I'm sure he knew it.
Blindly I moved so I could kiss him again, desperately seeking for more. This desperation made me bolder than before, my mouth taking its turn to travel the length of his neck. I sucked on the skin around the curve of his jaw earning a sound of approval. I knew whatever hicky I was leaving would be healed the moment I pulled away. I wanted it to stay, just like mine were but it wasn't possible with his healing. Nevertheless it didn't deter me. I made sure to mark down his neck until I knew his control snapped.
With a low rumble from his chest he yanked me away from the door, picking me up for half a second before I was placed on a hard surface. A desk maybe? I couldn't care less when he pushed me back, his mouth moving down my body.
We didn't take too long to get out our urges, each one of us having to be more quiet than normal though it was more of a struggle for me. In the end the king had to be the one to keep us both quiet.
I left the cleaning up part to the king, my eyesight still affected by the darkness. I blindly fixed my hair that he had messed up by pulling it out of my bun. Then I had to feel around to fix my dress and apron, hoping I got it right. I could hear him fixing his attire too. I felt his hand come up and brush back my hair a bit signifying I might have left one side not as smooth. I double checked the others side then patted my apron to make sure that was okay too.
My eyes had adjusted just enough to make out his figure but nothing more. I wondered how much he actually saw. If it was just as bad for him because of the lack of light or if he had no problems. He certainly seemed like the could see just fine.
"Can you see okay?" I asked when my curiosity got the best of me.
"Yes." He answered seeming a bit confused at my sudden question, "I can see everything, have your eyes not adjusted?"
I shook my head, "I can hardly make out your figure."
"Is human sight always that bad?" He asked, his voice holding surprise.
"In complete darkness yeah." I said laughing some.
If his face held an expression to my response I wouldn't have known, "How awful." He said.
I almost laughed at the way he said it. It was like he truly didn't know how weak our sight was in comparison to vampires and he really didn't enjoy it. As if having what is considered normal eyesight was the same as catching the plague.
"It's not so bad." I shrugged, not affected by his tone. It wasn't bad to me. Actually I knew I had really good eyesight for normal people. I never needed glasses and they adjusted well if the conditions were fair.
"Sounds bad." He rebutted, helping me down from whatever surface he put me on.
"Maybe to a vampire." I pointed out.
I liked that I was able to joke with him, allow myself to laugh and forget the real reason I was led here. When I was with him I felt calm, relaxed. Even in the intense moments during a scene I never felt bad. Embarrassed or nervous maybe but all led to good things and in the end I felt safe.
For most of my life safe wasn't a word I was familiar with, that only amplifying in the last two years. With him I did though. I knew that he was capable of hurting me but I hadn't feared that fact for a while now. He had proven those weren't his intentions.
"I'll lead you back to the entrance," his voice broke me from my internal rambling, "The servers are probably back and finishing with clean up now."
I felt his hand come around my waist before he started to guide me forward. I prayed the ground was even so I wouldn't fall.
"Are you going back to the hall?" I asked, my voice echoing some telling me that we were in a passageway now.
"No," he said, "I have more important things to set up."
I flushed, knowing exactly what he was going to set up. Well not entirely. He'd be preparing the area he wanted to be in tonight and what items he'd use on me.
It was so strange to me how he acted with the other vampires, like he truly didn't like them. I wondered if he had any genuine friends. I couldn't imagine not having any.
It was something that was hard for me when traveling around. I couldn't really talk to anyone, no opportunity for an acquaintance to become a friend. I was happy and grateful now to have the ones I did.
"Are you friends with any of the other vampires?" I asked, "Like the ones that haven't attended yet."
From my knowledge he still had to host another event for the American clans. That wouldn't come for a week or more because of this one. We would have to wait a few days until they all cleared out then clean everything. Only then could we really start prepping for the next one. I was grateful it would be the last. I looked forward to my time helping my friends in there however I liked the idea of just working with my plants and aiding the others if needed.
"A few." He answered.
"That's nice." I commented.
It would be interesting to see how he would interact with the ones he was actually friends with. I had only seen glances of how he acted around the others and it was very formal and distant. I wondered how his friends acted too. If they're personalities were similar or drastically different from his. I suppose I'd see soon.
I felt him guide me around a corner and I could see better, the opening of the door from the kitchen at the end of the long hall.
"They sound like they're putting away some stuff and cleaning up." he noted, my eyes finally being able to see his face.
Somehow he was always able to catch me off guard by his appearance every time. I kept thinking I would get used to how beautiful he was. That his features wouldn't make my mind stall for a split second. It never happened.
"I'll go help then meet you upstairs? Or will you be in the main hall again?" I asked wanting some preparation so I didn't have a mini heart attack again.
"Meet me upstairs." He confirmed.