Unedited.
Claire POV.
I rush back into our chamber, careful not to draw too much attention to myself and still quick enough to make it there within three minutes. I manage to invade everyone except a few servants here and there.
My eyes travel to the window as soon as I step into our room, and the extraordinary scenery takes my breath away. I take a moment to enjoy the view of the beautiful sun, hovering over the snow-coated mountains in the early, misty winter morning. My eyes scan the land full of flawless, pure-white snow as I take a step closer towards the window. Just a few hours ago, bloody and lifeless bodies were scattered all around the place, resembling a mass murder scene. If I weren't here to witness the scene with my own eyes, I would have never believed it.
The snow around the estate is now untouched and unsoiled. It's refreshing. I'm going to miss this. Hopefully, we can visit this place often. I didn't know we are leaving until Nicklaus announced it during my failed attempt to have the three species make peace. I didn't want to question him in front of the others. I'm strong, but he is still a king—my king—and I refuse to allow anyone to use our bond as a weakness against him. If they are going to find peace, they will have to learn how to respect one another. They will have to forgive the wrongs they caused to the other species in the past and move forward. They have to let go, all of them, and I am going to lead by example.
So, off to see Mecca I go—well, hopefully. I don't know how to get back to the Northern Pack, and I am not even sure how I am going to get there because I can't drive. I'll figure all of that out once I make it out of the estate. It feels wrong to leave without at least trying to make peace. I still can't believe she Mecca to kill me. In this short period of time of knowing each other, we have been through so much. For Christ's sake, we were incarcerated together. That has to amount to something, right?
I start to fiddle with the powerful pendant around my neck. My mind drifts back to the moment when she gifted me this extraordinary present.
"I want to thank someone special and very dear to my heart. As most of you already know, I wouldn't have had the strength to make it back here if it wasn't for this brave little human."
No one has ever thanked me for anything. Xander, Mecca, and Jade are truly the only friends I've ever had. I don't think I can lose any of their friendships, ever.
With that thought, I rush into the bathroom and take a quick shower, although I prefer to take a long and well-needed bath. Unfortunately, I don't have the time for such luxuries.
After showering and getting myself together, I make my way back to Nicklaus's office. I need to confirm if he is still knocked out. That's the only way my plan is going to work without causing further conflict.
He is still out like a baby. Priceless, I think to myself as I walk into his office. I'm surprised no one has realized his current state.
I make my way to the window, preparing to jump out. There is no way I can just walk out of the front door. I hesitate for a second. The fall from this window to the floor looks longer than I expected. I mean, I know I am an ass-kicking half leech, but heights are never my thing.
F*ck, it's clear I didn't think this whole thing through. Like seriously, I don't do heights. I have only jumped out of a window once in my entire life and that was when I was chasing after Nicklaus. Oh well, no, twice. I almost forgot about the time that Mecca jumped out of a freaking skyscraper. She thought she was saving me.
I release a frustrated sigh. I really, really want to go talk to her, but this is fucking ridiculous. First things first, I don't know where I am going. Secondly, I don't know how to get there. Plus, I hate heights!
Nicklaus groans softly from the other side of the room.
Fuck, my time is almost up. Gosh, this is so f*cking annoying. I start to say "fuck it," then I think about how I am being ridiculous. I'm a half vamp for crying out loud, not to mention a soon‑to‑be queen. I literally just bought millions to their knees, and here I am really sitting here, scared to jump out of the window. What a f*cking irony!
Without further thinking, I grow a pair of balls and jump.
* * *
Nicklaus
I wake up in my office in a daze. My neck, back, and head have sharp pain. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that someone snapped my neck. My father used to do it to me when I was younger, which was over 300 years ago. I hated when he did that sh*t. He was always a dick.
I groan as I pull myself up off the floor.
What the f*ck happened?
Memories of the previous night come flooding back vividly in great detail, all the way up until . . .
Claire! She . . . Oh f*ck, she snapped my neck! Of course, she did. I should have known that feisty beloved of mine would have her sweet revenge.
My eyes travel to my unzipped jeans and my soaked in Claire's scent penis. She didn't even allow me to finish soiling my seed. Fucking embarrassing! She is probably in our chambers laughing her ass off. How foolish could I be?
The worst part is I'm still rock-hard, and I desperately need to be relieved. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Blue balls. Really, Claire? How cruel can she be? Seriously, who snaps their beloved's neck right after they have sex?
The human who spits in a vampire's face kicks him in his balls, and tries to bite one's dick off for attacking her, my subconscious says, as I zip up my jeans. Yep, I should have expected that. In all honesty, I'm surprised that Claire didn't murder me in my sleep.
I look at the clock, groaning. Great, we still have two hours before our departure. A tingling sensation, followed by a throbbing pain, rushes into my dick. There is no way I'm getting on that plane without release. I'm going to shove my entire dick into her wet and tight walls hard and fast.
I smirk, thinking about the first time she saw my shaft. The lust she felt was automatic, not to mention her naughty little thoughts. She compared my dick with a horse's dick. All I could think about at that time was allowing her to ride me like a rodeo.
Fuck, I miss hearing her thoughts. I'm going to fuck the shit out of her.
With that thought, I place my hands over my crotch and get out of my office, hoping and praying that I don't run into one of the guys on my way to our chamber. If one of them sees me like this, I'll be their entertainment for at least a century.
I almost make it to my wing undetected—seconds away actually—when out of nowhere, Marcellus walks down the long hallway.
Fuck my fate! Hopefully, he will just nod and let me be, which of course he doesn't.
"My king," he mocks, approaching me with a smirk.
I acknowledge him with a nod without stopping. My dick is killing me.
"Where is that hot-ass queen of ours?"
My footsteps are muffled by the deeply layered royal blue and gold carpet that leads to my wing.
Marcellus places his hands on my shoulder. I groan and pinch the bridge of my nose.
Fuck, fuck, fuck me . . . I'm sure the discomfort on my face is evident.
Marcellus squeezes my shoulder playfully. "Hey, man, you okay? You don't look too good," he tells me.
"Yeah, I'm cool."
He removes his hand with a smirk. "Yeah, I can see that." He turns around, and for the first time in centuries, he surprises me.
Marcellus walks down the hall. And just when I think I've spared myself, he opens his big mouth.
"You know I've dealt with a lot of witches," he says from the other end of the wall. "Do you want to know one thing that they all have in common?"
"No," I respond, opening the door.
"Come on, Nicklaus, just guess."
I ignore the bastard. I don't have time for his games.
"Welp, I'll tell you anyway," he says, appearing beside me as I make my way through my wing.
Fuck, I've almost made my escape. It's almost impossible to use my speed in my current state.
"Bye, Marcellus."
He's mad. This fool somehow always pops up at the wrong time.
"Okay, okay," he says, acting like he is going to turn around.
But I know better. The moment I close the door to the wing, he opens it and follows me in.
"Look, man, I have the perfect remedy for your problem," he offers me, tailing me.
"What problem?"
He smirks.
Smug asshole.
"I tried to tell you, man," he blabbers, smacking my back with the smile of a devil. "I've dealt with a lot of witches, and all of them are good at . . . you know."
"I know what?"
"That thing . . ."
"What thing?"
Fuck he is starting to annoy me more than usual.
No. You're annoyed because your dick is throbbing, my subconscious states.
"Shut up!" I say out loud to him and to myself.
His smirk deepens. "Alright then," he says, finally taking his leave.
I sigh in relief and make my way down the other end of the hall, seconds away from my room.
"So I guess I'll tell everyone else how to deal with blue balls," Marcellus whispers, loud enough for me to hear, as he reaches the west-wing door.
My monster growls and chases after him.
I've been chasing Marcellus for five minutes. He is truly a pain in my ass. He runs down the hallway and laughs like the idiot he is. Just wait until I catch him.
Fuck, he gets on my nerves. If he was anyone else, I would let him be. My dick is throbbing too damn hard to be chasing after anyone but Claire's tight pussy.
The servants look petrified when they run into me, my men looking amused. Most of my security detail is used to us behaving in this manner when we are all together. The servants, on the other hand, believe that even when we are playing, a murder will happen.
Pussies.
I have to catch him before he decides to stop running on this wing. The moment we get off this floor, the others will have known already. Who am I kidding? Knowing Marcellus, he must have mind linked with them. The entire household will be told about my misfortune by noon if that's the case, so that's the push I need.
* * *
Claire
My feet barely hit the ice-cold snow as I make my way through the forest. My inner monster has been in control of my body the very moment I jumped out of the window, weirdly enough.
Right now, I'm lost in my own mind, enjoying the ride. My monster seems to know where she is going. I guess she is utilizing our advanced senses.
Every once in a while she would stop to take a deep sniff of the air, following the faint scent of damp earth through the forest and further away from the mountains. She doesn't seem worried about anyone following after us, and I can feel more than tell that she doesn't give a rat's ass if Nicklaus wakes up and figures out we have left.
It may sound strange to refer to her as her own person, or even stranger. I feel like I'm watching another entity control my body, but she is—which doesn't feel that strange to me. In fact, it's really amazing watching my inner monster. I feel this weird connection with her. It is as if she is connected to me, or I'm a part of her, and yet we are not the same person. We just share the same body. One will call us polar opposites, but we are connected in so many ways. Our souls are one, blending together in harmony.
I'm sure it sounds crazy as f*ck. It's one of those things you have to experience to fully grasp what it is.
The damp earth scent becomes stronger, mixing and mingling with many other aromas—mostly smells of things that remind you of nature. My sensitive ears pick up on the sound of low‑level wolves starting their daily tasks. My monster drops to her knees and focuses her attention on the packhouse through the gap of the trees. The house is still about one hundred yards away, so I'm not worried about anyone sensing us at the moment.
It's crazy that it took us less than two hours to damn near travel across this continent, and it's even crazier than my senses have managed to make that happen. But right now, that doesn't matter.
Back to what I was saying.
Werewolves can sense vampires if they are in their true form but are unable to pinpoint exactly where we are. At this moment, I don't want them to be able to detect my presence. I'm relieved to see that no one has shifted because that would surely make the task in hand harder if they have, not that my monster cares. She will gladly demonstrate her dominance. I, on the other hand, would prefer this not to get bloody. I am here to lead by example, so I have to find a way to get in quietly.
My monster's eyes travel up and down the massive packhouse, searching for an entrance.
After ten minutes or so, she allows me to take full control. Someone's frustrated, obviously, but I get it. This place is like a fortress. I really didn't think this through. Fuck! I want to mentally slap myself, and I'm sure my inner demon feels the same way. The house seems to be bigger than remembered. There are many windows and balconies and but one is closed, and of course it has to be the highest one.
Nope, I'll pass. No need to deal with any more heights today.
I stare at the balcony one more time and f*ck my luck when I zoom in on the carved statue of Mecca. No other balcony has a statue of the lost luna. Nine times out of ten, that's the balcony that leads to the wing dedicated to her. If I remember correctly, not too many wolves are allowed in that section, meaning that's exactly what I'm searching for.
Easy access with little attention, I think and softly groan to myself. Nope, I'll find another way. But . . . there is no other way.
I start to pace back and forth, suddenly feeling defeated, when my emotion takes a swift turn. A roaring, fire-spitting rage burns through my chest and floods my veins. My time is up. Just my mother freaking luck! That can only mean one thing—correction, that means two things—Nicklaus is awake, and he is pissed with a capital P. F*ck, f*ck, f*ck.
My eyes scan the area one more time before I take off in the direction of the balcony.
* * *
Nicklaus
Yup, the fucking bastard did exactly what I'd expected; he mind linked with the others about my misfortune, so before I head back to my wing, I'm going to beat the crap out of him. And I'm finally doing it right now for all to see.
We are on the lower level of the house. I finally caught up with his ass the moment my dick returned to its glory. Xander, Cloven, Vlad, and most of the household are present, rolling over, pointing, and dying in laughter as they watch me kick his ass. The bastard has the audacity to laugh as well. Thankfully, Claire hasn't decided to leave our wing to further add to my embarrassment. Not all odds are against me at the moment I guess.
I kick him in his left leg. He falls down to the floor dramatically, covering his crotch.
"Hey, hey, hey! Watch my balls," laughs Marcellus. "I wouldn't want to end up like you," he jokes, making our friends and my backstabbing brother laugh louder.
Marcellus loves to put on a show. Dickhead.
I continue to beat his ass, and everyone keeps on laughing for a little while longer. Luckily for him, Xander decides to step in.
"I think he had enough," Xander says, pulling me back.
I doubt that.
"Plus, we have to get ready for our departure."
Yeah, he's right about that. I punch Marcellus in the gut one last time before walking away.
"I'm surprised the queen didn't come down with all the commotion and all," Cloven says, helping Marcellus picks his face up off the floor.
"I'm not," Vlad adds. "I ordered one of the servants to take her some pancakes.
"Your Highness," calls out a human.
I growl in response, my eyes in her direction. No human address me without permission.
The servant girl rushes down the stairs. With one glance, you can decipher she is scared out of her mind. Sweat drips down her beady little nose. Her bright blue eyes are wide with fear. Her tiny frame is shaking, not to mention her pounding heart, beating so goddamn loudly that my ears start to ring.
She jumps when the others turn to face her direction, but her eyes remain on us, on Vlad. This piques my interest. Usually, when a human is in our presence, they refuse to look us in the eye. Claire was probably the first human in history that showed me different until now. I've been in this servant girl's presence more than once. She is extremely shy but well-mannered, so the disrespect catches me off guard. I don't like to be caught off guard.
I release another warning growl, and she realizes her mistake at once. She drops down to her knees and bow.
What the hell has gotten into this girl?
"Timid but sexy little thing," Marcellus speaks, too low for her human ears to her. "She's probably a freak in the sheets."
"Shut up, Marcellus," Vlad snaps, surprising the f*ck out of me.
I turn in his direction, and I think he surprises himself based upon the look that settles on his face.
The timid human's heart pounds louder, regaining my attention.
"Why are you in my presence?" I ask, sounding bored, I'm sure.
"My apologies, Your Highness, I didn't mean to intrude, but the queen . . ."
"What about the queen?"
She doesn't respond, not out loud at least.
"How am I supposed to tell him that I can't find the queen? He will kill me. She didn't eat. Freak, why me? Why the hell did he assign me to that goddamn wing? My life is over. Oh Lord . . ."
"What about the queen, girl?" I ask impatiently.
Her heart drops.
"I can't find her," she whispers.
"I'm dead. F*ck, I think I might piss myself," she says inside her head.
I have to hold in my laughter.
"You're dismissed," I tell her, without sparing the nerve-wracking human another glance.
"Good riddance! I'm saved by the bell. Now be a good girl and leave. He dismissed you. There's no need to tell him you can't find her anywhere. Nope, that's the opposite of being a good girl, and if he finds out I knew, he would most certainly kill me. I can see him now, off with her head!" she says to herself.
My God, this human overthinks everything.
"There's more," she says unexpectedly, further irking my nerves.
I don't feel like hearing her personal monologue out loud.
"Speak freely," Xander encourages. He must have been listening in.
"I can't seem to find her anywhere. I've asked around, and no other servants have seen her either, and her food is cold."
"I'll go find her," Xander offers. "She is probably wandering around."
I nod in agreement just because I have no worries. Claire cannot go too far. Now that we are one, I'll always be able to find her, always. She's trapped.
As if on cue, Raphael (my agent) asks for permission to mind-link. This is getting more annoying me to no end. They know than to bother me after a battle. Plus, my dick is starting to tingle again.
"What?!" I snap inside my mind.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. We are running border patrol, and I think we just picked up something strange—"
"Like what?" I cut him off, making my way upstairs.
The others are no longer standing there. They most likely have gone to prepare for our departure.
"The queen's scent is strong on the left side of the forest," he responds, stopping me in my tracks. "And it just becomes stronger as we get farther away from the estate. But it smells different."
Quicker than a human can blink, I'm out of the estate and head towards that end of the forest. A human servant unable to find Claire is one thing, but a well-trained vampire picking up on her scent where it shouldn't be is a whole another ball game. One may even say that's one hell of a coincidence.
My vision taints the moment I enter the forest, my body burning.
I am extremely pissed.
Instantly, I smell my beloved's scent. It wouldn't be alarming—since all of us were out here last night—if it wasn't for the fact that her milk‑and‑honey aroma is tainted, claimed. And that can only mean one thing: Claire has been out here after we made love.
"Sire, would you like us to follow the trail?" Raphael's voice reappears.
"Yes," my monster growls. "I'm right behind you."
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Awake Monday Update. Please don't forget to hit that golden star ⭐️ comment and follow. I have a lot of making up to do. So, you guys can expect more updates throughout the week.
Q: Did you miss me?