The bed was soft, cold. She stared at the white sheets, fiddling with them as she thought.
It's been only a day since Hunter had drank the tonic and nearly taken her innocence. She was grateful to Ryan, Matthew and Willy, who had been the one to sink the syringe into Hunter's neck. They had received a phone call from Matthew saying Grace was Hunter's beloved and will most likely be taken to his mansion to complete the bonding process. Willy had called Ryan and Matthew to help her only seconds after ending the call with Matthew. The liquid that had been sprinkled across the room was holy water, taken from Willy's cupboards in the infirmary just in case of emergencies like this. After Hunter had been detained,
The door clicked open, bringing Grace from her thoughts. It was Willy and Marcie. They gave her both a tired smile as they closed the door.
"How are you feeling?" Willy asked, settling down on the edge of the bed.
Grace shrugged. She truly didn't know how to feel. She was grateful, but at the same time, she felt empty.
"I don't know how to feel." She signed, continuing to stare at the sheets. Marcie translated her words.
Willy nodded, scribbling something down on the clipboard resting on her arm.
"That is understandable. You not only found out that you're a vampire's beloved, you witnessed said beloved murder his father and a few others, nearly lost your innocence and witnessed your beloved getting knocked out by a close friend all in the span of a few hours. Not to mention, the bond makes it especially hard to be separated from your lover."
Grace nodded. The last few hours of yesterday were shocking and scarring all at the same time. Suddenly, she remembered.
"What will happen to the Kingdom?" She asked.
They paused, as if not expecting the question. Marcie rubbed her neck.
"There's no doubt about it, Hunter will become the new king."
Grace's eyes widened.
"He will?" She asked, shock painting her face.
Marcie and Willy nodded.
"He killed the king, and by ancient vampire law, he will take the throne. He won the right." Willy explained. "Usually, since we've outgrown our more savage instincts, it's done by the King retiring and giving it to the eldest. But," Willy sighed. "The eldest hasn't been seen in a century. He ran off a long time ago. If things had gone normally, Prince Callan would have taken the throne."
Grace nodded, confused at their grim expressions.
"Grace, that means you will be Queen."
Grace froze.
"Queen...?"
Marcie nodded.
"You're his beloved, his, mate. It's only natural." Marcie settled on the edge of the bed. "Hunter's father is, was, the king of this whole area. Including where you two met. So, he's practically the president."
Grace swallowed past her dry throat. Queen.... she was going to be a queen. The thought felt weird. She was a pet, before anything, including Hunter's beloved, she was a pet. No one, even other pets, will approve, especially the vampires. They trump everyone, including the werewolves and demons. Their rule had been strictly vampire mates for the last six years, probably for a millennium before they overran the human race.
"Anyway," Willy sighed, lifting herself from the bed. "I need to get back to the clinic, there are a lot of slaves and servants that got caught up in the panic, and there wasn't enough room in the King's mansion's infirmary so they started sending some here." She began to leave. "I need to--"
Suddenly, Grace grabbed her sleeve, bringing her to a stop. Once Willy had turned her head, she released her to sign.
"What about Hunter?"
The question came randomly, something in Grace's mind shoving the question from her head to her hands. Now that she truly thought about it, she didn't know what would happen to Hunter, but a certain memory made worry curl in her chest.
"When a vampire finds their mate, they will breed no matter what, if they were underage or married, it did not matter. Vampires were brutal, murdering everything and anything that stood in the way of them and their mate. They would go crazy if deprived of a single touch from their mate for too long, making them go mad with possessiveness, aggression, and sorrow for the lack of touch. In some cases, they would die from the overdrive of senses and emotions."
It had been a day since Hunter and Grace had last had contact, and another sudden wave of concern washed against her chest.
"I want to see Hunter." She signed.
Willy and Marcie gaped at her.
"Are you sure? He nearly stole your innocence, not to mention nearly killing your friends!" Marcie exclaimed, her brows dipping in confusion.
"I realize that, but I want to see him. Now." She signed sternly, her brows furrowed.
There was a moment of silence before Willy nodded, shaking her head with a sigh.
"Alright, Marcie, it'd be best if you take her, I have patients that need attention."
Marcie hesitated, her lip between her teeth before she sighed and nodded, gingerly taking Grace by the arm.
"Let's go, I'll take you to the dungeons."
Grace's jaw fell wide.
"Dungeons?!" She gaped.
Marcie nodded.
"The King's mansion isn't the only one who has a dungeon dedicated for failed tonics." Marcie said, guiding Grace to her feet. "Hunter had one built below this mansion just in case."
Grace wobbled on her feet before gathering her ground, nodding when she was ready. Marcie guided her from her room, heading down the splitting stairway. When they reached the bottom, Marcie surprised her by guiding her behind the staircase. There stood a single door against the wall, the knob dark. Marcie twisted it, the hallway behind it was pitch black, a complete void of light.
Grace swallowed, clutching the collar of her shirt before allowing Marcie to pull her into the darkness.
It was like walking blind. Grace couldn't see Marcie, who was still right in front of her, guiding her through the black. The hallway was cold, chilly against her skin and her arms immediately dressed themselves with goosebumps. Marcie guided her down stairs she had not seen, around bends and more stairs until they finally reached the final corridor, as Marcie announced.
They continued to walk in silence, the hallway slowly filling with light. At the end of the corridor was a single torch, flickering light and crackling, the only sound other than Grace's shaking breaths. Beside the torch was a door, a heavy one at that. A metal door with engraved Vampiric writing.
"Are you sure you want to go in there Grace?" Marcie asked quietly, startling Grace. "You don't have to do this."
Grace furrowed her brows and set her stare, nodding sternly. Marcie sighed before placing her hand on the metal. She hesitated before pressing her hand into the metal, the door peeling open. Immediately, the air was filled with screams and the rattling of chains. Grace's heart dropped.
"LET ME GO!!!! SHE IS MINE! I MUST HAVE HER!! GIVE ME MY WIFE!! RELEASE ME!!"
Chills snaked through her skin, goosebumps prickling her flesh. Hunter sounded horrible, his voice sounded weak. Had he been screaming all day?
"He hasn't stopped screaming since he woke up this morning." Marcie whispered.
Grace swallowed, taking the lead and walking through the open door. Behind it was another hallway, only this one ended quickly, two guards stationed beside another metal door. They stood at attention. The screams came from behind them, loud and ringing in Grace's ears.
"Queen Grace!" One exclaimed over the screams, swooping into a deep bow. "It is an honor to be in your presence, but I must ask, why are you here?"
Grace stood there startled, shocked at the strange, yet not so strange behavior. Marcie spoke for her.
"She wishes to see the King."
The guard's lips fell wide, his companion's face mirroring his own. They shared looks before hesitantly nodding. The one who had yet to speak lifted a ring of keys from a loop on his belt, flipping to one before placing it into the keyhole. The other stepped to the wall, lifting a torch from its holster. The door peeled open.
"Let us go My Queen, I will be by your side." The torch holding guard spoke, his tone gentle.
She nodded, stepping into the room with the guard by her side. The floor was dry, echoing her footsteps. She noticed with a hint of fear that the screams had stopped, replaced by ragged breathing, the rattling chains trickling into her ears. The fire light expanded, kissing the walls and whatever was between them. A gasp caught in her throat, her hands slapping over her mouth.
Hunter was a true mess. His arms were spread in a slanted upwards T, chains wrapped tight around his wrists to hold him up. The tips of his toes pressed against the ground, his chest heaving and covered in blood. His clothing was wrinkled and torn, his pants hanging low on his waist. His hair hung over his limp head, and other than his heaving chest, he looked dead.
Grace stood there in shock, her heart in her stomach.
"Beloved...." Grace flinched at his voice. It was pitiful, scratchy and weak to the ears and yet it sounded as dark as usual. "Why are you with another man?"
The guard spoke.
"I am merely a guard my Lord, I--"
Hunter snarled, the guard jerking back.
"Leave us."
"I-I can't--"
"NOW!!"
Grace flinched at the snarl, the chains straining against his wrists. She peeked at the guard. His body was shaking, his knuckles white around the torch, his jaw set. Gently, she rose her hands and pried the torch from his fingers. He turned his head towards her, gawking at her unsaid approval. She nodded at him, flicking her wrist toward the door. He swallowed.
"B-But your highness--"
She shook her head, flicking her wrist once again. He hesitated before slowly leaving the room, closing the door with a metallic clang.
They stood in silence, Hunter's breathing the only sound left in the hollow room. She swallowed past her dry throat.
"Beloved..." Hunter's voice croaked. "Let me touch you...please, I can't go on without it."
She tightened her grip around the torch. Despite how cliche the words sounded, it was nothing but the truth. She swiveled her head around, relieved when she found a torch holster on one side of the room. Quickly she placed the torch inside, having to reach up high to reach it.
She turned back to Hunter. He truly did look pitiful, and she hadn't even seen his face yet. She made quick work of rushing to his front. She gingerly placed her hands onto his face, lifting it to meet her own.
He looked horrid, his eyes were dull and bloodshot, his complexion a deathly grey. His lips were cracked and dry, his cheeks sunken. Grace felt the tears swell in her eyes at his pitiful state.
"Do not cry my love." He whispered, sighing contently. "I am fine now."
She whimpered, nodding with a lump in her throat. She pressed her forehead against his clammy skin, stroking his cheek with her thumb. Biting her lip, she slipped her hand from his cheek to his shoulder.
Gathering the little courage she had, she pressed her lips to his in a simple, sweet kiss.
*************
AAAAAAAAAAAND I FINALLY FINISHED THIS I AM SO SORRY I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL FOR STICKING WITH ME AND I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY!!!