I stood by the full length mirror as the staff fussed over me. The dreadful week had passed and I was getting ready for the party. It might be my last party. I might actually die tonight if the king didn't like what he saw. I heard rumors over the years that he was a very peculiar guy. He is no doubt the most powerful vampire and underworld creature in the world. He's been alive since the time existed and our ranking didn't really matter much because it didn't look like the king will die any time soon. No one has challenged the king in centuries. Anyone who did never survived. And yet, I heard he could be very indifferent about everything. Maybe because he seen it all? My guess is that he probably is bored out of his mind after living that long. What is the meaning of life if you don't ever die?
I've heard from the staff that he had many lovers but none satisfied him enough to make her into a queen. Of course, many females came and went hoping they will be the queen of underworld but it never happened. While his blood descendants bred and kept the lines going, the king remained alone.
"All done, lady Sophia." One of the staff, Mary, stepped aside.
I looked at the mirror and saw myself. My brows lifted in reaction because I didn't really recognize myself. My dark hair was loosely curled, giving me the feminine look. My make up enhanced my green eyes that I got from my dad. My lips were slightly colored shiny blush pink.
My black dress was a knockout though. My cleavage was shown by the v-shaped neck plunge that reached down to my navel. It was sleeveless with thin straps and it did a great job showing my toned up arms from training with Jane. The dress hugged my body as if it was second skin and beautifully draped down to the floor. My back was even worse. My whole back was bare down to my lower waist. I looked at my back and asked Mary.
"Are you sure it's going to stay on? One wrong move and my dress might slide off from me."
Mary smiled, "Oh, don't worry lady Sophia. I have the double sided tapes for a dress like this."
Then I saw the tape in her hands. I sighed in relief. Flashing my opponents wouldn't do me any good.
I watched Mary tape me secure. Mary was one of the most fashion trendy vampire. I let her choose whatever dress that I would wear to the party. I got to admit, it looked good on me. It wasn't too skanky or too uptight. Somehow those plunging neck line and the shape of the dress gave off very classy and yet sexy look. I also had my mom's old jewelry. I had her diamond earrings and bracelet that my dad gave her. It made me feel home knowing that she wore this.
I heard Jane come in and she gasped. I turned around and saw Jane speechless.
"Hey there." I said.
"Beautiful." It was all she said. She was also dressed in a fancy dress. She had boat neck sleeveless dress that only reached her mid thigh. Her toned up body was to die for.
"Thank you, Jane." I said. Then Mary brought out my strappy hills that were covered with sparkly stuff. I felt like a million bucks.
Marcus came into the bedroom with his tux on. He had his dark hair brushed back with hair gel. His tux was especially tailored since he was so tall and big. He moved like a graceful cat in that suit. He stopped mid way when he saw me. I smiled when I heard his thoughts melting at the sight of me. He wanted to drop down on his knees and worship me. But then his expression changed and he frowned.
"What the bloody hell are you wearing?" He scolded.
I sighed. I knew he would be very overprotective of me, especially from other males. And he didn't want anymore attention toward me from any guys.
Jane stepped in, "She looks beautiful, Marcus."
Marcus shot her a glare, "She's half naked."
Mary sighed, "She's not half naked. She looks classy and beautiful at the same time."
"I agree." I said holding back my giggles.
Marcus glared at me. His thoughts were that he wanted to throw his jacket over me or wrap the bed sheet over me.
I smiled, "Marcus, that's not going to happen. It's three against one."
He cursed under his breath.
Right on time, Joseph walked in.
"Very lovely, lady Sophia." Joseph said smiling at me and reading Marcus. He tried to hide his laugh but it slipped.
"Joseph." Marcus hissed.
He shrugged, "I'm sorry. But it's not my fault that your mate's beautiful. You should get used to people drooling over her. And make sure you fend off any poor creatures who gets sucked into her beauty."
Joseph laughed and pounded Marcus' shoulder as he walked out.
"See you down stairs." Joseph winked at me and I smiled.
"Leave us." Marcus said.
The two women left me and Marcus alone. I stood there waiting for his scolding.
"Marcus, it's too late to change my dress -"
He was front of me at the blink of an eye. He loomed over me, spreading his big strong hands against my back, feeling my bare skin. I melted right there and sighed. He looked fierce and his face was inches away from mine. He pulled me against his hard chest and I sighed again, looking up at him, totally surrendering.
"You are mine." He hissed in warning as if he wanted to make sure I knew that along with everyone else.
I smiled in daze, "Of course. I'm no one else's but yours. Forever."
He seemed satisfied with my answer and let me go. I protested when his hands left me.
"I can't kiss you right now." he said. His thoughts were that if he kissed me now, he wouldn't able to stop until he was buried deep inside me. I blushed at his thoughts.
"Later." I whispered. He nodded. Then he held out his hand out to me and I gladly accepted it.
For a minute there, I forgot that it could be my last day or rather my last night. I forgot that I could die tonight. We went into the luxury car and let the driver take us to the party that was about an hour away. On the way, I met the other counselors who are loyal to me. i grew up seeing them often. But they were never too close to me when I was growing up like Joseph and Jane. My guess was that they didn't want to hurt me in any way since I was so fragile, or they thought. And Marcus was very overprotective.
Besides Jane and Joseph, there were eight others. They were mix of male and female, all of them were almost old as Joseph and very deeply loyal to my dad and now to me. They would protect me to the end if it was necessary.
I sat in the car, slowly realizing that I might be walking into my own death. I guess Marcus could feel my nervousness and he gently held my hand. He said through his thoughts that I would be alright.
"Thanks." I whispered.
We drove more out to the country side. When we reached our destination, I saw that it was very out of nowhere. The next neighbor was almost a mile away and it was surrounded heavily with trees. I saw cars arriving and saw vampires and other night creatures walking in. The huge mansion was twice size of mine and it was lighted brightly. It looked like it was full house tonight.
"Here goes nothing." I whispered.
I stepped out with help of Marcus. I saw all of my counselors already at the entrance. They waited for me at the top of the stairs. I took a deep breath and slowly took the stairs to join them with Marcus holding my hand. As soon as I joined them, the counselors formed a semi circle behind me. My guess is that they were protecting me and also showing their loyalty to me.
We stepped into the lobby and met with a butler who was a vampire. He nodded politely and showed us the way. It looked like he knew who we were. At the entrance of the ball room, he cleared his throat and announced. The room went into a dead silence by his voice.
"Lady Sophia Montague. And her counselors."
The butler stepped aside and I saw the room full of vampires and other creatures staring right at me. Some whispered and some just stared at me. I could hear their thoughts and I tried so hard to block them. Some thought I was beautiful, some thought i was the most ugliest vampire they've seen. Some were curious and some were realizing that Marcus was my mate and they took a small step back. They were definitely terrified of Marcus. He had a ruthless reputation.
I held my chin high and Marcus led me to the corner where I could settle with a drink. Most of the counselors stayed within a few feet from me. Some of the people started talking to Jane and others but i could tell the counselors were in high alert to see if there was any danger toward me. Joseph looked relaxed as he took a drink. The glass was filled with dark liquid and I realized that it must be blood. Marcus never left me. He held my hand firmly and told me I did a good job holding my chin high.
"It's the least thing I can do right now." I whispered.
I studied the people in the ball room. They were mostly beautiful. I could tell which ones were vampires. They were breath takingly beautiful and pale. Some I assumed they were witches and warlocks. They had that mysterious aurora around them. I saw some shape shifters because something was hovering over them as if there was thin strip of layer on top of them. I saw a couple of werewolves. They seemed most irritated. They looked like they were uncomfortable in their own skin as if they wanted to breakout and just turn into a wild animal.
I spotted Mariah at the corner. She was the one who got pushed off to the third rank because I showed up. My eyes met hers and she hissed at me. But before Marcus could spot her, she disappeared into the crowd. It was obvious that she wasn't happy to see me. Then I saw Raul approaching us. He no longer had dark spiky hair. He was still lean as before. He was dressed in tux as well and his hair was loosely styled. His dark eyes flashed at me with a smile.
"Well, hello Sophia." He smiled at me. I lifted my brow at him. The last time he saw me, he barely acknowedged me.
"Hello Raul." I said.
Raul looked at me up and down as if I was piece of a meat.
"You have grown into a beautiful lass." His smile was full of sly.
Marcus hissed.
Raul held out his hands in the air.
"Easy Marcus. I'm only here to pay respect to her." He said. But I could read his thought and I shuddered at what he wanted to do to me. I tried not to show my emotion because people would know that I could read their minds and I couldn't let them know just yet. It was the most powerful weapon I have as of right now.
I tried to pull Marcus back from lounging at Raul when the butler cleared his throat. Everyone turned silent and looked at the entrance.
"Ladies and Gentleman, I present you the king of underworld. King Leonas."
The butler stepped aside and I saw the king. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of the king. He was tall and powerfully built. He was as tall as Marcus. His skin was tanned. His hair was dirty wavy blonde that came down to his ears. He had the very defined facial bone structures. His lips were hard and so were his straight nose. And his eyes... They were light gray, almost to the point that it could be silver. But they were full of boredom. He barely nodded at the bystanders who kneeled down to give him a royal greeting. The two body guards followed him from behind. They looked terrifying to my eyes. They looked like they could snap someone into half without breaking a sweat.
The crowd gave the king some space but they still hovered over him as if he was the biggest celebrity in the universe. I guess it was rare for him to show up at parties. Some couldn't believe the king Leonas actually attended the party. My heart started to beat wildly, realizing that once the king sees me, it could be the death for me. Marcus squeezed my hand and I looked up at him. In the corner of my eyes, I could see my counselors forming a semi circle around me. They were nervous as I was.
The king slowly reached the middle of the ball room. All those time, his eyes were full of irritation and boredom. He thought those who threw themselves on the floor front of him were pesky creatures. He wanted nothing more than to just leave and retire the night. But he had a purpose this evening. I could read his thought loud and clear.
He wanted to meet this creature who turned into a vampire over night, me. Of course, he knew of my background, but he couldn't understand how I transformed out of nowhere when there was no signs of me with vampirism.
When he was near enough, he stopped and tilted his head toward me as if he could feel the unique presence of me. Maybe he could hear my crazy heart beats because I was about to pass out from fear. His gray eyes met mine and I quickly bowed in respect. I saw him approach me and I looked up. Joseph quickly stood before me, introducing himself.
"Ah, Joseph. It's been a long time, my boy." His voice was almost dark and silky as chocolate.
"Yes, my lord. I am grateful that you have decided to attend this party." Joseph said.
"I did not want to miss this." He said referring to me.
Marcus stood front of me to pay a respect.
"Marcus." The king nodded, "I can see you have been busy. I assume my offer to you as my body guard is no longer standing?" King Leonas asked.
Marcus nodded, "Yes, your majesty."
This was a news to me. I never knew that the king had offered Marcus to be his personal bodyguard. That was the highest ranking anyone could have for a made vampire.
The king sighed, "Now, move aside so I can take a look at her."
Marcus regretfully stepped aside for the king, but he still held my hand.
I finally looked up at the king from bowing. I first saw his chest since that's where my head reached. Then his stubborn looking chin. Then his gray eyes. His eyes were terrifying to look at. They were no longer filled with boredom. They were actually staring down at me with full of curiosity and some kind of recognition. He seemed like he was about to say something, but he was loss of words.
"Introduce yourself." He finally said after a few seconds of staring.
I gulped and whispered, "My name is Sophia Montague, your majesty. My father was Julius Montague and my human mother was Lily Jo."
If I wasn't mistaken, the king's eyes lightened a bit and it made his eyes more scary. He stared down at me as if I was a ghost to him.
He reached out and soon, the counselors reacted and so did Marcus. King Leonas stopped.
"Do not fear. I am not going to harm her." He said gently.
Everyone calmed down except Marcus.
The king's tanned hands reached out for me and soon, I felt his hands cupping my face. I felt his surprisingly warm hands and tingly sensation running through me. I was no longer scared of my life. Because he was staring down at me with full of emotions that wasn't evil. He was studying me and I could see some confusion in his eyes.
"My little girl, how old are you?"
"I'm twenty five, your majesty."
I read his thoughts loud and clear, 'Can't be. No way in hell that you are her. But . . .' his mind drifted off and I quickly snapped back to reality. For some reason, I felt like he would know if I tried to read him and that would be the end of my life.
His graceful hands traveled down to my slender neck as if he was in some kind of trance. His eyes were far away and yet studying me so deeply. I just stood still because I was afraid if I break his trance, he might snap my neck. I could feel everyone holding their breath at the King's actions.
My heart stopped when he leaned in and smelled me. His breath was brushing against my neck as he breathed in my scent. My hand was holding Marcus and held him firmly, letting him know that he shouldn't jump at the king. I could hear loud and clear that Marcus was seconds away from attacking the king for coming so close to his mate. I could see his body twitch.
King Leonas' nose was an inch away from my neck as he slowly savored my scent, tilting my neck for better access. I could faintly hear his thoughts on my scent. He could smell a bit of Marcus' scent, but he thought my own scent was so delicious and lovely and so familiar. Oh god, he liked me, not in a good way.
"Your majesty." Joseph quickly read his mind too and tried to snap him back to reality.
King Leonas slowly woke up from his trance and pulled back. He still had his hand remained on my neck, his thumb brushed against my skin and I tried not to shudder.
"My apology, little one. I did not mean to scare you." He said seeing me tremble. He smiled warmly down at me. His whole facial features changed when he smiled. His face was full of life and energy when he smiled.
He then turned to Marcus, "You are a lucky man for having her before i got the chance."
I heard some gasp at the king's remark. And I heard Marcus' thoughts roaring with outrage. He was using all of his strength from attacking the king. I held his hand tightly, pleading with him. If he moved an inch, it would be end of his life. The king would have the excuse to destroy Marcus and have me.
Marcus gritted his teeth as he replied to the king, "Thank you, your majesty."
The king then turned to me, "I hope to see you again soon, my little one." Then he leaned down and kissed my other hand.
I watched in shock as the king and his body guards walked away. I was happy that he decided not to kill me, but then the outcome was shocking. Now Marcus stood next to me, about to explode with rage. His jaws were tightly shut and I could see his muscles working hard to keep still. He was watching the king and his followers carefully.
"Easy, Marcus." Joseph said gently. I knew Joseph heard everything that went on Marcus' head and the king's head. He was relieved that the king liked me, but he knew it created a lot more problems now.
"Marcus?" I whispered his name. I had to bring him back from this rage otherwise we would have a big problem. I gently tugged his hand and slowly I could see him coming back to me. i was scared. I didn't know what this could mean. At this moment, I was terrified and vulnerable. And I needed him.
Slowly, Marcus came back to me and he could see how disturbed I was. He silently cursed under his breath realizing that I needed him most of all. He gently took me to the back of the room where we could have some privacy. The counselors let us be by making a wide barrier. When we were against the wall, he turned me, so my back was against the wall and he was facing me, protecting me from others. I looked up at him.
"I'm sorry." He apologized for being distracted by the king. He could feel my body trembling and he slowly pulled me into his embrace. I sighed feeling his hard body against mine. My trembling slowly died down and I closed my eyes. I felt his arms around me tightly as he kissed top of my head.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently, running his hands against my bare back, soothing me.
I nodded. I couldn't speak without breaking my voice.
i felt his hand running down where the king touched me. He gently rubbed my skin as if he was trying to erase the touch of the king. His silent whispers echoed in my head.
'You are mine. No one touches you except me.'
I nodded and wrapped my arms around his neck. He leaned down and kissed my neck, running his tongue on my skin to erase the touch of the king. I sighed at his touch and closed my eyes.
The night was long and brutal. Since the king showed his interest in me, all the night creatures decided to say hello to me. After awhile, I stopped trying to memorize their names. When the party was over, I got into the car with Marcus and fell asleep in his arms. It was way past my bed time and I even saw the glimpse of sun rise as I was getting into the car. Marcus threw over his jacket on me when the party was over.
When I opened my eyes again, we were home and Marcus was carrying me up the stairs to our bedroom.
"Go back to sleep." He said looking down at me.
I yawned, "Need to take a shower."
He nodded and we entered our bedroom. He carefully placed my feet on the floor. He kneeled down so he could take off my hills. I held onto his shoulder like the old times as he took my shoes off. I sighed feeling the relief. I slowly took off my mom's diamond earrings and bracelet and placed them on top of my drawers. I slipped off my dress and found Marcus taking off his dress shirt. I stood there half naked with only panties on and I held out my hand to him.
"Care to join me in the shower?" I asked.
He nodded and quickly undressed and we went into the bathroom.
We washed each other's back and made passionate love in the shower. Marcus was a little more dominant over me than usual, but I didn't mind. I wanted assure him that I belong to no one except him. We drank from each other, falling into the great ecstascy. When we came out of the shower, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and Marcus laid next to me, watching me sleep. I snuggled against him as if he was my heat source. He embraced me into his arms as I slumbered.
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