Gabriella Monet POV
I yawned, stretched and my hand hit something hard. My hand wandered around the hard stuff and I grabbed it. The hard stuff poke my hand and I heard someone moan in pleasure besides me. I lazily opened my eyes and Found Slade’s blue eyes staring back at me. He smiled at me and I found it weird. His eyes went down where our legs were as if he was telling me something. I looked down and screamed out when I saw what I did. My hand was on Slade’s Manhood and that explains the moaning. I screamed again and fell out of the bed. I landed on the ground.
“Are you okay?” Slade rushed to my side. He offered his hand to help me up but I rejected it. “Gabriella,” he called.
I covered my eyes with my hands and laid on the ground without attempting to stand up. I was ashamed of myself. “Gabby,” he called again. “Why are you hiding from me?” He tried to pull me up but I struggled against him and slapped his hand away. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” Easy for him to say, I did a shameful thing. “Gabby,” he pulled my hand and when I tried to push him away, he fell on the ground and I landed on his bare chest.
Another shameful act.
My heartbeat rapidly against his chest. Both my hands were on his bare chest while he wrapped his hands around my waist. We both stare at each other without saying anything. Slade’s placed his hand on my face and stared at my lips. I bite my lips and also stare at his. He leaned in and kissed my lips. The kiss was slow and intense. Our lips moved in rhythm creating a huge feeling in my stomach. Slade carried me and laid me on the bed. He kissed me again and trailed the kisses down to my neck. He sucked on my neck and I let out a moan.
“You okay with this?” He questioned.
How could he ask a question in situations like that? I didn’t know how to answer him. I didn’t even know how and why we started kissing. It just happened and it’s not like I regretted it but it wasn’t supposed to happen. “Gabby!” He snapped his fingers at me. “Are you alright?”
I didn’t reply instead I stared at his blue eyes. “Do you regret this?” He questioned and when I didn’t reply, he slide to my side and grabbed my hand. “I don’t regret it.”
“I don’t regret it too.” I thought. He must have heard my thought as he smiled at me. He leaned in again and kissed me again and just then the door burst open.
“Right. They are screwing each other.” Teale’s voice sounded at the entrance.
Slade and I broke apart and I quickly jumped out of the bed. I landed on the ground. “Ouch!” I groaned out in pain.
“Are you okay?” Teale came to my side and earned a growl from Slade. “Don’t growl at me. I’m just checking to see if she is fine.”
The door opened and a man wearing a lab coat entered. He was different from the doctor who treated him last time. “Your highness,” The doctor bow. He didn’t look like a vampire as I could see the rising and falling of his chest. “May I check you?” He requested with his head bow to the ground.
“What is this Teale? I don’t need a Physician.” Slade said.
“Last time I checked, you passed out yesterday and we found you inside the river. If not for Gabriella, it would have been worst.” Teale told him and Slade looked at me. When our eyes met, I quickly look away.
“I think I should leave.” I walked towards the entrance but stopped when Slade called me. I turned to face him but looked away as I couldn’t look at him. It has something to do with the kiss and looking at him bought the feelings back. I wanted to feel his hands on me again. I wanted to taste his lips again and having so many ideas on what I wanted to do with him made me feel like I was going crazy. I knew he could hear my thought and he might think I had fallen for him which I already have.
“Gabby!” Slade shouted my name bringing me out of my mindless thought. “You okay?” He questioned and I nodded. “Thank you for staying beside me.” It’s was weird to hear him saying Thank you because Vampires I knew don’t show appreciation.
I didn’t reply instead I just walked out of his room. When I was outside his room, I jumped and muttered some words.
You are so stupid Gabriella.
I was falling hard for Slade. A vampire I should resent. It wasn’t about the bond we shared. It was me. I was falling hard for him and I knew it’s wasn’t going to end well. I ruffled my hair and closed my eyes as I thought about what was happening to me. I shouldn’t have allowed him to come close to me. I should have fought back when he tried to kiss me but I let him because I wanted it.
Damn you, Gabriella.
“There you are,” I recognized the voice somewhere. It’s was Rhoda’s and she didn’t sound like she used to. Her voice was calm and she looked different. She had a scarf around her neck which I nhad never seen before. “The slaves are gathering in the lobby to welcome guests into the Castle.” She informed.
“Do I need to be there?”
“It’s the Queen’s order.” She answered and walked away.
“Wait,” I followed her. She didn’t turn back and continued walking. “I haven’t taken my bath yet,” I informed her but she didn’t reply nor did she talk back.
Right, she doesn’t like me.
When we got to the lobby, Twenty slaves positioned themselves at the left and right sides. There were fifteen girls and five boys. I joined the left side and stood opposite Daphne who was on the right side. We stared at each other for a while before Daphne looked away.
I don’t care.
“Listen up all of you!” Rhoda stood in the middle and clapped her hand. “The king is expecting guests in the castle for a special ceremony and you all are needed to help and show the guest their respective room. Guards!” She beckoned to the guards in the lobby. “Give them their keys!” She ordered.
The guards gave each of the slaves a key with a name on it. My key had the name Xavier and Aneka Crus on it. I wondered who they were. “Now that you all have gotten your keys, you will serve the Guest assigned to you until the ceremony is over,” she announced.
The Slaves murmured amongst themselves and showed one another their Keys. I had no one to show my key to as I didn’t know any of the slaves. “Silence!” Rhoda shouted. “There are rules in serving the guest. Listen as I list them out.” A guard gave her a red book which she opened and began reading from. “Rule number 1, on no account are you to disobey the guest.” Everybody already knows that. The vampires value obedience more than their existence.
“Rule number 2, You must serve the guests until the ceremony is over meaning the guests can request for you anytime.”
“Ma’am,” Someone interrupted from the slaves. It was the guy beside him. I hadn’t seen him before and I must say that he was tall. He looked to be about 6ft and 3 inches tall. He was lean but when he talked, he had the cutest dimple.
“Yes, Dania.”
“Madam hunter, in this course of this service, what about our real jobs in the castle.” Dania, the boy with the dimple questioned.
“The king has put it on hold. The ceremony which hadn’t been revealed yet is going to last for two months and your real jobs as slaves cease to exist. You are only meant to serve the guests.” Rhoda’s announcement shocked everyone including me. Just the thought of not seeing Slade for a day made me feel like I lost something precious to me. I wondered what the ceremony was that a lot of guests were attending.
“If you fail to adhere to the king’s order. You will be persecuted and the worse could be death.”
Everyone gasped and rumored amongst themselves. This was why I hated the vampires. They just kill people anyhow they wanted because they are the rulers of the world. Just the thought of someone dying because they disobeyed the king made me want to scratch the king’s eyes and feed it to the birds of the hair “The guests will be arriving shortly so get ready!” She clapped and walked away.
Everyone turned to face their friends and talk to them. Elegance who was the only one I could talk to had somebody else she was talking to. “Gabriella!” I heard Daphne call. She stood in front of me and waved at me.
“I…. i,” we both said at the same time.
“You go first,” I urged her to say whatever was on her mind.
“I came here to Apologize.” She said. “I’m sorry.”
Daphne’s apology was genuine and I always knew when she wasn’t saying the truth. I couldn’t get mad at her for a long time but because I had faced a lot of dilemmas for some days, I couldn’t reach her. “I’m sorry too.” I apologized.
“Friends again?” She offered her hand for me to take it but instead, I pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Friends.” I smiled and pat her back. “I miss you, Daphne.” Right, I missed her a lot.
“Same here.” She replied.
After the reconciliation, we both talked about what had happened in the past few days. Daphne told me about her relationship with Kyle and how they were progressing. I also told her about the kidnapping and changing of rooms but I left the part where Slade and I kissed. Daphne knew I hated the Vampires and telling her about that would make her see me as a liar.” it’s been a hell of a week.” Daphne lets out a frustrated grown and we both laugh.
“The king is Coming!” A loud, deep but powerful voice announced.
Daphne quickly rushed to her side and we bow our heads down like the rest of the slaves in the lobby. The King and the queen by his side walked into the lobby. I raised my head a little to look at them. They were both dressed in the same attire. The King had a blue tuxedo on with a golden crown beautify with different gemstones on his head while the Queen had a blue sequin mermaid dress. Her silver Tiara was carefully positioned on her Bun hairstyle. Behind them was the princess who had a yellow V-neck dress on. Her breast was on full display which didn’t freak me because Vampires have no shame.
The princes came last as they were all dressed in black tuxedos. Luciana who had a sequin red dress on had her arms entwined with Slade’s. I felt betrayed as a deep pit formed in my stomach. Call it jealousy or whatever name it was but I felt that at that moment. My head was still bowed to the ground but I could feel Slade’s burning gaze on me.
“Lord Loukas and Lady Mary have arrived!” A young man who looked like he was my age entered the lobby with a lady who looked like a teenager. That might not be their real age because they were vampires and they don’t age.
The King and queen welcomed them then a slave took them away. They continue calling names until there were only three of us left. Daphne, myself, and Dania.
“Lord Xavier and lady Aneka,” Rhoda announced. It’s was my turn.
I raised my head as the supposed couple walked in. My heart raced as I couldn’t stop staring at the lady Aneka. I gaped at her and blocked Rhoda’s voice from my ears. She was calling my name but I had my eyes on the lady Aneka. The lady looked back at me and I felt the room grow smaller. In front of me was my long-lost sister Annabella. Anabella who I thought was dead was Lady Aneka.