Chapter 2 THE CRUEL PLAN
CHAPTER TWO
VIOLET
As soon as I stepped into the musky-scented office, a strong hand gripped my body and slammed me hard against the wall, pinning me there with zero mercy.
I gasped in sheer shock, a low whimper slipping from my lips before I could stop it. My eyes squeezed shut as I took deep, controlled breaths, trying like hell to steady my racing heart.
When my eyelids finally opened, I opened my mouth and snapped, “What the hell is wrong with you?”
I paused, catching myself. My eyes widened in sheer terror as I realized exactly where I was and who the man towering over me was—Caspian—looking at me like I was nothing but food.
I huffed out in pure frustration. Of course I was his food.
He tilted his head to one side, those deep ocean-blue eyes staring straight into my soul. His mouth quirked up in what passed as a slight smile and smirk, amusement clouding his expression.
I quickly arranged myself, coughed, and muttered an apology for snapping. “You caught me by surprise,” I said, voice steadier than I felt. “I thought someone was attacking.”
He shot me a bemused glance and leaned forward. His fingers, which had moved to my throat, tilted my head so I faced the room properly.
The study was huge. A heavy table sat at the far end by the window, paired with a high chair that blocked most of the natural light. The room was dim, almost dark, with only the soft glow of a lamp on the table cutting through the shadows.
My quick sightseeing died the second Caspian leaned in closer, invading my private space. His chest slowly brushed against mine, and I felt my heart slam even harder. I bit my tongue to force down the whimper building in my throat.
I hadn’t done this before. I never thought I’d be doing this. But I needed to. This tiny step was part of getting justice for my parents. I was the only one left who could serve it right.
In a slow, seductive voice I barely recognized as my own, I asked, “Aren’t you hungry? Or do you like toying with your food?”
He chuckled low, inhaling my scent deeply. “Sweet… nectar… honey… just how I like it.”
His tongue came up and lapped slowly around my neck. I shivered violently, trembling against him. “Fucking stay still,” he snapped.
Then his fangs sank into my neck.
The bite was deeper, more intimate than I expected, his mouth hot and possessive, lips sealed tight against my skin as his fangs pierced flesh with a wet, claiming pressure. I yelped, but the sound quickly melted into a broken moan.
My voice got lost as I felt myself going weak, paralyzed by the feeding. His fangs throbbed inside me, pulling my blood in slow, rhythmic sucks that sent unwanted heat flooding through my veins.
Every pull tugged straight between my legs. I wanted to punch him so fucking hard. I hated him. Bile rose in my throat as my blood flowed out of me and into him, yet my body betrayed me completely.
His hard, rock chest pressed fully into mine through the thin fabric of my shirt. I could feel every ridge of muscle. His eyes roamed down to my thighs as he groaned deep and satisfied, still feeding. The sound vibrated against my neck and straight into my core.
My breath hitched. I was getting more paralyzed, yet lust slammed into me like a freight train. Without thinking, I ground myself against him, arching my throat to give him better access.
He wanted more? Fine. Take it.
His hand brushed down and squeezed my breast possessively, fingers digging in just enough to make me gasp.
I should hate this man—he was the cold-blooded monster who murdered my parents. So why was all I could think about his lips all over my body? I was on fire.
His thighs parted mine roughly and he wedged in deeper, grinding his hard manhood right against my center. I rolled my eyes back and released a raw moan at the same time Caspian did. The friction was filthy, perfect, and I hated how much I craved it.
My hips moved on their own, rolling and pressing, chasing that delicious pressure while his fangs stayed buried deep in my neck. Every pull of blood made my pussy throb harder. Anger and unwanted pleasure twisted together until I couldn’t tell which was which.
I wanted to kill him. I wanted him to fuck me right here against this wall. My hands fisted in his shirt, torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer.
Just as the dizzying heat threatened to consume me completely, he lifted his head and stopped feeding. Blood trickled warmly down my neck.
My legs were weak, my vision spinning, and I staggered, falling forward. Strong arms wrapped around my waist instantly, steadying me.
His deep baritone voice, angelic and warm, cascaded over me. “Are you okay?”
I was too weak to answer. He cursed softly. “Fuck, I got carried away and took too much.”
He carried me deeper into the room and laid me gently on the sofa. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice rough.
I fought back a weak chuckle. Caspian was actually saying sorry to me.
“Stay put,” he ordered. “I’ll call the healers to take care of you.”
He leaned forward again, his tongue lapping slowly at the blood trickling down my neck, tracing every drop before sealing over the wound with lazy, intimate strokes.
The sensation made me shiver again. “You’ll be fine.”
I rolled my eyes, my mind still foggy. Will I truly be fine?
My body was still burning, thighs pressed tight together, aching from the grinding and the bite. Hate and lust warred inside me as I stared at him through half-lidded eyes.
This was only the beginning. I’d get my justice… even if I had to burn in this fire he lit inside me.
Weeks passed.
Caspian ordered the staff to feed me extra food and give me extra care. The other blood servants whispered every time I walked by. I kept my head down and my mouth shut.
For all I cared, he was a murderer. He cold-bloodedly killed my parents and took over my kingdom. The image of that night tried to push into my head again. I
I dug my nails into my palm until the pain chased it away. I stared at the ceiling and swore under my breath that I would get my revenge.
I still hadn’t built anything useful in this palace. The staff watched us too closely. I had to gain his trust first.
The feeding schedule tormented me most. It stayed regular and clinical, but every session made the bond stronger. I woke up already feeling him stir in the mornings. I sensed the sharp focus when he worked and the restless edge he hid from everyone else.
A knock sounded on the door. I was alone in the servant quarters, so I opened it. Caspian stood there in a grey linen shirt and flannel pants.
My stomach dropped. I stuttered, “My prince.”
He looked at me, his expression stonic. Does he ever smile? Weird thinking, I thought. Am I asking myself if the ruthless vampire to ever walk the world smile?
“Hope my being here hasn’t taken you by surprise?” He asked, his tone contradicting his question. He obviously didn't care.
“No, absolutely not,” I said, stepping back. “You can be wherever you want.” My throat felt tight. “Do you need me to feed? You could have just sent one of the staff to send for me.”
“Not that I need you to feed.” He glanced around the small room and clicked his tongue. “Are you going to keep me standing?”
“Pardon me.” I moved aside. “Come in.”
He walked in and sat on my bed. I stayed standing in front of him, hands clasped tight behind my back.
“Sit,” he ordered sternly.
I shook my head. “I’ll be punished if I do that.”
He sighed and rubbed his temple. “I’m the prince and I’m the one asking you to sit, so you should do that.” He paused, eyes narrowing. “Are you disobeying?”
“No,” I rushed out. My legs moved before I could think and I sat beside him on the bed, spine stiff.
He leaned back and stretched out his legs. “I need your opinion about something. I just think you look really smart and could be of advice to me.”
“Okay,” I said, forcing my voice steady. “I’m happy to help you, my prince.”
“Aravyn kingdom has been in my possession for three years and although I’ve been searching for the princess and her younger sister, all to no avail. I need to find them and wipe them off completely. It’s like they vanished from the face of the world. But while I’m still searching for them, I’m thinking of merging Aravyn kingdom into Valdris and technically that will be making it as one kingdom. There’ll be no Aravyn kingdom. All Aravyn people will be Valdris and I’ll be the ruler of them all.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. My fingers dug hard into the edge of the bed. Heat rushed to my face and my breathing turned sharp.
Did he just say he's going to merge my kingdom; Aravyn into his kingdom? And make them all as one people? And he's going to continue searching for me and Mira? To kill them just as he killed their parents?
Without thinking, I turned to him and blurted out, “What?”
