Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Amira's POV

His words echoed through my mind, leaving me completely frozen. Feed me, For a second, everything around me seemed to stop. Even the crackling fire behind him faded into silence. I swallowed hard, trying to convince myself I had heard him wrong. Slowly, I lifted my gaze until it met his crimson eyes. They were fixed on me, calm and unreadable. The corner of his lips curved into the faintest smile, but it never reached his eyes.

"Feed you?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Yes."

The word sent a chill racing through me.

No...My fingers tightened around the fabric of my dress until it wrinkled beneath my grip. The stories I had heard as a child came rushing back all at once. Mothers frightened their children with tales of vampires who waited in the dark, creatures that smiled before sinking their teeth into innocent people. I had always thought they were only stories.

Now one stood right in front of me.

My heartbeat pounded so violently it hurt. I wanted to run. Every part of me begged to turn around and flee, but where was I supposed to go? I was already trapped. If I escaped this room, I would still be a slave with nowhere to hide. My fate had been decided the day I was sold.

"I..." My throat tightened painfully. I forced myself to swallow, but the knot refused to disappear. "I don't want to die."A quiet scoff escaped his lips.

"You assume feeding means killing."

His voice was calm, almost amused, and somehow that unsettled me even more.

Slowly, I looked back at him, trying to understand what he meant. His eyes never left mine. It felt as though he could see every frightened thought running through my head.

"Tell me, Amira." He leaned back slightly in his chair. "What do you think vampires do?"

What do I think? I wanted to tell him the truth. You drink people's blood, You kill.

You're monsters. But the words refused to leave my mouth. Something warned me not to say them aloud.

Instead, I lowered my head, biting my lips. A quiet chuckle escaped him, as though he already knew exactly what I had been thinking.

Without realizing it, my hand slowly drifted to my neck. My fingers rested there protectively, rubbing against my skin as though shielding it could somehow stop what I feared was coming, He noticed immediately.

His eyes followed the movement before a slow smile spread across his face.

"Why are you holding your neck as though it's the most valuable thing you own?"

Heat rushed to my cheeks, Embarrassed, I lowered my hand at once, but it was too late. He had seen my fear, He tilted his head slightly, studying me with quiet curiosity.

"Still haven't answered me, Amira."

The way my name rolled off his tongue made me glance up despite not wanting to. There was something different about his accent, something I couldn't place. Every word came out smooth and effortless, carrying a strange elegance that made the room feel impossibly quiet whenever he spoke.

"They..." I whispered, my voice barely audible. "They feed on human blood."A smirk tugged at his lips.

"Come here."I froze.Every instinct screamed at me not to move.When I remained where I was, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Closer."

The word wasn't loud, but it carried enough authority that my feet obeyed before my mind could argue. One slow step. Then another. My heart hammered so hard against my ribs that I was certain he could hear it. By the time I stopped in front of him, my palms were damp with sweat.

He picked up the spoon and placed it gently into my trembling hand.

"Feed me."My gaze shifted from the spoon back to him.This... was all? With unsteady hands, I dipped the spoon into the bowl, careful not to spill its contents. The closer I brought it to him, the more violently my hand shook.Then my fingers brushed against his, My breath caught.

His hand was cool against my skin, but it wasn't the cold that made me freeze.

It was the fact that he didn't let go.

His fingers slowly closed around mine.

Not enough to hurt.

Just enough to stop me from pulling away.

A shiver ran through my entire body.

I tried to steady my breathing, but it only became more uneven. My pulse raced wildly beneath my skin while his crimson eyes remained locked on mine, watching every tiny reaction.

For the briefest moment, something flickered across his face, His smile faltered. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. His gaze drifted to the pulse beating beneath my wrist, and I felt his fingers tense around mine.

As though he were fighting an urge he refused to give in to. The silence stretched between us. Then, almost deliberately, he guided my hand the rest of the way.

His lips closed around the spoon as he swallowed the broth without once looking away from me.

When he finished, he slid the spoon aside.

But he still hadn't released my hand.

Instead, his thumb brushed lightly across my knuckles.The gentle touch made my breath hitch. I instinctively tried to pull away, but his grip tightened for only a second before relaxing again.Slowly, he lifted my trembling hand.My eyes squeezed shut.

I waited for the sharp pain I was certain would come.Instead...His lips barely brushed the tip of my finger. The touch was so light I almost questioned whether it had happened at all. Yet a violent shiver raced down my spine.

"You see," he murmured, amusement returning to his voice, "that wasn't so difficult."Only then did he release me.

The moment my hand was free, I stumbled backward so quickly that my legs caught against the carpet.

A startled gasp escaped my lips as my body tipped backward. Before I could hit the floor, a strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me firmly against him.

For one suspended heartbeat, neither of us moved.

I could hear my own heartbeat pounding wildly between us. His face was only inches from mine. Those crimson eyes searched my face in silence, and for the first time, the amusement in them seemed to disappear, replaced by something quieter... something he hid almost as quickly as it appeared. He slowly helped me back onto my feet.

"Careful," he said with a teasing smile. "I'd hate for my slave to injure herself."

He released me and walked away as though nothing had happened.

I remained where I was, unable to move.

My knees finally gave out beneath me, and I sank onto the floor, clutching a trembling hand against my chest as I struggled to steady my breathing. This had only been one meal. If this was what surviving a single conversation with Lord Zamir felt like… I wasn't sure my heart could survive the next one.