Filed to story: The Vampire Prince’s Bride
I should get up, grab some medicine, and order breakfast. But the bed at the hotel was so comfortable. I wanted to go back to sleep until my alarm blared to wake me up for my flight.
But I couldn’t get back to sleep. My mind was too busy racing with the crazy nightmare I’d had last night, of the beautiful woman who had come up to my room to drink my blood.
I hadn’t had nightmares since I was a kid. But this one was burned into my mind so intensely that I doubted I would ever forget it.
Last night was pretty hazy, too. I must have had a few too many celebratory shots with the guys.
Maybe that was why I felt so awful.
I’d had my fair share of hangovers, but this one took the cake. Everything felt sensitive beyond belief. The footsteps from the hall were amplified so much that they pounded in my head, and a variety of smells assaulted my senses, so strong that I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
To top it off, the burning in my throat kept getting worse and worse. I felt sicker than when I’d had the flu a few years ago.
I reached over to the nightstand to check the time, but my cell phone wasn’t there. Weird. I always kept it next to me when I slept.
Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, threw off the blanket, and sat up.
She sat at the foot of the bed, still wearing the tight jeans and silky black top she’d had on last night.
Laila.
The girl from my nightmare.
And instead of being in the hotel, we were in a lavishly decorated, massive room that looked like it belonged in a palace.
I reached for the spot in my neck that she’d bitten last night, surprised that the skin was perfectly smooth-like it had never been bitten at all.
Whatever drug she’d given me must have made me hallucinate the entire biting scenario.
Hopefully that meant kissing her had been part of the hallucination, too.
“You,” I growled, flexing my fists. “What the hell did you do to me?” I rushed forward to strangle her, but her hands wrapped around my wrists, and she pinned me to the bed just like she had last night.
Which apparently hadn’t been a nightmare, and had actually happened.
“You’re much stronger now than when you were human.” She straddled her legs around my waist, pressing herself against me in a way that would have been sexy in any other situation. “But you won’t reach your full potential until you feed. To this day, I still remember the pain following being turned. It makes a hangover seem pleasant, does it not?”
I had no idea what she was talking about.
But one thing was clear-the crazy bitch had drugged me and abducted me.
I needed to get out of here.
“If it’s money you want, I have plenty of it,” I said. “Let me go, and I’ll send you whatever you want. I promise.”
There was no way in hell I was giving her anything-other than reporting her to the cops and getting her arrested. But promising money was what heroes in action movies did all the time, so it was worth a try.
I’d promise her anything if it meant getting away from her and out of this place.
“Look around, Sean.” Her blue eyes no longer looked big and captivating. Now they were sharp and severe. “Does it look like I need your money?”
I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm despite every muscle in my body aching to fight. Because fighting wasn’t getting me anywhere. Whatever drug she’d given me must have still been in my system, or I was coming down from it. That would explain why I felt like such shit.
Since I was in no condition to fight, I might as well try to talk her down from whatever she was trying to do to me.
“Is this your room?” I tried to sound as relaxed as I had when we’d chatted at the bar.
The more information I could get from her, the better.
“No,” she said. “This is your room. Inside of my palace.”
“Your palace?” I couldn’t help but laugh at how absurd she sounded. “If you have an entire palace, then why did you need to abduct me?”
“I didn’t abduct you,” she said. “I turned you.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It’ll all make sense after you feed,” she said. “Now, I’m going to let go for a second to call for your meal. I advise you not to fight me. Not only am I stronger than you in your weakened state, but there are guards stationed by the door. They won’t be nearly as gentle with you as I’ve been.” She pulled one of her hands away and ran a finger across my cheek, like she was studying me.
The feeling of her nail against my skin made me shudder in revulsion.
She must have mistaken my reaction for pleasure, because she smiled in triumph. “You’ll be good and stay here, right, Sean?” she asked.
“Of course.” I held my gaze with hers, keeping all emotion from my voice. I couldn’t let her hear how much she disgusted me. Not if I wanted a chance of getting out of here.
But how could I get out of here? I was strong, but there were armed guards outside the doors. I wasn’t so delusional to think I stood a chance against guards with weapons.
All I could do was bide my time, assess the situation, and plan an escape.
So I did as she asked and made no attempt to run as she reached for her phone.
Her eyes stayed on me as she moved, her lips turning up in pleasure when I obeyed. I made sure to keep my gaze on hers. I might not be running, but that didn’t mean I was weak.
“The new prince has awoken,” she said to whoever was on the other line, sounding mighty pleased with herself as she spoke. “Bring his first meal up to his room now.””P rince?” I raised an eyebrow, pretty sure she’d been talking about me.