Chapter 25: twenty-five

Olivia

I felt as though I was floating, my body light and ethereal. Was this an out-of-body experience? I barely registered that we were in the bathroom, and Cole was gently removing my remaining clothes.

It was a strange sensation, as if time was both slowing down and speeding up simultaneously. Was that even possible?

The water in the tub turned a muted crimson as my blood mixed with it. There was more blood this time, and it quickly stained the clear water.

I leaned back, resting my head against the cool porcelain of the tub as Cole began to clean my body. I raised my hand to touch the spot where his fangs had pierced my skin, gasping at the sensation.

It didn’t hurt, but it was warm—like the comforting heat of the sun on your skin.

“How do you feel, my love?” His voice was a soft whisper against my ear.

“Tingly,” was all I could manage to say. He hummed in response. I felt a sense of madness creeping in. Was I really letting him mark me permanently? Was I becoming his pet? Was that a thing vampires did?

“Why do you call me that sometimes?” The words slipped out before I could stop them. I didn’t regret asking, but I found myself anxiously awaiting his response.

He seemed to struggle with whether to answer or not.

After what felt like an eternity, his hands began to gently rub up and down my arms.

“Do you believe in fate? In destiny?”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” I replied.

“It means when something happens that was always meant to happen. For example, how two people are destined to be together.

“I call you ‘my love’ because you are, in fact, my one true love. We are meant to be together,” he said softly.

“Is that the case for everyone?” I felt a tingling sensation all over, and I couldn’t suppress the small smile that formed on my lips.

“I can’t speak for humans, but for the supernatural, yes. Although it’s incredibly rare for vampires. We can live for centuries and seldom find our fated.”

I twisted my body halfway in the water so I could look into his eyes.

“Is that why I feel this way? Why I blindly trust you and why I feel like I’ve known you my whole life?”

“It’s our bond. It pulls us toward one another, our souls want to be together. It will feel stronger now, and you may even notice changes in how your body responds to my touches.

“And I have known you your whole life,” he tried to whisper the last part, but our faces were too close.

I gave him a confused look but decided to ask him about it later since the water had lost its warmth and I could feel my fingertips starting to prune.

He wrapped his arms under me and started to pull me to my feet, pulling the plug and allowing the water to drain.

“That’s enough questions for now, little dove,” he said sternly as he stood up and collected a fluffy towel to wrap around my body. I felt a wave of panic wash over me—I still had so many questions.

“One more. Are vampires usually mated to humans?”

His lips formed a straight line, and I watched him intently as he scooped me up and started walking us out of the bathroom. He only uttered one word.

“No.”

***

The day was fairly normal, with servants coming in and out as we got ready. Cole was having a few bags packed and arrangements made for us to leave immediately after the gala.

I wore a dark red dress with a high neckline to hide the mark. It stopped mid-thigh, and I was allowed to wear shoes—a pair of black ballet flats.

My hair was styled in a perfect French braid with a few loose strands framing my face.

Raven, as usual, was wearing a green pantsuit. Kaden tried to persuade her to wear a dress, but she refused and dared him to make her.

“I can’t wait for this fucking night to end already,” she huffed out as she sat beside me on the couch. I squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

Cole and Kaden stopped in front of us. Kaden was wearing his navy-blue suit and looked rather handsome compared to his usual casual attire.

But he didn’t hold a candle to Cole. He was in a black suit with a dark red dress shirt. He seemed different somehow—bigger, stronger.

“You two must stay together at all times. I don’t know what we will see in there. I have never attended one of these fucking things, so I’ll probably be swarmed by the vultures upon our entry,” Cole warned us.

The fear inside me rose at the thought of being separated from him.

“How long will we have to stay?” Raven asked, a hint of agitation in her voice.

If Cole noticed, he didn’t say anything.

“Hopefully in and out. We can’t raise suspicion. Once we’re home, all will be revealed, and there’s nothing anyone can do then.”

They were having this private conversation, but Kaden and I were still in the room. Of course, Kaden couldn’t care less, but I felt like I was the only one out of the loop.

We were about to leave when there was a sudden, loud knock on the door. Cole walked over and pulled the door open to reveal two vampires who appeared to be guards.

They handed a black bag to him, and he looked inside but didn’t pull anything out. His face was calm, but his eyes told a different story.

“I trust you know what to do now?” He asked them as he closed the bag, his knuckles turning white as he gripped it tightly.

Their faces were emotionless, but they both nodded in unison, like robots.

“Cole—” Kaden started to speak, but Cole raised his free hand to stop him.

The two other vampires were gone in the blink of an eye, and Cole motioned for us to follow him out as he tossed the black bag down beside the door.

***

We entered the dining hall; all the tables were gone except one. The room was full of vampires, and human servants were rushing around with trays of glasses filled with a red liquid. Blood.

Our collars were still snug around our necks, though we were spared the indignity of leashes. Cole’s hand rested lightly on the small of my back, guiding me forward.

Around us, vampires lounged with their pets, fangs buried deep in their necks. The screams of the victims sent a chill down my spine, and Raven’s eyes darkened to a murderous black.

Cole’s hand tightened around her arm, whispering something in her ear. She nodded, but her expression remained unchanged.

He led us to the other side of the room, where a group of servants and pets huddled together.

“Stay here and remember to stick together. I’m going to make a few introductions, then we’re leaving,” he said, his hand gently caressing my face.

“COLLLLLLLLE!” The shrill scream echoed through the room before its source, Annabelle, came into view. She was a vision in a tight, red dress, her heels clicking against the wooden floor as she ran towards us.

She ignored me, but I couldn’t ignore the way she wrapped her arms around Cole’s bicep. A strange emotion stirred within me, my nails digging into the palm of my hand.

Cole easily freed his arm from her grasp. “Don’t fucking touch me. Don’t you have a date? Where is ~he~?” he snarled at her.

“I’m not sure. He’s probably mingling,” she pouted, but Cole didn’t wait for her to finish before walking away.

She spun around to follow him, but not before shooting us a sinister smile.

The evening unfolded in a blur. Owners would come over to collect their pets for a drink. The room would fall silent, only to be filled with muffled screams moments later. Servants scurried around with glasses, returning with empty trays to be filled again.

My anxiety grew with each passing minute. Raven tried to soothe me, but her own anger was palpable, and she was struggling to stay calm amidst the chaos.

We were largely ignored, save for Cole’s occasional glances to ensure we were still where he left us. He tried to reach us several times, but was constantly pulled away by someone demanding his attention. He was losing the battle to hide his emotions.

“Mmmm, don’t you look tasty,” a vampire appeared before me. He was short, with light brown hair. He reached for my collar, lifting the charm with Cole’s initials.

“I’m sure your master won’t mind if I have a little taste. CV, whoever that may be,” he said. I trembled, and Raven pulled me back before he could touch me.

“I wouldn’t do that, friend,” Kaden said casually.

The vampire turned around, but Kaden wasn’t finished. “She belongs to Cole Vallen. If you value your limbs, you’ll back away and we can pretend this never happened.”

The vampire’s eyes widened in fear. He threw his hands up in surrender and practically ran away.

After that, we decided to stand against the back wall. It felt like we had been there for hours.

“He needs to fucking hurry up. Fucking bloodsucker,” Raven grumbled under her breath.

I looked up and locked eyes with Cole. He gave me a small smile, but it quickly faded.

The doors opened, and a group of men and women were marched in, chains clinking around their ankles and wrists. They were thrown onto a table, their chains removed. They didn’t dare move.

I wanted to run, to hide, to help them, but I was frozen with fear.

Raven stepped in front of me, shielding me. Her hands cupped my face, and I couldn’t stop the tears from escaping.

The first blood-curdling scream echoed through the room, and I watched in horror as vampires stumbled away from the table, blood dripping from their chins and staining their clothes.

It was a human buffet. The screams continued, and I covered my ears, tears streaming down my face.

I saw Cole rushing towards us, pushing blood-thirsty vampires out of his way. But as he approached, Raven was leaving.

“Stay here, I’ll be back,” she whispered in my ear before leaping into the air, dagger in hand, a lethal look in her eyes.

Cole reached her in time to lock her in his arms, her dagger clattering to the floor, unheard over the screams.

A small pinch on my neck, then my knees gave out. I was falling, but I never hit the ground.

The last thing I remember before the darkness claimed me was Raven screaming my name.