Chapter 3

Alina

I woke up with a start. It took me a while to realize that someone was ringing the doorbell of my apartment and that I was no longer at the hospital trying to convince my father to call off the wedding.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked at the bedside clock. It was nine twenty-seven in the morning, and since I took a few days off from work, I wasn’t expecting anyone.

I hurriedly got out of bed and put on my robe. The lime green satin night dress that I was wearing reached my knees, and the robe went a little longer. My long dark-brown hair was in wild curls around my face and reached my lower back. Running my hands through it a few times to look presentable, I went for the door.

“Yes?” I asked as I opened the door without checking first. I instantly wished I hadn’t.

Standing on the other side of the door was none other than Erick Stayton, the man I hated and feared. He still looked the same, except he no longer had the boyish charm he had when he was younger. In its place were all hard angles and a chiselled appearance. He had a devilishly handsome face, broad shoulders, and long legs clad in grey dress pants. The muscles on his arms strained the rolled up sleeves of his navy blue shirt. His sandy blond hair was short and perfectly styled while his ocean-blue eyes sparkled with an unknown emotion, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Hey there. Remember me?” he said as I visibly paled.

“W-why are you here?” I asked, internally cursing myself for the stutter. How could I ever forget him? What he did to me aside, he had a face no one could easily forget.

“Just came over to check on my wife-to-be.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Well, now that you have, you should probably get going.” I went to slam the door shut on his face, but a sudden gust of wind blew past me. When I turned around, Erick was there in my living room, looking around my apartment.

My apartment was small, but I loved living here. I decorated everything myself, from the colour of the walls to the furnishing. The dining room was a combination of light green and blue with a blue carpet and white couches. The kitchen was just next to the living room with two chairs before the counter and an open kitchen behind it. The walls were a light cream colour, and the boxes were made of wood. There was a twenty-eight inch LCD TV on the wall next to the counter and the entrance to the kitchen. A floor to ceiling glass wall stood facing the couches that gave a splendid view of the compound backyard and the fountain. My room was medium sized with white walls and had various false plants and flowers, as well as a green grass carpet. All the decorations made it look like it was in the midst of nature. The guest room was painted in red and gold with only a bed and small wardrobe. That was all, but the apartment was my safe heaven. I bought it with the money I received upon selling my parents’ house right after my father was hospitalized a year ago.

“I like the decor. You did this yourself?” Erick asked.

“Yes,” I said in a hard voice. “How long are you planning to stay here?”

“You know, there is no need for us to be so tense, right? We are getting married in a few weeks,” he said, coming to stand in front of me so that we were chest to chest.

“You’re right. We are getting married in a few weeks, but we’re not married yet. So it’d be better if I didn’t have to see you unless it’s absolutely necessary.” I didn’t step back even though every cell in my body kept telling me to run as far and as fast as I could.

Erick raised an eyebrow, and his lips tilted up to one side. “You’ve changed. I like that, but you seem to have forgotten that you’re not marrying a commoner, Alina. You’re marrying the prince of all vampires, so look alive and get me some coffee.”

The nerve of him! Yes, apart from being one of the most influential families in Canada, Erick’s parents were the king and queen of all vampires, making him the Vampire Prince, but that did not give him the right to order me around. I gritted my teeth together so hard, I was afraid they would crack. How dare he say such a thing as if he hadn’t done anything four years ago?

I will not lose my temper, I had to remind myself. No, I will not lose to this monster.

“Get out of my house, and get your own damn coffee!” With that, I strode to my bedroom and slammed the door on his face.

Erick

I stared at the closed door to Alina’s bedroom in amazement. However, the thing that amazed me the most was how much she has changed over the last four years.

Four years ago, she was this shy little girl who was too afraid to speak her mind and always hid from me and my friends. It was true that we bullied her, but it was mostly because of my pride. At that time, I wasn’t ready to believe that my future was already pre-destined and that I wouldn’t have a say in it. Then there was the fact that I was the Vampire Prince, and she was a mere mortal, a fact my friends made sure I never forget. In fact, I was surprised that my parents were so excited about this wedding. They were the ones who taught me that humans were diluters. Having children with them would dilute our bloodline, something that posed a threat to our survival since our bloodline was already getting diluted with intermarriages. On the other hand, my mother had always praised Sheena, Alina’s mother, although she was the biggest example of dilution in history.

Maybe it was because my parents wanted to gain back the trust of those vampires who had chosen to live in peace with the humans. A majority of our race were now supporting intermarriages without the fear of dilution, and my parents were hard-core politicians. No one could uproot them from their position, but it was always better to live a revolt-free life.

I looked at the closed door once again and decided to give her some time. I could easily break down the door, but that would accomplish nothing. It would only ruin everything before it even had a chance of forming. Sighing, I took a seat on a couch facing a glass wall and admired the beauty of the scenery while making a few important calls. Behind it, Churchill spread out in all its glory. The Eskimo Museum wasn’t all that far from here. She has found a nice location.

Working didn’t help, though. With me this close to Alina, my memories kept going back to a night that should’ve never happened. It was my greatest moment of weakness. I still remembered what had happened that day like it was yesterday. My ‘friends’ had a great part in it, too. They helped drug me with a poison that only affected vampires and told me a lie that acted as a decoy. When I got close to her, the compulsion set in.

By the time I came to my senses after fighting tooth and nail to wear off the compulsion, it was too late. She was ruined pretty badly. I had been too rough and left her bruises. I was disgusted at myself and couldn’t even look at her. I couldn’t face her ever since. That was why I hadn’t once visited her in all these years. What was I to say? I’m sorry I ruined your life? No. Words weren’t enough for what I have done to her. It took me a while to understand that the thought of her with someone else, the lie that my ‘friend’ Nile fed me to get close to Alina, infuriated me to great lengths.

Yes, I was jealous, but I was not in love. I always thought of her as my partner. She was mine and only mine. And I would make sure no one could have her. She was, still was, and always would be mine, to do as I please, when and where I want.