Page 17 of Married to the Vampire Prince

“I will… be the best princess… I promise…” She mumbled, turning her head away from me and sinking more deeply into the pillow.

I quickly pulled back, startled by my sudden overwhelming desire to kiss my wife.

I wasn’t hungry for blood… no, that was a lie. I could hear her blood shimmering in her veins, and the sensation made me want to bite her, to drink her exquisite ruby blood again. My desire to feed didn’t mean I had to kiss Grace, though.

Why was I so damn attracted to her?

Ever since the war, women had avoided me, so maybe I was just touch-deprived. A few days ago, during our first night together, I had finally been able to be intimate with someone without them shying away from my touch; a miracle in itself. That need for physical contact must have been why I already wanted to be close to Grace again.

She had not refused my touch. She hadn’t seemed repulsed by my lips on her skin, my cock inside her body. She had craved more.

I couldn’t give her more. If I did, I would lose myself. I would no longer be the same Silas; the dangerous, scary war hero everyone made me out to be. That thought terrified me.

Grace’s role was to be the princess of Estone and to give me her ruby blood whenever required. She didn’t need to be the perfect wife. Our marriage was a contract, nothing more and nothing less.

I was delusional to think she wanted me. I was crazy to think I was allowed to lust after her so much.

I was a monster, and monsters weren’t allowed to be treated well by others or to seek warmth.

Grace turned around in her sleep. I could see her face again, and she had a content, pleased smile on her lips.

I couldn’t help the warm feeling in my chest. I had received reports that she was working hard on getting better at the subjects she would be required to know about as princess. All that effort was why she needed her sleep, and I wouldn’t disturb her.

I got up and wandered across the room to the door. Without turning back, I soundlessly made my way out of the apartment, using my vampire abilities to move with stealth.

I strolled through the corridors of the palace back to my office, paying no mind to the servants walking around.

It was early morning, and I should have been resting my mind by meditating, but I didn’t feel like I could calm down right now. My longing to touch Grace had made me restless. I could use this chaotic energy for work – if I could focus. I would try to get something done for an hour to two.

I sat at my desk in my office, immersing myself in reading another request from the nobles.

Almost immediately, the familiar knock came at my door. Luke.

“Come in,” I called out.

Why was he here past sunrise too? He and I were the same – workaholics.

However, when Luke came into my office with a worried look on his face – a rare sight, as barely anything rattled him these days – I dropped the paper I was holding onto the desk and gave him a wide-eyed stare in return.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Luke shut the door behind him and, with a few sure strides, closed the distance between us, plopping down heavily into the chair in front of my desk.

He wore his black leathers and cloak, signifying that he must have been working out in the field all night. I quickly looked him over from head to toe but saw no sign of blood. He hadn’t gotten into a fight or – if he had – he wasn’t injured nor had his opponents bled on him.

Small mercy. Getting injured and having to heal using his vampire regenerative powers was part of Luke’s job, but I still hated to see my best friend hurt. Killing was part of his job too. Even so, unlike me, Luke always retained his sunny personality despite the violence. I didn’t want him to ever change.

Even though I hated the idea of Luke working out in the field, getting harmed and killing enemies, he was my most trusted comrade so my role as prince demanded I rely on his services. I couldn’t tell him not to do this job. I had taken over the task of managing the administrative work to unburden my father, which meant someone else had to do the fieldwork; someone I could trust.

“I come with bad news today.” Luke ruffled his hair with one of his hands. “The Kingdom of Rosworth attacked the Kingdom of Athalis.”

“What?” My mouth gaped open. “Do you mean…”

“War. Yes, our neighbors are currently at war.” Luke had a sad expression on his face.

We both knew what war would mean for us. We had fought alongside each other in the Rosworth-Estone war twenty years ago, after all. Suddenly the memories of that time came flooding back to me; the long-lasting battles, Luke and I strategizing in the war room, the two of us giving orders to the troops.

Rosworth’s forces had been equal to our own. We had needed to tip the scales in our favor somehow, or else too many of our fighters would have died. So finally one day I took up a stake and joined the battlefield on my own.

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