Page 86 of Vampires of Eden: Oliver
“The way you pushed me.” He turns, pointing to the damaged wall. “That.”
I shake my head and open my door, because I don’t know what that was. Hopefully, I never have to experience that awful feeling again. I’d rather it remain a mystery.
“Goodnight, Alexander.”
ChapterTwenty-Four
The main gates to my home estate slowly drag open. They stand tall and imposing in black wrought iron contrasted against a steely sky brimming with clouds. The metal swirls intricately, curling into an elegant pattern with golden leaves sprinkled throughout. Our family’s crest is featured in the center, so it splits as we drive inside.
Immediately, something is wrong. I’ve been using my senses to feel for Aries as we’ve gotten closer. It’s like when I was a child and Chef Maru would promise freshly baked madeleines for lunch. I’d walk toward the kitchen, expecting the warm, buttery and vanilla scent to waft through the air.
I’m anticipating Aries’s essence in the same way—for his discreet but luscious jasmine aura to hit me in the face, comforting and wonderful.
But there’s nothing.
It’s empty. Cold.
My nature churns with anxiety and confusion.
“I’ve been waiting fifteen years for your eyes to alight for me.” Alexander sits at my side in the backseat of our private town car. Our parents’ cars are ahead of us as I stare out the window, bewildered and half panicked. “They finally do, and it’s because you’re furious with me.” He chuckles, then sighs. “That’s so on brand for us.”
“That’s because there should never have been an ‘us’ to begin with. You can’t force two vampires to be together.”
He scoffs. “Tell that to every fucking vampire across the Five Royal Houses of Eden who’ve been forced to mate for centuries. I guess they didn’t get that groundbreaking memo… Are you alright? Your nature feels farther away than it ever has, even though you’re sitting right beside me. It’s like I can barely sense you.”
Closing my eyes, I sit back and breathe. “It’s nothing. I’m alright.” Since last night, my aura has been a tight fist in my gut. Dormant, like how it was before Aries. Only after I met him did it start to stretch, move and flourish. Cautiously seeking and desiring to please itself.
“Something is obviously wrong. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine…” He pauses, then speaks a little lower. “I really am sorry for what happened yesterday.”
“Yeah, I know.” I turn my head and open my eyes, deciding to be honest. “I can’t sense Aries. Can you?”
“Hm…” Alexander purses his lips, then leans past me, focusing on the view of the castle beyond the window. He’s quiet for a long moment. “Nope. He should be here, though. Our final fitting is tomorrow.”
Sitting back, I rub my temples. What the hell is going on?
“Should we talk to your father tonight?” Alexander asks. “I think sooner is better. Maybe after dinner when everyone parts ways?”
I inhale deeply and blow it out. This is it. It’s really happening. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“Right, so… what are we going to say?”
“The truth,” I explain. “That I… I refuse this arrangement and I want to be set free. I’ll relinquish my title and nobility. If he doesn’t want to support me, that’s fine. I’ll accept banishment and figure it out.”
Alexander folds his arms as if he’s taking on my tension and anxiety. “I don’t think it’ll be that simple. Not to put pressure on you, but refusing this marriage means that your clan’s admittance within the Royal Order will be annulled. No royal title, no dowry, no seat on the governing board. Something about your dad is just… I don’t know. He’s not going to shrug this off and say, ‘Easy come, easy go.’”
He’s absolutely right. My muscles tense and my pulse accelerates from the truth of it. This is not going to go well. Plus, that relentless, eerie memory of Thomas keeps haunting me, along with his warning to not trust anything Lord Blakeley says.
“I’m afraid of him,” I admit. For some reason, saying it out loud feels therapeutic. “I’m scared of what he might do, but I want to try. I have to.”
Alexander sighs and absently runs his fingers through the sunshine-blonde swoop of his hair. “I didn’t realize how different my situation was from yours. Up until this event, I always thought we had a lot in common and that our lives were similar. That’s why I chose you. I thought it’d be easier for us to get along.”
I shake my head. “Aside from our age and us both being purebreds, nothing about our lives is similar. Your parents are kind to you. One of mine is silent while the other is a controlling, manipulative viper. Every other facet of our lives diverges based on that singular point.”
Looking down at his hands, Alexander nods. “You were pretty carefree when we were kids, but I noticed that as we got older, you seemed more uptight and robot-ish. I never understood why, but after the past few weeks, it all makes sense. It’s no wonder you want out of here.”
“Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome…” He raises his head to meet my gaze. “Can I just say that all this time, you’ve been treating me like I’m the bad guy—but I’m not, alright? My parents wouldneverask that you be restrained and controlled for me. We’re not like that.”
