Page 1 of Losing The Vampire King

Chapter One

Bianca

It’s not like Edmund to disappear without telling me.

I haven’t seen him all day. Usually, if this is the case, he’d tell me beforehand that he’ll be out of town for the day, or that he might be up in the mountain with Kano or someone else. It’s not about controlling each other. On the contrary, it’s being safe, because our lives aren’t ordinary. They are anything but. We always need to be careful. One wrong move could cost us too much.

Of course, I understand his obligations towards the clan. I have them as well. Being the king and queen of vampires is a 24-hour job. It’s a lot, even when you aren’t taking everything into consideration. I knew that when I accepted to become his mate, when I made his destiny my own as well.

“He’s probably by the lake,” I hear my mother suggest, after I’ve been pretending this whole day that I’m not bothered at all by the fact that I haven’t seen Edmund. She knows me too damn well sometimes. “Did you check there?” she asks, as she’s holding my three-year-old in her arms.

Orien is sleeping so soundly, without a care in the world. That is what assures me that Eddie and I are doing the best job of being his parents. He is the vampire prince, after all. He has a lot of weight to carry on his shoulders, but we shall cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we are making sure that he has a carefree childhood, like all children should.

“No,” I shake my head, walking over to the open window. The cool, evening air is descending, although it is still not that dark. I look out, gazing into the distance, wondering. My hairs stand on end, and I don’t know why. Perhaps I’m just being paranoid about all of this. “I was hoping he’d be back by now and I won’t have to show anyone that I’m worried,” I finally admit, knowing I can’t hide the way I feel from my loved ones, especially not from my mother.

She didn’t watch me grow up, and it is something that we both regret. However, life should not be led in regret, but rather, we should look to the future, and that is exactly what we are doing now, building a bond that should have already been here. I can’t say it is always easy, because we are both stubborn, and this doesn’t help. Still, the love we feel for each other is undeniable. It is palpable. It will always help us find our way back to each other, no matter what.

“Why would you be worried?” my mother asks, tilting her head a little.

Worry means unanswered questions. I have so many of those left to ask. I still want to ask so many questions about my dad, but I can see that it’s difficult for her to talk about that, so I’m not pushing it. But my curiosity still hasn’t been satisfied. I need to know more. I always need to know everything. It’s a blessing and a curse.

“Because this is unlike him,” I explain, pulling my gaze away from the murky darkness in the distance.

“You think he will always tell you everything he’s doing?” she wonders, and I’m not sure if it’s a serious question or not.

“I don’t need him to give me a report on everything he’s doing,” I shrug. “It’s not that I want to control him. I just want to know if he won’t be around all day. Orien is asking about him, too, and I don’t know what to say to him. Where’s dad? Oh… I don’t know,” I frown.

“No need to be snappy,” mom says, getting up from the sofa where she was seated, with Orien in her arms. “I’ll take him up to bed. You can go see if Edmund is by the lake. I’m sure he is. And I have no idea why you didn’t go to look for him there in the first place, if you’re that worried.”

“I’m not that worried,” I say, but I know better than to lie to the woman who gave birth to me. She knows it as well, but just smiles, and disappears up the stairs.

I sigh. I should probably stay home. He’ll be back. I’m not worried that he’s out there with someone else. The thought never even crossed my mind. I’m worried that there might have been another attack by the skin walkers, that he might have been ambushed by them and…

I dare not even think about that. So, I grab a light sweater and I head outside. The streets of our little town are quiet. Unusually so. But I’m guessing everyone’s inside, resting. It’s been a long week, with preparations for the upcoming fall festival, during which we celebrate the plentitude of nature. That is also why I’m so surprised he’s gone. He should be here, with me, overseeing the whole thing.

My mind is a mess of tangled thoughts as I head out of town and through the woods. Ever since I came here, I fell in love with this place. The woods are so deep and quiet. It is like a shelter from the rest of the world, when you feel like you need to hide away. Now, with Edmund and Orien, I never had that feeling. I finally feel like I belong here, like this is exactly where I need to be.

I make my way through branches that hang low, pushing them away from my face and my hair. I listen carefully, like Edmund has taught me. I don’t hear any suspicious sounds, but I’m still alert. Edmund always told me that we would know if the skin walkers found us, but sometimes, just one second of not paying attention is enough for you to make a grave mistake.

At that moment, I reach the familiar clearing. In the distance, I see the lake. There is a figure huddled over the water. I can’t tell who it is, but my heart immediately starts pounding harder. Every fiber of my being wants to believe it’s him. Has he been here all day?

I hasten my pace, almost running there. I want to shout his name, but something tells me not to. I don’t know if it’s the way I smell something in the air, something unfamiliar, something I can’t quite put my finger on. I’m still on guard as I find my way to him.

I walk quickly, making more noise than I usually would. The moment a branch snaps underneath my shoe, I stop. At the same time, the crouching figure stands up. I would recognize those broad shoulders anywhere. I have caressed them so many times. I have lain on them, being lulled to sleep. Those are his shoulders. Everything I see is his, and yet, something is preventing me from running towards him and throwing myself into his arms.

“Eddie?” I call out to him, my voice trembling, and I have no idea why. I feel like I’m calling out to a stranger, and not the one who has my heart in the palm of his hand. “Did you spend the whole day here?” I ask, trying not to demand an answer out of him, but still with that desire to show him that this wasn’t okay.

At first, he doesn’t say anything. He is just standing there, motionless.

“Eddie?” I say his name again, taking another step. My hand flies out to reach out to him, but I pull it away.

Maybe it’s a skin walker! My frantic mind warns me to be careful. I shouldn’t have come alone. I should have taken someone with me, but it’s too late now. I am here. He is here… whoever he is.

“Eddie, please talk to me…” I am pleading now. “You are freaking me out.”

It’s him. It has to be him. There are no skin walkers around here. We are safe.

I keep repeating this again in my mind, and every time I do, I believe it a little less.

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