True Blood - hima (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📗

as she danced into the room and Quint silently beside her.

We all circled together in joy and drank to family, after many days it felt like I’m having a loving family here too…


“When do you plan to have your wedding?” I asked as Em… sat herself conveniently on the arm of the sofa Mitrik is sitting in. He kissed her gently and she wrapped her arms over his shoulders. It’s been quite a few days since Em… joined us and all these days I never had a minute with her alone, she is always wrapped up in Mitrik’s arms. It seems I have to get used to it. They stared at me as I questioned them.

“It’s not easy…” I cut him off, “What’s so difficult in it? There is bride n groom and you have the permission of parents…” I continued.

He swayed his head,” That’s not it, If I get married the pressure will be on you, I wanted to give you more time at least I owe you that much…” he said.

I forgot about the legacy thing, “What do we do?” I sighed.

“Wait until he sees something…” Keetes replied as he walked in. I raised my hands I defeat. I sat there for a while and as I left I saw them kissing passionately. Em hardly has time for me these days.

I sat on my window staring at the full moon, hoping it would calm down my internal turmoil. I wanted someone in my life who thinks I’m his whole world.

As I’m immersed in thinking about my future, I heard Keetes thinking “What’s she so upset about? I wish I could take away all her pains…”
I think it must be my vampire side, because the next thing I know, I’m kissing him passionately and he seem to be shocked at first and after a while he kissed me back and wrapped his arms tightly around me drawing me closer. I felt light hearted as if I’m flying in the air, I didn’t know how much time we spent like that but it must be long enough to make me breathless, I withdrew from him. He is shocked and disappointed and his mind screamed about how delightful my lips were, I ran away from my room embarrassed for the most stupid thing I ever did.

Days passed without any unusual occurrences, I shied away from Keetes all the time and he seemed to be distant from me, it’s like an unseen barrier is between us. I’m constantly in his thoughts and about the passionate kiss, I never paid to attention to any things if he is near, he seemed to draw me into his stance all the time.

“Ilene, focus…” Em said waving her hands in front of my face.

She spread a catalog of different designs of ball gowns; I picked one randomly not paying much attention since my attention is somewhere else. Keetes is stealing glances towards me from the room since that day Keetes is different and he made no attempt to hide his feelings towards me.

“Do we really have to do this?” I asked. “It’s our tradition to throw celebrate this ball every year.” Pearl replied squinting through the catalog.

“Girls, did you pick your dress?” Flora asked coming in. We pointed the folded pages in the catalog; she frowned when she saw my pick. I shrugged.

There is great hustle as the day neared in; every person in the palace seemed to be busy with work. Invitees are being sent to all the night world residents. The palace grounds turned into a decorative set for the soon to be held ball.

Finally the great day has come, people flooded our palace doors. Tristan arranged more attendants to take care of the guests. About 1/3rd of our population must be vampires, there are so many of them standing around me in flesh here. I wish the ball is soon over and they all left as early as possible, I want my house all to myself. There are some faces that I recognize from my party, Dustan my enemy is walking into this palace at this very second.

She is more beautiful than before her change, how I wish… I closed my mind from hearing his vile thoughts. This is something I learnt from Keetes… speaking of him, where is he? He walked into the room glaring at Dustan.

I walked away from him ignoring all his dirty thoughts about me. As I walked past Tristan’s room, I overheard something about me. I stood quietly for a while.

“Honey, I’m worried. You know we have kept her away from them for years but I think it’s not going to be easy from now on. The worst thing is we have to hide her from him for the night.” I heard flora’s voice.

“Yes, but she won’t just do what we say, she will ask questions and what do we tell her…”he is cut off in the middle as Flora passed him a message to stop.

“Um…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to eavesdrop…It’s just that…” I stammered.

There is a knock on the door and a maid entered bowing her head. “There seems to be some trouble with blood supply, sir.” She said.

Tristan glanced at me with pleading eyes to excuse him, I nodded to go. He left and along tagged Flora. There is something going on in the palace, I walked mechanically to my room and to the window repeating the sentences I overheard in my mind. From whom are they protecting me? I’m so immersed in my thoughts that I didn’t notice someone coming from behind.

Dustan enveloped his hands around my waist; I whisked his hands away and glared at him. He is oblivious to my anger, he grinned.

“What?” I scowled. “You are dancing the whole night with me and none else...” he stated.

“You wish…” he cut me off, “If you don’t, I know your family secret which they have been hiding for years and trust me; It won’t be good If I spill the beans…” he said.

“What secret…?” He smirked at me with triumphant smile and left. “I’ll be waiting for you at the hall…” he called.

What is that secret he is talking about? I’ll find out soon but that means enduring his snide comments and his filthy hands around me for hours… I sighed.

Two maids helped me to get into my dress, flora ignored my choice and she chose another one for me pink floor length ball gown and pearl set to go with it. My hair is made into a bun and strands of it falling on the sides brushing my shoulders. I looked exquisite in it. As I walked into the ball room, it is filled with many strange faces.

I spotted Keetes in the crowd. He walked towards me, I kept my eyes trained on his well built body, and I must have stumbled because the next thing I know is I lay in his arms and gazing at his deep blue eyes that took my breath out. He smiled at me and in an attempt to help me out; his lips met mine and lit my whole body with fire with one touch.

Someone cleared his throat, I turned to see Dustan glaring at him, Keetes helped me to straighten myself when Dustan offered his hand, and I took it gracefully though I wanted to be with Keetes. Once I get the truth out of him I’ll leave him to dust, I thought.

We danced silently for few minutes. “You said something about my family secret?” he smirked. Oh! I would give anything to wipe that smirk out of his face.

“Not so early…” he said. Why is she dancing with him? Does she like him? No, that can’t be true. I mean a few seconds ago we shared something… I heard Keetes thinking. I sighed thinking that I can at least be close to his thoughts. Dustan’s hands travelled over my body and I slapped him off. He groaned.

Dustan is literally thinking to run away with me… willing or not. God! He is such a jerk. “Do you want to know the secret?” he asked. I nodded. “Meet me at the back yard…”

He has another Idea along with telling me the truth but first he has to tell me the truth and I could out run him if he tried anything. Can’t I? But the question is, is that worth all the trouble? I could ask Mitrik or Keetes about it, what if they don’t know about it or not willing to say like Tristan and Flora? Anyways I’m vampire royal and I have nothing to fear.

I slipped off without anyone noticing me, before that I saw Em dancing exuberantly in Mitrik’s hands. They are oblivious to the world around them; they are so immersed in their own little group. Keetes is talking to a group of vampires on the far end.

I walked to the back yard carrying my gown in hands. I bathed in the moonlight. Dustan walked to me a few minutes later.

“Let’s walk into the woods, we don’t anyone to hear the secret, right?” he said. I searched his mind and he meant those words so I felt no harm in walking.

He let me through the thick forest. “I think we have come long way…” I stated. Some kind of fear started stirring in me. “What’s the secret?” I asked. His wicked grin broadened.

“I wish to have something before I give you the truth…” He advanced towards me. I could feel his mind bursting with the horrified images of what he is planning to do. I kicked him and ran away, He is too quick, and he stepped to my front. He threw me over his shoulders and I kicked him. How silly of me? I underestimated him. He brought me down somewhere deep in the forest. I tried to break from him but his grip grew even stronger on me. I whelped in pain, I may be a vampire but young at that one and he has ages of experience, how could I have not thought about it?

I kicked him with the point of my heel. He groaned in pain, I took my chance and with every ounce of strength I ran away from him urging my legs to carry me faster. He pounced on me from behind and pinned me to the ground. He slapped me drawing blood from my cheeks and mouth. He tore pieces of my dress; I closed my eyes as he brought his cruel mouth forcing on mine.

I didn’t feel anything; in fact I couldn’t even feel his weight over me. I flicked my eyes open to hear a loud growl and a huge beast standing on Dustan with its paws on his chest. It let out a loud howl and ripped his hands away. Those gore sight made me want to throw out. I slumped on the ground unable to watch the beast tearing him part to part. I saw it turn towards me; I could feel its earth brown eyes watching me intently. I closed my eyes as it walked towards me. I could feel strong hands scooping me up and carrying me away. I thought it must be Keetes rescuing me but he didn’t smell anything like him, In fact he smelled very different from us, he smelled like forest and wet mud. He felt really cozy after I smelled him. His mind is filled with