Chapter 5

• 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.
• Alina
• I took my sweet time in the shower, trying my best to keep calm and hoping against hope that Erick would be gone before I was done. Then again, when was fate ever been on my side? If I was lucky enough, he would leave me alone and just loiter around the house, but knowing him, he would try to intrude into my life and get every tiny detail he could then use it against me when the situation demanded.
• I finally turned off the water when it turned ice-cold and my hands started to prune. I knew I was avoiding the inevitable, but a girl’s gottatry. Wrapping a towel around me, I got dressed in blue denim jeans and a loose-fitting green shirt. Letting my hair down to dry naturally, I walked out of the bathroom and straight into a warm, muscular wall.
• “What’re you doing here?” I asked sharply, pushing him away instantly.
• “You were taking too long. I—”
• “So I can’t even take a shower peacefully?” I snapped.
• “I was worried about you.” He finished his sentence. “So I came to check up.”
• The funny thing was, he made it sound believable. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that the guy who hurt me suddenly actually cared about me,but it was just like a lion worrying about its prey before devouring it whole.
• Holding on to that thought, I pushed past him and walked out into the living room, hoping that he would follow rather than stay back and invade my privacy even further. “Don’t bother. It’s not like I’m going to die on you.”
• It felt right to snap back at him and retaliate, even if it was in tiny portions. However, deep down, there was a part of me that was disappointed at my behaviour. I was not the kind of person who went around snarling at people, no matter what the reason. I just wasn’t built that way. This was exactly why I found myself in the kitchen, measuring two cups of water to pour into a coffee pot and breaking four eggs into a bowl to make an omelette.
• Call it guilt if you may, but I would rather call it being a good host.