The Vampire's Bride # The Dark Council Series (Book 1)

The Vampire's Bride -12

Alina

"Alina?"

"Alina, say something."

"Alina!"

"Huh?" I was startled back into reality as Erick's face faded away and Ryan's face appeared in front of me.

"What's wrong? You've been spaced out this whole morning," Ryan asked as he sat himself down on one of the chairs in front of my desk.

"Nothing. I'm just stressed, I guess," I answered, putting my pen down on top of a bundle of papers and running my hands down my face

The article that we worked on in the restaurant was going to go on air today, and I had to write the speech that our Editor-in-Chief will be broadcasting since I was the one who took down the notes. Ryan had, thankfully, kept all the equipment on my desk yesterday and covered for me when our boss noticed my absence. All that hard work would be for nothing if I wouldn't be able to write the speech down before the two p.m. news bulletin goes on air.

"I can see that. You look like you've been through hell," he told me.

"You have no idea..." I trailed off, thinking about yesterday's events.

"You did what?" I stood up while gaping at him and his audacity.

I've had my doubts right from the start. After all, who gives a malnourished patient hot chocolate instead of soup? Plus, he was trying so hard to please me the next morning! I mean, the Vampire Prince making breakfast for a mere mortal? That should've counted as blasphemy in his books.

"Look, your condition wasn't all that good, and the doctor even suggested hospitalising you. It was the only option I had!"

"Then you should've just hospitalised me, period!"

"Why the hell are you so opposed to the idea of me giving you my blood to save your own damn life?"

I wasn't able to answer him then, so I just walked out of the boutique and went straight home after hiring a cab. Thinking back, maybe it was the answer I have been trying to avoid all this time. I didn't want to see him as anything other than a monster.

"Earth to Alina! There you go again, off to lala land." Ryan managed a very awkward version of a pout that had me bursting out laughing.

"Sorry, I guess I'm really out of it today." I looked across at Ryan apologetically. Today, he wore a steel grey pants and a light blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His missing jacket was probably thrown over the back of his chair. Ryan was one of the hottest guys at our office, and every girl would kill to have him pay a teensy-weensy bit of attention towards them. Too bad Ryan was the workaholic type who considered his office his second wife, the first, being his camera.

"How's the editing coming along?" he asked. "We have till this afternoon to show the boss our progress. Can you manage?"

"It's almost done. I've only got the quotations left to fill in." They were passages from the interview where I ditched Ryan completely. "I'm really sorry for leaving you alone like that. Thanks for recording the rest of the conversation for me."

"No problem. You could've just told me you weren't feeling well. I wouldn't have forced you to come." Ryan reassured me.

"I'm sorry. I thought I could handle it. I guess I was sicker than I thought." I shrugged.

"In the end, you left me alone to deal with two very boring businessmen who just kept on bragging about their restaurants and a girl who was more interested in her fingernails than the company she'd one day own." Ryan smiled. "Who was that guy again? The one who took you home? He said he knew where you live. Come to think of it, why did I leave you alone with that stranger, anyway? He could've been a serial killer, for all I knew!"