Sacrifice

Chapter 20 : Moonlit Embrace

Your heartbeat hammers in your chest as you stumble after Riki. The freshly plowed cobblestone road hits hard underneath your feet. The cold seeps through your shoes as the uneven sediment digs into the soles of your feet almost painfully as you struggle to keep up with the tall prince's long and quick strides. But Riki's tight grip over one of your hands compels you to persevere, following closely behind. An ugly feeling still lingers in your gut as you cast fleeting glances over your shoulder, hoping that Jay and Jake are safe and nearby.

By now, you and Riki have left the heart of the market, and the streets in this part of town are rather empty. Yet, you still can't shake the feeling that someone is watching you. "Keep your eyes on me, little lamb," the prince orders tersely. His tone is clipped and you know that deep down, he is feeling just as overwhelmed as you are. If you truly focus on the moment when your lashes lay to rest on your cheeks mid-blink, and if you inhale deeply enough, you almost feel the prince's turmoil echoing within you. Distantly, you wonder if this is a side effect of his recent feeding. Could it be that his bond with you extends beyond the physical? And if that were the case, does that imply Heeseung and Riki can feel your fear? "We just need to get back to the shortcut and then I can jump us back," he mutters softly, almost like he's reassuring himself.

"Do you sense it too?" you inquire tentatively.

"S-sense what?" Riki stammers, briefly meeting your gaze before returning his attention forward.

"It feels like someone's watching us," you frown, and the prince tenses, steps faltering a beat.

"Don't think too much about it. Let's focus on getting home."

As you quicken your pace, you're practically running after the prince, scurrying towards the edge of the hill. When the tall pine trees finally cover your figures from prying eyes, Riki pulls you in close, hugging you securely to his chest. His movements are frantic and his breath sounds jagged as he counts softly under his breath. "One, two-"

"What happened?" Their voices bombard you before you even see them.

The moment you land back in the castle's main foyer, the four other princes are already gathered, anxiously awaiting your return. They crowd around you and a pair of warm grounding hands instantly reach out to steady your unbalanced form. When you blink your eyes open, Heeseung's concerned eyes meet yours – there are thousands of emotions flickering through them and you want to do nothing more than melt into the eldest prince.

"Are you alright, love?" he asks worriedly, collecting you into his arms and holding you close. You instinctively seek solace in his embrace, wrapping your arms around his waist and burying your face into his chest as the warmth of his presence soothes your frayed nerves. The prince's heart nearly breaks when he feels you trembling against him.

"Jungwon said he sensed an unwelcome presence lingering around the princess," Sunghoon frowns.

"What happened, Riki-ah? Are you alright?" Sunoo asks, circling around the youngest prince to check on him as well.

"I'm fine," the taller prince nods, leaning into Sunoo's touch when the older prince brushes a hand across his cheek. "Some low-level vampire crept up behind the princess and tried to take her blood."

"What?" Sunghoon deadpans, voice dropping nearly an octave. "How is that even possible? In broad daylight?"

"He was wearing a large hooded cloak that covered him thoroughly," the youngest prince describes. "And we were in the part of the market that was well-shaded," he tacks on with a sigh.

"Did he hurt you?" Heeseung asks calmly, peeling back slightly to examine you from head to toe, but deep in his irises, you can see and feel the frazzled emotions swimming within him.