Bound By Blood: The Pureblood Prince

Chapter Ten

When I awoke I felt so well rested, which couldn't be right. I searched for the clock. It was ten in the morning. I looked around in confusion. Certainly Claire would have come by now...

My eyes found Gabriel's face, settled into my pillow. My heart leapt. He should be gone by now, but he wasn't, and I couldn't be happier. I soaked in the moment. His hair was all messed up, just perfectly. His stubble was growing in. He breathed steadily. I smiled, grazing my fingers along his jawline. His eyes drifted open.

He looked at me with sleepy eyes and smiled back, almost making my heart stop.

"Good morning." he purred.

"Good morning." I whispered back. "I didn't expect to see you in my bed this late."

"I got up a few hours ago and told Nicolas to make sure we were not disturbed."

"I like the way you think." I joked, smiling into his kiss.

He hooked his arms around my waist and swung me over him, causing me to giggle. I kissed him again, deeply, feeling my stomach sputter like a sparkler. Gabriel kissed me deeply back, and again, hardly pulling his lips away in-between. He ran his finger down the center of my neck, past my collarbone, between my breasts, past my belly button, then under my shirt. Well, his shirt...

"Cora, I know you are sleeping in but you've got a big day ahead I really should..." Claire's voice rang as my door clicked open.

I gasped, locking eyes with Claire before I pulled the sheets over my head. I stared widely at Gabriel under the sheets, placing a hand over his mouth to halt his laughter.

"So sorry, your highness! I'll be back later."Claire whispered bashfully. I pulled the sheets back when I heard the door close.

"It appears we've been caught." Gabriel said, clearly amused.

I sat up, straddling his waist, and slapped him on the shoulder. He snatched my wrist in a flash, pulling me back down to steal a kiss. I considered pulling away in protest, but almost immediately decided that was ridiculous. I brought my hand to his hair, deepening the kiss. I opened my mouth just slightly, dragging my fingers delicately down his chest. Gabriel pulled away from my mouth, letting out a small gasp. I kissed him again. I could feel myself burning, aching. It was an all-encompassing, intense feeling I was not familiar with. I shivered when I felt his fingers touch the skin just above the hem of my underwear. He dragged his fingertips, so slow it was almost painful, underneath them. It took every ounce of my free will to stop him, placing my hand over his.

"I should really get out of bed." I said breathlessly.

Gabriel sighed, hugging my stomach against his face snugly "Never leave." he cooed playfully, voice muffled against my skin. He pulled us both down to the bed and I laughed, kissing him three times before rolling away.

I went to the vanity and tried to sort out my messy hair.

"We have to leave today. For the Deverre palace."

I turned around. "Me and you?"

Gabriel nodded solemnly.

I turned back around in my seat, my head spinning. All at once I realized how permanent my stay here was. There was no getting out. Tears trickled down my cheek, surprising even me. My body suddenly was unable to move. My breathing hitched.

I felt Gabriel's skin against mine, pulling me in. "Hey, hey. What's wrong?"

"I've got a whole life away from here. And I'm starting to realize that's all over. I'll never get to go back."

"No..." he murmured. "Cora, listen to me."

Cora turned to meet his gaze.

"I'm going to make a promise to you. I'm going to get you home. However long it takes. I promise."

I smiled at him meekly, wanting to believe him. The tears overwhelmed my vision and I slumped over. Gabriel kneeled down beside me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I rested my head on his shoulder, letting the tears fall silently. He stayed there with me for a while. It felt so unnatural to have him like this- on his knees before me, embracing me like a child. It was as if he made himself smaller only to make me feel bigger and more powerful than I was.

Finally he rose, easing me up gently by my hands, then kissed my forehead.

"I have to go speak to my father. Meet me in the library after lunch."

I nodded, my eyes planted on the ground. He left without making a sound, and only his deafening absence stayed behind.

Claire eventually returned, knocking this time, and couldn't contain her annoyance that I had started to get ready alone. But it quickly faded away as she began to pry me about Gabriel. After I feigned any worthwhile answers, she carried on to inform me that she was asked to accompany me to the Deverre palace, and how excited she was about that.

"I'm sure King Deverre is very hospitable. They have a reputation for being a bit odd, but gentle people. Well, Princess Sarah is, anyway. In every portrait I've seen she's wearing the most beautiful white dresses. And her hair! I hear it goes all the way down to her ankles!"

I fiddled with my hands and wished I'd gotten a book before she started on my hair. I was positive Claire could talk to a wall if she had to. I didn't want to hear anymore about Sarah, or the length of her hair. I didn't even want to think about meeting her, knowing Gabriel was to marry her. A vampire child. I thought of all the horror movies- evil children with glowing eyes and bloody mouths. I shivered.

Claire dressed me in a gauzy, pale blue dress. She said it was the colors of the Deverre house. Nicolas arrived to escort Claire and I. His presence made me even shakier than I already was. He was quiet, but his stony eyes stuck to me like tar. I knew he hadn't forgotten about me.

Gabriel was in the library when I arrived, next to a man in a dark blue robe. As we got closer, I began to recognize him. I could feel my heart pounding as I realized it was him- the man who abducted me. Gabriel smiled as I approached, seemingly unaware of my fear. Nicolas stepped beside the man in the robe.

"Allow me to introduce to you my brother, Joel. He is the palace mage. He will escort all of you to the Deverre palace." Nicolas spoke.

Joel looked at me, and smiled. His smile was thin, dark and uninviting. I noticed he had the same dark eyes as his brother. I glared at him. He turned away from me, stealing Gabriel's attention as he spoke to him in confidence.

"Before I go, Miss Cora," Nicolas's voice cut coldly in my ears. He stepped closer to me, holding up his hand. "I wanted to give you a little keepsake to remind you of home."

I stepped back, eyeing him nervously with my arms behind my back. He snatched my wrist and forced my hand open, shoving something sharp into my palm. I yelped as it cut into my skin. I looked at the jagged black plastic... a broken shard of vinyl record. Fresh blood smeared along the crease in my palm. I looked at him with watery eyes. He smiled, and leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"Travel safely, Miss Cora."