Tu es à Moi

Sunday Morning

It was Sunday morning when I felt an overwhelming urge to visit the forest that surrounded our estate. The vastness of it always calmed me. Our mansion, situated at the center of the thick woodland, gave off a sort of tranquility—one that I rarely felt elsewhere.

Yesterday's long trip back home had me feeling drained, but today, I felt energized. After a quick shower, I pulled on a black tank top, paired it with jeans, and laced up my combat boots. No makeup today—just a swipe of lip gloss, and I was ready.

I locked my room and headed to the kitchen, grabbing a toasted piece of bread on the way. As I passed by my mom, busy with her laptop, I leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Mom, where's Dad? Haven't seen him around," I asked.

"Your father's dealing with some troublesome investors," she replied without looking up. "He's also opening a new shipping line soon. So, he's swamped." Her voice had a hint of frustration but remained steady as she typed away.

I nodded, understanding, and headed out into the forest.

Using my vampire speed, I was deep into the forest in no time, the wind rushing past me as I moved between the trees. The peace and quiet of the forest was comforting, but that comfort was interrupted when I spotted someone. A man. He was scoping out the area, recording data on his phone as if he were some kind of investigator.

Poor guy, doesn't even realize I've caught him, I thought, smirking to myself.

I hid behind a thick tree, watching him. When he turned around, probably sensing me, I stayed still. My vampire instincts told me to ignore him—for now. Feeling a little lazy, I found a thick branch and stretched out on it, letting the calm of the forest lull me into sleep.

I woke up to the sensation of someone poking my head. My first thought was, Who the hell dares to poke me? When I lazily opened one eye, my heart dropped. It was him again.

The nerve of this guy! How did he manage to sneak onto our property without getting caught?

Before I could even fully process my thoughts, I lost my balance on the branch and almost fell. He caught me just before I hit the ground, his strong arms wrapping around me.

"Miss me?" He smirked, looking way too pleased with himself.

Ehem, ehem. I cleared my throat loudly. "Would you mind if I stand on my own two feet?" I asked with a sharp edge of sarcasm.

He let me down gently, but instead of walking away like a sensible person, he sat down, leaning his back against the tree. He even patted the ground beside him, like we were friends or something.

Ugh. Against my better judgment, I sat next to him. And before I knew it, my traitor of a body had wrapped my arms around his waist, and my head rested on his shoulder.

Ayieehh! I told you, your heart beats for him! the voice inside my head teased, mocking me.

Shut up! I fired back internally.

For a brief moment, everything felt still. I didn't breathe, didn't move. My chest felt tight, and something fluttered in my stomach—like butterflies. The world seemed to freeze around us, as if we were the only two people left in existence.

His voice broke the silence. "Don't you believe me yet?"

Ugh, snap out of it, I thought, shaking the dazed feeling from my head. "Screw you! I'm not melting just because of some jerk," I snapped back.

"Let's see how far you can get ignoring me," he replied with a grin, leaning back, clearly enjoying this far too much.

Before I could come up with a snarky comeback, my conscience—oh great, that voice again—decided to butt in. I'm going to rest now. Can't keep arguing with you, so good luck with him. Byeeee!

And just like that, I felt my mind clear. My senses returned, and I was suddenly very aware of how close we were. With all the strength I could muster, I shoved him hard. He flew back, crashing into the tree with a loud thud.

His face twisted in pain as he groaned, rubbing his back. "You're stronger than the last time, my queen," he said, wincing.

I didn't bother to acknowledge his words. I had better things to do—like not waste my time with someone who enjoyed toying with me. In a flash, I teleported back to my room.

Now that I was alone, I could focus on what mattered. Research. I had a lot to learn before facing the monster again. I couldn't afford any more distractions, especially ones like him.