The Vampire Prince and His Brat | On Hold

Chapter Eleven | Alone Time with the Brat

The grand palace had an indoor pool, shockingly enough. Kaliana startled at the realisation. The stuffy uptight palace had a modern indoor pool. She blinked, vaguely accustomed to the scent of chlorine, her hands latching around Leviathan's neck. He wasn't planning on dropping her in... He couldn't, could he? Not when she couldn't swim. Yet another thing she couldn't do. Her shoulders sunk. The only reason she was there was because of her blood. If there'd been any other candidate still alive they'd have been there instead... but they were dead. All dead.

"Relax," Leviathan said. "I'm not going to throw you in the pool... I'm well aware you can't swim. No doubt you refused those swimming lessons like the brat you are," he muttered, clicking his tongue yet again, and Kaliana gritted her teeth.

It wasn't because she was 'bratty'. It was because of those damned nobles... that damned forest... and that damned lake she'd dived into to get away from that damned beast...

Her back met the soft cushions of a sofa moments later, and she could just feel his glee as he plonked himself down on the sofa next to her. "Well, brat... we're all alone... and we'll have a few hours before anyone disturbs us – likely my mother... She'll make us attend the customary ball, but I'll get us out of that as quickly as possible... You skipped your dancing lessons too, if I recall correctly."

He hadn't wanted to teach a disfigured lady... there wasn't much hope for marriage. Not with the small scar on her neck... yet there she was.

"Actually, my instructor refused to teach me," she corrected, unwilling to have him incorrectly put anything more down to her so-called brattish behaviour. He didn't need to ask why the man had refused to teach her.

"Huh..." He sat back, throwing an arm across the sofa behind her head. "I guess I'll have to remedy that as quickly as possible."

"Oh goodie," she grumbled. More time spent around the bastard.

"I suppose this is your chance for you to get to know your lovely life partner a bit better... well, that and to calm yourself down before we go and dance," he said, arm curling around her shoulders, practically pulling her into his side. She moved grudgingly, head resting against his arm. He was oddly comfortable to lean against. "You need to be calm, especially in front of all the members of our future court... they need to learn to respect you, and that'll be a bit hard if you're acting like a complete brat. You can't trifle around with them. Ever."

"I'd be calmer if you took this damned blindfold off, you pretentious git!" she hissed, fangs descending in irritation. She'd never been great at controlling them. Venom dripped from them – hers was pathetically weak – and it wouldn't harm him or any other vampire. It could only affect non-vampires... well, and Leviathan now, but not in the same way. It would have the opposite effect on her dearest husband, especially now they'd been bound together.

"Bite me," he purred, a challenge in his words. "I dare you," he hissed, and Kaliana trembled. She didn't know how exactly she knew – probably her somewhat decent instincts – but his own fangs were bared.

It was a battle of dominance between them, and Kaliana refused to let him win... no matter how much she shook. He couldn't be winning, even if he was six-foot of sheer muscle and power. She scowled. He was twice the predator she'd ever be... even if she'd managed to train back at her family home. The palace would be her home soon enough. "Don't tempt me," she grumbled, fangs receding.

He leant closer to her, breath hot against her skin. She shivered in apprehension. Of what, she didn't know. It was just her instinctive reaction, and she trusted those. They told her the man in front of her was bad news. Long story short – he was. "Try it and see where it gets you."