CAPTIVE by the Prince

Chapter Eight

Ivan took several flights of stairs down from the high west tower. He needed to get away from that vampire! Even a four-hundred-year-old elf like him was not immune to the pheromones a transitioning vampire emits. A young female vampire still had no control over the release of their pheromones, and most especially a young female vampire who was raised in a human world with no real idea of who or what she really was.

Ivan shoved the door of his room open and went inside. He slammed the door shut and walked towards the wide window inside his room. He placed his clenched fists on top of the windowsill and tried to control his raging lust of emotions. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Those blasted pheromones! A female vampires' way to attract their prey... and this particular vampire wasn't even aware of the trouble her pheromones were causing to the male populace in this castle! That was why he had her locked up in the highest tower, inside his private quarters—his former private quarters to be exact since he had to relinquish it for her use. He did so she could be away from the rest to prevent any further problem.

He remembered the feeling, that strong pull he had felt when he passed by near her bedroom earlier that morning. It was enthralling. It was hypnotic. It was very strong. He had noticed the other males nearby were also drawn to that peculiar scent that twisted their minds and taunted them to follow it. And oddly enough, he felt enraged that he was almost beaten by an inferior younger elf-lord from their court when Ivan saw the elf-lord nearing the door of the vampire's room.

Driven by lust and madness, Ivan drew his sword from its sheath and threatened to slice the other elf in half if he would not step away from the door. Apparently, his threat was ignored since the other elf was determined to get hold of his trophy on the other side of the door. So, Ivan did what he needed to do. He was forced to incapacitate his foe by using the bottom part of the hilt of his sword and slamming it hard on the other elf's head, causing him to fall unconscious on the floor. The other males who had witnessed the spectacle made a wise decision by abandoning their objective and leaving the area.

Then Ivan went inside the room of his vampire captive and saw her sleeping peacefully on her bed. The rise and fall of her chest were so soothing to watch that it somehow calmed his deranged senses. He saw her stirred and he was worried that she would wake up and find him inside the room and another heated argument would begin between the two of them.

He was relieved when she went back to sleep. Ivan realized a second later that his relief was only short-lived when he noticed the quilt slipping down from her shoulders and sliding down even farther down her waist, revealing an expanse of smooth skin. He felt his jaw clenched as his fingers curled into hard fists on his sides when the vampire's beautiful curves and rich display of her ample breasts were only covered by a thin fabric sprawled before his eyes. The female's raven hair was riotously spread over the pillow, giving a more seductive appeal to her innocent-looking face.

That's when he had begun growing hard... and the female woke up and had witnessed his desire over her...

Ivan shook his head to clear those thoughts away and to bring him back to reality. Now that he was far away from her, and that she was safely locked in the highest tower, he could think more clearly. Oh, how he hated that vampire and the rest of her coven! But Ivan knew that no matter how much he despised that female, his body had been responding quite the opposite. He was not sure if it was the female's cursed pheromones, or if it was because of that Tadhana they, the encantos, believed. That strange magical pull that said she was your Fated One. Your Mate. Your Destined Female.

No. He shouldn't feel anything towards that vampire other than hatred. He would marry that vampire since the betrothal contract was magically binding, but the female would serve her purpose. Ivan would use her to exact his vengeance against her people. The Valentins had taken his younger brother, Adam, who was now missing and was suspected to have died trying to escape from the kingdom Sanggre. They took his brother; he would take what was theirs. And he would make sure the female would pay for everything the Valentins did to his brother.