Bound By Blood: The Pureblood Prince

Chapter Two

I gasped, almost breathlessly, and my body tensed up. His hands found a careful embrace around my neck. He let in a sharp breath of air against my skin and then, I felt pressure as he sucked at the wound. My body quickly grew weak. My heart was beating fast, but I felt myself grow limp. I felt my eyes struggling to stay open. Spots of darkness lingered in and out of my vision. Stay awake, Cora. You've got to stay awake...

        I awoke in the bed I lost consciousness in. But this time, I was tucked carefully under the blankets, my head reasting against the pillow. My eyes drifted up, and saw the strange man sitting at my feet. Not a man though, was he? Vampire, prince... master? What was he? His eyes lifted when he noticed I was awake.

"I'm sorry, for frightening you. I went too far. I didn't realize how alluring your blood would be..." he trailed off, looking down.

"I have a tremendous amount of restraint, I promise. Next time I will not be so caught off guard. This is all very... new to me. I'm the eldest, and the first with a human since my father was a bachelor. I don't fully understand how these things work."

I stared down at my hands, fidgeting nervously. Suddenly, his hands were over mine. I froze, then looked up. He was staring down, very still. It was then that I noticed the tiniest fleck of amber in his eyes.

"I would like to see you again, in the morning. I'll have Claire bring your breakfast to my bedroom."

And then he leaned in, kissing my forehead. Another move that sent my heart pounding and my body tense.

"Sweet dreams, companion."

And in a flash, he was gone. The door was closed, and I was left with nothing but the faint sound of air rushing through my window.

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I hardly slept at all.The room was so large, cold and unfamiliar. I woke up in the middle of the night shaking, and had to shut the window. Every time I awoke, I was met with a fresh rush of fear and unfamiliarity. Every time, I remembered all over again what had become of me.

        I watched dawn come, light rising through my windows as I sat in bed. I listened to birds singing for some time. This can't be hell, I thought, if birds sing here. My thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at the door. Claire came in, not waiting for my invitation. She came in smiling, hair freshly done. But she was quickly frowning once she got a look at me.

"Oh dear, child, you haven't slept at all have you? You look dreadful."

She came to my side, placing a hand against my forehead. "Alright, I'll be sure to get coffee, then. It certainly won't have your blood tasting good. Oh gosh, I've got a lot of work to do now..." she rambled on, stepping back out of the room. I saw people dashing back and forth through the hall as she stepped out.

        Claire returned with breakfast, and drew a bath as I sipped the coffee. I felt absolutely terrible. My bones ached, and my body begged for sleep. But my mind was wide awake. I did not speak as Claire readied me, but I did return some of her smiles with weak, watered-down ones. She dressed me in a soft, violet dress. I tried to push back the feeling of vulnerable cheapness when I saw myself in the mirror. What rattled me most was the virginal look she gave me. I wondered if Gabriel has requested I look like this. I stared at the bandage Claire had covered the bite wounds with. What a strange, sad feeling that came over me...

        Claire left me again, sitting by the window. I had the curtains drawn wide. I heard the door open from behind me, and I looked back. It was him again. He was dressed more casually; no suit this time. Just a dress shirt, rolled up to his elbows. The daylight bounced off his skin, and he smiled. His friendliness unnerved me.