Blood Drive

Invitation ☾

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B L O O D D R I V E ☾

-Chapter Twenty One-

Alaric was sitting back in his marble throne of lions that made him look every inch like a tyrant. All while everyone danced around him briefly cutting that burning eye contact he had with me the moment we stepped out. It was almost as if his eyes penetrated through the walls earlier so he knew perfectly well what had happened. The blush covering my cheeks wasn't going away any time soon.

With Orlando's hand in mine, he guided me through the bodies of vampires towards a section with normal foods on display, barely touched. My stomach growled on queue making the corners of Orlando's lips tilt up in a smile.

"The one on one dancing we did made you hungry," He commented causing me to smack him on the arm playfully. "I'm kidding, here,"

Grabbing the plate Orlando made for me, I felt the hairs on my neck stand up as a warning. A hot breath behind my neck caused me to jump away in shock.

"She smells different and I can't tell if your blood that's the culprit since you have never committed to another in such a way." A woman with pitch black hair long enough to reach her shoulders said while eyeing me down with those big deep brown eyes of hers. They reminded me of Alaric so I had to wonder if they were related.

"It's my blood, Kayla," Orlando said without an inch of playfulness in his voice like there was seconds ago. "Either way you won't get to find out because she's mine, got it?" The warning was crystal clear making her nodded slowly in agreement looking into his eyes.

"You're territorial all of the sudden. There was a time when we shared our food in bed." Kayla said tilting her head to the side while biting her lip almost as if the memory was vividly playing in her mind all this time.

"It was only one time," Orlando said side glancing at me as I just stood there wide-eyed with my plate in my hands. "Don't even recall the experience since it was so long ago."

With that said he pulled me away leaving Kayla there slightly annoyed about his response. So Alaric wasn't wrong about Orlando being a player. It shouldn't be a surprise by now, but it still left a bitter taste in my mouth. My appetite was suddenly gone as we sat down on a clear glass table. Orlando looked at my untouched food and motioned with his hand to eat up.

I pushed the plate aside as a clear sign that someone ruined my taste for food.

"Listen, there will be a lot of women here who will bring up flings that never meant anything for a reason. To try and boost their self-esteem and lower yours. You can't let it affect you because that is what they want. Now eat," Orlando said pushing the plate towards me again. "Don't make me feed you,"

With a stubborn huff, I glanced up at his expecting blue eyes to obey. Slowly he picked the fork and stabbed the piece of meat as if wasn't already dead yet.

"Come on," Orlando persuaded wiggling the steak in front of my face. "You know you want my meat,"

I closed my lips sealed shut but it was of no use, a smile broke through my barrier and a chuckle left my lips. "Fine,"

I grabbed the fork out his hand and bite into the steak feeding my stomach that was yearning for food. After a couple more bites and eating more of what was on my plate, my stomach was satisfied. Automatically, I reached for the glass of wine near me to quench my thirst causing Orlando to take it out of my hands the next second.

"That isn't wine," He warned as I remembered it was a thicker substance meaning blood. "I'll go get you something to drink."

Orlando vanished before my could open my mouth. Sitting back into further in my seat I glanced at the vampires who were looking directly at me without being sneaky. Their elegant dress rimmed with crystals were a dead give away of how snobby they were as they looked down at me like I was at the bottom of the food chain. Technically I was but it wasn't something I was used to so I stared directly back without a wavering gaze.

One of the women of that group slowly started walking towards me as if I accepted an unspoken invitation. The pale skinned vampire slowly pushed away from her long red hair behind her shoulder exposed with a hand adorned with expensive looking rings.

"Just wanted to say you look beautiful," She said with an accent I could not figure out where it was from but it sounded European.

Since it was an unexpected compliment it took me a second to register it in my brain. "Thank you, so do you."

"Thanks, I feel like I came a little overdressed to this event." She admitted smiling nervously. "My name is Elizabeth by the way,"

"Nice to meet you I'm Na-Jackaline!" I said trying to cover my tracks by outreaching my hand to her.

"I know who you are, especially after having the first dance with Alaric, everyone knows your name now," She accepted my outstretched hand. "Most wait years to be chosen out of the bunch, purposely wear eye-catching dresses..." Elizabeth cough as her cheeks tinted pink. "He probably doesn't know I exist."

"What's the fascination about him?" I questioned making her perfectly trimmed eyebrows go up in shock.

"He's an elite master," She said as if that explained everything, reading the confusion on my face Elizabeth explained further. "He's part of the council that controls us meaning he's powerful. Been around since vampires were in hiding ages ago."

"The council, who are they?" I questioned just as Orlando was coming back from getting me a drink. He glanced at Elizabeth, noticing we were having a conversation, before handing me the cup.

"Oh, I'll leave you guys be alone." She said becoming a nervous wreck in Orlando's presence. I watched her leave with drinking the dark wine that he served me. The taste was so smooth you'd assume you were having juice, must have been aged for centuries. Vampires making wine because of their immortality now made sense.

"Why are you trying to get the names of those in the council?" He questioned when I set the glass cup down.

"Just curious," I commented swishing the wine around in the glass.

"Don't poke around with the council or they'll come to you when you least expect it." He warned looking directly into my green eyes. "No one says their names around unless they are summoning them."

"Okay," I said while secretly I wanted them to come to me so I could give them a taste of their own medicine. Guess I will have to wait until that day comes.