The Duke Who's Devilish (Higher Court I)

XIII. Secret of the Higher Court

Becca was sipping on her tea as she was looking at the night. It was delicious before the butler was coming inside the library with an urgency that Becca never saw before. She stood up as her skirts rustled together.

"Milady," the butler stated as Becca was looking at him.

"What is it?" She asked him before the butler was breathing hard.

"Milord—" the butler did not finish his sentence as Becca was running out of the room and she was making her way to their bedchamber. Since that wedding night they shared in the library and continued to the bed, Becca has never stepped out of Niklaus' master chamber.

It would seem...unnecessary.

Becca was making her way to the chamber before she was opening the door. The butler warned her not to go inside but she did not care. This was her husband and if he was sick, Becca needed to be by his side.

"Don't come," Niklaus spoke in the darkness as Becca closed the door. She was looking at the candle that dimly lighted up the room before she was taking a step forward.

"Niklaus?" She asked as the man on the bed was grunting.

"Do not come near if you wish no harm upon yourself, duchess," the duke spoke with roughness in his voice. Something that Becca never heard before. She stepped even further to her husband as the bed shook.

"I said don't!" Niklaus barked before Becca was stepping back a moment. She was looking at the man that she did not know on the bed. He has the same hair as well as the naked chest that Becca has known for quite some time now.

But their eyes, it was wrong. Niklaus' were blue orbs, like sapphire but tonight, it was nothing of that sort. Becca only saw black as midnight as she was looking at him. Even the whites were washed out.

"Niklaus?" She asked again before the man was grunting and she just noticed that he was being chained. What the hell is going on? She mused before she was looking at the door as the butler came inside the room.

"Milady, we have to go, now," he stated before Niklaus growled. Becca was looking at her husband before the butler was getting away from the chamber and they were out of there.

"Who is in there?" Becca asked the butler before she was looking at the butler. He was breathing hard before he was composing himself again.

"It's better you not knowing anything, milady. I will get your dinner in the dining hall then," he stated before Becca was looking at his retreating figure. Becca was looking at the door again before she was determined to get inside the room and get answers. She opened the door again and she was closing the door before anyone can say anything. She locked the door as she was making her way to the bed again.

"Do not come near me. You only can get hurt," the rough voice was speaking to her but Becca was not having any of it. She was determined to get the answers right here, right now.

"Niklaus? I know it's you," she whispered before she was sitting at the edge of the bed. The chains jingled before Becca was looking at her husband, The Duke of Belikov. He was not the same as she knew him. "Niklaus, speak to me. I know you're in there," she said as she was looking at the man that resembled her husband. Then, the man chuckled lowly.

"Do you think Niklaus will be here right now, love?" The sultry voice was making Becca shivered all over. What is wrong with me? She mused before she was looking at the man before he was showing his perfectly lined teeth. "If you think that your husband will be here, then you're wrong," he added before Becca was arching her eyebrow.

"And who do you think you are then?" Becca asked before Niklaus was tilting his head.

"Well, I am his Demon. The darker side of him that the duke never shows to anyone," the man stated as Becca was looking at him.

"What was that supposed to mean then?" Becca asked before the man was coming toward her. The chain was short enough that he was cut short before Becca was looking into his black eyes.

"Come here and I will show you what I mean by darker side," he said as Becca was tempted to go near him. This is all new to me, she thought before she was moving toward him. This is Niklaus, he would never hurt me, Becca mused before the man instructed her to be in between his legs as Becca was straddling him.

"Good girl. Now, the darker side means..." Niklaus whispered to her as his hot breath was hitting her neck, "I will take your blood and you will be mine forever, Becca," he stated before Becca screamed as something sharp was inside her neck near the jugular veins.

*****

Becca could not think clearly as she was being held down by the man that she called her husband. Niklaus Dragomir was biting on her skin before she felt the blood was running down her gown as she was trying to get him off her. This is not my husband, she mused as she was pushing him away by the chest. The hard chest that she knew belonged to Niklaus. But right now, she barely knew Niklaus at all.

Her husband was sucking on the blood that was being poured down from her neck as she was crying and sobbing silently. She was praying that she would survive the attack of her husband. So, the legends were true then, Becca mused before she remembered that most of the gentry would not be the same after their adolescent years.

Becca knew that Niklaus was one of them now.

She did not have the strength to fight her husband anymore as she was succumbing to his desire to suck on her blood and maybe left her to die. Becca did not know that she would be one of the women that would be killed by her husband. She sighed before the sucking ended and she felt that her husband was licking the wounds. Becca turned to look at Niklaus where the dim lights were reflecting his blue orbs.

"No, no, no! Dear Lord!" Niklaus mumbled before he was stepping away from her. Becca was looking at the man that was a monster in front of her and right now, he was back to his usual self.

Niklaus Dragomir was one of the lords that were affected with Porphyria and survived. Now, he was a changed man and Becca just knew about it.

Niklaus was getting out of the chains easily as he was stepping away from Becca. She was sitting on the bed that they have shared most days as Becca was looking at the duke.

"Why did you have to come near me, Becca?! I have hurt you!" He stated before he was running his fingers through his hair. Becca was looking at the blood that was hers on his hard chest. Becca gulped before she took the courage to speak up.

"Are you a...Vampyre?" She said quietly as Niklaus turned to look at her. Becca was breathing hard before Niklaus nodded. Becca wanted to throw up.

She heard stories that Vampyre was the most handsome creature in the world but they were also the most dangerous. If one caught the eyes of a Vampyre, they will be hunted until the Vampyre was bored with them. Dear Lord, I married one of them, Becca mused before she was getting up from the bed as Niklaus was looking at her.

She wanted to throw up.

"Becca, wait,"

"You tricked me. You never told me that you're a Vampyre!" Becca said as Niklaus was getting up from the bed as well. In his full naked glory of course that Becca has to control her urge to jump on him.

No, she was better than that now.

"I made a promise that our secrets will not be exposed. But it seems that your allure was too much for me to not sink my teeth inside your beautiful neck, wife," Niklaus stated as Becca was shaking her head and stepped back.

"Becca, my love—"

"I am not your love. Or my dear or dearest. I am not your victim, Niklaus. I am your wife!" Becca stated as Niklaus was staring at her.

"Which it made more sense I was drinking the blood of my wife, not from a mistress," he retorted as Becca remembered the opera singer. Did she know about Niklaus' true self? Becca shook her head before she was going to the door before she was being trapped by her husband's arms.

"Are you running away from me?" Niklaus asked her as she was feeling the hot breaths on her neck. She shivered before she was glancing over her shoulder and regarded her husband.

"Yes," she said before she was going out of the room and never turn around to see if Niklaus was looking at her.