Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 77: Attacked !

Chapter 77: Attacked !

Glancing at the door where she heard a faint muffling sound, Claire’s eyebrows furrowed in dubiety, and she didn’t bother to slow down on her steps as she approached the door. Her hand was already on the door knob, ready to twist it open when the door suddenly opened by itself, revealing her brother whose crimson eyes had turned mysteriously darker than usual - it frightened her for a second, but that fear intensified slowly when the corner of his mouth had a trace of blood rolling down to his chin.

For a split second, Claire remained frighteningly dazed.

"Any problem? To what do I owe this visit?" The Vampire prince tilted his head to the side as he prompted his sister to speak up, and Claire quietly stepped back, craning her neck to see who was inside before gathering the nerves to ask.

"Is someone....in there with you?"

"I don’t know, what if..?" He flashed her a roguish smirk, his unruly fangs peering out. He gestured with his head for her to come in. "I can grant you a quick survey."

"Absolutely not." Claire instantly declined and took a few more steps back. The seething hunger in his eyes was a complete contrast to the harmless smile on his handsome face. Apart from everyone else that she was familiar with, only Ivan was fond of drinking the blood of his own kind, and Claire couldn’t risk her precious life by staying alone with him when there’s such maddening thirst burning in his ruby-red eyes.

Unbeknownst to her, Samantha stayed quiet at the other side of the door. While the vampire Lord kept prolonging the conversation with his sister, one of his hands had Samantha’s neck wrapped in its grasp, but with no intention of choking her. The young maiden was still recovering from the intense bite that she no longer cared about the conversation happening, but the beautiful fingers curled around her neck so firmly had been doing a good job keeping her still.

"Well let me be exceedingly clear about something." Ivan subtly began, "if you step into my den unannounced then I will make sure you do so without the benefits of a spine. Learn to mind your business." He advised his sister with a warning countenance, and she didn’t need him to act it out before knowing it was doable warning.

Unable to utter a word when he looked this menacing, Claire backed away with a gaze that clearly stated she would be back for him. Vexed by her own lack of retort, she continued down the corridor, whilst her personal servant tried to catch up with her.

Closing the door, Ivan’s crimson gaze moved to his little lamb who was staring back at him with that effective green doe eyes of hers. The sight of her blood leaving a crimson line from the corner of his mouth to his chin made her feel strange, unexplainably strange.

"Now where were we?"

Samantha shook her head in disapproval when he pulled her gently to his middle, his arms resting at both sides of her head with no escape route for her to run away from him. Catching her in her most vulnerable moment was always a pleasing sight to behold, and when she grew more flustered, he was only enticed to taunt her further.

"I... need to return to..." Samantha tried to come up with an excuse to run for her life before he eventually drained every ounce of her blood from her system. But when she made the mistake to look in his eyes that had taken that inhuman shape again, her words fell short as if she could tell he saw through her excuses.

"I don’t want to do this...."

"Shhhhhh, your disoriented state won’t subside if you keep talking nonsense." He uttered softly, knowing that her state of mind was one of the side-effects she got after he consumed a little too much that her frail body could offer, but as always he was driven by his untamed hunger, and he only ever felt this dissatisfied after tasting her blood.

Samantha obediently kept quiet, and her languid gaze shifted from Ivan to the study room. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her strength and tried to push Ivan aside. "It’s not very polite to take my blood without consent."

"Ahh... but I’ve taken a lot more than your blood without needing consent." He corrected, "think again Little Lamb, I own your soul, and you can’t fight that." Grabbing the hand that was pressed against his chest as her attempt to push him away, he lifted his little lamb, carrying the flustered woman in princess style, and Samantha’s mouth hung agape as she clung against him, as if scared he might drop her without him giving her a verbal warning.

Noticing the smirk on his face, Samantha frowned upon realizing had done it intentionally so she’d behave herself. Her pupils dilated when he took her out of his private study, taking her to his room while she remained obedient in his arms.

"I can walk."

"Your feet are unsteady." He said, "I’m going to take care of you, as compensation for putting you in this mess." He met her green eyes with a slight glare, "don’t get used to it."

"I find it way more awkward than you think." Samantha admitted, pondering on how that word sounded like a strange language coming from him.

"Then we’re good." Taking her back to his chamber, he helped her lay on her bed and stepped back. "I have somewhere important that I need to be tomorrow, and I won’t be back till tomorrow Midnight. Behave yourself while I’m away, unless you want me to bring back my old punishing method of chaining you to the bed.. I still have the handcuffs."

"I shall only do my duties." Samantha bowed quickly, and Ivan was about to step out when he paused at the exit. He released a sigh and slowly turned to look at her. "Do you need anything?"

"I believe I’d rather not." Samantha responded, sounding cautious, and his questions were so simple, yet it sounded like a death trap considering how he put it.

"You want food." Ivan said her mind out loud, and when she didn’t deny it, he internally scowled like he had something wicked to say to her, but he knew he shouldn’t. Swallowing it up, he exited the room, closing the door behind him. After confirming he had gone far enough, Samantha got out of bed and hurried to her wardrobe, and during those times her knees buckled automatically.

"He wasn’t lying after all." Samantha whispered to herself, finally understanding his true intentions for carrying her in the first place.

Bringing out a small brown pouch containing silver coins, she quickly counted it and from her budget, it should be enough to get her to her destination.

The following day of her escape eventually came, and when Samantha woke up that morning, she found Ivan gone which could only mean he had left early for his trip. Normally he would wake her up to get his things ready but he didn’t interrupt her sleep this time around.

Was he serious when he said he would take care of her??

Shaking away whatever brought Lord Ivan to her mind, Samantha quickly did her daily duties, and as promised, she met the head maid and Lucy who were already standing at the vestibule. When Lucy yawned to herself, Samantha couldn’t help but feel terrible for her friend who was always busy.

"We need to hurry, there is news that Queen Carina might return tomorrow before her sons. She needs a grand welcome so we have to get everything set before that happens. Come, let’s go, there’s no time to waste."

The ever energetic head maid was already giving out instructions to the two maidens who silently followed her behind. They had exited the Palace with about four royal guards accompanying their carriage as Lucy had told her. The guards were meant to return the large stocks while the head maid would stay to get whatever necessities are required for Queen Carina’s return.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" Samantha asked Lucy who hadn’t stopped yawning since their journey began, and she smiled weakly before shaking her head.

"I am alright, I brought this on myself despite knowing I’d be going somewhere this morning. I should have used my afternoon free time to finish my work so I can sleep early, but I didn’t think I’d be heavily occupied last night."

"Can we stop by at the capital so we can get you some peppermint tea? It reduces stress." Samantha suggested to Lucy who shook her head, declining the offer, but her gaze remained appreciative.

"I’m not that weak." Changing the subject, Lucy looked out through the window to see they were still passing through the woods.

Already a few kilometers away from the Palace, the head maid was already discussing with Lucy the best shops to purchase what was needed when the sudden fierce clashing of swords outside interrupted their conversation.

"We’re under attack!" They heard one of the guards alert everyone in a tone of distress, and the abrupt neighing of horses could be heard, leaving everyone to panic within the carriage.

"What’s going on?" Samantha had asked worriedly when the intense clashing of swords outside didn’t die down, and the carriage swayed in a different direction as the horses too were in panic.

"Sam." Lucy had reached for Samantha, and the two maidens hugged themselves as they closed their eyes in terror, frightened, but unsure about the chaos happening outside.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped moving, and the clashing of swords could no longer be heard. When it felt like the commotion had settled, Samantha and Lucy slowly lifted up their heads, and both maidens could hear their heartbeat thumping rapidly in their ears.

"Are you alright?" Samantha whispered to Lucy who still appeared shock-stricken, but she looked unharmed. The head maid was also curled up in a corner, and no one dared make a noise.

After waiting in the carriage for a few more minutes and nothing happened, Samantha mustered up the courage to open the carriage door, and as she stepped down, Lucy followed behind her, staying close.

Samantha’s pupils widened at the sight of dead bodyguards, but before she could move closer to inspect, a blade was at her neck the next minute, forcing her to freeze in her spot, and when she slowly looked at who it was, her pupils dilated to see their carriage was surrounded by a group of hunters.