It had been a week since the previous incident, and this time, Avery made a point to rush straight home to avoid any repeat encounters with rogue vampires. She was determined not to fall into another dangerous situation like before, where she had barely managed to survive.
Avery was well aware that not all vampires could resist the overwhelming urge to satisfy their thirst for blood. The experience with the mercenaries had left her questioning her initial assumption that they were novices. Their controlled demeanor and restraint in the face of her bleeding had made her doubt their level of experience. They hadn't attempted to pierce her skin with their canines or quench their dried throats with fresh, warm blood.
Having apologized to Jeffery for her behavior during their previous encounter, Avery was relieved that he understood the difficult situation she had faced. He graciously accepted her apology, and their relationship had regained a sense of understanding.
That particular day, Avery found herself exhausted, her head resting on the counter. It was only a matter of minutes before she was awakened by Kate, a fellow colleague.
"Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead. The drinks won't serve themselves to the customers," Kate chimed in, chuckling, before she headed off with a tray of wine glasses.
Avery sighed, mustering the strength to walk over to a table where three men sat, their eyes fixed on her with a lustful gaze.
"What can I get for you, gentlemen?" she asked, her face bearing a noticeable frown upon noticing their lustful stares.
These types of men were precisely why Avery had decided to avoid dating altogether. She held a strong disdain for the opposite gender, perceiving them as individuals who saw women merely as playthings. Her past experience with a man she had met on a dating site had turned sour. He had initially portrayed himself as a teacher, engaging in weeks of conversation before they decided to meet. They had gone out for lunch and she had accepted an invitation to his place to watch a movie. It was during this encounter that he had attempted to harass her and coerce her into engaging in sexual activities.
Fueled by anger, she had stormed out of his place, vowing to put an end to such encounters. Men, in her view, were often cruel and reckless, driven solely by their own satisfaction without regard for others' feelings.
"We would like four Beacon cheeseburgers and two Clam chowders, accompanied by four bottles of Pepsi," one of the men replied, momentarily snapping Avery out of her thoughts.
"Alright. Is there anything else I can assist you with?" she asked, swiftly jotting down their order in her notebook.
"No, just bring us a beautiful lady as well," one of them remarked with a smirk, prompting Avery to roll her eyes in frustration before walking away to the counter.
As she observed Jeffery, her coworker, staring intently at the men with a deep frown, she cautioned him against taking any rash actions that could jeopardize his job.
"Don't even think about it unless you want to lose your job," she warned him firmly, causing him to avert his gaze and acknowledge her advice.
"But they..." he began to protest, only to be interrupted by Avery.
"You shouldn't concern yourself with them. Doing anything foolish will only result in your termination," she advised, continuing on her way without further hesitation.
In no time, Avery found herself carrying a tray towards the men's table. However, just as she reached their vicinity, she accidentally dropped the tray, her displeasure evident on her face as their lustful gazes persisted.
"What's your name, beauty?" one of them asked, leaning forward. Despite his advances, Avery remained silent, refusing to dignify his question with a response.
"Is there anything else I can assist you with?" she inquired, her frown deepening in response to their laughter and lewd remarks.
"Nah, just go think about it," the man who had initially spoken smirked, satisfied with his suggestive comment.
Momentarily diverting her attention from the men, Avery's gaze was captured by a television screen in the room. A woman holding a microphone was conducting a broadcast. However, her frown deepened further as she recognized the young man standing beside the woman.
Rohan Ericson, a CEO and a vampire prince at the noble level, appeared on the screen. His striking handsomeness had made him the object of desire for many, but Avery held no interest in him or any other vampires. She harbored a strong animosity towards vampires in general, particularly the royal ones who exuded an air of superiority. Rumors had circulated about the arrogance and pride of the princess, Albert's sister.
Her attention was abruptly diverted from the television by the jingling sound of the door. Turning her head, Avery was taken aback.
As if the humiliation and near-death experience inflicted upon her by the rogue vampires on that rainy night were not enough, they had now decided to pay a visit to the bar. One by one, they entered, their disguises failing to deceive Avery as she recognized them instantly.
Lowering her head to avoid detection, she hurried towards the counter. She needed to find a hiding spot, desperate to prevent them from spotting her and calling her over. How did they even know where she worked?
"Hey, can someone come take our order?" a familiar feminine voice from the previous night called out. Thankfully, there were more than eight waitresses present in the room. Avery quickened her pace towards the counter.
"Hey, you, the waitress," one of them, a male with curly black hair donning blue jeans shorts and a white tank top, called out, pointing at Avery.
Her heart skipped a beat as she covered part of her face with her hair and lowered her head, attempting to shield herself further.
Avery reluctantly approached their table, her heart racing, as the female vampire seized her hand, halting her movements. Her heart raced even faster as the female vampire questioned why Avery was hiding her face from them, suggesting that it was due to their non-human nature.
"It's not that," Avery responded, her heart pounding. All eyes were fixated on them, including those of Jeffery and the other waitresses, frozen in place as they observed the unfolding scene.
"You find us vile and disgusting simply because we are not human, don't you?" the female vampire pressed, causing Avery to gulp nervously as she scanned the room.
"No, it's not..."
"Fine then, if you claim you don't, prove it," the female vampire suggested, releasing Avery's hand. "Look at me. I want to see your face."
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Avery slowly raised her head, delicately moving the strands of hair away from her face. Her gaze locked directly onto the lady, who responded with a warm, friendly smile."Good, there's nothing to be scared of," the lady assured her, squinting her eyes before waving her away.Relieved, Avery sighed as she walked past the other customers and returned to the counter. She was grateful that they hadn't caused any trouble, although she doubted they had simply come to eat."What's happening over there?" Jeffrey asked suspiciously, giving her a questioning look. His gaze shifted back to the guests, but he quickly averted his eyes when he noticed the lady smirking at him."Nothing is going on," Avery reassured him with a forced smile, walking past him and into the kitchen after informing him about the drinks ordered by the guests.Carrying the new orders on a tray in her left hand, she made her way to the guests' table, attempting to maintain a smile. Her legs moved steadily as she approached
In a room, large and spacious with high ceilings that are adorned with intricate carvings and frescoes. The walls are lined with gold and silver accents, and large windows let in plenty of natural light, casting a warm glow throughout the space. One would be struck by its grandeur and opulence, as soon as they stepped in. Along the walls are elegant tapestries, depicting scenes of battles and triumphs, and tall candelabras that cast flickering shadows across the room. The floors are made of polished marble, gleaming in the light and reflecting the grandeur of the surroundings. This was the prince's room and only the royals in the palace had rooms, this big to themselves. In the center of the room sits a massive, King sized bed, adorned with a velvet cover. Prince Rohan sat on the bed, bare-chested. His eyes surveyed the room, as he had just woken up. Soon, a light knock came on the door and after he had granted access, it was pushed open and a servant walked in with a tray of food.
"What is it, Father?" he asked, turning to face his father, who gave him a displeased look.Lord Ericson entered the room and scanned it with his eyes. "Son of a bitch! Instead of finding the blood ring as we hoped, you choose to consort with the servants?!" he yelled."I will find it, Father.""You better, or else I'll throw you into the dungeon for wasting my time. I'm doing everything within my power to ensure you become king, and you should be doing the same," Lord Ericson said with a disapproving look, squinting at his son."I will, Father," the prince replied nonchalantly, averting his gaze from his father.Before he could react, his father forcefully grabbed his face and turned it towards him, staring directly into his eyes."Do. Not. Test. Me!" his father seethed, tightening his grip on his son's cheeks, causing grunts and bone cracks to fill the room.He released his hold, coldly watching as his son worked his jaw and sighed in relief.Rohan gave his father a cold, disdainful
Ding!The sound of a bell chimed as Avery pushed open the store's door and stepped inside. Her car was being refueled while she took the opportunity to grab some groceries from the adjacent store. She entered cautiously, scanning the surroundings for any potential threats. The sight of people bustling around with shopping carts brought her a momentary sense of relief, although her recent encounter at the coffee shop had left her perpetually on edge.Four days had passed since the incident, and although she should have felt relieved that her pursuers were no longer after her, it only heightened her need for constant vigilance. As she made her way to the dairy section, she picked up cartons of milk and loaves of bread, acutely aware that they were running low at home. The spoiled milk in the fridge was a ticking time bomb, as her father's day would be ruined without his beloved beverage.Avery nodded politely to the passersby, greeting some of them while receiving acknowledgments from a
It was pitch black, so dark that the body lying on the ground in the cramped room was barely visible. The figure, a female, stirred awake and was seized by panic as she struggled to see her surroundings in the darkness. With her hands groping the walls, she attempted to stand up, but the sharp pain shooting through her legs caused her to collapse. Avery winced as her legs gave way, realizing she had sprained her ankle. Just then, she heard the metallic sounds of gears and locks. For a fleeting moment, silence engulfed the room, followed by creaking noises, and suddenly, a bright light flooded the space. It was so intense that she had to shield her eyes until they adjusted. "The Boss wants you," a deep, husky voice declared, drawing her gaze in its direction. "F*** you!" Avery cursed, glaring defiantly at the stranger. "I won't budge from here unless you tell me where I am." The man entered the room, towering over her, and stared down. "I forgot to mention one thing—it's not a reque
It was a bright morning, with the sun just rising over the horizon. The palace courtyard was bustling with activity as gardeners tended to their plants and maids went about their duties. Guards stood in various positions around the palace, their stoic expressions resembling gargoyles frozen in place. A convoy of five cars drove in, stopping in front of the castle building in a line. The arrival of the cars hinted at the presence of someone of high status or power, possibly someone related to the royal family. Several men dressed in blue overalls emerged from the cars. While they appeared to be guards, their attire differed from that of the royal guards who wore black. Two of the guards approached the fourth car and opened the door. A girl with blonde hair stepped out, glaring at the guards. "What took you so long to open the door, you fools?!" she exclaimed, casting a disdainful gaze at each of them. "Sorry, Princess," one of the guards apologized, and they all bowed their heads, a
"Work!" A military guard bellowed, cracking his whip at a vampire who was bound in garlic-dipped chains, laboring to carry stones. The vampire grunted and stumbled, dropping the stone from his blood-soaked hands. His back bore fresh wounds and scars, a testament to the brutal treatment endured not only by him, but by the other imprisoned vampires who languished in this hellish place. Confined within a massive cage, spacious enough to accommodate the ninety vampires held captive, they were kept isolated from the rest of the world. Outside the cage, armed military guards patrolled diligently, with a watchtower standing just a mile away. These vampires had been captured and enslaved, subjected to backbreaking labor and some even forced into involuntary experimentation against their will. "Get up and pick that up," the guard ordered, delivering a brutal kick to the vampire's abdomen, causing him to cough up blood. Despite the bloodlust in the vampire's eyes, he was too weak and malnou
"Kill them all!" bellowed the commander, his eyes seething with fury.His soldiers nodded in compliance, ready to pull their triggers. However, just before they could execute the order, they were startled by screams and cries for help behind them. Turning around, they witnessed a horde of vampires taking advantage of their distraction, rushing towards them.Terror gripped the soldiers as they fired their weapons indiscriminately at the approaching vampires. Some struggled desperately to escape the confines of the cage while the vampires sunk their fangs into their necks, draining their lifeblood. Others fought for their survival, their lives hanging in the balance.The commander's horror was palpable as he caught fleeting glimpses of shadows darting in his peripheral vision while he engaged the vampires in front of him. Upon emptying his pistol, he discarded it to the side, realizing he had no other weapon at his disposal. Aghast, he surveyed his surroundings and was met with the shock