"Did you hear that….her mate's Lord Lucas…"
"She's Count Dracula's selected Heiress."
"What is Lord Dracula thinking?"
"I wonder what Madame Lilith thinks about this?"
Word spreads fast when you suddenly go from nobody to somebody. Astoria was the talk of the entire school within mere seconds and she was simply hoping to get by her eighteenth birthday smoothly.
"Hey, Ria. It's okay.It's going to be okay." Stella reassured. She stayed by her friend's side through thick and thin and perhaps this was the thickest trouble she had ever been. Astoria mustered all her energy to smile at her friend, trying to make it seem like she was okay.
"Who knows. Maybe Lucas isn't too bad once you get to know him." reckoned Stella.
"Are you kidding me Stel? He drinks blood of the living humans. He has millions of Vampyress after him. He even kills for fun. There is no way in hell am I going to Kardia with him." Astoria exasperated, feeling a pang of pain on her temples.
Class seemed to go by slowly, slower than usual. Eyes bore holes into Astoria's skull everywhere she went, despite her trying to ignore all of it.
"I'd like to be left alone. I'm sorry Stella." she muttered before dashing off, leaving her friend dumbfounded at the foot of the classroom. Once she made it to the rooftop garden of the school, Astoria stood on top of the wooden planks before stretching her arms out wide.
"Stupid Vampyres. Stupid Succubus. Stupid Mom. Stupid Dad. This is all your fault!" she yelled out to the sky, releasing her half succubus, half vampyre wings. Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at the wings she considered disgusting. "These stupid wings. You're the reason I'm an outcast. You're the reason I'm going to die now."
"They're not that bad. They look almost the same anyways."
Astoria folded her wings back, immediately searching for the voice that had made such a comment about her wings. Her eyes landed onto a topless male who had a scar on his chest and face markings. He had one eye open and was staring at her intriguingly as if she was a fine piece of specimen.
"Succubus and Vampyre. Two hard headed leaders. Now you don't see that often. Succubus and Human. Now that's more common." he chuckled before closing both eyes and leaning against the wall.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Astoria questioned, fearing for her life.
"Pipe down. I have sensitive hearing. Name's Ulric." he answered.
Astoria took a moment to let the name sink in and unfortunately she couldn't pinpoint the name anywhere. "Ulric? Are you new? I've never seen you around before."
Sighing, the male stood up and inched his way closer to her as he lifted a lock of her hair. Leaning down, he took a sniff of her hair before sighing in pleasure. Werewolves are the most keen to smell and therefore know when their she-wolves go in heat. In this case, he knew exactly how close Astoria was in her mating process from the amount of pheromones she produced.
"I wouldn't say I'm new. Rather, I just never show up to classes." he replied softly, leaning in once more to sniff at her neck. "Plus this is my spot here, shouldn't I be the one asking questions as to why you're here?"
Astoria took a step away from the male, knowing very well that Lucas could sense if her heartbeat increases significantly.
"Don't be afraid, little halfblood."
Holding a hand out in front of her protectively, Astoria's nails grew longer as she took a battle stance.
"Stand away. I...I'm betrothed." she threatened, revealing a decorative red band tattooed around her wrist that slithered and wrapped around her ring finger. Ulric narrowed his eyes at the band, knowing very well who it had belonged to.
"So you're his bride to be. Pity."
"That's right. I'm Count Dracula's chosen bride for Lucas. S-so if you know what's good for you. Back off."
Astoria narrowed her eyes dangerously the moment Ulric pressed forward, grasping onto her wrist and pinning them above her head. With one quick swift of her hand, three deep gash marks bled from Ulric's cheek. The man in front of her chuckled, feeling the warm blood stream down his face.
"Lucas isn't the kindest of people. You best get used to this kind of stuff." he smiled, a creepy one at that. "Best of luck to you. Ms…?"
"Astoria! What is the-."
With a loud bang, the door to the rooftop swung open, revealing an angered Lucas. The Vampyre Heir's face was mixed with confusion and hatred the moment he locked eyes with Ulric.
"You! Get away from him!" Lucas hissed, leaning low before his back exploded revealing his full fledged wings. "What do you think you're doing, getting chummy with the lots of him?"
Astoria's eyes wavered, feeling the dangerous air around her betrothed. With the binding curse attached to them, the amount of anger Lucas felt was channeled into her.
"Nice to meet you. Astoria." Ulric chuckled, ignoring the fact that Lucas was ready to charge at him in any second. He took a lock of her luscious hair and kissed it before whispering softly into her ear.
"Stay safe."
"ASTORIA BELLMORTE." Lucas growled out in a low tone. His eyes flashed between brown and bright red as his anger rose even higher. Astoria for the first time in her life, felt the power of the binding curse. Pain surged throughout her body the moment Lucas had called out her name.
"Calm down lover boy. I was just leaving." Ulric laughed before holding his hand out as if saying he was not there to fight. Lucas tried stopping Ulric from leaving, but with one simple glare and a whisper so soft even Astoria couldn't hear. Lucas had let him leave.
"Get up, filth. All succubus are the same. Filthy, dirty whores." Lucas spat in disgust. "You should've gotten your fill before you received your mark. Not after. I feel everything you feel. I will not have you sully our clan."
"Yes My Lord." Astoria bit back her tears as she curtsied obediently to her betrothed. Lucas wrapped a handful of her hair in a fist before yanking at it harshly. Tilting her head to the side, he bared his fangs, ready to suck the blood of his beloved before noticing a particular scent.
"Cut that hair before I do it myself," he demanded. "Every part he touched. And clean that man's scent off of you, it's repulsing."
"But my lord...my hair is…" Astoria started, tears ringing around her eyes, threatening to fall. "A succubus's hair is the status of her beauty. Only a fallen Succubus will cut her hair."
"Your mother is a fallen Succubus. That makes you one as well. You may be a pretty face but you're nothing else. NOW CUT IT." Lucas yelled loudly before tossing her off to the side, turning to face the door. "I want to see it gone by tomorrow or else."
Holding onto her black locks, Astoria let a tear spill from the corner of her eye as she smoothed it out. Although she was a half blood, she treasured both parts of her lineage and tried to follow their traditions as closely as she could.
Midnight
"Are you sure honey….?"
"Astoria. You've always treasured your hair."
"You don't have to do what he says sweetheart. Mother and I didn't follow the rules and we're perfectly fine."
Astoria looked at herself through the mirror, seeing the sad look on her mother and father's face. Looking downwards, she shook her head and allowed her mother to cut off locks of her hair. Her father turned away in shame, remembering the exact day where his wife had to cut off her own precious hair to be with him.
"I'm so sorry." he muttered softly.
"It's okay dad….I needed a change anyways. Plus it was getting too heavy to manage." Astoria responded, smiling through the mirror. Her mother cut off about 10 to 12 inches from her waist length hair, collecting them all when she was finished and tying them together in a ribbon.
"No matter what happens. Mom is here to protect you." her mother, Liliana reassured.
"Papa will be here as well." her father smiled, wrapping his arms around both his wife and daughter protectively. "I'll protect you two."