Orson opened the white door slowly, taking one step in. He stared at the closed window preventing sunlight from entering, letting the room swim in utter darkness. He tightened his grab on the door's handle. Memories flew before his eyes like they happened hours ago, not eight years.
"Orson, isn't the scenery of the forest from afar stunning?" his mate asked. Her sky-blue eyes glowed more than the sun, whereas her smile brightened his life.
"I don't know why you insist on buying this small house when we have the packhouse to live in," he said, stepping closer to her.
"Look, we will not live here forever. The house is far from the noise, giving you a warm feeling, a perfect place to relax..."
"What are you doing here?" a trembling voice from the corner snapped him out of his beautiful thoughts.
Crimson eyes stared at him for a moment, then looked away. That vampire stood beside the bed, clutching her pale green shirt.
'Why did she have to talk? Why did she have to interrupt my thought?'
How many years didn't he dream of his mate? As if her existence faded from his memory, making his life worsen every passing day.
Why did he have to live with sorrow engulfing him and pretend he was doing well?
Is it because of revenge from the ones who destroyed his happiness?
Is it why he married another woman? A vampire to add to his wretched life. He never wanted another woman but his mate, Akeela.
Soon, he would get the clue and would pay back those sh**** tenfold what he lived.
Then what will happen next?
He didn't know.
Orson let the broken handle, putting his bloody hand down.
The vampire woman froze in the same spot. Walking in, he stood a meter away from her. She shifted her attention from the closed window to his bleeding hand.
Orson put his hand under his chin in a slow motion while her greedy eyes followed it, and finally, she looked at him.
Such a tick.
Orson smirked and said, "I will ask you one question, and I hope you answer honestly. Why did you poison me last night?"
"Poison?" she said, widening her eyes.
"Drop this act. You heard my conversation with the doctor earlier. You were leaning on the wall taking small steps. It was not your first time eavesdropping anyway," he said, stepping closer. "So answer me."
Lowering her face to gaze at the floor. She murmured, "I didn't poison you. We were fighting. After you went away, my eyes got blurry, and I bit you… I don't have any idea about the poison—"
Orson raised his hand, and she stopped talking. Listening to her noisy plead enraged him.
He gazed at her one last time, but all her focus was on his hand.
His lips twitched. A stupid vampire stared at his hand like a slice of appetizing meat.
Orson tried to move his leg, but he couldn't. His body stopped responding to him. He could neither move nor utter a word, standing there like a statute. All he could do was gaze at each other.
'What's the f***?'
The vampire inhaled like she was choking earlier and turned her head while he stepped backwards.
'Something strange is happening!'
The atmosphere in the room was awkward. Orson turned around and went to his room.
Kicking the door open, he strode to the bathroom, letting his head under the faucet. The cold water cooled down his nerves. He rubbed his neck as the place she bit yesterday stung. The pain went down to his chest.
Orson unbuttoned his black shirt. He gasped when two black, crossed lines showed on his chest, resembling an umbrella.
He went closer to the mirror. Both lines distinguished into different forms, or more likely into alphabets? He had never seen something similar before.
Orson mind-linked the healer, ordering him to hurry and come back. Jack learnt everything his eyes fell on, from ancient languages to politics to war strategies, and when he discovered his healing power, he learnt medicines too.
His grandfather wanted him to be his Beta, but Jack refused, wishing to be the pack's Healer.
"Alpha, you asked for me," he said. His voice was still angry from earlier.
Orson sat on the couch in the living room and signalled to Jack to come closer, "Examine this thing."
"Alpha," he said, shifting his gaze away, gulping.
"What? Is it some kind of curse?" Orson asked, lifting one brow.
From his aid's behaviour, the thing in his chest must be awful.
"No. But it's similar—" Jack said, clasping his hands together.
Orson shouted, "Stop f***** puzzling me and explain."
"The thing in your chest is like our… marking."
Marking? Orson frowned while the healer refused to look at his face. "Elaborate."
Jack took a deep breath and said, "It's more workable to be called a contract than a marking since there will be an exchange whenever the contractor wants."
Orson asked, "Is it related to last night's incident?" Jack nodded. "Then the exchange is my blood, and the contractor is the vampire upstairs. Isn't it?"
All he got was a nod from the healer, who seemed to go on his knees at any moment. Orson laughed loudly.
"Alpha, are you okay?" he asked.
"In which way do you see me doing okay?" Orson asked. He rubbed the space between his brows and said, "You know, if someone comes and tells me I will be one day a blood slave, I will erase his seven generations from existence."
Orson clenched his feast together. In his f***** thirty years of living, he never imagined this sh**** thing to happen.
He should never make that bargain with his grandfather, but he will resolve the matter from its root.
"Tell me one, only one reason to keep that vampire's head attached to her neck," he said, glaring at his shivering aid.
Jack said, "She is the Luna."
"It's a weak reason," Orson said, and then he stood.
"Alpha, please do nothing reckless—" he said, facing him.
Orson pressed his lips together, "You have the nerve to stop me. Move!"
"Alpha, think about the consequence. If any harm happens to the Luna, the pack will be in danger. She is the vampire's princess and the bride your grandfather chooses for you. Besides, we are unaware of the blood contract's terms and conditions," he said.
Orson stood for a minute, glaring at the stairs. All the consequences were opposing him.
He sighed and sat on the sofa. "Call her," he said. The healer nodded and went up. A minute later she went down. Jack explained to her about the matter, but she stood there like a log, stealing glances at him from time to time.
"Luna, did you hear me?" he asked, and she moved her head from the ground to look at him.
'Why is she lowering her head? That didn't suit her identity as a princess.'
"Huh?" she said.
Orson scoffed. 'I forgot she is stupid?'
"Luna, I explained everything to you thoroughly. I just asked you how to annul the blood contract between you and the alpha," he said, forcing a smile.
Orson waited for her answer, but she said, "What a blood contract is?"
Orson stood up and walked closer. "Are you kidding? Do you need us to explain to a vampire what a blood contract is? Maybe we swiped our kind without knowing."
"I don't know," she said.