Leah woke up to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Lolly was still opening the curtains to let the morning sun light into the room.
"Good morning, Leah," Lolly greeted, looking outside the window with a warm smile before turning to face Leah who still looked drowsy.
"How was your night?" Lolly asked.
Leah sat up and yawned, her eyes still closed.
"It was so good," Leah replied. "So relaxing." Another yawn escaped her before she finally opened her eyes to glance at Lolly. Seeing Leah's sleepy state, Lolly couldn't help but giggle.
"I'm glad to hear that," Lolly said cheerfully. "I've made you a cup of coffee, and breakfast is ready downstairs. I've also prepared your bath, so go ahead and freshen up. If you need any help with anything, just let me know."
Leah, still smiling weakly due to her sleepiness, declined Lolly's offer. "I'm good. Thank you, Lolly."
Nodding, Lolly replied, "You're welcome," before leaving the room.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she made her way to the bathroom to freshen up. Not too long after she was already going downstairs to join everyone for breakfast. The dining room was filled with chatter as Anastasia, William, Andrea, Priscilla and Jane were engaged in lively conversation.
As Leah settled into her seat, she couldn't help but notice the absence of Lucius and a few others, like Robert, Francisco, and Grace. Anastasia noticed Leah's constant glances at Lucius' empty chair.
"Lucius decided to have his breakfast in his bed chambers this morning," Anastasia whispered to Leah, ensuring their conversation wouldn't be overheard by others at the table.
"Oh, okay," Leah said, surprised that Anastasia had noticed her lingering gaze towards Lucius' vacant seat.
Leah's brows furrowed in confusion. Why was she so fixated on Lucius' whereabouts? Perhaps it was because he was her host, the one who had welcomed her into this unfamiliar world. She had found solace in his presence, feeling a sense of trust that she hadn't expected.
Anastasia, sensing Leah's inner turmoil, continued. "He mentioned joining us for chess later, around noon if he's not busy by then,"
Her words carried a hint of reassurance, as Anastasia keenly understood that Leah was still in the process of adjusting to the unfamiliar environment. She recognized that Leah's trust primarily rested with Lucius, for the time being.
Leah nodded, appreciating the information, yet, she was still unable to shake off the nagging feeling that drew her attention to Lucius. Leah resumed eating her meal as she listened to one of Jane's stories, unaware of a particular prying ears on the table that had picked up on she and Anastasia's conversion.
***
Grace and Lucius were engaged in passionate lovemaking, their pleasure evident in the heavy moans and grunts that filled the air. The room was filled with the unmistakable scent of sex. Grace had her eyes closed, completely lost in the pleasure as she rhythmically bounced on top of Lucius. The duvet only covered the lower half of their bodies, allowing their intimate connection to be fully exposed. With each bounce, her firm breasts excitedly jiggled in sync with their movements, heightening the intensity of their shared ecstasy.
A deep guttural grunt emitted from the depths of Lucius throat, a primal sound of desire and dominance. In one swift motion, he flipped Grace over, causing the duvet to slip away, exposing their bodies completely. Grace wore a contented smile as Lucius positioned himself above her, his presence commanding and intense.
With deliberate slowness, Lucius trailed a trail of wet kisses from Grace's chest, deliberately bypassing her breasts, eliciting a moan from her as she arched her back, yearning for his touch.
"Stop moving," Lucius growled, his voice laced with a mix of desire and authority.
He moved back up to her, raising her hand to his face, he rubbed her wrist on his nose, inhaling the scent of her wrist. Meanwhile, his other hand found her nipple, pinching it firmly, causing a sharp moan to escape her lips.
Driven by an insatiable hunger, his eyes to transform into a fiery crimson as he sank his fangs into her wrist, his eyes closing as the sensation of her warm blood flooded his senses.
As Grace felt the tear on her wrist, her moans intensified, a mix of pleasure and a primal response to the sensation. Her own fangs elongated in response, a sign of her heightened arousal, but she refrained from biting Lucius, submitting to his dominance.
With a satisfied look on his face, Lucius drank from her, savoring her blood until he was satiated. He released her wrist, and Grace watched with a mixture of desire and anticipation as Lucius leisurely licked the trail of blood from his lips.
Without a word, Lucius casually left the bed, leaving Grace behind in a state of anticipation and yearning. She remained there, her lips still parted and breathless, her fangs exposed, and her body still pulsating with the remnants of their encounter.
Putting on a robe, Lucius walked to the patio to smoke, picking a cigarette from the box and lighting it as he went.
Leaning his hands on the railing, he enjoyed the morning sun on his skin while taking drags from his cigar. As he shut his eyes and exhaled smoke, he sensed Grace approaching him. Standing by his side, she wore a small smile on her face, having already changed into her spare night gown since Lucius had torn the other one to shreds earlier that morning when she came to his room.
"Wow, that's the longest we've gone," Grace remarked, staring at Lucius from the side. Despite her tall stature, she couldn't compare to Lucius' height, as he still towered over her.
Lucius inhaled more smoke from his cigarette, opening his eyes but still not turning to face Grace.
"It indeed was," Lucius said flatly.
"Would you be needing my services this noon?" Grace asked with a shy smile.
"I highly doubt it. I will be very busy throughout today," Lucius replied.
"Okay," Grace replied, feeling a little downcast that she wouldn't be in Lucius' bed until the next day.
He never asked for her at night; it was either in the morning or by noon. But overall, she was excited that she and Lucius had spent so much time together intimately. Today was one of her happiest days.
"You're free to go," Lucius said. "And don't forget to send a maid here."
"Of course," Grace replied before leaving the room.
...
After breakfast, everyone went off to pursue their own individual activities, leaving Anastasia and Leah alone. Anastasia decided to take Leah on a grand tour of the Manor, and as they made their way, they encountered a few friendly vampires and witches who warmly greeted Leah.
Now, the two of them were, strolling in the woods nearby, engaging in a conversation about the vampires in the manor and Anastasia's favorite food.
"I absolutely adore peanut butter, but unfortunately, I'm allergic to it," Anastasia shared, a hint of sadness in her expression. "It's strange because my allergy only started three months ago, after I ate a peanut butter that William made. My face swelled up, but it was undeniably delicious!" Anastasia chuckled, and Leah joined in.
Leah pondered for a moment and then asked, "Do you think it could have been something else that William put in the peanut butter? Perhaps a different ingredient triggered your allergy?"
"I don't think it was something he added," Anastasia replied. "Because I ate some peanut butter a month ago and it still had the same effect." Anastasia chuckled. "Alex was so mad when he found out. He can be controlling and grumpy sometimes."
"You know, if you hadn't told me that the two of you were twins, I wouldn't have believed it, because you look a lot younger than Alexander," Leah said.
"Well, pure blood vampires have a specific range of ages when they stop growing and aging. It's between twenty-two to twenty-six, but I stopped growing when I was just sixteen," Anastasia explained sullenly. "Alex stopped aging when he was twenty-four or twenty-five, I think. And because of that, he always treats me like a child."