Aurelia jumped to her feet and ran.
She sprinted down the tunnel they came, she arrived at her room to find Alivas stood at the foot of the bed she awoke in.
"Aurelia, I wont hurt you-" he said as he took a step towards the trembling girl his arms outstretched. Aurelia turned to run back out the door to run into Alivas chest.
He raised his hands as though to not touch her.
"Please, sit down. I wont come near you, not unless you ask me to", his eyes pleaded to her but Aurelia could not even look at him right now. She needed to controll her breathing.
She was truly cursed. Her parents died, leaving her a lowborn orphan in the strictest status pack in Valdera. She found her mate who confirmed her feelings about herself, then attacked by a fae, tricked by humans, assaulted by humans and now her actual mate is a vampire. There was only one questions now in her mind and she voiced it.
"What the fuck?", she haldlf screamed. Aurelias eyes were wide with anxiety, she gripped her hair and pulled as if her brain were being suffocated by her strands. She looked around the room lile she may find answers engraved in the walls.
She turned from Avilas and paced the room.
Aurelia knew he was telling the truth. Every fibre of her being wanted to be wrapped up in his arms, her hands on his marble skin and blanketed in his scent.
But he could kill her in a second.
Avilas had bombarded her with all this information about herself and now she was his mate. She was right to ask, what the fuck?
"No, no, vampires use their beauty to lure humans. We are not mates, you are compelling me!" She pointed at him as she accused.
"Aurelia, I cannot compel you even if I wanted to. You are unbound, it will not work", Avilas spoke softly and approached her slowly. When she did not react, he took another step. He was now stood in front of her.
Avilas reached out and put his hands on hers as she oulled at her hair from the scalp. He gentle pulled untangled them and held her hands in his.
Aurelia looked up at him into his golden orbs. Her eyes welled with tears. She could no longer control it, she wrapped her arms around his waist as she couls not reach his neck. She buried her face in his chest and cried her little heart out.
"Please... don't kill me, Avilas", Aurelia half whispered between cries.
Avilas wrapped his arms around her tiny figure and lifted her off the ground. Aurelia wrapped her arms around his neck finally and Avilas laid her down on the bed.
He lay next to her and gently stroked her hair, letting her cry out everything she needed.
Withing the hour, Aurelias breathing finally evened out and she fell asleep in the crook of Avilas' arm.
Though he did not need it, Avilas lay his head against Aurelias and soon fell asleep himself.
***
Aurelia stirred from the most comfortable sleep of her life. She opened her eyes to find herself under the lace canopy once again.
She remembered being in Avilas' arms but he was nowhere to be seen. The fire roared on in the ornate fireplace and as she looked around the room, she found a bunch of bluebells in a vase on the table. She smiled, nobody had ever gotten her flowers before.
Then the realisation hit. Aurelia remembered her talks with Avilas. She was something called an "unbound", he had the same mark as her, she was his mate.. and he was a vampire.
Aurelia buried her face in her hands. This was all too much.
Her thoughts raced and her head ached from the onslaught of infromayion flodding back through her skull.
The door to the room slowly started to open and Aurelias eyes shot to the intruder.
Avilas walked through the room almost silently carrying a tray with food.
"Oh, you're awake. Did you sleep okay? You were rather upset...", Avilas studied Aurelia and she did not responde but her eyes followed him closely.
He did not want her to become hysterical like a few hours before. He was unsure how to help ease her discomfort.
Avilas set the tray down on the bed next to Aurelia. Red meat, and buttered bread again but with fresh apples and strawberries. Two glasses, one with water and one with milk.
Aurelia had never been graced with fress food like this before. Her stomach growled in anticipation.
"You brought us breakfast?", Aurelia had never been treated so kindly, what was even more confusing was this kindess came from the apex predator of Valdera.