It took over a month for Lord Alaric to arrive with his entourage. I had to stop myself from curling my lip at the size of his riding party. We did not have space for another fifty people. Even so he had brought at least that many people. It had no doubt slowed his journey ere which soured my mood even more. Even my skill Calm Mind had been at a loss on how to control the mood swings brought on by my hunger.
Umbriel had been patient with me so far but I had refused to feed from anyone else. I could not risk my bite forming yet another mate bond. No one understood way I had not fed from others and I was not inclined to explain it to them.
My anger took a back seat as my breath hitched in my lungs. Alaric... was beautiful. Dressed in a blue Victorian tail coat. His long black hair clashed with his light green eyes. They locked on me. As I had locked on him.
I had done a simple ponytail with a ribbon to keep my hair back. It had taken much pleading from family, staff, and Umbriel to keep me from cutting it off. I tried to relax as he dismounted from the black wolf underneath him. His long strides carried him to me quickly.
Alaric has hard angles that made my twenty four year old brain thrill. If this had been an option for me in my last life I just might have went for a man. Which was something I did not understand. I liked softer features. It was what had first attracted me to women. So why was someone who radiated male making me so hot. He towered over me.
"Aurora, I presume?" My brain just short circuited. His tone was low and confident, yet just that hint of bass that suggested gravel. That rough biting edge.
Dad went to step forward, no doubt to address the male. I beat him to the punch. "I am. Who might you be? Seems quite rude to be asking my name without first giving your own." I may have been mistaken but I could have sworn I saw a hint of amusement in the mans eyes.
He bowed at the waist into a low bow. I did not mis the shocked faces on the other members of his group at the motion. "I am Lord Alaric Stella."
"And why have you come here Lord Alaric?" I questioned. His eyes glanced up at me and I caught the twitch at the corner of his mouth. Was he enjoying this as much as I was.
"Please forgive her Lord Stella," my dad rushed out. He took my arm in a firm grasp and wrenched me back. "Please stand back up. She has been moody since the change. I had not thought she had forgotten her manners as well." Dad turned his gaze on me and I forced my eyes down as I clenched my mouth shut.
"She has done nothing wrong," Lord Alaric said. He pulled me from my Dad and instead hid me behind his back. "Further more I would like it known the girl may call me Alaric if she wishes. In fact," his red eyes turned to me with a smile, "I would ask her to call me Alaric." What the hell was happening? There was no way this was normal. "Have you been hunting yet?"
I tilted my head to the side. I did not miss the way his eyes shifted to my pulse at the motion. "Hunting?" I questioned.
"That is a no," he sighed. I squealed as he lifted me into his arms. "Where is the nearest Dungeon?"
"Lord Stella! Please!" Papa yelled. I looked over Alaric's shoulder as he kept walking. "She has never been in a dungeon!"
"That's the point!" He yelled as he climbed back onto the wolf. Me? I was still in his arm frozen by what was happening. Dad held Papa back. Papa looked like he was about to blast Alaric to the Gods.
I caught a whiff of the blood beneath Alaric's skin. My fangs, which I had only just managed to get tucked, snapped down. I hissed out and jerked my head away. "You should take a drink," Alaric said as the wolf moved forward.
"Can't," I said. Fucking lisp.
"You can and you should. Blood from someone my age could be a great boon to you."
"Help," I corrected. "No one says boon now days. Just how old are you?"
"I stopped keeping track."
"You have the system to tell you," I point out.
"I do. Now bite."
"Can't," I said again. "Can not."
Several other people were trailing behind us. Some on foot, others on horses, but a few rode some more unconventional means. More wolves, big cats, even a pig. "Why not? I am freely offering."
I looked away, "I have a skill. My bite can come with consequences."
"Such as?" He glanced at me, clearly curious. I sighed and used my tongue to suck at my right fang. A new habit I have developed.
"None of your business," I snapped. He bit his arm and shoved it into my mouth before I could blink. An unexpectedly sweet flavor exploded on my tongue. Strawberries and cream with a biting edge of vodka burn. I moaned and bit down hard. His blood was chilled as it flowed. As if the frozen burn I loved on Earth was alive and well.
My body moved on reflex trying to roll him under me. He let me take his arm captive. Not that I got to take it far.
Still I drank. He tasted better than Umbriel. "My Lord," I heard a man question. "Would you like me to remove her?"
Alaric growled at whoever spoke, "Touch my Beloved and you will lose that arm." His arm tensed in my hold. I let loose a low rumble of my own. "Hush now Little one," he soothed me. "Feed now. You've been starving yourself. I would never dream of stopping you."
Eventually I pulled my mouth away. I licked my lips and turned towards the male. "What the hell is a Beloved? And what makes you think I'm yours?"
"A Beloved is a Vampire soulmate of sorts. I imagine it is similar to fated mates some races have."
"But I feel nothing..." I said. "I feel like I am more likely to stab you that protect you."
"That is quiet common in females. Especially young ones who do not yet feel the bond," one of the males said. There was a group of five males riding surprisingly close.
"But I already have a fated Consort!" I exclaimed. "Clearly you must have made a mistake. I've been feeding from him since my change."
They stared at me as we continued to travel. "That's not possible. The mate connection can not be sensed until sixteen."
I sighed, "The stats window. After I bit him the first time a bit over a year ago... his name showed up as a potential in the Consort section after that."
"Potential," Alaric echoed. "Vampire Beloved is set due to a number of factors. Biological and magical mainly."
"Meaning?" I asked.
"What My Lord is trying to say is that even through someone else was a potential Consort a year ago he is the best Potential Consort for you now."
"But I don't like males!" I snapped. Everyone stopped. A blush spread over my cheeks.
Alaric chuckled, "You are surprisingly young to already now that. Although most Consorts are not together romantically."
My blush deepened. "W- what?"
"It's why Consorts often have such large age differences," one of the followers said. "Consorts are magically compatible. They often become close but..." she shrugged.
I looked at Alaric, "I feel like I should be insulted for some reason. Which makes no sense. I am a child. I should be happy to find this bond you supposedly feel does not make you attracted to me and yet..."
"Vampire pride," he supplied. "We place heavy weight on our looks. Even a young child like you would consider it an insult to be told you are not attractive. Which you are attractive but I would never touch someone so young."
"How high is her intelligence?"
"I'm blessed," I snipped out. "No doubt that has something to do with all this," I waved my hand around. "For the sake of saving time you should know speaking in another language will not help you!" My eyes locked on three people over Alaric's shoulder. "My Blessing makes me a master of language and I can understanding you." Their eyes widened as I lifted my eye brows. "Quin tinta mik may a ta." I smiled.
"So your intelligence..."
"Is my highest stat," I sighed. "Not for lack of trying but when a God gifts you with an intelligence blessing..." They laughed. I rolled my eyes. "Anyway I'm closer to being twenty something mentally than ten. So how long are we traveling because I need to eat still. And sleep."
They looked between eachother. "We'll stop here!" Alaric yelled. He helped me down from the wolf.
"What skill lets this be a thing?" I questioned. Then I froze.