Pride-Niklaus's Point of View
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"I've studied all the ten girls under Scarlet. Every single one of them. All I could possibly get my hands on, I did," I said, my gaze locking with my sister's. I could see the barely contained excitement flickering in her eyes, that dangerous mix of curiosity and hunger. "That's how I know they're all head over heels for her, though she doesn't seem to realize it. Scarlet, as always, avoids them. Like a damn magnet for trouble, she's completely oblivious to it all."
A spark of realization flickered in Dove's eyes. She jumped in place, her hands clasped together in excitement, the kind of enthusiasm I'd grown used to in her. "I knew it! I knew there was more to it! Give me everything, Nik. I need it, please. All the details—everything you know about her." Her voice was a mix of urgency and desire, the kind that told me she wasn't going to stop until she got exactly what she wanted from me.
What wouldn't I do for my little sister? I had a soft spot for her that I sometimes indulged more than I should. But she was family. And family meant something to me—always had, always would. "Alright then," I said, my voice low and teasing, "I'll give you everything you want. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Dove's eyes widened even more, clearly hanging onto every word, every detail I was about to give her. I could see her mind racing with possibilities, plotting, planning. I leaned back, getting comfortable, and began sharing what I knew, making sure every word came with the weight it deserved.
"Adeline is four months younger than us. Same day, but four months apart—her birthday's March 5th, and ours is in November." I paused for a moment, letting that sink in, the small but significant detail. "She stands at 1.77 meters tall, meaning she's three centimeters shorter than you. Just a tiny bit, but I know how that might bother you."
Dove made a slight sound of acknowledgment, but her attention was completely fixed on me, waiting for the next piece of the puzzle to fall into place.
"Adeline's blood type is O negative, just like ours," I continued. "But what's interesting is, she loves AB positive blood the most—same as ours too. Funny coincidence, huh?" I chuckled lightly, trying to ease the tension in the air, but Dove wasn't laughing. She was hanging on my every word, processing each detail as if it were vital information, which, for her, it probably was.
"She feeds from four people: two girls and two boys who are currently freshmen. Their names are Naila Adwan and Lecia Holst. Then there's Rudolf Much and Tito Secco. You've probably seen them around the school."
Dove hissed under her breath. "I know them all," she muttered with venom in her tone. "I've been craving to kill them for a while, but I don't want to frighten her off, Nik." Her possessiveness was obvious, and I knew exactly what she meant. Dove had no patience when it came to things she wanted, especially when it involved love and desire.
"Adwan is a wolf shifter," I said, diving deeper into the details. "Holst is a siren, Rudolf is a demon, and Tito is a wizard. All of them went to different sisterhoods or academies: Naila to Freya's sisterhood, Rudolf to Apollo's academy, and Tito to Heimdall's."
I saw Dove's eyes narrow in frustration as she processed this information. She wasn't impressed by them. In fact, she was dismissive, no doubt feeling as if they were beneath her.
"What else do you have on her?" she asked, her voice almost impatient now. She rolled around on my bed, clearly restless, her thoughts consumed entirely by Adeline and everything she could do to get closer to her.
I took a deep breath, preparing to share the rest of my findings. "Adeline's allergic to O positive blood type, which is weird, right? But she manages it. She has a Siamese cat named Eminem." I couldn't help but chuckle, remembering the cat. "Quite the musical taste, if you ask me. I mean, that cat's name alone says everything you need to know about her."
Dove sat up, clearly intrigued by this little quirk of hers. "Tell me more about her," she urged, her eyes wide with curiosity, practically hanging on my every word.
"Well," I said, continuing, "Adeline has a particular fondness for whiskey mixed with blood, blood cookies, and blood jelly gums. I know—it sounds strange, but that's what she likes. It's like she has a taste for the more… intense things in life." I leaned forward slightly, making sure Dove caught every word. "Her favorite book is _Empire of the Vampire_ by Jay Kristoff, and she's also a huge fan of the Netflix series Vikings."
Dove gave me a sly grin. "I love Vikings too."
"Of course you do," I muttered, rolling my eyes. We both shared a love for anything dark, mysterious, and filled with adventure. It was one of the few things that always connected us, no matter what happened. "Her favorite song, though, is by a Brazilian male singer. It's called Tangerina by Tiago Iorc. And while that song might be a favorite, her all-time favorite artist is Eminem. Not exactly a shock, considering her cat's name."
"Wow," Dove whispered, her voice low as she processed everything I had just said. "She speaks eight languages, though, which is impressive. English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, French, German, Italian, and Hindi." She smiled proudly. "I speak several myself," she added with a wink, knowing full well that she was showing off.
Of course, she did. Between the two of us, we could speak about twenty different languages. It was something we had learned over the years, and it was a skill we both took great pride in. It helped us navigate the world in ways most people couldn't understand.
I nodded in acknowledgment of her little boast before moving on to something more important. "Now, as a vampire, Adeline doesn't sleep. She has a habit of cooking at night with Makayla and Stella—those two are her childhood best friends, both vampires like her." I could see Dove's mind working as she considered the implications of this.
"Demons don't sleep either," Dove remarked, her tone thoughtful. "We fall into that, so it'll be fine." She gave me a quick nod, as if confirming in her mind that it would work for her.
"True," I agreed, but there was more to it. "But Adeline has her quirks. She's bisexual, like you, and has dated Freya and Heimdall before. Not the first time she's been involved with someone from one of the Kings and Queens of Sky-Eden." I let that sink in for a moment, giving her time to process the significance. "However, she doesn't get along with the boys from Inferno or the girls from Paradise. And she absolutely hates me, you, and those five idiots in the living room." I shot Dove a knowing look, and she grinned back at me, understanding exactly what I meant.
"So, that might be a bit of an obstacle," I added, but I didn't let the words linger. "But I'll tell you this, Dove: she has a soft spot for those who pay her extreme attention, those who give her their time, who listen to her and show genuine interest. Artists, people who can paint portraits, who can sing, who are as strong as she is, or even stronger. She has a special fondness for people with AB positive blood—and as you've probably guessed by now, black hair is a definite plus."
Dove's face lit up at the last part. "I win on those!" She shot me a wink, clearly pleased with her advantage.
I couldn't help but chuckle. "You sure do." But the laughter didn't last long, because I knew exactly what this meant. "So, here's how you go about it."
Dove sat up straight, her full attention on me now, her entire being focused on the plan I was about to lay out for her. "How do I court her?" she asked eagerly, her voice dripping with anticipation.
I looked at her seriously, no teasing left in my tone. "Be attentive. Make cookies with your blood. Go for the secret admirer angle first—let her fall for your actions and your personality before she knows who you are. Make sure she knows you're a girl, but don't show yourself just yet. Build up the mystery and make her curious. That way, when she finally realizes who you are, she won't react so strongly." I paused, glancing at her, watching her absorb my every word. "Don't hit on her right away. Show her you're everything she's been looking for in a partner, and in time, she'll be all over you."
Dove squealed in excitement, practically launching herself at me. "I love you, Nik!" she said, hugging me tightly.
I smirked, leaning back slightly. "I love myself too," I purred, feeling a small bit of pride for being able to help her.
At least one of us might have a shot at the person they craved for. But in my case, things were far more complicated. Far darker. More twisted than I wanted to admit. And perhaps, for me, it might never happen. But no matter what, I would not let Scarlet be with anyone else. I couldn't. I wouldn't. I'd rather die than watch her fall into someone else's arms. I'd make sure of it. My actions were justified in my eyes, no matter the cost.