She looked at him and her lips turned downwards.
"Mate? What are you talking about?" She frowned.
He smiled, that creepy smile she saw in her dream and she shivered.
He leaned closer till his face touched hers. Her heart raced faster than before. Damm it! He was too beautiful!
She gulped and closed her eyes. His nose nuzzled her neck. She felt hot between her legs and she gasped, what the hell was going on with her?
"I'm just your mate. Something peculiar... Something not ordinary." He said it with emphasis on every word.
Her jaws fell and she felt her heart stop beating for a moment.
"You're not ordinary? Like you're special somehow?"
"Yes I am and you are my mate... that is my wife." He said firmly.
She shook her head dazed, wife? Mate? How?
He rolled his eyes, "You're my mate and that's just it. I don't know how. I waited three hundred years just for you."
She gawked. Three hundred years?! She took another look at him. He was too dashing to look three hundred. He looked more like a twenty four year old.
"Don't let this body deceive you. I'm way more older than you think.* He smirked.
She blinked, he could hear her thoughts?
His smirk widened and his nose nuzzled her neck again this time more slowly.
She was short of words and couldn't speak, all the blood in her body seemed to be drained out.
"I need you to mate with me. Our kingdom back at home needs their queen. I can't continue being king without a queen." He twisted his lips and moved away from her.
"Queen? Who? Me?" She asked wide eyed. Her legs were shaking uncontrollably. She couldn't think property anymore.
"You heard me." He said simply.
She shook her head fiercely, "Who are you? What do you want from me?" She almost yelled.
"Keep it down, will you? You wouldn't want your parents to find out." He squinted his eyes.
She was going insane. She was a freaking human's mate!
"Why... can't you.. mate someone else? Am I the only one here in this world?" She frowned.
"I don't know why you're my mate but that's just it. I can smell your scent and by that I know you're my mate." He raised his brows.
She was confused, what was he talking about?
"Listen, you're getting married to me and that's it. There's nothing you can do about it. Besides, your parents owe me." He sat down on the couch and crossed his legs.
Her pounded hard in her chest. How could she be married to this person who wasn't even a person?
He stared at her with a blank face. This human mate was difficult... too difficult perhaps.
"What if my parents pay you your money back? Will you leave me alone?" She asked hopefully.
He frowned and his eyes went icy cold.
"You're may mate and there's nothing you can do about it. Get this into that tiny brain of yours." He said coldly.
She felt a lump in her throat. Her heart was still pounding hard, it was as if it would jump out of her chest right that minute.
"Quit worrying yourself lady. We're getting married next week. There's no time to waste." He said and stood up.
"But I..."
"There's no two ways about it. We are getting married next week." He said with a note of finality.
She was dumbfounded and couldn't speak.
"Mrs. Adams?" He called out.
Clara came rushing into the parlor.
"Yes Mr. Smith?"
"Ok I'm getting married to her next week. My mother will come here and make the preparations with you."
"Okay Mr. Smith. There's no problem." She nodded and smiled a little.
Mariah felt a needle like pain stab her heart. Her mother readily agreed to rush and marry her off to some stranger who was a vampire!
Joseph looked her way.
"Not a word to anyone not even your mother." He said firmly and walked out of the parlor.
Clara looked at Mariah who looked at him as he walked out. When he was out of sight, she collapsed on the ground and broke into fresh tears.
Clara looked at her and shook her head.
"I'm so sorry Mariah, but there's nothing we can do right now. We just have to get you married to him." She sighed.
She couldn't tell her mother, she wouldn't even believe her if she told her.
She sniffed and wiped her eyes, this was her fate and she couldn't change it.
She stood up and ran into her room. That was the only place she could find solace.
***
"Mom, you have to come with me. The humans there just won't get me married to their daughter without seeing my family." Lucas explained for the one thousandth time.
Ivy frowned, "But I can't just leave."
"Well you have to." He said.
"Son, this is ridiculous. You want me to leave this people?"
"Roshan will handle them Mom. He isn't my second in command for nothing." He said.
"I have been a vampire all my life. I don't know anything about humans and their world and why do I have to follow you to get you married to your mate?" She questioned him again.
He held his head frustrated.
"Mom I have already told you. She's not a vampire Mom, she's a human. Humans won't marry me off to their daughter when I don't have a family to show them." He bit lips to stop him from surprise outbursts.
"I don't know. The human world is somehow scary." She sat down.
"There is nothing to fear Mom, I am with you and nothing can haem you while I'm with you." He assured her.
She sighed and looked at her hands.
"I hope she's exactly what I imagine her to be." She smiled.
"Oh no, she's not. She's the most difficult human I have ever encountered." He exhaled.
"She can't be that bad."
He scoffed, "Indeed, you'll know her once you get to meet her in person."
"Finally Lucas, you will have..."
Lucas felt a burning sensation in his chest. He held it and groaned lowly.
Ivy stood up and went to meet him.
"Are you alright son?" She held him.
"I'm not, Mariah is in trouble."
She knotted her brows, "What do you mean? How do you know that?"
"I can feel it Mom. My chest wouldn't burn for no reason." The burn increased and he groaned loudly.
"Lucas!" She gasped.
"I have to go save her femm whatever is about to harm her." With this, he vanished form his mother's sight.