AN: Hello, wonderful people! Sorry for the long wait! :( Real life.

Thanks for being patient and just an awesome bunch as usual. I'm constantly blown away by your support! Thanks to you, Her Cursed Monster got featured by Wattpad *starts crying*. I love you, guys!

Also, thanks a lot to wattpad friend @Terah0602 for mentioning a discrepancy in the plot. Zachary has now been chained for 130 years, not just 10. (Sorry Zachie...).

As a last note, Chapter 18 got a bit out hand... Cuts the ribbon tie for our very first smut scene. :O You have been warned! I'm curious what you think about it *blush*, I'm still trying my hand with these. Yay or Nay?

Fearsome Hamster

'Vampires are allergic to the plant Allium Sativum, better known in common tongue as garlic. Household owners are strongly advised to hang garlic braids at the entrance of their homes as this prevents evil from–'

As if garlic could pose a danger to Zachary. The idea was laughable.

'Vampires dwell in dark cold places like caves–'

Margo scoffed, carefully turning the age-worn page to hopefully more relevant chapters. In her lap was a book she had borrowed from Mr. Fredor's hidden occult section in the library– never had she believed she would make use of the ridiculous manuscripts stashed away in there, but for now they were her only hope of discovering what her betrothed was truly capable of.

She toyed with the hard corner of the old book, her mind straying.

You can always ask him instead of hunting for elusive answers in obscure tomes. The young woman quickly pushed the thought away. It has been days since the earth-shattering revelation and Zachary had tried to corner her and tell her on several occasions about their 'mating'. To his vexation, she had managed to escape him each time and had avoided him like the plague since then. However, she was painfully aware she could only ignore him for so long. With only one week left until the wedding and her father ordering her to remain by 'Lord Frost's side so he would not lose interest and abandon her at the altar like damaged goods', her dear parent's exact words, she was trapped.

She felt like a prisoner in the gigantic incoherent castle with only her beast of a fiancee to keep her company. Not even his servants dared to address her anymore after a jealous episode of their master lashing verbally at one of the attendants for standing too close to her for his liking. It had been ridiculous and frightening at the same time.

Her fiancee's human facade was rapidly crumbling and his fixation with her worsening to a point of obsession. 

Zachary had been persistent in his advances before, a fact her untried heart had grown to rejoice in, but now he was downright aggressive in his affection. His baser instincts were always present at the forefront now. His lingering touches had grown longer, his words less well-mannered and more direct with animalistic growls deepening his voice. He even lost control over his deadly fangs on several occasions. Nevertheless, it was his indigo eyes scaring her the most. Those identical amethyst chasms latched on to her with hunger clear in their depths. She had even surprised him staring at her modest bosom like a starved animal several times now. 

Margo blushed remembering. She forced herself to return to her book. She skipped a couple of non-sensical paragraphs until something worthwhile popped in view.

Vampires and their Strengths. 

Vampire are deadly predators, high in the supernatural chain, equipped with many advantages to trap their victim and satisfy their feeding habits. Millennia ago, in the Dark Ages, their survival had been perilous and vampire numbers have decreased exponentially. Since then their race has naturally developed the ability to glamour their chosen victims and thus protect the vampire's true identity from potential hunters. Glamouring is a technique through which the vampire puts the human in a temporary trance while the feeling usually takes place; more powerful vampires are even capable of inserting false memories in the human's mind to compensate for any time lapse. Mind compulsion is also known to bend a victim's thoughts and force the victim to obey the vampire's orders. The older the vampire, the more effective the glamour.

Margo sucked in a breath as her eyes chased across the sentences. Her fingers started trembling, the book in her hands dropping soundlessly on the carpeted hard floor. Had Zachary ever used mind compulsion on her? She had known she was defenceless in his presence, but this level of vulnerability made her feel ill. Fury started burning when all types of scenarios filled her imagination.

Suddenly, the French doors of the parlour she was hiding in opened and in walked the devil himself accompanied by their appointed seamstress for the wedding. She cursed herself for noticing the dark circles around his indigo eyes and the unkept stubble covering his sharp jaw. 

"My love, Ms. Mary wanted to know whether you have decided on the design of your gown. You know coins are not an issue," his smooth voice drawled politely, but his orbs caressed her body in the most decadent of ways. 

She pursed her lips. She knew her next words would get her in trouble, but she could not stop them anyhow. Something unspeakable in her burned to see him fully lose control. Lose control and see what beast was lurking in him. See him at his worst and convince herself that he was the monster she believed him to be.

"It does not really matter, does it? The wedding is all a sham anyway. My desires are irrelevant." Zachary raised his eyebrow, a glint appearing in his eyes. "Leave us," he spoke to the confused seamstress without turning, as he advanced toward the chaise longue Margo resided in.

Zachary kneeled before her, a big hand hand cupping her cheek. The power in his body was unquestionable, coiled like a snake ready to bite. "I advise you not to follow that absurd train of thought, my love." One finger pressed on her bottom lip, the tip of it touching her blunt teeth. "I am not in control of myself nowadays," he whispered, raptly watching the sight of his finger lightly engulfed by her hot mouth.

The young woman pulled back, scandalised and flushed. She decided to continue, despite his warning. "Tell me, Zachary, is it too late to hope for a love not tainted by deceit, or better said,  mind compulsion? Too late to hope for a man to share love with, absent of these tricks of yours?"

An animalistic growl filled the room. His amethyst eyes slashed into her, his lips curling while his fangs erupted painfully from his gums. Zachary easily drew her frozen form to his, trapping her legs with his corded thighs against the chaise longue.

"Never will there be any other man besides me, Margo, "he hissed. "You are mine." Before she had a chance to speak, his punishing lips crashed on hers. His movements were hard to follow, the kiss an act of dominance. She faintly registered a touch of pain when one of his fangs nicked her plump lip.

Zachary continued to snarl and took her slightly bleeding lip in his mouth, sucking the flesh adoringly. Long healed, his tongue continued to caress her mouth like sweet candy. 

When they finally broke up, they both heaved with panting breaths. Zachary did not relinquish his hold on her however, his unnaturally bright eyes watching her hawkishly. "Your affection for me was not caused by any trickery on my part," he growled out harshly. His voice still sounded too bestial, unlike his normal self.

"I do wonder where you got that idea from though..." Like a fool, Margo let her gaze drop to the book resting near their feet. Zachary immediately followed her movement and snatched the leather bound tome from the ground. 

He stood up to his imposing frame,opening the book to the exact page where she had left it at. He paced several steps away from her. "So you wonder about me, little one. I feel flattered and I cannot help but want to satisfy your curiosity. Directly from the source." His words were spoken too calmly for her to be at ease. Her instincts were yelling at her to proceed with caution. A true predator was now with her in a far too small chamber, all traces of her gentleman fiancee gone, in its place a possessive beast. She had known her words would rile him up. Now she would pay for her recklessness.

But why did she feel a sliver of excitement run down her spine?

Zachary started reading the previous passage out loud. "Mind compulsion is also known to bend a victim's thoughts and force the victim to obey the vampire's orders. The older the vampire, the more effective the glamour."

When a wicked smile lit up his handsome features, she prepared herself for his punishment. 

"Come to me, my little one." He bent one finger and beckoned her to him in the opposite corner of the room. Like a strung marionette, her legs started moving, albeit slowly, under his command. Disbelief was riding her hard. Though she made no conscious effort to walk, her body continued to glide itself in his direction. She was in his complete control.

Finally arriving at the destination, she slumped against his waiting form. His body stopped hers from falling, a hand cushioning her head safely on his chest and caressing her raven locks. He noticed her trembling. "Do not worry, little one. No one will be able to glamour you once we have completed our bond.Not even me," he murmured.  

Margo cringed when Zachary started reading more from the damned book. She was already regretting having borrowed it. She tried to escape, but he only tightened his hold more with the other free arm. "As vampires possess no souls, their reflection remains blank in the face of a mirror." His following laugh was cruel.

With ease, he turned their bodies towards a huge golden rimmed mirror gracing the wall in front of them. The reflection stunned Margo. Zachary did appear in it, but what actually surprised was how well their bodies seemed to complement each other. She appeared almost tiny in comparison to his imposing stature, but she seemed to fit perfectly in the craddle of his muscled arm. His hand was splayed open in an obvious protective clasp on her belly. 

With his ethereal eyes, his sharp canines and the power boiling under his skin, Zachary did indeed look like a savage monster. But what monster gazed at his prey so tenderly? Perhaps, the perspective was wrong. His behaviour towards her made her think of the way the fearsome dragons from fairytales guarded their precious treasure.

Zachary rested his chin on the top of her head and read out loud: "Vampires are known to be alluring creatures, using seduction as an ultimate weapon to attract their victim." He chuckled, throwing the book away and using his now free hand to graze dangerously close to the underside of her breasts. 

"Tell me, little mate, am I seducing you right now?" A clawed finger traced her silky blue dress, ripping the material away. In the mirror, she watched how the remnants of her robe floated on the floor, leaving her only in a far too thin chemise. Her skin pebbled in response to the cold air in the room or perhaps as a reaction to his sinfully whispered words. She covered her bosom bashfully. 

He twinned her gesture and laid his arm atop her smaller one. With slow movements, he curled his fingers around her palm, making her cup her own breast. He trailed scorching lips on her naked neck. "No other man will make you feel like this," he growled, her previous words clearly still tormenting him. 

"Say it, Margo," he ordered, pinching her nipple. She jumped in his arms, surprised by the jolt of pleasure. How inappropriate. If she had known her argument would lead to this, she would have reconsidered and–

Her rational train of thoughts was interrupted when he licked his fingers and wetted them against her covered cleavage. What a cruel man. "No other," she promised. Despite not facing him, the mirror showed Margo how happy her confession made him.

She moaned when she felt his fangs tease the spot connecting her shoulder to her neck. "No other woman will make me feel like this", he marked his words by grinding his groin into her body. Her eyes met his hungry ones in the mirror's reflection when she felt a bulging hardness through his riding pants. She gasped, something in her clenching. 

His kisses on her skin were driving her mad with pleasure. She was chasing an elusive peak. "Zachary, I..." she whispered brokenly. 

He laid a tender kiss on her temple and murmured:

"It is my honour to help you, my mate." Enveloping her tighter in his powerful embrace, she felt a momentary pinch in her right shoulder, before a haze of euphoria gripped her. Through hooded eyes, she watched Zachary's reflected self drink from her, contented purring coming from his lips. Through their sweaty garments, she felt shudders of rapture running through him as well.

After several moments, Zachary retracted his fangs. By this point, his arm was the only support holding her upright and stopping her from melting in a puddle on the floor. That had felt...amazing. Margo stretched her neck like a feline when she felt his hot tongue lick away her puncture wounds. 

The moment the last tremors of pleasure dispelled away, Margo escaped his embrace. Judging by his hovering fingers, he did not want to let her go. But she needed to clear her mind and she could not do so with his touch on her skin to remind how he could make her body come alive. 

Risking one glance in the mirror, she saw the truth she wanted to deny. Before her stood a rosy cheeked girl, her ruby lips bitten, her hair tousled from constant touches and her heaving dampened chest visible though the white material of her chemise. Her collar was pushed aside, one pale shoulder peaking though, showing Zachary's mark.

What have I done?