Damien's POV

"Here, drink this," I slid the stainless steel glass closer to Aliya as it made a scraping noise against the desk.

"What is that?" She looked up from her laptop, her eyes had stayed glued to the screen for the past half an hour as she attended her online class.

"Blood," I said, casually.

She made the most disgusted face before pushing it back towards me as if it was poison.

"What, the blood group not up to your standards? Would you prefer a different one?"

She turned to look at me to see if I was actually serious, "I would prefer a latte but thanks for asking."

"Don't worry, your breakfast will be here shortly."

She nodded and gave me a small smile before resuming her work.

Realizing it was Monday and she probably had classes, I had woken her up this morning pretty early. After the events of last night, she was bound to be hungover and tired. I suggested that she took her online class here in my study where I could make sure she didn't fall asleep during her lectures.

This whole online schooling was still a strange concept to me. It was something that even the vampire community was shifting towards, our universities were holding classes remotely for the ones that could be taught that way.

I remembered when the officials had asked for my approval to move some classes online, I agreed as long as they still catered to the students' needs, just as if it was in person.

There were also some suggestions of putting together a program to update the teachers and professors on the latest technology so they wouldn't be so challenged with evolving times. Some of them had been teaching for centuries, but their knowledge was as good as nothing if they didn't know how to translate it over to the new generation.

I telepathically ordered the head chef to send breakfast for Aliya and a pain killer for the headache.

Oh, and coffee for my caffeine-addicted mate.

As if feeling my eyes on her, I watched as she shifted in her chair. We were sitting on the opposite sides of my enormous desk, which was now filled with unnecessary junk such as highlighters, colorful pens, and notebooks sprawled over it.

Her uncomfortable posture gave away what was going through her mind, I didn't even need to read her thoughts. Her rosy cheeks flushed with the memory of last night, her feet tapping gently but rapidly on the soft carpet was enough to notify me of her dismay.

Her beating heart was a great distraction which prevented me from focusing on anything in the room besides her.

I was starting to think it wasn't a smart idea to have her study here with me, right in front of my eyes when I had my own work lined up.

"Will you stop that?" The snap of my voice surprised me, I didn't expect it to be so loud.

"Stop what?" She frowned, not realizing the distraction she was causing me.

If it wasn't for my sometimes over-the-top sensing abilities, I would have been able to focus on other things.

"Nothing," was all I said before dropping my gaze.

Her beating heart was only a reminder of how alive she was. Something that I could never be.

Her heart pumped the oxygenated blood to the rest of her organs through her arteries, before it became deoxygenated and returned back to her heart. Her lungs filled with air as she breathed in, and out.

It was frustrating to think, but all I could focus on was her. 

Whatever I felt towards her, it was clear that she mirrored my emotions after the events of last night. It could have just been a heat of the moment, but it was prominent how much she wanted me.

One thing was certain: if we continued down this road it was meant to bring us only heartache and disaster.

She was human and I was a vampire.

It didn't take my expertise in reading minds to know how much she hated my species.

She would never want to be one of us, let alone live in our world.

There wasn't a world in this universe where we could be together, she belonged in the human world while I was destined to rule the vampires.

With time, she would get older and age, and then eventually die.

The thought alone formed a lump in my throat.

While that would be happening, I wouldn't be able to do a single thing to stop it or slow the time. I will have to live eternally with the consequences, blaming myself for ever letting her slip away even though it is beyond my control.

I would not be able to lose her, I suddenly realized.

There was only one solution to this, I had to stay away from her. I would be saving us both the heartbreak.

"Damien?" Her voice snapped me out of my lingering thoughts.

"Did you say something?" I blinked.

She was holding a cup of coffee while blowing cold air into it. I didn't even notice when the maid had brought the food in, there was a tray full of light pastries and croissants resting on the table.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize how much time had passed.

"Yes, I was saying I need to go shopping. It's Emma's bridal shower today and I didn't even get the chance to buy her a gift before coming here."

"Oh," I avoided her eyes that strangely pulled me in, "I'll have Leo and Zain escort you to the mall, you can find something there."

"Can't you come with me?" She asked, her eyes filled with hope.

I buried myself in the file that Eric had placed on my desk a while ago, "I'm busy today."

Being in her presence was the last thing I needed after coming face to face with the reality of our beings.

The more time I spent with her, the harder it would get to pull away in the end.

She was only here for a few more days, then she would return to her true home, back in the human world.

"Okay," why did she sound so disappointed?

I assured myself that keeping some distance between us was for the best.

"Aren't you going to eat too? You barely eat." She stated the obvious.

"I only need blood to survive," I said, flipping through the pages.

It was some new policy that the council wanted to implement, but I couldn't be any less invested in it at the given moment.

"But is that enough, purely survival? Don't you get cravings to try different kinds of food or satisfy your taste buds?"

I finally looked up at her, amused by her question.

A smirk formed on my lips, "that sweet blood running through your veins would satisfy my every craving, want to help me fulfill them?"

Her eyes widened before she closed her laptop, "I'm done with my class, I have another one but not until later on in the afternoon. I should probably get going..."

She pointed her thumb towards the door and started to gather her belongings.

***

Aliya's POV

Emma's bridal shower was breathtaking, it was as if we had been teleported to a fairytale town with pink and gold decor that glimmered in the sunlight.

The shower was being held at one of the rooftops of the castle, with cherry blossom trees to provide shade and aesthetic to the place. There was a long wooden table in the middle to seat the guests, which had cute teapots, candles, and flowers placed neatly on top.

To my left, I found a few people playing games.

There was also a girlish bar on the side that had a bartender mixing drinks and working their magic to accommodate the guests' requests.

Emma appeared with a glass of champagne in her hand, "you're here!"

I smiled at her, "hey, Em. Sorry for being late, I was trying to pick the best present for you, what do you even gift a princess who has everything?"

Damien asked the guards to take me to the mall so I could shop for Emma, and I ended up finding a perfect surprise for her that I couldn't wait for her to open.

She laughed, "well, not everything... By the way, how do you feel?"

Confused, I asked what she meant, and then realization drawn on me.

Last night.

Drunk.

Hugging Damien in front of everybody, before he practically had to carry me out of the room.

How embarrassing.

"Uhm, hate to break it to you, but that is not the only thing you need to be embarrassed about.  It's no secret what went on inside my brother's chamber," she winked, placing her hand over her lips to hide her giggle.

Oh, how I wish the ground would just open up and engulf me in its arms so I wouldn't have to face her.

They heard everything.

My mind shifted to our night together, who knows what would've happened if the maid hadn't interrupted us when she brought me dinner. Damien urged that I eat before sleeping or I would feel worse in the morning, so I finished the meal as he freshened up and showered before bed. By the time he got out and made his way back to bed, I was already drifting off to sleep just as I felt him slide the covers on me to keep me warm through the night.

"I'm kidding!" Emma giggled, "it is none of my business and frankly, I don't even want to know. Also, it's nothing to be embarrassed of. You two are adults and masters of your own desires, you do not have to answer to anybody here, got it? Besides, they wouldn't dare to open their mouth and speak ill of their king."

I knew they wouldn't, it wasn't him who I was worried about they would be judging.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I nodded and held her hand as we made our way to the table where princesses and other high society girls mingled in conversations and giggled at their own jokes.

Last night's event made me recognize a few girls as I sat down and greeted them, they welcomed me with warm smiles as well. However, I was no fool, I now understood their strong dislike in my kind. Maybe there were a few genuine smiles but most of them were putting on a facade.

They thought of me as an outsider.

Some didn't even try to hide their glare as they stared me down, those were the ones I completely ignored.

My uneasiness became less noticeable as Emma and I engaged in a conversation about the wedding which was in three days.

"Have you guys heard the latest news?"

My attention turned to the girl sitting a few chairs down, on the opposite side of me. She had pin-straight hair that was tied back in a sleek pony tail, her unique violet eyes gleaming with excitement.

Every pair of eyes turned to land on her, anticipating what she was talking about.

"The Vampire King is going to pick his Queen soon!" She squealed, watching as everyone's reaction changed to pure shock.

Well, not everyone's, I noticed. Some of the girls nodded as if they were familiar with the rumor already.

"What?!"

"How do you know?"

"Emma, is it true?"

Emma stayed silent as people responded and questioned her, a worried expression took over her face as she turned to me.

I was equally as confused as some of them, wanting answers. Or waiting for her to turn down the rumors.

"It's just-" Emma started but got cut off by someone.

A girl with blond hair and icy blue eyes spoke up, "yes, I don't know how my mom found out. And she has been trying to set me up with the king since last night, even though getting married is like the last thing on my mind right now."

"You can't be serious, Iliana, your mother is trying to set you up?! What is this, the 18th century?"

Iliana nodded, "she even managed to somehow arrange a date for me tonight, she was going on about it this morning."

A date?

Since when was the vampire king going on a date?!

I suddenly realized that I didn't know what the fuck was going on.

Had I been living under a rock this whole time?

Why did I feel like I was missing out on such an important detail about Damien's life?

"Are you kidding me, a date with the king?!" Mira said, "can I take your spot if you don't want to go?"

Although I was sitting as far away from her as possible, she still managed to get on my nerves.

Her desperate ways to try and go on a date with Damien made me cringe.

If disgust was an expression, it was written all over my face right now.

"Do you guys think he has made up his mind already about who he wants to marry?"

"It is a big decision, perhaps he is silently judging us from a distance to see who is fit to be the next queen of vampires."

"Or perhaps he already has his eyes on a lady and just waiting to announce the engagement."

I didn't even look up to see who said that, my vision was becoming clouded with a burning fire that started at the bottom of my heart, resurfacing to the top and becoming harder to neglect with each passing second.

"I bet it won't even be a love affair, he is incapable of that as we all know it. It could be an alliance between kingdoms or some sort of deal."

"Maybe his mind can be changed-"

"That's enough!" Emma stood up, "I hope you all realize how disrespectful you are being right now, sitting at my bridal shower and the only topic of conversation is my brother."

Through my raging emotion-filled eyes, I saw some sincere guilt flicker in the eyes of the strangers as some of them murmured a simple sorry to Emma.

Clearing my head, I realized it would be rude of me to leave, even though all I wanted was to make a run for it and hide in some closet and shut out the world.

Shut out their voices as they gushed over Damien and fantasized about going on dates with him, getting to spend time with him.

My consciousness wouldn't allow me to even imagine him sitting there looking at another girl across the table or remotely admiring anything about her.

He was definitely not the romantic type, but after what happened last night, I knew he had another side that I was slowly starting to uncover.

The thought of him getting close to someone else hurt more than anything, I knew all these girls probably possessed such great qualities that I could only imagine, they have been around for so long. Way more experienced in the arts of love and affection, more educated and having talents which I could only dream of.

They had years worth of advantage over me.

Not to mention they were princesses.

Just because Damien called me princess a few times last night did not mean I was suddenly transformed into one.

Closing my eyes, I tried to calm the storm of thoughts inside me. When they finally slowed down, a final thought remained.

I wanted to remain his only princess.

*************************************

Author's Note

NOT EDITED YET.

I was just too excited to publish this chapter.

Sorry I know it's been a few days since the last update, I've just been busy applying to Medical Schools.

But to make up for the delay, here is a double update! :)

Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments!

-J.S