Chapter sixteen
Emma
I forced my eyes open after sleeping for what seemed like hours. I just didn’t know how long or how many days I might have been sleeping, but I believe it has been quite long.
My stomach groaned as a result of the lack of food, but I sighed and kept lying tiredly on the ground. I’ve been surviving here with the help of the rainwater, those little drops that manage to trickle down from the ceiling window. It’s tough but I am trying my best to make it through.
I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, feeling the sharp pain shooting through my stomach. It was unbearable, but I refused to give up. It felt like they wanted me to suffer and starve to death.
And as I was lost in my thoughts, I suddenly caught the sound of footsteps approaching the prison room where I was trapped. My heart skipped a beat as I heard the door twist and then push open. A surge of hope filled me, but as the man entered, I realized it wasn’t the gray-eyed man because I had masked his scent.
I couldn’t bring myself to look up, even though I sensed the man’s curious gaze upon me. After a few minutes of silently observing, he finally spoke up in a clipped tone, “Get up…” he ordered me. But I pretended like I didn’t hear him, instantly shutting my eyes.
“I said for you to get up!” He ordered again stressing the last word but I remained suited in my spot. I have always wanted to escape out of here but the truth is that I couldn’t even raise a finger right now, talk more about getting up.
I heard him mumble some words under his breath, and before I knew it, I was yanked up by the same woman who had come into Alma’s room earlier that night. She forcefully hauled me to my feet and then shoved me out of the prison room.
However, immediately after we stepped outside the building, I couldn’t help but close my eyes as the sun warmly greeted my face. The guards continued to drag me, and I struggled to keep my eyes open against the brightness. In front of the next building, I noticed another group of guards positioned at every corner. It seemed like they were ready for anything.
The man and the woman were trailing behind me as the guards forcefully propelled my feeble body forward. As we neared the building where the other guards stood, I couldn’t help but almost gasp at the stunning exterior. It appeared to be made entirely of glass, reflecting everything on its walls. It was truly a sight to behold! But damn, with my current predicament, I couldn’t do anything but just steal a quick glance at those see-through glasses. From the corner of my eyes, I caught a glimpse of my reflection on the wall. My hands were chained behind my back, held tightly by the guards. My hair was a tangled mess, and honestly, I looked like a typical slave.
We walked into the building, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was the exact building where I had woken up after that mysterious syringe incident. As we stopped in front of the door, the man took a step forward and gave a gentle knock before pushing it open. The familiarity of it all sent a cold shiver down my spine.
“King Alessandro, she is here,” the man announced, and I could feel the atmosphere shift instantly. It was suffocating, and suddenly a strange sensation of goosebumps ran all over me.
The beast unhurriedly turned, his face contorted into a wicked smirk. He signaled for the man to bring me inside, and with a nod and a bow, the man from earlier gestured for them to bring me in. The tension in the air grew thicker, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of fear coursing through my veins. And this strange behavior of mine only happens every time I appear in front of this bloodsucking beast.
However, the guards grabbed me and dragged me inside, and I had no choice but to kneel in front of that demon. I tried to resist, but they were too strong. Eventually, they pushed me down to my knees. I felt so helpless at that very moment though I was quick to hide the fear within me not wanting to show my emotions to these pigs!
Kneeling in front of him, I gritted my teeth, slowly lifting my head to stare at them. And that’s when I noticed the gray-eyed man who was standing beside him. And on the other side is the man who had dragged me inside earlier, standing beside that beast, King Alessandro. He was so engrossed in his glass of wine that he didn’t even spare me a glance.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
But by my left is another woman who seemed so gorgeous with flawless, fair tender skin. She looks so captivating that you probably couldn’t see yourself tearing your gaze away from her. I believe she will be around my age, I rolled my eyes at her when I noticed the way she was looking at me with so much superiority in her eyes like I was worthless and didn’t reach her standard.
Typical vampires!… I hissed inwardly
What was I expecting from these bloodsucking monsters? As I pulled my gaze away from her, I scanned the wide sitting room and spotted a man who kinda resembled Alessandro, but not quite. He was sitting a few feet away from them, surrounded by three or four other guys.
“Is she the one, Lucas?” The man who resembled Alessandro asked, glancing at the man who had dragged me in here.
“Yes,” the guy that I assumed to be Lucas, answered.
I could feel the intensity in the air as the man turned to look at me. But I wasn’t about to back down. I shot him a fierce glare, my eyes filled with defiance. However, instead of looking at me with distaste like they all normally do, he smirked at me, which left me feeling confused and wondering what was going through his mind.
“She seems like a stubborn type,” he smiled when glancing at everyone in the room but they all remained silent with their eyes fixed in my direction.
“So, are you ready to spill the truth or go back to the terrifying dungeon?” Alessandro asked, his eyes finally settling on me as he leaned forward, keeping the glass of wine in his hold down on top of the table in front of him.
I looked up and met his gaze with a determined glare. My heart raced, but I wasn’t about to let fear dictate my actions. “You think a dungeon can scare me? I’m not afraid of your threats,” I said, my voice steady and filled with so much resentment.
But just then, Alessandro’s smile widened, seemingly amused by my response. “Well, well, you’re quite the interesting one,” he remarked, his eyes scanning the room. It was clear that my defiance had fueled his anger and drew a lot of attention in the room. From the looks on their faces, I could easily smell my death close by.
As Alessandro leaned even closer, his smile vanished, replaced by an intense coldness that sent a horrified shiver down my spine. “Look, I’m giving you one last chance. Spit it out,” he snapped, his words laced with a calm yet threatening tone. It was clear that this was my final warning, and I could feel the weight of the consequences hanging in the air if I were to go against him this time around.
I stuttered while trying to open my mouth to blurt out the truth but then the images of Alpha Matteo flashed through my mind, making the words stop at the tip of my tongue. And I couldn’t help but feel a surge of defiance rise within me once again. Swallowing hard, I scoffed and looked away, refusing to give in to his intimidation tactics. Even if he is to kill me, I won’t be losing anything.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied stubbornly, not even bothering to look in his direction or to know how murderous his face seemed right now.
“Ah..!” But the loud bang on the table in front of me instantly shattered into pieces and sent a horrifying shiver down my spine. It was clear that my words had angered him more than I had anticipated.