Chapter 3

Samuel

I was torn between draining Graeme's blood and ripping off his limbs or following Charlotte, but ultimately, I couldn't lose sight of her. After living for centuries, I was a master at slinking around unnoticed by humans. Throughout the day, I realised that the people here were extraordinarily amicable in Elgin. I watched Charlotte interact with many people. They were nothing like Londoners. It seemed Graeme would live after all.

Initially, I'd had difficulty understanding her grandmother's thick Scottish accent. Charlotte's was like a soft lilt and soothing to listen to. I couldn't see her face while she was visiting her grandmother, but judging by her voice while she spewed the concocted story, my blood mate was a terrible liar. Her predicament was evident in how she would manage the situation with her family. My focus was so intent on gaining access to her life that I hadn't considered the impact her disappearance would have had on her family.

I shifted on my branch uncomfortably as she bent down to blow dry the back of her long hair. Her shorts pulled upwards, teasing me with a hint of her bare ass cheeks as the cow material stretched around her delectable mounds of flesh. I closed my eyes as she thrust her ass out further as she began to move the hairdryer around. Saliva flooded my mouth, and I slowly backed away from her window.

I cursed whatever force that created the blood mates for us vampires. I could mesmerise anyone I wanted with my venomous bite, but not my blood mate. My fangs and my dick would have been inside her the day I met her if not for this debilitating phenomenon with blood mates.

I patiently waited for Charlotte to finish shaking her ass, close her curtains and eventually switch her light off. I needed to get my food, accommodation, and clothing sorted. My future partner did not need to see me looking like a ruffian. The weather was to be wet and windy tonight. I sighed and jumped off the branch onto the damp grass.

One day, Charlotte would let me in.

∞∞∞

I hid in her parents' bedroom, but I frowned when I heard Charlotte's family scold her. I could listen to everyone because the sound was crystal clear for me. Her parents' concern I could understand, but her sister sounded a little antagonistic. At least her husband kept his mouth shut. Her niece sounded happy to have her back.

I'd never given children thought since it would've been an impossible feat. I'd changed many humans into vampires, but that was nothing like having a biological child. My scepticism of Holly's pregnancy was valid, but Alexander wasn't a fool or deceitful. I was surprised he wasn't more resentful towards the Coven for his captivity. We were arrogant in our ways, presuming that the humans wouldn't discover our existence or attempt to kill us.

I went through her parents' bedroom until I found old school report cards, pictures and family photographs. There were a few with Charlotte and her boyfriends' which made me rip them out. She had no need for any human male since she had me.

My ears pricked up as I heard movement on the stairs. I stuffed a few pictures onto my lap before quickly putting everything back the way I'd found it so I could try and figure out who was coming up the stairs.

"I bet yae hud a little fun out in the city, Lottie," the brother-in-law said. "You don't need to pretend with me."

"No, Jamie, it was an ordeal, and I didn't have any fun," Charlotte snapped back at him as they reached the top of the stairs.

I placed my ear at the door regardless of the fact that I could hear them clearly. This cunt Jamie sounded like a sleazy asshole.

"Nae bother. I've told yae before that we can huv some fun together," he murmured.

"Aye, and I've telt yae, yur married to ma sister. Get yerself tae fuck, Jamie. Am no in the fucking mood," Charlotte said, but I could hear the fury in her voice. Her accent grew thicker with anger.

That dirty fucking bastard.

"Ye think yur better than everyone? I was only trying tae offer yae a pity fuck."

I heard a slap, which brought a hint of a smile to my face as the sound of the slap seemed to echo in the hallway.

"Ya fuckin hoor. This isnae over," he spat out, but I heard his heavy footsteps on the stairs as he quickly returned to the rest of the family.

Charlotte blew out a long breath before she went into the bathroom. I knew where I was going after Charlotte went to bed tonight.

∞∞∞

I dragged the sleeping cunt out of his bed and slapped a hand over his mouth so as not to wake his wife up. Once we were safely out of the bedroom, I held him by his scruffy blonde hair and pulled him down the stairs. We reached the dining room within a second, and I tied him up to the chair.

"Who the fuck ur you?" he said while he struggled against the rope on his wrists.

"I'm Charlotte's future husband," I said as I switched the light on and turned towards him.

He blinked at the light, and the blood drained out of his face when he saw me. My fangs were extended, and I knew the fury within me had my eyes red.

"What are yae?" he whispered.

"I'm a vampire," I said with a smile. "I'm going to drain your nasty blood for harassing Charlotte."

"A-am sorry. I willnae do it again," he stammered with his eyes wide open in fear.

"No, you won't, you sleazy cunt," I said before pulling the sleeve of his T-shirt up.

I swooped down and bit into his brachial artery. It was satisfying to sink my fangs into his soft flesh. Other than his whimpering, he didn't make a sound. I allowed my venom to flood through his veins. I fed ferociously because I'd been thinking of punishing him for hours.

My anger had festered until I was enraged at how aggressive he'd been with my Charlotte. I moved my fingers to his neck to feel his pulse slow down, but his heart still had a strong beat to it. When I pulled back, I saw residual blood drip down his arm. His eyes looked docile and somewhat vacant.

"How many times have you accosted Charlotte?" I asked him.

Her niece was seven, so he'd been on the scene for a while. He looked as if he were downloading the information from his thick skull.

"Around twenty times," he finally said with a frown.

"Did you touch her?"

"Whenever I could," he replied instantly.

I walked behind him and untied him before returning to punch him in the face. His head swung back with the force, and other than a grunt, he didn't say anything.

"You will never say or do anything inappropriate to Charlotte. You will apologise for your disgusting behaviour the next time you see her. If you touch her again, I want you to take a spoon and gouge your eye out, but make sure you do it away from your family," I said, looking into his eyes to ensure he was well and truly under my command.

"Yes."

"I'm going to break your arm, and after that, you will go to sleep on the couch. You will tell your wife that you fell down the stairs," I said, taking his arm and twisting it into the position I needed it to be in.

I punched his upper arm and smiled when I heard his humerus bone break. He grunted again, but there was no screaming. There never was unless we wanted there to be. He stood up like a zombie and walked towards the living room.

My fang marks were on the inner side of the opposite arm, so being discovered by any medical professional wasn't a concern to me. Fed and satisfied, I returned to Charlotte's apartment, but this time, I used the door and sat on her bed beside her. My need for blood was sated by her brother-in-law, but the scent of her sweet blood was alluring. At least I would know if he touched her again because he would be missing an eye.

I smothered a snicker when I pictured him with a spoon jammed into his eye socket.

I leaned down and sniffed her neck. My cock hardened instantly, and I closed my eyes at the sweet torture. A temptation like no other I had experienced. I didn't remember consuming human food since I was too old, but I knew in my six hundred years of existence that I'd never smelled anything like Charlotte.

I carefully moved her hair away and licked her pulsating artery, but as my fangs came out, I pulled back because I didn't trust myself. If I wanted to fuck a woman. I would use my charm, or while I fed, I would simply mesmerise them with my venom or my hypnotic gaze. Charlotte was a challenge and one that couldn't be rushed.

I would give her some time to settle back into her life, but once that time was up, she would be mine to claim.