10. Hayden

10

HAYDEN

Millie is staying in one of our finest rooms in the cathedral. Stained glass covers one entire wall. The room is dark, gothic, and vintage. It hasn't been decorated since the early 1900s.

I had it arranged that way for a reason. My room is close but not too close. Kallum's room is down the hall.

My dad has tasked me with ensuring she is a Valkyrie, and I should just make it quick. But I want to make it painful. It brings me joy to hurt people. I only wear genuine smiles when I inflict and spread the pain I hold inside me to others like an unforgiving plague. It's so much fun!

I want to fucking kill her. I want to drain her until her veins are thinned with nothing to pump, and her blood is in my throat. I want to hold her black hair in my hands, pulling from the base as I sink my teeth into her neck, filling it with warm ecstasy. After all, her kind is what got my uncle killed.

I shake my head out of those thoughts. That wouldn't be smart of me. Like any other delicious rare meal, I must take my time with every bite and taste. I want to take what I want, savor every drop on my tongue, savor every swallow, digesting and marinating her blood in my mouth for weeks on end until it's time to make her heart stop.

"She's been banging on her door, screaming for us to let her out. Kicking on it while crying." Kallum stands by his door at the end of the hall, his glasses on the tip of his nose, with a book in his hand. I sense his unease.

I smirk. "Go to bed, little brother." I turn away from him and stare at the thick wooden door.

There are carved demons staring back at me, little gargoyles with horns on the sides, and our family crest and emblem in the center. All doors are designed that way.

I fix my suit at the collar. "Leave the family business to us," I say nonchalantly.

I can hear her take deep, even breaths from the other side of the door.

She's sleeping. There's a part of me that likes to watch her do that, but I force it back into the pits of my mind.

"A Valkyrie is staying one door down from me. How can an immortal like me sleep, knowing the most rare blood on the planet pumps by me? Calling my name. I've been having to retract my fangs all night long, and?—"

I snap.

"They better fucking stay hidden!" I roar, fury and wrath slipping into my throat and the air, shocking both of us. He cowers from my ruthless demand. My little brother knows what happens when I get mad. Everyone knows .

I don't know where that came from or why I just came off as territorial. I don't care about Millie, but she's my property until I kill her. I turn away, furrowing my brows, gritting my teeth repeatedly. I force my fangs and blood-red eyes to vanish with deep, slow rises of my chest.

I clear my throat and watch my hand that's pointed at him fall back to my side.

"I'm sorry." I apologize weakly. "Father wants us to protect her from the Davenports. You know what happens when we taste human blood from the source, and I'm sure by all the books you collect and read, you'll know that once we bite a Valkyrie, it's hard to stop and?—"

"We end up almost always killing them and unleashing our powers, which results in breaking the law. I know."

I nod, clenching my jaw, patting my pants for my cigarettes. I need to burn one. I'll check on my little Bambi and then head for a cigarette on my balcony in my room.

"I'm going to get some rest somewhere else until she's gone. Goodnight, brother. Or should I say, King Hayden Drago?" Kallum closes his book. "I heard Dad from here. You're ascending early. Good luck with finding a woman who'll willingly want to marry your grumpy self." He tells me blandly, fixing the glasses on the bridge of his nose.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, and my first order as king will be to get you, your lonely virgin self, laid."

He scoffs out a laugh. "I'm waiting for the one. I want to be a little traditional in that way, brother. Not everyone wants to have meaningless fucks." He makes a dig at my sex life and flashes away. By the sound of his steps, he heads towards the guest room on the other side of the Cathedral, the farthest space from Millie's room.

Good .

Finally, I open the French doors slowly, expecting her to jump up and fight. I love it when she fights. My cock hardens at the thought; it's too fucking fun to see my little Bambi, hot and heated, ready to draw my blood.

To my disappointment, she really is dead asleep in a deep slumber. Dried tears are down her cheeks, and her long black hair is knotted, probably from pulling it out of anxiousness.

I tilt my head to the side in awe as I stand over her. She's sprawled out on the floor, limp and exhausted like a pretzel.

That can't be comfortable.

Her chest slowly rises and falls. She's young but not naive. She's intelligent with a soul that's been hurt, and that's gone through way too much at twenty years of age. I've been watching her for the past few months, and my god, she is… beautiful . I can't deny that. Fuck, is she the most angelic, divine, captivating woman I have ever seen in my entire pathetic life, leaving stardust wherever she goes.

It isn't fair.

When I first met her, she had a broken and bruised wrist, tears overflowing so much so that they were dripping down her soft, blushed cheeks. Her soft lips quivered. Fear in her big brown eyes was evident with each rapid blink as she held her wrist to her chest. I could have fallen to my knees right then and there in the Davenport's vampire club.

Something hit me, an emotion that had me questioning whether I do have a soul after all. So, I pushed it away out of fear. Every time I look at her, I push it back into the darkest depths, hoping it'll fade, but her presence is a daily reminder that I may have a soul that hasn't gone to hell. It's still here, and I can feel it whenever I'm around her.

The sun will rise. I squint at the moon rays through the red stained glass. I track the rays and picture the sun instead. They hit my hand where I wear my ring. When the sun rises later, it'll beam on our skin, but it won't burn like it should because it's filtered through the Cathedral's stained glass.

I sigh, and the gloomy reminder that I need to rest hits me. It's almost time for me to head into my chamber and sleep.

"M-mom…" An angelic, innocent whisper leaves her sleeping lips.

I raise a brow and shift my gaze to Millie. She's talking in her sleep. I may or may not know all about what her parent's separation did to her.

There is a small curve on my lips, and I smile. Not because it brings me joy to see her still have dreams from her mother, but because she's still so hopeful at twenty years old. She hopes her mother and father one day find happiness. I know everything about her parents. I've visited her almost every night since I rescued her from the Davenports.

"My parents stayed together, Bambi, and look how I turned out? It's not all that it's cracked up to be," I whisper, ever so soft and low, hoping it doesn't wake her. She doesn't move or stir as I brush hair strands off her face.

I scoop her into my arms, careful and tactical, bringing her head close to my chest, her legs dangling off my biceps. She's featherlight. Being immortal gives us that advantage. Our strength is out of this world.

I lay her down, and she still doesn't stir. She's on her side, and I'll make sure to tell our cooks to prepare her a breakfast meal. I know all of her favorite meals. She must be starving…I know I am.

Fuck, I want a taste. I want her blood. I also may want the arousal too. It's inevitable once I bite her.

And I will bite her. But I'll spare her another night. She needs rest, and so do I. Because I love the fight, I crave the fight. I need her to fight me once she regains her strength because what I have planned for us is anything but holy.

I close the bedroom, lock it, and head to my chamber to rest. The meeting with my father ran longer than I thought it would. Our King's guard let me know my midnight fling has been calling nonstop, and she doesn't take cancellations mildly. Oh fucking well. I have a new plaything to chew on.

I'm inside my room in no time, standing in front of the mirror. I have no reflection so I don't know why I keep a mirror, but it makes me feel less like a monster. Maybe if I keep pretending, I'll feel less and less like one. Act like a duck, quack like a duck, and I'll eventually become a duck, right?

I undress all the way down until I'm in my boxers, then head for the balcony to light my cigarette. I push open the French doors, and stare at the full moon as I take a hit.

And for some fucking odd reason, I can't get a pair of beautiful honey-brown eyes out of my mind. Suddenly, the air shifts, and my senses come alive, signaling an uninvited guest.

My lips twist into a coy smile as I flick the cigarette bud until ashes fall.

"Eleanor Davenport. What did I do to deserve the displeasure?" I ask, unbothered, without acknowledging the southern princess.

"Was it worth it?" Eleanor Davenport stands next to me, beautiful and elegant as ever, in a beige dress that goes all the way down to her ankles and hugs every curve of her body in perfect ways.

Still…she doesn't hold a candle to Millie's beauty, even with vampire enhancements. Millie is majestic for a human, and her waves of beauty are undeniable.

"Was what worth it, princess?" I tease with a bitter tone. I blow smoke into the air in the opposite direction of the Southern King's daughter. I knew she was going to pay me a visit after I killed her brother to save Millie. They still don't know the Valkyrie is in our hands, just a few rooms down.

I've known Eleanor all my life. We've had our ‘fun' and occasionally still do whenever we want or when fate brings us together. We've gotten along pretty well over the past two hundred years.

She wants a life of commitment from me, but I've never been able to give it to her. I've been honest, and she has a number of men lining up to meet the standards I can't. So, when she heard an arranged marriage was in the cards for both of us, she was excited.

The night I ran into Millie Flores, I was going to get on one knee and propose to Eleanor, as my father had wished not to break tradition.

Instead, I brutally murdered Davenport vampires by detaching their heads from their bodies, ending their lives, and beginning the start of chaos…a war.

"There's no way I can marry you now, knowing you spilled Davenport blood in the South. How dare you!" She hisses. She grips the railing tight like she's ready to unleash built-up resentment.

I raise an eyebrow at her, confused by her anger. I tilt my head to the side, just as a strong breeze blows through her strawberry-blonde hair.

Doesn't she know that her father broke the law? That he had his men kidnap an innocent girl? Break her bones and was going to suck her dry? The animal attacks that the humans have been reporting on the news are due to her father. Her region is casually slaughtering innocents looking for Valkyries, so her father can unlock his powers.

"You killed our kind for this human girl. When did Hayden Drago begin to have a soft spot for mortals?"

I roll my eyes, smirking, taking the last hit of my cigarette before I unleash my truth.

"I don't have a soft spot for humans. Ask your daddy to tell you the truth, Eleanor. I won't break your precious heart any more than I already have."

"What are you talking about?"

I cross my arms over my chest, a yawn following suit.

"Ask. Your. Father." I push forward into my bedroom, and she follows.

"I can smell her. You have her, don't you?"

I freeze momentarily. They can't find out we have her, or the Davenports will surround us like prey.

I keep walking until I fall onto my bed nonchalantly. Doing whatever I can not to give away my little Bambi. I cross my hands behind my back, and Eleanor watches my abs contract as I take slow breaths.

"What you smell is my new toy for the week. I have to quench my thirst some days. Even you know that, Eleanor."

She has her own victims and drinks from the source when the cravings get too loud.

"Are you fucking your meal too?" She flashes to my bed, standing before me.

"Jesus, Eleanor. Why so angry? Are you jealous?" I sit up, amused.

"Of course not."

"For someone who traveled far from Daddy's castle to question me makes me think otherwise. All the way from Texas to Montana. You flatter me, Eleanor." I palm my chest with an innocent, forced grin.

She bites her lip, and her eyes turn bright blue, as all southern vampires do when their emotions are high. Her eyes change from human-like green to ice-blue eyes.

"I wanted to marry you, Hayden! Now, I'm not sure we will be able to!"

"Eleanor! We both know you deserve more than me. An eternal life with me might seem like heaven to you, but it will only be hell," I snap, but I stay relaxed. Fighting the urge to change appearance. "I'm not capable of love, Eleanor. You know this." I stand before her in a second. Holding both her hands, granting her compassion I never give. "You deserve someone who will worship the air you breathe. Another man deserves the smile you bless anyone that's lucky enough to see it. Or when you enter the room, the man that adores you will fucking fall on his knees and kiss the floor that you walk on because you made time come to a stop for him." The more I ramble, the more I expose myself.

I've never felt like that with anyone before, but here I am, spilling a truth I didn't know resided in me. The minute I saw Millie…that's how I felt. The more I stalked her in the weeks that followed, it became more evident and clear to me that there was something different about her. I've been telling myself it has to be some sick game that Valkyrie's unknowingly inflict upon us… it has to be that .

It can't be that a human with pretty black hair dangerously pulls me in like a magnetic force. It can't be a girl who always smells so serene, like strawberries, that makes me feel like a weak man.

It can't be.

I blink like I'm trying to escape a trance. I realize I'm no longer looking at Eleanor, but at Millie's diary I stole from her room. The night she smashed a lamp against my face.

"Looks like you've found someone who makes you feel all those things. I'm sorry it wasn't me."

I tear my gaze from my desk and face a broken-hearted Eleanor.

A black tear falls down her cheek, and she quickly wipes it away, smearing it until it disappears. We cry black tears, unlike humans. She walks to the balcony, accepting the end of our argument after I let go of her hands. My throat rolls, and I blink away the intrusive thoughts.

"Eleanor, don't be absurd, darling. Like everyone says about me…" I clench my jaw over and over again, and my nostrils flare. "I don't have a heart. A true monster fit to be king."

My own parents have this to say about me. It's valid and justified after everything I put them through since I was born.

She laughs as another black tear falls down her cheek.

"That is what they say, Hayden…" she pauses. "Hayden Drago, the Depraved Prince." She forces a smile, and for a moment, I feel bad. Eleanor isn't a bad person. Despite who her father is. She's innocent in all of his actions. I just know it. I meant every word I said. She deserves a man who will love her all consumingly.

"Goodnight, Eleanor. Safe travels," I say as I watch her lift her dress. I hold the doors, ready to close and lock them.

She turns from me and jumps off the balcony. Her dress whirls in the wind and disappears in the shadows of the night. I close the doors and lock them with my skeleton key.

My room doesn't have stained glass—I don't take risks. It's windowless and dark, with a few candles lit in each corner.

I get into bed and stare at my finger as I get under the cover, the one that touched Millie's velvet pussy. Her arousal wetness coated it the other night. I'm unsure what comes over me every time I interact with her. I just let it flow.

I've fucked humans and still do from time to time, but it never goes past that. We are allowed to feed from them. Our fangs inject a type of venom that causes memory loss, so they don't remember the feeding afterward. However, on Valkyries, the venom doesn't work. So if I bite my little Bambi, she'll remember everything. Just like I want her to.

I put my finger into my mouth, sucking on it once more, hoping it still tastes like her, and close my eyes as I remember our encounter on her bed.

No woman has tasted like her. It was an appetizer—a little teaser of what her blood will do to me.

She's teasing me. The way she welcomes my touch even though her tongue tells lies. She's manipulating me into thinking she doesn't want me. But I'm ready to make her my full-course fucking meal until she succumbs to her fate.

The look on King Davenport's face when he finds out I have her is something I won't have the pleasure of seeing, but it'll still be satisfying. Avenging my uncle's death would make my immortal life just that much more fun.

Deep down, I know it's not the only satisfying thing a dead man like me can endure. Everyone I've ever known has experienced matching their soul to another, but I think it's pointless and overrated. But why does she intrigue me? I'll keep denying it until the end of time. I have to concentrate on the task at hand. Which is making sure her kind stays rare by eliminating her from this world.