4 Fiancée

The whimper that escaped the Duke's lips made him smile. How long had it been since he's had a human scared beneath him? Far too long, he thought. 

"Lord Nicholas may not have done anything to keep you in line, but when you are in front of me," Lord Reign clicked his tongue in disappointment. "You had better watch yourself. This is my only warning, and I am not afraid to snap your fat neck in front of your wife." 

The eerie calmness around him shifted. 

"Now, where is she?" He asked.

"Who, milord?" Duke Marcus sputtered out from where he still kneeled. 

The thin line that Reign called his patients was close to snapping. His hand wrapped around the man's thick neck. With no effort, Reign lifted him to his feet and then up against the wall. 

His eyes were glowing red, brows narrowed and lips pursed. 

"Are you sure it's wise to play stupid, Duke Marcus?" He hissed out, "I smell her. Even with all the planted peaches to mask her scent." 

From behind him, Dutchess Marciella the first huffed. Her chair creeked, signaling that she sat back down. 

Lord Reign smiled, "Even your wife knows her place, why not you?" He hissed. He gave a subtle nod of his head to Pierre. 

The other vampire caved into a smile, one that curled into his excitement. This was why he came, to unleash chaos. It was better for him than Lord Reign. 

Moving too fast for them to see, Pierre was suddenly in front of Dutchess Marciella.

Her blue eyes widened and she whimpered when he lunged at her.

Expecting death, she was surprised when she heard the sound of fabric tearing and glass shattering. 

Her eyes flew back open and she watched in horror when she saw the grey haired vampire ripping the expensive, hand painted originals of famous artists in the current time.

"No!" She shouted when Pierre ripped a particular painting of herself. "Anything else but that!" She cried, but her words were useless. The painting was already in shreds on her floor. 

In a blur of movement, Pierre was in front of the wall of shelves with wine. 

"Please, not the wine," Dutchess Marciella begged. 

"Is it not strange that she cries for her possessions and not for her husband?" Lord Reign laughed at the observation.

Glass shattered as Pierre broke wine bottle after wine bottle.

Lord Reigns' hand squeezed around the Duke's throat. There was a steady thump beneath his fingers, the quickening of his pulse. Reign could easily snap his neck, rip into it and feed. 

His lips curled back in disgust, maybe not feed. This man was not a fine choice when he had other volunteers. 

A rough brutal sound escaped the Duke's mouth in an attempt to speak, and Lord Reign tilted his head.

"Hm? What's that?" He asked. He chuckled and leaned forward, "I can't hear you with my hand crushing your throat." He continued, eyes beaming with joy. 

"You promised me a look at your daughter, do you remember?" Lord Reign continued as if he was speaking about the day's weather. He could care less about the weather. 

Before Duke Marcus could blubber out an incoherent response, the doors to the dining hall opened again. 

The sweet smell of peaches and honey invaded every single one of his senses. For a moment he imagined drowning in the thick nectar of the fruit. His nose flared as he took in a deep breath. 

His mouth watered with the need to taste. 

His hand flexed, tightening around the Duke's neck, and very close to killing him. 

***

As soon as Lea opened the double doors to the dining hall, Marci walked into a room of chaos.

She gaped at the scene in front of her.  Paintings that once hung straight, were torn apart to shreds on the floor. A red wine bottle was broken on the tile, staining it with its red content. Next to it was the man who rode coach in the Lord's carriage.

Duke Marcus was against the wall, feet dangling in the air as the Vampire Lord she saw through her window, held him in place by the neck. He did it with no effort, almost like he wasn't holding up a large man and instead a helpless animal. 

Her father dug his nails into the Vampire Lords wrists, trying to get him to let go. His face was red from lack of oxygen, and his eyes were wide with fear. His feet kicked, desperate to reach for the ground.

Sitting at the table, as if she didn't have a care in the world, was her mother.

Her luscious black hair fell over her shoulders, framing the deep neck line of her navy blue dress. She watched them, a heavy bitterness in her eyes that was more prominent today. She held a glass of wine in her hand, and she brought it to her lips. 

Did she realise that it was breakfast, not dinner? Then again, it wasn't a strange occurrence. It was more days than not, that she needed a glass to deal with her fathers antics.

When Duchess Marciella the First saw Marci standing at the door in shock, she smiled spitefully. 

"My lovely daughter," Though the words are sweet, her tone was anything but. "Come, meet your fiancée." She nodded towards the Vampire Lord who choked her father against the wall. 

Fiancée.

At the sound of Dutchess Marciella's voice, the Vampire Lord in the black coat turned his head.

Marci took in his handsome face. His pale skin resembled that of Lord Nicholas at the time he came for brunch. Except unlike Nicholas where he had brunette hair, this vampire had black hair. It was longer in the front, and strands of it fell into his red eyes that glared at her. His black brows were narrowed, causing small wrinkles to form between them.

Clearly this wasn't a pleasant visit.

"Father?" Her voice was timid when she spoke. She met Duke Marcus' eyes from where he's being choked. Did he do something to anger the Vampire Lord? Was this the moment they were all murdered?

Sweat began to gather on her hands, her fingers fumble and grasped at her skirts. 

It wasn't often when situations such as this occurred, as the Duke did his best to please. 

Not to mention her mother just said fiancée.

Marci swallowed, her eighteenth birthday was two months ago. 

Why were they now suddenly talking about fiancées, when the first month had killed her thinking she would soon be married off. 

To a Duke, not a vampire. 

Surely she meant she was finally leaving the Duke to become this Lord's mistress. And not that she's marrying off her daughter to him. 

Her thoughts didn't ease her racing heart. 

Her wide eyes met her fathers again and she took a hesitant step forward. 

The Vampire Lord uncurled his fingers away from the Duke's throat and stepped away.

Duke Marcus fell to the floor sucking in as much air as he could. His hands fly to his throat, rubbing around the bruise that's already started forming.

Marci stood frozen at the door, unable to comprehend what was going on.

"Marciella," Duke Marcus breathed out. His wide eyes staring at his daughter, and for the first time, Marci saw absolute terror in his eyes.

"The second, of course." Her mother chimed in before taking in a long sip of wine. 

"Sit, it's time for breakfast." Duke Marcus gestured to the table full of food, as if he wasn't just being choked to death in his own dining room. 

He climbed to his feet, hands on the wall for support when he stumbled.

Marci's eyes darted to the vampire lord, who had yet to take his eyes off her. She avoided his feral red eyes, not wanting to anger the Lord any further.