Chapter 30: The Ball Part III

After such an intimate moment within the garden, Ezra guided Katerina back to the ballroom as to avoid any suspicion from other guests. Katerina took a glance at the empty room as they passed by, a flashback image of Elisabeta and Alessandro filled her mind that made her heart pick up in pace.

Ezra sensed the distress and breathed out, "If you keep behaving that way then other vampires will begin to notice your fear, what is the matter?"

She quickly soothed herself and shook her head, "It's nothing." She replied, unaware of how she would be telling the prince of what she witnessed earlier. As if it was any of her business.

"Do not ever lie to me, pet." He hissed as they entered the ballroom floor once more.

"I was beginning to wonder where you ran off to dear cousin." Demitri held another chalice up to greet Ezra before slurping it back down his blood thirsty throat. "Astrid is searching for you." He continued.

"Splendid." Ezra sighed and placed the palm of his hand in the middle of Katerina's back to push her gently back to the area where pets wait.

His crimson eyes were a soft shade as he looked down at her. "Please no wandering this time."

Katerina nodded without saying a word and took her place again in the empty corridor with the others. Her eyes watched Ezra until he disappeared into the crowd and she was yet again alone. Alone with other humans that seemed to have already accepted their fate.

Did she need to accept it as well?

"There he is." Astrid curled her lips into a smile at Ezra. "I began to worry."

"Please don't." He retorted swiftly.

Astrid ignored him and took his arm to pull him within the socializing circle of vampires conversing about how wonderful the peace treaty between Kingdoms was. It amazed Ezra how complex yet idiotic vampires thought.

While Ezra pretended to engage in conversation with the surrounding vampires, Alessandro decided to take his chance at getting Katerina alone once more. He crept over to the corridor inhabiting the pets and saw her. Her perfectly curved outline in the gown teased him into a stupor. She was just so deliciously sweet, the power she held over vampires was unnoticeable by her which made it far more enticing to have her.

"Katerina." he whispered, making her jump. He motioned her to follow him, however, Katerina did not feel comfortable around this man since the moment she saw him nude and ravishing himself on Ezra's mother.

"I cannot." She replied.

Alessandro groaned in frustration. Her defiance was inviting but he had alternative motives to tend to.

"I have something you might want returned." He flashed her a fang-filled smile and held up the sparkling collar that he took from her.

Her eyes lit up, tensing her body at the reminder of how upset Ezra was with her that she lost it. Her mind was conflicted, but she knew she needed to get the item back for the prince. Reluctantly, Katerina took steps forward to follow him like a trail of candy. Alessandro's smile grew bigger as he led her to another room not far from the ballroom.

As she entered the room, it was fairly small, almost like a closet but the man locked the door behind them which made her extremely nervous.

"Sir I cannot stay for lon-" Alessandro cut her off by speaking into her hair, her back turned to him.

he took in her scent by breathing in deeply. She was wreaking of a sensual, sweet smell that almost hypnotized him.

"You should be mine." He snarled.

Katerina fluttered her eyes, realizing that he had no intentions of returning the collar back to her. She attempted to turn around and leave but was pushed forward into the wall that forced out a soft yelp.

Her noises drove him wilder and he balled her neatly fixed hair into his fist and shoved her face into the cement wall. Katerina winced at the pain but kept quiet. His eyes glossed over as he hunched over her shoulder to stare at the nape of her neck.

"Your blood is very special, girl." His breath fanned her neck and immediately sent a jolt of fear through her system. His cold fingertips slid slowly up her arms then trailing down to the front of her chest.

I'm going to die, she thought. She should have listened to Ezra and stayed put. She should have died that night with her parents.

"Come live with me and you won't have to deal with that prince anymore." Warm wet drips of saliva fell to the skin. He tried his best to resist tainting her and sink his fangs into her virgin body. He wanted to rip her gown off and take her while he drank from her. The ultimate euphoria.

"N-no.." Katerina managed to sputter out the words. She did not want to be alone with this man. The man she thought was pleasant and concerned for her previously. She was naive and unaware of the dangerous creatures she now lived with.

Tears welled in her eyes as he pushed her cheek harder into the wall, causing a visible scrape to appear. She wanted to leave. To escape this situation and never look back. She missed her mother and father. The thought made the tears stronger.

Alessandro immediately became infuriated by her response and flipped her around to face him. His fangs grew larger as he gripped the back of her neck with inhuman strength and yanked her forward in tune with the opening of his mouth. He was going to taste this delectable bitch and hand her lifeless body over to Ezra.

Katerina knew she couldn't fight back. With what strength? She didn't compare to the power of a vampire, especially a pureblood. As tears escaped the ducts of her glossy eyes, she accepted the consequences of her actions from following him.

His fangs brushed over the bare skin of her, preparing to break it and draw blood. As he began to snap his mouth closed on her, the door was slammed open with such force that it was ripped away from the hinges.

A tall silhouette stood in the doorway.