The Contract

"No, I do not. Even if we're just food to you, it would be decent if you could give us some respect," Zuri spat before she could stop herself.

Sandra and Kathy gulped.

Prince Kane licked his tongue with a sinister smile and an equally menacing smile on his lips. He was in front of Zuri before she knew it.

Zuri gasped and protected her face with her hands. He had come at her so fast and had taken her by surprise. She whimpered in fear and terror.

'That's it,' she thought. He was surely about to devour her and drain her of her blood.

She felt his hand search for her chin behind her hands and when he found it, he grabbed it with so much force that Zuri let out a small cry.

"You are in Transmere now. You had better get in line, human, otherwise, you will meet a quick death at my hands," Prince Kane said. "I do not care if you belong to my brother, I will snap your neck if you do not control that mouth of yours. No one can stop me. No one dares, not even Jaden."

Prince Kane's lips curled backward as he got a whiff of how Zuri smelled. His nose twitched. Prince Kane was not reacting to the smell of the soap or the powder Zuri must have used on her body. It was nothing cosmetic.

What he was reacting to — what mesmerized Prince Kane — was the way her blood smelled. "You smell like your blood would taste great," Prince Kane said as he bent her head to reveal her neck. He could not help but think of how lucky his brother was to dip his fangs into this one.

His eyes grew larger and the area around his left eye twitched. He wanted to bite her and take just a mouthful of her blood but he was trying to control himself. The maids had said that she belonged to Jaden. However, just a sip couldn't hurt, Kaine wondered.

Kane's fangs grazed her neck, barely even breaking her skin when a voice tore through the air.

"Kane!"

It took the authority and the force of the voice to pull Prince Kane from the trance that he had been in because of Zuri's blood.

He smiled and said, "Jaden. How nice of you to join, Brother."

"Leave her alone, Kane," the new voice, who Zuri assumed was Prince Jaden, said.

Zuri's eyes were still closed but she was grateful that someone had come to her rescue. She could hear him talk to her attacker but had not opened her eyes to see him. She did not want to risk opening her eyes and seeing the man that had her chin firmly in his hand gnarl at her.

"What will you do if I don't?"

"You will see soon if you keep holding on to her."

Prince Kane smirked and looked at Prince Jaden, then he released Zuri who ran to the back of the man that had come to her rescue.

"You've got a new plaything," Prince Kane commented.

"She is my assistant. You will do well to stay away from her and not treat her like you do the other ones"

Prince Kane chuckled. He had always known that Jaden did not like how he treated the humans before devouring them. However, Kane thought that Jaden was a weakling, just like his other brother that was always sick.

"Let's go," Jaden said to Zuri as he took her hands in his.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, human!" Zuri heard Kane call from behind. However, she didn't turn back to face him.

They walked with long strides to Jaden's office after he had dismissed Kathy and Sandra. When they got to the office, Jaden walked over to his desk and rested on the edge of the table while he stood facing Zuri. The frightened girl stood a safe distance away.

"What is your name?" Jaden asked.

Zuri had been looking around his office and her gaze landed on him. For the first time, she was seeing his face and thought that he even looked meaner than his brother that had almost bitten her.

"I'm Zuri." Her voice had come out shaky and her hand flew to her throat as she subtly cleared her throat.

"Good. I'm Prince Jaden and you will be working for me from now on."

"Yes, Your Highness." She bent a knee as she curtsied him.

"That also means that you belong to me now, Zuri," Prince Jaden stated.

Zuri gulped. So, this was the vampire that would eventually devour her. "W-What am I to do for you?"

"You will be my personal assistant. There are things I need help with around the office. Just stay close to me and I will tell you as time goes on. But first, we must sign a blood contract."

"A blood contract?"

Zuri asked as she took a step backward. She looked at the door behind her to check if it was open. Her mind told her to dash out of that office. The moment she had heard 'blood', her stomach churned and adrenaline had begun to pump.

What did a blood contract mean? Did that mean that he was going to bite her with those fangs that she had seen?

"Yes, Zuri," Prince Jaden muttered with a surly voice. His brow was arched and he looked like he was enjoying her discomfort. "A blood contract. You belong to me now," he affirmed.

"As a meal or as a slave?" Zuri blurted out.

She held her mouth immediately after that question came out of her. One day, this mouth of hers would definitely put her in trouble. It was just that there were some things that she could not ignore. There were things that she would hear and react to especially when it didn't sit well with her.

She took a deep breath. "What am I exactly? A blood bag or just a personal assistant? Why is there a need for a blood contract?"

Prince Jaden glared at her. He liked her audacity. She wasn't a timid one, he observed.

"You are mine and no one else's. That is what the blood contract is for. It is to inform others that you are bound to me and me only."

She had heard enough.

Zuri turned around and ran towards the door. She didn't know why but she followed her instincts. However, before she got to the door, Prince Jaden was already there standing with his arms folded and his head cocked to one side. Seeing him stand so close to her, Zuri nearly toppled backward in shock. She looked at where he was standing previously and knew that he could not have reached the door before her unless it was a vampiric ability.

Oh, Lord.

Zuri knew that she was in for something sinister. The only thing that rang through her mind was that he wanted her blood. That was all she could think about as fear gripped her whole being.

Prince Jaden grabbed her hand and held her palm firmly in his hand. Slowly and quite seductively, Jaden lifted her hand to his mouth, baring his fangs. Zuri tried to struggle out of his grip but she couldn't. He had a strength that was astounding to her.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers and she trembled, watching helplessly as her wrist was pulled toward his mouth. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't free herself from his hold.

Jaden sunk his fangs down, piercing her skin. Zuri let out a scream.

However, the screaming soon waned as the feeling that coursed through her body wasn't pain but bordered towards pleasure. The fear she had been feeling was no longer present. All she could feel was an electrifying, exciting ardor. She was confused but was lost in the delectation that his bite gave her.

Zuri closed her eyes and a moan escaped her lips.

The feeling went as quickly as it came. He yanked her forward after, bringing her hand down onto the parchment that was laid out on his desk. Her finger was coated with a thin layer of blood from where he had nicked her. In scarlet, her blood seeped into the paper with a hiss. Just like that, the contract was made.

Jaden had claimed her and no one else would be able to touch what was his from that point on.