Chapter 38

Olivia

Damien carried me through the castle. I recognized the path. We were going back to his rooms.

I shivered in his hold. He would want to feed from me. I ached from the beating. I didn’t want to feel his fangs in my throat.

I didn’t want to fight my body’s reactions to Damien’s bite. I was just so tired.

Why did his damn bite bring so much pleasure? It would be easier to resist if it only hurt. The mix of pleasure and pain was intoxicating. I was afraid it was addictive, too.

When I was strong enough to climb over that wall, would I be strong enough to leave Damien behind?

Of course I would!

Just because the bite felt good didn’t mean I would crave it. I would escape. I would go home. And I would be with Jacob. He was the one I was fated to be with.

We reached Damien’s rooms. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. It was just another bite. I would get through this, and then I could rest.

Damien sat down on the bed, with me still cradled in his arms. He started gently carding a hand through my hair.

“Were you hurt badly?” he asked after a few minutes.

The soft touches had lulled me into a kind of fog.

I struggled to speak. “Not badly,” I said. “My knees hurt.”

Mostly, I just ached. I probably had a few bruises, but I would heal soon. None of the guards had done any real damage.

“Hm. I won’t kill any of them, then,” Damien said.

He’d already banished them. Why would he bother hunting them down to kill them?

“What about Sofia?” I asked.

She had set me up, again. If he didn’t do something to stop her, she would keep doing it.

Damien shrugged. “I will deal with her later.”

Which meant he would forget about it when something else caught his attention. I sighed. It looked like Sofia was my problem.

I would have to do my best to avoid her. I would double my training. That way I could escape sooner. I had to get away before Sofia managed to get me killed.

I expected Damien to bite me at any moment. Instead, he continued to stroke my hair. It felt nice. I shivered. I shouldn’t be enjoying his touch.

“You should get some rest,” Damien announced after a while.

He released me. I staggered back on shaky legs.

“You are not going to feed?” I asked.

I spoke softly. I was a little afraid that asking him would remind him to drink my blood. As if he needed a reminder.

“No,” Damien said.

I slumped in relief. I went to my blankets and sat down. I could rest, and heal from the beating. I would worry about Sofia later.

But something bothered me.

“Why?” I asked.

“Why, what?” Damien asked.

“Why do I need to rest?” I asked. I was tired, and hurt, but that had never mattered to Damien before.

“Because I have begun making arrangements for your Ceremony,” Damien said. His voice was soft and indulgent, as though he were offering me some special treat.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” I said. “What ceremony?”

Damien looked at me. I shrank back. I was afraid he would be angry. I thought he might change his mind about letting me rest.

“Of course you don’t know,” he said after a moment. “Have you felt different lately?”

I scrunched my nose as I thought. Did I feel different? Well, yes. I felt like a prisoner and a slave. That was different.

But he didn’t care about that. What difference would Damien care about?

I thought about the things the other slaves had noticed. My skin was cold to the touch. I was pale. My heart rate was slow.

“I have felt a little different, yes,” I said.

“Tell me,” Damien ordered.

“My skin is cold,” I said. “My pulse is slow even when I am training.” Mentioning my training reminded me of another change. “I don’t get tired as easily when I exercise.”

Damien nodded. “Yes, that is all to be expected.”

“It is?” I asked. Did he know what was wrong with me?

I thought it was just blood loss. But blood loss would not make it easier to train. I should be struggling more, not less.

“Yes,” Damien said. “You are, after all, becoming a vampire. I would guess you are about halfway through the initial transformation.”

“What?” I yelped.

How could I become a vampire? I didn’t want to be a vampire!

“I gave you a drop of my blood, to save your life,” Damien reminded me. “That began the transformation. The Acceptance Ceremony will complete the process.”

“It only takes a drop?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Yes, only a drop,” Damien said.

He sounded pleased with himself. I wished I could rip him apart. He had given me his blood knowing it would change me. I hadn’t gotten a choice.

He had saved my life. But he was the reason I almost died. And now, I was going to become a vampire.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered.

I didn’t want to believe it. I could not become a vampire. I didn’t want to be a monster!

Damien shrugged. “Do not worry. I will instruct you in your part of the ceremony. No one expects you to know what to do.”

“But why would you make me a vampire?” I asked. “You won’t be able to drink my blood anymore, will you?”

Damien tilted his head. “I think I still could feed from you, even as a new vampire.”

I shuddered. I was going to become a vampire. But I would still be his blood pet?

“It would not be very healthy for you though,” Damien continued. “I will refrain once the ceremony is over. I do not need your blood.”

He didn’t need my blood? Then why did he drink it so often? Did he just enjoy the taste?

“After the ceremony,” I said, “I’ll be a vampire?”

“Yes,” Damien said.

“What does that mean, though?” I asked. “Will I not be your pet anymore? What will I do?”

Damien shrugged. “No, you will not be my pet. You will still be mine, of course, but our relationship will change.”

“How?” I asked.

“You will be my responsibility. I will not be your master, I will be your sire. It will be my duty to instruct you in our ways and see that your needs are met.”

“My needs?” I asked.

“Well, you will need to learn how to use your vampiric powers. You will need to learn how to function in society.” Damien paused. “There is much to teach you. It has been a while since I have changed someone.”

He turned away, apparently lost in thought. I shivered and wrapped myself in my blankets.

I could not become a vampire. There had to be a way to stop this. There had to be some way.

The ceremony sounded important. Maybe if I delayed the ceremony, I could delay my change. That would give me time to escape. Once I was free, maybe I could find a way to reverse the changes that had already happened.

How could I delay the ceremony?