Tell Me Your Name, Princess
Elora could barely make him out in the darkness of the night but it was clear. He looked far from a monster and he’d stolen her breath at first sight. Utterly. Devastatingly.
She lay frozen on the floor, wide eyes gaping at the man above who was draped in a bright red wedding attire just like hers. No introduction was needed. She knew it was him. Her vampire husband. Rafael Thornewood.
She wanted to tear her gaze off him but there was something about his eyes. Something that promised death and life, like even the wind listened to the command of his gaze. Her heart pounded louder in her chest, she feared he might hear it. Was it from the near-death experience or the man? She couldn’t tell.
She said nothing even as he broke their stare and extended his hand toward her.
“Grab it,” For the first time, he spoke.
As if possessed by his words, Elora reached forward and placed her hand on his. A gasp escaped her throat when he pulled her to her feet, caught her by the waist, and lifted her onto his horse, right in front of him with her back against his chest. Her eyes widened and goosebumps crawled on her skin at the sudden connection.
With a pull on the reins, the horse turned and began its race to the path he’d come from a while ago.
“Wait…my servant,” she panicked, suddenly remembering her servant.
“She’ll be fine.”
And for some reason, she believed him.
The wind bit at her cheeks as the horse raced forward, but it wasn't the wind that unsettled her. It was the man behind her. It was unsettling that every bump on the way pressed her back closer to him. Unsettling that she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched even though his gaze was fixed on the path ahead.
“You’re hurt, princess,” she heard him mutter. His voice was low and measured, yet it screamed of danger. It was the voice of a man who commanded power and authority.
“Wh…where are you taking me?”
“Home.”
The night grew deeper and so did the cold that grazed Elora’s skin and she was beginning to feel dizzy partly from the day’s events and from the amount of blood she’d lost.
Although she tried to mask it by wrapping her hands around her body, her slight shivers didn’t go unnoticed by him. Rafael tugged at the reins of the horse and it reduced its pace, traveling more slowly before coming to a stop by a silent lake.
She glanced around in confusion. Silence filled the air aside from the faint ripples of the lake and the occasional chirping of birds.
“Why have we stopped here?” She asked, her voice gentle but laced with unease.
He said nothing. Only jumped down from the horse and stretched his hand for her to take. When she reluctantly placed her palm in his, he helped her down.
“Wh…what if those rebels…”
“It’s safe here. We’ve taken a break for you to rest and treat your wound. It’s been a long journey.”
“It’s nothing. It’s almost dawn and…and we have to cross the border before then.” The sky was becoming clearer by the second. She was certain it would be morning soon.
“We’ve crossed the border.”
Her brows furrowed. She looked around, slower this time. “We have? I…I didn’t notice.”
Elora rubbed her arms as a shiver ran down them. “Still…,” she continued. “I insist we continue.”
“Your wound,” he pointed out quietly.
“It’s only just a small wound.”
“It’s unsafe. Come, I’ll take care of it.”
He attempted a step closer but she immediately took one of hers backward and then another. She gazed down at her wound before returning her gaze to him only to find his eyes on the blood-stained spot. Another step she took backward, Lia’s words resounding in her head. The man had murdered two fiancées of his in the past, it wouldn’t be different with her.
They were alone in the middle of nowhere.
She was a bleeding human before a rumoured monstrous vampire. It could only mean one thing!
Although he’d saved her from those scary creatures, she feared him more. Those silver blue eyes that shone brightly in the dark terrified her even more. Her late maid had always said, beautiful things were the most dangerous.
“Princess.” His voice was low, too low, yet laced with a silent threat and impatience as if he were holding back something more violent inside him. “You think I plan to harm you.” It wasn’t a question.
Elora tore her gaze off him, her voice cracking. “You seem to…to have a record of murdering your spouses, your highness.”
“And you seem to know a lot about me. Recognizing me at first glance. I could’ve been anyone.”
In just two strides, he closed the distance between them. Tall and majestic, he towered over her. Her breath caught. The wind blew against his dark silver strands and even in the faint moonlight, she could see the sharp cut of his jaw.
One thing was certain: he was sinfully beautiful. Totally unlike what she’d expected.
His eyes burned a hole into her and she could feel her legs threatening to give way.
His lips twitched and with hands crossed behind his back, Rafael leaned down until their faces were only a few inches apart.
“You didn’t tell me your name, princess. What is it?”
She swallowed hard and forced her gaze away from him. “I’m sure you already know it.”
“But I want to hear it from you.”
For a moment, she hesitated and then murmured. “Elora.”
“Elora,” he slowly echoed, as if counting every syllable. “Elora,” again, he chanted with a calmness that made her skin crawl. “I’d have no reason to harm you if you stay out of my way and do exactly as you’re told, Elora. Otherwise…” His head tilted toward her neck and a sly smile spread across his lips. She stiffened.
“O…otherwise what?”
“I wouldn’t mind a tasteful feast.”