Chapter 4

"A-a-ah," I sat up abruptly on the bed. On the bed?! A-a-ouch, the pain is unbearable again! Oh God, tears welled up in my eyes; this is all real, not a dream, this pain is real!

Through the wet veil of tears, I tried not to pay attention to the excruciating burning sensation and quickly looked around the room I was in. The feeling of immense danger was a hundred times stronger than the pain! I turned my head. The room was dark; I could only see blurry outlines of furniture, a huge window, and my snow-white bed. The air in the room was so fresh, as if it had just been ventilated after a long time. I seemed to be alone, so where was this terrible fear coming from? And... the pain?

As if in response to my thoughts, there was a click of a switch from the darkest corner, and at that same moment, the desk lamp lit up. I almost jumped in place. Sitting in the armchair was the very "Your Highness." I don't know what I noticed first – the overall image of a stranger or his magnificent bare torso? He was wearing nothing except for long, wide pants resembling a skirt, like what samurais wear. Black hair, black eyes, slightly tanned skin, and stone-like muscles. A fighter. A warrior. A lord. Yes, he looked more like a Hollywood actor than an ordinary person. Although... They are usually not very tall, but this one, either due to his energy or his height and robust muscles, seemed to occupy all the space in the now seemingly small room.

I pressed the down comforter to myself. Despite the pain, I suddenly realized that I was completely naked. I don't even have underwear. Someone apparently took great care in laying me on this endless bed. Ignoring my embarrassment, the uninvited guest continued to stare at me with his unyielding black eyes. What was also intriguing was that he seemed to be experiencing the same pain as me. The monogram in the shape of the letter "W" on his chest was bright red, as if they had just seared His Highness's skin with red-hot iron a moment ago.

Convulsively swallowing saliva, I tried to think about what to do if this vampire (oh my God, they do exist, there's no doubt about it now) pounces on me again! But, as luck would have it, nothing sensible wanted to come into my head in such a short time.

"Good evening," the guest said with a smirk, and I didn't like that smile at all. His lips slightly parted, revealing his fangs. I shuddered again. "Can you talk?"

I stared at him in complete bewilderment. Maybe I should stay silent? Then he'll leave sooner? They all seem so surprised that I can speak, and every time their curiosity ends up badly for me.

Unfortunately, my silence didn't help. The vampire got up from the armchair and approached me. My back flared up like a torch!

"No! Don't come near me!" I screamed at him and immediately curled up on the bed. At this point, I didn't care what was exposed or where. It felt like I was going to die! "Please, don't come closer! Please!" Tears streamed from my eyes again, and my body felt like it was burning with real fire, like a fireplace filled with dry branches.

"So, you can speak after all," a hoarse male voice cut through my consciousness.

"Yes! Yes! Please, I beg you, don't come any closer!!!" From the intense sensations, I didn't notice that I bit my lower lip. Only when he returned to the armchair, and the pain subsided a little, I felt the hot blood trickling down my chin. And then I looked at him with horror! No... There was not a single emotion on his pale face. It's as if they're not going to kill me right now.

"Lick it," he said calmly.

What?" I foolishly asked the vampire prince again.

Lick it. Or do you invite me to do it myself?" His fangs menacingly appeared again, and I quickly understood what he meant. I hurried to obey the command, wiping the rest away with a white bedsheet.

"I-I'm sorry," I apologized for some reason. "It hurts a lot."

"You'll have to endure it," the guest replied harshly. "As you can see," he pointed with his long aristocratic finger at the red Vensel on his chest, "I'm in the same situation."

He fell silent, examining me for a few minutes. It was very much like a wolf catching a hare and looming over it, figuring out how to prepare it for dinner in the best way possible.

"Do you remember anything from before you came to Wurd?" he finally asked. Each time his voice echoed in this pitch-black silence, it sent a jolt of remembrance about the vision with the terrifying word "Eos."

"I'll tell you if you promise not to come near me again," I boldly raised my chin. Apparently, they are all very interested in knowing about "my world," so it's worth bargaining.

"I won't promise you anything," the vampire replied just as emotionlessly. "If you don't want to comply willingly, I'll take everything I need by force."

My body twitched, and shivers ran down my spine. I am inclined to believe him. I've already been in his hands once. There, in the grand hall. And it was... Whatever he made me feel... No, I haven't experienced "that" yet, meaning any sexual contact with a man. Or with a woman, for that matter. I've kissed guys, but none of them ever stirred up such a storm of sensations in me! Although, I have to admit, none of them were even a fraction as handsome as this vampire. Maybe I'm swooning because he's the leader here? Or is it their infamous magic? What do books say about vampires? They can hypnotize, make their victims fall in love with them. Maybe it's already happening? Is this why the usually impregnable me is seeing all this? And then, when he drinks all my blood, the spell will vanish, and the beautiful vampire will turn into an ugly old man? Goodness gracious, what should I do?

He seemed to grow tired of waiting for me to come to a decision and leaned forward, as if about to rise from his seat. My back ignited again!

"I'll tell you everything," I gritted my teeth and forced the words out. He definitely knows how to torment people. Almost too well. The only comforting thought is that it must hurt him too at this moment, assuming vampires can feel pain. "I remember everything," I continued, clutching the blanket tighter to myself and trying to forget about the burning sensation on my back. "My name is Ul..."

"I don't care what your name is," the vampire leader abruptly interrupted my narrative.

"W-why?" I stupidly asked in surprise.

"Do you care about the name of your food?" he asked me in an ordinary tone. My eyes almost popped out of my sockets in astonishment, outrage, and indignation! Oh, how I... How I would love to throw that shimmering lilac lightning at him! To splatter him against the wall!! Why, oh why, doesn't it appear when needed?!

I felt the urge to burst into tears from offense. To make matters worse, the scoundrel was actually divinely beautiful. Of all things... I had to end up in another world to meet Him, and there he was, treating me like mere food! Who needs my name anyway?

I suppressed the desire to bury myself under this enormous down comforter. He won't see my tears!

"Tell me!" His demand thundered in the room like a rolling storm.

Instead of being frightened, I was surprised to feel that familiar rage bubbling up inside me again, the same rage that had transformed into...

"Tell me!" The prince rose decisively from his chair and moved towards me. My back ignited again! However, this pain was different now. It made me clench my teeth and look him in the eyes. Rage was now complemented by hatred. Suddenly, all other feelings and thoughts vanished, leaving only pain and the desire to... kill him! Could just one word from a stranger turn me into a real beast?!

He was already very close to me! The huge surge of energy had reached the inner walls of my skin. I knew I was ready to strike. Much more powerfully than before! Could I really be capable of killing someone?! This thought slammed into my mind like a horrifying revelation.

With all my might, I bit my lip! Unfortunately, I forgot what that would entail. I just instinctively did what was supposed to shift my focus. You can replace any pain with another intense pain. If your tooth hurts – kick something. Cut yourself – your body will react. But damn it, why did I choose my lip in that moment?! And worst of all, I bit myself so hard that I almost lost that small but essential part of my body.

I had overdone it to such an extent that I instantly felt a hot stream on my chin – the blood didn't keep me waiting. Apparently, the wound was significant because within a second, the stream reached my chin. A whole flow of it. And then, I lost all control. The vampire looming over me had his eyes completely black, no whites left, and his fangs emerged from his mouth. I closed my eyes, thinking he was going to kill me!

However, something else happened. His powerful male body pushed me onto my back, and he descended on top of me, his deathly cold lips touching mine...

Just like in the hall, as soon as he touched my blood, the pain in my back began to subside. Instead of the painful burning, a delightful heat took its place, scorching and incredibly pleasant in my lower abdomen. With excitement and change swirling inside me, my chest rose and fell at the frequency of someone who had just run an Olympic marathon. The energy lump withdrew and returned somewhere around my stomach. The stranger refrained from using his fangs and instead meticulously licked every last drop of blood from my skin. It was so erotic, as if his firm lips and tongue were truly making love to me. An experienced, mature man engaged in a game with a naive virgin.

I didn't realize at what moment I stopped being afraid, relaxed my closed eyelids, and in the heat of arousal arched my back, offering him my neck. He still chose his lips – the place where blood was still trickling. And it was like a kiss. Passionate and very gentle. He seemed to be trying his hardest not to go overboard, not to hurt me. I understood this when I pressed my hands against his impressive chest – all his muscles were so tense, as if he was trying to hold back an enormous rock that fell on him. The prince's skin was cold as if he had just been walking naked in the freezing cold. Yet, it didn't spoil or diminish the incredible sensations of being close to him.

The pain disappeared completely. I felt so good and calm... If only I had known earlier that this was the remedy for me – I would have opened my veins long ago! I wanted him to keep drinking from me – with every drop, my body became lighter. All the problems, the dreadful memories, everything about me was vanishing...

Suddenly, it all stopped! The prince abruptly pulled away from me, got off the bed, and moved aside. I saw all of this through a faint haze. It seems he drank too much... too much...

It feels like I'm dying...

A cool tear rolled down my cheek, dragging along slow and somber thoughts. Let me die. But I'll leave beautifully, having been in the arms of a true prince. Even if he is a scoundrel, even if he's a vampire. But I won't remember any of it.

Samurai are convinced that with the thoughts you have at the moment of death, you continue your journey, only in a different world. I'm leaving happily. Without pain, without regrets. The world is beautiful, even if it's not my world.

In the final moment before darkness engulfed me completely, I gazed at the gallant vampire prince, who was frowningly watching my departure from the other end of the room.