Chapter 3.5: The Prince is Back
1508 Words
I didnʼt protest anymore when Miley and Reiri pulled me away again. They held on to both of my arms tightly.
Only when we were out of the woods did they let me go. But I stopped walking when they both turned to face me simultaneously.
“What now?” I crossed my arms in front of them.
Miley smiled. “We just wanted to ask you something.”
I shrugged and motioned for them to continue.
“Can we call you Nics?” Reiri bit her lower lip.
I was taken aback. They want to use a nickname that they can call me by.
No one dares to call me that. Most of the people I know call me either Nicole or just Jane.
I dislike being called anything other than my first name. But surprisingly, I found myself nodding, which made these two beautiful girls squeal with delight and hug me tightly.
“Hey! I canʼt breathe!” I scolded them. They quickly let go of me.
“Sorry!” they both said at the same time.
“And also, weʼre sorry for my brother Kyleʼs behavior earlier. Just donʼt mind him. Maybe heʼs just jet-lagged from coming back from another country,” Miley explained.
So, his name is Kyle. I find his name cute. But when it comes to his attitude...
Never mind.
“One more thing,” Reiri said.
I suddenly looked at her.
“Nobody else should know about what you saw earlier,” she earnestly pleaded.
I raised an eyebrow. Seriously? Whatʼs with that mansion? Is it some kind of special privilege or something?
Again, I just nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. Iʼm not a nosy person, after all.
Now I know why they forbid us from entering there. That place is a secret.
Well, whatever.
When we reached the front of the dormitory building where I stay, I bid them farewell. But I paused at the entrance when they called out to me.
“What is it this time?” I asked irritably. I felt extremely tired today. I just wanted to rest.
They both gave me a worried look.
“Please donʼt forget to wear the bracelet. Donʼt you ever take it off or let it get lost while youʼre here.”
I frowned. Whatʼs so special about that bracelet?
I was about to ask when suddenly a strong gust of wind blew, causing me to shut my eyes.
The moment I opened my eyes, they were no longer in front of me.
***
I have been rolling around on my bed for a while now. I have already showered, done some advanced reading for the upcoming lectures, and had a sound trip.
But I still canʼt sleep, and my stomach is growling.
Earlier, as I was heading back here, I noticed that there were hardly any students outside. I didnʼt ask Miley about it, so I was surprised when she suddenly spoke up.
“Itʼs almost time for dinner. Iʼm sure that almost all of the students are already in the dining hall.”
I was dumbfounded. Iʼm starting to wonder if they have some sort of clairvoyant ability or something.
So, here I am now, very hungry. The dining hall is quite far from here, and itʼs already late. Why did my laziness decide to strike me earlier and prevent me from going there?
In an instant, Kyleʼs red eyes suddenly flashed in my mind once again. No matter how hard I try to forget about that, I just canʼt. I know what I saw, and I canʼt be mistaken. I saw it clearly how his brown eyes turned red, and it still gives me goosebumps.
I jolted upright as I remembered the last thing Miley said to me earlier. So, I went to the cabinet and opened its bottom drawer.
I took out the bracelet and placed it on my bedside table. Maybe Iʼll find out more about the mystery surrounding it later.
For now, all I need is to get some sleep because this day has been so long and tiring.
***
Kyle Ethanʼs POV
“Is it true?” my cousin, Vince, asked me right away. He is the older brother of Reiri. He just sat on the couch.
I am now in my room at the mansion, sitting on the edge of my bed. I just came back from Romania earlier, and I came straight here.
This mansion was especially built for the six of us. No one else can enter here except us, our families, and high-ranking vampires. A common vampire canʼt come near here or even see this place.
Yes. Weʼre vampires, and not everyone knows about our existence. Even the human students in this academy donʼt know anything about us.
I am a pureblood and, at the same time, the prince of our clan. The Clarkson family is the most powerful among the remaining pureblood lineages. Thatʼs why we take extra precautions.
“Thank you,” I said sarcastically to him.
Is it more important to gather gossip than to welcome me?
“Itʼs really impossible. Especially since sheʼs a human. Unless she was...”
I didnʼt even flinch when I felt Kira, my best friend, pop out beside me. Instant teleportation is his special ability.
“Iʼve also thought about that matter.” I clenched my right fist.
“Should we tell the king and queen about this matter?” Hiro asked, lounging on the veranda. He was a close friend of Vince.
I just shook my head. There was a door, but he always liked passing through it.
I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
“Nope. Weʼre going to observe her first.”
I suddenly remembered what happened earlier. Even from a distance, I could already smell the intoxicating scent of her blood. Thatʼs why I hurriedly made my way here.
I was ready to attack whoever this stranger was. But when I finally saw her face from afar, I just couldnʼt take my eyes off her. Sheʼs so beautiful that I could actually stare at her for the whole day.
When I let her know of my presence, I could feel her fear and apprehension. But sheʼs not one of those ordinary girls who would suddenly freak out and run for their lives.
Though if she only knew who we really are, then maybe she would do that.
When she was stunned, I took the opportunity to read her mind. I secretly smiled. Honestly, I didnʼt expect her to still be able to think about and notice things like that about me in her situation.
I didnʼt read her subsequent thoughts because I suddenly felt guilty. Besides, the use of our abilities is strictly prohibited, especially on humans, as someone might notice and witness it.
But weʼre all confused about how she managed to see and approach this mansion. So, I canʼt blame Miley for also using her special ability on Nicole, based on how she introduced herself to us.
They were about to leave when I noticed that she wasnʼt wearing the bracelet we gave her to protect the human students here. Thatʼs why I immediately sensed her presence.
I donʼt know why I suddenly felt angry because of that. As a result, I held onto her tightly, and my eyes turned red. I didnʼt expect her to notice it immediately.
Fortunately, I quickly calmed myself down, so it went back to normal. I know sheʼs going to throw a lot of questions at me. So, I took advantage of the opportunity to leave when she looked at Miley.
That girl, Nicole, is really different. If our hunch is right, then we should do everything we can to protect her.
“Youʼre happy, huh?” Kira said, which snapped me out of my trance.
I furrowed my brow. “What are you talking about again?”
Hiro came closer and tapped my shoulder. “Just in case you donʼt know, youʼre smiling.”
“Yeah, which is very rare to happen,” Vince added, wiggling his eyebrows.
I stood up in annoyance and left them. It seemed that since I had been gone for a long time, they decided to target me again. Iʼll just wait for the two princesses to return to the living room.
But before I walked out, I heard them laugh.
“The prince is really back!”
- Writer
