Into the unknown
1355 Words
Chapter three
Calliope's pov
For the next two days, I don’t leave my room.
I stay buried under my blankets, ignoring every knock, every voice, every plate of food my mother tries to shove through my door like I’m some prisoner being fed scraps in a medieval dungeon. The only time I move is around 2 a.m. when I sneak downstairs to raid the fridge, careful not to wake anyone. The whole house sleeps, but my head doesn’t. My thoughts keep playing themselves like a broken record.
My mother, at one point, tried to bang the door off its hinges, shouting, “Reese would not want a stick as a wife, Calliope!”
Like I cared what Reese Carter wanted.
The man was the human definition of a glacier. If he had opinions about my weight, he could keep them locked inside that frozen heart of his.
On day three, she knocks again — this time softer, almost sweet, which should have been my warning. “Calliope, open the door. We need to talk about the wedding.”
Wedding.
The word alone makes my stomach twist.
For a second, stupid hope blooms in my chest. Maybe she’s come to her senses. Maybe she’ll say it’s all cancelled, that I can go back to being normal. Back to school, back to worrying about exams, not wedding dates and billionaire vampires.
I open the door.
She does not say anything close to that.
Instead, she breezes in like the room is hers and announces, “Reese does not want a winter wedding. Or fall.”
I stare at her, emotionless, because honestly, I’m too tired to react.
“He wants it in the next two weeks.”
Two weeks.
I blink slowly. I think my soul left my body for a moment.
But she isn’t done.
“He also said you’ll be moving into his mansion in two days. That way, you can get comfortable before the ceremony.”
Comfortable.
Yes. Nothing says comfort like living with a man whose eyes look like they can slice through steel.
That freezes something inside me. Because even though I’ve mentally prepared myself for the idea of marriage, I didn’t really think about the living together part.
Sharing the same roof.
The same space.
Maybe the same bed.
A bed.
Heat rushes to my face so fast I feel dizzy.
I’ve never even been in a relationship before. Never kissed anyone seriously. And now I’m expected to share a house — and a life — with Reese Carter?
How does one jump from zero experience to… vampire husband?
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Two more days pass in a blur.
Somehow, I’m packing my bags. I leave out the pretty dresses and unnecessary shoes. I pack the basics: jeans, hoodies, pajamas, toiletries, my favorite worn-out novel… the things that feel familiar.
My family suddenly starts being nicer. My brothers don’t fight in the hallway. My mother compliments my hair. My father offers to carry things for me. Even the dog, Storm, sits outside my room like some guardian.
It makes everything feel heavier.
The more I think about it, the more Luke’s words echo in my head — the words I tried to ignore at first.
This isn’t just for you. It’s for the family.
My parents are retiring soon. Money is tight. And I… I could help. I could make our lives easier.
Mother was right too. I owe her for everything she’s done for me.
So I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to keep packing.
Ten minutes before Reese’s car arrives, all four of my brothers hover around me like giant bodyguards. They’re usually loud, annoying, and chaotic — but right now they look like they’re attending my funeral.
Gloomy faces, tight jaws, shifting feet.
“Guys,” I laugh awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood, “you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine. I mean — he’s just a guy. I’ve lived with four ogres my entire life. I think I can handle one more.”
My voice cracks.
My brothers exchange looks.
Dangerous looks.
“What?” I ask. “What aren’t you guys telling me?”
Tristan, one of the twins, sighs. “There’s something you… don’t know about Reese.”
“Not everyone does,” Troy adds.
My brows pinch together. “And what’s that?”
Eric, the oldest — the one who never jokes and is allergic to fun — folds his arms. “Rumor has it that he’s a descendant of the vampire clan.”
My brain stops.
“Vam– what?”
“Hm?” I blink.
“He’s a vampire, Cally,” Luke says quietly. “A vicious one too. You have to be careful.”
I laugh because surely, they’re messing with me. “Oh, come on. A goodbye prank? To scare me? Well congratulations, it’s working.”
But they don’t smile.
Not one.
Their faces hold only pity.
“We wish it was a prank,” Eric says.
Before I can say anything else, two sleek black cars pull into the driveway. The engines are almost silent — too silent. From the first one, a tall, broad man steps out, dressed in a fitted black suit with dark shades. He walks straight toward us, no expression, no hesitation.
Definitely a bodyguard.
He takes my luggage without a word and heads back to the car.
My heart starts beating too fast.
Tinted windows.
I can’t see inside.
I don’t know if Reese is watching me right now.
“Be careful, Calliope,” Luke murmurs, pulling me into a tight hug.
I try not to cry.
One by one, my brothers wrap their arms around me — Tristan, Troy, Eric, Luke — each one whispering something like be safe, call us, don’t let him scare you, we love you.
I smile at them even though panic swirls violently in my chest.
Reese Carter. A vampire.
I’ve heard stories. I’ve seen one once — from a distance — but never imagined I’d be marrying one.
Oddly… I’m not as terrified as I should be.
Curious, yes.
Anxious, definitely.
But scared?
Not exactly.
Because something about all this doesn’t add up. Why would a wealthy, powerful, cold-hearted vampire want to marry me, a human girl with no special abilities, no status, no beauty that stops traffic?
There is a missing piece.
A secret.
A reason no one wants to say out loud.
And I’m going to find it — even if it’s the last thing I do.
The bodyguard opens the back door for me. My luggage is already inside another compartment. I slide into the seat and instantly see that Reese isn’t there.
Of course.
He sent the car but didn’t come himself.
The back seat is luxurious — too luxurious — stocked with snacks, a soft blanket, bottled water, even a tablet. A divider separates me from the driver, thank God.
The car starts moving, the second black car following closely behind.
This… this is my new life.
People dream of becoming royalty overnight. Living in a mansion. Marrying a billionaire.
Except in my case, it doesn’t feel like a dream.
It feels like stepping into someone else’s story.
Someone braver. Someone stronger.
I watch my house disappear through the rear window, my heart squeezing painfully.
What if I get there and his family hates me?
What if Reese regrets choosing me?
What if he has plans I don’t know about?
My stomach churns.
I press my palm against the cool window and whisper, barely audible:
“Please let me survive this.”
If I’m going to walk into a vampire’s mansion — into a life built on secrets and arrangements — then I need one thing more than anything:
A plan.
Not to run away.
But to protect myself.
Whatever happens next, I know one thing for sure:
Reese Carter may be cold, but I will not let him freeze me alive.
And whatever secret he’s hiding — whatever reason he needs a human bride —
I’m going to uncover it.
Even if it shatters everything.
- Writer
