Deadly bargain
1102 Words
“Maybe I am indeed not cold-hearted.”
The mockery in his tone was so evident that even a deaf man would know he was telling a bad joke. Emerson and Gina immediately fell on their faces.
The couple briskly conversed as they went on their knees. “Why would Ivanna tell him that? It is not part of the plan!” Gina complained to her husband.
“Children will be children,” Emerson replied.
He couldn’t find any excuse for Ivanna ’s confession; she was a wise child, but she was still a child, and Estelle’s expectations were too high.
“Please forgive us, most supreme—”
“Quiet!” Ricardo interrupted the pair before they could complete their fake apology.
“Most supreme,” Ivanna called, drawing back his attention to her. “Pardon my parents; they have no fault. It was the false rumors being spread by bad people that made them speak ill of you.”
After she said those words, Ivanna twinkled her lashes innocently; it touched Ricardo’s frigid heart. He had a soft spot for children that were not afraid of him. Moreover, he couldn’t help but be impressed by Ivanna ’s manners and wisdom; she was like a little lady, speaking and acting out of character for a child.
“For Gloria’s sake, I forgive your bashfulness. For aught I know, you may continue to affront me to your people after you leave,” Ricardo mumbled with certainty. “You may sit.”
“Thank you for your mercifulness, most supreme!” Emerson and Gina exclaimed joyfully as they rose. They sat after which Ivan sat as well.
Ricardo beamed lightly at Ivanna . He slowly removed the glove of her right hand while still looking into her innocent eyes. “I won’t hurt you, fair child, but you have to be at ease. Can you do that?”
Although Ivanna didn’t understand why he was taking off her glove nor why he was requesting her to be at ease, she nodded and exhaled softly, thereby easing her shoulders that she didn’t know were tensed up.
Two viper-like fangs extended from Ricardo’s mouth as his vermilion-red eyes glowed after they found her vein. He licked the fangs with his tongue hungrily like a predator about to pounce on prey; his red eye brightened even more when her veins pumped.
Afraid his mate and son could get traumatized, Emerson forced their heads on his neck and stomach while he stared at the alpha who looked like he could eat his daughter whole.
Ivanna ’s heart drummed so loudly in her chest, but the little spitfire kept a tough face. Ricardo’s hunger that came with his vampiric side slowly extinguished like a dying flame. His head fell low then he lifted it to look at Ivanna . The black snake-like veins that popped out with his blood-hungry side reduced to the point it was almost invincible, but thin black veins were still beneath his eyes.
He calmed his monster for Ivanna . It had never happened before; he was always in control, but something about this girl made his blood boil—in a good way. She was scentless, which was strange for a werewolf; regardless of this fact, Ricardo didn’t find the child suspicious.
He opened his mouth and sank his fangs into her wrist, unintentionally shutting his eyes as Ivanna ’s sweet-flavored blood spilled into his mouth.
Gina sniffled softly in her husband’s neck, followed by her tears wetting his collar. Werewolves have one of the best hearing among all creatures of the night. Her maternal feelings couldn’t be contained as she heard the skin-crunching sound of her daughter’s flesh being punctured.
Emerson hugged her closer, and his son too. He grounded his jaws but couldn’t do anything to save his family from this horror. He was just an ordinary alpha, with no special powers to even give Ricardo a good fight if he dared to challenge him.
“Be strong, my love,” was all he could say to console his sobbing wife. At the moment, he felt weak and useless.
Ricardo was so engrossed in drinking Ivanna ’s blood that he almost forgot that she was still a child; there was a limit to the amount of blood she could give. He opened his eyes momentarily while he was in his bloodlust stage; that was when he saw Ivanna ’s lively eyes looked somewhat greenish-pale. He immediately stopped taking from her and started returning the blood.
With his vampiric powers, he filtered his saliva and ensured that the blood he returned was not contaminated in any way, only saving a little for analysis. Ivanna breathed out rapidly, trying to catch the breath that left her little lungs. She felt her life being speedily drained through her hand yet she didn’t try to inform Ricardo.
Ricardo’s fangs returned to normal, but he still didn’t get a conclusive answer on Ivanna ’s power type. If the forehead swipe failed, blood tasting always revealed the powers of special children. Ricardo instantly knew something was odd or special about Ivanna ; he almost killed her for her delicious blood, which has never happened before.
“What are your daughter’s powers?” He asked, turning his head to the hugging family.
“We—we know not, most supreme,” Emerson stammered.
He was lying. They very well knew Ivanna ’s powers but never intended on giving the information to Ricardo, who would take their child away forever. His heart was steady, although he was stutteringly giving Ricardo a false impression that he was speaking the truth.
Ricardo squinted his eyes in skepticism. “Hmmm.” He stared at Ivanna carefully like a precious artifact then back at her parents. “You may leave; she will stay.” He declared without batting an eyelid.
“No!” Gina screamed out of her husband’s grasp, earning a high brow glare from Ricardo; he didn’t utter a word but she felt all the hair on her body stand.
Emerson fell on his knees while dragging down his tearing wife. “What she meant is that we need a little more time, most supreme.”
He joined his palms together, pleadingly. “Most supreme, our Ivanna is just seven years old; have mercy on us. It will break her heart to be detached from her parents so early—”
Before Emerson could complete his sentence, he was abruptly l
ifted above ground by a hand belonging to Ricardo, who used his supernatural vampiric speed to careen to Vincent’s front.
- Writer
