OWNED BY THE VAMPIRE KING.

Dangerously Attached.

"He was dangerous in every possible way... and maybe that was exactly why I couldn't stop falling for him."

~THE NEXT DAY ~

Breakfast that morning felt unbearable.

Everything around me was too loud.

Too sharp.

Too much.

The clinking of silverware against plates echoed painfully inside my head.

The smell of food suddenly felt stronger than normal, almost enough to make me nauseous.

Even the perfume from the maids moving around the dining area made my stomach twist uncomfortably.

I sat quietly beside Lucien trying my best not to look suspicious.

Trying to act normal.

But deep down...

panic was already settling inside me.

Something was wrong with my body.

Terribly wrong.

And no matter how much Lucien tried making it sound temporary the previous night-

I couldn't stop feeling terrified.

I barely touched my food.

Lucien noticed.

Of course he did.

He always noticed everything concerning me.

"You should eat," he said calmly from beside me.

I forced myself to pick up the fork despite my lack of appetite.

Then suddenly-

a sharp sound cut through the room.

Crash.

One of the maids gasped softly after accidentally dropping a small plate.

Everyone turned briefly toward the noise.

"I'm sorry!" the maid apologized quickly while kneeling to clean the mess.

At first I looked away.

Until-

I smelled it.

Blood.

My entire body froze instantly.

It wasn't much.

Just a tiny cut across the maid's finger from the broken plate.

But the scent reached me immediately.

Warm.

Fresh.

My breathing changed instantly.

And before I could even understand what was happening-

my eyes locked onto the blood.

The room suddenly felt too hot.

My throat tightened strangely.

And horrifyingly enough-

something inside me reacted to the smell.

Not fear.

Not disgust.

Something worse.

My heartbeat quickened painfully.

No.

No no no-

I pushed my chair back abruptly.

The sound echoed loudly across the room.

Everyone looked at me immediately.

Panic crashed into me instantly.

"I-I need air," I whispered quickly.

Then I walked away before anyone could stop me.

Fast.

Too fast.

I could still smell the blood even from far away.

God.

What the hell was happening to me?

By the time I reached the room, my breathing had already become uneven.

I rushed straight into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.

Then I grabbed the sink tightly.

My hands trembled.

I stared at my reflection in horror.

"You're becoming a monster," I whispered shakily.

Tears burned my eyes almost instantly.

I felt sick.

Disgusted.

Terrified of myself.

Why had my body reacted like that?

Humans weren't supposed to react to blood that way.

Only vampires did.

A shaky breath escaped me.

What if Lucien lied?

What if I was truly changing?

What if eventually I stopped being human completely?

The thought broke something inside me.

Tears slipped down my cheeks quietly as I covered my mouth trying not to make sounds.

I didn't even notice the bathroom door opening until his voice came softly behind me.

"Seraphina."

I flinched immediately.

My chest tightened harder.

I didn't turn around.

I couldn't.

Not after what happened at the dining room.

Not after the way I reacted to blood.

I felt ashamed.

Humiliated.

Scared.

"What's happening to me?" my voice cracked slightly. "Why did I react like that?"

Silence followed briefly.

Then his footsteps moved closer.

Slow.

Careful.

I still refused to look at him.

"I'm becoming something horrible, aren't I?" I whispered painfully.

Another silence.

Then suddenly-

warm fingers gently wrapped around my wrist.

My breath caught instantly.

Slowly, Lucien turned me around to face him.

The moment our eyes met-

my heart started beating uncontrollably.

God.

Even now...

even while terrified...

he still affected me this badly.

His gaze stayed fixed on my tear stained face for a few quiet seconds.

Then unexpectedly-

his hand lifted slowly toward my cheek.

He wiped away one of my tears gently.

"You're overthinking," he said quietly.

But somehow...

his voice sounded less convincing this time.

And maybe that was why fresh tears gathered in my eyes again.

" I'm scared of myself," I admitted softly.

Something changed in his expression after that.

His eyes darkened slightly.

Not dangerously.

Emotionally.

Like seeing me cry was affecting him more than he wanted it to.

Then before I could process anything-

he leaned closer.

My breath stopped.

And suddenly-

his lips pressed against mine.

Softly.

Warm.

My entire body froze.

For one second my brain completely stopped functioning.

Lucien was kissing me.

The vampire king was kissing me.

My first kiss.

Oh my God.

My heartbeat exploded violently inside my chest.

Everything around me disappeared instantly.

The fear.

The confusion.

The panic.

All gone.

Because somehow...

the moment his lips touched mine-

everything inside me calmed down.

His hand moved gently against my waist pulling me slightly closer.

And that simple movement alone nearly made my knees weak.

I had imagined this before.

More times than I should have.

But nothing-

absolutely nothing-

could have prepared me for how it actually felt.

His lips were soft.

Slow.

Careful.

Like he was holding himself back.

And without even realizing it-

I kissed him back.

Shyly.

Inexperienced.

But real.

A small sound escaped my throat when his thumb brushed softly against my waist.

God.

My entire body felt warm.

For a second I forgot every terrifying thing happening to me.

All I could feel was him.

His scent.

His touch.

His lips against mine.

And strangely enough...

it felt safe.

It felt comforting.

Like somehow this was exactly where I belonged.

The kiss deepened slightly.

Just enough to make my heartbeat lose control completely.

Then suddenly-

Lucien pulled away.

Abruptly.

Like he had just realized what he was doing.

My breathing came out unevenly as I stared at him in shock.

For the first time since meeting him-

he actually looked conflicted.

His jaw tightened slightly before he stepped back.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

I blinked rapidly.

Sorry?

Before I could even respond-

he vanished.

Just like that.

Leaving me completely alone inside the bathroom.

Silence filled the room afterward.

I stared at the empty space he had stood moments ago, my heartbeat still racing uncontrollably.

Then slowly-

very slowly-

my fingers lifted toward my lips.

He kissed me.

Lucien kissed me.

Heat rushed instantly into my cheeks.

Oh God.

My first kiss.

And I actually kissed him back.

Suddenly my fear about my body wasn't even the first thing inside my head anymore.

Instead-

questions flooded my mind rapidly.

Why did he kiss me?

Did he actually want to?

Did he like it?

Or did he regret it immediately afterward?

And then the worst thought came.

What if I was a terrible kisser?

I buried my face into my hands immediately in embarrassment.

It was my first kiss.

Of course I was inexperienced.

What if he noticed?

What if that was why he suddenly pulled away and disappeared?

A nervous groan escaped me as I leaned against the sink.

God.

Why was I even thinking about this right now?

My body was literally changing and somehow all I could think about was Lucien kissing me.

Still...

despite my embarrassment-

a small smile slowly formed on my lips.

And the more I remembered the way he kissed me-

the harder my heart fell for him.