A Vampires kiss

Chapter Six

The dress Ancelin put Katherine in was as beautiful as the first, this one was a simple maroon velvet dress, something that Katherine would have worn to prom if it was an option. This time, Ancelin just let Katherine's hair down. She followed her down the hall, and when they got to the grand staircase she followed her down. They went the opposite side of the manor instead of the direction to the rose garden and went down a dark hall until they came to two large double doors.

"He's in there." Ancelin whispered as she knocked on the doors.

"Come in," a voice boomed from the other side. Both girls swallowed hard as they entered. The room was dark, a large stone fireplace had a fire roaring inside it. The room had two dark red antique couches facing each other, separated with a wooden coffee table on top a black and gray rug.

Behind the couches was a large dark wooden desk, piled with papers. Caius was sitting there, his shirt unbuttoned exposing his smooth pecs. It made Katherine blush by looking at him. She looked away, her eyes falling onto the sword leaning against the desk. The look of it made her heart flutter. "You may leave," he rose to his feet, waving Ancelin away. Ancelin made a quick bow before leaving Katherine behind. "Katherine." He spoke her name as he grabbed a small silver box off the corner of his desk. "I have a present for you."

"A present?" She whispered, swallowing as she gazed at the small box. It was small, with a tiny red bow on the top. What could it possibly be? It looked like an earring box, almost similar to the one her father gave her for last Christmas. She swallowed, just thinking about her dad made her want to cry. She pushed those thoughts away, afraid that she would start crying in front of him. He opened the box and inside was an antique opal ring. It's pretty. She thought in awe, balling her fist against her chest. She was afraid to touch it.

"This was once my fathers ring to his mate, as well as my fathers fathers mate." He took her left hand. "And now it will be yours," he slipped it on. Was this an engagement? She thought, staring at the ring glistening on her finger. She never thought she would be engaged to someone she only knew for a few days, in fact she always thought it would be with someone she dated for a few years. That someone would have planned it with her friends, for the perfect surprise. It would have been after she finished school and gotten her career started. But I guess if I can't go home, she thought back sadly. "And when we have a son, it will go to his mate."

"Caius," she said softly. He stood still, listening to her. She took a shaky breath. "It's quite lovely, thank you." He smiled, and kissed her on the forehead. "I must ask you something." He lifted her head up towards her. "Why do you keep calling me that?" Caius frowned and c****d his head. "Your mate." She clarified.

"Every vampire has a mate, humans call them soulmates." His voice was flat. She swallowed, praying that she didn't make him angry again. "When his mate is found, he can only marry his mate. That is law." It was as if he was reading from a textbook, it made her uneasy.

"Vampire." She repeated. Ancelin had mentioned that they were vampires, but she thought Ancelin was just crazy. But you know deep down those three men were vampires, a voice whispered in her head, they bit you afterall. The big marks throbbed as she remembered those three men cornering her on Cotton Creek Bridge, even the back of her head started to throb by the memory.

"Yes," he purred and in a blink of an eye his eyes changed colors, now blood red and in his crooked smile were two sharp fangs. Katherine panicked and stumbled backwards, before she could fall he gripped her wrist and pulled her into his chest. "Forgive me," Caius whispered. "I didn't mean to frighten you." She closed her eyes, waiting for her heart to stop beating so wildly. Ancelin was right, vampires were real and she was in the Dark Realm. And somehow she became the mate to one, the Grand Duke as Ancelin had stated. What rotten luck.

"C-Caius." She pushed back and looked into his violet eyes, and for a moment she was no longer afraid. "How did you know that I was your mate?" She asked him softly. He kept one arm around her waist and lifted the other to push her hair behind her ear.

"Instinct." He smiled softly at her. "When you came of age, it was a pull that brought me to you. You needn't be afraid, my little dove, I will keep you safe." He vowed. She swallowed, that was sweet of him. Maybe this won't be so bad, she thought, after all if mother found out, she would at least be happy about this. Her mother wanted nothing more than for Katherine to marry rich. "Shall we walk?" She nodded her head, her cheeks burning. Caius grabbed his sword, hanging it on his hip. "Ready?" He offered his arm.

The maids and knights in the hall tried to avoid him as possible as they walked, everyone acted like they were afraid of him. He would look down at her only to smile as they walked. He showed her the dining room, the study for the lady of the house, and a sitting room. They walked toward the staircase but were interrupted when a man in a black suit stormed towards them. "Lord Darkimyr!" The man growled. Caius and Katherine stopped walking. "How dare you!" The man was handsome, almost as handsome as Caius. His hair was short and dark brown, a similar color to Katherine. "I've been waiting to see you all day and you ignore me! I have half the mind to rip up our agreement!" He shouted. His red eyes flicked over to Katherine who was half hidden behind Caius. "Human." He sneered. "You ignored me for the company of a human!"

"Lord Costache." Caius's voice was cold. "Mind your tone in front of my bride."

"Bride?" The man blinked, his eyes were the brightest blue Katherine ever seen. "I had no idea that you had found your mate." He was calm as he looked Katherine up and down, studying each of her features. "Quite a lovely little thing, isn't she?" He c****d his head as he stared at the bandage wrapped around her neck. "Bitten?" He sniffed the air, Caius moved his body in front of her. Shielding her from the Lord Costache. "But not by you, my lord."

"You speak too much." Caius grumbled.

"You know you'll have to have her enter society, I'm sure Noël will sponsor her." Lord Costache checked his pocket watch.

"We will talk about this later." Caius grabbed Katherine's hand. "If you excuse us, Lord Costache."

"What?" He shouted as the two walked past the Lord Costache. "How long do you intend to ignore me!" Caius stopped walking, sighing as he snapped, and as if Ancelin was waiting for his call in the shadows, she approached them. Keeping her head bowed.

"Take her to her new room." He nodded towards Ancelin. "Have her ready for dinner and bring her to the dining room, we shall have dinner together." He let Katherine's hand go, she pressed her lips together as their eyes met. "Lord Costache, shall we talk?" Ancelin led Katherine away, but Katherine looked back meeting eyes with Caius.

"We must hurry, my lady." Ancelin whispered as she pulled at Katherine's hand. "We have no business in what the lords have to say." The girls went the opposite direction from her room, disappearing in a brightly lit hallway decorated with paintings. One caught her eye, she recognized the stern cold look.

"Caius." She whispered as Ancelin looked right alongside her. "Who are they?" Two paintings sat beside him. The man was similar looking to Caius, almost as if they were mirror images. His eyes were different, they were colder. Their color was different too, while Caius's eyes were violet, his was dark blue. Beside him was a painting of a lovely lady with blonde hair, unlike the men she was smiling and even looked happy. She looked so kind, almost like an angel. Her eyes were the only thing to resemble Caius, her eyes were violet color.

"The Lord and Madam." Ancelin looked sad as she looked at them, more sad when she looked at the Madam.

"What happened to them?" Katherine asked.

"To become Lord of Darkimir, Master killed them." Ancelin whimpered. Katherine's heart stopped, he killed his own parents. Who could do that? No matter how her mom treated Katherine, she couldn't help but love her mother and couldn't even imagine wanting to kill her.

"Ancelin." Someone hissed. The girls turned to see Marian standing behind them. "You were f*******n to say anything." He shot Ancelin a glare as he turned to walk down the hall.