The vampire's Little Wife

Chapter 1

Melissa’s POV

“Melissa, get up!” comes a bellow from my step mother. She is a pain in the ass but I have learnt to smile and bear. After all nothing lasts forever.

“Coming mother.” I answer back as I rush to leave my warm little nest. I say nest as that really is what it is.

In a little attic, at the top of an impressive manor of a terrible duke is where I sleep in a bed made of hay. One would think that it would be easier to buy a proper bed in this day and age yet people make it look like they can’t afford one. Anyway, let me tell you of where I am and my little sob story.

***

My name is Melissa Hamilton and I am the eldest child of Duke Edward Hamilton. We live in an area where my father is ruler, the duchy of Reyes, under the King of the humans, King George. Everyone thinks that he is a kind and loving father, a good and caring duke and a thoughtful person. But they couldn’t be even further from the truth.

Edward Hamilton is as cruel as they come. He is a very vile man. He sacrifices people and drinks their blood. He is a very vengeful person and he will avenge every single atrocity ever committed to him.

And to make it all worse, his wife, Serena Hamilton is even worse. It’s like Bonny and Clyde but without the money and a lot of blood. They do a lot of things together. Including torturing me.

The two killed my mother when she was four months pregnant and laughed as I wailed in pain, watching my mother and her unborn child slowly bled to death. I would be having a lot of good fortune had they been out of my life. And the funniest part?

They said that it was vampires that had killed her and my little brother! Sigh, what hypocrites!

Personally, I don’t think that vampires are bad. Scary, but not bad. Like the one I had met some years ago. He was really a warm being.

The world we live in is inhabited with different species. Witches, fae, fairies, werewolves and all sorts of magical creatures, vampires inclusive. Each specie was given a set piece of land to call their own and the vampires are the closest to the humans.

“Melissa! That pudding is not going to cook itself.” came her bellow and this had me trudging downstairs faster than I could count to ten. Blankets and brasseries flew all over the room as I looked for my missing shoe, cussing when I remembered where I had left it.

‘It most definitely is in the barn.’ I thought as I looked for a worn pair of boots to cover my little feet. Even though it was summer, I still felt cold and easily got cold since I sleep in an unheated room.

‘So much for being the first daughter.’ I think.

The duke had many mansions and villas that we used from time to time and as it was summer, we had gone to our summer villa to relax. Guess what, I was one of the ten maids brought along. Yes, me the first daughter of the Hamilton duchy, is treated no better than a maid.

As I make a few turns to the kitchen while smoothing the nest I have atop my head, I find Delilah, my step sister, whipping a maid.

“Who said that a lowlife like you can look my way? I will teach you a lesson that you will never forget!” and with this she whipped even harder.

Usually, I would bow my head and pretend that I have seen nothing. But today felt different. My eighteenth birthday was around the corner and I couldn’t act like this had nothing to do with me. Besides, what was she, gold? People even look at diamonds!

I stomped towards Delilah and just as the whip came down, I held it before it could cause any more damage.

“Just who do you think you are?!” she shouted and I grimaced as she tugged the whip from my hands, making it to slice my flesh. I held on tighter as she tugged and as she was a delicate little teenager, I eventually managed to pull her along with the whip, making her tumble to the floor in a pile of tulle and lace.

“Take her away and treat her wounds.” I say to the maids around me and they hurriedly picked the maid up. With a little bow and a few grateful glances, they left.

“Why must you act like the master of this house? You are just a motherless wench who isn’t loved by anyone! Why act like you have any power?”

I just looked to my stupid sister and felt sorry for her. She most certainly wouldn’t easily survive in the outside world with her kind of attitude.

‘She might even be used as a tool for trade.’ I think as I wouldn’t put the idea past the duke. He is one cruel guy.

I looked at the mangled flesh on my palms and felt that this was really funny.

I felt nothing. Except the initial pain, nothing.

‘I might as well go and dump salt on this to stop the bleeding. Then maybe I could come around to making that pudding.’ I think as I continue on to the kitchen, leaving behind a huffing and puffing Delilah.

‘I wonder if I should make chocolate pudding or vanilla pudding? Perhaps strawberry pudding can work for a change.’ I thought as I rummaged the kitchen cabinets looking for some ingredients.

I settled for all three puddings while making some lunch side dishes. All the other maids were shuffling about but I could tell that they were scrutinizing me.

‘Why did she help that maid? After all we have done to her?’ thought one as she shivered. They all acted like I was a monster who couldn’t do anything but torture them yet they were always torturing me. Quite ironic, isn’t it?

Oh, did I mention that I am psychic? Yes, I can read people’s minds. I think I have other powers though I haven’t yet discovered them and that is ok. As I looked for the sugar, a hand suddenly stopped me.

I looked up and I immediately recognized the person. It was the head maid who would just watch as the maids tortured me since I was a kid. Why would she tell me to stop right now?

“Young miss, your hand needs some attention.” Came her aged voice making me drop my eyes to my hand. It looked aghast with all the mangled flesh hanging around it and the blood spewing from the wound. It looked really bad.

I looked around the kitchen and saw the numerous blood stained utensils and the like and I felt embarrassed.

“Head to the garden and wait for someone to come and help you with the wound. Let me make the pudding while you rest up.”

I looked at the old maid who was older than me in terms of age, experience and brains.

‘What if she tries something funny?’ I thought as I looked at her like a wounded animal on its guard. There’s no one I could trust in this household except myself so falling for their schemes was something that wouldn’t happen in a millennium.

I tried to read her mind but I was stupefied with what I heard. This truly couldn’t be true.

‘This poor child. I have turned a blind eye long enough. I should help her in whatever way I can.’

Maybe it was the warmth that led to a momentary lapse in judgement but I actually agreed.

***

In the garden, I leaned against the hard bench and took a deep breath as flashes of my life went by my mind’s eye.

“You will never be my daughter!” comes the echo of the Duke’s voice in my head. It was something he had told me after I had pestered him for a very long time seeking that love that only a father can give. My mother had just died and everyone blamed me for leading the gentle duchess to death. I sought comfort and support from my father but he flung me aside and nearly disowned me. Maybe if he had, I wouldn’t have to suffer like this at least.

“My, my, my, why are tears flowing down your eyes like this little fella?” came a deep voice that had me snapping my head towards it.

He had brown long hair and he was pale, very pale. I knew that he was a vampire but as he was my only friend, I didn’t mind. I gazed at him as I let the tears flow. Maybe that wasn’t the only reason.

“Don’t cry. It’s alright.” He said as he hugged me. I really felt glad he was there.

He is my one and only friend, Shawn. He is a vampire and we met here sometime in the past when I was a little child. We just became friends after I hid him from the guards and servants.

“What happened to your hand? Did those bad people do it?” he asked angrily as he ripped his cloak and messily bandaged my hand. I looked down at the messy work and smiled.

“Don’t bother. I have been through worse. How are you?”

“Been better. It’s been months since we last met.”

“Yeah, I kind of miss the summers here. At least I get to run away from everything.”

“Ha-ha, you are full of nostalgia right now. You make it look like the wound on your hand is nothing.” He said righteously.

He was right, but I had other things to worry about.