The Vampire's marked Witch

A Forced Love

Nova's POV

"What do you think you are doing?" a female voice snapped from behind us.

The man holding me gently set me down on the floor. I quickly pulled my torn robe tighter to shield myself from the freezing air.

"Why are you here?" the man asked her, his voice low. "Are you stalking me?"

I looked up at the woman. She was so beautiful, dressed in a regal violet gown, but she was glaring at me with hate in her eyes. I immediately looked down at the floor. Lord, what is going on? This was too much for one night.

"I... my dad is looking for you," she stammered. "It's time for your coronation speech. I didn't mean to foll—"

He raised his index finger, cutting her off. On it was a clawed ring that covered the finger, gleaming under the moonlight. He looked back down at me, his grey eyes and blood-stained face terrifying me, he let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Let's go."

I watched them walk away. The woman glared back at me one last time before disappearing.

Left alone, I curled up on the cold floor, buried my head in my knees, and let the tears flow freely. Mom, Sister Joan... I just need someone. I prayed silently, begging God for a second chance and a way to escape this nightmare.

"Hey! You!"

I looked up as a bright light flashed in my face. I shielded my eyes with my hand. A dark figure stood over me, holding a flashlight.

"Are you deaf? Get on your feet."

I stood up quickly, terrified of angering him.

"Follow me."

I hurried behind him as he led me into the mansion. The moment the large wooden doors opened, they revealed a dimly lit foyer that screamed luxury. I was so distracted by the beautiful surroundings that I tripped over my long robe and hit the floor. The man didn't turn around, so I scrambled up fast and kept close.

He took me to a small office near the kitchen, where an elderly woman sat behind a desk.

"Catherine, the Lord ordered that this human be assigned a duty on the estate," the man said.

The woman stood up and bowed her head.

"Yes, Finn. I will do as his Lord commands."

"He also specified that she is not to be given any duties inside the main house."

The woman nodded, and in a blur, the man vanished. I couldn't even catch a glimpse of his face.

"Hey, child," the elderly woman said, stepping toward me.

I flinched and stepped back, wrapping my arms tightly around my chest.

"No, dear, I won't hurt you," she said gently. "I am a human, just like you."

I slowly lifted my gaze. She was wearing a warm, kind smile.

"You look terrible," she murmured. "Come, let's get you cleaned up and into fresh clothes."

She led me out of the mansion and across the grounds to a small stone cottage. Inside, it felt warm and safe, just like home.

She guided me upstairs to a bedroom with four beds and pointed to one. "Sara was transferred to the main house, so you can take her bed." She walked over to a wooden wardrobe in the corner and pulled out a clean black-and-purple uniform and some towels.

"Here, put these on after your bath. I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

When the door closed, I stared at the clothes in my hands. I walked over to the mirror on the wardrobe and gasped. My face was smeared with dirt and tear stains; I looked like a complete mess.

I leaned against the glass, confused. Why were these people suddenly being nice to me?

Silas's POV

" Father," Zander bowed as he walked in. "I dropped the girl off at the campus just like you instructed." He immediately dropped to his knees. "Father, I'm sorry I failed you. I should have known she wasn't Raya's daughter. Please forgive me."

"No, son," I said, standing up and placing a hand on his shoulder. "No one could have known in all that chaos. She carried Nova's scent, which must be why the tracker glowed.

Now, you need to gather your team and search the woods. We have to rescue the real her."

"Yes, Father. I won't fail you this time," Zander promised.

After he left, I looked down at Nova's picture on my phone.

"Raya, your daughter is alive," I whispered to the screen. " I promise to bring her back home.”

Lucius's POV

After I finished my speech, Lord Orion walked over to Ava and me.

"Lord Valerius. The title suits you, son," he said.

"Thank you, Uncle."

He kissed my forehead, then Ava's. "May Persephone protect you both. I will do my best for you two and Anya." He paused, looking directly at me. "And make Ava happy, son."

With that, he left. I glanced at Ava, wondering what she had said to my uncle.

I left the hall and walked back to the mansion, hearing Ava's footsteps right behind me. Once in my bedchambers, I stripped out of my blood-stained clothes and stepped into the warm bath that had already been prepared.

Ava came closer and began washing the grime from my skin.

"I am sorry, my Lord," she murmured.

I sighed. "Why are you sorry?"

She gently ran a soft cloth over my face. "For angering you."

"I am not angry," I said after a long silence. "It is just hard to force love."

"Then let me show you how to love, Lucius," she blurted out.

I sat up and stared at her. She had never called me by my name since the day we got married.

"Why do you keep pushing me away?" she asked, her voice shaking as tears streamed down her face. "I have tried to prove myself worthy to you every single day for the past twenty-two years." She stood up, pacing back and forth across the room. "I have never seen you look at anyone the way you looked at that human, Lucius…. It hurts….Am… Am I not enough for you? You haven't touched me once since our wedding night."

She rushed back to the tub, framing my face with both hands. "What do you want me to do, Lucius? Tell me!" She broke down, sinking to the floor as she sobbed.

I had never seen her like this. Lord Orion's parting words echoed in my mind. Looking down at her, I stepped out of the water, scooped her up in my arms, and brought her into the large bath with me.

She looked up, her eyes wide and tearful. "My Lord..."

I pulled her lips into mine, tasting her, but pulled back almost immediately as regret spiked in my chest. What was I doing?

Before I could pull away, her arms locked around my neck, dragging me back into the kiss. Her fangs unsheathed with a sharp prick against my throat, sinking deep into my flesh.

The hot drag of her drinking my blood sent a raw shockwave down my nerves. The dark, chaotic hunger of the night snapped my control; my own fangs extended, and I bit viciously into her shoulder, feeding on her in return.

"Oh... Lucius..." she moaned against my neck.

Driven by a desperate impulse to drown out my own thoughts, my hands found the hem of her soaked gown, stripping the wet fabric away. Her bare skin felt impossibly soft and chilled beneath my burning palms. Lifting her from the water, I blurred across the room, slamming us into the bed.

We were both panting, our chests heaving in the dark. I didn't care about logic or reason—I just needed the distraction.

My fingers traced down her stomach, pulling her thighs apart to guide her open. When I slid my finger inside her wet heat, a sharp gasp caught in her throat, her heart racing wildly against her ribs. I moved inside her, a deep, steady rhythm that drew breathless whimpers from her lips.

"I want you inside me, Lucius," she whispered, her hands gripping my arms.

Before I could answer, she shifted, rolling us over to slide on top of me. She let out a ragged breath as she sank all the way down, wrapping her tight, searing heat around my erection. She arched her back and began to move, riding me in a slow, sweet rhythm.

"I love you, Lucius..." she moaned, her eyes dark with devotion.

I gripped her hips tightly, matching her pace and thrusting up to meet every movement as the heavy wooden bed creaked beneath us.

The dark energy flared out of control, building into a blinding wave until I lost all restraint, spilling myself deep inside her as her high cry shattered the quiet room.

Afterward, she collapsed onto my chest, her heavy breathing slowing as she rested against me. "I love you, Lucius," she murmured faintly, her lashes fluttering shut as sleep took her.

I lay frozen, staring up at the dark ceiling in the silence of the room.

As my breath gradually evened out, the haze cleared—and a girl's tear-stained face flashed vividly behind my eyelids. Nova.

A cold knife twisted in my gut.

I had just betrayed my mate.