STEFANIA

Chapter Six

There was nowhere

nowhere

nowhere

nowhere now to go

but down.

We were both liars.

SHE HAS LEARNT That life is filled with misconceptions and some people get too deep into this fake picture forgetting the true meaning of things happening.

This fake picture makes you think everything is perfectly filled with positivity and kindness where every pain, hate, war, and enormity would all fade away within time, leading you to a delighted ending. That is a misconception.

You tell yourself things would get better, then another thing goes wrong. It feels like struggling over something meaningless.

Life is a misconception one minute you think you got everything figured out then the next minute it comes crashing down on you. Yesterday doesn't make tomorrow indubitable.

She thought she'd everything planned out, she understood it would be problematic but still, she'd everything in her to-do list.

Firstly, gathering as much information as possible, secondly, building herself up both physically and mentally then thirdly self-discovering. The goal was to work and be successful, at least. She may be slightly below average, but trying every day. That's all she can do to be rich and extremely smart.

Strong enthusiasm and focus were needed to achieve these goals.

With all these brilliant plans she never could reckon that she would be fated to any being and end up locked in a dungeon for how long she couldn't tell. it could be a day, or weeks since she has been locked here with no contact with anyone. Her body is almost giving up from the lack of feeding and rest because she has been restraining her body from sleep.

The last time she felt terrified of closing her eyes was when she was a child. She was so frightened of having nightmares that she would stay days without sleeping, she would push herself hard to remember anything. But she stopped doing that years ago.

Now here she was feeling like that little girl traumatized by the demons in her head. She was so terrified by the idea of having a nightmare and then waking up to this darkness in the room, knowing it would only deteriorate the level of her sanity. Anytime she let herself give into sleep she would hit her head against the wall or sink her fangs deeply into her wrist to keep herself awake.

The rustling sound of the door opening catches her attention, but as a result of lack of feeding her eyes are now as weak as a human which made it impossible to see the figure in the dark.

She leans her head back against the wall with her eyes shut. Even though she looked like an epitome of not bothered physically, mentally she was fully on alert."Get that thing off my face." She said lowly as a light flashed on her face.

"It seems you still got that insolence in you." The voice sounded like the sentry who brought her here.

She watches cautiously, every step of the daft man as he closed the distance between them. She clears her throat before trying to speak once again. "How long has it been since you brought me down here?"

"It's being week."

"A week." She knew immediately he finds out she was different he would feel hostility towards her. I guess it was cautious of me to avoid the bond between us. She wasn't surprised but disappointed. "Water. I need water." She requested, voice sounding hoarse.

At her request, he held out a plastic can of water. She crack open the cap, used half of the can to jiggle around her mouth, spit and then glug down the rests contents of the can in one go. It made her feel a bit refreshed, even though it won't make any difference to the state of her health but she just needed to have something in her system to awaken her taste bud and get rid of the nasty taste in her mouth.

She wiped her lips with the back of her right hand and then finally regards the sentry in front of her."Are you ready?" He squats with hands covered with gloves and starts unlocking the chain around her wrist.

"Are you letting me go?"

Immediately the chains fall from her hand she checks for any damage, the sliver didn't curse serious damage but her wrist look sore and red. She brace herself against the wall to pull herself up but groan from discomfort because her leg felt like jelly.

"Hey!" He stops her from falling to the ground.

"My leg feels weird." She places her right arm over his shoulder putting some of her weight on him.

With gaze fixed ahead and no words exchanged he led her forward through the dark with only light coming from his flashlight. She cling to him for support because she felt faint and queasy, for what felt like days they eventually reached the entrance door.

It felt different being outside, she could feel the whiff against her skin and see the sky graced by the moon gleaming dazzlingly. It felt like breathing after so long, experiencing and seeing things she always took for granted in a new light.

It felt amazing to be finally free from that nasty habitat but that was only wishful thinking because the sentries standing beside and in front of her waiting for her to take steps closer to the car parked a few feet away, sends her back into that dungeon.

Remembering being restrained to the wall and left in the dark alone, brought a queasy feeling. Not being able to contain the sickening feeling anymore she pulls away from the hand preventing her from dropping flat on her face. Slouching she upchuck every content of her stomach.

It left her weak and unable to hold the weight of her body, she drops to the ground on her kneels not feeling bothered by the attention she was getting. She was expecting to be tugged up by her shoulders but instead, she felt a strong hand under her thigh, lifting her in a bridal style. Too weak to protest she leans her head on the stranger's chest, hands around herself and eyes barely open.

"Is she sleeping?" She heard someone question immediately the car starts moving. She leans head head against the window of the car blocking out any source of noise so she could gather the last of her strength left.

Her body felt like it has being hurled down a mountain numerous times resulting in the pain it was going through presently, but her mind seems not to get the idea that she deserve a break because she had a rollercoaster of thoughts riding through her mind. She was in so much pain, if this is what it means to be fated then she rather dwells in her loneliness.

She wasn't prepared and didn't know what to expect until she was led into the back entrance of the pack house. That was when the dread set deeply rooted in her.

She closed her eyes and gathers her ragged self-esteem and frayed thoughts. When she opens her eyes his intense blank gaze is still on her.

His posture always seems apprehensive like he got a lot of problems saddling him and she can't help but feel that she was one of those problems weighing on him right now.

Finally breaking his gaze away he makes his way towards one of the doors located at the corner of the room, he returns a few seconds later."Have this." He throws something at her.

He takes a seat in front of her, the table being the only thing between them."What is this?" She stares at the plastic can he throw at her, containing a substance that looks like blood and smelled like one, but why would he give her blood knowing it's abhorrent to him?

"It's safe for consumption."

Understanding it might be her only opportunity of ever feeding again she sniffs to catch any scent of poison in it, finding non she glugs down the content bringing her taste bud euphoria. Taking the last drop of blood she shuts her eyes savoring the flow of the energy through her body, founding immense satisfaction from the feel of strength growing to life inside her body to a state of replenishment.

She was so close to welcoming the embrace of sleep her body so badly needed but his deep rich voice pulls her out."If that's out of the way I need you to answer every question correctly and truthfully."

"Okay." She gave him a curt nod."You've written down all about your insecurities toward me, right?"

"As a vampire, you can't tell a white lie even to save your own life, yes?" He questioned relaxing more into his chair.

That was true but living a life filled with threats and hidden danger at every corner, she had to develop survival skills to deal with such a curse or she won't be able to survive if she was always honest and law-abiding. She hasn't been able to get rid of the unbearable pain in her throat when she lies but she has learned a high level of endurance. Pain isn't pain until you focus on it.

"Yes unfortunately for me."

"Are you from Krovavyy?" He questioned.

If Krovavyy was a place she'd never heard of it before. It sparked her curiosity which slowly died a painful death because even though she wanted to ask she couldn't. Telling him she knew nothing of her kind would leave her vulnerable and useless to him, but if he keeps thinking she had information he wanted he would keep her alive.

"I swear I've no plans of causing harm or seeking information to use against you, I'm only here because this is the only safest place for a young vampire like me." She said showing fear in her gaze.

The plan here is to keep her answers away from the truth and at the same time make it seem like the truth because gaining the king's trust would be her only way of finding the truth about her existence.

"How long have you been here?" He arched an eyebrow, his voice deadly.

"It has been half a year now."He was watching her closely for any sign of twinge, seeing nothing to be suspicious about he turns his gaze away.

He stands then move to stand in front of her."Stand." She stands. She gasp as he curled his hands around her slim waist, he pulls her into his chest.

He cups her nape with his left hand and then leans close as if he was going to kiss her. His golden eyes gaze deeply into her eyes, it made her feel like he could see through her facade.

This male was fierce with darkness within him. He overwhelmed her senses, spellbinding her. Just this proximity brought back the s****l tension between them. Her body stiffened."You're getting that look in your eyes." She wetted her lips, helpless to their lust.

"I will let this go for now." His warm breaths hit her lips making her shiver.

Just as Manya taught he would claim her lips she gasp feeling a sudden shock to her wrist, she pulled away perplexed by the sudden change of action.

"It's a compelling bracelet." he said referring to the copper wristband fitting tightly around her wrist. She was too caught up in him that she didn't notice his true motive."It will stop you from tracing."

She tries pulling it off but it wasn't coming off like it was being glued to her wrist."What?" She raised her voice.

"You can't take it off."

To make a point of what he said she tries tracing across the room but groans from the pain soaring from her wrist through her body which brought tears to her eyes."Get this off me. It burns."She cried out trying to claw the band off her wrist.

"Calm down, relax your muscles." He holds her wrist and rubs his thumb gently over her the spot a few inches from the band."You will always feel this pain if you try tracing, so don't."

She pulls her hand away as the pain subsides to only a tingly feeling, she pins her gaze on the bracelet locked tightly around her wrist and studies it closely. To anyone, it looks like a normal band because it doesn't look fancy with stars and hearts beaded around it. it irritates and it is still alarming to her that it could stop her from tracing.

"Keep in mind, that this stays a secret." He said planting himself on his seat.

She froze, glaring at him."Then you should let me go."

His gaze drops to the paper on his table."Leave if you can." He said simply, not missing a beat.

"I'll make you regret this." She retorted with the same nonchalance but she wasn't dumb not to take his threat seriously.

Leaving his office in such a manner she felt like a fool but being a fool is so much better than feeling hurt. Right?

Without knocking she walked into the room, careful not to wake her up Manya took a short relaxing shower and then changed into Mitzi's shorts and tee. She discards the red wig on the bathroom floor and pulls her white natural hair into a high ponytail.

As she pulls the cover off Mitzi's body she stirs awake."Go back to sleep it's me, Manya." Manya draped her hand around Mitzi's waist and her head on Mitzi's chest, the steady beat of her heart lures her into sleep.

She didn't feel confident about tomorrow or how much she could handle but one thing was clear. She can only let him go once she knows the truth. So it was decided, she would stay.

The darkness that surrounds us cannot hurt us, it is the darkness in your own heart you should fear.