Chapter 26: New Feelings

"Why would you try to punish my pet when I haven't even laid a hand on her yet" Eliot said as he glared down at the woman, now standing with his eyes that had turned to slits 'he's… protecting me. Why?' Zoe felt something stir inside of her but she dismissed the feeling immediately.

For that moment Zoe remembered how it felt to be lonely and depressed with no one to protect her when she needed it the most, and the emotion of how it felt to be abandoned. She remembered how madam Elisabeta would always whip her when she had the chance and she did it all with no remorse.

Her heart got heavier and tighter by the seconds that passed, as agony and pain and torture flashed within her mind, and that feeling was something she didn't want to remember. A tear drop fell from her eyes, she could feel pain and hatred growing within her slowly, but when she looked up at Eliot who was protecting her and all the pain was exchanged with something else. It was a feeling which she could not explain.

The room was filled with murmurings of high elites, but they stopped when a hand hit the table hard, making everywhere suddenly quiet. It was Eliot. "Do not get in my way lord Eliot", the woman said trying to get Eliot to back off, "try me" he said, holding the whip even tighter as his hands dark blood ran down his hands.

"Your highness stop hurting yourself for this lowly human" lady Celine said, tears flowing down from her eyes but Eliot paid no attention to that

"Your highness just let go of the whip! She doesn't deserve you're mercy. Why does she mean so much to you, she is nothing" Zoe felt her heart drop in her chest 'nothing…'

"Enough!" the queen shouted for the lightning whip to disappear from Eliot's hand, slowly Eliot brought his wounded hands to his side. "We have already found the jewel so there's no need for this drama..,"

"Since the matter has been taken care of, I'm going to my quarters. This banquet is over!" the queen said, glaring at Greta from the corner of her eyes "Greta!" "Yes my lady" "escort me to my quarters I want to have a rest, Eliot! You are to see me in my quarters now!"

"Yes… mother". The queen stormed out of the room angrily as everywhere went back to begin filled with murmurings "were leaving" Eliot said calmly, but Zoe could hear the anger in his voice 'but he was supposed to meet the Empress. Is he… disobeying?'.

Zoe didn't waste time anymore as she quickly followed behind Eliot making their way outside the mansion and towards the limo, Eliot sat next to Zoe.

The drive back to Eliot's mansion was a quiet one, and Zoe kept her head down while thinking about whether Eliot would believe her or not, feeling a little guilty about making Eliot's hand bleed she decided to speak "I'm not the one responsible for -" "I know" Eliot said cutting her off "what?"

"Yes I believe you", Zoe looked at him in disbelief before her attention turned back to his bleeding palm "Don't worry about apologizing you're not responsible for it and you shouldn't blame yourself for any of that, instead you should worry more about your enemies" 'enemies?'

"What do you mean by enemies", "the people that are against you…and one of them might be Greta" 'no doubt about that, Greta is after me for revenge' "But don't get too worked up about it she won't kill you because, I'm here" 'Huh?'

"Why do you care if I die or not" Zoe asked as she continued to stare at Eliot who had his concentration fixed on the passing trees, silence filled the air as Eliot himself didn't have an answer to her question, 'why is he always looking into the forest?' Zoe thought as her question still remained unanswered

…

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The butler was already standing on the door waiting to accompany his master into the mansion as he took the Jacket which Eliot never bothered to wear. Walking silently up the stairs and towards Eliot's room, the butler never seeming to take his eyes off his masters wounded hand, as he dropped the first aid kit before leaving.

Zoe slowly walked towards the window, the fresh breeze of the midnight wind softly hitting against her face. From where she could see only a wide mass of trees and vegetation which covered half of the horizon, the blue midnight sky touching the surface of the land while the moon and stars hung proudly over the mansion. Zoe stared at the sky admirably, never in her life had she seen so many stars gathered in one place and weirdly, it was a full moon.

Returning back to her thoughts, Zoe sighed in relief, finally she was away from the crowded banquet.

Exhaling again, her fingers grazed softly on the windowsill in thoughts, her mind going back to rethink the scene which took place in the banquet 'he actually …protected me… NO! I mustn't think that way he's still a vampire, a blood sucker. He can kill me at any time, people like him can never learn to love, and they would always be heartless and cruel!' She traced her eyes round going back to look at Eliot who stood in silence.

Her brows furrowed in thinking when she caught Eliot's narrowed gaze on her "what?" Zoe said in a low searching voice to get him to stop staring at her the way he did, but he didn't, "…your scent" 'huh?' "What about my scent?" Zoe said, her breath hitching in her throat when Eliot appeared in front of her causing a small gasp to escape her throat 'how did he-' "It's… different" he said, leaning in which caused her to also lean back as her heart pounded against her chest, "Master…" "Shhh" he said, softly placing his index finger over her lips, cutting her off from her words.

Zoe had failed to notice the whole entire time, even in the ride back home, it was Eliot's eyes, they were still in slits and it had turned completely red, but why.