Chapter １９

The vampire wedding ceremony wasn't limited to only the rituals we did in the hall. There was also the mating thing! I didn't think they would include it tonight itself!

But I wasn't going to complain. After all, I would get to jump on the bed with Liam. With a slightly red face, I walked toward his bedroom. My things were already moved here. So that meant we both would live in the same room from this day. Thinking about holding Liam's toned body every night while sleeping made me want to jump in joy and squeal!

But when I remembered the wedding vows Liam had said, I wanted to kill him on the spot!

I remembered him turning toward his friends standing beside him and taking a small square page. It made me think if this guy was preparing a greeting card for someone.

And then he robotically started reading a very bland vow that didn't have a touch of feelings. The only part that made me move was when he said he would keep me company even in sickness until death.

But otherwise, I felt like he was just reading something out of boredom. Did he find a freelancer to write such a vow? I gnashed my jaw at the thought.

I was fuming in anger by the time we sat down on the table for the after wedding feast during reception. I kept glaring at him with my puffed up cheeks.

Seeing my face, Liam instantly realized why I was angry. He sent an amused smile toward me and joked. "Did you encounter something that displeased you?"

This guy was still in a mood for a joke! I almost felt like he spoke such a vow to deliberately make me furious.

"Do you enjoy making me angry all the time?"

"Yes." He said with an expressionless face making me angrier.

"You-" I didn't have words. The only thing I could do was give a false warning. "Just you see! If I don't throw you out of the bedroom tonight, I'd change my name!"

His smirk widened. "Get ready to change your name, dear wife. Tonight is our mating ritual that can't be postponed."

Liam's voice wasn't low either. He spoke in such a way that everyone near us heard and laughed.

I took a deep breath. I shouldn't kill Liam. I shouldn't kill Liam. I shouldn't kill Liam…

I chanted this in my heart constantly to stay calm.

The rest of the wedding ceremony was so smooth that I had almost forgotten about the presence of the hunter.

By the time it was evening, I had already turned toward the front door of the wedding hall. My gaze had a touch of tiredness. I wanted to go home and lay down on the bed.

Home? When did I start calling the palace my home? The realization struck my heart like a lightning bolt. A few months back, my home used to be Gramps and Lucy, and now, my definition of my home changed to the place where Liam lived.

Was it because I had suddenly started to have feelings for a certain cold vampire?

Seeing my complicated gaze directed at the door, Liam stopped chatting with his friends and looked at me curiously. "What're you thinking?"

"I want to go home." I blurted out without thinking.

Liam was stunned. He blinked several times before realising what I had just said and nodded expressionlessly. But he seemed surprised by my sudden words.

Wait, did I just say it out loud? And did Liam just actually understand what I was saying by calling the palace my home?

A trace of blush crept on my cheeks. But before I could find an excuse and say anything, I heard a loud noise. It felt like something in the garden outside just shattered and broke into pieces. As if something heavy had just fallen over a table made of glass or something.

Stunned, we all rushed outside. I was still in my wedding gown. So when I walked, my entire dress was dragged behind me, making my pace slower. I grabbed a handful of my dress and tugged it in the front to run forward. When I reached outdoors, people were already standing beneath the porch, circling something. I couldn't see anything at all!

Squinting my eyes, I tried to see but I still couldn't see between the men standing before me. Right then, Liam said, "Move aside, let us see what's going on."

Hearing his voice, men backed up a few steps, leaving a scene that made me pale from head to toe. In front of me, I could see the body of a bodyguard lying flat on the floor. Blood was still flooding out of his head.

Seeing the sight of so much blood, my heartbeat sped. My pupils dilated as I felt a familiar hunger, making my stomach growl. The teeth that I had managed to suppress in the past were slowly making their way out. By this time, I had forgotten that I was standing in front of so many people. I had forgotten my identity. I was so hungry that I almost wanted to lick the blood off of the floor.

Just then, a hand stretched out before my eyes and a hand embraced me from behind, making me snap out of my wild thoughts. I blinked and realized what I was doing, which made my complexion paler!

My limbs started to tremble as I fell back in Liam's embrace.

I was actually getting hungry because of blood! This thought itself was frightening. Tears trickled down my eyes. I parted my lips and closed, not knowing what to say.

"It's okay." Liam whispered in my ears. His voice fanned the surface of my skin making me feel warmer. "Take a deep breath and try to control."

I took a few shuddered breaths. The teeth that were already half out slipped back inside. I suddenly felt exhausted as if I had run a marathon. I rested against Liam's sturdy chest and raised my hands to wipe my eyes. "I don't want this." I whispered softly so that only Liam could hear my voice.

Tightening his hands against my waist, he whispered back, "I know."

Saying that, he caressed my back a few times and walked over to inspect the cold dead body.

I didn't dare to raise my head and stare at the scene of blood. I didn't want to reveal my identity so dramatically at my wedding!

I immediately went inside and sat on a chair. The guests were murmuring, but they didn't disturb me. Maybe they were thinking that the sight of blood disturbed me. When in reality, I was trying to calm my heart that had already decided to remind me of the thirst I felt. I took a few deep breaths, trying to control my hunger.

I was anxious. My restless eyes kept darting at the door and back to the floor in front of me. The tapping of my foot increased.

But the thirst for blood that was already ignited didn't subside. It instead increased to an unbearable extent. I didn't know what to do. I could feel pointed teeth coming out of my mouth again.

I clenched my teeth and took another deep breath. Sweat formed on my forehead as I tried to control myself again. At this time, I couldn't help but think if the entire situation was created just to expose my identity in front of all the vampires. The thought itself was so scary that I nearly lost my control all over again. The moment my canines were out, I panicked. Liam wasn't here to calm me down this time.

I took a deep breath only to sniff a mixed scent of something delicious. It almost felt like I had a play full of delicious desserts in front of me. I couldn't help but sniff a few times only to make my stomach growl. My lips parted automatically as saliva created in my mouth.

"Let's go." Liam can just in time to drag me out of this place. I felt both relief and reluctance. The smell was so sweet that I wanted to continue sniffing. Seeing my expressions, Liam grabbed me and whispered in my ears. "That's blood what you're sniffing. That's not what you want to drink, is it?"

His words could have made me snap out of my thoughts if I wasn't hungry. It almost felt like I was hungry for weeks! I weakly rested against Liam's sturdy arms. "It smells so good. I'm hungry."

"I'll feed you once we're alone." There was a touch of hesitation in his voice.

Just as we reached the car, he pushed me inside and sat beside me. Gesturing the driver to take the car away, he blocked the window between the backseat and the driver. Even the windows were tinted black, so we were completely alone at the moment.

Then he turned to me, loosening his tie. He opened the first few buttons of his shirt and looked at my face grimly. "Time to quench your hunger."

At this time, I was already leaning toward his neck, taking a long sniff and filling my lungs with a sweet smell. I didn't care that this was a vampire's blood. I was hungry so much that I was ready to drink an entire bucket.

My canines were sticking out of my lips as my tongue licked the pointed teeth. I could already feel his blood flowing in his veins, inviting me to take a bite.

"I want to drink." I blurted out and leaned toward his exposed neck. My sharp teeth touched his skin. I could feel his body stiffen at the contact, but he didn't flinch. Rather he grabbed my shoulders.

"Go ahead." He said softly. "I'll push you back once I feel like you're done."

That was the push I needed. I didn't think twice before shifting close. My chest heaved as it stuck close to his arms. But I wasn't in the right mind to think of anything other than my hunger. I sniffed his neck only to take in a mouthful of sweet dessert-like smell. It filled my lungs, but I was still greedy. By this time, my canine was already on display.

Without wasting a second, my teeth penetrated his smooth and cold skin. I felt his body becoming frozen, but he didn't push me back.

I sucked in fresh warm blood. It tasted like marshmallow in my mouth as saliva dripped down mixed with blood from the corner of my lips. I pushed in greedily, sucking all I could. I hadn't tasted something so sweet in my entire life!

My toes curled in pleasure as I kept sucking. Just as I was about to continue, a hand pushed me back, making me fall on the seat against the window.

That was when I woke up from my vampirish trance. Blinking twice, I steadied myself and realized what I just did. I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. My cheeks warmed as my ears turned. Averting my eyes, I pursed my lips and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry."

When I didn't receive a reply, I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes only to find him staring at my face expressionlessly. My ears turned even redder and I ducked my head in my chest. "What are you looking at?"

"I never thought the first would be you." I knew what he was referring to. He never got to drink my blood, but instead, I got an opportunity to taste his first.

I hid my face in my palms at that. "Shut up." I mumbled through my lips, wanting to dig a hole and hide in there forever.

I could imagine him rolling his eyes at my reaction. Next, he closed his top button and adjusted his tie. "You have to learn how to control your blood thirst. If I was a human, I would have died."

My eyes widened at that and I immediately turned toward him. Pulling his collar, I started examining his neck. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Seeing my worried and anxious face, he let out a chuckle and looked at me in amusement. "I'm fine."

Before he could tease me about it, I decided to change the topic toward something less ambiguous. "What was that about? That dead body?" I paused and hesitated before asking in a low voice, "Is it the hunters?"

Liam's face immediately turned grave. "I hope not, but the signs screamed their name." Then he spared a curious glance at me. "I assume Olivia told you about the hunters."

I nodded and then I became depressed. "I fear for Lucy's life."

"She'll be fine. Trust me." Then he opened the partition and said to the driver, "Take us straight to the palace."

"We weren't going to the palace?" I asked in surprise.

He shook his head. "I had planned something for the mating ritual, but I guess we would have to make do with the palace itself. You aren't safe outside."