*Ch 246: Cowardly Vampire

My breath seized as this vile blood lusting creature eyed me like a delicacy dish.

"I do hope you remember you're under oath," I said boldly and firmly on every word.

Of course not threatened, he smirked hungrily at me. "What is it that you know about the vampire Oath?" he asked, bleeding lust from his eyeballs.

"Not much," I reply, stepping away. "Only that you cannot do any harm to me."

"Hmm," his voice thrummed in amusement. "That is correct, but you still have more to learn."

"Learning takes time," I told him as he tried to step closer.

"If you know I can't harm you, why are you keeping your distance?" he asked, smirking.

"As if I trust you," I asserted sharply and kept my distance.

He replied, taunting me, "You're right not to trust me. But for now, I can assure you, I cannot do any harm to you because of the oath. Otherwise, I would've had my way with your body. Then my Alpha would kill you."

Tightness in my chest stilled my breath to flounder from his perilous statements. Fear raced in my heart with battering thuds. Blurriness blinds my ability to think accurately about how to elude this uncomfortable position. The best I could do was to leave.

So I go to do that, but when I turned, he poofed himself in my face, and blocked me from doing so. This baleful smirk grew on his lips. He couldn't harm me, yet, that didn't stop him from making sure I felt timid.

Still, I maintained my distance as he stepped with me at a slower pace to toy. The more he reiterated his steps to follow me caused my throat to feel as if I was being strangled from my air.

His mouth parted to speak, but then he looked beyond my shoulder. Oddly, then his expression was like that of a coward.

"What do you think you're doing?" My breath gasped to hear that voice I so missed. I turned around and found my hero Orlando was right there. Though, just as quickly, I got worried because this man heckling me wasn't a man.

I turned to face the vampire and saw his eyes expressed fear. This can't be right. The vampire must have me under his spell to make me think I see him cowering. Not saying one word, the vampire left that easily, without causing any more trouble.

"Orlando!" without thinking, I dived into his arms and embraced him so tight. "What are you doing here?" I asked, releasing from the hug with my arms still on his nape.

"I should ask you the same thing." He stroked my face. "You look beautiful, Victoria."

"Orlando, you shouldn't be here," I whisper, cupping his hand over my cheekbone.

"Why do you look so skittish?" he asked softly, and I didn't know how to answer.

"Because I don't want you and Kai fighting," I lied.

Rather I was more worried that Kai would find a way to kill Orlando if he figured out vampires are real.

He smiled heartily, "I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about you."

His lips lean forward to kiss me, but I pull back. "You know I can't kiss you," I reminded him, and he frowned. "Please, tell me why you're all here?"

He chuckled, "Every year we attend."

I stepped away, partly upset. "In all these years we've dated, you've never once taken me."

"I wanted to, but I didn't think you'd wanna go because I hated being dragged here," he justified. "I figured I was sparing you the boredom. I mean, you honestly wanna hang out with a bunch of old timers and people my parents' age."

"Still, you never mentioned it to me," I expressed firmly.

Orlando chuckled at my attitude, "It never occurred to me."

My sternness broke, and I giggled at his manly response. It was just like him. Though, I acknowledged he was seeing what the vampires wanted him to see. Whereas he sees old folks, I see youth and malicious vampires waiting for their inimical opportunity to strike.

"Ok, I understand your logic about that," I said, cutting him a break.

He smiled before he took my hands and scanned my figure. "Have you been well?" Orlando asked. "You've lost weight. Has Kai been caring for you and the baby?"

"Why would you care about my baby?" I asked bitterly, and slid from his grasp. "There's no need to pretend as if you care about my unborn child. I know you wish for me to kill it because it's Kai's baby, not yours."

I expected he'd be upset, but what he expressed was such love and compassion.

He took my hands and spoke softer. "I don't ever wish to kill your baby. I'll take this baby in like it was my own. I see it more as your baby, not Kai's. I'd lather you with love and shower you both in gold. Once you get the courage to leave Kai, I'll prove this all to you."

"Orlando..." I was drawn speechless by his touching words.

All it did was break my heart. Still, he held onto such hope that we'd be together, but it wasn't a reality. It was a long-lost dream that forever stays locked away in my heart.

I respired and said softly, "I have to go." Since I knew he was safe, it was time for me to go my way. I barely slid from his grasp when his hand clenched mine.

Then he said, relentlessly, "Come with me, somebody is anxious to see you."

"But...I…" Before I could protest, Orlando pulled me away.

He crossed near the ballroom. Along the way, many vampires smirked at me grasped in Orlando's hand. We cut through a crowd of fatal bloodsuckers as they moved aside with amusement plastered on their faces. I wasn't sure how, but somehow these vampires sensed I loved this man over my own mate. Shame strikes my heart to realize, Kai's enemies were gloating for this reason. They're exhilarated to know Kai was in despair because of me.

I swallowed hard and did my best to ignore the staring eyes. To my luck, Orlando took me to a private dining room that was filled with round tables. Mostly everyone I knew and other people I didn't know were here. He took me to this one table, and a big smile lit my dimples.