Rogues forest

Chapter 5

Seraphina

I kissed him hard, my tongue invading his mouth slowly. I was new to this—I had never kissed a man before. But I was willing to do anything to make him fall for my charms. That was the only way I would have a chance. If he wanted my body, then that's what I'd give him.

He stiffened at first, clearly caught off guard by my kiss, but then his other hand reached for my waist and pulled me closer as he kissed me back. His hand pulled my head closer, drawing me deeper into the kiss. It was my turn to be caught off guard because I wasn't expecting him to be so good at it.

His tongue slipped into my mouth, kissing and sucking gently on my tongue and lips, and I felt so lost in his warmth. My head couldn't think straight at that moment. But then I felt something rise and poke me from below his groin, and it took me a moment to realize what it was.

No way. It was too early for that. Not wanting it to escalate, I quickly pulled away from the kiss and pushed against his chest. My heart still raced wildly from the kiss as I gasped for breath.

A smirk was plastered on his face as I pulled back. My cheeks felt hot, and my lips still tingled from his kisses.

I mustered courage and looked up at him. His face was just out of this world. The rumors were all lies—there were no long canines, no pale skin, no rumbling voice. He was just too good-looking, the most handsome man I'd ever seen, and his red eyes were enough to charm anyone. But not me, of course. No way in the world was I going to fall for a bloodsucker.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid?" he asked with a mocking grin. So he was doing this intentionally, to test me. And I wasn't about to fail that test. I had to gain his trust at all costs and have him let his guard down around me. That was the only way I'd have a chance to kill him.

"No," I replied firmly, although my shaky voice betrayed my words. I wasn't afraid—I was just nervous. It was my first time kissing someone, and a vampire of all people. And the most agonizing thing was, it actually felt amazing.

"Then why did you pull away? Don't you want to please your husband?" he asked, tilting my chin to look at him. I had to find an excuse to end this. Besides, I was so hungry—I didn't have time for this.

"We're not yet married," I replied, my eyes holding a hint of defiance. He laughed, his laughter echoing in the silent room. Hell! Even his laugh was insanely attractive.

"You're my bride, Purple. Everyone knows that. Married or not, you're my bride," he said, his voice firm.

My heart skipped a beat from the nickname. Did he just call me Purple? And why did I like it? No, Seraphina, don't like anything about this man. Don't! I kept reminding myself.

"The food. The food is getting cold," I said, pointing to the trays arranged behind us. He looked behind and then finally let go.

I heaved a sigh of relief, so loud I was sure he heard, but who cares?

We sat quietly around the table, and the whole situation suddenly felt awkward. I looked down at the trays of assorted dishes, trying to find one I might like. I settled for a bowl of soup and bread.

We started eating, and I didn't raise my head to look at him even once. But I could feel his gaze on me, like he was observing my every move. It felt so awkward to be watched so intensely. It was infuriating, in fact. If it were another man, I would have kicked him in the face by now.

Once we were done eating, I felt refreshed and full. I stood up and headed to the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked. So I couldn't go anywhere without getting investigated?

"Just a brief walk," I replied firmly. He stood up from the table and walked up to me. Then he took a strand of my hair, playing with the edges between his fingers.

"Be careful. There are a lot of rogues out there who are after your blood," he warned sternly, then opened the door and left without looking back.

He didn't have to tell me. I knew exactly what I was signing up for the moment I stepped foot into this kingdom. Besides, why did he act like he cared? I'm sure he wanted my blood just as much as they did.

Once I was sure he had left, I wore my cloak over my head and closed my eyes, muttering a spell that instantly teleported me outside.

The cool breeze caressed my skin as soon as I materialized. It felt nice to be out of that suffocating palace. I walked into the forest ahead, healing random broken branches I found.

Trees and plants had life too. I felt sad for them whenever I found them injured like this. As I walked deeper into the forest, I found a tree with claw marks. It was obvious a fight happened here. I leaned down, inspecting the marks. This was definitely the work of a vampire's claw, which meant some rogues might be nearby.

It was time to do what I came out for. I could never stay here without utilizing the opportunity to get rid of some trash. That was one of the reasons I came—I was going to kill as many as I could. And to avoid suspicion, I would start with the rogues first.

I brought out my dagger. I could easily use spells to kill them, but that might draw too much attention, and they would definitely trace the deaths to a witch after inspecting the bodies, which would put me under suspicion.

I cut myself with the dagger. The smell of my blood would inevitably draw them over, and even if I got caught eventually, I would just claim I acted in self-defense.

Seconds after I cut myself, I heard the rustling of leaves and the breaking of branches as someone approached me from behind. My heart raced with excitement. I was in for a killing spree, and I was going to love every moment.