Chapter 12

Alexander had just reached the mansion with Elliot from the Council and was on the way to his room when he decided to check on the little human only to find the room empty, which made him suspicious. He couldn’t feel her presence in the room; it was as though she hadn’t slept here. When he stepped out of her room, his ear picked up the sound of the breaking of glass and went to check it out to only find the little girl there. His eyes were quick to scan her as he saw the condition she was in, but what made his blood boil in anger was the ugly bruise that had formed on her fragile skin.

Katie stood up when she saw him and when he stepped forward she took a step back. It was a reaction which irritated Alexander. He could see fear dancing in the girl’s eyes.

“What are you doing here in another vampire’s room?” He asked looking at her and saw her stare at him back. Sniffing her blood he frowned, “Tsk, your finger is bleeding. What were you thinking picking up broken glasses?”

He took her finger in his hand and licked it clean. Soon he felt her wobble as she lost conscious and he used his hands to support her. He wondered what she was doing in this part of the mansion which was assigned to the guests. It was then he heard Lady Magdalene speak,

“Aren’t you done with the floor you pathetic human?” Lady Magdalene asked from the bathroom while walking into the room, “Oh my, Lord Alexander,” the woman said with a surprised look.

Alexander looked at the woman and then the girl in his arms who had just lost consciousness.

“I’ll see you later in the chamber room, Lady Magdalene,” said Alexander and walked out without another word.

Going to his room he placed the girl in his bed and pulled up the blanket over her body. She would be safe here, he thought and with that, he locked the room from outside.

On the way, he met Elliot and Sylvia. Sylvia looked worried and was about to ask him something but he spoke first,

“Sylvia, go to my room and bring Katie once she wakes up. Elliot get everyone gathered in the chamber in an hour,” he ordered as he walked down the stairs.

The chamber room was a room which Alexander’s grandfather, Vlad had got it built in the mansion which was used to pass on orders to a whole group of people working in or out of the mansion or to discuss upon the punishments when there was a misconduct. Walking into the chamber room, Alexander sat on the throne-like seat now as the four elite vampires stood in front of him with the servants standing on the sidelines of the chamber. Giselle, Loren, Magdalene and the old man looked at the Valerian Lord who had his eyes closed in deep thought. Sylvia stood in the crowd with Katie while Elliot stood next to where Alexander sat and clapped his hand to gain everyone’s attention in the chamber as the noise in the room dropped to dead silence.

When Alexander opened his eyes they were deep red in colour.

“Bring the girl forward,” he said gesturing with his hand towards where Katie stood.

A guardsman came forward to escort her forward to where the other four vampires stood.

“Can someone enlighten me as to what happened in my absence? As to why the third-in-command found Sylvia tied in her own room?” he asked no one in particular to the crowd with a small smile, “Anyone?”

Giselle hadn’t expected his return this soon. She had planned to leave the Valerian empire once the sun set as she had enjoyed her time her but that was not going to happen. She realized she was in trouble if she didn’t speak out to save herself.

“Lord of Valeria if I may. This little girl,” Giselle began to speak with a sweet voice, “She had stolen Madame Loren’s necklace and hid it in her room.”

“Is it true?” Alexander questioned Katie and she shook her head.

“She lies! We found it in her room,” Madame Loren supported Giselle’s words.

“Sir if I might add, the girl was bringing up a rabid wolf in this estate. As we all know wolves are not friendly creatures and God knows what she had planned to do with it,” Lady Magdalene spoke.

The Valerian Lord looked at them thoughtfully and his eyes fell upon the fourth one.

“Do you have anything to say, Sir,” Elliot asked the man and saw him gulp.

“I did see the girl with the wolf when I was accompanying Lady Magdalene towards the horse shed,” the man replied nervously.

“Is that so?” Alexander drawled as he leaned back, “Slapping a little girl and implementing punishments on her with no proper evidence that she was the one to steal is considered as law-breaking here. Coming to the wolf, I was the one who got it for her,” he said which made the older female vampire’s eyes to widen in shock.

“What?” she whispered.

“That’s right. If none of you has forgotten she is my guest here. So let’s see what we have here,” Alexander confirmed as a smirk formed on his lips, “Slapping a human with no evidence, starving her, killing an animal and the last one, tying up one of the commanders. Did I get them right?” he asked them while they looked terrified of what was going to come.

“Yeah! Yeah!” came a chorus of voices in the room.

“What is the nature of your relationship with that human?!” Giselle asked not able to contain the anger and the hate. The mask she had put up was slowly slipping out, “She is a pathetic human who has not a single drop of pure blood in her then why is she treated equally to us?”

“Lord Alexander, what you are doing is not right. You are placing a mere human above us, who is not of any blood. Do you know what will happen when the entire Empire hears about this? When the vampires hear about it?” Lady Magdalene threatened indirectly.

“Katherine, come here,” he called out to her and she walked towards him, placing her hands on his open palm. Without wasting another second he bit the tender flesh at her neck making Katie bite her lip due to the pain. When he pulled away the entire chamber was filled with gasps looking at the mark on the girl’s neck and he spoke, “I’m sure it’s not a problem anymore.”

“Sylvia escort the girl back to her room,” Alexander ordered and continued once they were out, “So what shall we do for what you’ve sown. After all, you reap what you sow, isn’t that right darling Giselle,” he asked with a tilt.

“I’ve heard how they cut their hands off or execute them when such things come up,” Elliot said rubbing his chin as his eyes met Lady Magdalene’s.

“I’m sorry for implying that she stole!” Lady Loren spoke frantically but the deed had already been done and there was no turning back.

“Lady Loren and you sir will be stripped out of your titles. While Lady Magdalene you will lose your title and your hands that you treasure so much. My lovely Giselle what shall I say it was fun while it lasted but I’m sure you will be remembered. Guards prepare for her execution for treason,” Alexander gave his final word before getting up and walking out with Elliot.

When they were alone standing in the patio at the top of the castle, Elliot asked,

“Do you know what you’ve done by biting her?” he had a frown on his face as he stared at Alexander.

“I know,” Alexander replied looking at the setting sun.

In a vampire world, there were different forms of markings. One of it being as a master and sire bond, another was the mark that meant they belonged to the vampire’s coven. There was also a mark which was used to form a soul bond where the vampire would pick the person as his or her partner. True that a human’s life in front of a vampire was nothing and even though he wouldn’t admit it, he had grown a soft corner towards the little one, like a little animal.

To avoid the situation Alexander had bit the little girl in front of the whole crowd, placing a mark which looked similar to a soul bond, making others believe that he had claimed her when he actually hadn’t. But in someway, which he hadn’t realized, he had bound a part of him to her.