Chapter 80

ELEANOR

^~Present day~^

Behind me, I heard my parents shuddering in surprise. Alexander was staring at me, his gaze full of rage. The king honestly looked shocked.

I didn’t spend any more time on them. I glanced at Aric. I hadn’t wanted to tell him like this. He was staring at me, wide-eyed.

I could hear his heart beat three times as his eyes shifted from crimson to sapphire.

“Pregnant?” he whispered. I nodded slowly, biting my lip to keep from smiling.

Aric didn’t bother, a wide grin cracked his face open, and he pounced on me, gathering me into his arms and crushing me against his chest.

“You are so perfect,” he gasped. And for a split second, the world fell away, and it was just the two of us. I hugged him tightly.

“Aric!” I heard Demetrius growl. We were ripped apart by our father, hissing, and growling, his anger focused on Aric. “Pregnant? She’s only twenty-five,” he snarled at him.

It was the first time I had ever seen Demetrius so angry at Aric. He was almost swinging punches.

Aric just grinned at Demetrius, his father’s rage unable to faze him, a deliriously happy expression on his handsome face.

Demetrius fumed, looking at me like he did when I was just a small child, like something he wanted to protect. I smiled to reassure him.

Aric let out a whoop. Phoenix snickered, her eyes shining.

“Eleanor,” Mother was by my side, her eyes bright crimson. She grasped my hand.

“Really? Are you sure? How is this even possible?” she gasped.

I pressed my finger to my fang and held it out to her, and she quickly tasted my blood. I watched her eyes widen. Then her whole face lit up in utter joy and fear.

“Is this what you want?” she asked me, her expression growing grave. “It’s a violent experience. More so than for humans.”

Phoenix had very much enjoyed telling me all about the terrors of pureblood pregnancy, including the body draining the mother of her blood for three years.

She told me of the increasing cravings—as in violent, murderous intent—and of the baby eventually clawing and biting its way out, and then nursing for ten years, literally drinking the mother’s blood.

I was astounded Mother had survived the twins. I finally understood why everyone was in awe of her.

It sounded horrid. I hadn’t planned on having children. In the back of my mind, I knew I liked the idea of being a mother, but I figured that after being with Aric, I would find a way to adopt.

The idea that I held his child inside me had me quickly forgetting the pain that was coming for me, and I only felt utter joy.

More so by the fact that it wasn’t coming for a couple of years still, giving me time to get my ducks in order. Ducks like David, Alexander, and the fucking king.

I nodded at Mother. “I’m so happy,” I admitted. She wrapped her arms around me tightly, her face already streaming with tears.

“It’s all I ever wanted for you,” she told me.

I smiled. A family to love, a career I enjoyed, a child on the way. It was exactly what she’d imagined for me.

At this point, the royal family was sick of watching our joy. Both Alexander and the king cleared their throats almost simultaneously.

Alexander looked horrified, angry, and heartbroken. The king just looked annoyed that he wasn’t winning anymore.

“I suppose I cannot,” he said finally, pursing his lips. He glanced at his grandson.

“There is an ancient pureblood law that forbids killing pregnant purebloods. We’re a very rare race. All of our children are necessary, especially those from a new bloodline.

“How many do you think you can produce? You’re only what, twenty-five? We usually have to wait until we’re four hundred. That’s at least three babies before that time.” He cocked his head to one side.

One minute I was a blood bag, the next I was the freak his grandson wanted to marry, and now I was a broodmare. I wanted to rip his throat out.

“Fuck you,” I growled.

The room quieted at that one. I assumed they weren’t used to that amount of disrespect for the king. He seethed.

“Fuck you, Alexander!” Phoenix added, sliding up next to me. Her face twisted in a sadistic smirk.

“I think it’s time you leave,” I snarled at the king and his family. “You’re not welcome in this home.”

I didn’t glance around to check if my parents or even Selene or Orion agreed with me. The words flew out of my mouth. I felt powerful. I was full of rage, and everyone was staring at me wide-eyed.

Aric leaned close to me, dimming his head down to run his lips against the shell of my ear.

“You’re glowing, my love,” he whispered.

Taken aback, I glanced at him in surprise. He was still grinning. “Glowing,” he mouthed.

I stared at my hands. Sure enough, a slight golden light seemed to be emitting from my skin.

“What the fuck?” I gasped, looking up my arms.

“What ~are~ you?” Elizabeth asked, her eyes wide. She didn’t look afraid of me, just curious.

“Well, I don’t fucking know,” I growled at her.

“It’s gonna be a weird hybrid baby!” Phoenix giggled.

I glared at her. She was too amused to care. She was shedding all her inhibitions now. I kind of loved finally getting to know her. But I was also pissed.

“Phoenix,” Aric warned, his tone slightly playful.

The king stood; his lips pursed. “Seems we need to teach this creature some lessons,” he growled.

He snapped his fingers, and in a blur of motion, three vampires were on me.

I didn’t know who they were. I just felt their hands grabbing at me, trying to knock me to the ground and restrain me. They had my hands behind my back.

In milliseconds, I saw Aric engaged in battle with three other purebloods. Eloise leapt forward over Phoenix and landed in front of me, geared up to punch me.

Alexander slipped between us, hissing at her. Phoenix appeared, her red eyes glowing the same color as her hair as she grabbed the back of his head and pulled.

Then the brawl started. I was barely able to follow what was happening. Bodies were flying, blood gushing, fangs flashing, claws slashing.

One of my detainees was hit, and I took the opportunity to snatch my arm back from the other and punch his face. He stumbled back.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aric pummeling some pureblood. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

I thought of David. He had been in the room before the fighting. Practically the only human around and smelling delicious. I let my senses sniff him out.

In the back of the room, I heard his heartbeat, racing with fear, and noticed the smell of his blood from an open wound.

I snarled and launched myself into the air. I was practically flying toward him, bouncing off the head of William, the heir to the throne.

I landed in front of Elizabeth, who had her fingers wrapped around David’s neck, her nails digging into the skin of his throat.

I flashed back to her holding me up over the balcony, snickering, dropping me to my death. Thank God Aric had saved me. I raged, staring into her eyes. I felt my body warming.

I noticed the glow from my skin. Elizabeth suddenly looked afraid.

“Get your hands off him!” I snarled.

I didn’t give her time to react. I lashed out, ripping her hand from my brother’s throat. David fell to the ground, coughing violently.

I grabbed Elizabeth by the throat and lifted her. She was small, shorter than me. I lifted her into the air, her legs dangling.

“Get the fuck away from my family, and don’t ~ever~ come back!” I hissed in her face.

To really bring it home, I spun and threw her across the room. She smashed through a window, shattering it and falling outside.

I caught Mother’s eye as she watched Elizabeth flying. She grinned at me and went back to pulling Eloise off Phoenix.

I glanced down at David. He was rubbing his throat and making a face.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, reaching down to pull him up. He stood and straightened out his clothes.

“It’s okay,” he answered, a small smile appearing. “It was worth it to see you throw her out the window like that.” He snickered, and I couldn’t help grinning.

“Eleanor!” I spun to see the prince moving toward me. His hair was matted, his bright blue eyes squinting with rage. Blood trickled down the side of his face.

I pushed David behind me to face him.

“Back off!” I growled at him. I could clearly remember him toying with me, scaring me. He couldn’t do that anymore.

He came to a stop in front of me, looming over me, his chest heaving.

“We’re supposed to be together!” he told me like it was obvious.

“No, no, we’re not,” I shook my head. “I am very much, and have always been, really in love with Aric.”

Alexander scoffed. “I am the prince, and I can give you so much more. A royal name, a position in the most powerful family in the world. Literally. And love. I can love you.”

“I don’t want your love,” I replied. “And what powerful family?” I indicated behind him where his father and sisters were being utterly pummeled by my kin.

Aric had William on the ground, Demetrius and the king were locked in a wild battle, and Mother was holding onto the two princesses.

“Mine is more powerful.”

Alexander let out a snarl of rage. “You don’t get it! I know it! I feel it! We’re meant to be together! Trust me. Please!”

He was begging. I couldn’t believe it. I stared at the shell of a man who had cornered me on my horse barely a week before.

“I don’t want you!” I snapped.

At that moment, Phoenix appeared. She latched herself onto Alexander’s back and dug her fangs into his throat. It was all so fast I barely saw it.

She ripped a chunk of his throat out and let him fall to the ground, bleeding and sputtering but already healing. She stomped her foot on his chest and then looked up to me. Her eyes crimson.

“He was mine to take down,” she informed me. I nodded in agreement.

She swiveled her gaze, and I saw her staring at Damon, who was next to Demetrius, holding the king down on his knees. Then she looked back at me.

“We seem to have done it,” she said.

“Done what?” David asked from behind me. Phoenix grinned at him.

“We took down the royal family. Now all that is left is to give them an ultimatum. Die or run away and never come back,” she sang. “Then we fight it out among ourselves.” She grinned.