Must I Be Your Bride? - Chapter Thirteen

Holding back my tears, I kiss him again. I almost feel my body giving up at the sudden happiness I was feeling; relief. This meant I wasn't going anywhere, right? I was staying here? With William?

He reluctantly backs away, but links his fingers with mine in a sure grip. He faces the crowd again, his lips near the microphone. Everyone's waiting for his words, his decision. I was too.

"Serene won't be going through with the transformation," he says. My smile fades. My joy fades. My relief fades. Everything that just made me feel alive a few moments ago faded. His hand only tightened around mine, as if saying he wasn't finished. I ignored the pain it gave my burns, because it was only drowned with the thought of him holding me. "I will be marrying her as a human."

My eyes grow wide in shock, and the crowd goes into a million gasps, followed by chatter. William turned away from them with those last words and led me off the platform, leaving the stunned crowd.

We made it inside the castle, but he didn't stop, he only pulled me through the halls. It took a while before I remembered the doors that led to William's room. It was a time like this where I was glad they didn't make me wear over-exaggerating heels.

We rushed into his room. He shut it closed and locked it, and we stood there silently for a moment, only looking at each other, trying to regain our breath from all the hurrying. I walked toward his bed, leading him with me. As soon as we took a seat, I ran my hand through his hair and kissed him.

"What you said -," I start, but he cuts me off be kissing me. I tried to speak again, to ask about the words he said out there, but he simply wouldn't let me, and I knew this was payback from the night I did that to him. So I gave up in speaking and just gave in.

It was a time to forget everything, where it was only me and him in this world. It didn't matter that he was a vampire, a prince, and it didn't matter that I was a human, a nobody. What mattered was what we felt right now, in each other's arms.

I shuddered when his hands trailed up my arms, stopping at my sleeves, and soon find my waist. His lips leave mine and slowly trail down to chin, to my neck. It reminded me of the time when William bit me, for some reason, preparing myself for his bite. But it doesn't come. And soon, his lips were back on mine.

I was suddenly starting to feel the desperation I did that night I had that fever, wanting so badly to fill in the psychological gap with his lips. But as we got deeper into the kiss, as his hands trailed to my almost bare back, I realized that a kiss just may not be the cure.

There's a knock on the door, and we pull back almost angry. Mad that someone was ruining such a great moment. He slowly lets me go and opens the door, and Matthew pushes himself inside. I quickly get to my feet.

"I'm sure with the words you left out there you were prepared for the consequences," Matthew snapped at William.

I rushed to William's side, clutching his arm, having this horrible feeling that Matthew was going to take him away from me.

"Yes", he answered. I looked at him, biting my lips. William had warned me that breaking the law of the kingdom of kingdoms only brought punishment.

"Good", Matthew says, a bit more calm. "Then I suppose you're ready to come with me to see what the sovereign has to say about this."

It wasn't a question, but William answered anyway. "Yes."

"No," I quickly interrupt. "No, it's ok. I-I'll become a vampire. There's no harm done." I'm stuttering, nervously horrified.

Matthew gives me a tight amusing smile. "It's not so easy anymore. He's already informed to his people that he was willing to break the rules. We must not let them think that they can get away with breaking the law."

William gives me a kiss before I can argue again. "It's ok", he whispers against my lips.

"I wouldn't be too sure," Matthew smirks.

"Let me go with you", I beg.

"No," William says a little too quickly. But it's too late; I see the grin spread across Matthew's face.

"I suppose the sovereign would be pleased to have you as a guest as well", he says.

I can feel William tense up. "She doesn't need to go," he says calmly.

Matthew ignored his plea. "Our ride arrives in a couple of hours, so I suggest you pack. I don't know how long he'll keep you. And no wedding dresses. You'll only give the sovereign ideas." And with another smirk, he leaves the room.

William doesn't look at me. He looks frustrated, as if something said has hurt him. I may have just hurt him.

"We can ask them for one more chance," I say, trying to calm him. He only shakes his head.

"They're severe, Serene", he forces out. "And I'm not changing you."

"I'm afraid you have no choice." I felt the tears in my eyes, the thought of losing him in an agonizing way only making me feel helpless.

"But you do." He placed the top of my hand to his lips, and I must've made a flinch or something because he unfolds my hand to see the still-fresh burns. "I could smell them. I had to get you out of there before anybody else did." And then he noticed me going pale because he adds, "But it only made me rush my consideration." His lips press gently on my wounds, and I wonder what he's feeling right now; if the smell of it was killing him.

I took a step closer to him and brought his forehead to mine. "We'll get through this together", I whisper.

He doesn't answer; only leads me toward his bed and makes me lay down, his hands going through my well-placed hair when he takes a seat beside me. "Sleep", he says. "We have some time, and I can tell you had a hard night." He looks a bit grim at the thought. I could tell that I wasn't the only one that had a terrible night, so I take this opportunity and scoot over to give him some space. With no hesitation, he lies next to me, and I place my head on his chest, hearing a very faint heartbeat.

"I hear your heart", I say quietly, afraid to scare the faint pump.

"The stake has to kill something."

It takes me a while to understand what he was saying, and then it comes to me. A stake to the heart is supposed to kill a vampire.

"A stake can't kill a heart as strong as yours." I close my eyes, only paying attention to the hand trailing up and down my arm.

And then it suddenly stops. Seconds later, I'm about to check if William has fallen asleep, but when I feel something like a sharp needle sting my arm, just where William's hand was seconds ago, my eyes jerk open. But I only have a fraction of a second to see William's painful eyes before my whole body goes paralyzed. My eyes have no choice but to shut, and soon, it takes my mind with it, into the complete darkness of horror.
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Well... happy endings don't come so easily. Hope you guys enjoyed! I can't believe I got up to thirty comments! Thank you so much for that! :) It might also have been the wait I had to give you guys (I'm so sorry for that). But I'm truly grateful and trying my best to make this story interesting. Almost to the end!