However, all of a sudden, someone wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said, “What’s with the sad face?”
Becca’s eyes widened when she recognized the familiar voice and touch. She raised her head to meet those familiar green eyes which she had been mourning for so many days. “Alexander…” she breathed out, and he flashed her a smile. Without another thought, she hugged him, letting tears slide down her cheek. “I’m not dreaming, am I?” she asked as she still couldn’t believe that he was here. “Are you here for real?”
“Yes, I am here for real, Becca.” Alexander wrapped his arms around her as well, feeling his heart coming back to life. It felt good to have her back in his arms. It felt like home. Until now, he was having doubts about whether he made the right choice or not, but he was sure now that he wanted to be where Becca was. It didn’t matter what creatures they were or how long their life spans were. He would cherish every moment he lived with Becca. He was willing to bear the pain of her absence after her death for an eternity if that was what it took to be happy with her for a while.
On the other hand, Becca was happier than ever. Her wish came true. She got the love of her life back. She didn’t want anything else. She was happy and content as long as Alexander was by her side.
While they were lost in their own little world, the whole class was staring at the two of them with wide eyes until someone cleared their throat and announced, “As much as I’m happy to see your reunion, it hasn’t been that long for you two to tear up and hug each other in the class as if one of you came back to life from the great beyond.”
Yet, Alexander and Becca didn’t respond, let alone move an inch away from each other.
Mr. Risorito fumed and pointed towards the classroom door. “Okay, you two, get out.”
###
After getting kicked out of the class, the two of them were now standing under the stone pine tree, holding each other's hands.
“I can’t believe you came back for me,” Becca let out, still feeling like it was a dream too good to be true.
“Yeah, things happened, and I couldn’t stay without you any longer.” Alexander placed a hand on her cheek, caressing her face.
“Didn’t Phil say anything?” Becca arched an eyebrow in suspicion.
“I doubt he even noticed I am missing. He has gone crazy to gain the vampire potion,” he replied.
“What will happen after Phil finds out that you left the vampire world against his order?” Becca asked fearfully. She didn’t want Alexander to get hurt just because he came to see her.
“Don’t worry. I will deal with it,” he assured her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
“So, when will you leave me again?” Becca asked.
Alexander twitched his lips and said, “Why, are you eager to get rid of me already?”
“No.” She pouted and hit his arm. “Tell me.”
Alexander chortled and finally answered, “I’m never leaving you again. I will stay with you wherever you are.”
Becca couldn’t believe what he was saying. Alexander actually wanted to stay with her forever. “Pinch me, Alex.”
Alexander pinched her cheeks, which made her shoot him a glare. He laughed lightly as an act of revenge for that day on the tour where she reached up and pinched his cheek out of nowhere. “It’s real, okay? Stop being so childish.”
“It’s because I’m childish you want to stay with me, right?” she teased him.
“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes.
“So…” Becca trailed off, a blush forming on her face. “Are we a couple now?”
“No, I just want to molest you,” he retorted.
“You have no right to play with the heart of an innocent girl like me. Answer me seriously.”
Alexander arched an eyebrow in amusement. “Innocent? Really now? The girl whose first thought is I’m about to molest her, is innocent?”
“Yes.” Becca held her chin up with pride. Just as Alexander smirked and was about to pull her close to him, she started to run away. “Catch me, Alex,” she hollered.
“You do know that I have speed like the wind,” Alexander informed smugly.
“Catch me at human speed if you can,” she corrected, grinning.
“How shall I know what is the average speed of a human?” He frowned.
“Slower than me,” she responded, and Alexander couldn’t help but chuckle before running after her.
While Alexander was trying to chase after Becca, Vanessa appeared out of nowhere. “I knew I smelled new romance here, but I didn’t know it was my brother romancing,” she teased, but suddenly her eyes grew wide. “Wait a minute. My brother?” She gaped at Alexander and went forward to poke his arm. “Oh, my gosh! It’s the real Alex!” she hollered.
“Of course, it’s me, Ness,” Alexander deadpanned.
“How? When? Why? How did you even come here against Phil’s wish? When did you come? Why didn’t you tell me?” Vanessa exclaimed with surprise, not believing that Alexander went against Phil for the first time. She couldn’t be happier.
“Chill, Ness. I will tell you everything later,” Alexander told her. “For now, leave. I want to spend some alone time with Becca,” he added, which made Becca flush red like a tomato.
Vanessa sent him a smirk that didn’t seem friendly at all. “Becca, don’t you have an exam to see if you remember everything from your last semester?”
Becca maintained her gaze on the ground and mumbled, “I didn’t study anything over the vacation, so I would rather stay with Alex than take exams where I will fail either way.”
“Wow, nice. Have fun, you two.” With that, Vanessa disappeared from their sight.
“So, what do you want to do?” Alexander asked.
“I have never been to the movie theatre. Wanna go there?” Becca suggested with a cute smile on her face.
Alexander placed a hand on her waist and said, “Sure. Anything you want to do.”
###
On the other hand, a few days ago, Shier had asked Becca to give him a blood sample because he was noticing strange changes in her. Also, she had the smell of vampires around her as if she had been mixing with them without his knowledge. When the test results came back, his suspicion turned out correct.
Shier immediately called Becca’s university and ordered to send her back home for an urgent situation. That’s why after Becca arrived in the dorm after having a nice and enjoyable date with Alexander, she received the notice to return home urgently. She had to obey, otherwise, Shier would remove her from there. With a heavy heart, she called Alexander to her dorm room and he arrived within a minute through her open window.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, seeing the lines of worry etched on her face.
Becca hugged him and rested her head on his chest while he caressed her hair, waiting for her to speak up. Becca wasn’t getting a good feeling at all. It wasn’t right to leave today. “I got a message from Dad. He wants me back home immediately,” she murmured.
“So, you need to leave today?” he asked, and she nodded. “Why are you upset then?”
“I won’t see you again for a long time.”
“Did you forget your boyfriend is a vampire?” he let out, which made her eyes sparkle.
Becca pulled apart from the hug and asked for confirmation, “Really? Will you come to see me?”
“Yes, of course.” He smiled at her softly, making his dimples pop.
Becca giggled and started taking out her luggage. She was glad that she didn’t unpack last night. “It’s a promise. See you tonight, then?”
“See you tonight.” With that, Alexander jumped out of the window as Becca needed to change.
Even though everything had started to go smoothly, Becca couldn’t stop getting an eerie feeling. Something was going to happen tonight, and it wasn’t anything good.
Chapter 36: Traps
As promised, Becca returned to Hertford Manor, sitting on the railing of the balcony along with Alexander.
Her dad didn’t say anything to her after she arrived home and instructed her to go to her room. She couldn’t help but wonder that there was something fishy going on, but she forgot all about it once she saw Alexander waiting for her on the balcony. She immediately ran into his arms and had not let go yet.
Right now, her head was on his shoulder, their hands intertwined while talking to each other about whatever came to their mind or just enjoying the comfortable silence.
“What if I fall from here?” Becca asked Alexander hypothetically.
He chuckled, answering, “Of course, I will catch you. At least, I will be fast enough to, but if I don’t wish to catch you, then I cannot guarantee your safety.”
She lightly punched his shoulder. “That is so mean, Alex.”
“What do you intend to do after you graduate from college, Becca?”
She pursed her lips and replied, “I don’t know. I haven’t given much thought about it, but all I know is that I want to live with you.”
“Live with me? Why? You know, I left the vampire world, so I cannot assure your full security as Phil and other vampires might just take revenge on me by hurting you.” He looked at her with eyes filled with love. “I cannot afford to lose you, and you are safe as long as we don’t stay together at one place.”
“So you mean, we have to see each other secretly while the other times we would just talk in college like friends?”
“Yes, Becca,” he mumbled.
Again, a silence fell over them, but this time it was a thick one, with both of them staring at each others’ lips. They had not gotten the chance to kiss since morning, now was the perfect time and atmosphere. Therefore, Alexander leaned in to kiss her.
As their lips were about to meet, a gruff voice yelled, “What the fuck is going on?” When they turned around, they found Shier Hertford glaring at the couple.
Becca’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as she breathed out, “Dad.”
Shier checked Alexander’s appearance, which was a long black coat reaching down to his knees and jeans. He didn’t fail to ascertain that Alexander was a vampire. He was the reason Becca had the smell of a vampire on her which he could sense due to being a scientist. Immediately, he grabbed Becca’s hand and pulled her inside.
“Dad, what are you—” Becca was interrupted when Shier pushed her inside her bedroom.
Then Shier gave a devilish smirk towards Alexander and said, “I have a spell surrounding the manor. The balcony was an open space, so you could enter, but let’s see how you enter now, you vampire.” With that, Shier closed the balcony door and slapped Becca in the face.
“Wha—” she was interrupted by Shier.
“You insolent girl! I raised you up right and you are flaunting your romance with a fucking vampire. Do you know what a vampire did to us?” he yelled and took out a whip which he secretly kept in Becca’s room in her absence.
“Da—ouch,” she hissed when the familiar pain hit her. Earlier she was used to her father’s beatings, but for a long time, she wasn’t abused physically so the pain stung her badly.
“Those vampires killed your mother for the potion, which got transferred to you. All I had to do was keep you weak so that your emotions wouldn’t be strong enough for you to give the potion to someone,” Shier hollered and hit her with the whip one more time.
“Argh—Da—” Becca flinched when another lash hit her.
“The vampire potion, isn’t that what the vampire wants? That potion was created by your godmother, who was a four-hundred and eighty-year-old vampire, and she was your mother’s best friend. She injected the potion into your mother when she was pregnant with you. That woman put my wife in danger!” Shier yelled and continued hitting her, as Becca had tears leaching out of her eyes.
Meanwhile, Alexander, who was on the balcony, tried to get inside Becca’s room repeatedly but the door was closed and the spell wasn’t letting him get in. The evening sky changed into darkness as lightning clouds appeared over Hertford Manor—that same inaudible lightning.
Alexander could hear Becca screaming in pain. He knew that he had to get inside the manor, come what may. He jumped to get inside the room a few more times. Then he used all his energy and put it into the spell. The spell started breaking as Alexander continued to barge into Becca’s room.
###
In the vampire world, Pristine gathered some important information and ran to Phil, who returned ten minutes ago.
“Phil, there is something you should know,” Pristine said to Phil, who was casually drinking some blood.
“Speak,” Phil mumbled.
“An old vampire sent the fake news of Becca not having the vampire potion which you believed to be true.” Pristine proceeded to speak, “Phil, if Becca didn’t have the vampire potion then her blood wouldn’t have been poisonous. And you were correct about the kiss. A peck didn’t give you the vampire potion because the potion is connected to Becca’s emotional state. The stronger her emotions will grow for a vampire, the more likely that vampire has the chance to be the king. If Becca kisses the vampire she is in love with, that vampire will end up being the king.”
Phil choked on his drink after hearing that last bit of news. He stood up and said, “You mean, my brother who left the vampire world for Becca, loves her and is her soulmate. So if they kiss, Alexander will get the vampire potion?” He was aware that Alexander left the vampire world last night but didn’t do anything about it because he thought Becca didn’t have the potion, so it would be harmless to let Alexander be with her, but turns out he was completely wrong.
Pristine nodded her head. “The potion is connected with her emotions. Alex already got some part of the potion as Becca’s feelings for him started growing. Only a kiss is left between them to seal the deal.”
Phil tightened his grip on the glass. “The brother I raised with so much love, will go ahead of me whereas he was supposed to be beneath me. Alexander Insworthe will be the vampire king after getting the potion, and I cannot let that happen.”
“Well then,” she walked closer to him and said, “What do you suggest we do? We cannot stop them from kissing.”
“Shier Hertford has a feud with the vampires since his wife was killed by them, right?” When Pristine nodded, he said, “It means, he wants to keep Becca protected and he has a weapon to kill the vampires.”
“Yes…” she trailed off.
“I am going to the human world, Pristine.” Phil gave a devilish smirk and ordered her, “Close the portal of the vampire world for Alexander. Make sure he cannot summon the portal.”
Chapter 37: Unexpected Ending
Alexander managed to barge into the room by force and grabbed the whip, which was about to hit Becca. He pushed Shier away harshly and dropped the whip on the floor. Then he picked up a petrified Becca in his arms and jumped out of the balcony.
He was weak because of the strong spell he broke by giving away most of his energy. But he had to stay strong for Becca, as long as he could. He decided to take her to the vampire world to keep her safe with him for the time being.
Meanwhile, Shier took the special revolver which possessed the bullets that could kill a vampire. He wanted to kill the vampires responsible for his wife’s death, so he made it especially by himself. “I am going to kill him. I cannot let him be the vampire king nor anyone else. No vampire will be helped because they killed my wife,” he mumbled. He decided to rush to the Bellmor jungle since he spotted Alexander going there.
In the meantime, Alexander placed Becca in front of the banyan tree which had the portal connecting the vampire and the human world. He made her sit and rubbed her hands.
“Becca, are you okay?” he asked with his eyes filled with concern.
Becca coughed slightly, her throat dry due to screaming in pain.
Seeing her wounds, Alexander wished he had the power to cure her, but to cure someone he needed to chant a special incantation and for that, he needed energy. He himself was too weak and could barely u
se his powers on her.
“I am ok...Al…” she rasped out, nuzzling his neck with her soft hand which was cold now. She rested her forehead with his, mumbling, “You are the best person I have ever got in my life, Alex.” She didn’t understand why it was all happening but she was in more pain than ever. This time, there was no snowfall to heal her wounds either; as if even nature itself had given up on her.
Alexander caressed her bruised cheek carefully as if he would hurt her if not caressed with full focus. “I should be the one saying this. Becca, you gave life to this dead soul. Your chirpiness, curiosity, nature—all of these are the reasons that pulled me towards you. And not to forget the fact that,” he took her hand and placed it over his chest, “This heart, only beats when I am with you.”
Becca could feel his rapid heartbeats with her hand. A small smile ghosted over her lips as she said, “You taught me how it feels to be in love. It really feels like I am a female protagonist in a movie.”
“And you taught me to believe in love, Becca,” he mumbled and as she was falling weaker, he said, “Becca, keep your eyes open till we reach the vampire world.”
She nodded her head.
Alexander turned to the red dot on the tree and looked at it intently with his green eyes. He was ready to go as soon as the portal would open. His plan was he would pick up Becca bridal style and go to the vampire world. But he was shocked when he saw the portal didn’t open.
“The fuck?” he let out in disbelief and looked at the red dot again. It wasn’t working at all. “Why is this happening? It should work unless someone closes the portal to prevent me access.” When the realization struck him hard, he uttered, “Damn you, Phil. How can you do this?”
Becca, who was sitting there struggling in pain, said to him, “Alex, hear me out. I want to say something.”
“What?” he said in annoyance.
“First, help me stand up,” she said sternly.
With a sigh, Alexander helped her to get to her feet.
Becca looked at the dark sky, a frown on her face.
The Vampire Potion (Vampire World Book 1) Page 17
