Music could be heard as we approached the place. It wasn’t a pleasant music nor was it loud. I saw a woman in a red gown at the other end and open her mouth to sing.
"You must be kidding me," I said as I heard the woman sing, raising her voice slowly but not like an opera. It was a slow soft sound that crawled into your senses, the type of music that felt depressing as time passed. Men and women went to the floor to dance. It was nice to see them dance as they moved slowly and I felt like trying it out but not here, maybe when I went back to the mansion.
"Lillian," Simon called my name, "Would you like to-"
"Dance with me," Luke said pulling me along with him as he led me towards the center.
"I-I can’t let’s go back," I whispered in panic and heard him chuckle softly.
"It’s a piece of cake. It’s not ice skating, sweetheart" he said placing one of his hands on my back.
"What is she singing?" I asked him curiously.
"It’s called ’Lifeless’," he answered. The song definitely gave that feeling, "It’s about a woman singing for her man who is killed due to an unfortunate moment." He pulled me closer to him so that he could rest his chin on the top of my head.
"People are watching, Luke," I muttered for his grip only to get tighter on my back. He moved his face so that he could whisper in my ears.
"Let them watch, they are just jealous," his warm breath hit the shell of my ear. From the corner of my eye, I saw the woman Luke was previously talking to stare at me without expression, it felt unsettling to be watched that way.
"I don’t know how many women are killing me inside their head right now," I sighed, averting my eyes to a big jeweled vase. I was sleepy and wanted to sleep right now. I didn’t know how long I could hold it back.
"Do you know how breathtaking you look tonight?" he asked me making me smile and I shook my head. He moved his hand from my back to the wooden like pencil that held my hair, "Let me show you then." He pulled out the wooden piece out and letting loose of my hair.
"Why did you take it out?" I asked looking at him and saw him gaze into my eyes.
"To make you feel beautiful of course and to let other’s here know why they can’t and won’t ever have you. Close your eyes, Lilly and don’t open it until I ask you to," he instructed with a soft smile and I did it without questioning him. He wouldn’t drink my blood right here so I wondered why he was asking me to close my eyes for, "I want you to feel it," his velvet like voice spoke to me.
Both his hands rested on my waist as we moved to the plain music now. For few seconds nothing happened until I felt Luke brush his lips on my ear torturously slow, making the hair on the back of my neck stand.
His hand moved up from my waist to the back while we danced. My eyes flew open when he bit my ear but before I could pull back he left a tender kiss where he had bit me. Blood rushed to my face in less than a second and I felt dizzy, my vision getting blurred. I had to hold him so that my legs didn’t give away and fall in front of everyone. When I got my eyesight right, I looked at Luke who was staring at me intently with his dark green eyes.
He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, letting his fingers trail down my neck.
"I need air," I said to him out of breath.
"Alright," his voice sounded slightly raspy as he spoke, "There’s an open space if you take the corridor at the right," and I nodded as his hands let me go. I didn’t dare to look at anyone in the room as I walked, thankfully the lady was still singing when I exited the hall.
As instructed by Luke, I took the corridor to find an open area. Going to the edge I leaned forward taking a deep breath and letting it out. I could feel the tingling in my chest as I looked at the garden below. I was surprised, shocked and something else which I didn’t know what to say after what Luke did on the floor.
"Don’t be so troubled at what he did," someone said behind me and I turned back to see an elderly woman standing with a bouquet of flowers in her hand, "I’m Beth, Luke’s aunt."
"I’m Lillian but you can call me Lilly," I said and saw her smile.
"I know, as beautiful as the name," she complimented me and I didn’t know what to say but smile, "Don’t worry on what happened back there, it’s a vampire’s gathering so we see people often bite. Luke did it so that no one would dare to woo or take you away from him so he claimed you in front of everyone."
"He could have told it instead. He bit really hard," I said, lifting my hand to feel my ear that was almost chomped by him. My poor ear. She let out a hearty laugh hearing it.
"I like you, Lilly. It’s good knowing you’ll be part of our family soon," she said," You know when-" her cell rang and she cut it.
"It’s not even been ten minutes and my other half is missing me. I’ll catch up with you later, sweetie," she said hurriedly and went away. I yawned and walked back inside slowly as I looked around I spotted a couch there with no one around.
Going towards it I sat there comfortably and closed my eyes, it felt like heaven. I didn’t realize when I fell asleep until I felt someone carrying me and place me on the soft bed.
"Luke?" I asked sleepily.
"Yes, sweetheart?" he asked me while he pulled up the blanket over me.
"What was the fifth question?" I asked him without opening my eyes.
"I’ll tell you tomorrow," he said softly as I began drifting off to sleep but not before I felt something soft and warm on my knuckles, "Goodnight Lillian."
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦