Prince Imagines.

The Battle Within.

*A/N: Okay, I'm about to switch it up, y'all. This imagine is very different from all the others. I've never written anything like this, so please be kind in the comments 💜 This will be an excerpt from a new story I will be working on called "As You Wish." 😁🙌 a special shoutout to curls4hisgirls for pushing me to write this!*

He could sense her fear, but her calm demeanor gave away nothing about her state of mind as they stood in the dark alley, staring each other down. He should have never been there in the first place, but he couldn't bring himself to walk away.

It was something about her that kept drawing him back.

"What do you want from me?" She asks calmly, speaking for the first time since she'd caught him following her. He just smiles, tilting his head slightly to the left.

"What do you think I want from you?" He asks, amusement laced within his tone.

"To kill me."

"No, I don't want to kill you. But, I am a little thirsty." He says, stroking his chin with his index finger and thumb. His once hazel orbs turning a coppery amber color the longer he stares at her.

Her long __________ tresses.

Her wide  ________ orbs staring straight into his.

The floral-like scent of her perfume.

Her rapid heartbeat.

And oh...her blood.

Quickly shutting his eyes, The older man turns away from her, his chest rapidly rising and falling. He grips his throat, the searing pain reminding him of why he followed her in the first place.

Just do it, his subconscious, like a devil on his left shoulder, says to him. You know you need it.

Don't do it, Prince. And just like that, his conscience, like an angel on his right shoulder, chimes in. You'll regret it.

"Are you okay?" The young woman asks after a few minutes of silence, her tone dripping with concern as she comes closer to him.

Clearing his burning throat, and trying to ignore the impending argument about to occur between his conscience and subconscious, he turns to her and gives his best attempt at a genuine smile.

"Yes, I'm fine. Please, stay where you are. Don't come any closer."

"Okay." She says, still eyeing him with concern, but taking his word for it. "Well, if you're thirsty, there's a grocery store right across the street. They have anything you want."

"Oh, that's not what I'm thirsty for, _______." He responds, a wry smile playing on the corners of his lips.

The young woman's eyes widen. A million questions were floating around in her mind & the older man could hear them all.

What does he mean by that?

How does he know my name?

"How-." She began to say, but he places his finger to her lips to silence her.

How does he move so quickly?!

The older man smirks as the thought left the woman's mind. By now, she should've figured it out. She's read all the stories and heard all the myths. She wasn't sure if they were true.

Until now.

"No need for questions, sugar." He tells her, his fingers gently brushing her hair away from her neck. His mouth almost waters at the sound of her rapid heartbeat & her pulse gently thudding in her veins.

He wanted this so much, but he knew it was wrong.

Leaning forward, he brings his face closer to her. He allows his nose to skim along her collarbone, into the little hollow at the base of her neck. He stayed like this for a moment, taking in her soft, feminine scent. It almost made him forget what he wanted with her in the first place.

Almost.

As if by instinct, his lips curl back into a snarl against her, his sharp teeth ready to puncture her soft, delicate skin and savor the warmth of the blood that he'd been yearning for.

"Please. Don't do this." Her soft voice calling out to him, her tone pleading, momentarily stalled him.

He closed his eyes as he took an unnecessary breath to calm himself and lifted his mouth from her neck to rest it against her ear. His lips gently graze her earlobe as he spoke one word barely above a whisper, "Run."

The moment the word was spoken and she was free from his grasp, the young woman wasted no time in getting away from him. Ducking through every corner, past every home and racing by every establishment, she ran literally as if her life depended on it.

Watching her frantic actions as he now calmly and slowly made his way across the street, the older man smiled to himself. He had purposely given her a head start, but he'd be back to find her eventually.

Right now, he was an hour late for rehearsal with his band 3rdEyeGirl.