The Vampire Prince and His Brat | On Hold

Chapter Sixteen: Saving the Brat Part I

Drowning her sorrows away in the bathtub later wasn't as easy as she'd thought it'd be. Mainly due to the fact she'd forgotten about the tinsy tiny fact their bathrooms were connected by the baths. All Leviathan had to do was duck under the wall and slip through the gap and then he was in.

"What's the matter, brat?" he asked, slinging an arm around her shoulder, yanking her ever closer to him. "You look stressed."

"I wonder why?" she hissed, trying and failing to remove his arm from both her body and his own.

"Need me to help you relax?"

"Go away," she growled. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you and your annoying mouth."

"My mouth isn't annoying."

"But the words that come out of it sure are."

Leviathan stared at her in silence for a few seconds, his hands snapping into action before she could pry herself away, and then her cheeks were being pinched. "Aww, my little brat is growing up so quickly... you're sounding less and less like a spoilt child— wait, I take that back."

"Bastard!"

"For crying out loud... would you come up with a more creative insult?"

"No."

"Shame..." he mumbled, leaning back. "You're as bratty as ever."

"And here I thought you liked it," Kaliana muttered, rolling her eyes, silently wishing he'd stay in his own bathroom.

"Well, it does make teasing you all the more fun," he purred, leaning closer to her. "I'd happily tease you all night long..."

"Your breath smells. Get it out of my face."

Leviathan smiled, and Kaliana knew instantly she wouldn't be getting her way anytime soon. "No. Now come and cuddle your husband."

"I'd rather drown."

"But then you wouldn't be able to make babies," he said, adopting an annoyingly innocent expression. "Speaking of that... how would you like to start on that endeavour tonight?" he asked, smirking as he was met with a faceful of water and the sight of Kaliana's half-see-through towel. "Was that a yes?"

"You know damn well it's not, bastard!" she hissed, storming into her room, quickly getting herself dried and into bed. She scowled, fuming internally even as she shivered in the slight breeze coming in from the window. Leviathan was in her head... again, much to her annoyance. "Stupid obnoxious idiotic pea-brained bastard..." she muttered, sitting bolt upright as she felt a presence hovering by her bedside. "What do you—?!"

Kaliana froze, staring at the knife darting towards her throat, her eyes widening as she threw herself to the other side of the bed faster than she ever thought she could manage. A scream burst from her lips, a door wrenching itself open and then it was over in a spray of blood.

It sprayed over her face, the warm liquid having an odd comforting effect on her as she smelt the coppery liquid vampires needed to drink every once in a while to survive.

Her would-be-assassin was dead.

With a hand sticking through their chest.

Leviathan's hand.

"You..."

He yanked his hand back with a horrible squelch, the body falling to the floor, and Kaliana was oddly grateful the floor was tiled.

It'd be a nightmare to get blood out of carpet.

Her attention flickered between the body and Leviathan, and she knew in some ways her innocence had been lost.

Her husband had evidently still been in the bath, judging by the sopping towel at his feet.

Kaliana turned red.

"ALBION!" Leviathan roared, his voice echoing around the walls, and seconds later the jovial blonde arrived.

He took one look at the scene. "Ah."

"Are there any more?" Leviathan asked, staring at him with narrowed eyes.

Albion looked around the room, eyes closed, and Kaliana realised he must have some sort of sensory ability. Most vampires had a bit of one, but Albion's seemed to be more powerful than that. It had to be if Leviathan was asking him.

"We're clear... looks like only one rat slipped in..." he said taking a step back. "I'll go and notify the rest of the guards while you go and put some pants on, Lev. Sleep well, Princess."

Leviathan stared at her. "Go and wash the blood off," he ordered, dragging the body towards the door, unfazed by his nakedness. "This mess will be gone by the time you're cleaned up."

Kaliana nodded blankly.

She'd seen death before... but she'd never usually been the target.

It was more often than not her father, and he'd dealt with them each and every time. Though it was nothing like what her husband had just done. It was... cleaner... and Kaliana didn't usually get sprayed with blood either.

She didn't usually get to see any nice butt cheeks of the opposite sex too, nor the 'thingy' around the front either.

Still, that didn't stop her from doing what she was told for once. She washed the blood from her face, changing into a fresh nightgown, and true to his word, the mess was cleaned up when she sat down on her bed.

The window was shut.

Albion had confirmed there was nobody lurking about except her guards.

And yet she couldn't sleep... no matter how hard she tried.

She bit her lip, scowling at the thought, but after a good hour of no sleep she decided to leave the room and wander over to the door she never thought she'd want to go through.

"Leviathan?" she called softly, rapping her knuckles against the hard wood.

He was at the door in seconds, peering down at her, bemused. "How can I help you, brat?"

Kaliana could barely bring herself to choke the words out, her face burning as her gaze darted to his pants. "Umm..."

"What?" he asked. "I know it's big."

Her eye twitched, her lips forcing the words out.

"Will you... stay with me?"