The Vampire Prince and His Brat | On Hold

Chapter Nineteen: Bratty Dreams Part I

The palace was burning.

Smoke clung to her lungs, her throat dry as she kept coughing and spluttering, desperately trying to find her way to the nearest exit.

She gritted her teeth, her hand flat against the cool stone of the wall as she spied the window up ahead. It was open, fresh air fluttering in on the gentle breeze. Coughing, she climbed out, staring down at the grass a good few metres away. She'd survive the drop. Of that she was sure.

Jumping down was easy, her bare feet landing heavily in the soft grass, mud squelching under her feet. She looked back, eyeing the palace as it burnt.

"Who the hell could pull this off?"

"Me."

Phantom pain sliced through her chest, and Kaliana sat bolt upright.

At least she tried to.

Strong arms were wrapped around her torso, both belonging to the prince currently using her as some sort of cuddly toy. Somehow, she doubted he still had cuddly toys as a fully-grown vampire – though apparently she was a fine substitute for one.

She whimpered, silently imagining all the ways she could kill him... not that she'd ever get to enact any of them.

It was dark outside, a hint of moonlight peeking through the curtains and illuminating the room which most definitely didn't belong to her.

She was in his bedroom.

Her cheeks burnt, her eyes wide as she squirmed, ignoring the small voice inside her which told her she enjoyed it – no, she did not, thank you very much!

She'd drown herself in the bathtub before admitting something like that.

"Stupid bastard," she muttered, trying to edge her way out of his iron grip to no avail. His hold on her was far too strong... especially considering he was still asleep. He even let out a cute little mewl every now and then.

Kaliana shook her head.

His mewls were not cute.

Not in the slightest.

Leviathan shifted in his sleep slightly, letting out a small mewl as he curled around her, his grip tightening on her waist. Kaliana blushed, eyes wide as he somehow twisted her so her face was crushed against his chest.

His incredibly bare chest.

So Kaliana did the only thing she could think of.

She pinched his nipple.

A hand crushed her wrist in a vice like grip in seconds, a set of eyes flicking open in seconds, bright blue meeting storm grey as they stared at each other.

"If you wanted to wake me up there are far more pleasurable ways of doing just that," he said. "Want me to show you one now?"

"No, I want you to get off me, bastard!" she hissed, squirming in his arms.

"I'd calm down if I were you, brat," he purred. "You're making a certain part of me very excited to see you."

"Shut up!"

"Wanna bet if I can make you?"

"Just let go of me already!" she yelled, feeling oddly faint as she lay there. Her skin was flushed, a light sheen of sweat having formed on her brow while she slept – far too close to what was determined to be her personal heater.

"I don't want to," he said, staring straight at her, smiling. "I'm enjoying having a little hot water bottle by my side... I do get a bit cold in the nights, you know."

"Then get an actual hot water bottle, idiot," she muttered, scowling as she was squished against his chest. "Wait... how the hell did I even end up here?!"

"I carried you up like a princess, if you really want to know." He grinned. "People thought it was adorable... and now they also think you're such a hard working princess..."

"I am hard working!"

"Pfft."

"I've taken plenty of etiquette lessons at home."

"And yet none of it's stayed in that puny little brain of yours..."

"I'll show you puny!" she hissed, wriggling her hand free.

"You don't know the first thing about etiquette, and unfortunately I'm probably going to have to continue teaching you thanks to the little ball we've got coming up."

Kaliana growled, slapping at his face.

She failed, obviously, her hand being caught by his own as he flipped her onto her back. He was hovering over her in seconds, pinning her to the soft mattress. "Honestly, brat..." He leant closer, his lips only millimetres away from her own. "Are you going to make me teach you bedroom etiquette too?"