Ch. 101..105: The Vampire Prince's Blindfolded Bride Chapter 101-105

Chapter 101: Alora ate poisonous berry

Alora and Magnus stood at the high cliff to witness the nature’s beauty that unfolded in front of their eyes. A group of five hills were covered in lush green grass. From the top of the first hill, a river streamed down, having several branches within it.

"This place is no lesser than the heaven," Alora said, admiring the beauty of the nature. "Did Prince Magnus ever explore that region?" she asked.

"I haven’t. That’s a restricted region. Also, it won’t be easy to go there," Magnus said.

"Hmm. I always wanted to roam around the places. Thanks to Prince Magnus my dream came true." A radiant smile carved on her lips. Staying there for a while, they both came down. While walking Alora said, "We are quite far from the cottage."

"Yes, we are. You wanted to come here on foot. At least, with the carriage, we would have covered half of the distance without pain," Magnus stated. "But we ended up conversing a lot, thus knowing more about each other while coming here," he added.

"I believe such places are good to explore if you walk through nature," Alora stated as she descended the stairs made of mud.

As they reached the level surface, Magnus felt someone’s presence around them. He wandered his eyes around because it wasn’t an animal, but a human. The blood scent had disappeared suddenly, making him knit his brows together.

Alora looked around as well, asking him if someone was around.

"No. Let’s go," Magnus said and held her hand. While walking he contemplated why he got the fragrance of a human’s blood. His instincts would not betray him. The scent was faint yet noticeable to him. Most importantly, how a human entered Shadowbrook, a place where it wasn’t easy to break into.

"Why is Prince Magnus suddenly walking fast?" Alora interrupted his thoughts, causing him to slow down.

"Forgive me." Magnus kept his pace as equal as Alora’s. Suddenly, she let go of his hand and ran ahead of him.

"Be careful. Don’t run," Magnus warned her when he saw her sitting near the bush of red berries, which randomly grew in the wild.

"Don’t eat them," Magnus said, but by then Alora had eaten one.

She tilted her head as she stood up when Magnus asked her to throw it. She was so startled that she ended up swallowing it.

"I-I swallowed it," Alora said. "Why can’t I eat them?" she asked.

"They may be poisonous," Magnus said and got worried. "You don’t feel anything weird, right?" he asked.

Alora shook her head. "I am fine," she said. "I didn’t know berries can be poisonous," she murmured.

"Oh, they can. In the forest, not everything is good," Magnus asserted.

"I’ll be careful the next time," Alora stated.

As they reached the level field covered in green grasses, Alora started feeling strange. Her body started sweating and she was unable to breathe. Her steps became gradual and the next moment, Alora fainted.

Magnus heard the thud sound when she dropped to the ground. He turned around, his eyes widening as he got on his knees quickly. "Alora," Magnus anxiously called out his name as he patted her cheeks. He checked her pulse and found out it had significantly dropped. Her face looked pale and even her lips turned bluish.

Magnus quickly carried her in his arms and rushed her toward the cottage. He knew something was wrong with the berries. His heart raced in fear because the poison had affected her and he didn’t realize it for the past twenty minutes.

As he rushed into the cottage, Izaak and Griffin got confused. They also went upstairs to the bedroom. "What happened to Alora?" Izaak asked.

"She ate a berry accidentally in the forest. Call the doctor," Magnus instructed Griffin while catching his breath.

"What? Let me examine her. In which forest did you take Alora?" asked Izaak and sat on the bed, holding her wrist. He sensed Alora’s weak pulse.

"The five-hill forest," Magnus stated. "I didn’t know she would eat the berry in excitement. By the time, I stopped her she had already eaten it. Do something. Bring Alora to consciousness."

"How? I’m not a human doctor," Izaak said.

"Her lips are turning bluish as well as her nails," Magnus worriedly said to him. He sat beside Alora near her head and caressed her head. "I’ve heard of a herb that can remove the poison from Alora’s body," Magnus murmured.

"She is poisoned by a berry. You can’t feed her any random berry," Izaak opined. "Calm down. The doctor will be here soon." He patted Magnus’s shoulder and rose to his feet.

Magnus had one more way to take out the poison from Alora, but that was from sucking her blood. However, he was unsure if he would be able to stop himself.

"Why don’t you feed on her? I don’t think Griffin will find a doctor, who can actually treat Alora. It is a place of vampires only," Izaak suggested to him.

"I may not be able to stop," Magnus stated.

"I will make you stop. Poison doesn’t work on vampires. So, she can be easily saved," Izaak asserted.

Magnus glanced at Alora’s face and even heard how her heartbeats were slowing. He held her hand, caressing it tenderly.

"No doctor in Shadowbrook can treat Alora. She is a human. Keep that in mind. You don’t wish to drink from her, but it’s the only way to save her in a much faster way," Izaak elucidated to him.

Finally, Magnus gave in and he lifted Alora’s body. Brushing her hair to one of her sides, Magnus noticed the prominent vein on her neck.

"Do it, Magnus," Izaak said. "You have to save her, else we don’t know what will happen," he proclaimed.

Magnus’s fangs grew and he buried his face in Alora’s neck. He sank his sharp canines deeper into her skin. Alora slightly whimpered in her unconscious state.

Magnus slowly drank her blood, the taste of her blood making his days’ thirst go away. The resistance he had built against her blood had ended. Each drop of her blood was like the sweetest honey he had ever tasted in a long time. His eyes turned into a brighter shade of red. His insides were delighted to have this divine blood.

"Magnus, Stop!" Izaak finally voiced out. He saw his brother had no control when it came to Alora’s blood. When Magnus didn’t stop with his voice, Izaak placed his hand on his shoulder.

Magnus growled in anger since he didn’t wish to be disturbed while devouring his sweetest meal.

"You’ll kill her. Stop, now!" Izaak said in a loud voice and used his strength to pull away Magnus. "Stop!" He again instructed his brother and saw the strange expression in his eyes.

Magnus found it difficult to control his blood hunger. His lips were covered in Alora’s blood and he wiped them. Licking his fingers, Magnus looked at Alora, the color of whose face turned normal by now. Even her lips color had turned to its normal color. He leaned down to her neck once again to lick that spot and pulled away shortly.

Izaak checked Alora’s pulse and found it was normal now.

"Your Highness, the doctor for vampires said that he couldn’t operate on a human," Griffin said as he returned while panting.

"Everything is fine now," Izaak said. He gestured to Griffin to quietly leave.

Magnus covered Alora with the thin blanket after removing her sandals. He stood up and turned around when Izaak stopped him.

"Why were you unable to stop? Did you not try to find the answer behind it?"

"Probably because her blood taste is something that cannot quench my hunger. That’s why I didn’t wish to drink from her. Thank you, Brother Izaak, for pulling me back," Magnus said. He didn’t wish to meet the eyes of his brother since it was something he never wished to do.

"You are bonded to her blood," Izaak said. "I think that’s the only reason. It must be painful to keep your thirst in control in front of her," he asserted.

"Yes," Magnus told him he would return soon and left.

Izaak glanced at Alora and waited for her to wake up. It didn’t take her long to regain her consciousness. Instinctively, she moved her hand to her neck as she felt slight pain there.

"Alora, are you alright?" Izaak’s voice fell into her ears.

She gradually opened her eyes, kept her gaze low and hummed at him.

"You don’t eat anything in the forest from its bushes or trees. Don’t you know that?" Izaak pinched her cheek, causing her to cry in pain. She asked him to leave her and he finally did.

"Ahh, it hurts," Alora whined rubbing her cheek. "You are an evil brother."

Izaak showed his fangs to her. "Thank you for the compliment!" He remarked with a smirk and stood up. "Magnus had to drink blood from you to take out the poison. So, try to make him feel normal," Izaak said and without listening to Alora, he left their bedroom.

Chapter 102: A Vampire Hunter

Magnus emerged from the washroom with his hands on his back. His eyes fell upon Alora, who was now seated on the bed with her back rested against the pillow.

"Magnus, I didn’t know it would have poison," Alora initiated speaking while fidgeting with her fingers. She still felt low in energy and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

"Lie down and get some rest," Magnus said in his cold voice.

"Where are you going?" Alora knew that her husband was upset with her foolishness. She again brought her hand to her neck, suppressing the sound of pain that could have escaped her mouth.

"I need some fresh air," Magnus said and left the room, closing the door from the outside.

Alora sighed as she was confirmed now that Magnus was angry with her. She lay on the mattress again and hit her forehead lightly. "How could I be so foolish to eat a wild berry?" she muttered.

Magnus descended the stairs while Izaak and Griffin glanced at him with quizzical glances. He didn’t speak with them, so Griffin had to stop him. "Where is Prince Magnus heading to?" he asked.

"Outside for some fresh air," Magnus answered.

"Don’t tell me you and Alora fought!" Izaak jokingly remarked. All this time, he had seen how they both would only stay in love and hardly they would quarrel.

Magnus didn’t reply to him for that. "Follow me to the five-hill forest. I felt the presence of a human on that hill," he informed Izaak.

"How is that possible? Humans cannot be in Shadowbrook," Izaak pronounced, asking his brother if he was confirmed.

"I did get a human’s blood scent. I’m sure there was someone. But the human isn’t an ordinary one. He or she has masked the blood scent. It was in my nostrils only for two seconds," Magnus explained, telling Izaak that he was sure about a human’s presence.

"And you stay here. Alora is resting. Don’t tell her anything. If you do, I’ll send you to the Capital," Magnus gave out clear instructions and left with Izaak.

As the two princes entered the carriage, Izaak asked Magnus what was in his mind.

"It’s not easy for a human to keep yourself hidden in a territory of vampires only. I think the human is smart and can be a..." Magnus’s words trailed off as he didn’t wish it to be true.

"A Vampire Hunter," Izaak completed the sentence for him.

"Yes," Magnus replied.

"We should have reported the deaths of the vampires if that was the case," Izaak stated.

"It’s just an assumption. I hope it isn’t true," Magnus asserted.

~~~~

"Lillian, my dear brother is deeply in love with Alora. You should stop dreaming of having Magnus as your husband," Scarlett was informed by Lillian as they sat in the garden, under the open sky.

"I heard that the King almost threw Alora in the dungeon. Then, how did she get saved?" Scarlett asked.

"Do you think Magnus would have let Alora be locked? Moreover, my sister-in-law possesses some powers too. She is immune to any attack," Lillian said as she recalled that scene, where the two soldiers were thrown away as they tried holding Alora by her arms.

"What does Princess Lillian mean by that?" asked Scarlett.

"That you should stop dreaming of being Prince Magnus’s wife. Also, my two more brothers now support Alora," Lillian informed her.

"Even Prince Izaak?" Scarlett was stunned to learn that. "That’s impossible. Prince Izaak didn’t even support his own wives," she murmured in confusion.

"I was shocked too. About Brother Alaric I knew he would support Alora," Lillian asserted. "Alora isn’t as bad as we think of her. Brother Magnus is in love with her because unlike us she is selfless. My brother likes such people," she stated with a smile.

Scarlett felt that even the Princess started supporting Alora. She realized she needed to accept that Magnus could never be hers. "Then, I will stop making any effort. Prince Magnus never let me do anything for him. When I went to Elmswood, he never came to see me. I thought someday he would see me," Scarlett said in a low voice.

"Brother Magnus doesn’t care for your emotions or feelings. All he cares about is Alora. For her, he even moved to Velaris, or else, Elmswood had become his home," Lillian asserted.

Scarlett hummed and she left her seat. Bowing to Lillian, she told her about her departure. "Hmm." Lillian simply nodded at her.

A servant led Scarlett’s way out to the main gates, where a carriage awaited for her. She entered her coach and looked outside its window. She had decided not to come to the palace anymore since it would only make her feel low.

The carriage moved out of the palace gates when its one wheel suddenly broke, causing Scarlett to fall to one of the sides. She ended up hitting her head hard against the window. Several soldiers ran in the carriage’s direction. They opened the door and pulled out Scarlett from it.

"Are you alright, Miss Scarlett?" Alaric’s voice reached her ears and she lifted her head to look at him. Her hand instinctively moved to her temple, feeling her fingers being damped.

Alaric held her hand and saw the blood on her fingers. "Can Miss Scarlett walk?" Alaric asked.

"Yes, I think so," Scarlett said as she furrowed her brows together.

"Then, follow me inside," Alaric said, handing a scroll to his assistant.

Scarlett took a few steps when she tumbled, but Alaric caught her arm, thus saving her from falling. Although Scarlett was born into a pure-blooded family of vampires, she had a weaker strength than the others from childhood.

"You cannot walk. I’ll lift you in my arms if you allow," Alaric said.

Scarlett hummed when Alaric reached his hand to her back and carried her in a bridal style in his arms. He walked inside the gate while his assistant ran after them.

Chapter 103: Be ready tomorrow

Izaak and Magnus arrived back at the cottage in the late afternoon, their search in the forest yielding no clues about the missing person. Magnus settled onto the couch, crossing one leg over the other and resting his hands on his lap, while Izaak turned to Louis, requesting a glass of water.

"Is Alora asleep?" Magnus inquired of Griffin, who was already in the room.

"No, Princess Alora woke up an hour ago," Griffin replied in a complaining tone. "Louis offered her lunch, but she declined."

"Why?" Magnus asked as he moved his finger over his ring. "You cannot take care of a single task," he muttered.

"His Highness never asked me to feed food to his wife. That wasn’t my task," Griffin retorted.

Magnus glared at him and Griffin lowered his eyes immediately. "Princess Alora was upset because her husband left her in anger," Griffin said in a low voice.

Izaak smiled to hear them confronting. "I thought Magnus never fights with his Alora," he remarked with a sly smile. It was fun to tease Magnus.

"Princess Alora said she didn’t know red berries could be poisonous. She was on the verge of crying when I had to console her and tell her that Prince Magnus’s mood swings are rapid," Griffin murmured. But it was audible to both the Vampire Princes.

"Will two stay quiet?" Magnus pressed his fingers against his forehead, feeling irritated. Rising to his feet, he ordered Louis to send the lunch for Alora in the room.

Louis nodded his head and glanced at the female servant behind him.

Magnus went upstairs to the bedroom. To his surprise, the door was locked from the inside. He knocked on the door, waiting for Alora to open it. In a few seconds, Alora opened the door while keeping her gaze down.

Alora recognized her husband’s clothes and promptly lifted her head. "Forgive me, Magnus," she first apologized.

"Who said that you could stay hungry in my absence?" asked Magnus and stepped forward while she moved back.

"You left in anger. I lost the appetite after that," Alora truthfully answered. "Griffin told me that you saved my life."

"By sucking your blood," Magnus said. "I don’t feel good after I drink from you. I was not angry at you, but at myself," he asserted.

Alora cast her eyes downward once more. "I won’t make such foolish mistakes again. I didn’t realize there were poisonous berries in the forest," she whispered softly.

Magnus gently placed his hand on her head, running his fingers through her hair with care. She looked up at him once more, only to find herself met with a tender kiss on the lips.

He moved back as he sensed the presence of Louis outside the room. Magnus went to the door and took the tray from the servant.

"Where did His Highness leave for? He is no longer angry with me, is he?" asked Alora as she watched him setting the tray on the table.

"I’m not. Now, have a seat and finish your meals. That poison took out your energy. Then, I also had to drink your blood," Magnus invited her to the sofa chair. Alora promptly complied, settling into the seat. Magnus leaned in, gently moving her hair aside to check her neck.

"My canine marks are imprinted on your neck again. It must be painful," Magnus remarked.

Alora shook her head, denying any pain. "I’m fine," she reassured him.

Magnus stood straight and asked her to have her lunch. As he proceeded to go ahead, Alora asked him where he went.

"I’ll tell you later," Magnus said and walked away.

~~~~~

Venus bit her nails nervously. It had been four days since Alora was not present in the capital. Even Eugene’s mate couldn’t find Alora and kill her. Her dreams of marrying any of the princes were shattering.

"Venus, open the door," Elliot’s voice called from outside. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t register his words, consumed by her own evil thoughts.

When Elliot got no response for a minute, he pushed the door open and saw Venus standing near the window.

"I called out your name. Where are you lost?" Elliot complained as he spoke in a loud enough voice this time.

Venus finally was out of her thoughts and she turned to look at him. "What happened?" she inquired.

"Father wants to see you," Elliot informed her.

"Why?" Venus knitted her brows together. Her father wasn’t even interested in conversing with her. Then, why did suddenly Norman want to see her?

"Father didn’t tell me. Don’t make him wait," Elliot warned her. He didn’t wish Norman to scold Venus again.

Venus walked out of the room to see her father, who was present in his study room. Venus carried a miserable look on her face, lowered her eyes, and knocked on the door.

"Father wanted to see me," said Venus in her humble tone.

"Yes, come in," Norman stated.

Venus walked in and to her surprise, Rhea was also present in the room. She greeted both her parents and only took a seat when prompted by Norman. Rhea touched Venus’s hand as she moved it from the armrest, visibly upset by her daughter’s actions.

"I’ve found a house for you," Norman announced.

"I don’t want to get married, Father," Venus firmly declined any notion of marriage.

"I didn’t summon you here to hear your objections," Norman said sternly.

"Does Father once again expect me to marry into a werewolf family?" Venus questioned angrily.

"This is not a werewolf family," Rhea said in a gentle tone. "At least, listen to your father first," she added.

"I don’t want to get married to any human either. I wish to marry a vampire just like my elder sister did," Venus pronounced.

"Are you out of your mind?" Norman frowned at his daughter. "Alora got married to a Vampire because Prince Magnus offered the proposal. Weren’t you always interested in marrying Ramon Everston?" He asked Venus.

Her expressions suddenly softened and even her anger went away. "I thought Ramon was already married," Venus said.

"It didn’t happen. Be ready tomorrow. Ramon and his family will be here to see you. They are interested in you," Norman affirmed.

Venus suddenly felt happy, but why at the same time, she felt strange.

Chapter 104: The Guardians

Alora lay on her belly, her legs raised in the air as she wrote in her notebook. Mimicking the words from the book, she practiced speaking them aloud. Her damp hair was tied in a towel, and her legs swung back and forth as she focused on her language exercises.

Alora smiled as she wrote Magnus’s name in her notebook, accompanied by a small drawing of him, completed with tiny fangs protruding from his upper lip.

Beneath the sketch, she wrote, "Alora Loves Magnus," in her notebook and smiled. Though she was weak in sentence formation, but it was easy for her to do the short ones.

Alora set down the quill pen and closed the ink pot, signaling the end of her practice session. Today, she had decided to bake banana bread. She had learned from Izaak the previous night that Magnus loved eating banana bread, as it was easy for his body to digest.

Sitting on the bed, she placed her notebook on the bedside table and rose from the bed. Removing the towel from her head, she let her damp hair cascade down her back. Taking a seat at the plush chair in front of the dressing table, she gently brushed her hair and applied some light makeup. She adorned herself with long earrings and a small pendant, feeling joyful.

Alora opened the door and left for the kitchen. Louis followed her to the kitchen asking if she needed something.

"Yes, I’ve decided to make banana bread. I’ll manage without any assistance from the cooks. Could you kindly ask them to leave the kitchen?" Alora requested humbly.

"Of course, I’ll take care of it," Louis replied. He proceeded to instruct the cooks to leave, ensuring they left behind the necessary ingredients for Alora. She thanked him and resumed her work.

Alora mashed a few bananas and mixed them with flour to prepare the dough. Making a perfect dough was always a challenging task for her, but she did it.

"Alora, I heard you are cooking today. Will you only make the banana slices of bread?" Griffin asked as he inhaled the aroma.

Alora keeping her gaze low, said, "I will also prepare Caramel cream with it. Do you wish to eat something else?" She asked for his opinion.

"No. That will be fine for breakfast. If you want any help, you can ask me," Griffin said.

"Who gave you permission to call Alora by her name?" Magnus asked as he entered the kitchen.

"I did," Alora said.

"Yesterday when Prince Magnus wasn’t around, Alora and I befriended each other. Since I’m senior to her, she told me to use her name while talking to her," Griffin proudly said.

"Leave," Magnus told Griffin. He bowed and left the kitchen.

"This is wrong, Magnus. Isn’t Griffin your friend? You could have talked politely with him," Alora lightly scolded him for not respecting Griffin.

Magnus appeared in front of her and brushed his thumb on her flour-stained cheek. He then kissed her lips. "If I hadn’t asked Griffin to leave, then would you be comfortable seeing me kissing you in front of him?" he arched his eyebrow with amusement.

"No," Alora refused and chopped the dry fruits into small pieces.

"You never told me you knew cooking," Magnus said.

"Even you never told me you liked banana bread. Brother Izaak told me," Alora muttered in anger.

"I forgot to tell," Magnus said. "You smell of roses today," he added.

"I took a rose water bath," Alora said. She then handed the big bowl to Magnus, asking him to stir the batter. He began doing it while Alora remained busy chopping the dry fruits and some chocolate.

Magnus rested the bowl on the counter and asked her what he was supposed to do next.

"Nothing," Alora replied.

She put the knife down and oiled a rectangular container. Then, she poured the batter into it and garnished it with the chopped dry fruits along with a few tiny chocolate pieces.

As the oven heated up, Magnus cautioned Alora to be careful. She nodded, humming softly, before closing the small door on the earthen oven.

"Now, I’ll prepare for the caramel cream," Alora said, smiling at him. "Why doesn’t His Highness go to the living room? When everything will be ready, I’ll inform him," she asserted.

"I’ll stay here," Magnus said, not leaving her side.

An hour later, Alora was done preparing the breakfast. She cut the bread into pieces before serving them on the four plates. In four tiny silver bowls, she poured the caramel cream as well. Magnus insisted that the servants would do the work, but she refused to disturb them.

She set the breakfast table and told Magnus he should invite Izaak and Griffin.

After a while, Izaak and Griffin came to the dining room. They took their seats with Magnus and Alora.

"I tried my best. Hopefully, you all will enjoy it," Alora said with a smile.

"When was the last time we all ate together?" Izaak suddenly pronounced, gazing at his brother.

"I don’t remember," Magnus replied.

"I think after 40-50 years," Izaak muttered.

Magnus picked up the bread and dipped one side in the caramel cream. As he ate, he found it delicious. He had forgotten its taste and finally, it revived.

"It’s tasty," Magnus complimented Alora’s cooking skills, followed by Griffin. She felt happy to hear them since they enjoyed what she cooked.

"What about Brother Izaak?" Alora waited for his response.

"It’s good," Izaak said.

"Then, you all should eat more," Alora asserted.

After finishing their breakfast, Louis asked the servants to clean the table. In the three glasses, blood was served while for Alora fresh orange juice was served.

Alora held the glass with her both hands and she brought it to her mouth.

"Magnus, I asked Frederick to search the five-hill forest," Izaak informed him.

"Then, what did he find out about any human?" Magnus queried.

"There is a human around as you said. However, the human scent is untraceable. Frederick and the vampires with him searched the forest for hours. They recovered a sharp knife and even a short crossbow," Izaak explained.

Alora who was taking slow sips of the juice wondered how a human entered Shadowbrook.

"I thought humans aren’t allowed here," Alora finally said.

"Because the person is not a normal human," Magnus affirmed.

"What do you mean?" Alora was perplexed.

"It’s a Vampire Hunter," Magnus replied.

"That sounds like they kill vampires," Alora said.

"Yes, they do," Izaak stated. "Now, you may be thinking that it’s impossible for any human to match our speed. You are right. But a vampire hunter is blessed with some special abilities to even defeat the vampires. Silver bullets blessed by the priests and a special tree wood are some of the things, which can be deadly for a vampire," he elaborated to Alora.

"Even the vampires like you?" Alora asked.

"That depends," Magnus replied. "So far, none has died in the hands of a vampire hunter in the royalty," Magnus replied.

"We need to find this human soon, Brother Izaak," said Magnus.

"Frederick will do that work. He will report to us if any news comes out." Izaak advised his brother to not involve themselves in this and to let the Guardians do their work.

"But why did a human grant with such supernatural abilities that can even defeat the vampires?" Alora asked.

"Nature does every sort of thing to keep a balance, Alora. However, many train to be vampire hunters solely because they hate us," Magnus explained to her.

"Oh. That sounds troublesome," Alora mumbled.

"Still, a human cannot take us down, except for you. Nature has granted such eyes to you, which can do everything you desire," Izaak remarked.

"I don’t desire to do anything that brings trouble," Alora stated. "All I want is a peaceful life," she added.

"That’s tough for you to find. You need to prove that you are harmless to live a life of comfort," Izaak reminded her.

"Let’s end the conversation here. Alora, let’s go," Magnus left his seat while keeping the hold on the glass.

She stood up and answered Izaak, "Brother, I will give you the proof soon." Alora sounded confident, which amused Izaak. But he doubted that Alora might be able to end the fear present inside her.

"Very well, Sister-in-law. I would like to witness how you do it," Izaak said, lifting his glass to cheer for her.

Magnus rolled his eyes and took out Alora from the dining room.

"Was the Vampire Hunter present yesterday when we were in the forest?" Alora asked curiously as they reached the living room.

"Yes, that’s why I reported it to Izaak," Magnus confirmed.

"That means you were in danger," Alora said, her concern evident in her voice.

"Not when I’m around you," Magnus replied proudly. He quickly drank the blood and placed the glass on the table.

"I hope the Guardians catch the vampire hunter soon. I don’t want anyone to get hurt," Alora expressed her concern.

"But if there’s one Vampire Hunter, then there might be more around us," Magnus pondered aloud, considering the possibility of a group of hunters. He couldn’t shake off the question of why the vampire hunter had followed them, which weighed heavily on his mind.

Chapter 105: Ignite a fire in me

Alora pulled away the curtain from the window as she looked outside. The sky had darkened and the lightening would travel through the clouds within a few seconds.

"A big storm is coming and both the princes and Griffin haven’t returned yet," Alora murmured. Suddenly the sky thundered loudly, making her jolt in her place. Leaving the edge of the curtain, Alora headed downstairs, wondering if it would be better if she would ask Louis about their whereabouts.

"Does Princess Alora need something?" Louis suddenly appeared from the shadows, startling her momentarily.

"The Princes haven’t returned yet. Do you know where they are? Even Griffin isn’t around," Alora voiced her concern, feeling worried about their absence.

"Your Highness, they will return before the dinnertime," Louis assured her.

"But the storm is coming. Also, I have heard from Prince Magnus about the vampire hunters. They are present in Shadowbrook," Alora opined.

"Rest assured, Your Highness. Nothing will happen to them," Louis said, keeping his eyes low.

The heavy downpour started, followed by lightning and thunder. She became restless and went to the door. Stepping out of it, she stood on the porch, looking for the carriages. Louis remained close to the princess.

Fog started rolling into that place, making the visibility low and even strong winds started circulating, which grew Louis’ concern. "Your Highness, please come inside. I’ll inform you as soon as they return. The weather doesn’t seem good," he urged.

"Louis, let me stay for another ten minutes," Alora humbly requested.

"What if the Princess catches the cold? Prince Magnus will be furious at me," Louis pronounced, causing her to think for a moment. Eventually, Alora agreed to go in and turned around.

As Alora took a few steps forward, the sound of galloping horses reached her ears. Quickly, she turned around and saw a carriage emerging into view. A smile lit up her face, and she eagerly moved a few steps closer to greet its arrival.

Izaak was the first one to step out, followed by Magnus and Griffin. The coachmen had covered the three with the umbrellas. Magnus walked ahead first, noticing Alora was concerned, not caring that he slightly got drenched.

Halting before her, Magnus asked, "Why are you here?"

"I was worried," Alora replied.

"Let’s go in," Magnus said, wrapping his hand around her shoulder and guiding her inside.

"You weren’t supposed to wait for us outside. Did you not see how strong the winds were? What if you’ve caught a cold?" Magnus scolded her as they ascended the stairs.

Alora pouted her lips as they finally arrived in their bedroom.

She went to the cupboard and took out a towel. Magnus removed the cloak and rested it on thd hanger, followed by his long boots.

"Have a seat here." Alora gestured to him to sit on the bed.

Magnus sat down as Alora placed the towel on his head. She gently dried his hair, expressing her fear due to the storm.

"Don’t you know we vampires love rain?" Magnus suddenly questioned her.

"Really?" Alora asked, intrigued.

"Yes, but we won’t play in the rain," Magnus clarified, having read her thoughts. "It’s lightning outside, and the rain here is much colder than in Velaris."

"I understand," Alora replied. As Alora finished drying Magnus’s hair and face, she stepped back, preparing to leave. However, Magnus reached out, grasping her hand and drawing her close to him.

Lifting his head, Magnus maintained his firm hold on her lower back. "You look pretty," he said, pulling her down onto his lap.

Her hands locked behind his neck, and she let go of the towel.

"Wasn’t I pretty this morning?" Alora asked, her voice slightly timid.

"You were! But I didn’t have time to admire your beauty properly," Magnus replied warmly, sensing her shyness.

Alora lowered her gaze, feeling a bit bashful. She felt Magnus’s breath against her neck, her fingers instinctively curling. His soft kisses trailed along her neck, his hand inching towards the knots on her gown.

"Aren’t you tired?" Alora asked him suddenly.

"Tired from?" Magnus moved his face in front of hers.

"The work," Alora replied.

"I am not. I didn’t do any physical work," Magnus stated. "Are you tired? Do you wish to sleep?" he queried.

Alora refused and kissed him on the lips. Her sudden gesture of being affectionate heightened Magnus’s desire to have her. He held the back of her head firmly, kissing her with fervor, savoring her mouth as if it were his most desired meal.

His movements were skilled as he undid the knots, causing the gown to loosen from her shoulders. Pulling it down, Magnus ran his cold fingers over her spine, eliciting a slight shiver as she moved forward on his lap.

Magnus left her lips, biting gently at the skin on her throat, yearning for a sweet cry to escape her lips.

"Alora, your body responds so well to my touches, to my kisses," Magnus whispered, licking the spot where he had nipped a moment ago.

Flipping her onto the mattress, he hovered over her. Magnus nibbled her lower lip, followed by the upper one, while she reciprocated his advances eagerly.

She brought her hands to the buttons of his shirt, slowly unbuttoning them, but he caught her hands and pinned them to the mattress. Their fingers intertwined as they became lost in the passion of their love.

He withdrew from the kiss upon feeling the urgency of the air. Both of them panting, their chests rising and falling.

"All my tiredness has gone," Magnus whispered, brushing his nose against hers.

She shyly lowered her gaze and bit her bottom lip in apprehension. Her eyes landed on his pale white chest peeking through the gap between his shirt and she brought her hand to feel his slow heartbeats.

Magnus let her explore his body too with her fingers as he unbuttoned the remaining of his buttons. He lay beside her while with his arm on her back, he lifted her slightly.

"When did His Highness do this?" Alora asked as she saw her name carved on the left side of his chest. She remembered his chest was clean.

"An hour ago," Magnus replied, stroking the strands of her loose hair. He felt the tip of her finger tracing the words of her name.

"I heard it’s a painful process," Alora said, her eyes still glued to the tattoo of her name.

"I didn’t feel pain," Magnus said. "Was it because your name is Alora?" he mused.

Alora chuckled as she smiled. "Don’t joke like that," she stated. "Hadn’t the Prince gone outside for the work?" She peered into his eyes, waiting for a quick response.

"It was also an important work. Do you not like it, Wife?" Magnus asked.

"I like it," Alora replied, a sudden idea sparking in her mind. Though she had never done something like this before, she decided to give it a try. Leaning down, she kissed the region where the man was carved.

Magnus was instantly turned on by her bold move. He pulled Alora up, and he also sat up, his thumb tracing her lower lip as he kept his gaze fixed on hers.

"Did you not like it?" Alora asked nervously.

"It erupted a volcano in me," Magnus admitted in a low, raspy voice, his hungry desire evident in his words.

Alora gathered more strength this time and leaned down to kiss the crook of his neck, the same way he used to do. Magnus possessively placed his hand on the back of her head, his long fingers entangled in his hair.

"Alora your innocence is completely lost," Magnus remarked, his voice tinged with satisfaction.

"You guided me into this," Alora whispered, her voice barely audible. "You promised to shatter my innocence, and you succeeded," she murmured her words a mixture of resentment and desire.

Magnus smirked, relinquishing control to Alora. His desire surged, but he also savored her tender touch, struggling to restrain himself.

"Alora, you’re exceeding all expectations. You ignite a fire within me like no other," Magnus confessed, his voice betraying his arousal. He gently guided her back onto the mattress, then stripped off his shirt, placing Alora’s hand over his racing heart.

"Magnus, I’m sorry about the other day," Alora blurted out suddenly, her words carrying a weight of regret. "You feel bad after drinking blood from me, but I ended up falling in danger. I thought again about it."

"It’s fine. I don’t mind it anymore," Magnus stroked her cheek tenderly.

As a loud thundering echoed causing Alora to flinch. She squeezed her eyes shut. A tender kiss above each eye reassured her, and she opened them to meet Magnus’s gaze.

"Alora, I feel so happy to find you. My every day is full of excitement. It’s not like the days I spent before meeting you. You’ve taught me a lot of things in this one month. And I’m grateful for that. I feel alive," Magnus said with a bright smile on his lips.