Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 113

Chapter 113: An Innocent Misunderstanding

When Ruelle felt the sting of Lucian’s teeth on her neck, her fingers curled faintly into the sheets beneath her and her eyes closed on instinct. The place where he bit throbbed with warmth and not pain exactly. Like a heat that bloomed and slowly began to spread beneath her skin.

Her hand rose without thinking, trembling as she touched the spot. But it was dry and she saw no blood. He didn’t drink from her? Nothing about this situation was making sense to her.

Lucian reached for a strand of her hair where it lay against her collarbone and drew it slowly through his fingers. The touch was careful, almost reverent but the look in his eyes was anything but that.

Ruelle gulped, her throat tight before she managed to speak, "W–why did you bite me?"

"Why... shouldn’t I?" Lucian murmured.

Was he asking or telling her??

Somewhere in the back of Ruelle’s mind, alarm bells began to ring. She should move, she thought to herself.

But the moment the thought began to form, he leaned closer and her breath caught helplessly in her throat and her body went still beneath the weight of his presence.

"Did something happen in the ball?" she whispered, her voice barely there. "You don’t seem yourself..."

For a second, his eyes shifted to something deeper, like something behind them had finally stepped forward instead of holding back.

And right now, Ruelle wasn’t sure if she should fear or lean into the look in his eyes.

"I’ve never been more myself than I am right now," he said with his voice low and unguarded. "You have a talent for finding trouble, always testing my restraint. Watching other people touch you when I’ve taken such care not to touch you myself. Do you know what that does to a man who’s trying to behave?"

Lucian watched her stare back at him, wide-eyed. A week ago when he had opened the door, he had found her standing on the chair with her skirt tied up, revealing her ankles without guard.

He had turned away not from the sight, but from the quiet, unwelcome image that had flashed in his mind— of fastening something around her dainty ankles.

His fingers now loosened on her hair, letting the strands slip through. His voice lowering near her ear as he asked,

"Tell me, Ruelle... would you rather I locked the door or burn everything outside it?"

"B-burn?" Ruelle stuttered, her eyes swirling in haziness when she felt his cool breath on her ear. "Why burn?"

"So you don’t mind being locked?"

He pulled back just enough for their eyes to meet. Ruelle’s thoughts ceased at the sight of a smile ghosting over his lips.

Lucian was possessed!

Before she could say another word, his eyes slowly slid shut. The next moment, his body tipped forward, like the tension had been cut loose all at once and his forehead came to rest against her shoulder.

"Lucian?" she called, worry slipping into her voice.

Ruelle turned carefully, catching sight of his closed eyes and the slow rise and fall of his chest. "Did you fall...asleep?" She blinked, especially after what he did! Or did the ghost leave?

She had never seen him asleep before at least not this close. His hair was slightly dishevelled now, nothing like how it had looked earlier when she’d danced with him. The usual frown and sharpness in his eyes were gone.

Flustered, she tried to move and awkwardly rolled to her side, slipping out from under his weight. Her heart was still racing for reasons that had nothing to do with fear anymore.

She sat on the couch for five whole seconds before springing back up again. The memory of his lips against her skin sent a fresh wave of warmth through her, right down to her toes. Blood rushed right back into her cheeks.

No. No. Stop thinking about it, Ruelle!

"I need air," she muttered to herself, pressing her hands against her burning cheeks.

Opening the door, she felt the icy air greet her and she picked the first and closest thing her hand could grab, which was the grey coat. She slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

It was only after two minutes she realised she hadn’t changed her gown.

paused at the sight of stacked wooden boxes against the wall. Gemma Gilbert stood nearby with a

this?" Dane asked, nudging a box with the tip of his shoe.

here." Reaching into a

Dane murmured, taking

closing her eyes briefly before she remembered and gossiped, "Minister Griswold threw a fit tonight about Mortis sending him a vampiress instead of

imagine." He swirled the drink lazily, adding, "Still... surprising Mortis had

minister gave the wrong name," Gemma

amusement flickering

one of the boxes and pulled out a worn book, flipping through the

breakers," Gemma replied

strange to use gloaim-salt to create a love potion, considering where they are derived from. So is it one-time use and the person stays in

the book only work for a short while. Afterward, the effects wear off and there’s usually a bit

Veilbreaker?"

the opposite of inhibitors," she replied, downing the

should definitely stay away from it," Dane joked while reading the ingredients the potion was

following morning, the corridors were yet to fill with most of

had spent the night at Hailey’s instead. Blake hadn’t come back, so there had

as he usually didn’t sleep-in this late. But when she stepped inside the room, she caught him sitting on

heard the door open, he slowly raised his head. He caught Ruelles’

past him. She quickly walked to the open cupboard and

watched her in silence,

was too occupied to look at the mirror

and moved to walk past him, she caught Lucian’s

angry? She should have been the one to be upset,

and the look in his eyes was too intense. When

"The—"

to eat last night. I should go before the food is cleared," she blurted, before hurrying out of the room with

her own thoughts to notice it. The same thing happened when she stepped inside

table and sat down, immediately

to greet her, but his face turned pale and he dropped his

asked carefully, watching her friend eat

Ruelle replied,

hall, it was as if he carried a dark cloud that was ready to strike

on her, she looked up and asked her

like they haven’t seen

eyes flicking toward Ruelle’s shoulder. "It’s

Kevin once again shifted

neck while staring at the dark bruise

blinked once before it finally hit her. She stood so fast that her spoon clattered. She blurted, "I’ll see you in

hurried off, whispers

believe Prince

last night. It must

prince’s attention." The murmurs drifted,

until she reached the nearest restroom and thankfully it was empty. She rushed to the mirror and froze. There on her neck was

eyes shut and let out a

and wrapped it around

But for how long? Taking a deep breath, she stepped back

do this.

class when she saw Lucian, walking from the opposite end with

she had a

her heel and started walking the way she came, as if she had suddenly remembered something urgent.

of the

held a test tube between his fingers, but all he could see was the dark bruise. She hadn’t bothered to hide it this morning and it seemed like she had spent the entire night

to knock—the test

But the look Lucian gave in return was enough to make the instructor clear his throat and say, "Looks like a hill..." he glanced at the

her arms crossed, gaze drifting toward Lucian like it always

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