Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 138: Forgetting To Behave

"Teach the humans?" one of the Elites repeated, running his tongue slowly over the edge of his fang as if already tasting the idea. "With pleasure."

A few Elites chuckled under their breath, the sound low and amused, like men entertained by a private joke.

"Wonderful," Gemma said brightly, clapping her hands once. "Now if all of you would go ahead and find your partners. The first-year groundlings are shy, so I ask you to go ahead and pick one yourself."

The humans stared at Gemma with gobsmacked expressions.

When some of the Elites began to move, some humans were quicker and perhaps even wiser by hurrying forward to approach the vampires who looked much more agreeable than others, as if choosing their own executioner might at least make the outcome kinder.

The room filled with the shuffle of shoes and soft laughter from the Elites who seemed like predators ready to toy with their prey.

And in the middle of all that not a single male approached Ruelle. It was as if there was an invisible boundary around her, a space no one dared to step into. She saw Sawyer offer her a bright smile, but then walk right past her. One of the Elite students muttered,

"She’s been chosen by Lucian." The words were not meant for her, but she heard them anyway.

Ruelle awkwardly stood in her place, watching her friends being chosen by two other Elites. While Hailey seemed a little confident about the situation, the same couldn’t be said about Kevin, who turned to look in her direction.

Suddenly, she felt a weight that came to rest on her shoulder, which was neither heavy enough to hurt nor light enough to ignore with the way some people looked at her now.

"Looking for someone you are interested in partnering with?" Came Lucian’s calm voice, low and close to her ear.

A faint tremor ran through Ruelle’s body before she could stop it. She could feel the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing near her neck and the faint brush of his hair when he shifted slightly.

Lucian had stepped in close behind her, so close that she could feel the faint warmth of him at her back. His chin rested on top of her shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world, drawing several people’s attention to them.

Ezekiel stood to the side and saw everything. His face remained calm, but his fingers curled slowly into his palm, his jaw tightening just enough to betray what he thought of the sight.

When she didn’t respond, Lucian’s gaze shifted past her shoulder to the person staring. The look carried enough warning that the curious onlookers quickly turned away and busied themselves with their chosen humans.

"Lucian..." She began quietly, not entirely sure what she was going to say.

"You’re with me."

His voice sent a faint vibration through her shoulder, the sensation travelling slowly up the back of her neck.

Lucian was going to teach her how to kiss? Ruelle swallowed. This was fine, she told herself. Just a normal day in Sexton which was educational, right?

Before either of them spoke, a hesitant voice rose from somewhere to the left.

"Shouldn’t we not kiss, Ms. Gemma?" a groundling woman asked, her voice small. "Especially us women—our chastity is meant to be saved for a higher price, isn’t it?"

Gemma looked at the person with patience. She answered, "Maybe if you were in a brothel, then yes, your chastity would be sold for a high price but this is Sexton. Here, we provide skills and tricks," she continued, "so that you know how to deal with your masters and mistresses."

the Elites looked unbothered, the humans lowered their heads as if reality had finally sunk in and Sexton wasn’t just a place to study and pass

standing sent their

us have Mr. and Mrs. Henley show how it is done," Gemma said, turning towards Ezekiel with a

a tight smile of his own. But

here are looking to marry each other for a quick peck. Besides, from what I’ve heard, she’s

he did not have enough to buy her freedom. So he had offered her another

sister, Ruelle felt something twist in her chest. Marriage was supposed

another pair," one of the students

you how it is done," the Elite who had spoken

him by the chin and pulled her forward, pressing his mouth to hers without any readiness. He forced his tongue into her mouth

he pulled away, the young woman’s eyes watered

and other humans’

Not ambush," Gemma frowned, and she snapped her fingers. "Do it again until it is done right. The rest

a kiss is a private affair," someone said, their head

"This is the classroom and everything that needs to be done will be right here." The last thing he needed

while the humans hesitated and made them wait. Others did not move at all, standing where they were and forcing the humans to come to them instead. From a distance,

any second. When she turned to meet Lucian’s eyes, she

shoulders are tense," Lucian

to fix her posture, though it did little good when she was

she felt him place his hand on her back below her shoulder to pull her to him, Ruelle’s heart hitched, feeling him so close. As if feeling the need to

other topics are

at her. He responded, "You want to be prepared for

Ruelle answered with an

the rest," Lucian said, gaining her attention back on him. She felt him lean in very

his hand from her back, she caught sight of her blood and her eyes widened. Did

enough for the instructor to turn toward

Lucian removed his coat and placed it over Ruelle’s shoulders. He caught

they had stepped out of the

was Orpheus who stabbed her, wasn’t it?" someone whispered in interest. "Juniors really

half-headed he is." He then turned to look at the

and I left early," Tess replied in a disinterested tone

Kevin when the vampire before her stepped right into her view and stated, "Don’t you know that it is dumb lore that

ha..." Hailey responded with

Sexton, with no one present, as the person in charge of the infirmary had just left the room with their last night’s patient. The moment Ruelle and Lucian stepped inside, the clean and faintly bitter-like smell of

"Sit," he said.

fingers lightly touching the edge of the mattress. She shifted slightly before her hand reached her back where the wound was and brought her hand forward. The blood seemed to

herself. "I think maybe the bandages moved," she explained with her eyebrows knitted. "I don’t feel

brief silence in front of her and then she heard him say, "The

along a rod and she looked up. Lucian had drawn the white curtain around the bed, the fabric sliding across in a smooth motion until the rest of the infirmary disappeared behind