This chapter dedicated for khushi1995pc darling 😘

Another night, another event and another dress. I stared at my simply but elegant red dress that reached up to my mid-thighs and sighed, finally getting tired of all these annual events.

To me, it felt like all of this were staged, and it probably was. Humans would act nice and poised around the vampires, while the vampires would return the "kind" gesture. It was so immature but I guess itʼs just their way of keeping "peace" and I've learned to accept it.

"Are you ready?" Shivaay called out from behind closed doors and I muttered something to myself before sighing. "I heard that." He opened the door and I slipped on my black heels before plopping down back on the bed.
"Whatʼs wrong?"

"Nothing." I answered almost instantly, eyeing his black suit that went really well with his loosened hair.

"Are you sure? Because Iʼm here to warn you about Veer, you need to be careful because-"

"Because there is a chance that heʼll attend the event too, I know." I finished, standing up straight and rolling my eyes.

"You guys could just let me stay here and rot instead, but no, you just have to force me to be there now, donʼt you?" I muttered, sarcasm dripping in my words and I heard Shivaay let out a chuckle before walking up to me.

"Youʼre only going to be there until you finish the speech, love. It wonʼt even take long."

"But I hate that dumb speech. Welcome, pleased to have all you here. Please take a seat and hear my fucked up lies about vampires and-"

"Gauri , relax," He cooed, holding in a chuckle and I flinched when he brushed a few strands of my hair away from my face and tugging it behind my ears.

"Youʼll be fine. I wonʼt let anything happen to you." He mumbled and my heart slightly skipped a beat at his words.

"Y-yeah." I was about to take a step back, when a hand tangled around my waist, pulling me closer. I pressed my hands firmly on Shivaay's chest and looked up at him in confusion as he simply stared at me, his eyes boring into mine, then at my hair and occasionally flickering onto my lips.

"What?" I let out a nervous laugh, trying my
best to ignore all the details he keeps taking in about my features. I mean, thatʼs probably not even the case and-

"You are just perfect in so many ways." He cut off my thoughts and my jaws slightly dropped at his sudden words, my heart racing faster than ever as I tried to shake those feelings away.

His green eyes were now fixated into my chocolate ones and I couldnʼt help but draw myself inside them, trying to find even a hint of lie hidden inside them but there was none. His eyes didnʼt waver for even a second and I inhaled deeply before finally turning away and mumbling a quick "thank you".

I got out of his grip and was about to say something when he pinched my cheeks and turned around to leave, leaving the door open. That was just weird.

******

My eyes wandered at the unfamiliar men and females and I tried my best to keep myself together but it was hard to when all the guys kept glancing at me every five seconds. And by guys, I mean the Oberoi's brothers, who is supposed to "protect" me tonight and make sure nothing happens to me until my speech is over, which by the way is in an hour or so.

How charming to have to spend another hour with these sorry-excuse-of-a- human beings.

"Gauri ?" a familiar voice called and I turned around to face Bhavya, a very old friend of mine, who was one of the closest friends I had in middle school.

Before I could even say anything, she threw herself at me and I hugged her back tightly as she squealed my name only a million times.

"Oh my god, I missed you so much!" her green eyes gleamed and I nodded with a smile.

"You have to tell me everything, start from the beginning and donʼt even stop! I couldnʼt even believe that you were chosen, you are so lucky! I havenʼt heard from you in forever though, what happened?" she started rambling and I couldnʼt help but chuckle a little as she shook her head, her brown wavy hair dancing around her face as she asked me another question.

"Bhavya ,relax, itʼs no big deal." I mumbled, glancing at Rudra, Abhay, Parth and Rithesh, who were now staring at me and Bhavya, their eyes not ripping away from us for even a second but I decided to ignore them.

"No big deal? No big deal? Okay, you need to take a step back and take all this in for a minute, darling. You were chosen by Omkara Singh Oberoi , alright? Not just any vampire, Omkara Singh Oberoi -"

"Yes, but-"

"So get a grip and look around you already. This is all yours and you are going to have so much more than this! Now come on, donʼt tell me that it isnʼt a big deal." She waved her hands around the room like a maniac and I blushed slightly at her optimism before biting my lip.

"Yes, I know. But Bhavya , you of all people know that Iʼve never been a fan of vampires." I whispered and I watched her open her mouth to say something but shut it back almost instantly, her eyes now focusing on something right past me.

"Now, thatʼs quiet rude, Kulfi ." Rudra whispered into my ears and I gasped before spinning around to face Rudra, Parth, Rithesh  and Abhay.

"Weʼre not that bad." Rudra  said in a sarcastic tone and I mentally rolled my eyes before looking at Bhavya , who was now beaming in delight, her eyes not leaving the boys for even a second.

Yes, in a way, I understand how she feels, I guess. I mean, if a bunch of Greek goddesses stood in front of you, wouldnʼt you freak out too?

"Of course not, she was just joking," she reached out her hand towards Raymond, who simply held them and kissed the back of her palms and I know for a fact that it took everything in Bhavya to not freak out right about now. "My nameʼs Bhavya ." She almost jumped up and I couldnʼt help but laugh a little.

"Rudra, and this is Abhay, Parth and Rithesh." Rudra introduced the boys as they all pasted on a small smile for her and I raised a brow at their odd behavior.

"Oh, pleased to meet you all, I-"

"Weʼre leaving right now, got a lot to catch up on so." I grabbed Bhavya's hand, cutting her off and she sent me a confused look but I knew better than to tell her that we needed to talk privately. The last thing she knew was to talk in private.

"Catch up on what?" Bhavya and I both turned to face Shivaay, who was now staring at Emily in suspicion and I let out a huff before tightening the grip around her wrist.

"Oh my god, you guys, Iʼm fine. Just let us have a private conversation without you guyʼs eavesdropping every two seconds. Sheʼs a friend of mine so just stop."

"Why canʼt you let us join the conversation then?" "Yeah, weʼre tons of fun."

"We can even talk about boys if you want."
With another huff, I started dragging Bhavya away, pushing Ajay who had suddenly appeared in front of us in the process and made my way to the appetizer table.

"That did not just happen." Bhavya barely choked out, her breathings only getting heavier as she tried to dramatically calm herself down.

"Oh my god,Bhavya , please-"

"They just talked to me, they just literally talked to me and-"

"Bhavya !" I cut her off with a whine and she stopped freaking out before sending me a grin and inhaling deeply.

"Anyways, how are you? Howʼs things with your parents?" I questioned and she simply shrugged before going silent.

"Same old, same old. Dadʼs refusing to give child support and momʼs freaking out about it and throwing random tantrums every now and then. Itʼs not getting any better." She mumbled out, the spark in her eyes fading away and I gave her an apologetic look.

"Iʼm sorry, I thought it would get better for you after high school." I squeezed her shoulders and she sent me a weak smile.

"It only got worse to be honest, but hey, itʼll turn out fine eventually. Canʼt keep mourning about it forever now, can I?" she stated confidently and I simply gave her a reassuring smile with a nod, not really wanting to talk about it anymore, just in case it ruined her mood for the night.

Bhavya and I talked for a while longer before she had to go and I waved at her as she left, the smile on my face not fading away until she disappeared into the crowd.

"Bhavya , huh?" Omkara's voice made me jump and I turned to my right to notice him leaning against the table. "Sheʼs a friend?"

"Yeah." I mumbled shortly, not really wanting to talk to him after he kept the secret about Veer and at the same time, forcing me to attend this dumb event.

"Are you still upset?"

"What do you think?" I pressed my back against the table and cringed a little when he inched closer.

"How long are you planning to stay mad?" he stated softly, an arm making its way from behind me and placing itself on the table as he leaned closer. "Hmm?" he leaned his face closer and I didnʼt even flinch this time. Stand your ground, Gauri.

"Oh come on, doll face, donʼt be upset now. I said I was sorry." His hot minty breath was hitting against my cheeks now and I didnʼt even budge, no matter how tempted I was to push him away.

"Why do I have to be here anyways? I hate it." I grumbled finally and shivered when he wrapped an around my waist, pulling me closer.

"Because I asked you to...nicely. And plus, I wouldnʼt want you to lock yourself in your room and sulk the whole day now, would I?" his words sent anger boiling inside of me and with a soft growl, I brushed myself away from him and started to leave when two large hands wrapped around my body, pulling me into a tight hug from behind.

"Gauri , I was just kidding." He chuckled, his chest vibrating against my back and I couldnʼt tell what was worse, the fact that he had the audacity to joke about something like that right now or the fact that he had the guts to actually hug me in front of so many people.

"Let go, youʼre embarrassing me!" I squeaked, darting my eyes at the bunch of girls and guys, who were now whispering and pointing at us, most of them glaring in hatred while the rest of them giggled softly.

"You look so hot when youʼre embarrassed, you know that?" he suddenly whispered into my ears and I blushed slightly, trying to calm down my nerves. "I bet youʼre blushing even right now, biting your lip nervously-

" I immediately stopped nibbling on my lip and blushed harder, taking in all his words as his lips brushing against my earlobes, making me stiffen in my position.

"You know ,Itʼs such a fucking turn-on." His voice was barely audible now and I jerked myself away, my whole face flushing furiously but I couldnʼt let that get to me.

"You-youʼre so-"

"Hot? Irresistible?" he took a step forward with each word and I rolled my eyes.

"Annoying." I corrected through gritted teeth and was about to say something when he closed his face to mine, the tip of his tongue brushing against my cheek as I backed away in surprise.

"Now cheer up." He grinned, standing up straight and I groaned in disgust before wiping my cheeks roughly.

"Stop that." I didnʼt mean to sound so whiny and he simply chuckled again before disappearing out of my sight, making me huff in annoyance.

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome." Omkara started, stepping right in front of the crowd and everyone immediately stopped talking before all the attention were drawn towards him.

I watched him roll up his sleeves, revealing his tattoos and sending me a glance as I stood next to the Oberoi's brothers. They were all huddling around me and I didnʼt bother to tell them to back away anymore. In a way, this made me feel safe and secure.

After a few minutes of talking about nonsense and whatnots, Omkara called out my name and clappingʼs erupted the room as I nervously made my way to the very front of the crowd.

He gave me a reassuring smile before walking away and standing in front of the crowd, only a few distances away from where I was standing and I couldnʼt help but mumble to myself anxiously, my body stiffening as the people started whispering and pointing fingers at me.

"Welcome, and pleased to have all of you here. I want to thank you all for attending this event and for taking the time to create and maintain this bond between the vampires and humans. For centuries, our kind has lived in fear and poverty. We were powerless and weak, until the Oberoi's brothers came into our town and-" I glanced at the boys and for once, I didnʼt feel sick staring at them. "Changed that for us." I started to forget my lines and nervously glanced at Omkara , who was now giving me a blank look, as if he knew this would happen all along. "An-anyways-"

"What a charming speech," A familiar voice cut me off and without warning, a hand grabbed my neck from behind as I gasped for air, the sudden impact almost making me choke on my own breath.

"Youʼre no good at lying, sweetheart." My heart dropped at Veer's voice but my attention immediately drew towards the sharp knife he was now holding against my neck, the tip of it grazing against my skin as I leaned away, a whimper escaping my throat as he tightened the grip around my shoulders with his other hand.

Screams and gasps filled the room and I watched everyone freeze, including Omkara , who was now glaring at Veer, his hands already balled into a fist of anger, as if he was ready to go all out.

"Let her go!" he yelled, taking a step forward but stiffened immediately when veer  inched the knife even closer and at this point, I just stood stiff in my position, trying to take in what was happening but it all happened too fast and I was too late to even defend myself.

"Now, I suggest you take a step back, Omkara . Itʼs time for my speech." Veer raised his voice, pointing the knife at Omkara and then at me.

I watched the color on Omkara's face drain away completely as he clenched his jawline, a void of emotions filling his eyes as he knew exactly what position he was in.

"The hell are you doing?!" "Whatʼs going on?"

"I suggest you all shut the fuck up before my brothers and I rip out each and every one of your pathetic hearts out." Veer suddenly growled at the people, squeezing my shoulders so hard, I cried out in pain and I watched Omkara and the Oberoi's brothers take a few step forward but come to a halt as soon as Veer hissed at them.

"Get the fuck away from her Veer! She has nothing to do with this!" Omkara suddenly spat, completely losing it as he lunged forward but a group of guys grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back.

My eyes widened when I noticed that it was now Varun, Karthick and Karan, their nails digging inside of Omkara , who was now breaking free from their grip.

"If you take one more step, I swear to god, this little girlʼs life will come to an end!" Veer yelled and I gasped when he pointed the knife back at my neck, causing Omkara to stop punching Varun, who immediately dropped down on the ground.

"I said," Omkara's voice suddenly turned all cold and dark, the knuckled on his hands turning white as he took a step forward through the silent crowd.

"Let-her- go!" he yelled and spat through gritted teeth and at this point, I could barely recognize him. His eyes had turned almost pitch black and I couldnʼt tell what was more scary, seeing this side of Omkara again or having a knife pointed at my throat.

The Oberoi's brothers stopped Omkara before he could charge at Veer and I could hear Veer sighing in exasperation as the boys struggled to keep Omkara away.

"Youʼre scaring the poor girl here, Omkara ." Veer taunted, pulling my body closer against his chest and I let out a growl before struggling to break from his grip but it was no use.

The more I struggled, the harder he would squeeze my upper arm and at some point, I couldnʼt bear the pain. Iʼm sure it would have left a big black bruise by now but I couldnʼt care less.

"Veer, let me go! What do you want?!" I finally screamed, digging my nails inside his hands and I watched him shake his head, his eyes not leaving from Omkara , who was now being held back by the Oberoi's brothers.

"I want whatʼs rightfully mine, of course. Now for all of you who were nice enough to not act out," he gave Omkara a look and I watched Omkara glare at him with so much hatred and anger, it caused a shiver down my spine.

"Let me tell you why Iʼm here." Veer squeezed my already sore arms and I whimpered in pain, blinking away the tears as he kept going on.

"I am a simple man. I just want what the rest of you want. I want power, a kingdom, a place for my brothers to stay, whores I can fuck with," he paused for dramatic effect, then look at Omkara , his actions growing a lot more colder as he pointed the knife at Omkara .

"In short, I want what he has." It took me a few minutes to take in his words and when it made sense, I glanced back at Veer as he simply stared at the people, who were by the way, just standing around like a bunch of lost, scared puppies and not doing anything to help.

"All of this, because you want to have what he has? Are you sick or-" I choked when he suddenly gripped my neck, the pain on my upper arm loosening and getting replaced with a more excruciating one around my neck.

"Sweetheart, shut up or else Iʼll cut that pretty little face of yours. And yes, I want everything he has because he clearly doesnʼt deserve any of this. It was me, who helped him create all of this and it is me who deserves everything he received on a silver platter!" he suddenly snapped at the end and I gasped for air, my mind loosing focus as I looked at Omkara , who was now staring at me in desperation, his eyes full of plead and hatred at the same time.

"Stop! Let her go before I fucking-"

"Before you what, Omkara ? Hunh? Kill me? Last I remembered, this is mine." He suddenly dropped the knife he was holding and swiftly picked out another one from his pockets and I stared at the long and silver knife with some carvings on the sides.

"Where did you-"

"I found it mate, and you know what they say, finders keepers." Veer let out his usual dark chuckle and I gripped his hands, hoping he would loosen the grip but it was no use.

"Now, should I use it to kill you first and then go for her next?" he questioned and his words rang through my mind a million times before it all came crashing down. Wait-wait, there is no way that this knife can kill a vampire right? It canʼt be, there is-

"I suppose that would be poetic," He mumbled and I noticed a smirk tugging on his lips as Omkara finally stopped struggling.

"You know, she does remind me of Ishana. After all, they were both hot, and Ishana was really good in bed. Canʼt wait to see what this one has in storage for me." Veer's lips brushed against my cheeks and I cried out in disgust before jerking myself away.

I didnʼt even know it was possible for me to break free from his grip so easily but it somehow happened and I spun around to run towards Omkara but my feet came to a sudden halt when my eyes landed on Veer, who was now standing right in front of Omkara , his arms extending further inside Omkara's chest as he let out a painful gasp.

It all happened so fast and my eyes widened when I noticed Veer pulling out the knife from his chest as blood starting oozing out of Omkara's chest and mouth, making my jaws drop open in horror but no words seemed to come out.

The room grew quiet for a few seconds before people started screaming and crying, running away from the scene and Omkara dropped down on the floor, right next to the Oberoi's brothers, who were now in shock as well. A scream escaped my throat as I rushed towards Omkara but by now, everyone had huddled around him and I pushed past them all before dropping down on the floor and grabbing his suit that was now soaked in blood.

"You bastard!"

"Iʼll kill you, I swear to god, Iʼll rip you apart!" I heard the Oberoi's brothers yell and bolt up to Veer but before they could grab him, he disappeared, along with the Rathore's brothers, making my heart drop.

I turned my head and stared at Omkara , who was now laying still, his eyes not even opening as I tugged on his clothes harder.

"Wake up, what are you doing? Omkara , wake up!" I sobbed and yelled at the same time, covering my hands on his wounded chest as the blood kept oozing out.

I mentally gagged but held myself back before calling his name once again, and then again and again.

"Call the ambulance! The police, anything! Help him, heʼs dying!" I cried, turning to look at Shivaay and Arjun, who were now just as panicked as I was.

"Itʼs not going to work alright?! They went to get the herb, the rest went to look for Veer, Gauri . We need to take him to the room, now!" Shivaay tried to push me to a side but I only gripped on him harder and shook my head vigorously, refusing to let him go.

I was afraid, afraid that he will disappear if I let him go now.

"No! Donʼt take him, heʼs hurt! Just heal him, heʼs dying!" I screamed, letting the tears roll down my cheeks as I watched the color on Omkara's face fade away with each passing second.

He was losing too much blood.
Heʼs dying. He's really dying.

Itʼs been hours since Omkara has been given the herb and I have been bawling my eyes out since then, clutching his hands near his bed and praying that he wakes up soon.

I wanted him to at least open his eyes but there was no such luck and at some point, I just sat there, my tears already dried up as I put on an expressionless mask.

"Heʼs going to be fine now, get some sleep, Gauri . You havenʼt slept since last night-"

"I know." I choked out, cutting off Ajay, who let out a deep sigh.

"Whether you like it or not, youʼre coming down to eat. There is nothing we can do but hope for the best right now and you canʼt even do that if you starve to death, Gauri ." He said harshly yet softly before I heard the sound of the door closing shut but I ignored his warning.

"Why? How could this happen? Heʼs not going to die, is he? There is no way, right? So why, why isnʼt he waking up?" I asked myself as I let my eyes wander outside the window, staring at the dark grey clouds and listening to the sound of pouring rain.

It was so much more relaxing this evening and I have somehow brought myself to calm down.

All I can do is have hope and-

My thoughts came to an abrupt stop when I heard a groan and I turned to look at Omkara , who was now struggling to sit up straight. Without another word, I helped him up and he let out another groan, clutching onto his already bandaged bare chest and inhaling deeply before hissing in pain.

I followed his motion and finally sat down on the bed in front of him, going silent. It felt as if a million bricks had been lifted off my shoulders and I just kept my gaze on him, grateful that he was alive and still breathing.

His eyes finally averted from the bed to me and my breath hitched as the lump in my throat tightened at his painful expression but I held back, remaining silent until he spoke.

"What happened?"

"Y-you got stabbed by Veer and-" I wanted to finish but I couldnʼt and he seemed to finally understand what was happening with me and an expressionless look appeared on his face before he reached out to graze my cheeks, making my heart pound loudly against my chest.

"Youʼre a mess." He mumbled and I knew that he was referring to my faded mascara and messed up strands of hair that was sticking out from practically, well, everywhere now.

"But still beautiful though." He added when a drop of tear fell down from my cheeks and onto his palm that were now resting on my cheek.

Without warning, I threw myself at him and he let out a painful groan but I couldnʼt help it. I wanted to hold him so badly.

"I was so worried, I thought yo-you died..." I cried, sobbing and tightening the grip I had around his neck as he went silent for a while before two large hands wrapped around my waist securely.

"Iʼm fine, Gauri ."

"No, youʼre not...I-I thought you we-were really dea-"

"Shh, hey, itʼs okay now, stop crying." He said in a soothing voice, brushing my hair with his fingers and I only cried harder, burying my face inside his neck and swallowing the lump in my throat.

"I-Iʼm so-sorry, itʼs all my-my fault..." I trailed away, sobbing and sniffing at the same time but at this point, I didnʼt care. God know how unattractive I must look right now, with a runny rose and swollen red eyes.

"It wasnʼt your fault, Gauri , we both know that. Now stop crying and hey-" he stopped when another sob escaped my throat and my heart dropped when he untangled my hands away from him gently

. I wanted to hold him forever and never let go.

"Relax, breathe. I am fine, look at me, Gauri . Iʼm not dead," He sounded as if he wanted to be sarcastic about the statement but decided not to after realizing that I was not in the mood to joke.

"Go take a bath, youʼll feel a lot better." The thought of hot water washing down my body made me feel a lot more relaxed but I hesitantly shook my head.

"Iʼll stay here, you have to eat...or drink, or whatever." I suggested and Omkara simple raised a brow at me before shaking his head.

"Gauri , go. Iʼll stay here, I promise." He said with a nod and I gave him a long look before getting up from the bed and slowly making my way out of the room, sending him one more glance as he returned it.

*******

After taking a long and hot shower, I wore a new light pink sweater with a pair of black shorts and hugged myself as I stared out of the window.

The weather only seemed to be getting better and for someone who is obsessed with rain, I couldnʼt have been any happier right now.

I hurried out of the room and bolted inside Omkara's room, and came to a sudden halt when I noticed everyone huddling around his bed, including Ananya , might I add, and I pressed my lips together into a thin line before making my way towards them.

"Youʼre not getting any better, you need to heal faster before it gets worse." I heard Jai say and Omkara simply shook his head in annoyance.

"Itʼs fine, I am not in the mood to-"

"You can drink from me Omkara . Human blood does heal you faster, right?" Ananya spoke up, taking a step forward and I flinched a little before looking at Omkara , who was surprisingly staring at me now too.

'Iʼll pass. Like I said, Iʼm fine," He raised his voice a little and was about to get up but stopped to hiss in pain, his face scrunching up in pain before he leaned against the bedpost again.

"Fucking hell." He muttered under his breath and I could hear the boys trying to convince him to do as they say.

"You can have my blood," I blabbered out without even thinking and everyone grew quiet at my words.

"Just- just get better..." I trailed away and I watched Omkara furrow his eyebrows together before shaking his head.

"No."

"But Iʼm just-"

"I said, no, Gauri ." He cut me off sharply, his eyes piercing into mine and I blinked away the tears before taking a step forward.

"No, I want to give you my blood. It can heal you, right? Why are you refusing anyways?
You are in no position to have a say in this." I argued and his frown tightened but I decided to stand my ground.

"And you are in no position to tell me what to do, doll face, keep that in mind." He emphasized each word and I went silent before biting my lip angrily, refusing to let my anger get the best of me again.

"Alright, everyone can go now, Iʼll be down for dinner tonight." Omkara mumbled, sending me one last look before turning around and burying himself inside the sheets.

I watched everyone walk out and I stopped to look at Shivaay , who was now motioning me to follow him as well but I didnʼt listen. After everyone left, I made my way towards the bed and sat down on it before folding my hands across my chest stubbornly.

"Come on, gauri ." He grumbled, tossing the sheets and sitting up straight again.

"No, Iʼm not leaving till you drink my blood and get better. Iʼm not letting you die."

"Letting me die-god, Iʼm not dying, Gauri . Iʼm healing and Iʼm doing fine."

"Yeah, right. Because thatʼs exactly what your brothers said, right?" I huffed when he went silent and turned my head towards the dressing table.

"If youʼre not going to do it then I will." I muttered impatiently and got up before walking up to the dressing table, rummaging through the drawers till I found a small pocket knife inside it.

Perfect.

"What are you even looking for-" he stopped when I walked over to him with the knife and extended my arms before pointing the knife at my wrist.

"Is it easier for you to drink from the wrist or-"
"What the fuck, Gauri ! Put the damn knife down, right now!" he snapped and lunged to grab it but hissed in pain, clutching his chest painfully before he could even get off the bed.

"No, this is for your own good." I hesitated but was about to slit my wrist when Omkara practically jumped from the bed and charged towards me, almost making my heart rip out of my chest as I backed away.

I didnʼt have time to even drop the knife out of fear because Omkara had already grabbed it forcefully with one of his hands, while the other was still covering his chest as he took deep even breaths, trying to calm down and probably ease the pain too, which made me feel bad.

"The fuck is wrong with you?!" he yelled, his eyes growing a shade darker as he took a step forward and out of instinct, I took one back.

"I-Iʼm just trying to help!" I shot back, tears glistening in my eyes as I glared at him but he returned a ten times more deadly one.

"You want to help? Do as I say and fuck off, yeah?" he hissed sharply and I went silent at his cold words. "And donʼt you ever do something like this again." He finished, leaning his face closer to mine and I gave him one last glare before turning around and starting to leave.

Just as I opened the door, a hand slammed it shut from behind and I didnʼt even bother to turn around and face him anymore.

"Iʼm sorry, alright, just can we please-"

"No, Iʼm sorry for caring. Didnʼt think it would bother you this much." I turned to say sharply and he let out a sigh, resting his lower arm on top of my head on the door and leaning closer to me as I pressed myself back.

"Itʼs not that I donʼt want you to care, alright? Iʼm happy you do but you really need to stop acting out without thinking. You keep doing dumb shit all the time now." I cocked my head at his words and I could tell that he was holding back a smirk or grin now, which pricked my nerves.

"Nice choice of words." "I try, Gauri ."

"Of course you do." I made a face and he simply shrugged in response before backing away.

"Now go downstairs. Iʼll be right behind you. We still have to eat." He said, letting out a painful groan as he stood up straight and I couldnʼt help but pity him. Iʼve never seen him in so much pain before.

I decided to listen to him and leave him alone for now and gave him a small smile before leaving, not really happy with the thought that he refused to let me help him but then again, I canʼt force him to drink my blood either.

That was his choice.

After a few minutes of roaming and pacing around my room, I finally made my way downstairs to the dinner room and a few butlers greeted me as I entered the room.

Everyone was now gathered at the table, including Omkara and I made my way as well, taking my usual seat.

"As I was saying, we need to go out tonight and find him. He canʼt have something so powerful in his hands. Heʼll come back for all of us." Arjun said out loud and I stopped to look at him.

"Thatʼs true, unless we go and find him now, thereʼs no way weʼre ever getting it back."

"They have the upper hand now, Omkara ."

"Alright, weʼre leaving in an hour." Omkara finally agreed and my jaws dropped open at his words.

"Wait, youʼre hurt, why are you leaving already?" I questioned, almost jumping up from my seat but managed to hold myself back.

"Heʼs fine now and heʼll heal in time. We donʼt have the time to wait around and do nothing while they have the silver dagger that could kill us all. You saw what it did to Omkara , Gauri ." Raj said, giving me a hard look and I shook my head hesitantly, looking at Omkara , who gave me a blank look before going silent.

"Like I said, weʼre leaving in an hour." He confirmed and I could feel anger boiling inside of me as I tried to calm myself down.

For once, why canʼt he just listen to me? He could rest for a day even and go, thatʼs fine. But itʼs not even been 24 hours since heʼs been stabbed and his wound isnʼt getting any better so why?

"Iʼll excuse myself." I mumbled, standing up and leaving the room, ignoring Omkara who kept calling my name.

I stuffed a pillow on my face and sighed in exasperation, taking in everything thatʼs been going on.

To be honest, I donʼt know why I freaked out so much about this situation but I guess I was just scared that he was going to die.

I think anybody in my position would, right?

"Hey, you up?" I heard Omkara's voice as he opened the door to my room and I mentally groaned to myself.

"Leave me alone." I said bitterly, recalling everything he said to me today and I heard him sigh as I threw the pillow to a side to look at him.

He was already wearing a black long sleeved t-shirt with a pair of normal black jeans, as if he was ready to go out and I couldnʼt help but get a bit disappointed at the sight.

"So youʼre leaving?" I questioned and watched him sit down next to me on the bed before nodding.

"Iʼm only doing it because I have to." He responded with a sigh and I went silent before turning away.

"You can leave then." I finally mumbled, lying down on the bed and gasped when he towered over me, pressing both his hands on either side of my neck.

"No." he replied shortly and I raised a brow at him, trying to ignore the beating heart against my chest.

"Are you going to drink my blood then?" "No-"

"Omkara , just do it. You would have done it before in a heartbeat so why not now? Just do it." I stated impatiently and I watched him flinch a little before closing his face to mine.

"I said, no," he whispered, resting his lower arm on the bed and using his other hand to touch my cheeks.

"I wouldnʼt say no to a kiss though." He brushed his thumb on my lips and my eyes widened at his words as I tried to come up with some witty remark but sadly, my mind had gone all blank.

"Iʼll let you kiss me if you stay tonight." I decided finally and a soft groan escaped his lips before he started to get up but I wrapped my legs around his torso before he could and pulled him back in as he stared at me in surprise.

"Are you sure you donʼt want to?" I blinked innocently and I know this was a low card to play on him but if itʼs going to make him stay and supposedly save his life tonight, then yeah, Iʼll gladly use it.

"Yes." His voice was barely above a whisper now and I gave him my best pout before shrugging it off.

"Fine then." I started to push him away but he didnʼt even budge from the spot and instead, I watched his eyes fixate into mine before they landed on my lips and the next thing I knew, his lips were covered perfectly on top of mine.

I wrapped an arm around his neck as he cupped the side of my cheeks, savoring every moment as the kiss turned from passionate to a more rough one.

I held back a moan as he tugged on my bottom lip and I heard him let out a groan in pain before pulling away, my breath coming out in a short gasp as he did.

"It hurts so fucking much but at the same time this feels so good, I canʼt stop." He breathed and I was about to ask him to rest instead when he connected his lips onto mine again and this time, he was more demanding.

His tongue brushed against my bottom lip but I didnʼt allow him, earning a soft growl from him as he pulled away and moved onto my jawline, placing multiple wet kisses on them.

I suppressed a moan but it eventually slipped out when he reached down to my neck, tugging and biting on my soft spot seductively, making the butterflies in my stomach go on a rampage.

Before I knew it, he had started to lick all over my neck, sending goosebumps to rise all over my body and I gripped his neck tightly as he whispered the words that had my pulse racing ten time faster than before.

"Can I?" he breathed in my ears, biting my earlobes before moving back down to my neck, something sharp suddenly grazing against my skin and I gulped softly before going silent.

"Yes."

It took everything, everything in me to not scream in pain as his sharp fangs pierced inside my skin, my whole stomach turning ice as he let out a moan in satisfaction, not even wasting a second to suck on my blood.

Itʼs at times like these that makes me wonder, how do they do it?

How do they take pleasure in someone elseʼs pain and not feel anything?

How was this so easy for them?

The pain around my neck started to get more intense and I clutched on to his neck, holding back a scream but I couldnʼt take it anymore. I finally let out a painful scream but it was muffled out as something locked on my lips almost instantly.

My teary eyes slightly widened when I found his lips on mine and I mentally gagged, the taste of my blood now sticking to my throat as he deepened the kiss.

My breath hitched when I felt a hand making its way inside my sweater and at this point, I wanted him to stop but keep going at the same time.

Why do I keep having mixed feelings?

"More, I want more..." he whispered in my ears and before I knew it, my sweater had slipped right off my body and I clutched my chest in embarrassment as he straddled around my torso, sitting up straight and swiftly stripping of his shirt as well. I know, I know, Iʼm not fully naked but this already feels like I am, with just my bra on and as much as I was enjoying this, I didnʼt want him to see my body.

There were tons of insecurities I felt about them and the last person I would want to notice them was Omkara . He grew silent for a while and I watched his mouth slightly drop open as he stared at me, his eyes completely getting fixated on my body as they trailed up and down, taking in all the details he could.

"Youʼre so beautiful," he finally mumbled, and I just stared into his eyes. He had a look I couldnʼt place my finger on and it made the butterflies in my stomach go on a rampage.

"Youʼre honestly so fucking..." he leaned his face closer, gently taking my hands off my chest and pressing both my wrists above my head before peering into my eyes again, making my heart skip a beat. "Beautiful." He breathed, as if he had been holding it in for so long and I just bit my bottom lip, my whole face flushing as I tried to say something, anything.

I really never have been good at taking compliments and-

"Fuck." He suddenly whispered, lust suddenly filling his eyes before his lips crashed onto mine roughly.

This time, I kissed him back just as hard, wrapping my arms around his neck as one of his hands trailed up my hips, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

How was he able to make me feel so good with just under a small touch? I felt his fingers graze around my bra before they moved down to my thighs and an uncontrollable moan escaped my lips when he grabbed my inner thigh, his breathing only getting heavier as our bodies pulled each other closer.

"Om..." I parted our lips as his fingers kept brushing against my thighs, making its way up and then moving down in a slow motion and I know for a fact that he was just teasing me.

"Stop that..." I almost whined and he only pressed my wrists harder on the bed as a small smirk tugged on the corner of his lips.

"Stop what, Gauri ?" he cocked his head to a side and before I could say anything, he leaned into a kiss again, making me gasp in pleasure and Omkara only used this chance to slip his tongue inside my mouth, exploring it.

My heart started racing faster when I felt his fingers slowly making their way up again and just as things started to get more intense, a picture of Veer's face flashed through my mind, causing me to pull away almost instantly.

What Dexter had said about Ishana... everything about her and-

"Whatʼs wrong, Omkara breathed, his eyes locked in mine in concern upon seeing my expression and I noticed the lust in his eyes fade away before his expressions turned into a more serious gesture.

"No-nothing..." I turned away, my mood suddenly dropping at the thought of him and Ishana .

They were together at some point, they most definitely did all these things and a lot more, and somehow, I reminded him of Ishana . And of all the times to be pondering over it, I chose to get upset now.

"Did it hurt too much or-"

"Itʼs not that, I just- I have to go." I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply before practically pushing him off me.

To be honest, I wanted to know about his past, his secrets and everything about him before we do something like this. I want to know if he was just doing all this because I somehow reminded him of her.

I mean, thatʼs the case right? Thatʼs why he called me by her name and thatʼs probably why he doesnʼt want Veer to have me.

Because he thinks this is history repeating itself, right? But I donʼt want that to be the case, I donʼt want him to see her in me every time we-

"Gauri , whatʼs wrong?" he questioned, a hint of concern in his voice as I picked up my sweater and I gave him a flat look.

"Wait-tell me whatʼs wrong?" he snatched my sweater just as I was to put them on and I gave him a hard frown, feeling highly uncomfortable to only be wearing a short and bra in front of him, though I was just okay with it a few minutes ago.

"Give it back, Iʼm leaving." I tried to snatch it away as he leaned back against the bed, extending his arms further away before I could reach towards it.

"Where? Hey-just tell me whatʼs going on? Are you upset because we-"

"Can you stop being such a pervert and give it to me?" I huffed, trying my best to ignore the concerned look on his face that he was clearly trying to hide now.

"Look, if you didnʼt want me to drink from you then you couldʼve just told me and I-"

"Omkara , stop, itʼs not that." I interrupted in annoyance and snatched away my sweater as he handed it over to me, turning around to slip it on quickly.

"Then what is it? Because you were fine just now and- stop!" he raised his voice as I bolted towards the door.

Hands grabbed my shoulders before spinning me around and I let out a groan before meeting his blue eyes that were now looking right into my brown ones.

"Just stop, alright? Whatʼs going on?" his voice softened and it surprised me that he could actually be this calm and patient when he wants to be.

"What?"

"What do you mean "what?" I want to know whatʼs going on. Did I do something wrong?" he questioned again, releasing his grip as I folded my hands across my chest and leaned back against the door.

"Itʼs not what you did tonight, itʼs just what you do on a daily basis."

"Which is?"

"Keeping secrets from me about Veer, not telling me about you and Ishana, or your past at all for that matter."

"What? Why are you bringing this up now? I told you that you donʼt have to know all that shit." I could tell that he was starting to get annoyed but I didnʼt care. I deserved to know.

"Because I think I deserve an explanation?" I leaned closer as he let out a groan in frustration.

"Do you see her when you look at me...?" I finally choked out and I watched his head snap at my direction.

"What? No-"

"Then what is it? Because you have already called me by her name and you and Veer keep pulling my head because of what happened between Ishana -" I made a face as I mentioned her name but stopped when Omkara frowned at me.

"I told you not to disrespect her, Gauri ."

"See? I cannot even breathe her name without you getting upset." I tried to conceal the hurt in my voice but it was clearly evident now.

"Can you please stop making it sound like this is a competition between you and her? Sheʼs dead, alright? Let it go."

"You know what?" I breathed in, blinking away the tears as he took a step forward, sending me an apologetic look but I wasnʼt going to buy it.

"Gauri , Iʼm sorry, I didnʼt mean it like that-"

"Forget it. This never happened." I finished, cutting him off and opening the door,
slamming it shut before he could even react.

As I marched through the hallway with tears in my eyes, I noticed Ajay making out with one of his whores, slamming her against the wall as I walked right past him and I resisted the urge to puke.

Honestly, itʼs at times like these I wish I had escaped with Veer and did as he said. But then again, he was no better. Worse to be honest.

But at least he was honest with me about what happened or why heʼs doing all this, as childish as the reasons may be.

After a good thirty minutes or so, I finally sneaked upstairs back to my room and plopped into my bed when I noticed that Omkara was gone by now.

Guess he decided to let me be. I buried myself inside the sheets, closing my eyes shut as I tried to not picture what happened tonight. His fingers trailing all over my body as we kissed-

"No, go to sleep." I scolded myself before closing my eyes shut and inhaling deeply, my eyelids drooping as I let out a sigh. Ishana ... he must really have been in love with you.

*****

The next morning, I decided to take some time to actually dress up and use this time to have some time for myself.

I needed time for myself in order to get my feelings sorted out and maybe this was a good way to get my mind off about it.

After all, I enjoyed dressing up back at home and maybe I can do so once in a while here too? Or maybe not, considering the fact that I was surrounded by horny blood sucking assholes, who would probably hit on anything with tits, and hide behind the old excuse, "Iʼm a simple man." How original.

I decided to slip on a casual white tank top with a black tight, putting my hair in a messy bun before I applied some lip gloss, making my lips full and pink.

Next I applied some eye liner and was contemplating to whether I should curl my hair or straighten it but then decided to leave it as it is. A messy bun. After finishing up, I hurried out of my room and met Ananya on the way as he sent me a hateful glare and I stopped to look at her.

"What is it, Ananya ?"

"You know what, slut face. I saw Omkara going inside your room last night." She flipped her hair to a side and glared at me with her big black eyes.

"You have clearly misunderstood because Omkara and I-"

"Are nothing? Please, you need to learn how to lie first." She folded her arms across her chest, tapping her heels on the ground as she placed her weight on her right leg.

"God, why does it even bother you so much anyways? I thought you and Jai were a thing now?" I questioned and I watched her face scrunch up in annoyance before she let out a huff in frustration.

"We are. But thatʼs only until I get Omkara ."

"Thatʼs low, even for-"

"So letʼs get something straight, we had a deal. You help me become Omkara's keeper and I help you escape. We agreed on that so I suggest you keep your-"

"Ladies." A voice echoed through the hallway and before we could even turn properly, Rithesh  appeared in front of us and we both gasped in surprise.

"God." I muttered under my breath as he eyed me from head to toe.

"Youʼre looking rather hot today, darling." He cooed, wrapping an arm around my waist and I tried to brush him away but he held a fine grip before dragging me through the hallway. I glanced back at Ananya , who was now scowling at me and giving me a look but I decided to ignore it.

I shouldʼve just sent her away when Omkara wanted to.

"Stop touching me." I pushed him away as we made it down the stairs and he simply grinned, revealing a side dimple I never even noticed he had before.

"I couldnʼt help it. Such a fine smell was coming out from you too," He closed his eyes and breathed in, making me shudder in fear and disgust.

"Guess Omkara had his fine share last night." He opened his eyes and I gulped softly before turning silent, almost forgetting about the bite mark. I hadnʼt even patched it up, only washed it off when I bathed this morning.

"Rithesh, can you just-"

"Leave you alone? Darling, I wish I could. Even with Omkara warning us to stay away from you, Iʼm still here... resisting the urge to rip your clothes out and fucking you till you scream my na-"

"Rithesh, youʼre late. I told you to go find it." Shivaay's voice interrupted us as he appeared next to us and I mentally sighed in relief before looking at Rithesh , who gave me a small wink, biting his lip as he stared at me from head to toe again, causing a shiver down my spine.

"Letʼs go." Shivaay  muttered before grabbing my hand and practically dragging me to the other side. We arrived at an unfamiliar room and I stared at him in confusion as he took out some keys from his pockets.

"What is it? Are you planning to keep me in here or-"

"What do you take me for?" he chuckled, finally choosing a key and using it to unlock the door. I heard it open with a "click" sound and I stared in astonishment as we stepped inside a huge library.

Stacks of books filled the entire room and I noticed several butlers dusting the place but stopped when they noticed us enter. They all bowed and left as Shivaay closed the door behind me.

"Oh my god...why didnʼt you tell me there was a library here?!" I squealed, almost jumping at him and he chuckled before shrugging.

"I didnʼt think you were interested," my jaws dropped open at his words. "Until now, of course." He laughed a short laugh and I shook my head with a grin before admiring the place again.

"You clearly donʼt know me well enough then. Can I stay and read?" I asked, moving towards a cupboard full of books and he nodded.

"As long as I can join you." He grinned and I simply nodded. His company wonʼt be so bad, as long as he doesnʼt interrupt my reading.

"God, this is amazing." I ran my fingers through some book, my eyes gleaming in pleasure and excitement. Books always had this effect on me.

"Youʼre amazing." I thought I heard him say from behind and I turned to look at him.

"What?"

"What?" he almost asked at the same time I did and I narrowed my eyes at him before shaking my head and looking through the books again. I decided to pick out a random one and Shivaay  guided me towards the nearby table.

I started reading before I could sit down and was already hooked into the book, making Shivaay  chuckle softly. He sat down in front of me and I didnʼt even bother to say anything anymore as he kept staring at me, rather than actually read his book.

Annoying, but this book got me covered. After reading for a good 20 minutes or more, I heard the sound of a chair scraping before Shivaay said something between the lines

"Hey, I have to go, donʼt stay too long." I simply nodded quickly, my eyes still not leaving the book.

Minutes, hours passed as I got more and more engaged inside my book but I didnʼt care. This book was too interesting and I couldnʼt stop. God, this is why my parents stopped buying me books.

They always made it sound like thatʼs all Iʼm ever good at and that it would "distract" me from doing the "important" things in life. Like trying to win the heart of a blood sucking monster.

"Interesting." I heard a familiar voice before my book was snatched away from me.

"Hey!" I squealed, standing up and turning around to face Omkara , who was now holding the book in his hands and it annoyed me beyond words but at the same time, I was kind of afraid that he would be mad at me for coming in here without his permission.

"Give it back!"

"Didnʼt think you liked to read."

"Didnʼt think it was your business." I tried to snatch away the book but ended up knocking my knee on the corner of the table.

I winced in pain and glared at Ono, who was now laughing in amusement.

How shocking.

"Just give it back, Omkara ! You made me forget what chapter I was on even!" I groaned, reaching up to grab it but he simply extended his arms up further and even in these god damn heels, I was no match for his height.

"Iʼll give it back, if you tell me where youʼve been the whole day." His voice sounded rather amused and I rolled my eyes.

"Here? Reading. Why do you care anyways?" I grumbled, trying to snatch it away and huffing in frustration at another failed attempt.

"I just do."

"Cute, now give it back."

"Not until we talk about last night." He finally mumbled, his eyes suddenly softening and I pressed my lips together into a thin line.

"How about "no"?" I questioned boldly and I watched him raise a brow before shrugging.

"Fine, guess youʼll never be able to read this book again." He was about to hurl it to the wall when I grabbed his upper arm before he could, my heart almost ripping out of my chest as he simply dropped the book on the ground. Oh, the audacity of this-this... thing!

"You-how dare you!" I snapped, glaring at him and was about to take a step forward when he took not one but three steps towards me, making me back away before bumping against the nearest book shelf.

"How dare I? How dare you, yell at me?" His voice wasnʼt laced with anger, rather it was still with amusement and that pissed me off even more.

"You know, why donʼt you just stop teasing me every five seconds and I donʼt know, maybe, just maybe do something more productive in your life?"

"Like fucking you? Sounds like a very productive thing to-" he stopped to grin when I bit my bottom lip in annoyance, his eyes suddenly flickering on them.

"If you want to talk about last night, then start by explaining what happened between you, Veer and Ishana ." I mumbled out but his eyes were now focused on my lips as he hummed in response, a hand slowly tangling around my waist as he pulled himself closer.

"No, I mean that, can you take it a bit more serious and-"

"I am." He replied shortly, his eyes still not ripping away from my lips for even a second and I could feel my heart racing faster.

"Youʼre not, youʼre clearly distracted."

"Can you blame me?" Omkara's voice was barely above a whisper now, his eyes were still on my lips and I know that he was just annoying me at this point.

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"No, because itʼs not important right now."

"It is," I huffed and in an attempt to jerk him away, I pressed my hands firmly on his chest but he only pulled his body closer to mine.

"You know what? Why donʼt you just stop acting like this? You keep being nice one minute and lashing out the next minute, being a rude dick head when it pleases you." I tried to hold back my words but to be honest, I wasnʼt afraid of him anymore. At least not as much as I used to be.

Now he was just annoying.

"Youʼre so hot when youʼre mad." His words only sent anger boiling inside me and I took a deep breath before digging my nails inside his chest and giving him my best fake smile.

"I canʼt believe I am about to say this but I think you should just go back to being yourself. You donʼt need to show me these two faces anymore. Stick with one and I donʼt know. Slam me against and wall and choke me like you used to when you get mad-"

"I could still do that when Iʼm fucking you." I blushed harder than I should and I tried to come back with a witty remark but sometimes, when people say such bold and straightforward shit, it makes it harder for the other person to say something back.

This was one of those cases.

"Are you bipolar?" I finally asked and he simply shrugged.

"I could be, who knows. And nice try, gauri, but I can hear your heartbeat and itʼll always give you away," he grinned, resting his lower arm on top of my head on the book shelf and using his other hand to take a firm grip on my chin.

As this point, I was lost at words, I mean, come on, I tried. I really did.

"I-thatʼs not even-"

"Can I kiss you?" another bold question.

"No." I inhaled deeply, my eyes not leaving his as my lips slightly fell apart.

"Can I please kiss you?" he barely mumbled, his voice was now hoarse and god, it could make me melt but I stood by my words.

"At least youʼre asking for my permission and not saying the word "please" without gagging." I shrugged, brushing his fingers away and I could hear him groan in disappointment before standing up straight.

"By the way, have you seen Shivaay?" Omkara questioned, slipping his hands into his joggers and I shrugged.

"Donʼt know, he was here with me for some time. He mustʼve left." I darted my eyes around the empty area.

"He was with you?" Omkara suddenly snapped his head towards me and I nodded.

"Why?"

"Why? I donʼt know, he showed me this place and joined me for reading. Although I hardly doubt he was reading." I rolled my eyes at the thought of him staring at me.

"Unhuh, whatʼs that supposed to mean?" I hadnʼt noticed the tension in the air until now and I looked at Omkara before shrugging.

"Nothing, anyways letʼs go. Iʼll just come back with him later." I said and was about to walk past him when he grabbed my wrist, spinning me around.

"No, I donʼt want you to come here with him again." His voice was low with a hint of annoyance.

"Why?"

"I just donʼt want you to, alright?"

"And Iʼm asking you why?" I asked in confusion and I watched him let out a huff in frustration before muttering something against his breath.

"Are you going to do as I say or not, Gauri , because Iʼm really not in the mood?" he questioned and I could tell that he was getting really upset now.

What was his problem anyways?

He is so freaking annoying.

"Whatever you say."