Itʼs been a week since Iʼve been living in this hell-hole and nothing seems to be going my way, not even the new escape plan I was coming up with.

See, in order for my plan to work out, Omkara had to at least acknowledge my existence but instead, he came to loath it.

However, thereʼs some-what good news about my current situation. I made progress with the vampires.

I havenʼt really had an actual conversation with any of them but I didnʼt ignore them or mentally gag every time I see them either, which I think is a big step for me.

They seem to think that I was "finally" getting used to my new home which is probably the reason why they hadnʼt forced themselves to feed on me.

I rummaged through my luggage and smiled when I noticed the little wooden box, safely tucked right underneath some of my clothes.

I picked it out gently and placed it on the dressing table before opening it to reveal a locket necklace that I had received from my father.

I opened the locket and stared at the single picture of my mother and father, both smiling genuinely, their cheeks slightly pressed against each otherʼs.

I quickly shut the locket, blinking away my tears as I straightened my posture. Relax Gauri, itʼs not like youʼre never going to see them again.

"I should get ready." I mumbled to myself, staring up at the huge clock that hung on the wall. It was 730 pm, almost time for dinner and I canʼt be late. It was always my usual routine to eat as soon as possible and leave the room.

I quickly stripped off my clothes and rushed to pick out an outfit. Sighing, I grabbed a huge grey sweater and a pair of black shorts. As I slipped them on, I realized that the sweater reached up to my mid-thighs, covering the shorts that I wore underneath.

"Nope, letʼs go with a tight." I told myself and was about to grab a black leggings when the door flew open and in came Ananya, wearing a night gown that barely concealed her, well, anything.

Shit, I forgot to lock the door.

"Be more careful, what if it was one of the guys?!" my inner voice hissed at me and I sighed before returning my gaze back to Ananya who was now walking up to my dressing table.

"Theyʼll be a blood bath tonight." she barely muttered under her breath and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"What do you mean?" I asked, watching her pick up my necklace before opening the locket and scoffing at the picture.

"If youʼve got nothing to say, leave." I spoke softly and she turned around to face me, her thick brown hair flawlessly flipping to a side.

"Iʼm letting you know in case you decide to bail out," she sneered, furrowing her eyebrows together in annoyance.

"Again." She added, leaning against the table and peering at me.

"Please put that necklace down." I said, closing the wardrobe and exhaling deeply.

Guess Iʼll have to change when she leaves.

"Just saying, Gauri. The boys are going to have a different course of food tonight and a different..." she paused, gently tangling the necklace in-between her fingers.

"Drink." She finished and I stared at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean? I thought they feed at midnight or outside where-"

"This is their home. What did you expect? That they would keep playing nice just because weʼre newbies?" she cut me off and I gulped softly before shaking my head.

"Iʼm not going then. I canʼt watch them drink..." I trailed away, mentally gagging at the thought that theyʼll be having human blood as a drink rather than wine.

"Thatʼs why Iʼm here darling, to change your mind." Ananya said with a giggle and I watched her clutch my locket tightly before walking up to the door.

"Wait, thatʼs mine-"

"You want it? The come and get it." She taunted, as if sheʼs taken candy from a child and I furrowed my eyebrows together.

"Itʼs not funny, thatʼs what my father gave-" before I could finish, Ananya bolted out of the room and with a low growl, I ran after her.

"Iʼm throwing this useless shit!" I heard her yell from across the hallway and I started to panic immediately.

"Donʼt, thatʼs my..." I trailed away, dreading at the thought that I might lose the one thing that reminded me of my parents, not to mention, my past life.

Just as I reached halfway along the hallway, my face connected to a solid, hard chest and I stumbled back a little before I caught my balance.

"Sorry-" I stopped when I noticed Omkara frowning down at me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe before tilting his head to a side, painstakingly slow, might I add, which made me feel very uneasy.

"Whatʼs the hurry, doll face?" he asked, putting on his expressionless mask and I shivered upon hearing his voice.

"I-my necklace," I huffed, standing on my tiptoes and glancing past his shoulders to see if Ferra was still at the end of the hallway but to my disappointment, she was nowhere to be seen now. "Ananya  took my necklace. Itʼs very precious to me and I need to get it back." I said finally and was about to walk past him when he grabbed a hold of my wrist.

"Why get so worked up over a stupid necklace?" he questioned and I looked up at him, feeling a little frustrated that he was stopping me for no apparent reason.

"Itʼs what my father gave me. Itʼs the only thing I have which reminds me of my parents" I responded, tears slightly welling in my eyes and Omkara gave me a very long look before he "tsked" at my response.

"Crying over dumb shit is your special move, huh ?" he muttered in exasperation and I went silent at his rude words. "Wait here." He mumbled before disappearing from the hallway.

Around 10 seconds passed before he appeared in front of me and I gasped then sighed in relief. I was supposed to be used to their powers by now but come on, wouldnʼt you get a mini heart attack if someone just popped out of nowhere in front of you?

Omkara held up the necklace with his index finger and a hopeless smile spread across my face as I reached up to grab it.

The smile on my face disappeared as soon as it came because as soon as I tried to snatch the it, Omkara pulled his hand away and I stopped to look at him.

"W-I-I-F-O," he said some letters, painfully slow and I gave him another look in confusion.

"Whatʼs in it for Omkara ?" he asked, revealing what the letters stood for and I stared at him in disbelief.

"I-I donʼt know? I didnʼt think I had to pay a price." I mumbled and he shook his head before leaning against the wall behind him, muttering something to himself.

"Everything costs a price, doll face." He stated and I shrugged, tugging at the end of my sweater, almost forgetting that I was wearing this short thing.

I looked up and Omkara's eyes swiftly shifted from my thighs to my face and I shook away the uncomfortable feeling. "If you want it back then come for the dinner tonight. I know youʼre planning to avoid it." He said, raising his voice suddenly and I shook my head.

"No, not tonight." I said, shaking my head, causing my hair to dance around my face.

"Iʼm trying to be nice here," his voice turned all low and cold before he took a step forward, his eyes turning a shade darker as I gulped softly.

"So I suggest you play nice as well, Gauri ." He stated, giving me a small glare and I stood silently, my eyes lost in his icy blue eyes for a second before I snapped back to reality.

"Okay..." I gave in and a victorious smirk appeared on his face before he turned around and started walking.

"Wait!" I called, quickly straddling next to him but he kept silent as we walked side by side.

"My necklace." I reminded him but he completely ignored me again which ticked me off.

"Iʼll only return it back if you manage to behave tonight." He said finally, walking down the stairs and my heart raced at his words.

"But I am behaving well now, I canʼt promise anything about tonight because everyone is going to feed at the dinner table and-" I stopped rambling when Omkara hissed before turning around to face me, making me come to a sudden halt.

"Fck off now." He said bitterly and my jaws dropped open at his words.

A person can be rude only to an extent. I kept silent and watched him march into the dining room and slowly followed him inside.

Abhay, Rithesh and Parth were already at the table and soon enough, everyone else joined us.

"Come sit next to me babe, you look cute as Fck ." Rudra cooed and I stood in my position as everyone peered at me.

The girls scowled and scoffed at my awkwardness but I couldnʼt help it. Slowly, I took a seat, my stomach instantly growing sick when I noticed the wine glasses that were now filled with some dark red liquid. I didnʼt have to ask anyone to know what it was.

"Cheers, to us!" Arjun said out loud, holding up a glass and everyone one else raised their glasses as well.

Omkara , as usual, sat quietly in his chair, staring at the table and shooting me a glare every now and then.

God, he despised me on a whole new level. There was no way I would ever be able to use him if he hated me to this extent.

"Letʼs do something fun this weekend. How about we go on a trip?" Rithesh suggested and the girls immediately agreed, except me of course.

I played with my food and took a bite out of the steak before looking up to face Shivaay , who was now staring at me across the table, his gaze completely glued on my face and I stopped chewing.

"What?" I asked with a mouth full and he chuckled before shaking his head.

"Nothing, eat." He grinned and I went back to chewing.

I felt Omkara's eyes burning holes through my face and was about to turn to look at him when Ajay called my name.

"Gauri ! How about it, a trip with all of us?" He exclaimed and a nervous chuckle escaped through my lips.

"Not that she has a choice." Omkara mumbled and I turned to look at him. "Make the plans and get ready soon." Omkara said impatiently and I wondered how anyone was able to put up with his attitude.

"Neha, sweetheart, come here." I heard Arjun say before Neha popped up from her seat and sat on his lap.

I watched her slide her hair to a side and Arjun immediately started licking all over her neck hungrily and seductively.

I blushed slightly when a moan escaped through her lips but at the same time, it disgusted me that I was about to witness a first-hand soft p0rn.

Arjun's eyes turned a shade darker and I watched his fangs graze against her skin before I quickly turned away.

"Let the dinner begin!" Raj exclaimed and the girls hurried out of their seats, picking one of the handsome guys to sit with.

It wasnʼt long before moans and screams filled the room as the guys ruthlessly dug their fangs inside the girlʼs neck, sucking the blood out hungrily.

My hands started trembling and I wanted to run but my body was too terrified to move now.

The door suddenly flew open and I turned to look at a bunch of girls walking in, some of them only wearing a bra and panties.

"Itʼs been a while, ladies." Raj's voice echoed through the room as the girls rushed towards the men, each one of them sitting on their laps and I stared at them in shock.

I canʼt believe all of this was really taking place right now! And where the hell did these girls come out from anyways?

"Can I be excused?" I asked softly, ripping my eyes from the girls and turning to look at Omkara who sipped some blood from his glass and I held back the urge to gag.

"No. If youʼre not going to join, then youʼre going to have to stay here and get used to it." He said, leaning back in his chair and I bit my bottom lip before averting my gaze back to my lap.

"Gauri  darling, come here." Abhay's voice was barely audible and I looked at him. He already had two girls beside him and his whole mouth was covered in blood but he managed to wipe it off with a tissue.

"For godʼs sake Gauri ," Ajay whined across the room and I kept silent, tears threatening to fall. Was tonight finally the night they were going to feed on me?

"Come here." Ajay said and I shook my head. Ajay canʼt seem to take "no" for an answer because the next thing I knew, he had my chin cupped in his hand, turning my face to look up at him as he bent down, leaning his chest against the back of my chair.

"I canʼt, please..." I choked out and he let out a sigh before leaning closer to my face.

"I like you Gauri , I do," he started and my eyes widened when I noticed his blue eyes getting a shade darker, a sign that he was either mad or hella-starving.

"But itʼs getting very hard to resist you." He barely mumbled the words and I froze in my position.

"Ajay, donʼt, give her a little more time. Gauri  come here, Iʼll keep you company for now." Shivaay said, raising his voice and I heard Ajay groan in frustration before standing up straight and releasing me from his grip.

"More, more, suck as much as you want." I heard Ananya and the girls moan and I quickly stood up from my position.

I was about to walk over to the other side of the table where Shivaay was sitting but just as I stood up from my position, my knees connected to the very corner of the table and I yelped in pain as I crouched down on the floor.

Karma was being a bitch tonight because as soon as I got up on my feet, my head connected at the back of the table and I heard a loud "crash" before everyone in the room grew quiet.

My eyes widened when I saw the wine glass, shattered all over the floor and I quickly rushed to pick up the pieces of broken glass.

"Iʼm sorry, it was an accident." I apologized quickly, trying to pick the pieces up and clean up the mess.

"Donʼt, youʼre going to-" before Omkara could finish, I winced in pain when I felt a sharp object pierce through my skin.

"Cut yourself." Omkara muttered and I stared at the blood trickling down my finger and onto my palm.

"Iʼm sorry for causing so much trouble!" I said out loud, standing up and staring at everyone. It took me a few seconds to realize that every single guy in the room was now staring at me, their eyes growing pitch black, sending shivers down my spine.

What was up with them?

"Be more careful! Why do you always keep messing things up for all of us and-"

"Gauri, youʼre hurt..." Rudra cut off Julie and I stared at him in confusion before realization came crashing down on me like waves.

"Ah-this, Iʼm fine!" I said, quickly wiping the blood on my sweater and taking a step back.

"Your blood, it smells..." Ajay trailed off, pushing off the girl on his lap and I watch almost every guy in the room take a step forward towards me, causing my heart to drop.

Wh-what was going on?

"Delicious." Raj finished and my hands started trembling at his words.

"I-Iʼll be going." I choked out quickly and turned to leave when Rithesh appeared in front of me, causing me to gasp and recoil in fear.

"I knew there was something special about you." He said, fixating his eyes on my fingers and I took several steps back before bumping into someone else. I spun around to face Parth who was now glaring down at me.

It wasnʼt long before half of the guys huddled around me and the torture of my indecision and fear threatened to crush me.

I felt like a prey surrounded by its merciless and ruthless predators.

"Stop..." was all I could choke out, tears already streaming down my face as I tried to keep calm.

"You guys, calm the fuck down!" I heard Shivaay shout across the room but none of them seemed to listen.

"Iʼm going first." I heard Abhay say and just as he was about to take a step forward, Omkara interrupted his actions.

"Leave her alone." Upon hearing Omkara's voice, everyoneʼs eyes softened and just like loyal pets, they took a step back obediently.

By now, I was on the floor, my whole body trembling as I tried to take in what was happening.

What just happened?!

I gulped in a sob before a shadow towered over me and I looked up to face Omkara's , who was now bending down to look at me, his eyes not wavering for even a second.

"I-I didnʼt do anything, I swear I was just-"

"I know." He said softly, picking me up in his arms before my head started to feel dizzy.

It wasnʼt long before I ended up in my room and he quickly placed me down.

"Clean that up." He said shortly, pointing at my fingers and then my knees.

I looked down and noticed the small scrape on my right knee before going silent.

"Iʼm lost, why were they-?" I stopped when Omkara shot me a glare.

"The blood obviously! Now hurry up and patch it up before I change my mind and take you back downstairs." He spat out, hunger filling his eyes and I quickly shook my head, fear rushing all over my face.

I donʼt understand. My blood was just like any other blood so why were they all trying to attack me?

"I donʼt have a Band-Aid." I murmured, brushing away the dried up tears and Omkara took a deep breath before disappearing out of the room.

He returned back with a small first-aid box and ordered me to sit down on the bed.

I did as I was told and quietly sat on the bed as I tried to figure out why the guys had gone all maniac on me back there.

"Give me your finger." Omkara said, sitting down on the bed next to me and I didnʼt question him.

He was about to patch it up but stopped to stare at the blood dripping down my fingers, hunger suddenly filling his eyes again and my stomach turned to ice instantly.

"Omkara ..." I choked out when he held my hands, bringing them closer to his lips, carefully studying my hands and inhaling deeply.

"Donʼt." I pleaded but it was too late. Omkara leaned closer as he licked off the blood from my fingers and exhaled deeply, as if he was satisfied with what he just tasted.

I closed my eyes shut, ready to face what was coming next but to my surprise, I felt no more pain.

"Iʼm not going to do anything, relax." I heard him say and I opened my eyes to watch him patch up my cut.

"I-I thought you were going to..."I trailed away.

"Feed on you? I can assure you, doll face, that day will be coming very soon." He said,
motioning me to turn around and bring up my knee.

I turned to face him and brought up my knees on the bed and he stared at my small scrape, as if he was contemplating to whether he should lick off the blood or not.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked to which he responded with a quick "no" but I wasnʼt expecting a "no" so I continued speaking.

"What happened to them back there?" I asked and stopped when I realized what he had just said.

He gave me a rather annoyed look before picking out another Band-Aid from the box and patching up my knee.

"I told you already." He muttered, closing the box and standing up to leave.

"Wait, but I donʼt understand," I started, grabbing his finger and he turned to give me another look, his eyes shifting from my eyes to my hand that was now gripping his little finger tightly.

I quickly released my grip and mumbled a sorry, feeling a little embarrassed for getting too clingy.

"Itʼs your blood. Itʼs different." He finally said, turning away.

"It has a different smell and taste than the normal ones weʼve drank so far" He finished and my mind went blank at his words.

"Is-is that a bad thing?" I finally stammered and I heard him chuckle softly.

He glanced back at me and raised a brow before the corner of his lips curled into his usual cold smirk.

"For you? Yes," he said, slipping his hands inside his pockets and turning away again.

"For me? No."

******
The next day, we were all getting ready for the camping trip the boys planned last night.

It turns out that nobody wanted to wait another week for the trip so everyoneʼs decided to go today, including me.

As weird as this may sound, I was pretty excited for it.

After all, this was the first time I was going to step out of this mansion without the intention of running away.

"Let me carry that for you." Ajay said, bolting up to me and grabbing my bag. His hair shone brightly in the sunlight and I peered into his blue eyes before shaking my head.

"Ajay, Iʼm fine. Itʼs just a handbag." I mumbled, snatching it away from him and I heard Shivaay chuckle before waving his hand at Ajay.

"Youʼre being extra nice to her today. Trying to make up for last night?" Shivaay mocked, running a hand through his hair. .

Ajay scratched the back of his hair nervously and I went silent as the events of last night flashed through my mind.

"The jeep is here, get in!" I heard Rudra shout before the girls and half of the guys entered the jeep, ready for our little "adventure". I took a seat and Shivaay sat next to me, which made me feel very uncomfortable and slightly annoyed.

"Why do you keep following me around?" I asked softly, turning to meet his icy blue eyes and he raised a brow in what I assume was fake confusion.

"Iʼm not." He said bluntly and I gave him a look but then decided not to bother him with my questions.

I glanced out of the window and noticed another Jeep driving next to us, side by side. It wasnʼt long before we arrived near a huge forest, the trees surrounding the entire area and everyone hopped out of the Jeep, the girls squealing excitedly.

I was about to step out but stopped when Shivaay started to get up as well.

"Sorry, you can go first." He said quickly and I forced a smile before getting up and stepping out.

As I stepped out, I smiled a little and breathed in the fresh air. Now this, was more relaxing.

The guys guided us inside through the forest, constantly warning us not to go far in case we got lost and I mentally rolled my eyes at their warnings.

Iʼm pretty sure that the only threat here, was them. After walking for another 15 minutes through the forest, we stopped at a clearing, surrounded by trees and the boys decided that this was the perfect place for us to set up the tent.

"Omkara bringing the blood bags, until then, we can feed on them." I heard Rithesh say, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

"Donʼt worry," Shivaay's voice caused me to jump up and turn around to face him.

"Theyʼre not going to hurt you." He assured and I took a step back.

"Yeah." I said shortly, walking away and trying to help the girls set up the tent.

"What was up with the guys last night?" Neha questioned and I stopped to look at her.

"I heard your blood was special." She whisper-shouted and I gave her a look
"No, itʼs nothing. Theyʼre exaggerating." I
confirmed and I could feel Ananya burning holes through my face as she slumped our bags inside the huge tent.

"Weʼll take care of this, go around and explore a bit with Abhay." I heard Rithesh voice as he appeared in front of us and five of us gasped then sighed in relief.

"Stop doing that!" Soumya whined, playfully shoving him and he chuckled before meeting my eyes, his green eyes fixating into my brown ones and I smiled weakly.

"Iʼll be going." I said softly and followed the girls, walking up to Abhay, who opened up his arms in a friendly manner.

"Girls," he cooed, tilting his head to a side with a grin. "And Gauri , welcome." He teased and the girls giggled while I remained silent, kinda getting used to their constant jokes and teasing.

"Iʼll show you around and after that, we can come back and you guys can eat. And tonight, weʼll hold a small party!" he shouted out the last word and everyone cheered in excitement.

"Stay close and donʼt go wondering about. There could be others here as well," he warned, his tone suddenly turning all serious and I stared at him confusion.

"So be careful. We wouldnʼt want our precious angels to get lost now, do we?" he grinned, his voice returning back to the normal, cheerful one and the girls giggled before shaking their head and Irene rushed to grab his arm.

"Arjun, are the others not coming back?" I heard Parth ask and I turned to look at the guys.

"Yeah, weʼre the only ones for now. I donʼt know about Omkara though, heʼs late." Arjun said, glancing at his watch before looking at us and smiling.

"Letʼs go!" Abhay exclaimed, as if he was a scout teacher, ready to take the kids out for a walk. Oh, please. Just as I was about to start walking, a hand grabbed my wrist and I turned to look up at Shivaay , who was now giving me a serious look.

"Gauri not allowed to go." He raised his voice and my jaws dropped open in disbelief and confusion.

"Well, thatʼs too bad then. Guess itʼs just me and the four pretty ladies." Abhay said, not even questioning Shivaay and I frowned at him.

"Wait, why-" before I could say anything more, Abhay started walking and the girls followed him, leaving me behind.

"Why canʼt I go?" I snapped out of the blue, ripping away my hand and frowning at him. I didnʼt mean to sound so rude but come on, Iʼve been looking forward to this.

This was the only way for me to get my mind off about last night and plus, now that Omkara not here, maybe there was a chance for me to escape.

"Omkara's orders. He said to keep you safe and to make sure that you donʼt get hurt," Shivaay responded with a sigh and I scoffed in frustration. "At any cost." He added with a mumble.

"Now heʼs worried? I can take care of myself Shivaay . Why am I the only one who has to stay and do nothing?" I whined, not really meaning to sound like such a baby.

"Gauri -"

"Just, please? I really want to go. I promise Iʼll be extra careful." I begged, hoping he would let it go but Shivaay  stood his ground.

"Itʼs not safe out here for you, there might be others too which means that if you do get hurt-"

"Other vampires?" I interrupted him and he nodded. Iʼve always known that they were many vampire families out there, besides the Oberoi's  but I didnʼt know they lived so close by.

"Those bastards are the ones who crossed the line by coming into our territory. Why should we fear those weaklings when we have Omkara ?" Parth questioned, brushing his brown wavy hair to a side and I looked at Shivaay  for an answer but he remained quiet.

"Can I just go?" I asked softly, breaking the ice and Shivaay  shook his head before Arjun appeared in front of him, slumping a hand around his shoulders and giving me a fake apologetic look.

"Too bad, lovey." He said in a fake sweet tone and I narrowed my eyes at them. Why were they always picking on me?

"Whatever." I muttered, turning around and stomping inside the tent.

"Gauri , come on," I heard Shivaay groan but I ignored him as I zipped up the tent in annoyance. It wasnʼt fair, I was the only one who was forced to stay behind and rot in here.
'I should've worn a sweater." I mumbled to myself, staring at my plain, black crop top and blue shorts, feeling a little cold.

"Itʼs already half past noon, the hell am I supposed to do here anyways?" I muttered to myself before grabbing the bag of food and drinks.

I opened it and stared at the bottle of wine before sighing. How long has it been since I had a drink?

"One drink wonʼt hurt, donʼt be such a baby Gauri !" I hissed at myself before opening the bottle and bringing it closer to my lips.

The stench of alcohol burned through my nose and I held back the urge to gag before taking a sip, and then another, and another.

"Much better." I muttered to myself, feeling a little light headed as I tried to focus on the drink I was now holding.

"Iʼve got to come up with a better plan!" I groaned, keeping the bottle away in case I got drunk, although Iʼm pretty sure I was a little even right now. I sat there for at least 2 more hours, doing absolutely nothing before the boys started calling my name from outside the tent.

"Gauri , weʼre going swimming, you want to join us or are you going to keep sulking and ruin your entire day?" I heard Rudra's voice and I rolled my eyes before lying down.

"Iʼm good, you guys go head. Iʼm not "allowed" to have fun remember." I shouted out and I heard the guys chuckle as the girls muttered something to me but I shut them out. I just wanted this time to think and maybe spend some time alone.

"Fuck this, if I canʼt have fun then I might as well raid the drinks." I said out loud, grabbing the bottle of wine before gulping it down. I donʼt even know how many hours just passed by while I was rotting in here and nobody seemed to even care. No, apparently, as long as I was "safe", it was all good.

I grabbed another bottle and stared at the label, trying to focus on it but it all looked so blurry which frustrated me a bit. I let out a groan before opening it and taking a sip, not even bothering to think straight for even a second.

The sour liquid ran down my throat and I made a face before taking a few more sips and stopping to think, my mind going completely hazy.

"Gauri , come out to eat. Weʼve set up the camp fire." I heard Shivaay's voice and I groaned before staring at my bottle, my head becoming even dizzier than before.

"Leave me alone!" I groaned, crossing my legs and muttering some curse words to myself.

"Geez Gauri , get out of there. Just because you canʼt go exploring doesnʼt mean you have to sulk the rest of the day." Shivaay muttered but my thoughts were drifting into my own little world as I let out a giggle.

"Come out, youʼve been in there long enough," I heard Shivaay say before he started zipping down the tent and I looked up to glare at him.

"Gauri , what are you..." he trailed away, his eyes suddenly catching sight of the bottle I was holding and I let out a giggle.

"Have you been drinking?!" he asked, raising his voice in disbelief and I let out a fake-gasp before Ajay and Rudra joined next to him.

"Iʼm not drunk!" I shot back, putting a hand over my chest and staring at him in shock. He had the audacity to accuse me of getting drunk?

"You were supposed to look after her." I heard Parth's voice and as soon as I stood up in my position, my feet started to wobble like jelly and I forced myself to walk up to them.

"Excuse yooou," I slurred, pointing my finger at Shivaay and glaring at him, ready to spill out everything I wanted to say to him, earlier today.

"Ah, itʼs dark." I sang, giggling and staring up at the sky and I heard Ajay call my name in his sweet tone before an arm slipped around my waist.

"Music! Where is the music?!" I asked out loud and I heard some of them chuckle before I looked at Ananya who was now looking at me in disgust.

"You, whatʼs up with you anyways? Always glaring at me 24/7, you got a problem with me?" I questioned, glaring at her and watched her eyes widen in surprise before she turned away in embarrassment.

"Go back in and rest, you need to-"

A burst of music rose up above the silence and I looked to my right to notice Rudra, standing next to two huge speakers with a grin on his face.

"Now, there," I said, pointing my finger towards the camp fire, where Rudra was supposedly standing. "Right there, is a gentleman." I barely pronounced my words right before everyone started cheering and dancing.

"Come on, let her have some fun for the night." I heard Rudra say with a chuckle as I stumbled towards where the girls and guys were dancing.

It wasnʼt long before I was dancing along with them and I motioned Shivaay to come join us but being the spoilt sport he was, he refused.

I found my arms wrapped around Rudra's neck as I moved my hips and danced alongside him, busting up some moves I never even knew I had.

"What the hell is going on?!" I heard a familiar voice snap before everyone grew quiet and we all turned to look at Omkara , his eyes only burning holes through me as if I started all this.

"A party, obviously." I heard Ajay say and I rolled my eyes before marching up to him.

"You," I slurred, poking Omkara's chest and he stared down at me. "Whatʼs wrong with you? Why do you always have to ruin the fun?" I questioned, putting my hands on my hips and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Are-are you drunk?" he questioned, stumbling on his words and I rolled my eyes so hard, I started to feel a little dizzy.

"What the hell, I thought I asked everyone to keep an eye on her!" he snapped and I grabbed his shirt, yanking him closer to my face and frowning up at him.

"I am not drunk! Why does everyone keep saying that? I feel fine!" I whined then squealed when one of my favorite songs blasted from the speaker.

"She got drunk inside the tent. We didnʼt know." I heard Rudra  explain before telling the girls to continue dancing.

"Donʼt be such a spoil sport, Omkara Singh Oberoi ." I cooed, clutching on his black shirt tightly and leaning closer to his face.

His eyes never left mine as I traced my fingers along his arms before grabbing them and dragging him towards everyone.

"Weʼre going back now." He raised his voice and I let out a groan before cupping his cheeks and turning his face to meet mine.

"Oh come one, I wanna dance with you." I whined, wrapping an arm around his neck and continuing my dance moves.

Omkara didnʼt move from his position and instead, slipped his hands inside his pockets, his expressions remaining unamused.

"Donʼt you give up now, now, now, I wonʼt give up now, now, now," I started singing along, cupping the side of his cheeks and he stopped to stare down at me, his eyes slightly
widening.

"Let me love you." I say, fixating my eyes into his ones that were now filling up with so many emotions, I couldnʼt differentiate which was which.

"Gauri , stop-"

"Let me love you, donʼt you give up now,," I ignored him and kept singing as I moved my hips, inching even closer to his body, my chest slightly pressed against his as I started to sing louder.

"I wonʼt give up now, now, now, let me love you," I sang along the music and I felt a hand tangle around my waist as he pulled me closer, lust and another emotion I couldnʼt put my finger onto suddenly filling in his icy blue eyes as I laughed and turned around, dancing to the music.

*Next day*

I peeled my eyes open, staring up at the ceiling and groaned when the pain hit the side of my head.

"What the hell..." I groaned, sitting up from a bed and glancing around my surrounding. My eyes widened when I realized I was back in my room and I closed my eyes in confusion.

"Awake, I see." Omkara's voice caused me to gasp and I turned to my right to look at him.

He was now sitting in a chair, next to my bed, the word "annoyed" written all over his face in bold letters and I smiled weakly.

"What happened? When did we get back?" I asked and Omkara gave me a long look, suddenly going all silent and I looked at him in concern.

"You donʼt remember anything?" he questioned, standing up and slipping his hands inside his pockets before walking towards the other side of the bed.

"You donʼt remember all the trouble you caused last night?" he corrected, his tone returning back to his cold one and I was about to say something when pieces of memories from last night came crashing through my mind, causing my jaws to drop open.

I-I got drunk?!

"About that-"

"Do you remember throwing up all over my shirt?" he asked and my eyes widened the size of saucers before I shook my head, climbing out of the bed and rushing over to apologize when he poked my forehead sharply, sending me stumbling back with a hiss.

"Keep your distance." He muttered, his face knotting up in annoyance and I bit my bottom lip in silence.

"What do you remember?" he asked and I closed my eyes in total humiliation as another dancing scene with Omkara flashed through my mind.

"I-I remember dancing and thatʼs about it..." I trailed away and he raised a brow, before turning around and rolling up his sleeves to reveal his tattoos.

"So you donʼt remember all the rude remarks you spat at me?" he asked, slipping his hands back into his pockets and I cringed a little.

"I-I do..." I mumbled, lowering my eyelashes on the ground and I heard him mutter something to himself before speaking again.

"What else do you remember?" he asked softly and I shook my head.

"Thatʼs about it...I donʼt remember throwing up or any of that." I murmured and Omkara went silent for a few minutes before walking up to me.

I looked up at him as he grasped my right hand before holding them up and I was about to say something when I noticed the bracelet that was now wrapped around my wrist.

"This," Omkara started, his voice turning all deep and serious. "Who gave this to you?" he asked and my mind went completely blank at his words as I stared at the bracelet in confusion.

It was a silver bracelet with a blue topaz stone embedded in the middle of it and I stared at it in awe.

Where did I get it?

"Gauri , answer me," Omkara spoke up in a monotonic voice and I snapped my head up to look at him.

"Who gave that to you last night?" he demanded this time and I shrugged in confusion.

"I donʼt remember..."

*****

"Omkara , I donʼt remember, I swear." I said for the millionth time tonight and he simply narrowed his eyes at me, his eyebrows slightly raising up at my response, which supposedly was a "lie" to him.

"That bracelet, take it off." He ordered and I slightly frowned at him before looking at the bracelet in confusion.

Why was he getting so worked up over this dumb thing?

He's been asking me about this bracelet the whole day and guess he finally snapped tonight.

"Why?" I questioned and I heard Omkara hiss before shooting me a glare, clearly annoyed by the fact that I was "questioning" his all mighty highness.

"Itʼs not just any bracelet, Gauri . It contains an herb called Vervain and it protects you from getting compelled," he spilled finally, turning to look at me and I could feel my eyes widen in disbelief. "But I suppose you already knew that when you received it, didnʼt you doll face?" He accused in an irritated tone and I shook my head in protest, sitting up on my bed.

"I swear-"

"Either way, I want you to take it off." He muttered, cutting me off and I pressed my lips into a thin line before stretching my hands towards him and mumbling the words

"Take it". I heard Omkara sigh in frustration and I looked up at him as he furrowed his eyebrows even tighter which kind of bothered me because I was only following his command so I see no reason why he has to act this annoyed.

"Donʼt you think I would if I could?" he slightly raised his voice and I blinked in confusion before it hit me. So wait, he canʼt take it off by force?

"Iʼll give it," I said, touching the bracelet and biting my bottom lip hesitantly. "In exchange for my necklace." I finished and I watched Omkara slightly flinch at my words before he reached into his pockets, taking out my necklace and tangling it in-between his fingers.

"Fine." He said and within seconds, I slipped off the bracelet, handing it to Omkara and was about to take my necklace when Omkara clutched my cheeks, his face leaning closer to meet my gaze.

"Next time, donʼt expect a bargain." He said coldly, releasing his grip and throwing the necklace on the bed as I exhaled deeply.

Close call.

That night, I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. With another deep sigh, I threw off my blanket and jumped off the bed before sneaking out of my room.

Why canʼt I just go to sleep tonight?

"Maybe I can grab something to eat." I mumbled to myself before walking through the hallway but it wasnʼt long before Parth appeared in front of me, interrupting my little plans.

I gasped and was about to take a step back when he grabbed my waist, jerking me closer towards him, causing me to squeal.

"What do you want?" I asked, looking up to meet his brown eyes before placing a hand firmly on his chest, just to make sure that he couldnʼt lean any more closer than he already was.

"Whereʼre you wondering about, sweetheart?" he asked and I went silent for a few seconds before smacking my lips together in annoyance.

"Iʼm going to eat." I responded, giving him a small push and he untangled his hand before brushing a hand through his straight, brown hair, a small smirk forming on his lips.

"What?" I questioned and he leaned against the wall, his smirk deepening at my question.

Talk about creepy.

"Ah, so youʼre going to join us tonight?" he asked, taking a step forward and fear rushed through my face as I shook my head.

"Why not?" he asked, taking a few more steps forward and out of instinct, I took not one, but five steps back before bumping against the wall. Bad move, because the next thing I knew,

Parth had me trapped between his hands that were now placed on either side of my neck and I held back the urge to scream. I knew it was no use.

"Iʼm just hungry, Parth ..." I mustered up the courage to say and he leaned his face closer, his minty breath fanning against my lips as I tried to find a way to slip past him.

"So am I." he mumbled weakly and I was about to say something when a familiar voice interrupted us, causing Parth to take a step back almost instantly.

"Gauri , come here." Shivaay repeated and I quickly rushed up to him, glancing back at Parth, who was now giving us a serious look.

I've got to give some points for Shivaay, heʼs always saving my ass from situations like these.

I straddled next to him, struggling to even my heart beats and Shivaay cleared his throat as we reached downstairs.

"Itʼs so dark in here." I stated, looking around the dark surrounding and sighed in relief when I noticed the dim light above us.

"Why arenʼt you asleep?" Shivaay questioned, turning around and giving me a serious look.

"Itʼs not safe." He added and I groaned before sitting down on the last step of the stairs.

"I couldnʼt. I donʼt know why," I responded and Shivaay sat down next to me, his blue eyes gleaming inside the darkness and I tried my best to avoid eye-contact.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked and he nodded, turning to face me.

"Shoot." He said shortly and I smiled a little.

"Omkara , why is everyone so scared of him?" I asked and Shivaay chuckled softly before reaching into his pockets to pick something.

"Heʼs not as dangerous as some people assume him to be," he responded, taking out a small injection filled with red liquid and I stared at it in surprise. "But thatʼs the kind of image he prefers to have." Shivaay  said, rolling up his sleeves and I was about to say something when he pierced the needle through his skin, causing me to gasp.

"What are you doing?" I asked and he simply injected the liquid before pulling the needle away.

"Blood." He mumbled with a smile and I stared at him, confusion written all over my face now.

"This way I wonʼt have to feed on the humans." He said and I gave him a look of doubt.

A vampire injecting blood rather than feeding on humans?

Get real.

"How? I thought vampires were strong, how is the needle able to penetrate your skin?" I asked and he grunted softly before giving me a small smile.
"The injection is laced with Vervain" he replied shortly, rolling down his sleeves and I nodded slowly.
"Right, okay," I mumbled, rubbing my hands together nervously. "Has Omkara ever killed anyone before...?" I asked out of the blue and Shivaay scratched the back of his hair, causing my heart to skip a beat.

"He was very close to," with these words, my hands started to tremble and I gulped softly. Okay, new rule Gauri , never piss off Omkara Singh Oberoi . "He only resorts to violence if it involves us. Heʼs only fought back to protect us so far." Shivaay continued and I landed my gaze back on the ground. So why was he treating me so badly?

"He hates me, doesnʼt he?" I asked softly and I heard him chuckle again before shaking his head in pity.

"Youʼve not really been behaving well lately so whatʼd you expect?" he asked with a grin and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I didnʼt come here on my own free will, Shivaay. What would you have done in my position?" I asked, my tone turning all serious and low and I watched his expression turn blank within seconds.

"I wouldnʼt know now, would I?" he asked, suddenly turning all cold and I scoffed before turning away.

"You donʼt even want to hear me out because you know Iʼm right and anyone in their right minds wouldnʼt go along to any of this." I grimaced and he gave me another look before reaching up to pinch my cheeks.

"Sorry." He smiled but somehow I was able to see through his lie. His smile was forced, fake, not genuine, call it whatever you want, it was definitely anything but sincere.

"About Omkara -" I started to say when Shivaay interrupted me.

"I can only say this," he said, standing up and I looked up at him. "Donʼt piss him off, he wouldnʼt hesitate to kill you if he wanted to."Shivaay finished, turning around and I was about to bombard him with questions when he disappeared out of my sight.

"Shivaay?!" I started calling, shooting up from my position but gave up when I realized he left.

With a pounding heart, I was about to go back up to my room when I heard Neha's voice, screaming through the mansion, causing me to freeze in my position, my heart almost ripping out of my chest. Ignore it, itʼs just feeding time Gauri -

Another painful scream interrupted my thoughts and before I could even think straight, I found myself running towards the dining room, which I assumed was where the screams were echoing from.

As soon as I entered the room, my jaws dropped open as I stared at Omkara , who was now digging himself inside her neck and I watched Neha cry out in pain, the color on her face draining away as he continued sucking her blood.

"It hurts..." I heard her barely choke out and I wanted to run but my feet refused to move any further. Do something, anything!

"Stop..." I choked out and I watched Omkara stop to look at me, his eyes meeting mine for only a few seconds before he tightened the grip around her shoulders from behind.

"Omkara ..." Neha's voice was barely audible now and I watched her skin getting paler within seconds, causing me to bolt up to Omkara and ripping his hands away from her body.

Her lump body dropped on the floor and I was about to snap at him when two large hands grabbed my shoulders tightly.

Before I could even realize what was going on, my back was slammed to the nearest wall and I cried out in pain as I looked up to face Omkara , his eyes filling with tons of emotions at once.

"You couldʼve killed her so I-" I started to explain myself but stopped when he glared at me with so much hatred, I started to tremble.

"Who the heck do you think you are?!" he spat, leaning his face so close to mine, I could literally feel his hot, minty breath fanning against my lips.

"She couldʼve died!" I started to defend myself, a sudden burst of desperation blowing up inside of me but I knew it wasn't going to last long because tears were already starting to glisten in my eyes and I swallowed in another whimper.

"Does she look dead to you?!" he asked, releasing his grip and pointing at Neha who was now getting up, her hand clutching the side of her neck as the blood started dripping down her neck and onto her dress.

"You were hurting her-"

"She asked for it, she begged for it, why the hell do you have to get involved?!" he raised his voice and I looked at Neha, who gave me a rather displeased look before turning away.

"If you canʼt even offer yourself to us, why-"

"If she truly wanted it, she wouldnʼt be screaming out in so much pain!" I snapped with the last ounce of courage I had and gasped when Omkara grasped my wrists before yanking me closer to him.

"I tried to be nice to you, I really did, Gauri ." He started through gritted teeth, his eyes growing a shade darker and I tried to hold myself together.

"I didnʼt feed on you or let my brotherʼs force themselves on you. Iʼve let you pull your dumb fcking stunts for the past week and tried to be lenient with you but maybe itʼs about time I stop playing nice." As soon as those last words slipped through his mouth, the tears that I bottled up, rolled down my face and I jerked my hand away, the anger Iʼve been holding in for too long suddenly bursting out.

After all, I had nothing to lose, he was probably going to kill me now anyways. And lenient? Was he freaking joking right now?

"I donʼt fcking care! I hate it here anyways, so kill me! Kill me and get it over with!" I screamed, taking a step forward and pounding on his chest repeatedly.

"You plan to kill us all anyways, so why bother waiting around?! And since when were you ever lenient?!" I screamed even louder and was about to hit him again when he grabbed both my wrists before jerking me closer, a soft growl escaping through his lips and I swallowed the lump in my throat, my gaze landing on the floor helplessly.

"Like I said, killing you would be too easy." His tone turned surprisingly soft and I looked up at him with hatred and anger.

"Then Iʼll do the job myself!" I blabbered out, not really meaning to say that. Itʼs not like I was actually going to kill myself but I had to counter back with something and being the lame person I am, this was the best comeback I could come up with it.

I watched Omkara flinch slightly before narrowing his eyes at me, as if he was doubting my words.

"Itʼll still be a win for me," He suddenly said, inching himself even closer, so close that I could feel the heat radiating off his body now.

"You can try to end your life but Iʼll definitely bring you back, doll face," he grinned, fixating his cold eyes into my amber  ones and mentally scoffed at his words.

Heʼs powerful, Iʼll admit that. But he canʼt bring back the dead.

"Iʼll bring you back as a vampire." He finished and my eyes widened as I tried to take in his words.

"Wh-what do you mea-"

"How ironic. Turning into the one thing you despise the most," his smirk grew wider, releasing his grip and my whole body started to feel numb as I came to realize what he meant.

"Should we try it?"