"Ye-yeah, about that-"

"Yes?" he cut in, taking a few steps forward as I backed away a little before bumping against the wall.

"How do I know Veer...?" I started to explain but trailed away as soon as he leaned his face closer to mine, his blue eyes shooting me a million glares by now.

"Tha-that is an excellent question..." I stammered and mentally slapped myself for saying it out loud.

Now was not the time to be joking around.

"Donʼt fucking play with me right now, Gauri !" his voice echoed through the room and my feet froze in place when he slammed his hands on either side of my neck on the wall.

"I will give you three fucking seconds to start talking before I rip your heart out, right here, right now!" he threatened, grabbing my cheeks and squeezing them up to face me.

"So-sorry-"

"Talk!" he spat, his eyes not ripping away from mine for even a second as I struggled to come up with a decent lie.

"We met on the speech day and he promised to help me escape so I..." I trailed away, blinking away my tears before meeting his cold blue eyes again.

"So we talked about it but I never tried to escape." I drew in a shaky breath as he released me from his grip before standing up straight, his eyes studying my every movement now.

"You donʼt know who he is, donʼt you?" he asked, his voice slightly turning soft and I looked at him in confusion before shaking my head.

"Forget it, leave. I donʼt want to look at you right now." He muttered, turning around and I stared at him in disbelief.

An explanation would be nice from him too, but guess I didnʼt deserve one.

"Omkara , Iʼm sorry but I really didnʼt do-" I started, moving closer to grab his sleeve when he roughly jerked his hand away before spinning around to face me.

"Go to your fcking room, Gauri !" he spat with venom in his voice, his eyes filled with hatred and I stiffened before bringing my trembling hands together.

"Okay." I mumbled, bolting out of the room and leaving him behind.

*******

"Tell me who he is, Shivaay?" I whined again, but this time, with a pinch of annoyance in my voice and he let out another groan before slumping on my bed.

"Omkara told me not to say a word." He repeated again and I rolled my eyes at his words.

"Omkara this, Omkara that, donʼt you ever do anything out of your own free will? Do you always have to kiss his ass for a living and-" I stopped rambling when Shivaay roughly clutched my mouth, his eyebrows furrowing together in displeasure and my eyes widened when he tightened the grip.

"Careful beautiful , youʼre getting a little too comfortable now," he spoke softly yet harshly and I watched the anger flicker in his eyes before they faded away within seconds.

"Letʼs not disrespect Omkara , shall we?" his voice turned all sweet again and I brushed away his hand before crawling back on the bed. And here I thought I could trust this guy. I was wrong, he was just another one of Omkara's loyal pets.

"Iʼm sorry." I mumbled and I watched him flinch a little before inching closer but I quickly backed away more.

"Iʼm sorry for getting upset but you should learn to-"

"Oh, there is my little princess!" Ajay's voice cut off Shivaay and we both turned to watch him bolt up to us before plopping down on the bed next to me, slumping an arm around my shoulders in the process.

"Ajay..."

"Hey, you looked extra cute today." He drew in a shaky breath and I opened my mouth to say something when someone else spoke.

"I heard she got into trouble." Parth husky voice whispered into my ears from behind and I gasped before turning to look at Parth , who was now calmly sitting down on my bed, right behind me.

"How-how did you get into-"

"Weʼre vampires. Get used to it," I heard Raj's voice and I looked ahead to notice him leaning against my door.

"But then again, I donʼt expect mortals to-"

"Kulfi, how are you feeling now?" Rudra's voice interrupted Raj and I watched him walk inside my room.

"Wai-wait! All of you get out! I want to be left alone." I stated out loud and I heard Ajay groan before moving his face closer to my cheeks from a side, causing me to shudder.

"But I want to play with you." He pouted and I gave him a look of disgust before brushing his arm away as well as his face in the process.

"Sheʼs getting so hard to resist." Parth mumbled, his breath hitting against my neck from the back and I squealed when I felt something hot and wet slide against my skin.

"So sweet..." Parth's voice was barely above a whisper now and I was about to stand up when Shivaay grabbed my wrist, suddenly jerking me towards him.

I let out a gasp, my face connecting his chest before I looked up to notice him peering at the guys in displeasure.

Oh, so now he wants to act nice again?

"You should learn to share, Shivaay ." Rudra raised a brow as I sat up, brushing away his hands roughly and going silent.

"You should learn to fuck off-" before Shivaay could finish, the door flew open again and in came Omkara , his face tightening up with annoyance as soon as he noticed the guys.

"Get out." He mumbled shortly, frowning at each and every one of us before returning his gaze back at me.

"I heard about Veer," Shivaay started, getting up from the bed and I remained silent.

"If one of us donʼt claim her as ours, the Rathore family will eventually take her away." He confirmed, turning to look at my confused expression.

What the hell was these guys on about anyways?

"Iʼll take care of it, leave." Omkara stated impatiently, his voice remaining indifferent and I gulped silently when I noticed the guys
leaving the room instantly.

"Omkara , I-"

"Donʼt bother." He cut in, rolling up his long sleeved, black T-shirt and I went silent before frowning slightly at him.

"I am telling the truth. Itʼs not like I knew you hated him or had some grudge against him..." I spoke softly and I heard him hum at my response before walking up to the bed, causing a shiver down my spine.

To be honest, Iʼm surprised he hasnʼt punished me in some sort of way yet.

Was it because he already knew that I was always trying to find a way to escape beforehand?

"You," he started, sitting down next to me and suddenly reaching up to tap my neck with his index finger.

"Donʼt cry or scream after I feed on you tonight." His words sent my eyes widening before I brushed his hand away and crawling back a little.

"Wa-wait, are-are you going to..." I trailed off and I watched him nod, his face remaining expressionless.

"Bu-but I thought..." I choked out, blinking away my tears and swallowing the now formed lump in my throat.

"As if I had a choice." He muttered impatiently and I took in his words before lowering my eyelashes helplessly.

We both know that if Omkara wants something, he will have his way, even if it means by force.

"Is this the punishment?" I asked softly, looking up with teary wide eyes and I watched him flinch before letting out a groan in annoyance.

And here I thought he had a pinch of remorse left inside of him. Guess I was wrong.

"Itʼs not, Gauri . Like I said, I have no choice tonight, as long as no one has fed on you, another vampire family will be allowed to take you away and claim you as their own." Omkara explained quickly and I struggled to understand the twisted concept but managed to somehow grasp it within the next few seconds.

"I-Iʼm sorry but Iʼm willing to take that chance." I said finally, inhaling deeply and I watched him furrow his eyebrows together before inching closer to my face.

"But Iʼm not, doll face." He said through gritted teeth and I peered into his eyes.

"Why-"

"Enough talk, letʼs get it over with." He interrupted, roughly grabbing my wrist and I jerked away before standing up from the bed, my whole body instantly trembling at his cold touch.

"Please, Omkara ..." I started begging and squealed when he appeared in front of me before grabbing both my hands and pushing me down on the bed with him.

I was about to get up when he towered over me and at this point, the tears that I was trying to hold in for so long, streamed down my face.

"Donʼt!" I cried, shaking my head and closing my eyes, fighting to free myself from his grip but he was a lot stronger than me.

"Would you calm the fcuk down?!" he suddenly snapped, settling on top of my torso and my breath hitched at his words.

"I told you that I have no fucking choice! Sooner or later, one of them is going to come for you and I need to claim you as mine before they do so. I am not going to go to a fucking war with them or hand over something that's rightfully mine because of your fucking crybaby attitude, Gauri !" he raised his voice, closing his face to mine and I forced to swallow another sob, his selfish words making my blood boil inside.

Thatʼs it, this is the last time he was going to act like an asshole and get away with it.

"I donʼt care, Omkara ! Let them have me, who fcking cares?!" I shot back, my voice shaking and cracking in between but at this point, I didnʼt care.

"I do! I fcking care!" he spat, closing in his face and tightly pressing my wrists on either side of my neck.

My heart froze at his words before I looked at him, my eyes widening the size of saucers as I tried to take in his words.

"Wha-what are you talking about, Omkara ," my voice was barely above a whisper and right now, I was praying that he didnʼt mean what he just said.

"Let me go..." I begged, closing my eyes and letting more tears roll down my cheeks. I donʼt want him to feed on me, anyone but him.

"Gauri , stop crying." I heard him whisper, his breath hitting on my lips and I stiffened in my position when I felt something soft brush against my lips.

"Stop..." I choked out, my heart slightly skipping a beat before I quickly shook those thoughts away.

"I donʼt want you to feed on me, let it be somebody else, I donʼt care-" before I could finish, Omkara shot me one last glare before leaning into a rough kiss, his lips perfectly placing on mine and I gasped for air, my whole body crumbling at his touch.

"No, stop..." I whimpered when he interlocked our fingers before pressing them down on the bed, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

"Shut the fck up, before I make you." He mumbled in between the kiss, tugging on my bottom lip before I turned away, my body refusing to go along with his words right now.

Sadly, it didnʼt stop Omkara from getting what he wanted.

As soon as I turned away, his lips started grazing my jawline, placing multiple soft kisses on them before moving down to my neck, leaving more trails of wet sloppy kisses.

"Donʼt do this..." I whimpered, trying my very best to at least stand up straight but froze when he licked my soft spot, causing an uncontrollable moan to escape through my lips.

"Guess you were right, doll face," he mumbled, placing another gently kiss and my heart dropped when I felt something sharp graze against my skin.

"Maybe you do deserve punishment, doll face."

"Iʼm begging you, anything but-" before I could finish, two large fangs dug into my skin and I let out a painful scream, struggling to free my wrists from his grip.

It hurts.

"It hurts!" I screamed and was about to cry for help when a large hand clutched my mouth as he kept on sucking, my whole body becoming numb and weak as he kept on going.

"At this rate..." my thoughts faded away before my body drooped into his arms as I lay helplessly, praying he would stop already.

"More," he moaned, pulling out his fangs and I winced in pain before clutching the side of my neck, my body trembling as I crawled away from him and using the last ounce of strength I had to sit up straight.

"I want more," he moaned weakly, his eyes filling with lust and at this point, I could barely recognize him anymore.

His face had twisted up in the most sadistic and sick way as he kept staring at the blood dripping down my hands and onto the white bedsheets before shooting me a lustful smirk.

"Youʼre a monster!" I yelled, more tears rolling down my cheeks as I tried to ignore the growing pain on my neck and gripping the bite mark tightly.

"Ah, youʼre finally mad, doll face," He amused, leaping towards me and grabbing my hands before pushing me back down on the bed, towering over my small figure.

"How cute." He taunted softly, closing his face to mine and I glared at him, the fear I once had for him completely getting replaced with anger.

"Youʼre the worst, a vampire disguised as the devil!" I yelled then let out a whimper when he chuckled at my outburst.

"Thatʼs the kind of expression I want to see, get angry, yell at me, scream and tell me how much you hate me," his words made my eyes widen before I bit my bottom lip so hard, it started to hurt.

"Because thatʼs not going to make a difference anymore. All I need is you and your blood to keep me satisfied." His smirk grew wider and I jerked my hands away before hitting his chest but it was another failed attempt to get rid of him.

"Get off me!" I cried, letting out a growl and he simply tightened the grip, his smirk turning into a grin and at this point, I wanted to scream and punch his face but sadly, nothing was going my way tonight.

"Please..." I finally drew in a shaky breath, not being able to ignore the intense pain on my neck anymore. And here I thought it wasnʼt going to hurt.

"It hurts..." I whimpered, closing my eyes and letting the tears stream down my face, my whole body trembling at this point.

"Donʼt worry, Doll face" his voice turned even softer and I froze when his large cold hands cupped my cheeks before I peeled my eyes open to reveal his face that were now only inches away from mine.

"Now, youʼre mine to keep." He finished, leaning closer to my neck and licking off the blood, painstakingly slow, as if he was enjoying every single drop of it.

"Omkara , we need to go out." Abhay's voice interrupted us and we both turned to watch him enter my room, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

He stopped to stare at me as Omkara got up from his position and I sat up straight on the bed, clutching my neck tightly and holding back the tears.

"The smell of your blood is getting me so excited, Gauri -"

"Abhay." Omkara cut him off in a warning tone and I watched Abhay's eyes soften immediately before he turned to smile at Omkara with a nod.

"Letʼs go." Omkara mumbled, glancing back at my weak state, his eyes not wavering for even a second. He really was the worst.

"Wait-" I reached out my hand to call Omkara but stopped when they both disappeared, causing my head to become even dizzier than before.

"It hurts..." I barely choked out before lying down on the bed, the darkness clouding my vision the instant my head touched the soft material.

********

I patched up the bite marks and stared at myself in the mirror before blinking away my tears in frustration.

How the hell was I still able to cry? I have been for the past 2 hours tonight ever since I woke up. Now was not the time to break down. I have to escape tonight, there is no way I am letting him has his way anymore.

Let him kill me, at least itʼs better than becoming Omkara Singh Oberoi's personal blood bag.

"But...it still hurts so much, how were the girls even able to ignore the pain and do it every night?" I asked myself, rubbing on my patch before wincing in pain again.

The pain was now getting unbearable and I pressed my lips together before marching out of the room. On my way downstairs, I met the girls and they all gave me a look as I quickly covered the patch with my hair. They canʼt know.

"Youʼre here early." Rithesh sang before I could even enter the dining room and I didnʼt even bother to say anything back. Instead, I marched over to them and took a deep breath when I noticed Abhay and Omkara missing at the table, causing me to sigh in relief.

Good, they were still out.

"I want to leave this mansion tonight. I cannot live here anymore." I started boldly but jolted up with a gasp when Raj slammed his spoon on the table impatiently.

"Here we fucking go again." He muttered, his voice laced with venom and I bit my bottom lip before drawing in another shaky breath, ignoring the confused look some of the guys were giving me now, including Shivaay.

"Good, let her leave." Neha scoffed, to which Arjun responded with a hiss.

"Whatʼs wrong?"

"Are you not feeling well?

"Sheʼs just being dramatic guys, ignore her."

"Donʼt be too harsh on her, Omkara's told us to take care of her till he returns, you dumbfucks."

"Weʼre not being rude, weʼre just getting tired of her stubborn attitude"
Everyone started talking at once and I gripped my peach long sweater before frowning at them all, their words pricking my nerves more than it should.

"I donʼt want to stay here, itʼs as simple as that! I hate it here and I donʼt want to live with a bunch of blood sucking monsters!" I yelled, my voice cracking here and there but decided to go for it anyways.

"So please, I am begging you! Let me leave, I only need one of your help!" I raised my voice and the boys went silent for a few seconds before Parth let out a chuckle.

"I find it a bit ironic that you are asking us "blood sucking monsters" to help you. Why not find a way to escape on your own, Kitten?" Parth taunted and I pressed my lips together into a thin line.

"Because youʼll never let me leave and you know that so why are you saying that and..." I trailed off, my voice shaking at the end and I watched them grin at my reaction, their expressions remaining amused.

"How cute."

"Sheʼs shaking, thatʼs adorable." "Can I at least taste her tonight?"

They started teasing and joking, making my blood boil but I managed to keep myself together. After all, this was the last resort, which was asking them for help.

"Enough." Shivaay said in a serious voice and I heard the scraping of a chair before he walked up to me, grabbing my hand and walking out of the room.

"Wait, donʼt! I donʼt need you to save me, Shivaay, I can take care of myself!" I snapped, jerking my hand away and he spun around before furrowing his eyebrows together in displeasure.

"You clearly can't." He emphasized and I was about to say something when another shot of pain on my neck made me wince in pain before I clutched my neck tightly. Why the hell does it keep hurting like this? How long do I have to suffer? Till it magically frikken heals?

"Whatʼs wrong?" Shivaay questioned, his arms already wrapping around my shoulders securely and I went silent when an idea popped into my mind.

"Omy fed on me tonight." I stated the truth and I watched his eyes widen before a familiar emotion flashed by his eyes, causing me to flinch. "And itʼs hurting so much..." I mumbled weakly, drawing my hair away to reveal the patch.

"For-for real?" Shivaay slightly stammered, touching my collarbones and leaning closer to take a look, his mouth still slightly hung open in disbelief.

"It hurts, Shivaay. Make it stop." I started to become desperate and I watched him lean back before meeting my eyes.

"How can I help?" he asked softly, the color on his face draining away and I bit my bottom lip at his somewhat disappointed and hurt expression. Donʼt tell me he really had something for me. No, no way, he confirmed he didnʼt last time so there is no way.

"Your blood will heal me right?" I asked finally and I watched him narrow his eyes at me before nodding hesitantly.

"So give me." I pressed my lips together and my heart dropped when he shook his head.

"Iʼm sorry, beautiful , but Iʼm not allowed to do that. Only Omkara allowed to give you his blood and his blood only." He stated slowly and I gave him a long, disappointed look before scoffing in frustration.

"Youʼre all the same. And here I thought you were different," I started, my voice laced with venom and I watched him flinch a little before shaking his head and taking a step forward to defend himself but I quickly backed away.

"Donʼt bother! Youʼre all monsters in my eyes. And youʼre the worse of them all!" I snapped, not really meaning those harsh words but I had to make sure my words affected him at the very least. Of course, the worst of them all was none other than the infamous asshole himself.

"Gauri , Iʼm sorry-" he started coming closer when I turned around and started running back to my room.

"Shut up, I donʼt want to hear your apologies!" I snapped and froze when two hands tangled around my shoulders from the back before pulling me into a tight hug.

"Iʼm sorry, donʼt cry..." Shivaay whispered, hurt clearly evident in his voice but somehow I wasnʼt buying it anymore. If he really cared about me then why couldn't he just help me?

"Let me go." I started softly, ignoring the tears rolling my cheeks. Iʼm getting used to my crybaby tears.

Thatʼs all Iʼm ever good at, right?

"No." he said shortly, only tightening the grip around my shoulders from the back and with a soft growl, I twisted my body and turned to give his chest a hard push, sending him stumbling back a little before he caught his balance.

"Stop doing this, shivaay ,I am begging you! What you are doing is worse. You keep giving me hope and acting like you care, making me delusional over and over again! Are you going to help me escape or not? Because if you really care about me and if you really are sorry, then you would at least do that much for me rather than just apologizing for every damn thing!" I yelled all at once before inhaling deeply and his expression remained indifferent before he took a step forward and did the most unexpected thing.

He reached to grab my cheeks and leaned into a kiss, his soft lips connecting on mine and I froze in my position, trying to make sense of what was happening.

As soon as it did, I jerked away before looking at him in surprise and he returned it, as if he had no idea of what he just did either.

"Ga-Gauri, tha-that was-" before he could finish, I looked at him with so much disappointment, he froze in his position, guilt flickering his eyes as he opened his mouth to say something but no words seem to come out of them anymore.

"Youʼre all the same." I confirmed weakly before running back to my room and brushing away my tears. As soon as I opened the door, my whole body stiffened upon noticing Veer, calmly sitting on my bed before he shot me his usual grin.

"Wh-what are you doing here? Get out!" I snapped, not being able to take any more of this shit any longer. Itʼs one after another tonight, isnʼt it?

"Damn, I didnʼt know you hated me that much, sweetheart." His words were as sarcastic as ever and I quickly closed the door shut before folding my arms across my chest.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned, brushing away more dried up tears and he simply "tsked" at my response before giving me his usual deep, dark chuckle.

"Why, Iʼm here to take you away, sweetheart," he started and I looked at him surprise.

"Away from all these monsters." He added with a wink and his words made my heart skip a beat. Was he really going to help me escape?

"How?" I questioned and he opened his mouth to say something but froze to stare at my neck, his eyes narrowing in suspicion before they widened in surprise.

"That, where did you get that?" his voice turned surprisingly serious and cold and I frowned slightly before it hit me.

"Ah this," I started softly, letting out a nervous chuckle and touching the patch. "Omkara fed on-" before I could finish, someone grabbed my neck before slamming me to the nearest wall, making me scream in pain as the back of my head connected to the wall.

"You really should have been more careful, sweetheart," Veer's voice remained cold and I opened my eyes to meet his penetrating gaze.

"Of all the people, why him?" he muttered, tightening the grip around my neck, making me choke on my own breath.

"Ve-Veer, youʼre choking me..." I barely forced out the words and his expressions remained as calm as ever but his eyes clearly stated otherwise.

"Tsk, now Iʼm pissed."

"Let...go!" I gasped for air when he loosened the grip, my body dropping down on the floor as I landed on a sitting position.

"Are you crazy?!" I snapped, tears streaming down my face as I struggled to breathe, gently holding my neck as I inhaled deeply one more time before looking up to meet his gaze.

"Oh, sweetheart," his voice started softly before he bent down to graze the side of my cheeks, his cold fingers making me shudder in fear.

"Did I take it too far?" he mumbled, slightly opening his mouth to reveal his two sharp fangs, causing my eyes to widen in both fear and confusion. This canʼt be happening, he was... a vampire?!

"Veer..." I trailed off, brushing away his hand and was about to stand up when he grabbed both my shoulders, slamming them to wall, causing me to gasp in pain before I grabbed his hands, struggling to free his grip but he was a lot stronger.

"Why are you doing this?! Who are you?!" I yelled which was followed by a cry out for help but he swiftly clutched my mouth tightly before leaning so close to my face, I could feel his breath fanning against my nose by now.

"You shouldʼve figured it out by now, love." He mumbled, leaning closer to my neck and I froze when I felt his lips brush against my neck, causing an uncontrollable whimper to escape through my lips.

"But I guess you were a little too late." He barely uttered before placing a few pecks on my neck, his teeth tugging on my skin and I was about to stand up when he wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me in place.

"Veer, let me go! What are you doing?!" I yelled, gripping his shirt and my heart dropped when I felt his fangs brush against my skin, which more than confirmed his real identity.

He really was a vampire. All this time, he was only pretending to be a human and for what? What did he want from me?

"Iʼll savor every bit of you tonight, sweetheart," he moaned, tightening the grip around my waist and I whimpered at his touch before staying still, my whole body crumbling at his touch.

"Your blood smells so fucking good, itʼs making every bone in my body tremble in excitement." He mumbled weakly before he opened his mouth and I was about to start screaming when he released me from his grip, suddenly bolting up in his position.

Before I could even realize what was going on, I watched him jump off the window and it didnʼt even take a second for someone to bolt through my door, revealing Omkara's face as he scanned the room, his face knotted up with both hatred and concern.

"Where is he?!" he snapped, appearing in front of me as he crouched down and I brushed away my tears before shaking my head helplessly, more tears rolling down my cheeks again.

"Gone..." I choked out and I watched him stand up straight before he let out a growl and punched the nearest wall.

"Get up," he said shortly before grabbing my upper arm and I instantly stood up before shaking my head.

"Shut the fuck up and stop crying!" he said softly yet harshly and I bit my bottom lip before brushing away my tears. Before I could say anything, Omkara picked me up in his arms and my head started to feel a little dizzy, my hands tightly clutching on his shirt now as I tried to take in what was happening.

"What did he do to you?" he questioned, placing me down and I scanned around the unfamiliar area.

"Where are we?" I questioned, staring down at the huge pool I was now standing nearby and I heard him let out a huff in frustration before shooting me a glare.

"The terrace. Now, tell me what he fucking did!" he spat, causing me to jolt up with a gasp before turning to look at him in fear.

"I-I didnʼt know that he was a-"

"Because youʼre that fcking stupid, arenʼt you?! Why the fuck would a human go up against me in the first place, Gauri ?!" he spat, stepping forward and out of instinct, I took a step back before going silent, my mind slowly taking in his words.

"I didnʼt know," I started softly, lowering my eyelashes. "I didnʼt know..." I choked out again and Omkara went silent for a few minutes before he stepped closer, his eyes boring into mine.

"Take it off." He mumbled, tugging at my dress a little and my eyes widened at his words.

What?!

"Wh-why?" I stammered, backing away and watched him strip off his shirt, revealing his six-packs and I blushed slightly before turning away, my heart pounding loudly against my chest.

"Do it." He said impatiently, walking up to me and I shook my head before gripping my dress tightly.

"I asked you why..." I trailed away, blinking away my tears and he simply narrowed his eyes at me before grasping my hand and yanking me closer.

"Because," he started, fixating his cold blue eyes into my amber ones, sending goosebumps all over my body.

"He got to lay his filthy hands on you and it fucking pisses me off so take off your clothes, and get inside." He demanded, pointing at the pool and I looked at him in surprise before going silent.

"Are you going to get in or do I have to make you?" he asked impatiently and I quickly shook my head, my hair dancing around my face before I backed away.

"Guess that answers my question." He muttered before bolting up to me and picking me up in his arms, ready to hurl me into the water when I let out a scream, digging my nails into his shoulders in fear.

"Wait!" I raised my voice, my whole body trembling and Omkara stopped to look up at me, his face unfazed from my terrified state but then again, what did I expect?

"I canʼt swim..." I blabbered out, my whole face knotting up in worry and fear as he tightened the grip around my thighs.

"I know." He mumbled before walking up to the pool and throwing himself into the water along with me. I let out one final squeal before my body came into contact with the cold water and I gasped for air when someone pulled me up almost immediately.

"Weʼre staying like this for a while." Omkara murmured and I gripped his shoulder tightly before looking up to frown at him, his words bubbling up anger inside me.

Why the hell does he have to do this anyways?!

A normal bath would suffice, donʼt you think?

"What is wrong with you...?" I muttered under my breath, my voice laced with venom and gasped when he jerked me closer to his body before edging closer to the wall.

"If you donʼt shut that pretty little mouth of yours, Iʼll kiss you." He stated sharply and I froze in my position before he leaned against the wall, bringing my body closer to his in the process.

I went silent for a few minutes and stood absolutely still inside the water before my body started to feel weak.

"Rest." Omkara breathed, placing his hand around my head and pressing them on his chest, causing my whole body to stiffen immediately.

"Next time, I wonʼt let him get away with it..." he trailed away and I pressed my lips together into a thin line. Was he actually worrying about me?

"What happened between the two of you?

Who is he?" I asked softly, backing away a little and looking up at him. I watched him glance at me before turning away, his hands untangling from my waist and I awkwardly stood in my position, waiting for him to answer.

"You donʼt have to know." He said finally, making me flinch a little.

"I want you to stay away from him." He said and I stood quiet for a bit, a cold breeze greeting us as I hugged myself.

"Gauri?" he called and I snapped up to look at him before nodding.

"I get it." I sighed and then gasped when he grabbed my face before leaning into a sloppy kiss, causing the butterflies in my stomach to go on a rampage.

He pulled away almost instantly and I stood still, my mind going blank at what just happened.

"And be careful when Iʼm not around..." his said with a hint of concern in his voice and it took me a few seconds to realize that he was actually worried about my safety right now.

"You donʼt have to worry about me, Omkara ." I stated with a nervous chuckle, hoping he would change the subject and that I would forget that kiss. It obviously didnʼt mean anything,

it was just another kiss.

"I do," he said shortly and I raised a brow at him.

"I do what?" I decided to play a little and watched him flinch at my question.

"I do...care about you." He finally said and somehow I wasnʼt able to take his words seriously and ended up chuckling. I mean, I know Iʼm not supposed to laugh but, come on.

After everything he did and judging from the way he treats me, itʼs quiet obvious that he didnʼt care about me, yet alone actually find it in his heart to worry about me.

"Whatʼs so funny?" he asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice and I shook my head before shaking my head helplessly.

This guy really could drive me insane.

"Nothing." I chuckled again and I heard him "tsk" before turning away, a light shade of pink creeping up on his face, making me laugh a short laugh.

"Forget it." He muttered and judging by his voice, I knew he was now annoyed rather than mad or upset, which by the way was very new to me.

"Iʼm sorry..." I couldnʼt help but giggle softly and I watched him turn around before getting out of the water.

My eyes froze on his oh, so very sexy back and I quickly snapped back to reality before swiftly averting my gaze, my mind screaming at me to get a frikken grip.

"Donʼt stay in for too long." He said finally, glancing back at me before disappearing out of my sight.

I quickly got out of the water and it took me few minutes to find my way back downstairs before I rushed into my room.

I quickly grabbed a large black sweater and shorts before rushing into the toilet and changing into them, drying my hair quickly. I was starting to feel very tired and I couldnʼt help but yawn a couple of times before I finished drying my hair and walking out.

My eyes immediately froze on Shivaay, who was now sitting on my bed, his face lightening up at my sight then pressing his lips together into a thin line upon seeing my frown.

"Get out." I muttered, throwing the towel on the floor and I watched him tug the end of his white plain T-shirt before standing up straight, his eyes flickering in both disappointment and guilt.

"Gauri , I can explain..."

"Can you not? I had a long night." I interrupted and I watched him slightly flinch a little before giving me another guilty look, causing my heart to skip a beat.

"Omkara told me to stay with you for a few minutes. Heʼll be back soon." He explained and I held back the urge to roll my eyes.

"Did you tell him about what you did tonight?"
I questioned and Shivaay shook his head before growing silent, making me sigh in both relief and annoyance.

"Can we talk?" he asked, walking up to me and I backed away before shooting him a glare.

"Can you just stay away from me? Stop acting like the good guy, Shivaay. We both know youʼre only pretending. If you want my blood so frikken bad then here!" I finally snapped before tugging my sweater to reveal my neck and I watched his eyes widen then soften again.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly and my pulse raced at his words. Wait, what? I was just kidding.

"Y-Yes." I stammered a little but decided to hold onto my words. Shivaay wouldnʼt dare...would he?

Without warning, he appeared in front of me before tangling an arm around my waist and held my neck using his other hand, causing me to stiffen in my position.

"If you really mean it then..." he started, leaning closer to my neck and I whimpered when his breath hit against my neck, making my whole body tremble in fear.

"Why are you shaking?" he questioned and I opened my eyes to watch him take a step back.

"Forget it, leave me alone." I hissed and brushed past him before plopping down on the bed.

I kept quiet as he sat down next to me and pulled the sheets closer to my lips, hoping he could take a hint and leave already but Shivaay  being Shivaay decided to do the complete opposite.

"Iʼm sorry, it was a mistake." I heard him blurt out and I narrowed my eyes at him but decided to keep quiet.

"I-I mean, not entirely a mistake...as in, I wasnʼt trying to use you or anything but-"

"You donʼt have to explain yourself to me, Shivaay . Nobody has ever since I stepped inside this mansion so donʼt sweat it." I cut in and jumped a little when he reached to grab my wrist.

"I do! I keep explaining myself to you because I care, Gauri ! Why canʼt you see that?" he raised his voice and I stared at him in surprise before sitting up straight and brushing his hands away.

"I donʼt understand why youʼre getting so upset, I wasnʼt the one who kissed you out of the blue tonight, was I?" I hissed and his expression instantly grew softer at my words before the guilt kicked back in.

"Iʼm sorr-"

"Save it, Shivaay , because I am done trying to get help from any of you. As a matter of fact, I think that staying with Veer is even better than living in this-"

"Gauri !" he suddenly snapped, grabbing both my hands and towering over me.

I gasped at his sudden outburst and then glared at him but he returned it back, making me flinch a little. Iʼve never seen Shivaay this pissed.

"Youʼre staying here. Donʼt even think about going with Veer." He raised his voice, his hair falling down on his face and I couldnʼt help but admire it.

"Your Rudd  is so pretty." I complimented out of the blue and I watched his frown tighten at my words. Donʼt get me wrong, yes I was a little intimidated by his anger but then again, Iʼve come to learn that shivaay was not such a bad Vampire.

Sure, he has his flaws but he was a lot better than the rest of them.

"Iʼm serious." He said, pressing my wrists firmly on the bed and I shrugged at his words.

"Omkara and Veer are the same. I donʼt see why I canʼt-"

"Omkara is not a murderer." Shivaay  cut me off and my stomach instantly tied itself into a knot before I bit my bottom lip hesitantly.

Veer had killed someone before?

"What do you-"

"Never mind." Shivaay mumbled before getting off my torso and I sat up straight, knowing very well that there was no use of questioning him any further.

Itʼs not like he was going to tell me anyways.

"I came to say sorry and-"

"Youʼre not forgiven then." I cut in rudely and I watched him bite his lip slightly before nodding, the color on his face draining away at my words.

Okay, this guy had something for me or else he wouldnʼt care about my forgiveness this much.

"Tomorrow, weʼre all going out, so get ready in the morning." Shivaay said, walking up to me and brushing a few strands of my hair away from my face.

"Goodnight, Gauri ." He said, rubbing his fingers on my cheeks before walking out of the room.

Guess that was that.

******

That night, I tossed and turned in my bed before closing my eyes one more time, praying I would just fall asleep already but I couldnʼt get Veer out of my head.

He really was a vampire? No wonder he wasnʼt caught before and knew all about the Vervain. He was only using me to get back at Omkara .

"Why are you still up?" I heard a familiar voice before I felt the bed sunk and I turned to face Omkara , who was now lying dow to me, his blue eyes flickering even in the darkness, making my heart skip a beat.

"Nothing, just thinking about Veer." I stated quickly before inching back a little but he simply moved closer before raising a brow.

"Iʼll take care of him so donʼt worry about it anymore and go to sleep." He assured and I nodded hesitantly.

"You can go sleep too." I mumbled, hoping he would leave but sadly, Omkara had other plans.

"Did you eat?" he asked and I shook my head then pressed my lips together into a thin line when he hissed at me.

"Donʼt forget to eat." He rubbed his temple impatiently and I simply nodded before yawning a little again.

"I heard Veer killed someone. Is that true?" I asked and I watched him stop to look at me, his eyes slightly widening at my words before putting on his expressionless mask.

"Yeah," he inched closer. "And youʼre probably going to be next if you donʼt stay away from him." He sounded as if he was desperately trying to convince me and I couldnʼt help but raise a brow at his warning.

"I get it, dad. Donʼt worry..." I mocked, yawning once more and I heard him chuckle softly before moving closer, an arm wrapping around my waist and by now, I was too tired to brush them away.

"Can I ask you just one question?" I asked softly, not really bothering to thing straight and I watched him nod a little, which caught me by surprise because I wasnʼt expecting him to agree.

"Why are you trying so hard to protect me from Veer-"

"Itʼs not just Veer Iʼm willing to protect you from. Itʼs anyone who dares to touch you with the wrong intentions." He interrupted and I tried my best to hold in a remark but it slipped out eventually.

"Donʼt you do the exact same thing? Touch me with the wrong intentions and use me to get what you want?" I questioned and instantly regretted going too far.

"Except me, doll face." He muttered under his breath and I decided to shut myself. Wasnʼt really a good idea to piss him off.

"Why? Why are you willing to protect me in the first place then? I thought you hated me?" I asked softly and I watched him fixate his gaze on my eyes, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

There was something about the way he was looking at me now that was just so much more different.

Why? What was so different? What changed?

"Guess there is no harm in telling you." He finally said, his eyes flickering onto my lips for a few seconds and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you-"

"I plan to make you mine and mine only." He started, his voice suddenly turning all soft and sexy, causing my heart to skip a beat but I shook those thoughts away.

"What do you mean?" I asked almost too quickly and I watched a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Iʼm sending the other girls back. There are of no use to me anymore, now that I have made up my mind." His words sent uncontrollable shivers down my spine and I started shaking my head, trying to back away but he jerked me closer, causing my nose to slightly bump against his chest before I looked up to meet his cold blue eyes.

"Wa-wait...are you su...sure? Maybe you shouldnʼt make such a quick decision so fast. It has only been a month and the girls deserve a chance to-"

"Oh, look at you getting all worked up," he cooed, grabbing my wrist and bringing them closer to his ears, which resulted in me inching even closer to his face.

"How cute." He teased and I blinked away the tears before grabbing his shirt and shaking my head.

"Omkara , you shouldnʼt joke about this! You know how much I hate it here!" I raised my voice and took in a shaky breath when I heard him chuckle deeply at my feeble attempt to convince him.

"But Iʼve already decided, doll face," his words made my eyes widen the size of saucers and I kept mouthing the word "no" as the smirk on his face deepened at my helpless state.

"You passed the test, Gauri ."