Chapter 17: Prove it to Me

Some stepped back as Alec moved forward. His serious expression along with his dark red eyes was saying that he was in the mood to kill tonight and no one should mess with him if they wanted to be spared.

"Apologies if that surprised you. I just don't like it when a piece of trash blocks my way and talks bullshit. It turns my mood sour," he said in a husky voice.

Everyone was afraid to open their mouths and those who agreed to Mr. Harrison's words earlier slowly made their way to the back of the crowd, scared that the vampire warlord might put their bodies next to the dead man. Even Eloise couldn't hide the fear on her face.

Lauren felt the cold air surrounding Alec when he stopped in front of her, and his crimson eyes coldly staring at her even intensified it.

She had seen vampire eyes before, but it was the first time she saw Alec's. The thick black lining of his dark red irises let her know that he was indeed a pureblooded vampire. Staring into his eyes, she felt like he was a devil she summoned from hell and now was here to claim her soul.

Cassandra who was watching the whole scene this whole time stepped up. "But my lord, what if Mr. Harrison's words are true? If he indeed was Lauren's lover while she was engaged to Mr. Merriweather, don't you think you are blinded-"

"Blinded by what, Princess Cassandra?" Alec brought his gaze to Cassandra. His eyes remained red. And with how he looked, even the second princess who was prideful and not easily swayed felt the chills of fear run through her.

"I think my eyes are too sharp to overlook such important details. I am not blinded by anything. Mr. Harrison didn't suit his noble status. He lacked class, spurted nonsense, and disrespected a princess. For a crime like that, he only deserved to be beheaded."

Cassandra shut her mouth and no one else dared to make a noise.

Alec's eyes drifted to the King and Queen who were now making their way to them. Lauren watched his expression but it never turned softer nor did his eyes return to their original color. When did he ever appear soft anyway? She couldn't place that word anywhere near him.

"My, what happened?!" Queen Thalia's palm flew to her wide opened mouth as if it was the first time she had seen a dead body.

"I killed the man, Your Majesty," Alec admitted without hesitation. "His words were malicious and disrespectful towards Princess Lauren. Demeaning the royal family is a crime punishable by death. As your future son-in-law, it is only right to protect the royal family's honor, isn't it?"

The King agreed and even praised Alec for what he did. Thinking that the Everston lord was head over heels for his youngest daughter, the King believed he wouldn't have difficulty in having the lord under his control. As a tyrant who only cared about acquiring more power, he couldn't care less about the murder that just took place.

"What are you waiting for?" yelled the King to the royal guards. "Get rid of the body!"

"Continue the celebration!" with the King's command, the music went back and the crowd slowly dissipated.

Alec's gaze fell on Lauren once again. His eyes slowly turned back to gray, but this time a darker shade.

The demon had calmed, but still a demon nonetheless, Lauren thought darkly. But she didn't know why at the back of her mind, she wished she could stare at his vampire eyes longer.

"What's with the look, princess? Afraid of me now?" He smirked at her without humor, mistaking her blank expression as a sign of bewilderment.

"Or are you perhaps mad at me for killing your former lover?"

"He wasn't my lover," came her quick reply. She didn't know where the rumors of her having many lovers came from when in truth, she never had one.

"And no, I'm not afraid of you." Lauren's lips slowly curved up. What happened stunned her for a moment, but the murder didn't faze her. "Did you really think it was my first time witnessing a murder?"

She inched closer. Her delicate fingers touched the collar of his inner shirt and fixed it. Her words came out in a whisper, "You don't know me, my lord. Who knows if I myself have committed murder?"

Alec didn't respond. His look was quizzical as if he was trying to decipher something he couldn't fathom. A mystery he wanted to unravel.

"I was worried for a moment that you wouldn't come. What caused your delay?" she asked after fixing his collar.

"My presence was asked in the defense ministry's office. Turned out it wasn't an important matter. A cheap trick your sister pulled." He tilted his head, an unforgiving look flickered in his eyes.

"I told you. My family can be quite silly."

She stopped a servant carrying a tray of wines and got two glasses. She gave one to Alec. "Here."

He glanced at the glass filled with red wine but didn't touch it.

"That won't satiate my thirst."

"Oh right," Lauren nodded. "We have blood wine prepared for our vampire guests. Should I get you one?"

"Princess..." He stared at her deeply.

"Do you remember what you said when you proposed this marriage to me?"

Lauren was confused.

"You said you are willing to offer everything you have," his manly voice could sound like music to a woman's ears, but not when his eyes were like this – like a predator looking at his prey.

She felt how her heart skipped a beat.

"How about you prove that to me now?"

Lauren felt the cold embrace her skin. She wasn't dumb. She knew what the lord was asking. She thought she could never see anything in his eyes, but for the first time she did. She saw bloodlust.

"Offer me your blood."

She hoped he was just jesting but he wasn't. He looked dead serious.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read