Nilsa approached Aerilyn with the other guards that had escorted the girl back to the castle, she could sense that the girl was startled and confused.

"Let's get you back inside the warm" Nilsa ushered the girl in to the castle, where she could warm up.

"Did you have a nice ride?" The vampire opened the door for her and stepped into the hall gesturing to take her coat off.

"Yes actually, it's been a long time since I was able to ride" Aerilyn grinned from ear to ear as she passed a guard the coat to be taken to put away, she wouldn't be needing it when she wasn't permitted to be outside very often.

Nilsa held her hands up "careful it almost sounds like you are warming to her majesty" her humour teasing, the vampire wanted them to get along and be as carefree as the girl is when she is around Nilsa, but Nilsa knew the kinds of things that the humans learnt about vampires growing up and not all of it was necessarily true.

In fact, a lot of it was made up to scare the humans and in still hatred into them from an earlier age.

That is what made it so hard for Aerilyn to understand their ways.

She was still yet to delve into their world.

"As if" Aerilyn rolled her eyes.

The vampire raised an eye brow. "You'd be surprised how seductive she can be, even for a human like you it would be hard to resist her charm" Nilsa shook her head, it didn't take much for anyone to be seduced by the Queen and she had seen it happen several times over her years.

Vampires and humans alike would drop to their knees at the sight of her.

The thought crossed her mind on how Aerilyn would react if the Queen's seductive side came out to play, she imagined the girl wouldn't know what to do and would probably just blush.

It was only the Queen's self control that allowed her to be close to the girl, letting go of that would mean ravishing Aerilyn and marking her.

Aerilyn began walking back to her room for a well needed shower, "What charm" she chuckled to herself more than anyone else, so far all she had witnessed was what she had been warned about.

A cold vampire who took what she wanted when she wanted it.

"Nilsa is right, she would be hard to resist if she actually tried to charm you" Luanna appeared out of no where around the corner with a smirk on her face as if she had been twiddling her thumbs.

The conversation amused her as it wasn't as far fetched as it seemed, both vampires were trying hard to change Aerilyn's opinion about their species, but the girl was still very scared of Luana, merely out of not knowing her.

Aerilyn immediately recoiled into herself seeing Luana, remembering her place in this castle, she stayed quiet as she didn't want to get into trouble.

Luana on the other hand had made sure she was always in a safe distance in case the girl needed her, being who she was she cared for the girl as soon as she found out about her.

Luana knew it wouldn't be easy.

"Please, don't go quiet on my account, I could practically hear you guys from the other side of the castle" She joked with a wide grin.

Luana hated the divide just as much as some of the other vampires did between themselves and humans, the problem was those that sat on the council still preferred to treat humans as slaves and so changing that would prove very difficult.

"She's just joking" Nilsa clarified realising that Aerilyn was unsure of the vampires humour.

Luanna smirked, eyeing the now timid human and urging Aerilyn to speak.

Aerilyn ummed and ahhed about speaking, "I could never fall for a vampire...no offence and besides I'm sure she has a mate out there somewhere as you already said that is a vampire, isn't it like illegal for you to be with humans like that, besides what type of person...well vampire, puts a collar on someone" Aerilyn knew the Queen was beautiful but her anger towards their species clouded that thought, there were these rules in place obviously for a reason, she spoke as her hands went to her collar, tracing it.

The symbol it portrayed to everyone else, she was a property and belonging, to be used and abused. As long as it was around her neck she would never be equal.

Besides, Aerilyn had never fallen in love before, or had a relationship or a first kiss, those thoughts never crossed her mind because most of the time she was trying to stay alive.

The two vampires exchanged a questioning look before brushing it off.

Luana pushed herself off the wall, she so wished she could place her hands on the girl to read her thoughts.

But, Solenne had made her promise not to and was under strict orders since the last time she accidentally did. Luana could have told Solenne every thought the girl had but didn't out of respect, she merely told her the girl was confused, upset and missing her family.

That didn't mean she didn't want to though.

"We'll see about that and yes it is frowned upon but it is not unheard of that a vampire has a human as a mate...and well the collar is more for your safety, but still a daft decision on her majesty's part, can't say I didn't warn her" Luanna chirped but mumbled the last part more to herself.

Aerilyn wanted to ask a question but Luana was quick to the mark.

"I must excuse myself, but I am glad to see you are back to yourself" with that Luanna dismissed herself and carried on down the hall.

She was friendly enough but she was still the Queen's best friend and a vampire first and foremost. The girl could only place her trust in Nilsa who had been the most consistent and stable vampire in her life since they were captured.

"Come on blood bag let's go" Nilsa nudged Aerilyn.

Aerilyn nudged the vampire back jokingly "who you calling blood bag"

Aerilyn showered and changed before eating dinner, she mostly stayed in her room for the night reading. Since she had been there she had gotten through a dozen books or so, there were some words she did struggle to understand but Nilsa always helped her.

Meanwhile Solenne had found the werewolves and had killed most of them singlehandedly as it was a small group, the main group was camped somewhere else, the only problem was one had managed to escape and so they begin to track it with the hopes to capture.

The werewolves had killed women and children in the village on a rampage.

The Queen wanted to know what they were up to and how they had managed to get in undetected.

As she rode into the village, those who were left bowed upon her arrival, she was the most feared vampire in the Kingdom, aside from her Uncle.

Her mind took her back to Aerilyn, she worried for the human girl back at the castle, longing to be spending her time with her rather than doing her duty.

She wondered what the girl was up to.

The guards had managed to capture the werewolf and were trying to extract information from it.

The Queen walked up to it and spoke "if you don't tell me what you attacked for, I will be forced to kill all of your loved ones, don't think I can't smell those pups on you and then I will have my right hand come and extract it from you, because whoever she touches, she can read their minds. So either way, we will find out" The Queen would never harm children but the werewolf wasn't to know that.

The wolf was a small brown omega, lowest of the rank and was probably used as bait.

"No no please don't harm my pups, I'll tell you what you want to know" he cried, bleeding down his side.

"I'm waiting..."

The Queen was an impatient woman.

The wolf cowered in submission. "We were taking orders from someone in the resistance, I don't know who but they were pushing for us to start attacks in the villages" he cried.

The Queen was seething, she wanted to kill him and was about too, until she thought about the family he had waiting for him and what Aerilyn would think of her killing him even though she had her information now.

He winced ready to be killed and meet his maker and Solenne lifted her arm in the air.

"You will return back to those who commanded and tell them what has happened today, you will then return to your pups and never fight again...because if I catch you again, I will kill your family and skin your pups for fur...understood?" She snarled at him.

He nodded his head and mumbled an "understood" before running off with his tail in between his legs.

"Why did you let him go you should have killed him" General Talc came to her side.

"Someone needs to run back and put fear into them, we slaughtered them easily, besides he's an omega, the lowest of the low" the Queen's mind was occupied, too much was going on.

The next day Nilsa arrived at Aerilyn's room and had taken her to breakfast as usual.

The room felt much emptier without the Queen's presence, the girl felt a little lost without her and almost missed her not that she would admit it.

Her mood was not the best today.

"Missing her majesty already?" Nilsa joked. She was glad of the friendship they had formed together, without Nilsa she probably would have done something stupid by now and she had her to thank for in keeping her safe.

"I think you are, I'm enjoying the peace and quiet" Aerilyn faltered.

"You know I can tell when you are lying right" she said bluntly.

Aerilyn forgot that they could hear her heartbeat and tell when she was lying.

Aerilyn just groaned, it was also true this was Nilsa's gift, she could read her like a book especially because their bond had become stronger.

"I think the other pets are in the library today so you can spend some time with them, I have to be on watch today" Aerilyn pouted at the vampire but was happy she would see the others and get to make sure they were okay.

That's if they were even still alive.

Finishing off her breakfast they made their way down towards the library where Nilsa left the pets with the guards there.

They were instructed that they must be guarded at all times and only to leave the library to return to their rooms.

There stood Tri, Pax and Eamon alive as ever ready to greet her, enveloping her in a hug. "We are so glad you are okay, we saw what happened" Tri spoke, wrapping her arms around Aerilyn who ducked her head.

"it was crazy how you stood up to her like that, I have never seen anything like it. I bet she is killing all of the werewolves right now for attacking that village" Pax spoke lowly, almost patronising, but Aerilyn brushed it off.

"werewolves?" that was the first the girl had heard of it.

"Yes, you didn't know?" Eamon questioned as they all sat round in a circle.

Aerilyn shook her head "nobody tells me much around here" it was true, the servants weren't interested in her because if the god forsaken collar around her neck and the vampires would not be associated with her.

She was also glad she barely had to see Ren, he was mostly on watch as the Queen made sure to strip him of any high ranking jobs.

"its a good job you have us then" Tri calmly said. "we have news, there is a girl who was captured I think her name was Ev and she might be able to help us get out" Aerilyn looked at Tri in disbelief.

They had whispered as quietly as possible, the girl was curious at how they thought they could escape out of the castle surrounded by hundreds of vampires and guards.

"Yeah, she said she was captured on purpose because she came to find her friend but she knows people in the resistance who can help" Aerilyn was shocked at this, could it be? Would she do something as reckless as this.

"Do you know what she looks like?" Aerilyn had a bit of hope but knew it was probably just a coincidence.

"yeah, short brown hair, pixie cut and about your height, a ballsy girl I would say" Eamon chirped.

"That's got to be my bestfriend" Aerilyn said in disbelief.

Where is she?" Aerilyn asked.

Her anger building at the fact she was here and she was sure the Queen would have known they knew each other.

Even Nilsa must have known.