"I never meant to hit her Alexander," Dracula said regretfully before resuming his restless pacing.

Alexander thought that if he ran his hand through his hair again he would definitely pull some strands out. It pained him to the core to see his maker so tormented and agitated.

"I know. She will know too when we find her."

"Do you think she will forgive me? Even I cannot forgive myself right now."

Over the millennia that Alexander had been at Dracula's side he had never seen him as vulnerable as he looked at that moment. It was a miracle; the Elf princess without even trying had made him finally care.

Alexander now knew it was his life duty to find and protect her because he could not for the life of him let this tiny amount of emotion that his master had ever felt to slip away.

"She'll understand. Be honest with her."

Alexander could see he had lost Dracula's attention. His eyes were focused in concentration as he listened to the mind link message one of his vampires was sending him. Suddenly a huge grin that Alexander had never seen before took residence on his master's lips.

"They found her."

Erinna's head still ached from the dozens of questions having a tea party in her brain; confusion making all coherent thought impossible. She was not even aware of how she had left Mara's cottage.

She faintly recalled her father coming and saying he needed to take her to a different location since it was nightfall. It was the time creatures like Dracula came out to play, preying on the unsuspecting sleeping innocents.

The Elf fortress, Micasa was a secluded cottage very well secured.

"Every Pure Elf is born with two keepers to protect her. That was Angelica and Edward for you. Their bloodline was chosen years ago to guard the Pure Beings. The magic of their ancestors lies in this keep and will protect you."

"They are humans," I pointed out.

"That is part of their disguise. They look and smell humans but they are Elves sworn to protect you and they already felt like they owed me for their child."

Erinna wanted to ask more about Angelica's child but her legs were feeling jelly, nausea suffocating her as she tried to cope with her overwhelming newfound knowledge.

"Sit down and breathe cherie; I'll get you a glass of water."

Since they were alone, Erinna's father was reduced to a servant. He went to get the glass of water as promise but as he handed it to her hand quickly flew to her chest, clasping the area her heart was supposed to be. She felt a sharp unlingering pain, a reminder of something she would rather forget.

Immediately all hope came crashing down to the ground, tumbling in an unsalvageable mess and there was no single thing she could do as she felt all control she had over her life slipping away.

"Erinna?" Her father's voice broke through the haze of pain as she doubled over; trying as much as she could to suck some air into her deoxygenated lungs.

"He's here."

Stopping her voice from trembling was a fit in itself especially when her whole body was shaking. After her last encounter with Dracula she was not sure she wanted to repeat the experience.

The thought filled her with so much fear and trepidation. He had not even been able to play the role of besotted suitor for a day before the mask fell off to reveal the monster within; the wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Are you sure Princess?" Her father asked looking at her intently. His usually calm grey eyes a storm of many emotions anger and fear most dominant.

"There is no mistake."

Dracula was the most evil being alive; his presence dragged a lot of darkness which just set him apart. She could recognize it anywhere.

"Don't worry; he can't come in, not unless we invite him."

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The Count was getting tired of people underestimating his abilities and overestimating his humanity.

With a full back up of his best fighters he surveyed the cottage before him. The thin walls separating him from his heart's desire. His heartbeat accelerated just thinking of how they would be reunited after agonizing hours of separation.

It had pained him to wait for nightfall before collecting his bride. He had never hated the hindrance that daylight was to him as he did that day.

Being around had become necessary as breathing was to a human. It was the only thing that could help him keep his sanity.

Her addictive scent wafted through the silent air, teasing his nostrils and leaving him purely intoxicated.

He shook his head to rid himself of the fantasy he was sinking in and deal with the matter at hand.

Sucking magic out of the keepers in his custody had done as he had expected. The Marano family had been chosen and entrusted with the job of keeping Pure Elves safe.

Edward and Angelica it seemed had been chosen out of their generation to guard Erinna way back when her birth was prophesied, another hindrance in his way. Their link to their ancestors was what upheld their disguise and protected the little keep and by absorbing it he had broken the link.

He silently chuckled at the king's stupidity. He had Erinna in there thinking they were still safe, protected by the all so powerful magic of the Maranos.

It worried and angered him that Erinna had had such an incompetent fool as her protector for seventeen years. Not to worry though, he would make sure she had the best of everything when she became his queen.

"Leave us alone demon, you are not invited in," King Eric Ellington commanded looking outside through a window.

Coward.

A real man would come out and challenge him, fight it out like real warriors not trade insults like the worst of wimps.

"You have something that belongs to me."

"If you are looking for your soul it's not here."

He really hated talking and the stupid fool was pushing him over the edge.

"Erinna I know you are in there, come out sweetheart. This does not need to get messier than it already is. I might actually spare your pointless excuse of a father."

He heard her heartbeat accelerate but she did not move an inch. He growled in annoyance. This was another time when being a vampire was a hindrance.

He could not do one of the simplest and normal tasks like enter a household of a non-vampire without being invited in. It didn't look like the weakling of a king was going to be inviting him in any time soon either.

"You cannot enter," Ellington spoke boldly.

Another mistake.

"Maybe, but you can come out."

The Count gave a snap of fingers and the children that had been gathered from the surrounding Elven villages were thrust in the middle for all to see. They were thirteen in total and were quivering, confused and terrified of the nightmare that had befallen them.

Their eyes were wide and filled with tears, silently begging for mercy which they would never be accorded.

"Nooooo!" Erinna cried when she read his full intent. "Don't you dare touch them!" She screamed trying to reach the door but her father restrained her with two hands firmly around her struggling body.

It made The Count livid that the spineless man would dare put hands on his bride like that but he forced himself to be calm, no good ever resulted from uncontrolled anger. He loved his punishments to always be deliberate and as painful as his depraved mind could conjure.

"Three seconds, and I'll start killing them one by one. You know it won't be a simple death."

"You bastard!"

"Their fate is in your hands....Countess."

" Avá lastahé Aranel,tul (Don't listen to him princess,come)," her father said dragging her away from the window and further into the house probably to get some more of that blasted powder and leave him again Over his dead body.

" Ui Atar(no, father), he'll kill them!" she resisted.

At least she knew him well. It pleased him to see his bride had more sense than the wimp that had brought her into the world.

"He won't, they're his only leverage plus who would kill children? He's only trying to draw you out," the man said continuing to drag away her resisting body.

"You are underestimating him father. Yaórë munta mal.....mornië (His soul...it's nothing but darkness.) I cannot have those children on my conscience, hanyalemio (please understand)," she begged.

Dracula decided he had had enough.

Without a second thought, the Count gave a silent command to Ingrid, the woman who had fought many battles beside him.

She was the only Fae his people had ever turned, an investment he sure didn't regret. Ingrid's abilities as a fire Fae had been magnified when he had been turned and now she could bring down a whole town with her wrath.

At her master's command, she conjured a fireball big enough to reduce the house to ashes in mere seconds.

"I said draw them out Ingrid, not burn them alive," he said between gritted teeth.

"As you wish," she shrugged and projected smaller flames from the tips of her fingers and sent them to the roof where they set the house on fire.

As soon as the wild unruly flames lit the sky, several Elf fighters swarmed the place from different directions. He had been so distracted with the thought of getting his bride that he had laid down his guard and failed to foresee the ambush.

He groaned in annoyance. When had Elves become so many? Now it would be hard to see Erinna when she came out of the house that was being quickly demolished by flames.

"Immobilise the king, kill the rest but don't touch the Countess," he commanded his fighters.

If anyone laid a hand on his bride they would pay with their blood. After everyone moved to assume their given role, Dracula took off, following the direction Erinna's presence was going in.

Erinna coughed, choking on the flames which had chased all the oxygen out of the cottage.

She followed her father, glued to his side with his right arm round her as they tried to evade the falling furniture in a desperate attempt to make it to the back exit. The Ellington Powder was now out of the question, the roof had aready fallen in in that part of the house.

"Harë sanomë Cherie (Almost there Cherie)," her father chanted reassuringly.

After what felt like an eternity in hell they finally reached the back door and got out. She immediately took a huge gulp of clean air, her eyes watering from the smoke.

"Elmëavá samolya lúmë time. Elmë maurë ana hautidë Marale mendë. Essë istamendë tai anafinya. (We don't have much time. We need to get you to Mara's house, she will know what to do)," her father told her urgently already dragging her.

Erinna tried her best to keep up with him but they had barely made it half way across the backyard before they were intercepted by three vampires. They hissed, their fangs lengthened and red eyes dancing like demonic pools.

"LennaErinna turunyë mendët (Go Erinna, I will deal with them)," Eric commanded already unsheathing the bejeweled sword that had seen many a victory for the elves.

He took a defensive fearless stance that reminded her why he was such a capable leader.

"No," she shook her head, "Lertanyë umhehta idë! (I cannot leave you!)."

"Erinna Á rucë sí! (Erinna go now!)"

His tone held a certain level of finality that neutralized ad silenced any further protests she might have made. She did not even know where she was going. All she did was run, driven by one single thought: to get away.

She had long since lost her shoes in the fire and her feet were killing her, bleeding from all sorts of cuts. That was the least of her concerns though.

Out of the blue, without her noticing or anticipating it, Erinna collided with a granite wall that knocked her clear off her feet.

Looking up, she was stunned to see no granite wall but the subject of all her nightmares in all his evil gorgeous glory. Erinna was shocked that even when her life was on the line she found time to appreciate his out of the world looks, the beauty that never failed to mesmerise her, even more so now that he was angry.

His face was a masterpiece, homage to ancient Greek statues. His strong chiselled jaw was clenched, a subtle effort to control the anger and all the negative emotions he felt.

Something flickered in his dark gaze which kept switching colours from red to black as they locked eyes. He looked almost relived, happy, yet the underlying anger was undeniable.

Something flipped in Erinna and the urge to touch his face and relieve him of all the tension that held his regal body so rigid was strong.

"I have to say I'm very disappointed in you, Countess."

Any hint of emotion that Erinna thought she might have seen in his eyes evaporated to never condense again. And just like that she snapped out of her reverie. Quickly scrambling to her feet she had no time to correct him on her title as she took off in the opposite direction.

She had hardly taken a step though when he appeared in front of her again. She changed direction only to come face to face with his brick chest again.

She turned around and began to run again even when they both knew it was useless. His hand gripped her forearm like a vice, immediately halting any further movements on her part.

He roughly pulled her back such that her back was pressed against his cold muscled chest. Electric shocks that she did not try to decipher at the moment caused havoc in her body.

"Let me go, you monster!" She struggled in vain in his iron grip.

"You are mine," he hissed in her ear.

The warmth of his breath near her face causing her to shiver.

"You are insane."

"Insulting me is the worst thing you can do right now Erinna. The only reason you're still alive is because no matter how keen you seem on defying me, I somehow manage to find myself still loving you. That's your only saving grace at this moment," he growled.

"You bastard! If you think killing my people and threatening children will get me to love you, you're out of your mind. I'll never ever look at you with anything but disgust!"

She felt his body stiffen at her harsh remorseless rejection. Immediately he roughly turned her around. Her head was still spinning from the sudden movement when his hand connected with her cheek for the second time that day. But this time she had no time to get angry as she fell into blessed unconsciousness.

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Dracula's pain and anger over Erinna's blatant rejection overrode his joy of seeing her again and before he knew it he acted on impulse again; his natural reflex to hurt that which caused him pain or discomfit.

For the second time that day he unintentionally hurt the one thing that mattered to him in the whole world. Again he had let these new emotions of hurt and pain control him, further widening the rift between him and his bride.

He had never felt any lower than he did that moment. He did not deserve her. But how could he survive without her? The few hours he had spent apart from her had been hell, worse than a thousand years without blood. She was his drug and he was hooked.

When had he become so soppy and weak? Dracula shook his head to rid himself of the stupid emotions he was feeling. They only belonged to weak pathetic men and he was not weak. Pathetic maybe because he was drunk in love, completely head over heels with someone who would probably never love him back. But he was definitely not weak.

Erinna would take responsibility of her actions and maybe next time she would think twice before crossing him. Tomorrow would be spent teaching her that. Scooping her gently in his arms, the Count quickly teleported the both to his castle; their home.

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