Guys, whoever has been going around reporting my book for being too violent, please stop. I always give warnings before disturbing content and besides, there are too many free books here, go and read something that suits. Wattpad has been on my case all week because of your reports and that's not cool.

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When they arrived, the whole castle was waking up, the corridors bustling with activity. It seemed as if they were all in a hurry to do something. Their lively moods were at odds with the usual gloomy feeling that always followed a war.

"Why are they all so happy? Where are they rushing off to?" Erinna asked Vlad.

"A vampire wedding is always followed by a Gol," Vlad explained.

"A what?" The word was unfamiliar to both her ears and her tongue.

"It is a form of a feast. It directly translates to Blank."

That did not make sense to Erinna but her mind was on something else.

"Vlad are you sure we should be having a feast? We lost a lot of people last night, it would be insensitive."

"I think that's the exact reason they want to celebrate. We lost a lot of people yes but they didn't die for nothing. If we don't let them celebrate and appreciate the lives that are left then their loss will be all that much harder on them," he explained to her.

She was not positive but she understood his explanation and maybe they should look at the bright side. Nothing could change what had already happened. They only way was forward. They had a choice to let what had happened bring them down or motivate them to go on forwards.

"Alright then, but I know father and Mara will want to leave tonight. Will you come with me to say goodbye?"

He couldn't even hide his grimace and as much as Erinna wanted to spare him the torture of being in the same breathing space as her father, she had to force those two to like each other. They were both a big part of her life and if she had anything to do with it, they would learn to tolerate each other.

"I think Alexander will want my opinion on the feast," he said, moving backwards towards the door.

"Since when are you interested in party planning? Please Vlad; it'll only be a minute."

He sighed and she knew she had won.

"The things I do for you Countess," he muttered.

She smiled and kissed his cheek to soften his defeat. She took her veil and they walked out of their bedroom. In the hallways, they came face to face with the rush they had been hearing from their chambers. Both vampires and humans were hurrying down the hallways, carrying objects and potted plants bigger than themselves.

"Are there going to be a lot of people?" she asked Vlad.

"Try the whole kingdom."

When they got to the wing that had been assigned to the other two elves, Erinna halted, her hand going to her chest.

"What's wrong?" Vlad asked.

She shook her head trying to get rid of the heavy sense of death surrounding her. She could smell it and almost taste it. And not just any death but pain and torture. Whoever had died here had not done so peacefully.

Goosebumps broke over her skin and she thought she was going to be sick. The death was not recent, she would never have been able to come that close if it had been but still, the mark it had left on the wing had survived the cleansing of time.

"I can't go in," she shook her head.

Vlad frowned lightly, looking puzzled.

"Someone died here. Who put father and Mara in this wing?" she asked, empathy for them flooding her.

They would not have been able to sleep. It was hard for her to even breathe near the area.

Vlad raked his fingers through his hair as understanding dawned on him, "Alexander. I'm sorry, he must not have known."

"It's okay, where are they now?" She asked, trying to keep the worry and panic from her voice.

"Let me find out."

Vlad telepathically summoned the guard who had been assigned to the two elves, not for their protection but rather to make sure they stayed in line. He regretted the decision when Erinna backed away as soon as the guard appeared.

"You can stand there," he told the man so he wouldn't come close.

The man nodded and bowed his head in greeting to Erinna then to The Count.

"I'm looking for the two elves who are staying here," he said.

"They spent half of the night in the library my lord, said they had things to discuss. But they are having breakfast in the dining hall," the man explained.

"Thank you," Erinna smiled at the guard even though he probably could not see it through the veil.

She felt guilty for scurrying away from him like he had a contagious disease but he had been in the wing for too long and the air of the place now clung to him. It was that energy that had repelled her. He didn't seem to take it personally though because he just bowed and left.

"Are you alright?" Vlad asked when they were away from the radius of the contaminated wing.

"I'm fine. Who died in there?" She asked because she didn't want to straight out ask him: Who did you kill in there?

At her question, Vlad looked thoughtful for a moment then gave up, "I don't think I remember, I hardly go in there."

Erinna hadn't realized how much the answer meant to her until she heard her own sigh of relief. She knew it wouldn't have mattered even if he had been the one to kill the person because it was in his past and she had already forgiven him for it. But it still did not make it any easier to deal with.

The death had been so brutal and violent that the only thing missing to make the scene come to life were the screams. But there were so many vampires in the castle, one of them could have easily done it.

Vlad had mentioned his people were volatile and given to violence. It wouldn't be fair for her to attribute all the murders to him.

As they walked in the hallway, Erinna picked up a million different flavors of food. She guessed it was all being cooked in preparation for the feast because she had never smelt mortal food in Castello Dracula.

"Are humans coming?" she inquired.

"Yes, it's their celebration too."

She nodded. She would be lying if she said the idea of the feast didn't make her nervous. The last party she had been to with vampires had not ended so well.

They eventually got to the dining hall. Erinna had never seen the room and had to admire the architecture. The ceiling was high and hosted a lot of crystal chandeliers.

They twinkled with the lights from candles and swayed gently as the breeze lightly breathed on them. Shadows danced on the walls and gave an ethereal feeling to the room.

The windows were large and elaborate. If there was moonlight, it could have been seen spilling through but as it was, the stars sparkled and gave them a magnificent view of the sky.

Both Eric and Mara stood up when Erinna entered. She could feel her father running his eyes over her, trying to discreetly check if she was still in one piece. She smiled at his worry; it was endearing but hardly necessary.

"Princess," Mara bowed.

"Good morning Mara. How did you sleep?" she asked, hugging the other woman.

Mara just smiled but didn't reply. The shadows under her eyes were a good enough answer for how her night had been.

Elves never did well around death and even though Eric and Mara had fled the ominous wing, the castle itself had seen too much of it to be ignored. Most of it had been washed away with time and Erinna's cleansing presence but an average elf would still be able to feel it.

"I'm sorry about the wing. You should have told Alexander," she said.

But by the look on Mara's face, conversing with a vampire was not a much better fate than sleeping in a room that reeked of death.

They were interrupted by Leila who was happy to see Erinna. She smiled and congratulated both her and Vlad on their wedding. Erinna kissed the woman's cheek and Vlad merely grunted. It was not hard to see this was the last place he wanted to be.

"I'll bring you a plate so you can join your parents," Leila smiled and left.

Eric and Mara both went back to seat down and Erinna made to follow them but Vlad put his arm on her arm, drawing her back.

"I think we both agree I can leave now?"

"No breakfast for you?" she smiled.

"I don't eat human food."

"You used to be a human too," she said.

"Used being the key word Countess."

"Oh come on, just a bite. You won't even have to get a plate, you can eat from mine," she offered.

She did not want to be separated from him yet. It would happen eventually but not yet.

"There's something else I can eat if you'd just say goodbye to your father," he said and her cheeks heated up at the connotations of his words. The vampire had no shame.

"I'm going to pretend you meant an apple when you said that," she said, crossing her arms across her chest and lifting her chin.

"Peaches and vanilla not apple, that's what you taste like," he smirked and she shuffled on her feet to hide the sudden discomfit she was now in.

His words in their wickedness had sent heat right to her belly and other parts.

"You're impossible," she shook her head with a chuckle and twinkling eyes.

"And you're rude. Aren't you supposed to be having breakfast with your parents?"

"But you're the one w-" She stopped when she saw his laughing eyes.

She rolled her own and dragged him to the table, knowing that she was only able to do it because he allowed her to. Vlad would not be dragged to do anything he didn't want.

"I never had the chance, but I wanted to say thank you for what you did at the wedding, I know you didn't have to," Erinna said to Mara after she and Vlad had taken their positions on the long ceremonial table.

"We will always have our reservations about your choices," Mara said casting her eyes to Vlad pointedly, "But you deserve to be happy. If this is what you want then you have our support."

A weight felt like it had been lifted off Erinna's shoulders. She never wanted to be in a situation where she had to choose between her people and her mate.

"That does not mean I'm not watching you," Eric said to Vlad.

The Count shrugged to show he didn't care either way.

Leila arrived with Erinna's plate together with Alexander.

"Alexander!" She exclaimed, her whole face lighting up.

She was so happy to see him.

At her reaction, Alexander grinned and launched himself into her arms, ignoring Vlad who was glaring a crater into his head.

"Tiger, all hitched now huh?" he said looking at her mark.

She blushed and covered it with her hair.

"It's no use. You reek of him," he said, referring to Vlad's scent on her. Or rather in her.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping with the feast Alexander?" The Count asked in a low tight voice that was just shades away from becoming a growl.

"No, I'm all done with that," Alexander grinned, showing he was going nowhere.

"Maybe you can join us for breakfast?" Erinna suggested with a smile. She was not trying to annoy Vlad but his obvious jealousy was amusing.

"You read my mind," Alexander said and made to sit next to Erinna but suddenly the chair moved of its own accord. He grabbed the chair again and made to sit on it but one of its legs inexplicably shattered.

He cast the broken chair away and took another one but the same thing happened. They both turned to look at Vlad but his eyes were staring outside. Erinna was not buying it.

"Maybe you can sit at the head of the table?" Erinna suggested seeing if he continued they were going to end up with no chairs at all.

She expected Vlad to have an issue with Alexander sitting at the head of the table but apparently anything was better than the other vampire sitting next to her. She chuckled at his immaturity.

"Jealous much?" She asked him whilst her father and Mara were distracted by Alexander's greetings.

"I'm not jealous Countess. Jealousy is for the weak."

"Then what are you?"

"I'm possessive. Alexander should know his boundaries."

"You cannot possibly be angry about that? He is my friend, you know that."

His jaw clenched and he said nothing. By the sudden shift in his mood, Erinna knew without being told that there would be hell to pay. She had to apologize fast or at least make a plan.

"Your--- husband is not eating?" Mara asked hesitantly, not knowing what to call Vlad now.

You can ask him on your own you know, Erinna wanted to say but figured Mara must also have sensed The Count's mood.

"Vampires do not need to eat human food," she replied neutrally for she knew there would be no convincing Vlad to eat anymore now.

At her reply, Mara looked pointedly at Alexander who had a plate before him and was currently attacking a rare steak.

Erinna exited the conversation and left Alexander to explain the food issues. She turned to look at Vlad but he flat out ignored her even if she knew he could feel her glance on his face. Oh well, he could be a baby if he wanted.

She ignored him and turned back to her food, biting into a fresh carrot more harshly than it deserved. Conversation resumed and things normalized even though the host himself remained silent.

"We were hoping you would catch us before we left," Mara said to Erinna.

"You are not staying longer then?" She asked, hoping to coax them. It would be nice to have some people like her around, even for just a few days.

"We couldn't, there are a lot of things to do at home. We were not left unscathed by the war."

Erinna nodded in understanding. She took a glass of wine to wash down her food before she could speak. She took a large gulp but nearly spit it out when she a hand on her thigh under the table, dangerously close to the apex of her legs.

"Princess?" Her father asked.

"I'm fine," she choked out and took a deep breath.

They all looked at her weirdly but after being sure she was fine, they began talking again. The hand on her thigh began massaging her and as much as Erinna liked the feeling, it was not appropriate for the dining table.

Besides, she knew what Vlad was doing. He was going to make her uncomfortable as revenge for the whole Alexander issue.

She went back to her food but gasped as his hand crept further up. Her face heated up and her heart pounded in anticipation.

"You're alright, Countess?" Vlad asked her with a dark smile, his first words at the dining table.

She shot him a dirty glare and forced his hand away from her thighs.

"I'm just fine," she glared at him.

The others must have sensed the tension because Eric looked at her enquiringly. She forced herself to smile in reassurance. She picked her knife and began eating again.

"More wine?" Alexander asked her since she had emptied her glass.

"I think the Countess is capable of getting her own wine, Alexander," Vlad said in a neutral tone but Erinna was not fooled and neither was Alexander if the grin on his face was anything to go by.

Erinna wanted to tell him to stop, now was not the time to be riling Dracula up.

"Have you seen Alex?" She asked Vlad to take his mind off the issue but he merely shrugged, still not wanting to talk to her clearly.

Oh whatev-

Erinna was on this thought when she suddenly felt a hand on her thigh-under her dress.

'What are you doing?!' She said telepathically to Vlad.

'Eat your food, you're drawing attention to yourself.'

'Don't tell me what to do. Vlad get your hand off me right now!'

But he didn't and everyone was going to know what was happening if she kept squirming in her chair but she couldn't stop. His fingers attended to each and every nerve in her thighs. They stroked, they massaged, they pinched and they aroused.

Heat flooded her belly and her skin turned a rosy pink. Her excitement dripped out of her and it wouldn't be long before anyone smelt it. Maintaining her composure and a conversation was becoming hard and all because of one immature vampire.

"Erinna are you alright?" Mara asked her.

"I-I'm fine. Just give me a minute," she stammered and stumbled out of her chair, ignoring Alexander's knowing smile.

She headed for the closest room and shut herself inside, with her back against the door. She took deep haggard breaths, trying to calm herself down but before she could achieve that, the devil himself appeared right in front of her.

She gasped but did not get a chance to say anything as his mouth completely attacked her. She thought of pushing him away because of his earlier childishness but need for him was killing her. So she pushed herself against him, her mouth devouring his as much as his was devouring hers.

Their tongues clashed and danced. The bond fired up with the strength of their passion and desire. Vlad pushed her against the door so that the soft contours of her body her body were trapped between the hard wood and his hard body.

The feeling was exquisite, it was intoxicating. She pushed her hands into his hair, messing it up and tugging it. The action elicited a groan from him which set fire to the tips of her toes.

"More," she begged against his lips and he obliged her.

He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around him. His lips moved from her mouth and to her neck, sending fireworks to the area. He sucked on her mark and her body convulsed immediately in response. Seeking to get closer to him, her legs tightened around him.

A thousand jolts of pleasure shot through her and her whole body felt like it was melting, her brain going mindless with desire. She moaned helplessly, her hands moving to his shirt to tug it up.

She was almost done with the task when there was a single knock on the door. Erinna froze.

"Uhm guys- I can hear everything you know?" Alexander's voice said.

Erinna's face turned scarlet with mortification. She made to remove her legs from Vlad's waist but he prevented her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Didn't you hear what Alexander said? Everyone can hear us."

"So? It's my castle. He can get out if he's uncomfortable," he said and kissed her again.

Erinna kissed him back but she couldn't relax knowing there were vampires in the castle who could pick up every sound that left her mouth.

"Vlad, let's go back please," she begged him as he kissed her neck.

Even as her mouth tried to stop him, her body was arching to get closer to him.

At her words however, Vlad stopped immediately and drew him head back to look at her, his face resembling thunder. Oh lord, what had she done now?

"Alexander hearing you moan my name bothers you how exactly?" he asked.

"It's not that."

"Then what is it because there's not a single soul in this castle who doesn't know that you're my wife or that husbands and wives make love."

Now he was just making it worse. His race was openly and proudly sexual but that was not the way she had been raised and being intimate with him whilst other people listened in was not her cup of tea.

"Let's just go. I'm sorry about what happened at the table, it was a bad joke," she said in case he was doing this to get back to her.

He looked at her once the put her down muttering, "You're lucky you found me reformed."

"Are you angry at me?" She smiled.

"If I say I am will you make it up to me?"