Mysterious Mate

Behind the walls of the ancient Maltos Castle, a unique scent of roses and blood coated the air. The room could be described as a black paradise, with black painted walls and thick striped curtains. 

A huge four-poster bed lay in the middle, the black curtain sheets stretched, wrinkled by the entangled bodies hidden beneath them. 

The ethereal beauty sprawled on the bed, with the arms of her lover, wrapped around her delicate body. 

“You smell nice,” he whispered lazily. 

Her eyes flickered open with a low hum. From the stunning glow in the scarlet eyes, one could tell she was still immersed in the afterglow of sex.

“I always smell nice.” 

The deep rumble from his chest made her look up. The laughter of her lover always found a way to make her heart tingle. 

“You have always been so cocky, my Queen and I must confess it suits you,” he flicked her nose. 

The Vampire Queen giggled, adjusting the sheets to hide her body. Lenhandro held down the sheets. He loved the way her pale flawless skin shone with a faint lustre under the candlelight. 

They had been lovers for almost a decade, and now was the perfect time to give her the one thing he'd always wanted. 

His arms slid down her back. 

“Is that you asking for another round?” She teased. Flipping her over, he leaned in seductively.

“There's something I've always wanted to give you…” he whispered into her ears. 

“What is that?” Xenra asked eagerly. He palmed her face tenderly. 

“Do you trust me?” 

“With my life,” she answered in a heartbeat. He planted a soft tender on her cold lips as his fingers trailed down to her neck then her chest.

“I knew you would say that. Which is why…” he pushed the finger into her chest and a strangled gasp escaped her lips. “I've always wanted to give you a quick painless death.” 

Several emotions flashed through her eyes at the same time. From shock to confusion to hurt. 

“Lenhandro,” the name fell off her quivering lips. “Why…?” 

“You will not understand, love,” he pushed her hair back to get a proper look at her beautiful face. “There are things a lot more complicated than just feelings, and love, but I don't expect you to understand that.”

Blood flowed from her mouth, but she struggled to stay calm. Moving with a finger buried deep in her chest would only trigger the pain. 

She couldn't handle both at once. 

“Why betray me?” Cold tears rolled down her cheeks. “I loved you.” 

“And I love you too, my Queen but like I said, some things are greater than love. Like the thrilling taste of fresh blood, the cries, the struggle to hold on to life. Don't you ever miss that Your Highness? Watching them go still in your grasp, draining every form of life in them, tasting the chills of death engulf them?” Lenhandro asked.

Angry tears rolled down her cheeks. He pushed the finger deeper until it pierced through her heart. 

“Do not ignore me, your highness. Are you not sick of kindness? Drinking disgusting animal blood when these sweet-smelling humans parade around us, making a joke of our existence! I am sick of this benevolent rule! You are too weak to lead our people to greatness. We need to regain our former glory. Go on a killing spree, burst those blood vessels with our fangs, and subdue them! Make them tremble before us, my love.”

Xenra was stunned at how softly he vomited those vile words to her. The fact that he still gazing at her affectionately while digging into her heart was simply outrageous.

“You are delusional! You will never succeed. I will surely get my revenge. You will pay for this insolence! I will tear you to pieces and feed your body to the vultures!” Xenra spat. 

“Don't yell, love. This might hurt more than it should,” he sneered. 

Before she could process his words, the other fingers penetrated her chest, grabbing her heart. He ripped out the cold immortal heart from her chest and a prolonged gasp escaped her lips.

Blood streamed down her body in torrents, soaking the black sheets. Casting the heart aside, he lifted her dying body from the sheets and headed to the window.

As the moon rays hit her fading vision, she prayed, “I don't know if you can hear me, moon goddess, but I hope just this once, you cast our enmity aside and give me the chance to be reborn.”

At this moment, the dazzling full moon suddenly emitted a blinding white light just as her vision faded away. 

Her eyes opened to an unfamiliar environment. She didn't get the chance to adapt as her senses picked up the weight pressing against her body. 

A wave of disgust hit her as the haggard-looking being latched unto her, struggling to suck her blood. 

Xendra shoved him off her with minimal effort and he hit the ground with a small thud. He looked like a miserable sack of bones. Before he had the chance to react, she pressed her hand against his mouth and snapped his neck in one move. 

The audacity of the imbecile to try sucking her blood! Didn't he know it was suicide attempting to drain a vampire Queen?

Stepping over him, she walked to a door which happened to lead to a bathroom. She tore the blood-sucking device on her neck. It was fang-like and probably attached to their teeth by their masters. 

Blood gushed out from her neck and annoyance seeped through her. She was tired of bleeding!

She expected the wound to heal up immediately but she could still feel the blood trickling down her neck.  

Something was out of place. A vampire's blood was supposed to be cold so why the hell was the blood in her hand warm?

Her gaze shifted to the mirror. Disbelief stained her eyes. Sure, the person in the mirror had similar features, but it definitely wasn't her. She wasn't this hideous.

She was prettier, more curly, pale, and certainly not so… fat! Was this some sort of joke? 

It was in that moment that her hazy mind cleared and earlier events of the night replayed in her head. 

With the moonlight as the last scene in her memory, Xenra let out a scoff.

So the moon goddess did answer her prayers. Not because she took pity on her situation or wanted to grant her sincere request, but as an opportunity to make her own joke. 

Xenra glared at the mirror. She should have known that the goddess wouldn't completely put their enmity aside. 

Why else would she let her be reborn as a different creature? A hideous one at that!