Life Debts: Nikolai

Chapter Three, Life Debts : Nikolai

---

“Would you like a hand cupcake?” I ask with a smile, making the rest turn to me.

“I just want to be left alone!” The flush of her face when she was finally given a second to breathe brought those large and quickly welling eyes to me with the sobbing accusatory cry. “I hate this world,” over the taller backed seats I could still see her trying to shrink into herself.

With all attention on me, she was able to pull her knees to her chest beneath the over sized sweat shirt.

Man, I’m a dick. I internally grimace for not acting sooner as the poor thing looks like a lost little girl trying to hide from a harsh reality. “Alright, alright.” I move again, taking a seat next to her shooing the rest back with the wave of my hand.

“We’ve made the kid cry,” a sigh escapes my lips as I moved to extend my long arm over the back of her seat. Her adorable if not dirty face looks up at me in surprise, and she pulls herself further still into the corner of the armless seat and wood trimmed window.

“Play time is over,” I declare, looking at her in a more reassuring tone, rather than a chastisement directed at the others.

“But this is the best part,” the green hair lengthened his fangs, looking to the McDougan for support as she continued attempting to muffle her little sobs glancing between him and me through a blur of tears. Unsure if she should still be scared or could be relieved.

“No that would be the screaming,” McDougan teases.

“The potential has not given her permission to be sucked. So you boys can put those away.” My voice had turned firm, which is not really my nature, but the more upset she gets the more pissed I am. “The child also doesn’t owe any of you idiots a life debt.”

It was my initial plan and theirs no doubt.

Save the life of a potential, and they generally feel they have no choice but to return the favor as an unspoken rule. “That now belongs to yours truly,” I add in my usual charming and relaxed tone with a debonair smile, trying to put her at ease.

Her purple eyes finally return to mine with another audible gulp. “I do not,” her surprise at the insinuation overrides her fear, if only for a split second.

“Cupcake, you are not making this very easy,” I frown, letting her know the trouble she’s in. Or would be if I weren’t here to spare her.

I can’t truly believe that any of the morons were stupid enough to kill her. They’re all hoping for the same thing I am, an exchange of contract.

I was hoping that my chivalrous display might warm her up a bit and make her consider coming home with me, but I knew deep down I would do whatever it took to stop her crying.

I am King, but that wasn’t entirely why either. Tears are a thing for me. I can’t abide a female crying. Just shouldn’t happen. Screaming yes. Whimpering most definitely for mature adults that is. Not tears, not actual heart tugging tears like hers.

A sentiment none of them seem to share with one the little shitheads trying to grab her from behind me. Easily remedied with me snapping his neck.

Me protecting her only increases their interest and her distress. Now that I’ve made it an actual challenge for them, I can practically see their minds spinning with ways to get around me and to their intended feed.

Blinking between me, them and the vamp I just downed, I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes quite as large as the ones batting up at me. “I’m sorry I can’t give you anything.” I watch her pull her knees close to her chest. Innocent. Torn. Lost.

“I really don’t want to cause trouble. I’m sorry. I’ve just............ I’ve been looking for a family for ten years........” she says chewing her lips nervously. Her heart picking up again before turning that severe pout back to me.

There is only so much fricken cute I can take.

Scared or not, dirty or not, kid or not, she had the biggest lavender eyes and most convincing kitten pout I’d ever seen. “Ugh, Hail is going to kill me,” here I had the perfect opportunity to secure a position my twin had been bitching about for the last six months.

It was no secret that we couldn’t keep servants. Mostly due to my brother’s insane standards in hiring or keeping permanent staff. Anyone worth their salt or with any experience understood that my brother was impossible to please.

Cupcake was a kid, but even so she showed a lot of character. It was not something I wanted to give up, but in the same moment I knew I couldn’t deny her. I was about to just hand her over to whatever callous moron left her.

“You heard the lady,” I looked back to them with a rumbling sigh. “She’s going to her assigned family, period.” With that decided, I settle back in my chair for the remainder of the trip. So caught by the hope illuminating her eyes, that I miss the VonTassel kid moving to pull the cupcake from beneath the seat.

Her yelp filling the cabin, had me grabbing air, and the retard proving why his clan was every bit as respected as the McDougans. Their speed, lightning fast if not legendary, leaving me to growl from my seat as he holds the kid at the front of the aisle.

“Your blood or your life?” The changed vamp hisses in her ear before making a sloppy lick at her vein.

“NEVER!” Her scream comes with a full body flail as he holds her off the ground by the hair. I know I have to move before the others get their wits about them, but him dropping her on the metal……

Her blood hits the air the second she lands on the unforgiving material rather than the carpet lining it. All of them get the same sugar sweet hit I do, with her on her hands and knees.

It’s only the glint of a silver chain around her neck that catches my eye.

Otherwise, I’d be gauging their transformation and how much time I had to get her from one car to the next.

Unfortunately for Hail, there really is no avoiding bloodshed as VonTassel moves to lick her injuries.

He’s dead, and will be gone before he even registers I’m ripping his heart from his chest.

The chain around her neck tells me exactly who her house is.

What asshole had her sign a contract and let her travel alone.

The fucking dill hole who refused to book me a flight and didn’t tell me shit about contracting a new servant. I can only assume this was Hail’s passive-aggressive way of punishing me and giving the cupcake protection because it’s my house sigil on the crest around her neck.

Not my clan, Dracule, but house Vlademyre’s brand in the silver metal plate. One Hail didn’t bother to have her leave out to avoid this situation.

Ally, enemy, kid. Doesn’t really matter at this point because all of them harassed someone under my protection.

The immediate jump back as his heart lands with his body, comes with stark recognition as I lift our new servant into my arms.

At least from them.

Cupcake, on the other hand, has no clue what just happened.

---