I'm still not good at combat, I admit that. However, in a life-or-death situation, adrenaline was present. With one breath, with no hesitation, I swung my improvised weapon. I blocked the incoming force and fought back, where I began to feel it. I could feel my body release energies that had been sleeping and daring it to move. Each swing might not be solid or flowing smoothly like any real fighter, but each was fast, precise, and fatal. It caused a broken roar from a rogue as it died in my hands, but it alarmed three rogues and charged at me, too.
I don't know what's gotten into me. I should be terrified and hiding, but the heat and adrenaline were perfectly undeniable, and somehow, I found it exciting. "This is fun."
The corner of my lips curved up, and with two improvised weapons in my hands that felt sharp, I moved with an unpredictable speed. I fought them like a lethal whirlwind passing by, leaving either fatal deep wounds or dicing them into parts. Then it's done.
I stood still, grinning like a maniac, but totally blank. I feel nothing, not even the stain bathing me or how the three rogues died into parts beneath my feet. I was disoriented as soon as the adrenaline passed and I jolted. My mind reminded me how I brutally kill the rogues without remorse, making me drop the bloody sticks and tremble from the sight of blood on my hands.
"No... no... please, no..." Slowly, I turned around, panicked, and frightened, but seeing their horrified faces, it was not helping at all. "I…I didn't mean to...I just..." I mumbled, trying to save myself from being humiliated for something I could not defend myself from. My knees weakened, and I was about to fall when a familiar pair of arms wrapped around me protectively. I finally gasped for air that I didn't realize that I was holding. I started apologizing in her arms, trembling and crying, "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"
"Don't apologize for something that keeps you alive." Softly, Mirxalyn coldly whispered, making me jolt a second, but quickly melted in her arms, crying more, snuggling even as if she became my life force. "I'm here. I got you."
I'm shaken up. She was still annoying in some ways, but I like the sound of it, and then, I passed out.
***
I don't know what happened next, but I could feel my body sweating and trembling because of my recurring dream. However, one part was deeply engraved. It was a part where Sage stood hypnotized in the most terrifying prison chamber, where a mysterious vampire lady was held captive. The vampire lady was bound with magical and moving chains, preventing her from unleashing danger, sealing her for an unknown time. But Sage's fateful presence in the prison, their soft lips touched, fully awakened the vampire lady from her slumber, igniting their love fatefully theirs.
And me, I need air.
I gasped, and my eyes jerked up, waking me from my recurring dream. I sat up quickly, which was a bad idea. My head spun a little, but waking up in a massive and unfamiliar bedroom, definitely not mine, got me confused.
"Where am I?" I wondered softly, ignoring my aching head.
"Our room." A cold and firm voice softly answered, making me frown, looking around at how majestic the room was. It was triple the size of my room back in the pack, and a king-size bed at the center was comfy enough to put me at ease in my sleep. Then my wife, Mirxalyn, appeared, sitting beside me, asking, "Feel better?"
"What happened? Why am I here?" I asked despite the nervousness creeping out under my skin, making her grab my hand on my lap, and caressed them gently. It was a small gesture, but it's working. It's calming me.
"Before I answer, tell me first what you remember," Mirxalyn said coldly, but there was gentleness at the edge of her tone. I sighed, trying to remember what I could.
"We got married. Everyone is having fun at the reception, and so you're annoying." I answered carefully, but mentioning my annoyance with her, Mirxalyn arched her eyebrow and didn't say anything. I'm thankful for that. Then, I continued, narrowing my eyes, "We danced and later had a moment with the others when rogues happened. They attacked us, and then, I collapsed for some reason..." I tried recalling the hazy part, and the more I did, the more I felt terrible; my hands started to shake, and bloody images began flashing, reminding me of what I had committed. I gasped, whispering with fright, "I…oh my God…my hands…filled with blood…I…"
"Sshh, calm down." She hushed softly, squeezing my hands before adding calmly, "It's your survival instinct."
"My what?" I asked, frowning since I'm unsure of what I just heard.
"Facing danger and the desire to survive awakened your survival instinct, making you block out in the process since you haven't faced anything like that before." She coldly answered, making me look at her hands, not leaving mine.
"Oh, please…I've been worse." I scoffed, not believing her, but a part of me does.
"I know, but not the will to survive." She said, pulling her hands away from mine before asking carefully but sharply, "Tell me, what made you fight back? What made you want to live once more?"
"You…" that response caught in my throat, and I didn't say anything. It's not that I'm speechless or could not remember what I felt there, it was embarrassing admitting it because we just met and got married a few hours ago. So, instead of answering, I changed the subject, asking her again, "Why am I here?"
Mirxalyn's eyes narrowed, noticing I didn't want to answer her question, but was kind enough not to insist and just answered me, saying coldly, "You'll be sleeping here from now on, with me."
"Right, we're married." I sarcastically responded, trying to hide my heated cheeks, making her clench her jaw. But she surprised me when she kneeled and gently held my hands on my lap again, squeezing comfort in them.
Honestly, I blushed, caught off guard by her sudden gesture. But Mirxalyn and her stoic expression were stating differently, commanding, and showing no expectation, which twisted a knot in me. I know I shouldn't expect things in this marriage and must honor my words that I mentioned to her earlier, but I'm torn. She's making me torn due to her gentleness, protectiveness, and possessiveness, and then later became cold and distant in just one click. She's hard to read. Hard to predict, but made me curious about the cause of it.
"Mirxa…" I muttered her name softly than I intended, making her jaw tighten as if bracing herself from speaking her truth. It's making me nervous.
"Bernila, our marriage might be sudden to you, but not to me." Mirxalyn said coldly, confusing me, and before I could ask, she continued, saying, "Everything I own, me, is all yours." Her words held warmth and truth that could poke my heart, making me slightly melt in the process. "You can do whatever you want, but don't go to my office without my permission."
"Why? What's inside your office that you don't want me to know?" I carefully wondered, not meeting her eyes again. Her presence still intimidates me.
She lifted my chin, pulling me to meet her stern gaze before answering, "It's not that I don't want you to know. It's about being ready to learn them, and right now, you're not there yet. Are we clear?"
Something in me didn't like how her tone sounded demanding, making me stare back without cowering. I nodded, but I felt annoyed. "Anything else you want to add to your rule?"
Mirxalyn's jaw clenched before sighing, "There are no rules forbidding you around here, Bernila." Her voice softened, making me flinch at the way she mentioned my name. It was soft and warm, tickling my heart more than I ever felt before. And her faint smile, oh, God, her smile was sweet and twisting my annoyance into a desire to see it often. Then she continued, saying, "All I'm saying is ask permission since every corner of the main manor is filled with danger, which you're not ready for on entering."
I was taken aback, but I can't deny that I'm drawn to her, bothered by her shifting swings, making me ask gently, "Why act like this?"
"Like what?" She asked, tilting her head on the side, thinking adorably.
"Damn, this woman. She's giving me a heart problem from being adorable right now." I whined deeply in my head before replying curiously about her mood swings, "You care and warm."
With her signature jaw clenching, she looked away before sighing and giving me a fair answer, "You're my wife. It's given. So, don't ask."
And there she goes again, putting on her cold façade, hiding her caring heart. However, somehow I understood her. We both carry something, and yet, here we are, feeling the pull that we didn't dare say personally.
"I get it, but what I don't get is why me?" I said sadly before adding, "I mean, I'm not good for you and…"
I could barely finish my words when she started glaring at me, cutting me off from finishing my words. And there, I saw the fire in her eyes, furious but hurt. Then she said firmly, cold. "You don't get to tell which is good for me or not. I didn't just marry you because of the Knightrose mark or to save you from your misery. I agreed to this marriage because I knew you were mine. I don't see your physical attributes as a hindrance to it. I only see strength and power that you can't even look inside you." I'm speechless. I didn't realize that's how she sees me, and I hurt her. She sighed, calming herself and ending our conversation softly, "Rest more. I'll see you tonight. I have some work to do."
Hearing her softness and attempting to move away, by instinct, my body moved on its own. I quickly grabbed her wrist, and surprisingly, my mouth ran before I could even think, asking hopefully. "Can't you leave it for tomorrow and stay here with me?"
That question hung heavy between us as we stared at each other, searching for clarification until my cheeks heated up. Realizing my words' meaning, I looked down and let go of her wrist, feeling embarrassed again. Never in my entire life have I hoped for the earth to swallow me whole at this moment. I'm freaking embarrassed where I do get those words from.
"Ahm, we're married and our first night...ah, shit, what I'm mumbling about..." I tried to save myself, but I made it worse. I sounded desperate, reminding her about our first night as newlyweds. So, I corrected myself, stuttering, mumbling fast like how my heart rate increased, "D-don't mind my question or my mumbling. I - this is so embarrassing…why did you say that, you idiot?"
It didn't do me justice, so I kept my head down, fumbling my fingers over the sheets. However, I felt her gentle hand lift my chin and meet her wondering gaze. Immediately, it calmed me down.
"You want me to stay with you?" She asked carefully as if it were the most sensitive question she ever asked.
"D-don't make me repeat it, I'm already embarrassed," I replied honestly, trying to mask the blush on my cheeks, but that's impossible because our eyes were still fixated on each other until her smugness ruined it.
"I like it when you stutter and are embarrassed in front of me." With her smug smirk, she admitted. I shivered, but was truly annoyed.
I instinctively slapped her hand away from my chin, glaring. But when she laughed, even a little, it was enough to find myself captivated, and I am doomed. My heart was already hers, and before I could change the mood between us, she captured my lips. She possessively reminded me who I belonged to. I can't deny that her kisses were melting me, and before I could push her away and stop wanting more, she already did.
We're panting as our temples rested against each other when Mirxalyn's hoarse voice started whispering gently, "I'm yours, and you're mine. Everything about you is mine. I can take all of it."
I was about to say something to counter it, but she's a vampire and just vanished before I could even dare to open my mouth. I know I'm married to a fearsome, ruthless, and bloody conqueror vampire queen, but damn, nobody informed me how annoying my wife could be.
I sighed in defeat, praying, "Oh God, please save me throughout this marriage with my irksome wife."