Noah was in an empty classroom, looking towards the window which let rays of the setting sun fall on Raine who was standing before it, her back facing him.
They had both had been quiet for a few minutes now, mostly because Noah was busy rearranging his thoughts.
"When did you become a vampire?" Raine broke the silence first as she turned around, lookin directly at him.
Every bit of playfulness in her tone earlier was completely gone as she now had a dark look on her face, one that sent shivers down his spine.
"Two or maybe three days ago," Noah honestly said as he took a seat on one of the desks before asking, "how did you know what I was?"
Instead of a reply, Raine's frown got darker as she walked closer to him and bent down a bit, her nose scrunching up a bit, a reaction Noah found cute, but wouldn't dare say out loud in this moment.
"Who did it?" She asked.
He had a feeling that he definitely shouldn't say anything about Antoinette else something bad might happen… and by something bad, it meant Raine might suddenly want to meet her.
"The details are a bit fuzzy, but–" before his words could be completed, a sound interrupted.
CRACK!
Raine immediately went on guard, quickly turning toward the sound.
Just behind them, cracks were appearing mid air, literally.
She let out a low growl as she watched the crack got larger and larger, before cold mist started leaking from within.
"Um Raine, you might want to–" Noah didn't get to finish his words when a voice suddenly interrupted.
"What's this?" The voice sounded feminine, and very familiar….well at least to Noah anyway, "I leave my darling's side for a few hours and a wet dog's already hanging around him?"
A clink was heard as a foot stepped out of the crack, followed by its owner's entire body.
Standing before Raine was a woman with pale skin, long white hair and red eyes.
She was beautiful no doubt, but she was also undoubtedly,
"A fucking mosquito."
Well, I was going to say vampire but, whatever works….
"What did you just call me, wet dog?" Antoinette said as she turned to Raine with a smile on her face, that wasn't quite a smile.
"A fucking blood sucking mosq–" Raine repeated but before she could complete her words, Antoinette suddenly spoke again.
"Marion, stop."
Raine was a bit confused until she noticed red strings around her, some drawing dangerously close to her neck.
"As you wish Lady Antoinette."
A woman both Noah and Raine hadn't noticed earlier walked from behind Antoinette and the red strings receded.
Noah let out a sigh, stood up and asked, "I thought you said you had something to do."
"About that," Antoinette muttered with a smile as she walked closer to Noah, "I sensed the target close to here and I had to make sure my darling was alright."
Raine watched this with a shocked expression, her brain taking couple of minutes to process that a vampire was standing so close to…. No, hugging and calling HER Noah 'darling'.
"Hold the fuck up," she finally recovered, turning to Noah, "who the hell is she? And why is she calling you darling?"
Well, this was exactly what Noah was trying to avoid, making Raine mad, and judging by he currently colorful vocabulary….. what he wanted to avoid had already happened.
Maybe he could diffuse the situation a bit?
"She's –"
"I'm his wife."
Yeah, there was no saving it now, was there?
***
It took a while, but Noah had somehow finally managed to calm Raine down and they were all now seated in an empty classroom.
"Tea?" Marion offered and Noah unconsciously accepted the cup before he realized it.
The sun had already fully set meaning that most, or all the students had already left.
"So let me get this straight," Raine said as he looked between the two, "you got drunk, walked into an alleyway, stumbled upon a vampire who almost sucked you dry and somehow, you two got bonded and you became a vampire?"
"Pretty much," Noah took a sip of the tea before his brows raised and he turned to Marion, "this is good."
"I'm glad to hear, Lord Noah," She replied with a small bow, "Lady Antoinette allowed me some of her blood to prepare the tea for you."
"I see," Noah nodded before turning back to Raine who was still processing all she had heard.
"Is there a way to undo it?" Raine calmly asked.
"Hmm?" Antoinette asked.
"Noah is supposed to be MY mate," Raine said, "I was supposed to turn
him after graduation. So I'm asking, can this bond be undone?"
The classroom immediately fell silent….though it wasn't loud in the first place.
Antoinette slowly set her teacup down, the soft clink echoing far louder than it should have.
Then she smiled.
It was calm and elegant smile, but everything about it screamed danger.
"Undo it?" Antoinette repeated softly, tilting her head as if she'd just been asked something amusing. "Why would I ever do that?"
Raine's eyes narrowed. "Because you took something that wasn't yours."
Noah winced internally, Here we go.
Antoinette's red eyes flickered, just for a moment, and the temperature in the room dropped another degree.
"Careful, pup," she said pleasantly. "You're speaking about my husband."
"Stop fucking calling him that," Raine said before sighing and calming herself down, knowing that anger wasn't going to help in anyway.
"How about a deal?" She said after a short while, "we'll have a battle on the next full moon, if I win you release him."
"And why would I accept a deal that benefits me in no way?" Antoinette asked with amusement in her tone.
"Because then, you'll just prove that you're afraid of losing to a wolf," Raine replied, "after that you'll lose what wasn't yours in the first place."
Antoinette let out a soft chuckle, one hand rising to cover her lips. "Oh my," she murmured. "You're bold. I'll give you that."
She stepped closer, her heels clicking against the classroom floor, "but you misunderstand something, little wolf."
She leaned down until they were eye to eye.
"I don't need to fight you to keep him."
Raine didn't flinch, nor did she back down, "then fight me anyway."
Antoinette straightened slowly.
"Alright the, we duel on the full moon," she repeated thoughtfully, "winner decides Noah's fate."
Noah opened his mouth,"do I get a say in –"
"Hush, darling," Antoinette turned to him with a smile, "
With that, she turned around, Marion also straightening herself.
"Alright then," She muttered, "I've got work to do."
Antoinette then turned to Noah and said with a smile, "don't stay out too late, darling."
With that, the two vampires walked out the classroom…. Through the window, and the next thing Noah and Raine saw were two bats flying towards the moon.
Noah then turned to Raine and asked, "shall we head home?"