The Bell of Freedom (King and human romance)✔

Chapter Ten

I have no idea what to wear to a gathering like this so I pick several long-sleeve outfits out and lay them across the bed. I choose the thin, black lace shirt because it looks the most comfortable. I wear black pants and black boots that have gemstones in them. My entire outfit is black and I hope that will help make me more invisible.

I leave Cain's shirt out in case he wants to take it with him, though it wasn't exactly a great concern of his. The events of this morning feel like a lifetime ago now. Being pinned against that mattress in my underwear with the creature's body trembling as he fed from me, the fear leaking from my skin in high doses of sweat. The agonizing torture that he inflicted upon me without giving me the right to scream it out. I've always been careful about not touching a creature in the past, but now I am obsessed with it.

It's exactly six when Cain walks through the door. I rise up from the bed uneasily, he glances over me and a small smile spreads across his lips. He doesn't dress any differently, just wears a usual black shirt with dark blue jeans.

"You look nice," he says.

"Thanks."

"They're waiting for me. Are you ready?"

I want to shake my head and tell him that I'm not going, that I'll remain here, but I'm so desperate to get out of this room that I can't bring myself to stay. I've spent the entire afternoon trying to teach myself how to plait my wavy black hair, and I finally perfected it. The plaited braid is tied at the bottom tightly and I can feel it resting on my spine. I convince myself that because I've endured so long of doing it that it would be a waste not to go, which is the most ridiculous reason I can think of.

"What kind of gathering is this?" I ask.

"It's a dinner party," he says. "It might alarm you at first but you'll get used to it."

That unsettles me, but I don't question it further. Christian told me this morning that they bring their humans along and I can't imagine that they'd do that unless their intent was to feed together.

"I know your dinner is usually at seven so I've had the slaves prepare your meal ready for when you arrive," he says as I follow him out the door.

"Won't the others find that strange?"

"This is my palace, Aurora, if they do then they won't comment on it."

Every hallway we walk down is empty, as though he's cleared the entire floor of the guards. I wouldn't put it past him. As we reach the staircase that I remember from my first day, I suddenly realize that he's cleared the entire palace of the guards. I only see humans walking around. Some are cleaning the floor, others the windows, while some are walking in pairs, laughing together.

"They are so much happier when the guards are not here," Cain says.

"I don't blame them. Where are they?"

"Outside. I'll signal them if there's trouble, but I can handle it by myself."

"You did that because of me?" I say.

He nods. "I don't need to explain why."

He turns left and leads me through a set of double, oak doors. The moment I enter, I freeze in place as a dozen red eyes stare at me. The dining room is large, but their bodies make it look tiny. They are scattered out among the chairs with their human girls in their laps. They are cradling them like parents cradled their children. The girls are silent as their owners feed from them and the creatures talk over them as though they are not even there. I've never seen anything like this and I don't think I can handle it. Cain notices my hesitation and he clears his throat, pointing down to the head of the table, to where two chairs are positioned, a small distance from each other.