Once Betrayed Never Forgotten

Chapter 18: Irresistible Stranger

My blood runs cold as I recognise the mysterious female. It’s Tatiana. The last time I saw her she was in a rabid state of bloodlust, about to sink her fangs into my neck at my mother’s wedding in California.

In contrast to that night, she is now the very picture of restrained poise and self control. Her presence is marked by an air of calculated elegance, her every movement a delicate dance of allure and command. Her pale blonde hair cascades in waves, each strand seeming to catch and shimmer in the light like the darkness of the night itself. There’s a fire in her gaze, a determination that sets her apart even in a room filled with those of her own kind.

Our eyes meet for a moment as Aleksandr and I dance, and a surge of tension courses between us. Her gaze is a cocktail of possessiveness and something darker, a thirst for power that simmers just beneath the surface.

I quickly avert my gaze. But even as I whirl around the dance floor, I can feel Tatiana’ssence

like a shadow cast upon me.

Aleksandr’s grip on my hand tightens, his presence a steadying force.

As the song reaches its crescendo, I can’t help but wonder what lies beneath Tatiana’s veneer of elegance and allure. Her dark eyes follow us, her lips curving into a knowing smile, a promise of challenges to come. The song ends, leaving the air heavy with anticipation. As the next melody begins, a current of excitement ripples through the room, guided by the entrance of a vampire whose presence demands attention. With dark golden blonde hair and hazel eyes, he stands out like a living beacon of allure. He’s wearing an elegant dark red velvet suit with a cravat, something that would look ridiculous on anyone else, but he pulls off with ease. If I didn’t know any better, I’d guess

ess he’s in his mid to late twenties, but he’s probably hundreds of years old like the rest of the guests surrounding us. Like all the others, he is insanely handsome, like a model or a movie star, but there’s something different about him… something edgy and unexpected.

My gaze flickers to Aleksandr, who tenses beside me, his jaw tightening. The stranger’s arrival doesn’t seem to have gone unnoticed by him, and a palpable tension hangs in the air.

The golden–haired vampire strides towards us, parting the crowd in his wake.

“May I have this dance?” His voice cuts through the murmurs of the crowd, surprising me with a rich Scottish accent. He extends his hand towards me, his eyes locking onto mine. There’s a magnetic pull in his gaze that renders me momentarily speechless. I notice something golden glinting on his lower lip, and it takes me a moment to realise it’s a lip ring. It’s so at odds with elegant, supernaturally tailored appearance – so mundane and human – that I struggle to suppress

th his

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Chapter 18: Irresistible Stranger

a sudden giggle.

Aleksandr’s grip on t

tightens for a moment.

“Kieran,” he acknowledges, his voice cool and reserved. “I didn’t think you’d attend. The Macinally clan hasn’t stepped foot within these halls for centuries.”

“Well, ye thought wrong,” he says to Aleksandr with a sly grin, before extending his hand out to me again.

Hesitating only for a moment, I place my hand in Kieran’s, allowing him to lead me away from Aleksandr’s protective grasp. As we move to the dance floor, Kieran’s touch is assured, his movements fluid and graceful. A polite smile curves his lips, his hazel eyes alight with a mixture of charm and intrigue.

As we dance, Kieran’s touch is confident and his movements seamless. The music swirls around us, guiding our steps in a hypnotic rhythm. His voice, with its Scottish lilt, matches the cadence of the melody as he begins the conversation.

“Ye have a captivatin‘ presence, Arianna,” Kieran smiles, extending his hand towards me with a confident smile. His gaze locks onto mine, and I find myself unable to look away, a magnetic pull between us.

“You know my name?” I ask, taken aback.

“O‘ course I do,” he says with a smile. “Everyone here knows who ye are. It’s not every day that we welcome a mortal into our midst.”

I force a smile, blushing slightly. “Yeah, I noticed. Everyone’s been staring at me like I’m a tasty slab of meat since I arrived. But it’s weird for me too. I never expected to find myself in a room full of vampires.”

“Aye, but life is full o‘ surprises, isn’t it?” Kieran chuckles, his hazel eyes twinkling. “And what’r impressions of our hosts, the illustrious Vasiliev family?”

“They’re… different from what I expected,” I confess, hesitating. “There’s an air of mystery and power that surrounds them.”

yer

Kieran nods knowingly. “The Vasilievs have endured for centuries, and with time comes a tapestry o‘ tales, some whispered and some hidden. But tell me lass, what about yer mortal life back home in America? Will ye be returnin‘ there after the ceremony, or will ye be stayin‘ on in the Castle o Endless Night?”

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Chapter 18 Inesistible Stranger

I’m taken aback by the question.

“I’m going back home to California, obviously,” I say. I didn’t even realise that staying here – maybe even becoming one of them was an option If I stayed here, at least I could stay with my mom… but if my little plan works later, maybe we won’t need to be separated after all.

I still have one final shot to persuade her not to go through with this madness.

“A penny for ye thoughts?” He murmurs, obviously noticing that I’m distracted and lost deep in thought.

“I’m just thinking about California,” I lie, and then he proceeds to pepper me with numerous enthusiastic questions about my life back home.

As Kieran’s charm envelops me, his hazel eyes locking onto mine, I’m surprised by how at ease I am in his presence. I’ve only known him a few minutes, but his charisma instantly draws me in, making my heart race in a different way from Aleksandr’s presence. Perhaps it’s the fact that he deceptively appears

rs around my own age, just a few years older, mid twenties at most I feel

like I

feel instantly at ease. With every graceful turn and whispered word, I find myself lost in the whirlwind of the dance.

Kieran’s dark golden blonde hair sweeps across his forehead as he moves, each strand catching the light and creating a halo of shimmering brilliance. His tailored suit, an intricate masterpiece of deep crimson, fits him like a second skin, accentuating his lean yet muscular form. The suit’s dark shade of red shifts and shimmers in the light, a rich and intoxicating allure that makes it impossible to look away.

The dance continues, a whirl of movement and conversation that sweeps me up in its wake. As the room buzzes with excitement and tension, Kieran’s charm begins to erode my reservations, the allure of his presence stirring emotions I hadn’t expected.

Meanwhile, Tatiana approaches Aleksandr, her expression a mixture of determination and allure. I sneak a glance at him and I see that his cold blue eyes are boring into the back of Kieran’s skull, filled with icy rage. Tatiana extends her hand to Aleksandr, and after a moment’s hesitation, he accepts it, and they begin to dance. The tension between them is palpable, a silent battle of wills that simmers beneath the surface.

Amidst the dance and the mingling, Anya steps forward, commanding the attention of the room. Her presence exudes authority, her words resonating through the space. She welcomes the guests, her voice like velvet laced with steel as she speaks of unity and the legacy of their kind.

“We gather under the crimson moon to celebrate not only our history but our future,” Anya’s voice rings out, her words a symphony of power and poise. “In the coming moments, as the moon casts

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Chapter 18: Irresistible Stranger

its scarlet glow upon us, remember the strength of our bloodline and the unbreakable bonds that tie us together.”

The anticipation in the room is palpable, an electric charge that courses through the air like lightning. Anya’s speech, though veiled in mystery, hints at the impending ceremony, and the atmosphere is charged with both excitement and apprehension.

As her words fade, a hushed silence descends upon the room, a stillness that’s both eerie and electrifying.

The room holds its breath, time seeming to slow as we all stand on the precipice of something unknown. The red moon’s light bathes us in its eerie radiance, and for a moment, the world feels suspended in anticipation.

And then, just as the tension reaches its zenith, a deafening rumble fills the air. The very foundations of the castle tremble beneath our feet, the ground shaking with a force that threatens to upend everything. My heart races, panic seizing me as the room itself seems to protest against the turmoil.

Oh my god… an earthquake?!

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