SWNOVELS Chapter 61
Chapter 61
HENRIETTA
The air seemed to grow colder with each passing moment, a stark contrast to the sweltering heat outside. I remained seated on my bed, my gaze fixed on the world beyond my window. Life carried on for others while ! grappled with the profound changes thrust upon me.
The doors of my chamber were not locked. Rather, Guinevere had placed a spell that confines me within the walls of my chamber. It was better than the ropes that offered no guarantee to restrain me.
I know Guinevere had no reason to lie. She would not gain anything from me by lying. The words she told me about our family started to sink into my gut, weighing heavily with every passing second.
I have always been a vampire. It was just lying dormant inside me, triggered by the unfortunate circumstance that I killed a vampire. As I thought about it, I could not help but think how unfair it was. I slayed a vampire to protect myself only to become one myself. Yet, I fought against the hunger stirring within me, resisting the urge to succumb to my primal instincts.
A voice shattered the silence, pulling me from my thoughts. Andreas stood in the doorway, his presence both unsettling and familiar.
“It will only get harder the more you resist it,” said a voice from the doorway. I turned to see Andreas, leaning on the door frame. As usual, I could not read the expression on his face. When I did not say anything he stepped inside my chamber.
As he drew nearer, I recoiled, haunted by memories of my recent violence. His proximity, however, only intensified the relentless hunger gnawing at my insides.
“Please don’t come closer,” I said, averting my gaze.
“Why? Are you worried what happened yesterday would happen again?” He chuckled, making me look at him.
“It is no laughing matter. I might do it again–
Before I could even continue what I was about to say, something sharp pointed under my chin, making me gasp. I looked at him who was suddenly standing next to my bed, his sharp nails out.
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“Has my wife forgotten that I am the strongest warrior of Veridia?” Andreas asserted, his tone carrying a hint of wry amusement. “Rest assured, my dear, you needn’t worry about causing me harm.”
With a graceful withdrawal, he retracted his hand, his apology punctuated by a subtle shift in demeanor. “Forgive me. That was merely to show you how I am still stronger than you so you wouldn’t need to worry.”
I did not say anything. I could feel him scanning me, surveying me, and I know he could also see the changes. It’s been days since I last ate. Even as I eat normal food, it couldn’t fill me up. There was still the gnawing hunger that kept on tugging on my very being, urging me to do the thing I dreaded to do. I refused to think about blood but the more I do so, the more the hunger persisted.
“This thing about refusing your own lineage– being a vampire– will only do you more harm than good.”
“I think I am perfectly fine with not biting anyone for the sake of fulfilling my hunger.”
He went silent for a moment and then sighed. “Do you think that’s what most vampires do?”
“Do they not?”
He smiled. “You’d be quite surprised.”
“And what do you know? Stop trying to convince me that everything is alright. This is not alright!”
“Why are you trying so hard to deny who you truly are?”
I looked at him as I hinted at the sadness in his voice. But perhaps it was just my imagination.
I was silent for a while, thinking about the gravity of his qu
question.
“Because if I were to accept what Guinevere has told me… it would shatter the very foundation of my identity. Everything I’ve believed about myself, my father, my entire existence-it would all crumble into dust. Do you have any idea what that realization would do to me, Andreas? The sheer magnitude of it all?”
I dared to meet his gaze. “Even as I would come to terms with this new identity, it would mean that I would hate myself, I would hate myself.”
He parted his lips as if on the verge of speaking, only to clamp them shut in as if he changed his mind. I held back the tears threatening to spill, fixing my gaze upon him in search of any hint of emotion. Yet, his countenance remained inscrutable, stoic.
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“Of course,” he replied with a finality that signaled the conclusion of our conversation, his tone indicating no inclination to prolong the discussion further. Despite my reluctance to broach the topic of my vampiric nature with him, he persisted. “I came here with a simple message: should you reconsider, animal blood remains a viable option. However, I must stress the importance of nourishment. Otherwise, your body will end up desiccating and before you know it, you’ll be feeding against your will.”
When I did not say anything, he took that as his cue to walk out the door and leave, leaving me alone with my thoughts overwhelming me once more.
I rose from the bed and turned toward the door, but Andreas had already departed, leaving behind a lingering sense of regret for the words I had uttered in haste. Yet, amidst the turmoil of my emotions, I recognized the necessity of the words I needed to say.
Moments later, I heard footsteps coming closer. I turned to look and saw Aiden, standing in front of my door.
I was thankful for the barrier Guinevere placed but it did not stop the stench of blood from coming in.
I snarled, reacting to the smell, my hunger getting worse. But Aiden raised both his hands as though already knowing what I was snarling about.
“I do not have the blood with me. I smell like I have it because I took it from a rabbit–”
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“Go away
from me.”
But he shook his head. “I only follow my Alpha’s order and he told me to stay here and attend to your needs, should you need anything.”
I know he was talking about whether I would ask for blood. But I would never. I would never ask for it.
When it was clear that Aiden had no intention to leave, I decided to ignore his presence. However, with each passing moment, I could feel my hunger getting more and more intense.
I sought distraction in the room’s furnishings, trying to distract myself from the stench of blood. I was expecting Aiden to lecture me more about denying myself with my desires and instincts but he remained silent.
True to his words, he stood by the door and did not say anything. But the stench of blood continued to invade
my system.
I kept swallowing hard, trying to drown the hunger I felt but just like what Andreas said, it only made my hunger
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worse the more I suppressed it. I turned to look at Aiden and he was just looking at me, his expression
inscrutable.
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I sank onto the bed, the relentless hunger clawing at my insides, my futile attempts at control met with defiance from my own body. With a frustrated groan, I gripped the bedsheet tightly, struggling to contain the turmoil raging within me. In a desperate bid to maintain composure, I gasped for air, the weight of my desires threatening to overwhelm me.
Suddenly, my attention snapped back to Aiden, his gaze fixed upon me with an unsettling intensity. It was as if he had anticipated this moment, his eyes betraying a depth of understanding that sent a shiver down my spine.
do th
I shook my head, trying to fight the hunger but I found myself standing from the bed and walking towards the door, where Aiden was. I closed my eyes, stopping my feet from moving on their own. I managed to do so for the first few seconds but then I found myself walking towards the door once again.
Dread settled in me as I realized I could not stop myself anymore. My feet continued to walk on their own, not intending to listen to what my mind says. Aiden did not have blood with him but the smell persisted and I am
drawn to it.
“Please,” I managed to croak out and Aiden did not as much as blink. “Please don’t let me drink it–” I gasped, my hand holding my neck as it was suddenly hard to breathe.
“Give me some blood,” I muttered, much to my horror. And the moment I said those words, it seemed to make things easier. My feet moved faster and I could not stop them anymore. I continued walking until I hit the invisible barrier. I slammed my fist into it, trying to get out, to get a taste. The desperation in me was strong enough that I could not resist it anymore.
“Blood,” I muttered again and when I tried slamming my fist onto the invisible barrier, I did not feel the barricade. I paused and turned to look at Guinevere who was walking towards us. The smell of blood continued to flood my senses and that’s when I realized Guinevere had the blood.
“You’ll regret this later, but your body is desiccating, and it needs nourishment,” Guinevere’s voice pierced through me. Yet, as if in a trance, I advanced toward her, seizing the blood bag she held in her hands.
The next thing I knew, I was already drinking from the bag, the metallic ta ng of blood flooding my senses and offering temporary respite from the insatiable hunger gnawing at my insides. As the last drop passed my lips, clarity washed over me like a cold wave, realization dawning upon me like a cruel awakening.
The empty bag fell to the floor and I stag g ered back, horror filled me as I realized what I had done.
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Chapter 61
“No, no
“You needed it, Henrietta–”
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“No!” I exclaimed, but it was too late. In my frenzy, I inadvertently struck her with a force that sent her reeling across the room. Yet, as she lay there, I found myself consumed by a singular obsession-the taste of blood.
Frustrated, I ran my hand across my hair and stag gered back, retreating to my room. My hunger was slightly cured enough for me to realize that what I did was beyond what I wanted.
Seated on the floor, I leaned back against the edge of my bed, seeking solace in its familiar embrace. Guinevere and Aiden loomed in the doorway. Unable to meet their gaze, I turned away, consumed by a suffocating blanket
of shame.
“Please,” I began, “put the barrier back, and don’t let me get out,” I said. In my periphery, I saw Guinevere make a move to intervene, but I halted her with a steely gaze.
“If you come in here, I will kill you.” The words tumbled from my lips, laced with a sense of resignation. Though foreign to me, the threat held a weight they dared not ignore.
A heavy silence hung in the air as Guinevere and Aiden paused, acknowledging the gravity of my words. With a heavy heart, I curled into myself, seeking refuge.
The next thing I heard was the door closing, leaving me alone with my anguish and the lingering taste of blood upon my lips.
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