Vampire King's Pet

Chapter Twelve: Sounded like you Cared

Alexei's POV

How dare she try and lock me out of my own space. Anger filled my veins and I went to pound on the door again, but then rembered I'd broken my own hand because of this girl. I pinched the be bridge of my nose and sighed heavily. "Avery, open the door so I can look at your arm?" I asked her softly. Softer than I anticipated.

"You're just gonna lock me back up.. I'd rather stay in here." she murmured then sniffled. My body suddenly felt colder than what I was used too and I shivered.

"I promise I won't." Trying to get her to listen was becoming exhausting. She's sixteen for goodness sake, she's mature enough to know not to piss me off this often. "Alexei, I'm sorry, but I don't trust you."

"You are gonna have to eventually, Avery. We're bonded remember?"

"I'm trying to forget." she whispered, not sarcastically but in a sad tone.

"Daniel was it?" I asked after two silent minutes.

"What?"

"Your previous mate, his name was Daniel right? Tell me about him." I sat down on the floor, my back to the door as I waited for her to speak, if she would speak.

"He liked to be called Danny," Avery murmured.

I smiled. "What was he like?"

"Why do you care, you hate me." she retorted, her tone uncertain of me.

"As much as I try to, I can't hate you. I dislike you, but I don't hate you." I heard her mumbled something and regardless of my hearing, I missed what she mumbled. I sighed when she didn't speak again. I pulled my phone out and decided to pass the time going through my emails.

I had a meeting coming up with a few werewolf Alphas who wanted to call a truce with us vampires. Mom and dad think that I should agree to it, try and make amends with this feud between our kind that's been happening for centuries.

I don't recall how long I sat there by the door with her on the opposite side. But I do recall the exact time I heard the lock twist open. I stood up from the floor instantly and pocketed my cell phone. It was about to die anyways.

Avery cracked the door, only part of her face was showing. She looked flushed. I frowned, suddenly worried. "What's wrong, are you unwell?"

"I'm fine." her voice cracked, and she was more pale than it was when I brought her into the room a few hours ago. She cleared her throat. "but I am thirsty." I leaned down and picked up the water bottle I had Marcus bring me. "I only took a few sips, but you can have the rest if you want."

Avery took the bottle and then over at my bed. My wrist was still throbbing, which only told me hers was indeed broken, or at the very least fractured. When her gaze fell back to me I knew she wasn't gonna leave that bathroom. I could see that she was tired, and those dark circles under her eyes were the proof of it.

"I don't want to be cuffed again." she murmured looking past me again and at my bed.

"Do you promise not to let Marcus see any more than what he saw earlier?" I wanted to hit myself in the head. How f*****g embarrassing. I now sounded like I was jealous. Her head bobbed up and down. "I want to hear you say it!"

"Yes, sure, whatever you ask I'll do." She told me while nodding her head again.

"No, I want to hear you say it."

"Alexei-" she went to protest, but winced as she tried to close the door with the hand I couldn't see. My own arm had pain shoot up it. But because we were only bonded and not a properly marked and mated couple, it was like a quick jolt and not the lingering and agonizing pain she was feeling.

"Avery I'm serious. Promise me that you won't let Marcus or anyone else see you that way. Vampires aren't wolves, with nudity both vampire men and women become deadly when they crave what they can't have. And with you being underage... I won't risk you being harmed." I explained.

"Careful," she murmured. "you almost sounded like you cared about my well-being."

I wanted to make a remark and tell her that I didn't; but staring at her shivering from, I didn't have the heart to speak more negative things to her face tonight. She and myself were exhausted and emotionally raw, so I kept it to myself.

I glanced down at her skimpy clothing, I couldn't help but shank my head. No wonder she was cold! I offered her my hand. "I promise not to bite...again that is." A small smirk appears on her face, her pale cheeks turned a cute shade pink. Surprisingly she put her hand in mine, her hand was warm and perspiration was visible on her brow even though she was visibly shivering.

"Could I return to my room please?" Avery asked when she finally came out from behind the bathroom door. I grimaced at the red and purple bruising around her wrist, it looked inflamed and severely bruised from her trying to break free.

"No," I grumbled. "I'm taking you down to the infirmary." I let her hand go and then reached for my spare robe and placed it on her shoulders.

Avery sniffed the collar of it, a faint smile curving her lips upward. "I told you I felt fine."

"I'm not taking you there for the fever I know you currently have, it's for the doctor to heal this wrist." I pointed at her injured wrist and she looked down at it. "Oh"

"Oh? That's all you're gonna say? Doesn't it hurt?" I tried reaching for her hand and she jerked back from me. Great, I forgot she feared me. "Not really," and now she's gotten accustomed to lying to my face?

"Avery, why do you do that?" I narrowed my eyes at her, my tone gruff.

"Because if I told you how I truly felt..you would just-" her lips pursed and she bowed her head. "Nevermind, just forget it." Avery walked past me and over to the door trying to wrap the robe around her frame better.

I rushed after her, following her as we went to the bottom level of the castle and towards the infirmary. Her pace wasn't fast or too slow, which surprised me because I knew how badly Avery wanted to leave... hmmm, was she scared now that her coven was gone, and there was no one left alive to make her feel protected?

It made me wonder how much she was actually keeping from me. The medallion that she wore around her neck, it put off a humming noise and it concerns me. Because if Avery could ever tap into its power, she could destroy all of us if she wanted.

Genevieve assured me that it was a witches talisman, it couldn't be used against me even if Avery directed all the magic towards me. I noticed the wing on the raven; which I also saw that it changes based on day or night into different birds. Dove by day and a Raven by nightfall, but looking at it now I saw that one of the wings were broken.

"What happened to you talisman? How did it break?"

Avery looked at me, a grim expression on her face. She grabbed the raven with her good hand and fisted it tightly. "I don't know, but it being broken doesn't mean it will stop trying to protect me." she glared at the guards as we passed them. The look she gave me had me wondering if something or someone is bothering her. Or worse, what if they touched Avery, because if they had, I'd ki- I shook my head vigorously. I needed another drink to help clear my head, I need to stop thinking that this kid; this literal teenage girl, and I are in a real relationship.

She's not my mate, I'm not a wolf.

I'm a vampire. A vampire King at that.

The only thing that Avery and I are concerned about is this magically placed bond we now have with each other. That is it

I'm sure with time, Avery could choose to date any of the guys here. As long as I know who it is, however. And they can't feed from her either. I pinched the bridge of my nose as my head started hurting from thinking too much about this crap.

And as much as I hate to admit it.

Marcus was right.

I don't want others to feed on her, mostly because she is young and could be easily manipulated if one were to glamor her. This is also why I named her my official pet.

She's just vulnerable right now and all I'm trying to do is protect her in the only way I can. By having her at my side at all times.