REJECTING THE VAMPIRE PRINCE

AVA'S POV "Hey, what the hell are you..." Immediately he raised a hand to my lips and forced me to keep quiet. We walked through the crowd with ease; they all moved aside and bowed their heads in respect. As soon as we were out of the ballroom and in a less crowded hallway, he wrapped his arm around my waist. "Close your eyes," he mumbled, his gaze roaming the hallway as he ducked his head every few seconds. "Why?" I asked with furrowed brows. "Just trust me." I gave him a stern look. There was still a nagging voice in the back of my head telling me; screaming at me not to trust him, not to go with him, but I was too relaxed to bother thinking about why. My eyelids fell shut. Axel's grip tightened, and there was a gust of wind. Then it was quiet. The music that had once been so loud that my eardrums felt like they were about to burst was now faint and soft. It wasn't stuffy anymore with the smell of alcohol all around me. I opened my eyes and felt my lips part in surprise. We were standing on a balcony that overlooked the lake. Even in the dark, it was a sight to behold. The surface of the lake reflected the stars in the sky, as well as the lights from the mansion, making it a shining wonder. Despite the glowing surface, it still had a certain depth to it that made it even more beautiful. "Wow," I breathed. "Wow," Axel mimicked, but something about the way he said it made me think we weren't talking about the same thing. I felt my face heat, and I was thankful for the dim lighting. It was so quiet, so peaceful. The chirping of the crickets was much better than the obnoxious chatter of everyone inside. Parties are really not my thing. "Why did you bring me here?" I spoke quietly, not wanting to sound confrontational. He didn't respond for a bit, so I turned to look at him. In the moonlight his features were soft, almost angelic. The gold of his hair, the paleness of his skin, and the brightness of his eyes made him look so innocent. "You seemed like you could use a minute away from all of that," the prince said finally, dimples on display. I hummed in response. "So, how did we get here? One minute we were in that hallway and the next..." "I brought you," he said simply. "But....." I was interrupted when the door flew open with a loud bang, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. "Jaxon..." Axel said exasperatedly, looking over my shoulder. When I turned around, my jaw dropped. Well, figuratively dropped. The man standing at the door was easily the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes upon, but also the most intimidating. With his curly black hair, icy blue eyes, and impressive figure, he seemed perfect. The only flaw on his face was his irritated scowl as he pulled a cigarette between his lips. "Dad is mad at me again," he muttered to Axel, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Jax, I thought you promised you'd behave tonight. What the hell did you do this time?" The blond responded with a frown. Jaxon walked closer to Axel and rolled his eyes. "Let's just say it involves me and a certain lady from the Bloodworth Clan. I'll spare you the details, brother," he sneered, blowing smoke in Axel's face. Brother? "Jaxon...you know how much this ball means to mother. She wanted us to............." But Jaxon wasn't listening. His eyes had travelled to me amid his brother's speaking, and I noticed his gaze roam my body from top to bottom. I felt myself flush deeply. "And who might this beauty be?" He reached for my hand and lifted it to his lips in a chaste kiss. Axel glared at him. "Don't look at me like that. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to please two princes in one night, wouldn't you, angel? Few girls get that honor." I snatched my hand away from him in disgust and pushed past him, ignoring Axel calling my name. This was becoming more unbearable. I definitely do not understand how I got into this unholy union with this awful guy. I felt that this was just plain wrong; something was not adding up. In being captured and taken down here, I was tricked into visiting this mansion. Everything inside me fought against it, but an external force kept pulling me towards an attraction. I felt I had lost it at this point and there was no going back for me.