REJECTING THE VAMPIRE PRINCE

AVA'S POV My pale reflection gazed back at me with dull green eyes. It's been a week since the ball, and there is still no sign of Eleanor. Axel assured me she was in the mansion, that Jaxon hadn't harmed her that night, but how can I believe him if I've not seen her at all? For all I know, she could be at the bottom of the lake by now. Eleanor could suffer while I'm sitting here in this fancy room. I glanced around the ridiculously large room. In the very center was the queen-sized bed that I slept on with its deep blue duvet. To the left of it was a window that let in the sun's light, and to the right were two doors. One led to my bathroom and the other to my walk-in closet. The bags under my eyes were prominent from the lack of sleep because of constant worrying. I worried about my dad having to take care of himself at home. I worried about Eleanor. I worried about my future in this place. And most importantly, I worried about what Axel's expectations of me were. Overall, the room was beautiful, not fancy enough for me to be uncomfortable in, but definitely better than what I had back home. From the moment he said my name on that stage, I have been filled with nothing but worry and fear. Sure, he was being decent, kind even, but how long was that treatment going to last? He was a vampire after all, and a royal one at that. And the worst part about this situation is that if Axel finally hurts me, I have nowhere to go. My father made sure of that. On the night of the ball, I had been escorted by at least a dozen guards to my home, where I was told to pack my bags and say goodbye to my father. My father, the only person I had in this world, said that this was the best thing that could've happened to me. He hugged me and told me how proud he was of me for being chosen to marry one of the princes, how lucky I was. Well, I didn't feel lucky. I brushed through the tangles in my hair slowly, frowning in distaste as I noticed it was already becoming the washed-out blond that it became without the sun. Voices outside the door made me drop my brush. I approached the door cautiously, checking the lock once I recognized the voice to be Jaxon's. "I don't understand why you're letting her shit all over you like this, Axel." There was a tired sigh I assume came from Axel. "She needs some time, Jax. This whole thing must be so incredibly hard for her. Ava's whole life has been flipped upside down, and I'm giving her some time to adjust," he said quietly. I leaned my head back against the door with a thump. It was so hard to hate him or be cold to him when he's only been treating me with respect and understanding. "Hard on her? She should be worshipping the ground at your feet for choosing her. Her whole life has been a change for the better. You took a lowly baker's daughter and made her the future princess," Jaxon spoke with all the condescension in the world. Now, him I have no problem hating. "Jax, stop it. I feel horrible for putting her in a situation like this, but I didn't have a choice. There wasn't enough time. Maybe seeing Eleanor will make her feel better." My heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. But then I heard Jaxon scoff. "Eleanor won't be taking five steps outside of her damn room before she can start showing me some well-deserved respect." "Well deserved? The only thing you deserve is a stake driven through your heart!" My lips formed the words as though of their own accord, and I clamped my hand down on my mouth. There was a deadly silence. I let out a shaky breath as I remembered they were not only princes but vampires as well. A locked door was nothing in the face of their wrath. To prove my point, said door came crashing down in the very next second, bringing me to the floor with it. I wasn't down for long, however, because a hand quickly fisted itself in my hair and yanked me upwards. I shrieked in pain. "The hell did you say to me?" "Jax-" Axel held Jaxon back, making him loosen his grip enough for me to get away. "Shut the hell up, you hinny! You're gonna let some stupid girl talk to your brother like that?" Jaxon's eyes chilled me to the bone as they grew colder than the Arctic blast. I stepped back wordlessly. "Leave her alone, Jax. I'm not screwing around. I'm not gonna let you hurt her, and I will not let you disappoint Mum." He pulled Jaxon away, but that didn't stop his icy glare from lingering on me hatefully. A sudden rush of fear came over me as I started taking bigger and quicker steps back, only to be stopped by the hard wall pressing against my back. "What are you planning for Eleanor?" I demanded, but my voice cracked more than I would've liked. "What happens between her and me doesn't concern you," he spat at me before turning to his brother. "Axel, fix up the living room and tell your little bitch not to stick her nose in someone else's business." Is he for real? I felt tears well up in my eyes and I looked down immediately to hide them, not wanting to let him know he got to me. Axel sighed exasperatedly, and I saw him pinch the bridge of his nose out of the corner of my eye. "Alright, just get out." Jaxon gave me one last disgusted look before leaving the room at vampire speed. I flinched back. It wasn't the first time I'd seen a vampire use their powers, but it was still startling. Axel covered the distance between us in a heartbeat. His hands cupped my face, thumbs rubbing circles on my cheeks in a gesture that was rather comforting. He tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear and stared into my eyes apologetically. "I'm really sorry about that. It won't happen again. I promise you," he said sincerely. Something in how he said it just made snap. I buried my tear-stained face in his chest and cried out every single thing that had been piling up on my chest. I was getting his shirt wet, but he didn't seem to care. He just held me tight and stroked my hair.