Married To The Mad Vampire Lord-Chapter 67: Nightly activity_Part 1

After leaving the library, Belle went to see the dress with her enthusiastic handmaid, but all the while she tried on the dress and jewelries to see if there would be any needed adjustment, Belle’s mind was on that strange dream that had felt so real and how she had not succeeded in finding the book that contained the history of the past rulers. If only Rohan would share the book with her it wouldn’t have gotten to this.

She didn’t even stand to look at herself in the mirror, the moment she wore it and the vampire headmaid, Gwen, saw that it fit perfectly, she took it off and wore back her previous dress. She did not want to think about tomorrow’s banquet and how she would be amidst the vampires and even meet the king and royals. She was never the kind who likes attention not to mention this was on her name to introduce her to the others.

Belle did not think too much about the strange dream, it evaporated from her mind after she told herself it was just her mind conjuring up things in her sleep, it couldn’t be real and dwelling on it might make her distress herself more, she didn’t want to think of tomorrow either. She carefully chose to pass her time that day still going through the huge book she had brought with her to her chamber from the library, with the hopes that she could reach the part of the prince who had once used this chamber.

She did not realize how late it was as she was getting immersed in the vampires’ history and how Nightbrook was founded and named, until she heard the light biting sound of rain on the roof and the earth-scented breeze that blew her window curtains, looking up towards it, lightning struck the now twilight sky.

It was about to rain. She wondered if Rohan was back as she closed the book on her lap and went to close the window. She looked down at the garden below, trying to see if she would see what she saw that day, but there was no figure in a cloak out there, thus she shut the window.

Ever since she had come to this castle, it was like she was either being hunted by strange dreams or seeing things. Could the rumors be true that this castle was haunted with past ghosts, which was why the current royals did not want to stay in it? The thought of ghost sent shiver down her spine.

When she finished her dinner, Belle somewhat hoped for her husband’s presence, the rain made everything seem eerily empty and any little sound in her chamber made her jumpy, as her current experiences in this castle were starting to scare her.

But even after she continued to read well into the night so she wouldn’t dwell on her fears, where the rain was now pouring down heavily, there were no signs of him, and Farrah had told her when she brought her dinner that he wasn’t back yet. She had dismissed the girl, and now she was alone.

Thunder struck the sky and made everything rattle. Belle flinched at the sound. She didn’t want to keep pretending to be brave while waiting for her husband to return. In the end, she gave up and decided to go to sleep. Why was she even waiting for him in the first place? She let out a sigh, and dimmed the lights in the room and laid on her bed.

It didn’t take her long to fall into a deep slumber only that she was plagued by her childhood nightmare when they got attacked in the border.

This time, what she experienced was entirely different from the usual. She always woke up at the point where she was yanked out of the carriage, but this time, she saw herself face to face with the hideous bloodsucker who had grabbed and yanked her out. He had an ashen, veiny, rotting face and hollowed eyes.

His fangs were dark and large in his mouth, and his hand around her neck tightened so strong she could feel herself dying, the blood on her forehead trailing into her wide, terrified eyes as she tried to fight for her life, while faintly aware that he and the rest of the vampires were taking her away from her family’s carriage.

Mama, help me! She cried in her mind, knowing she would be killed by this hideous creature. The creature let out a growl in her face when she tried to struggle, and as if he’d reached a point he would finally eat her, he roughly sank his claw into her flesh and savagely brought its mouth to rip her to shreds. But right at that moment, something happened, and she found herself dropped onto the wet forest ground, bleeding, while the hideous creature holding her neck was being ripped apart by another.

Her vision was blurring as growls and bone-cracking and bodies being torn fled her senses, the smell of rotten flesh and blood making her want to throw up and run. But she couldn’t move from where she laid on the forest ground. Belle struggled to remain awake to see what was happening, or what happened next that made her family despise her, but the fear and deep emotions that always came with this nightmare wrecked her awake, she was panting and tearing up on the bed.

Her chamber had turned completely dark. The rain was still falling outside, and lightning flashed through the window and balcony glass door. Even the fireplace was slightly dimmed. But because she was still disoriented, her mind wasn’t clear enough to feel the presence in her chamber until she saw the shadow hovering beside her bed.

Belle turned and gasped in horror as her body jolted up, but before she could bring herself to scream, the shadow moved closer, and she realized, even without seeing the face, who it was.

Her body relaxed, and before she could say a word, he had come onto her bed and laid next to her as he pulled her into his warm embrace. She didn’t even think too much about what she was doing and wrapped her arms around his midriff and pressed her head against his chest as her tears continued to fall.

Ever since she had been haunted by this nightmare, she had always longed to be held by someone when she woke up. But there was always no one around her, and she would end up curling and crying herself back to sleep, her heart aching for the memories she couldn’t remember to tell her parents, or for the lack of warmth in her own home that felt like she was a stranger among her own family.

Whatever way the comfort came to her, she would accept it, as whenever she woke up at those moments were the times she was vulnerable and sought another person’s presence and warmth. Now that she found that warmth in her husband, she didn’t hold herself back and dissolved into him like ice on fire. And he embraced her without a word, his strong arms closing around her protectively, pressing her head to his chest and stroking her gold-blonde hair soothingly.

"Shh, it’s just a bad dream. You are safe now. You are safe," he whispered thickly as he pressed his lips to the top of her head and ran his hand up and down her spine.

Belle found herself shamelessly taking the comfort he offered and actually feeling safer in his arms than she had ever felt anywhere. Perhaps it was because of the situation, but she felt like she wanted him to keep holding her and stroking her back like that. She’d never been stroked in such a soothing, comforting way. Her heart swelled with warmth.

She didn’t know for how long he kept holding her, but her pounding head was slowly feeling better.

Rohan kept cuddling her against his chest. As he felt the way she trembled, he smoothed her hair repeatedly.

"What were you dreaming of?" came his quiet voice.

She shook her head with a shuddery sound.

"It had to do with what you told me happened in your childhood, didn’t it?" freeweɓnovel.cøm

After a long hesitation, she cleared her throat and replied, "Yes..."

He caressed her shrinking back in soothing circles, and his lips moved to her damp cheeks. "Did you remember what happened?" he questioned, his body tensing up slightly as he waited to hear if she had recovered the memories from sixteen years ago.

She shook her head. "No... it’s scary to suddenly not be able to remember an entire event..." Her voice was small as she clenched her fists around his shirt.

Rohan sighed slowly. Very gently, he asked, "Why do you want to remember it so badly?"

Because I want to tell Mama and Papa what really happened that day, she thought in her mind but didn’t speak it out, as she knew he would only insult her parents without understanding why it meant so much to her. For someone who had never cared about his own family—who loved him and could kill them cold-bloodedly—he would never understand her or why she needed to remember those events.

She had once been their precious daughter until that unfortunate event brought her life to a wrecking loss. She had lost everything because of it, and she hated the night creatures for it, only that she couldn’t bring herself to hate this one she was married to.

Pulling away from him, Belle curled into a ball, facing the opposite direction.

"It’s nothing. I’m sorry for bothering you with my problems."

Rohan stared at her, curled up on the bed, for a silent moment.

He had come back late, having to endure standing around the family he didn’t like for the whole day, helping them find a culprit who just so happened to be himself. But when he saw that she was asleep, he had wanted to watch her sleep. But then, she started moaning and crying before she jolted awake. He didn’t need to be told to know that she was haunted by an event he had wiped from her memories years ago.

How she had been able to be compelled then and not now was still a mystery to him. He had found the rhythm of her heartbeat, right from the beginning, to be different from any other human’s, and now she was starting to show many signs of being completely different.

Though he could tell she wanted to remember what happened sixteen years ago so badly, Rohan thought it was best she never remembered. Even if he could turn back time, he would still compel her to forget it again. Her family was completely undeserving of his bunny. If they couldn’t accept her for that, then he didn’t think they deserved her love. How he desired to go to Aragonia and kill them all, bringing back their hearts as a gift for her.

But Rohan knew better than anyone not to do that, or risk getting despised by his bunny. Not that he cared all that much about what emotions she had when she was with him, but he preferred her this way—better than having her hate him.

Instead of leaving the chamber, Rohan moved closer and positioned himself behind her, wrapping his body around hers. She quivered at the sensation of his warmth against her back, his long legs tucked up beneath hers, and a muscular arm thrown across her. All the textures, scents, and pulses of him surrounded her, his breath falling softly on her neck.