The Duke's Passion

"So, you will make memories with the Devil, Lilou?" His tone was deep and menacing, making me think the devil itself was luring me with a deadly contract. 

My head answered with a courageous, 'of course, I will!' but what came out was a meek and stammering, "Ye- yes, sire."

He grinned and chuckled, pleased while nodding. Did he only expect hatred from me? Because Sam hated this side of him?

"Then, how about we start by getting to know each other with our lips?" He bent down but stopped as he moved his eyes towards the door. "What is it, Mildred?"

I moved my eyes towards the door where Mildred stood, seeing her bow politely. "Her royal highness request audience with His Highness' the third prince."

"Sivi is here?" My voice raised in excitement but backed up when met with Sam's pair of sharp eyes. 

"What does Cassara want?" Sam asked indifferently. "Tell her I'm busy at the moment. We can talk… later." He trailed off as Cassara suddenly barged in with a huff.

"Hell! Are you refusing to see me?!" Her pitched was almost deafening as she planted her hands on her hips. "How can I…" she trailed off, eyeing me with clear dislike. 

But I ignored it as I immediately got up and performed a curtsy. "Greetings to your royal highness." 

"How can you greet me in such an unsightly state?" She seethed, making me realize my upper garment was torn open by Sam. I shuddered as my eyes dilated.

"You!" I instinctively staggered back upon sensing she would assault me. "How dare a mere human!" Cassara raised her hand, but stopped. 

I gazed at her shaking hand in the air, her eyes glinting with deep hatred. What made her snap so abruptly? Had she lost her mind completely?

"Cassara," Sam called. His tone was low and menacing, sending a chill down my spine. "Did you barge in here just to humiliate my wife?"

"Your wife?" Cassara faced him squarely, balling her hand into a fist. "You're not married yet. How can you call her your wife?"

She was acting as if she was Sam's first wife instead of the king's second wife. I tried to keep the hysterical laughter from bubbling up.

"We're getting married tonight, so it's the same?" Sam shrugged nonchalantly as he crooked a finger at me. "Come here, love."

I instinctively walked towards him and sat down. I jumped when a piercing "Hell!" came out from Cassara's mouth.

"Can't you fucking shut up and leave?" Ticked off, Sam winced as he tugged his earlobe. "Why are my siblings so fucking annoying? Can't you dig your own grave and rest?"

Cassara ignored his previous remarks as she ordered. "You can't marry her." She lifted her chin up, eyeing him with superiority. "I won't let you," she added.

This woman knows no fears! If there was anything I could applaud Cassara for, that was her courage. Even Stefan had to walk on eggshells in dealing with Sam, but she was just going all out. 

"You won't let me?" Sam asked with genuine wonder and amusement in his voice. "And how will you do that? I mean, stop me from marrying my bride?" 

Cassara didn't answer as she took a deep breath, facing him squarely. "I will divorce Stefan."

Sam and I both tilted our heads in puzzlement. What did that have to do with our marriage?

"I married Stefan because you promised me marriage! How can you marry a lowly human who —" Cassara could not finish her sentence as Sam suddenly slammed her against the wall behind her. His hand grabbing her mouth and jaw, lifting her up with his bare hand.

"A lowly human?" His tone sounded more sinister, chilled to the bone. "Have you become asinine the older you get? Should I crush your jaw just so you can remember your place, my little sister?"

I froze on the spot as my eyes fixed on them. Cassara struggled under his grip, but that didn't faze him. Should I tell him to stop? But I'm scared that his anger would shift on me if I did.

"Sa — Sam." Before I knew it, I called him, which made me cover my lips in panic. 

"Don't you ever call my bride lowly, and even if she is human, Lilou is MY human. Remember that before running off your mouth." Sam dropped her, and I saw dripped from the corner of her lips.

"The next time do you something as foolish as this, I'll end you, Cassara." He warned.

I saw the anger in his eyes before it flickered out when his eyes fell on me. I'm grateful he wasn't angry with me, but with Cassara who was behind him.

Once he sat down, he draped an arm over the seat. "So, where were we, Lilou?" he asked, rendering me speechless.

My mouth opened and closed like a fish. His quick shift of moods had thrown me in a loop, I couldn't keep up.

'Tell him Cassara is still here! So, how can he flirt with you right now?' My subconscious mind instructed me to speak, but words won't come out of my throat.

"Ah. We were about to kiss, right?" He nodded, remembering where we stopped. "Come here." Sam leaned closer as he instructed me to come closer.

"Hell... how can you?" Cassara muttered as she trembled in anger. "For someone like her... you will kill me?"

But Sam ignored her, as if those words didn't reach him. I instinctively glanced at Cassara and flinched upon meeting her eyes filled with killing intent.

"Your Highness, His Majesty had summoned your highness and my lady to dinner." Sam hissed when Mildred's voice suddenly came in to inform us of our scheduled dinner.

"Tell him I'm about to have mine and don't fucking disturb us again." He shot Mildred a glare that broke the latter's usual stoic exterior. Mildred gazed down, conceding.

Was this some kind that vampire could only understand? I knew Sam was pulling an aura, but I could only feel a slight tightness in my chest. So, I'm at a loss.

"Also, take that thing out of my quarters. The next time she comes near here or near my bride, all your heads, including yours, will roll."

"Yes, your highness." Mildred kept her head hung low before she assisted Cassara by her shoulders and left without another word.

"Tsk. These people just know how to tick me off." Sam clicked his tongue annoyingly before cocking his head to me. "See? They fucking ruined the mood."

I nodded awkwardly, aware of that, obviously. But I wasn't really displeased about it, as I didn't think sex as the foundation of our relationship would last long.

"Ugh! This is annoyi…ng." He trailed off. My face flushed in embarrassment when my stomach growled loudly and he set his eyes on me. 

"You're hungry?" He asked. I gazed down as raw hunger clutched my stomach.

"You could have said so." Sam smacked his lips as I gazed up when he spread his hands for me to clasp. "Hand."

"Yes?" I muttered.

"Dinner. Let's join them." He said, batting his eyes languidly. "I'll hold you so you don't stray too far again."

And that last remark, laced with a little affection, made my heart skip a beat.

"Yes!" I nodded and clasped his hand, and he slipped his fingers in between the gaps of my finger. I smiled.