Do Mine Eyes Deceive Me...A Gorgeous Sadistic Vampire?

HARRISON'S POV

I was sitting in my future throne. Gregorovich and Myra had just exited the throne room after having listed all the actives that I would be partaking in within these walls. Being Head Vampire was going to take up so much of my time . . . I wouldn't get to spend any alone time with Joanalie.

Then I wanted to smack myself. Everything her name popped into my head, I wouldn't stop thinking about her until something more interesting distracted me. Therein lies the problem. Nothing was more interesting to me than her. I knew she must hate me right now, too. I left without getting to say goodbye. After everything I put her through, I still couldn't do anything right. I wanted to tell her I loved her. Everyday I thought it and was surprised that she didn't hear it through our special connection. Then again, she'd done a really good job in cutting that link off between us for the time being.

In all honesty, I couldn't stand the thought of leaving her alone - well at all, really, but especially not - with Devlin. I couldn't believe that he'd come back. In another form, too! One more powerful than his formerly worthless hybrid self. Then, I cringed. I had to remember that Joanalie was a hybrid. At least she was of a more pure type, though. I had been brought up believing that the half-breeds were filth in the immortal world. I was certainly one of the older immortals left, too, so most of us didn't have that prejudice anymore.

I groaned, standing up and wanting to throw the throne out the window. I didn't want any of this. I sure as hell didn't choose any of it! I chose against it! Everything was finally going so well between Joanalie and I; this was just going to ruin it. Plus, there was the fact that a war was coming up . . . and it was over the love of my existence. I wouldn't allow her to be any part of it. I wonder how that would work? All these battles being fought for her favor, and she won't be fighting in any of them.

After a second of though, I remembered that Gregorovich and Myra weren't going to be here today, watching me like hawks. They were going out of the country for the day to do something important. I was literally doing everything I could not to pay attention when they were telling me this, but I still knew most of the details. They wouldn't be back for two days, and I was free to do as I pleased in their absence.

This could bode well for me, I realized. All I would have to do is run back to UPA. I could spend another day and a half or so with Joanalie and explain to her what happened. I could say goodbye to her satisfactorily. I smiled. That would be perfect. I could tell Joanalie I loved her. I felt like such a dick for not having done it sooner. She told me that night when she found out who Cal really was. My reaction had been to kiss her. I thought that would've been enough to let her know the emotion was reciprocated. I could tell by her thoughts though that she still had doubts.

I was just getting up to follow through with my plan and go back to UPA, when the door to the thrown room opened. I straightened myself and stood up to face whoever it was. To my surprise and slight dismay, it was Myra; Gregorovich's wife.

"Your Highness . . . I thought that King Gregorovich and you had left earlier today," I said, astonished.

She walked to me with a smile on her pleasant face. "I left him," she said simply. I was confused. Me! Confused! Ha . . .

"Excuse me? " I asked politely, trying to get her to elaborate.

"I came back because I needed to . . . tell you something, Harrison," she explained with a rather frightening look in her face. Suddenly, I understood what she was getting at as she walked up the few stairs that led to the throne.

I immediately jumped up and away, across the room and I cleared my throat. "Myra, I don't really know what this is, but I think your husband is probably waiting for you."

She was in front of me in the blink of an eye, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to offend her by pushing her away. I sure as hell couldn't hurt her. But this was completely inappropriate.

"We're not talking about old Greg right now," she sighed boredly, trailing her fingers up my chest. I shivered unpleasantly. "But you, Harrison. You're new and exciting and seductive. Just what I need right now."

I took a few more steps back, folding my arms across my chest and holding my chin in the air. "Myra, I think you should go back to Gregorovich now. I'm with Joanalie, and you are with him."

All she did was shrug. "Things change."

Then, she was kissing me like there was no tomorrow. And I stood there, shocked and a little disgusted. I was in no way attracted to this woman, but what could I do? Pushing her off would offend her, and she was the Head Vampire's wife? With that kind of power, who knows what she would do to me?

Of course, the unthinkable happened next. Gregorovich walked in. He stormed into the Throne Room to see his wife making out with the the future Head Vampire of the Immortal World. Mother of God, was I royally screwed.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MEANING OF ALL THIS?" he roared at us. Myra jumped back and I stood there, just as paralyzed as before, but now I was a little more afraid.

The Head Vampire looked at me with the most hate that I had ever witnessed. He was ready to kill and it was obvious who the victim was.

"Listen, Your Majesty, it's not-" I began, trying to explain to him.

"Leave," he hissed, pointing to the door.

And that was that. I was out of there so fast that you wouldn't' have seen me move. I was in my room, packing my things up in seconds. Another second later, when that was done, I was jumping out the window heading for UPA.

Despite the fact that I was now probably the arch nemesis of the most important vampire int he immortal world . . . I couldn't be happier. This was my out. I was now free to go back to UPA and be with Joanalie. I could tell that when Gregorovich banned me, it was with a note of finality. He didn't want me to come back. Ever.

I ran all the way back to UPA. I wasn't even thinking straight. Only the thought of seeing Joanalie again occupied my mind. Everything else was a blur that I ignored. She was all that mattered right now, and I was coming back to her. It didn't matter where my home really was. Whether I spent most of my time in my Quarters or in my Romanian Castle, it didn't matter. Wherever Joanalie was . . . that's where I would always call home.

Finally, after what seemed like days but which was actually more like an hour or so, I saw the ominous dark building in the distance. She was in there. She was probably mad as hell and might even hit me when she saw me, but that was okay. I just wanted to see her. To hold her. To kiss her. To -

I was cut off by a distraction below my waist. I looked down. Oh . . . Oh. I would save that for when I saw her.

I wrenched open the double doors that were the main entrance of UPA and then stopped to evaluate the situation. I could smell her scent. The strongest, most recent trace of it lead to her room. I was there in a millisecond. Joanalie, however, was not.

I turned her room upside down, but she wasn't hiding anywhere. "Joanalie?" I called to the destroyed room. There was obviously no reply. I tried to breach the blockade she'd set up around her mind. There was no getting through it, though. She was still furious with me . . . wherever she was.

There was no time to track down where her scent led next. There was no obvious sign of it. I'd asked Headmaster Rynost to keep an eye on her. He must know where she was!

Without so much as a knock, I entered the Headmaster's office and saw him pacing frantically around his room. I'd never seen him so riled up.

"Professor Rynost," I addressed him formally. He looked up, only just now noticing that I was even there.

"Harrison," he breathed, not believing his eyes. "What are you doing back?"

I looked him in the eyes, trying to figure out what was wrong. "King Gregorovich kicked me out. I'm no longer welcome to be the future Head Vampire, I believe. It's not important. Where's Joanalie?"

His face dropped and I wanted to rip him apart. Something was wrong. Something had happened to Joanalie. And the man in front of me was going to pay for it if i he didn't tell me the hell what happened. I told him so, too.

"I don't know how it happened, Harrison," he replied. "She didn't come to any of her classes yesterday. I suppose Professor Livend went to question her about her whereabouts, and next thing I know; they're gone. They both just up and left. I'm still trying to figure all this out! I've been tracing both of their scents all day today and yesterday since I've found out they left. I think they're headed for North America."

My entire body froze. I didn't know what else to do or how to react. Joanalie . . . my Joanalie had run off withDevlin him back to America? She was going back to the States. She was going back to see her family. She was running away from . . . from what? Was she running away from me? And with him?

Maybe that was really it. There wasn't anything else I could do. At least she was safe and away from the War in another continent. It was as good as going abroad and staying in hiding. I can only assume she did it of her own free will. I know she wouldn't still be blocking me if Devlin had taken her against her will. She was stronger than him anyways.

I turned around and left the Headmaster's office. I walked silently and purposefully back to her room. I didn't' want to see anyone right now. I only wanted Joanalie, and she clearly did not reciprocate those feelings. She'd run off with Devlin back to her home . . . and my home, too I suppose since she was there.

I couldn't chase after her. That wouldn't be fair to Joanalie. She was running away from me. I couldn't haunt her forever. This is what I got, though, isn't it? For kidnapping a beautiful human, biting her, turning her into the most powerful immortal ever, and falling for her in the process. I just got her too mixed up with things that she didn't deserve. I really didn't blame her at all. The only bit I didn't understand was why he'd gone with her. Or rather, why she'd gone with him? I could see the gross, overwhelming lust he held for her.

The only thing I could count on now was that she was happy. Because I sure as hell never would be again.

I sunk to my knees in the midst of her ruined dormitory. "I love you, Joanalie."

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