My Most Precious Human

I froze, looking into his eyes. He pulled me close and stroked my hair, trying to coax me, but it hardly had any effect. My heart was pounding erratically from the moment I heard him say my father's name. I could ignore the presence of any other Alpha but him. Even though I was no longer defenseless, and I had someone equally powerful to protect me, I was horrified at the mere thought of looking Randall D'Apolito in the eye. Did it make me a coward? Perhaps. But I couldn't deny the fact that the mental advantage he had over me was turning me into the most fragile person I knew when facing him. "W-why does he have to be there? He killed your mother, didn't he?" I shivered, trying to comprehend the reason for inviting someone like him.

"This is exactly why I want him to be there." Sariel painted a cold smirk on his face, "I want to look into his eyes and place fear in him. I want him to know that the day when he will pay for his sins will come soon."

I could understand Sariel's need for revenge on my father. I wasn't planning on stopping him. To me, Randall D'Apolito was my tormentor. We shared the same blood, but it didn't change the fact that I had nothing but hatred for him.

"Don't worry. I will protect you from whatever danger you might face." He kissed my lips and then moved down to my neck.

I wanted to believe that he would always keep me safe, but at the same time, I hated the fact that I had to depend on him. Once again, he was the one making all the decisions for me. He was the one holding all the cards. I could merely watch how he played the game, like a pawn on a chessboard. Yes, I could only be a lowly pawn... The queen's figure had already been taken.

With all the mixed feelings swirling around my heart, I found little pleasure in Sariel's caresses. I submitted to him as I had always done before and didn't find it displeasing, but I felt as if there was no ME in it. Unlike me, Sariel was filled with lust and desire. He gave me his everything, but that night, it wasn't enough to satisfy me. Something was missing. It was that subtle difference between having sex and making love, and I couldn't feel the "love" part of it...

I could recall him getting up from the bed right before dawn. I was too exhausted to fully open my eyes. He kissed me gently, not knowing I was half-awake, and left through the passage behind the bookshelves. I fully woke up when the sun was already up, alone.

I stroked the empty part of the bed where he slept, as if I was hoping to recall his scent and touch. My heart felt as empty as his bedside. It hurt. It looked like I was starting my first full day living in the palace from being depressed and broken. It sucked.

I was such a mess, I couldn't sort out my feelings. Part of me hated Sariel for what he did, but I knew that the loving-him part would win no matter how hard I tried to be mad at him. Feelings are never logical, and the way I felt didn't make any sense. I wished I could restart my heart and upload the right kind of software this time because my system was absolutely malfunctioning.

I got up. I stumbled a few times while going towards the closet. Sariel drank a lot of my blood. I think he drank more than he had drunk when he had been fighting silver poisoning. Was he preparing for some kind of battle, and did he need twice the strength he had? Or maybe he did it since he wasn't planning on visiting my chamber any time soon... I smiled bitterly at that thought.

"Come on, weak Lilith." I slapped my face, trying to force my rationality to take control, "It's time to use less heart and more brain, even if it hurts."

I got dressed and seriously started to miss Martha and her nagging. I could use some friendly faces in this cold, unwelcoming mansion. Suddenly, someone knocked on my door.

"Yes?" I called out.

"I brought you breakfast, Lady Lilith." I couldn't help but notice a hostility in the sound of that female voice coming from outside.

I guessed that the "fun" part of living in the palace was about to begin.

"You may enter," I said, with a polite but firm tone.

The maid walked in carrying a tray with a steel dome cover. Her fake smile couldn't be more obvious. I knew she wasn't here to bring me food; she was here to mess with me. She slightly bowed and put the covered tray on the table. Then she pulled out a chair from the table, inviting me to sit down. I smirked at her and sat down where she wanted me to.

"Enjoy your food." She softly snickered, turning around towards the door as a culprit, running away from the crime scene.

"Wait!" I stopped her, commandingly.

As she turned back my way, her smile quickly changed into a grimace filled with annoyance. I glared at her and slowly opened up the dome cover off the plate she brought. The stink of the rotten food quickly filled the room. The salad I was given was covered in a white and grey mold, the bread looked the same, and the butter had some brown spots all over it. They truly made an effort to make this breakfast as uneatable and disgusting as possible.

"Who told you to serve me this... dish?" I asked, putting a cold smile on my face.

"Oh, it's the Queen's welcome gift, to help Lady Lilith feel at home." Her cockiness made my blood boil.

I felt that she would gladly spit on me if Elora told her to. The disdain she had for me was clearly visible. She didn't even pretend. She must have been convinced that I was too weak to do anything to her. I looked her up and down.

"What's your name?"

"Sophia, Milady," she said with an arrogant chuckle.

I pulled back a chair next to me. "Sit down and join me for breakfast." My lips curled up in a smile while my eyes locked on her in a cold stare.

She raised her eyebrows and sat down, amusement painting her face. She mocked my orders but followed them as if she was testing my patience.

"Do you expect me to eat this?" I grabbed a fork and twirled a piece of molded tomato on it.

"I apologize, Milady. I guess the kitchen didn't know what humans eat." She snorted.

Yes, she was testing my patience, and yes, she was convinced that I was absolutely defenseless. She dared to mock me while sitting right next to me. She underestimated her opponent. I might not have been the Queen, but as the King's concubine, I deserved respect, and I had the authority to punish her. The problem was, in this world, it was all about strength.

"Are you a mix-breed, Sophia?" I asked, doing my best to remain composed.

She chuckled, placing her elbows on the table and leaning closer to my face, "Most of my blood is vampire blood. That means you shouldn't mess with me... Milady." She smirked while giving me a clear warning.

She was getting on my nerves more and more. Surprisingly, I felt something building up within me the angrier I became, a new kind of force. I smiled at her and pushed the plate towards her.

"I lost my appetite, Sophia. Eat it."

"I'm not hungry," she sneered.

"I didn't ask if you were hungry. I gave you an order," I sang, beamingly smiling at her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back on her chair. "Make me," she snorted.

I smirked. Something moved my muscles, fueling them with a power I had never felt before. I stood up from my chair, grabbed the back of her head, and smashed the plate using her face. The whole movemen took me less than half a second. The rush of adrenaline I felt sent a pleasant shiver down my guts. I grinned victoriously, watching Sophia lift her bleeding face from the tabletop. She groaned like a wounded animal and jumped at me, pulling out her claws. I slapped her.

The muscles in my hand must have turned stone-hard because my slap knocked her down to the floor. She slightly raised her eyes at me, surprise and confusion appearing on her face.

I stepped over her and walked towards the door, then called out to the corridor as I opened it. "Guards!"

Two men in palace uniforms came running towards my chamber.

"Yes, Milady?" they simultaneously announced their readiness to take an order.

"What is the punishment for attacking the King's concubine?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder to see Sophia still lying on the floor.

"Death, Milady." One of the guards gulped.

I smirked coldly, pointing at the Queen's maid, "The garbage lying in my chamber insulted me, refused my order, and then dared to attack me."

Sophia got up to her knees, still glaring at me, but the confusion rose within her by the second. I could never imagine myself being merciless, but I had to set an example, and Sophia gave me no other choice...

"Take her away, and punish her accordingly," I squeezed through my clenched throat, barely keeping my calm.

The guards nodded and grabbed struggling and cursing Sophia, still processing what went wrong in her idiotic scheme. Well, she had never taken into consideration that she wasn't dealing with Lady Lilith, the weak human, but a newly awakened... Lilith 2.0.