Chapter 121: Mating Bond Ritual

"You.want.me. Me?" Meredith snorted, admittedly not a very ladylike noise, but right then she just didn't care. She chuckled as if she was hearing a joke.

"Yes." Marcus fought back a grin as he brought his wine to his lips.

Meredith stopped suddenly, almost as if she was hearing his words for the first time. She breathed in a teensy bit of panic,

"You're serious." She replied sharply.

"Hmm glad you have noticed that."" He replied looking at her deadpan.

Meredith narrowed her eyes at him, "You want me as in….."

"I want you to be strong, powerful and the best version of yourself." Marcus interrupted her.

Meredith raised her brows in suspicion.

"And why is that?"

Marcus placed his glass on the table and looked at her, his usual smirk disappearing from his face.

"Believe it or not princess, I want you alive and the only way of ensuring that is to make you powerful, no to make you unbeatable."

Meredith frowned, he still hadn't answered her question.

"Why?" Meredith looked at him quizzically.

Marcus contemplated for a moment and then sighed.

"I can't tell you right now but when you're powerful enough to handle the truth I will let you know."

Marcus stared at her. His brows were furrowed, and looked down at her hand on the table, his messy white hair fell across his forehead, nearly to his eyes as he stared downward.

His face softened a fraction as he seemed to be contemplating something, fighting some kind of inner battle.

He gently brushed a thumb across the back of her hand on the table and Meredith's breath caught in her throat at the sensation.

"I made a promise to your father that I will protect you" He whispered.

Meredith blinked. She must be drunk having some

absurd dream. He couldn't have just said that.

"There are too many ears to speak but trust me I will never hurt you and will protect you with my life."

He took his glass and gulped down the rest of his wine, swirling the cup in his hand.

"Your mother saved my life once. And your father trained me to be stronger to protect you when you grow up. They loved me more than my own parents so I owe them."

Marcus flicked his gaze up to meet hers,pain and fury distantly swirling in his eyes.

"You loved them" Meredith whispered, lowering her gaze.

"I did. They were great King and Queen." He said his face was hard as stone but the emotion in his eyes betrayed him.

Meredith met his eyes and found deeper sorrow in them than she had ever seen before.

An unknown surge of emotions passed through her. Meredith didn't know what to say. All that was going through her mind was that he knew her parents.

Then how old was he? She had read that vampires were immortals. So was he a thousand years old? Did her parents betrothed her to an old vampire lord?

Marcus stared at her, his eyes piercing and intense. It felt like an eternity passed before he spoke again.

"What?" He questioned his brows furrowed together.

Of course he could sense her conflicting emotions. Meredith swallowed and asked softly, "How old are you?"

She was almost afraid of the answer but she waited as he studied her. Marcus leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his wine.

"Old." He said simply.

Meredith frowned, "How old?" She asked again.

Marcus's lips curled up and he stared at her in silence for a while. Meredith didn't back down. She held his gaze, her determination evident. Finally, he gave in.

"I was born one hundred and twenty-five years ago." He shrugged nonchalantly as if he was telling her about his favorite food.

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Meredith's mouth opened but remained soundless with shock. She took her glass of wine from the table and gulped down the wine.

" Holy shit!" Meredith cussed out.

Marcus's lips curled up in amusement.

Meredith couldn't believe he was 100 years older than her. She knew she shouldn't be surprised he was a vampire for god's sake.

"If you're that old, why did my parents betrothed me to you? Don't you find it weird? Didn't they care about what I would want in the future? Also were you present during the war?"

"Your parents didn't betrothed you to me. It's a law set by your great grandfather to ensure a unified Kingdom.

The first born of the royal family is to be promised to the next in line of the vampire throne. And no I was not here when the war happened. I was sent on a mission."

Marcus explained.

"But how can you be okay with all of this? Didn't

you ever want to marry out of love and not

obligation?" Meredith asked.

Marcus sighed, "Yes, it would have been nice to

marry someone that I have a genuine

depth of feeling for.

But since I knew that was never going to be my future, I never dwelt on missing that reality.

Besides I was sure you were going to fall in love with me. Look at me, I'm not that ugly. And I would have done everything to make you happy."

The corner of his lips twitched upward again. But he quickly licked his lips, trying to hide his smile, and shook his head before looking away.

"But you have lived for so long don't tell me you don't have a woman you love."

Marcus stiffened and his hands holding his glass trembled slightly.

"No." Marcus's eyes hardened.

"Liar." Meredith snorted.

"I had someone…but it didn't work out." Marcus said sipping the last reminder of his wine.

"Hmm love is beautiful I hope one day you're able to experience it again."

Meredith murmured gazing at the moon. She missed him so much.

"Atlas…" Meredith whispered longingly in the quiet night.

Marcus stared at her quietly for a moment and sighed.

"Is he your first love?" He questioned out of the blue surprising Meredith.

Meredith blushed and nodded.

"Sorry." Marcus said.

Meredith furrowed her brows in confusion.

"For what?"

His head snapped up and his eyes bored into hers with an almost palpable force.

"Do you know what being betrothed to me means?"

Meredith shook her head and a bad feeling settled in the depth of her stomach.

"During the engagement ceremony there is going to be a ritual."

"W-what ritual?"

"Mating bond ritual."

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