Chapter 17: Promises

Luka watched Keisha's body go down in horror, instinctively reaching out to catch her. She fell into his arms, her small body going limp against him. He could hear her heart racing within her chest as he held her in an embrace; her small, shallow breaths tickling the crook of his neck.

Not realizing he'd been holding his breath, he exhaled in relief, grateful that she was now at least able to respire properly. He gently lifted the unconscious human girl off the floor, carrying her bridal style.

She was incredibly light, and he didn't have to use his super strength as he carried her back to the couch. Carefully setting her down, he placed his hand lightly against her forehead, examining her for fever symptoms.

Though rare, panic attacks could cause psychogenic fevers, and Keisha had just experienced a pretty severe attack, so he was worried she'd fall sick. Luka had a lot of experience dealing with anxiety disorders, having lived with them for a good portion of his life.

Thankfully, her temperature was normal, with a light sheen of nervous sweat being the only abnormality. Relieved, he sat on the ground near her, watching the unconscious human. Her chest rose and fell steadily, a distressed expression marring her features. A pang of guilt pricked Luka's conscience, knowing he was responsible for the look on her face. He shrugged it off however, not feeling an ounce of regret for his actions.

She deserved it.

Though it seemed like an eternity ago when she hit him, the memory still clung fresh in his mind. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be slapped, the last time that happened he was still human. That was eons ago, and for whatever reason, her slap made him nostalgic.

Chuckling at the absurdity of it all, Luka studied the girl in front of him. Stirring unconsciously, she mumbled incoherent nonsense, snorting loudly. She wasn't a graceful sleeper; her plump lips hung agape, drool threatening to spill out. Taken aback by her unsightly sleep habits, Luka found himself grinning at how silly she looked.

He was shocked that he wasn't repulsed by it, instead finding her almost-drooling figure rather cute. How odd.

Reaching out, his hand gently pushed her chin, shutting her mouth. She twitched her nose in reaction, stirring once again. Luka held back the urge to laugh as he stared at her sleeping figure. Her thick lashes rimmed her closed eyes, so long that they were almost touching her cheeks. Her dark brown skin was without blemish, smooth and soft; and Luka found himself involuntarily caressing it. His fingers trailed the supple skin of her face, gently tracing circles from her temple down to her jawline.

His thumb accidently brushed against her lips, and his eyes flickered to them. They were plump and soft, their pale peach colour having a subtle appeal.

Perhaps he was wrong about the human not being attractive. She certainly wasn't his usual type, but she had her charms.

Keisha's eyes fluttered open, and she was greeted by the beautiful face of a devilish asshole, whose hand was currently cradling her face. His eyes flitted up from her lips to meet hers, and they stared at each other awkwardly for a good five seconds.

What in the world?

They jerked away from each other, suddenly coming to their senses. Keisha looked away, flustered as she sat up in the couch wondering what he was doing so close to her face like that. Was he trying to kiss her?

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Luka stood up. "I see you're awake."

"Yes, I am," she responded curtly, looking at anything but him. Peeking up, she instantly looked away when she found him staring at her. Coughing nervously, she reached up to touch her arm which he'd almost broken earlier. Caressing the area, she moved further into the couch, wanting to heighten the distance between them as she feared his erratic behaviour.

He was so bipolar, flaring up for the most random things. It was impossible to keep up with his volatile mood, as any little thing could set him off. Keisha didn't want to risk having another altercation, instead wanting nothing more than to be out of the presence of the mad man.

Noticing her action, he folded his arms across his chest, rolling his eyes. "You look like you're about to faint again. Relax, princess. I'm not going to hurt you."

She didn't respond, instead wrapping her arms around herself as she shrunk further into the couch, her gaze toward the ground. He frowned at this, snapping his fingers to get her attention.

"My eyes are up here, little girl. Look at me when I talk to you."

Reluctantly, she glanced up at him, her deep brown eyes not hiding her distrust. Her fingers anxiously gripped the hem of the shirt she wore, and he watched in annoyance as she crumpled the shirt – his shirt.

Squatting down so that he was at eye-level with her, he intertwined his fingers, resting his chin against them. He looked directly into her eyes as he spoke, his tone firm.

"Keisha, if I was going to hurt you I would've, so stop being a fucking pussy and flinching when I come close to you."

He leaned forward at that last part, and Keisha immediately moved back, proving his point. Scoffing, he hissed as he stood up, turning away from her.

"Pussy."

"Dick."

Luka stopped in his tracks at her words, her voice barely above a whisper. Glancing back, he raised a quizzical brow. "What did you just call me?"

"I called you a dick," Keisha repeated, this time much louder. "You're the biggest dick in this entire school, you asshole!"

Keisha was suddenly feeling brave, realizing she had nothing to lose. If this idiot was going to kill her, as he said, he would've done so already. And even if she did end up getting murdered by this jerk, she wasn't going to die like a common chicken.

No, she was going to die cussing him out till the end!

Cocking his head to the side, Luka smirked smugly at her. "I know. Eight inches to be exact."

Keisha coughed loudly, choking on her spit at his crude words – and his size too. This only amused the cocky jerk – pun intended – and he jeered at her.

"Damn, I must be bigger than I thought. I haven't even put it in yet and you're already choking."

"Please shut up!" Keisha squealed in repulsion, scrunching up her face. "You're absolutely disgusting."

"Disgustingly huge."

"For goodness' sake, stop talking!"

She made a gagging expression, Luka only smirking in response. Walking across the large room, he took a seat on the large bed, facing her. He did so because he could still tell the human was scared, despite the backtalk.

In a way, he missed her fiery attitude. It was entertaining.

Raising his hands in a questioning motion, Luka spoke. "Comfortable now? I moved all the way here so that you wouldn't shit yourself."

"You're most likely stronger and faster than me, so that makes no difference," Keisha folded her arms, leaning back in the couch. "If I try to run, you'll catch up to me in less than a stride."

"Smart girl," he praised, snapping his fingers. "So you're just going to have to trust me then."

"I don't trust a word you say, Luka," she said matter-of-factly. "You've been nothing short of horrible to me, so why would I trust you? Heck, I'm not even sure you're human."

"I'm not. Which is exactly why you should trust me."

Keisha's eyes widened in shock at his confession, and she couldn't tell if she was amazed or afraid. Luka wasn't human so that explained his transformation last night, as well as his magical golden eyes that he could summon at will. But that also meant he could possibly be one of those demonic creatures she saw in the forest.

Seeing her worried expression, he elaborated further. "I'm a vampire. We keep our word. I'm not going to hurt you, Keisha, so relax."

"You're a vampire?"

Keisha was dumbstruck, not able to think of a better thing to say to his revelation. He nodded curtly, leaning forward in the bed. Looking intently at her, Luka intertwined his fingers.

"Now that I've told you my secret, why don't you tell me yours?"

"Mine?" she asked confused.

"Earlier, I tried to hypnotize you into telling me the truth. It didn't work. How? Don't lie to me, Keisha."

"So that's what that was? Hypnosis?"

He nodded, before she continued. "Well, I don't really know how I did it. All I know is that my head was spinning when it happened."

Peering studiously at her, Luka watched her body language closely, searching for any signs that she was lying. Finding none, he raised a questioning brow.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded affirmatively, and he let out a deep sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "Alright, I believe you. What about last night? Do you remember what happened to you in the forest?"

She hesitated, contemplating whether or not she should tell the truth. Noticing this, Luka frowned disapprovingly. "Don't lie, little girl. Tell me what you saw."

"Why? I don't trust you."

"So, you did see something," Luka glared, his tone accusing. "What?"

"I'm not telling," Keisha said with an air of finality. "How am I sure that you won't kill me after I tell?"

"I already promised not to hurt you, moron."

"You never promised anything! You just said I should trust you because you're a vampire and vampire's keep their word! You could be lying for all I know!"

"Why would I play such games? You should know me well by now, Keisha. I'm not the diplomatic kind."

Realizing he had a point, she sighed in exasperation. If he wanted to hurt her, he would've done so by now. Still, Keisha couldn't bring herself to trust him. He was Luka Haydes – her tormentor and the notorious Prince of Hell.

She'd be a fool to trust him.

Seeing her internal conflict, Luka sighed. "Look, little girl. I understand you don't trust me, that's fine. But let's be honest here, you don't exactly have a choice. Whatever you saw in that forest, I'm the only person you can actually tell about it. Nobody else will believe you, and nobody else can give you answers. So, if I were you, I'd start talking."

Keisha pondered his advice, weighing the pros and cons. Looking up at him, she gulped when she caught him staring intently at her, his brown eyes piercing through her. He looked perfect right now, his usual scowl replaced by an expectant stare, his soft brown locks falling over his eyes as he leaned forward in the bed. One could easily mistake this cold, heartless devil for a harmless angel.

Looks truly were deceiving.

"Promise not to hurt me?"

"I promise."

Sighing deeply, Keisha told him everything; from the monster, to the archer, to being found by him. He listened intently; his jaw taut all the while she spoke.

"When I woke up, I was here. That's everything." Keisha concluded, nervously rubbing her palms together. "You believe me, right?"

He nodded curtly, his eyes wandering as if lost in thought. Getting up, he motioned for her to follow suit.

"Get up. We have to go, now."

"What? Why?"

"We need to report this."

"To who?"

"Bowers."

Keisha was confused, giving him an 'are-you-serious' look. "Mr. Samuel? Are you crazy? What the hell is he supposed to do?"

Not bothering to explain, Luka tossed her some sweatpants and slippers from his closet, hastily snatching his keys from his dresser. "Put on some pants. I'll explain in the car."

"But you promised me answers!" Keisha whined, folding her arms defiantly. Ignoring her, he walked out the door, not before sternly warning, "You'd better be downstairs in five minutes or have yourself to blame for whatever happens to you."

Slamming the door, Keisha flinched in fright at his threat. She thought he promised not to hurt her? That sneaky liar!

Rushing to put on his oversized sweatpants, she quickly got ready, flying out the door in no time as she didn't want to risk his wrath. Muttering under her breath, she cursed the lying Prince.

"Stupid asshole!"

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