บท 16: Long time no see

Lucian tried to lift Seraphina out of the car, staring at the young lady in her early twenties standing on the porch with a glass of juice in her hand. "When did I have a girlfriend?" He asked her.

"And when did you start bringing women home big bro?" She asked, flipping her jet black hair. The next words got stuck in her mouth immediately Lucian lifted Seraphina out of the car.

An intoxicating scent filled her senses and her eyes flashed red immediately, dropping the glass of juice with her as she walked towards Lucian who wasn't at first paying attention to her till he spotted her fangs.

"Esmeralda, snap out of it." Lucian thundered as he hugged Seraphina, using himself as an human shield to protect Seraphina from his sister's bloodlust.

Esmeralda didn't budge and just licked her lips as she tried to push him away. He had covered her blood stained hand because he knew they were going in the midst of vampires.

The soft wiff her Seraphina's blood caught his attention and he realized that might be the reason. But why? He has noticed no one noticed her unique scent that sends one into bloodlust if not careful, but now his sister was picking the scent.

"Snap out of it Esmeralda Van del Turo. She is no food." He warned, his aura flaring. Esmeralda finally came back to her senses as she looked at Lucian for a few seconds, not knowing what just happened.

Lucian lifted her into the house and took her straight to the room next to his. Esmeralda followed him quietly, not saying anything. Lucina placed her on the bed and dug his fingers into her wound, pulling out the bullet in it.

"What happened?" Esmeralda asked as he dragged out the kit to help her clean her wound. "New threats?"

"Yeah, they are focusing on her because she is the only one I'm walking with these days." Lucian replied and she looked at him teasingly.

"What position is she occupying this time? A lover?" She asked and he just ignored her. "Come on big bro."

"You fell into a trance once you saw her and her scent hit you. You are the only vampire after me that has reacted to her scent and I don't know why her blood has this unique scent that seems that only we royal blood can sense." Lucian replied as he focused on the task he had in hand.

"Do you know what it is?" She asked and he shook his head negatively. "We should find a way to conceal the scent till we know what it is because we don't know what exactly it might be and I do not trust my brothers."

"The only way I can conceal it is by drinking her blood." He said and she looked at him with a raised brow. "And I can't. She is going to die if I do so because vampires drinking human blood directly is dangerous to her."

"Is there no other way? If she dies we can't know what it was, even if it's a threat to the clan." Esmeralda replied with a sigh as she sat on the nearby sofa. "That's the reason you kept her close huh? I was wondering who it was that my brother has in his car and is driving to his mansion. Looks like I'm not the only privileged woman in your life anymore."

"You are yet to be a woman, Esmeralda. You are still a young lady." He replied and she scoffed with a slight humph. "I can't wait till you become one and spend your man's money instead of mine."

"You are my man." Esmeralda pointed out. "And I'll spend your money any way I like because it's not going to be mine forever. One woman is right here who can take my position as your favorite anytime soon."

"Don't think highly of your predictions, Esmeralda. Get yourself a man first…"

"You…"

"Your highness." Gabriel's voice came from the door and the duo looked up at him. He was standing there with Cullen who walked in to check up on Seraphina's wounds.

"It was a poisoned bullet and it ate its way that much. Will she be fine?" He asked as Cullen checked up on her.

"It'll need some stitches." He said as Lucian's men walked in with the machines he needed to treat Seraphina. "She passed out due to panic so she should be given proper treatment. Please can you leave the room?"

Lucian stared at him narrowly. "Don't you have any nurse that can do this instead?"

"Seriously, Lucian?" Esmeralda looked at him with her mouth agape.

"So there is a woman Lucian still cares about." A feminine voice came from the door and they all looked towards the door.

"Naomi?"

"Long time no see."