Chapter 6
Dreya’s POV
I was on my way to Onyx’s home office when I heard him talking.
I thought I would be the good wife and ask him what he wanted for lunch.
I had never felt this domesticated and I was loving this new part of my life.
Caring for Onyx, providing for him, being his blood wife had become the best thing to happen to my life.
I raised my hand ready to knock, when what Onyx said tore through me like a jagged knife.
“She is my blood wife, a blood match, and nothing more.”
What?
There was a pause as I held my breath.
“Dreya is simply a means to and end. She is that scoundrel’s daughter, and she is bred from the same cloth.”
I was nothing like my father. Nothing!
I raised a shaky hand to my heart, and continued to listen to the man I had hoped rescued me, more or less, from the horrible, caged life I had lived under my father’s roof.
“I need her blood, but she is merely a means to an end.”
Silence.
“If she wants to work outside the home, that would shame her, not me. I could care less.”
I staggered back, not needing to hear any more.
Tears were streaming down my face as I quickly walked to my sanctuary.
I closed and locked the door for the first time since Onyx offered me this room.
I sank to the floor, my body pressed against the hard wood door, as sobs came tearing through me.
I pressed my hand to my mouth to try and cover the sounds.
I didn’t need the house staff to hear me.
Just a blood match? What do I do now? I can’t leave him. My only options are return to that nightmare of a life with my father and his cruelty or stay and accept my new fate.
After crying all that I could, I sat up straight, back pressed firmly against the door, as I aggressively wiped my face.
If I am only a blood match, then only a blood match you will get, husband. Starting today.
I stayed in my sanctuary for a couple of hours before I heard noises outside my door. Voices.
“When was the last time you saw her?” Onyx sounded concerned, but now I knew better.
Sophie said, “Well, she was in the kitchen with me before lunch. She was going to ask you what you wanted for lunch, but she never returned.”
Yes, and I won’t be doing that anymore.
A soft knock on the door. I stood from my loveseat and slowly walked towards the door, my book in my hand.
I had left it locked, and spent the time trying to read.
Instead, I spent most of the time wandering through my life, and wondering how and why I ended up here. What had I done to deserve this?
I could tell he tried the door knob, then knocked again a little louder.
“Dreya? Honey? Are you okay?”
Perfectly fine now that I know where I stand in this marriage.
I unlocked the door and kept a restrained smile on my face.
“Yes?”
He looked at me confused, then to Sophie, who shifted uncomfortably. I usually had a big smile on my face. Not any more. He did not deserve it. The staff had been nice enough, but the truth was this was his house, his staff. Not mine. That conversation I heard earlier made that very clear.
“Are you okay?” He looked me over, curiously.
I shrugged lightly. “Perfectly fine.”
He stared at me, apparently waiting for more. I gave him nothing. I would give him nothing.
“Have you had lunch yet?” He seemed hopeful.
“I’m not very hungry. I’ll eat later.” I continued to smile tightly at him.
He frowned. “Are you not feeling well?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. Vampyrs don’t get sick.
Unless there is something wrong with the blood they drink.
A vampyr, in his desperation, once drank tainted human blood.
He ended up convulsing for hours before the blood purged itself from his system.
He later said he felt like his insides were on fire.
Found out later, the human blood was tainted with anemia.
The iron in the blood was so low, it almost didn’t register at all.
Poor human was probably sicker than death itself.
No one knew where he got the tainted blood as the man refused to admit to it. He had been a bleeder.
Bleeders were often low blood borns that had been taken for bloodlettings against their will, then thrown out on the street.
They ended up being unable to maintain their job position because of missing work for so many days that they had to live on the streets and get blood from wherever they could find any.
Usually from blood dealers who traded services for blood, sometimes tainted human blood.
I knew about bleeders because I spent too much time listening to the gossip of my house staff growing up.
Not like I had much else to do. I was locked in by my father.
He had stated his blatant discontent for me on numerous occasions, both for my unique red hair and the fact I had not been born a male vampyr.
“In a flat tone, I said, “I feel fine.” I paused looking between them, then smiled a tight smile again. “Is there anything else?”
Onyx frowned at me. “Ummm no. I just wanted to check on you.”
“As I have said, I am fine. But I would like to get back to my book now, if you don’t need anything further from me.
” I waited very briefly, then closed the door on them both.
Then I locked it and returned to me loveseat.
I sat there quietly, as I could hear no movement.
After some time, footsteps moved away from the door.
Yes, dear husband. And now you will know where I stand.