Chapter 4 This Union Wouldn't Work

Brea's POV

The door slammed shut behind us. I stood frozen in Rayne’s tall, powerful vampire body while my own smaller human frame stared back at me from across the room.

Rayne looked down at my hands, my arms, my breasts, and the soft curves of my body. Revulsion twisted my own face. He lifted my gaze to meet his.

“Fix this right now.”

“I didn’t do anything!” The words came out in his deep voice. “I don’t know how this happened.”

Rayne’s expression was filled with pure hatred. “Only a witch could have done this. Only humans carry that kind of wild, magic. Your kind has always been a plague in Velnaris—magic-rotted humans who dare challenge us.”

I stared at him, stunned. I had never heard the about humans being 'witches.' 

Last night I had only prayed to the Goddess of the Moon out of desperation, begging for any escape from this nightmare. That was all I remembered.

"If witches exist, it will be good," I said. "Anything that can finally hurt your kind is good. You vampires have enslaved us, drained us, and treated humans like livestock for centuries. If some humans can actually fight back with magic, then I hope they burn every last one of you."

Rayne glanced down at my hands. Flexed my fingers once. Then looked back up with the specific unbothered quality of someone who has heard considerably more threatening things before breakfast.

"Interesting wish," he said. "You're currently standing in the body of everything you want burned." He tilted my head slightly. "And I'm standing in yours." A pause. "Your witches won't stop to ask questions. They'll just burn." Another pause. "Both of us."

In Velnaris, a human and a vampire together was not a crime.

It was a taboo. Which was worse.

Crimes had trials. Taboos had mobs. If the masses ever found out about a union between a human and a vampire, it didn't matter which side heard first there would be no court, no hearing, no formal charge. Just fire.

Rayne smoothed my shirt down with two brisk movements and looked at me with that specific unbothered quality.

"You should be thanking your gods that you're in my body," he said. "Which means I'm exempted from any law that applies here." A pause. "I am the law." Another pause, quieter this time. 

"But your humans won't exempt you from being found with me." His eyes stayed level on mine. "Because you're mine now. And that alone is enough to get you killed by your own people."

He looked at me for a moment. Then said simply,

"No one finds out about this."

"Or what?" 

"Or you won't survive long enough to find out what or." He smoothed my shirt down with two brisk movements. "That's all."

A sharp knock sounded on the door. “My lord? We heard shouting. Is everything all right?”

Rayne went still. Even in my human body the ancient killer showed through. He crossed the room quickly, grabbed my arm with my smaller hand, and yanked us close.

“The butler is unconscious in the hallway,” he said coldly.

I blinked, thrown off balance in his tall frame. “You knocked out your own butler? Why...how did you even get into this room?”

“He was in the way. I needed to reach you before anyone else did.” His voice was impatient. “We need a distraction right now. Do not ruin this.”

He tried to pull my taller frame down to kiss him, but I jerked back instantly, disgust surging through me. “Don’t you dare..”

The knock came again, louder this time. Voices murmured right outside the door.

Rayne’s flashed with urgent warning. “Now, witch. Or they’ll see everything.”

I hated him. I hated this. But getting caught like this would be far worse. Gritting my teeth, I finally yanked his smaller body against mine, cupped the back of my own head with one large hand, and kissed him. 

The kiss started stiff and angry on my side, but Rayne’s vampire instincts roared through my veins, hunger, possession, raw dominance making it look far more convincing than I wanted.

The door cracked open. Guards gasped.

“Leave,” I growled in Rayne’s commanding voice, not breaking the kiss immediately.

They scrambled out with muttered apologies. The door slammed shut.

We broke apart instantly. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, “Disgusting.”

Rayne  still in my body smiled slowly, dangerously, my own lips curving in a way that felt completely wrong on my face.

“You’re forgetting something, little witch,” he said softly, eyes gleaming with dark amusement. “You will soon be my bride.”