The Half-Blood Princess, Mihaela Bogdan [good books to read for young adults .TXT] 📗

them. This method was so simple minded that I could not stop wondering why any other hybrid didn’t thought about this before?
  Now my mom had to die because of their stupidity. I lost my trust in half vampires along with her and began depending only on myself.
  On my twenty fourth birthday, two weeks before Saint Valentine’s Day, my dad noticed that he had a son and acted like a real father. Oh, well! Better later than never!
  But on Saint Valentine’s Day dad receives a letter from his best friend, the king of vampires himself, Count Vladimir Dracula. Twenty years ago he married that human female and most vampires believed that she made him weak. Let’s hope that he came into his senses when she disappeared from his life.
  In the letter, he told dad that his half vampire daughter is twenty years old and she finally returned home after her mother died eight years ago. This news didn’t impressed me! And it got worse when dad wanted to go visit them and celebrate their family reunion.
  Me and that half vampire have only one thing in common: the fact that our mothers are dead. But dad wanted to meet her anyway. As we were approaching the castle, through The Black Forest, I soon find out dad intended to make Dracula’s daughter a real vampire and maybe she will be my bride. I didn’t respond to his idea. I told him I will think about it, although I was against arranged marriages. Why do parents have to decide whom their children are getting married to?! It is a foolish thing. I will marry that girl only if she’s my type; if not then no wedding.
  My dad wasn’t happy about my point of view but I was an adult now so he respected my decision. In the long years when he was too busy about his work, dad never tried to make some time to raise me. Instead he left me with his sister-in-law, mom’s twin sister, Miranda. She got married to a Russian guy, Boris and had twin daughters, Scarlet and Rose. Although they were my cousins, I never got along with them so well. Maybe because I was too jealous of them; they had a mom and dad that cared and loved them, while my only parent was traveling who knows where, not giving a damn about his only child whom became motherless.
  In all these years I have gathered so much hatred towards Dragomir for this, that now I don’t consider him as a dad anymore. It is useless for him to make up now for his mistakes, I will never forgive him, never!
  The castle was dark and old looking, just the kind of place I like. The butler was annoying and I was surprised to find out that he was an ordinary mortal. After he will die, Dracula would better find a vampire butler to replace this old fool.
  We were invited into the living room and dad gave Dracula a bottle full of the deer’s blood that we hunt down before coming here. This was the gift from us. Dracula seemed pleased and ordered the butler to bring three glasses. When the bottle was half empty, the two of them began reminding of the old days.
  Soon Dracula stood up and said looking at the other end of the room:
  -Oh, Valentina, you are back! Come and meet our guests!
  After a long time of boring events, the half-blood princess finally showed her face. I must admit she was indeed beautiful like her old man said. Tall, thin, pale skin, long black hair, hazel eyes and that red dress ... mmhh ... made me want to eat her up! After Dracula introduced us, I pulled out a chair on my right and said:
  -Don’t fear darling, I don’t bite ... very bad!
  She hesitated at first, but in the end she sat next to me. Her sweet scent seduced me immediately. As she continued ignoring me, I thought teasing her might make her look at me. So I made a little joke about her human nature half. When she finally looked

at me and spoke, I could feel my heels burning. Unfortunately I went too far and I made her run away. Guess I’m not every girls dream after all. Or maybe she plays hard to get, if so, then I love playing games.
  That night dad argued with me. I act cold and careless. I do felt sorry for what I said to Valentina, but dad wasn’t aloud to know this. Like I said before: I will never forgive him because of his absence during in the most painful part of my childhood.
  The next day I have been searching for Valentina in the whole castle. Dracula asked me what I want from her and I responded that I wanted to apologize for my rude behavior. This respond made him to forgive me and said she went into that small town, outside The Black Forest. The good news was I know where she is, the bad news was that outside was daylight. The sun was shinning pretty strong for the beginning of March.
  Thinking that Valentina wouldn’t stay long, I went to wait for her in her bedroom. The minute I opened the door, Valentina’s odor was all over the place. I took a deep breath and my heart start beating by all its power. Who would have thought that a half female vampire could make me become her slave?! Near the door was a plastic umbrella stand. I took the black one and went after Valentina in town, without being noticed.
  My first impression of that little town was not so good. It was too colorful and too lively for my tastes. I prefer dark, haunted and abandoned places with less dirty humans and more vampires, worth to hang out. Fortunately I had a big straw hat on my head, to cover my eyes. During daytime I’m not strong enough to handle a bunch of mortals.
  Finally I saw Valentina at a pathetic restaurant, eating with a blond human fool. At the sight of those two, my blood began to boil with hatred. In that moment all I wanted was to break that human’s neck with my bear hands and suck the life out of him. Just then, they got up and I returned to the castle as fast as I could. In less than a minute I arrived and returned the umbrella to Valentina’s room.
  The rest of the day I sat in my bedroom, which it was three doors away from hers. Dad invited me to drink fox blood in the library with him and Dracula, but I refused. All I wanted was to be alone and think of a plan to make Valentina be mine for eternity and to get rid of that idiotic human male. Suddenly, I smelled that old butler and went out to meet him.
  -Hey there, old man! Do you know where Valentina is?
  -She has returned from town. I hope you won’t upset her again young lad. She is happy now that she met the priest’s son, Amen. And this information must be known only by you. Don’t you try to make me or Miss Valentina trouble!
  -I swear to keep quiet!
  I let him stand there in front of my room’s door and went searching for Valentina again. The main hall was full of her odor and it led me into the living room. She was staring at her family picture and I approached her without a sound. When I got next to her right, my anger towards her friendship with that no good son of a priest vanished. Every time I was near her, she always made me feel like in heaven, full of peace and love. I turned my head towards the painting on the wall and said:
  -What a nice family! Too bad it didn’t last, but as you know happy endings are only in fairy tales to make stupid brats dream well at night!
  Seeing that she was quiet, I continued:
  -The butler told me that you had a great time in town today. Is it because of that priest’s foolish son, Amen? What a ridiculous name!
  After I insulted her little friend, she fought back looking cute. I didn’t pay attention to her words, my eyes were too busy feeding up with her physical beauty. When she finished, I said something randomly to show her that I did listen, even though it wasn’t true. One thing I do know about girls: they hate when no one listens to them talking.
  -I don’t go to church ... as I can remember.
  -Gosh, I wonder why?
  Her sarcasm didn’t bother me. On the contrary!
  -How cute of you to defend that idiot!
  She began threatening me that she will tell Dracula to kick me out of the castle and when she got to leave, I grabbed her at my chest, looking in her pretty eyes. She was afraid that someone might see us, like I care about what others might think. Therefore I said to her very careless:
  -I don’t care! After saying so, I began kissing her sweet lips. At first, she tried to escape, but I was stronger than her and she assign to the temptation. The kiss made me feel strong and invincible. She got loose quickly and tears began to fall from her eyes.
  -What’s wrong love? Don’t I kiss good enough like that blond?
  I had no idea if she kissed him or not. I didn’t care because I was sure that my kiss was better anyway. When we were hugging and kissing, I could hear Valentina’s heart beating in the same time as mine. Things were clear as crystal: she is meant to be mine!
  Surely she must have feelings for me as well, otherwise she would have fought better to get me off her. But she didn’t, moreover she kissed me back!
  Oh, beautiful half-blood princess, I will make you my queen. Just you wait and see!

XII/12

(In this chapter it is presented what Vladimir and Dragomir have been doing in the library, while Valentina had her first date with Amen and kissed Cornelius in the living room.)

  At first, Dragomir brought Vladimir into the library to talk about his son’s rude behavior. He tried to apologize in the name of Cornelius, trying to explain that he had his part of blame for not taking care of his son when he had the chance.
Vladimir assured him that he was not upset. With this problem settled he changed the subject. The real reason why he called Dragomir and Cornelius to his castle is to make Valentina a pure vampire, but only if she desires as well.
  Hearing this, Dragomir got so excited that he begun making plans about the steps that need to be made. Soon,