The Princess's Dangerous Vampire Mate-Chapter 280: Merilyn, a beautiful bride - III

For a quick moment, I glanced around to find an empty seat around someone but came up with nothing. Every seat was occupied and every seat which was occupied had a man sitting on top of it who had his beloved sitting on his lap m.

This was more common than I had anticipated, meaning even if I did sit on his lap, it would not be something out of the ordinary and I would not be the centre of attention.

Tristan was the first one to sit down and after he did, he patted his lap as if encouraging me to sit. The crowd was settling in and it would be mortifying if someone so me sitting on his lap after everyone had settled in.

Averting my eyes, I turned sideways before sitting on his lap, as far as I could settle in.

He tsked and before I could ask what it was about, Tristan raised his knees slightly making me slide on his lap and towards his chest only to bump into it.

My heart fluttered the moment we touched and I gasped at what he did. I could almost feel his breath over my ear and that was too close for me.

"There you go," he whispered in my ear, making the goosebumps appear, "this is how close I like you to be."

I gulped and glanced around the room specially to make sure that no one else was listening. "Do you have to do this when we are with people?" I had hissed the words so that whosoever I was trying to whisper the words, hoping that he would be able to catch the bare minimum as there was still chatter being carried out in the room.

He chuckled, right by the side of my ear. "These people will be happy to witness this, my love."

My wretched blood made its way to my cheeks again, making the blush intensify.

Why would they all be so thrilled?

"Love is a beautiful emotion to witness. We are happy to witness it without any jealousy or guilt, without any ill intentions." He answered as if reading my mind. "No one is going to shame you for showing your affection towards me, Genevive."

No, no one was going to shame me for showing my affection towards him but they were definitely going to kill me for what I was about to do.

Had it already been done? Were they going to serve what Rula had put it in?

I nodded, acknowledging what he had told me but the fear in my mind occupied every corner of my attention for me to place it anywhere else.

They served two plates in front of us. One was for me and the other one was clearly for Tristan. Without making me movie straightened up in his chair and his arms caged me in as he started to work on my plate. I was not sure if he was looking at what he was doing or not but the fork was raised to my mouth and all of a sudden I could feel the attention of everyone in the room.

Raising my eyes from the four, I glanced around the room to see everyone looking at us.

"Custom, Genevive," Chiara answered, "The king sees his beloved the first bite before the dinner begins."

I gave a shaky nod her way. Being blatantly stared at was not helpful when I had to eat. Altho had been through these dinners countless of times, I had a feeling that I was going to make a fool of myself in front of these people.

Sending a quick pray to the God, I opened my mouth and close it after I had taken in the piece of chicken before slipping them over the fork and chewing it,

Only when I gulp it, did the people look away at start to eat their food.

I huffed a little out of relief. That was too much attention at once. I felt like a heavy weight had been taken off my shoulders.

Before I knew it, another bite was in front of me and I did the same as before.

"Would you like something to drink?" Tristan whispered in my ear again, making me shiver.

By the small vibration I felt through my back, I knew he was enjoying this.

"No thank you," I replied while turning towards the opposite side to look at him. I avoided looking at the bloody mass kept by the side of my plate.

Marilyn definitely meant it when she said that they needed to have blood in everything in order to consume it.

Why did I have to think about it? Why could I not just look away and dive into my feelings?

My eyes met my friend’s and we smiled at each other even though there was a distance of at least five seats in between us.

"You look beautiful," I mouthed to her which she caught and smiled.

Winking at me, she looked away when one of her family members called her.

Slowly blinking away from her face that was now turned away from me, I realised how it was always going to be. People would move on when they would find new people and my friend and I were an example of it.

She had now found a new family. A family that she could call her own by the likes and by the bones that she had established with them. Something much more valuable than what she had with me.

"She is still here, Evive."

She looked like she was, but it felt like she was far away. "I know." I replied to him in complete contradiction of my thinking.

"Not quite," he breathed out, knowing as ever that I lied. " I understand how you feel but remember I am always there for you. Whenever and wherever you need me, I will be there."

Not tonight, I passed him a smile as I glanced at him. Not tonight, he won’t.