Nicholas looked from the corner of his eyes when Heidi busied herself in looking at the snowfall as if she had never seen one before. Her eyes were curious and tender, her lips parted slightly. She looked beautiful tonight, like an angel who had fallen from the sky during the snowfall and would disappear once the sun would rise up. Stanley had done a good job in helping her ready herself for the ball and he didn't know if he had raise his salary or reduce it for making her so alluring. She hadn't caught just his eye but most of them who had come across her.

When he reached for her hand, she didn't withdraw her hand and let him take it in his.

"This is a safe place," he tugged her hand gently and she followed him without any question, letting him whisk her away where he wanted to.

After taking a few more turns, Nicholas led her to a room before closing it shut.

He was quick to close in the s.p.a.ce they shared with each other and without any further delay, his lips were on hers instantly. Heidi being the least experienced and it being the second time being kissed, she let him take the lead which the man happily complied. Sucking on her lips, he bit her lips, drawing a drop of blood which he licked clean with his tongue. The after taste of her blood was like an adrenaline rush to his head and he wanted to taste more of it but he held back his instincts. Slipping his tongue into her warm mouth, he continued to kiss her while both his hands settled below her b.u.t.tocks, pus.h.i.+ng her closer to him.

Nicholas' lips traveled towards her neck to find her sweet spot and he began sucking it to hear Heidi moan to her embarra.s.sment. She bit her bottom lip to avoid making any noise in the silence that they were surrounded in.

"There's nothing to be embarra.s.sed about, darling," he coaxed her gently, freeing her lips that had been caught between her lips. Leaning down again, he went back to kissing her on her lips, "I'm glad that you're wearing hand gloves today," he commented in between the kisses. If it was possible he would burn each and every man's lips with a burning coal for kissing her hand for more than the required time.

With one last chaste kiss he let his hands rest on her waist, lowering his head to place it on her shoulder with a sigh. After a few seconds pa.s.sed, he spoke,

"Heidi," he called out her name before lifting up his face to look at her, "You're mine, aren't you?"

Heidi looked into his dark red eyes that was right now looking straight into her eyes, making her heart skip a beat. She wasn't lying when she had said he looked handsome. Like many other times, his presence was strong and his features bold that it could intimidate anyone. Heidi was a mere mortal after all who had been affected by it. But tonight, right now, he seemed different.

"Heidi," her name rolled out of his mouth like a sweet candy. When she nodded her head, his eyebrows contoured, "Words, darling. I want to hear it by these lips."

"I am yours," she said the words.

The smile he rewarded her with made her heart squeeze to a state of giddiness. She had never seen him smile like this before and it was something she wanted to capture it in her mind and memories. Just as her eyes closed, her eyes flew open with his next words.

"Then it wouldn't be a problem if I marked you, would it?"

"Mark?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yes. Would you let me mark you?" He asked for her permission, his hands playing with the front of her fringe that rested on her forehead. Heidi hadn't antic.i.p.ated him to give her mark. Even if it was a temporary mark as she was part of the truce she hadn't even thought about it. She should have been jumping in glee but worry filled her mind again, "This way I don't have to keep a lookout over the men who might possibly swarm around you. Hmm, you don't want to?" he asked her.

"No, not like that," she looked away from his gaze.

He placed his finger under her chin and turned her face to face him, "What is it that worries you? Didn't I tell you there is nothing you have to worry about. Do you have so little trust in me?" He asked her to see her shake her head vigorously. Maybe this was the time to tell the truth.

"I need to tell you something," Heidi whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.

"What is it?" Nicholas asked, tracing his finger over her cheek and then sliding it down her neck.

"I-I actually..." she couldn't tell it with him trying to distract her purposely, "Nicholas-"

"You don't have to tell it right now. I'm sure I can wait to listen to it afterwards," he said, his expressions slowly turning serious and grave, "I just want a yes or a no to my question, darling."

The longer she took time to answer, Heidi could see the doubt forming in his eyes.

"Yes," she breathed.

And that was all Nicholas needed for his confirmation before he leaned down to kiss her neck with tenderness that had tensed, "This will hurt a little," he informed her as his fangs grew.

Not a second later, Heidi felt a piercing pain between her shoulders and her neck. It was excruciatingly painful and she in turn bit the jacket he wore to avoid the screams that threatened to come out of her mouth. Tears had streaked out of her eyes by the time he was done. He licked the wound that had formed as she fell unconscious in his arms.

"Nick..." came a voice from the door which had been opened.

Timothy Rufus who was attending the Grand Ball had gone looking for Nicholas, when he found the Lord in a room, holding Warren's fiance in his arms.

"Did you drink her blood?!" Timothy asked concerned for the woman as she was unconscious. Stepping closer he realized, it wasn't the blood, "You marked her..." the man looked at him with a gobsmacked expression.

It wasn't any bond but a soul bond that Nicholas had placed on Heidi. It was an irreversible bond!

"I need you to do me a favor," Nicholas said picking Heidi up with both his arms and beginning to walk while carrying her.

"What is it?" Timothy didn't know what was going on.

"Tell Warren that I found Heidi unconscious outside which might be due to her standing out in the weather for a long time. Also inform him that I will be taking her home."

"Anything else apart from being discreet?"

"That is all."

Nicholas walked in the opposite direction he and Heidi had come from, taking the back door of the mansion to avoid people's unwanted eyes and disappearing in their carriage in to the cold night.