The Vampire’s Human / Book One ✔️
Chapter Sixteen: Gifts From a Stranger

The bath was the only solace Mackenzie could receive. Her place to relax and turn her brain off as she floats with ease. In most cases, she would have been paranoid that someone would come in and catch her naked but for some reason, she didn’t care this time.

After feeling out of place for so long, she finally decided to allow herself to fit in. Getting to know the maids and helping in the kitchens, sometimes she would clean the rooms the maids hadn’t gotten to yet just so they could go home to their families. Most of the maids were older women, their husbands were old and fragile so they would work in the castle and as a reward, their husbands received the medical treatment they needed.

Mack found it comical that it was Zack who made sure his workers were cared for. His parents treated people as peasants and he treated people with kindness. As much as she wanted to see only bad in him, he was a genuinely good guy.

She wasn’t one for trusting people quickly which Mack knew was a flaw that she needed to work on. Finding the good in people was also something she found herself struggling to do but the last few days, watching how Zack treats his people and how he speaks to them placed a whole new perspective on her.

Granted these people have walked to the castle asking for help and being future king, he is the one who addresses them but he does a good job, a great job and that makes her concerned about how she would be, being future queen.

That reality still hasn’t sunk into her system. The future queen of vampires, standing beside a king and helping him rule his kingdom. The thought alone scared her but also excited her. Helping people, and growing a community was something she looked forward to but standing beside Zack, was something she needed time to adjust to.

Mack submerged herself under the water completely before resurfacing and hopping out. Water dripped down her body as she noticed that she had lost some weight since being here in the castle. She was still on the thicker side however, her lack of food consumption over the last few months has made a bit of progress in her annoying, thick thighs which seemed to love being squished up against each other.

Shaking her head, she dried and dressed before leaving the bathhouse. There were two bathhouses, one being in the royal chambers and the other being in the maid’s chambers. Guests were welcome in either depending on who they were and Mack wasn’t comfortable with using the Royal one yet so she chose the maids.

The walk wasn’t too bad, she got to explore the castle more and gain her bearings for when she is hiding from Zack. Lately, he had been suggesting having a quiet dinner, just the two of them but she never once responded or acknowledged it. She didn’t want to as she wasn’t ready to let him get close to her yet.

She groaned, annoyed with herself for relaying that back to herself again. The whole reason why she decided to take a private bath in the first place was so she could clear her mind and think about something else, anything else besides Zack.

Mackenzie moved her hair to one side and started to detangle her hair with her fingers. The knots were driving her crazy and as much as she would love to have a comb, she refused to ask for one out of embarrassment.

She finally spotted the royal floor and practically ran up the stairs, it had gotten dark and her routine was to be asleep before Zack came back from his nightly meetings. After the first night of him sleeping in the same room as her, she didn’t want to repeat that awkward encounter again and again until she finally allowed him in the bed.

The door was slightly open and she had to frown. When she had left to bathe, Mack specifically remembered that she had closed the door behind her but it was open.

With reluctant steps, she peeked into the room and found it empty. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her throat as she looked around and froze at the sight of flowers lying on the bed.

It was a beautiful arrangement, tied together to make a bokay. But what freaked her out was the fact that she knew Zack didn’t do this. She made it clear the day he had taken her to the garden that she didn’t like flowers so who sent these? Who came into her room and put them there?

A creeped-out shiver shot down her back as she felt a hand touch her. Mack jumped, her fist in the air getting ready to punch whoever had just touched her to feel the sparks shoot up her skin. “For fucks sake! You scared me!”

“I scared you?” Zack questioned with a confused frown. “You look like you have seen a ghost.”

Mack stared into his eyes for a few seconds before turning away and eyeing the flowers again. Zack had followed her gaze and was about to say something before she quietly spoke. “Tell me those are from you?”

Zack approached the flowers and picked them up to investigate. “I would only send Azaleas to myself. Who sent these!?”

“I don’t know!” She freaked. “I just saw them when you appeared.”

“Have you been talking to anyone?”

“You better not be thinking what I think you are thinking!” She snapped. “As you just said yourself, they are your favourite flowers, not mine so clearly they were sent for you!”

Zack’s eyes darkened, his anger taking over as he threw them across the room and growled in an animalistic way. Mack watched his fangs extend from his mouth while he passed the room.

She didn’t know what to do or how to feel. She felt sick, she felt like vomiting at any given second but the mate bond, the bond that paired her with her raging mate told her to go to him.

Her arms wrapped around his back as she felt him stiffen and pause at her sudden touch and hold. “I don’t know who sent those. I don’t know why or how anyone would know that either of us is living in this room, but I do know that I trust you enough to know that you would never see another woman behind my back. I might be a stubborn, annoying bitch that drives you insane but you would never cheat on me.” She then paused to take a breath as her voice had gotten shaky. “We will figure this out.”

Zack didn’t respond, she felt him taking in her scent before he turned in her arms and wrapped his own around her. This was the first time she had ever willingly touched him, the first time she ever allowed him to hold her and as much as she wanted to ignore it. This hug was the best feeling in the world.