4. The thorns Den

Chapter 4

I woke up with a headache pounding against my skull, my body was sore from last night’s nightmare. Only it wasn’t a nightmare, it was real. The red eyes, the fangs, the smell of blood and the way they cornered me in my room and touched me with such demeaning words that made my body tremble.

I sat up with a shaky breath, my heart was still racing from the terror that clung to me like a second skin. I can’t stay here. I needed answers and I needed them now.

Without hesitation, I stormed out of my room and barged into my mother’s chambers, not caring if I interrupted anything. The room was grand and decorated with gothic chandeliers and velvet curtains but I had no time to admire it. My mother was sitting at the vanity, brushing her hair while he stood near the fireplace.

King Devereux.

He was dressed in a dark, elegant suit, his long silver-white hair falling over his broad shoulders. His beauty was inhuman, his presence so powerful that it almost suffocated me. I had known he was young-looking but now that I was seeing him up close, something about him felt unnatural.

I didn’t hesitate and suddenly spat out, “What the hell is this place?”

My mother turned to me, feeling startled. “Raven—”

“No, Mom,” I snapped, my hands trembling with frustration. “I want answers. What the hell is happening? What is this place? Who are they? And why does he,” I pointed at Devereux, “look like he’s barely twenty-five when he’s supposed to be older than you?”

Silence.

A heavy, dreadful silence that made my skin crawl.

Devereux smirked, sipping his wine like he found my outburst amusing. My mother, on the other hand, looked sad.

She took a deep breath. “Raven… this is Velmora, a Vampire City.”

I froze.

“What?”

“We’re the only humans here,” she continued softly, standing up. “But you don’t have to be scared. Devereux is the King. He will protect us.”

I laughed bitterly. “Are you hearing yourself, Mom? Protect us? From what? From them?!”

My voice cracked, and my hands curled into fists as the memories of last night came rushing back. The bodies,blood, The fangs.

Tears burned my eyes as I shook my head. “Mom… do I look like a beast? A wolf? An alien? How the hell am I supposed to live in a place like this? I don’t belong here!”

Her face fell, guilt shadowing her features. “Raven…”

“No, let me guess,” I spat. “You thought you were doing the right thing, right? Marrying him and moving here to pretend like this is all normal?” I let out a broken laugh. “Well, it’s not. Nothing about this is normal!”

My chest heaved and my anger boiled over. “And do you know what your precious stepsons did to me last night?”

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Because right at that moment, the door swung open and they walked them.

Cassian, Caius, Dante and Elias.

The four of them strolled in like gods, their movements slow and deliberate. They looked… different. No red eyes. No fangs. No coldness in their expressions. Instead, they were all smiling sweetly at me.

“Raven,” Dante cooed, his voice soft and charming. “Why are you so angry? We just came to welcome you home.”

I stiffened at their lies.

These bastards were lying right in front of my mother and Devereux and they looked perfect, almost too innocent like the ideal older brothers anyone would wish to have.

Cassian’s dark gaze met mine, and in an instant, his fake smile vanished. His eyes flashed red for a split second, and he bared his fangs so quick that only I noticed. “Say a word, and I’ll tear you to pieces,” he mouthed.

A chill ran down my spine.

Caius leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, looking bored. “Raven, go eat your breakfast and get ready for school, Now.”

I didn’t move.

His gaze darkened. “I said, now.”

I swallowed as my entire body stiffen, Then, forcing a fake smile, I nodded like a puppet. “Sure, I've heard.”

Devereux chuckled and felt amused. “It’s good to see you all getting along so well.”

I almost laughed at the irony because Dante suddenly pulled me into a hug, his embrace was warm and deceptive. “Don’t worry,” he whispered against my ear. “You’re fucking doomed when we reach school.”

****

My stomach dropped and twisted in hot pain.

I didn’t want to go to school with them.

The idea of being trapped in a car alone with the four of them felt like a death sentence. So I turned to our driver, begging. “Please, just take me to school. I don’t want to—”

“She’ll go with us,” Cassian interrupted smoothly.

The driver looked at them, hesitated, then nodded. “Alright my Prince.”

It seems I had no choice because as soon as I slid into the car, the atmosphere changed the moment the doors were closed, the air turned thick with something dark and they weren’t pretending anymore.

I could feel their power, their aura was suffocating and dangerous. Their fangs itched behind their lips and their hunger evident.

Fear enveloped my senses as I pressed myself against the door, my voice weak. “P-Please don’t kill me.”

They didn’t even look at me; it was as if I didn’t exist.

The ride was silent except for my own heartbeat hammering against my ribs and glancing everywhere at them in the car before they turned into the beast they were. When we reached school, I barely had time to breathe before a loud slap cracked across my face.

The world spun and I stumbled back, my cheeks were burning.

Loud Gasps filled the air and a huge crowd had suddenly gathered while excited whispers and glares were thrown at me and standing before me with a furious was Friessa.

The beautiful girl I had befriended on my first day.

My hand flew to my face and my fingers trembled against the stinging heat. “F-Friessa?”

Her expression was cold. “I warned you bitch.”

Her voice rang out in anger and pain, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I warned you not to go to the Thorns Den. I told you to stay away. But you didn’t listen. You stubborn Human!” My lips parted, but no words came out.

The murmurs around us grew, students whispering among themselves. I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for my reaction.

Friessa’s fists clenched as her anger boiled over. “Because of you,” she spat, “I’m getting expelled. Because of you, I won't attend this school anymore, I was only warning you as a friend, you were not supposed to even know it existed but I guess you got me trapped in your cursed self to make my life. I hate you!”

She screamed at me and the murmurs stopped, a stunned silence fell over the crowd.

I blinked, my heart lurching. My voice and lip trembled in raw pain and confusion “W-What?”

“You heard me.” Her voice trembled with rage. “Because of you, four vampires died last night. Because you’re a human, the only one who entered that den, they’re blaming me. You're not just an ordinary human Raven, you're forbidden and Heavens and the Moons help you to escape the hell you've brought upon yourself because you won't survive it. By the time they finish with you for breaking their one sacred rule, you will run back to the hole you came back from”

The breath left my lungs as she spat those words with venom.

I felt sick.

I hadn’t killed anyone. I had only seen what happened. But now— Now, the entire school was looking at me like a murderer.

The realization sank deep and paralyzed me.

I wasn’t safe here or anywhere around here.

And worst of all, I had just made an enemy of the only person who had tried to protect me.