Chapter 2

Arce

“I must apologize for the arrangement,” Orion said, his voice smoother than I expected. “Both the Alpha and Beta were occupied with urgent matters to prepare for your arrival.”

“Preparing?” I repeated with a dry laugh. “That is what you call it? How utterly predictable. Breaking every tradition, spitting on every rule, and still, you can’t even welcome me properly. Tell me, is your Alpha always this… unprepared? Or is this incompetence reserved for special occasions?”

I tried to restrain myself from laughing, though it was difficult with the way Orion’s anger practically radiated off him. It was almost comical, if I squinted, I could imagine steam curling above his head like a boiling kettle.

Werewolves were infamous for their tempers, and he was barely holding himself together. The only reason he hadn’t snapped yet was out of reverence for his Alpha, the same Alpha who had so generously handed the vampires a Bloodmoon Duel victory just to claim me.

When he didn’t speak, though his jaw twitched as if words itched to escape, I tilted my head and raised a brow. “Is there something you’d like to say?”

“N–not at all,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

Delight sparked through me. Oh, this would be fun. I would make the journey as unbearable for him as possible, and he should be grateful for the privilege.

The carriage slowed, then stopped, and Orion all but leapt out the moment the door opened, desperate to put distance between us.

I descended with deliberate poise, each step measured, my chin high, a victorious smile tugging at my lips, until it vanished as quickly as it came.

There he was.

The man from the arena, waiting at the base of the stairs that led into his mansion, or as they called it, the Alpha house. His presence filled the air like smoke, heavy and suffocating. Standing beside him was another man, less imposing, but still formidable in his own right. His Beta, no doubt.

I couldn’t help but look at him with disdain, as if he were beneath me. Which, of course, he was. I was a better breed, a higher creature. We vampires were Hades's right hand, the pinnacle of creation. Beat that, dog.

And yet… I couldn’t deny the truth. He carried himself with such raw power it was impossible to ignore. It pressed against my skin, making the air feel thicker with each breath. His presence was intimidating, carved into the tense line of his jaw and the storm in his eyes. As if my very arrival had offended him.

What? You’re the one who chose me, mutt. I wanted to spit the words right into his face. Instead, I forced my lips into a graceful smile, stepping closer before dipping into a curtsy.

“A pleasure to meet you, Alpha. As you already know, I am Princess Arcelythe Nocturno Vladimir.”

Perfect greeting. Absolutely flawless. Until I raised my head and realized, of course, because he was standing on the stairs, I was looking up at him. The audacity.

“Pleasure, is it?” His voice was deep, dangerous, the kind that made surrender sound inevitable. “I hear you’ve been treating my subordinate far too well.”

My gaze slid to Orion, now lurking behind his Alpha with his head bowed. My frown deepened.

“I merely sought good conversation, and Orion here obliged, did you not, Orion?” I said sweetly, venom laced in every syllable. “Perhaps I shall call on you again when I require a friend?”

Orion could only nod. Once. Twice. Several times, like a puppet jerked on strings.

My eyes cut back to the Alpha, my smile sharp as a blade. “And tell me, were you not taught proper manners, Alpha? When someone honors you with her name, it is customary to offer yours in return. Failing to do so makes you lesser than a dog.”

I tilted my head, the picture of grace, and let my smile linger. “Which, I suppose, you have already proven you are.”

If they thought I would cower in a land full of dogs, they were gravely mistaken. I would not be the prisoner here, no, I would make them realize that it was they who were ensnared by me.

He gave no reply. He only looked at me, no, stared, as though something were amiss with my face. Yet I distinctly remembered leaving the castle with the flawless complexion befitting a vampire.

I held my smile, porcelain and false. “And since I’m but a guest in this kennel,” I said lightly, “I ought to keep notes about my meals. Who knows? I might grow peckish and sink my teeth into some poor hound on his morning stroll and—”

My words died. My ghostly heart lurched, thudding against ribs that had not known warmth in centuries. Heat, foreign, vile, seared across my lips. I hadn’t seen him move, hadn’t realized he was so close until it was too late.

The dog had kissed me. His filthy mouth dared touch mine.

“Cold,” he murmured as he withdrew, leaving me rooted, frozen, the echo of that taint still burning my skin.

I trembled, not from weakness, but from revulsion so deep it rattled through my bones. I felt violated, unclean, as though my entire being recoiled from what had just been forced upon it.

“We’ve stood here far too long indulging your chatter. Shall we move along, little bird?”