Welcome to Your Living Hell

The two guards marched me down a long stone corridor, gripping my arms so tightly that it hurt.

I had expected them to take me to the mines with the other slaves. Instead, they stopped in front of a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron. One guard unlocked it and shoved me inside.

The room was bigger than I expected. It had a soft bed, a small table, a chair, and candles burning along the stone walls. A narrow window looked out over the dark mountains around the castle.

For a moment, I wondered if they had brought me to the wrong place.

"This is your room," the guard said. "You will stay here until the kings summon you."

I turned to him. "Why am I not going to the mines?"

He laughed. "The mines are for the slaves who weren't chosen. You should be grateful the kings picked you."

Grateful?

My own father had sold me. An iron collar kept me from my wolf, and I had no idea what these vampires wanted from me. I had nothing to be grateful for.

"Remember your place, slave," the guard warned.

He stepped out and slammed the door. A moment later, I heard the lock turn.

I rushed to the door and pulled the handle. It wouldn't move. I pounded on the wood and called out, but nobody answered.

I was trapped.

Slowly, I backed away and looked around. The room was far better than a dungeon, but it was still a cage. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled my knees to my chest.

How had my life fallen apart so fast?

Only hours ago, I had hoped to find my mate and finally be loved. Instead, Brandon had rejected me in front of the whole pack, Chloe had humiliated me, and my father had sold me to strangers.

Now I belonged to six ruthless vampire kings.

The silence in the room pressed against my ears. My eyes burned, but I pressed my lips together and refused to cry. Those people had already taken enough of my tears.

---

In the royal council room, the six Vampire Kings sat around a long black table.

Cassian was the first to explode.

"Have you lost your mind, Valerius?"

Valerius sat at the head of the table, calm and silent.

He did not even look up. The shouting seemed to mean nothing to him.

"There were trained servants in that hall," Cassian went on. "Strong shifters. And you chose *her*?"

Dorian folded his arms. His voice was cool and flat.

"I agree. Some of the others had served royal families. Some had useful skills. This girl has none that we can see." He shook his head. "She is a poor choice for the position."

Malachi paced beside the table, his jaw tight.

"The court will laugh when they hear who we picked. We are the six Vampire Kings. We should never have to explain a decision this embarrassing."

The other two kings said nothing. They only watched Valerius.

Cassian slammed his palm on the table. "Are you even listening?"

"I heard every word," Valerius said.

"Then explain yourself."

Valerius slowly raised his eyes. They were dark and cold.

"I have made my decision. She stays."

Dorian sighed. "And we are supposed to accept that without question?"

"Yes."

The room went still. Even Cassian, the loudest of them, did not dare to speak.

Valerius rose from his chair. His face warned them not to push any further.

"You don't have to like her. You don't have to speak to her unless it is necessary. But she has been chosen, and she will stay in the royal wing."

He looked at each of them in turn.

"She belongs to us now. This discussion is over."

Nobody looked satisfied, but none of them challenged him again.

In that castle, Valerius's word was law.

---

I was still sitting on the bed when the lock clicked.

My head snapped toward the door.

Cassian walked in. He wore a dark coat with silver buttons, and when he saw me, his face twisted with disgust.

I jumped to my feet.

He shut the door behind him and looked me over slowly.

"Look at you," he sneered. "You're shaking."

I kept my mouth shut.

He moved deeper into the room, his eyes locked on me.

"You should be grateful. Every slave sent to the mines would give anything to be standing where you are."

"I didn't ask to be here," I said quietly.

His eyes hardened. "Did I ask for your opinion?"

I dropped my gaze, trying to hide how afraid I was.

Cassian let out a cruel laugh. For a moment, I saw his sharp white fangs.

"Listen carefully, little wolf. You are not a guest in this castle. You are a slave. This room, this bed, everything you see belongs to the royal family."

He stepped closer. I could feel the cold coming off his body.

"You will obey every order. You will not wander the castle. And you will never speak to the kings with disrespect."

My hands trembled, but I forced myself to stand still.

"If you disobey, you will regret it," he said.

He turned to the door.

"Being chosen doesn't make you special. You are here to serve us. Nothing more."

He left, and the lock clicked behind him.

I stood there, listening to his footsteps fade. Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath.

His words sounded just like Brandon's. Just like my father's silence. Once again, someone was telling me I was worthless.

But this time, I refused to believe it.

They could call me useless. They could treat me like property. They could lock me inside their castle. They could not decide what I was worth.

I wiped my eyes and straightened my back.

I had lost my mate, my wolf, and my family in one night. I would not lose myself too.

I would survive this place, no matter how hard it became.

I had just sat down again when the lock turned a second time.

The door swung wide open.

All six Vampire Kings stood in the corridor.

Valerius stepped forward, his dark eyes fixed on me.

"Get up, Lyra."

I rose slowly. My legs felt weak, and my heart was racing, but I kept my head high. I would not let them see how scared I was.

He studied me for a moment.

"From tonight, you will serve all six of us personally."

My heart began to pound.

"Every meal, every task, every order," he said. "When we call, you will come."

He turned to the guards waiting behind him.

"Take her to the inner sanctum."

I stared at him in disbelief. Six kings, and every one of them could give me orders.

I had thought this room was my prison. Now I was about to enter a place where all six kings could summon me whenever they wished.

And I had no idea what was waiting for me on the other side of that door.