Chapter 5: The week is over

This time, the hallways are crowded. Full of men.

Eyes follow me, unapologetic and unwavering. Their stares burn into my exposed skin, made worse by the fact that I’m walking in nothing but my underwear and fuzzy socks.

“What’s your name?” I ask the vampire, forcing myself to ignore the sea of gawking faces.

They're all tall, broad, and clad in dark, scaly outfits. Their massive frames put even the most elite athletes to shame.

There are no visible weapons, but something in the way they carry themselves tells me they don’t need them. They are weapons themselves.

There's only a few females around, but they're definitely not dragons. I can tell some are too tall and slim, and none of the females are wearing the black scaly outfits.

“Zakiel,” the vampire responds, his cold grip steady as he guides me through the corridor.

A flicker of green catches my eye. I lock eyes with one of the towering men, his green gaze as sharp as a blade. Something flickers across his expression—recognition? Curiosity? Before I can decipher it, he furrows his brow and looks away.

“What’s your name?” Zakiel asks, breaking my daze. He respectfully nods at every person we walk past.

“Hazel,” I mutter, still hyper-aware of the stares. “Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

“You’re human,” Zakiel says, pulling me closer.

We move into a dimly lit hallway, the wooden floor cold and unyielding beneath my soaked socks. My wet footprints leave a faint trail behind us.

“So?” I frown.

“Humans don’t come here,” he explains, his voice low and measured. “Dragons are forbidden to enter the human realm. It’s the ultimate sin. Most dragons have never even seen a human in their lifetimes—and they live a very long time. You’re the first human to ever set foot in the Dragon Realm.”

A chill runs down my spine. “What does that mean for me?”

Zakiel hesitates, his silence stretching uncomfortably.

“It means you’re rare,” he finally says. “And dragons love rare things. If the King doesn’t claim you, this realm will tear itself apart fighting over you.”

He stops abruptly and turns to face me.

Suddenly, his cold hand cups my cheek, tilting my face upward. His serious eyes bore into mine. “It would be in your best interest if the King claims you,” he says gravely. “Otherwise… you’ll be nothing more than a toy. A science project. Something to tear apart and put back together for their amusement.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut. My lips part, but no sound escapes. The fear pooling in my chest must be written all over my face because Zakiel’s gaze softens—just a fraction.

“Can’t you help me escape?” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

He shakes his head, the movement slow and final. “There’s no escape from the Dragon Realm. It’s impossible. Believe me—I’ve tried.”

My frown deepens. “What’s your status here?”

“I’m a servant. Everyone who isn’t a dragon is either a servant or a slave,” he says bitterly. “Most of us were either captured or sent here as punishment by our own masters. Don’t try to run. It won’t end well.”

“Bloodsucker.”

We both flinch at the interruption.

Yilu leans casually against a set of enormous double doors, his piercing gaze fixed on us like a predator sizing up its prey. He tilts his head, scanning us thoroughly.

“My Lord,” Zakiel says quickly, bowing his head.

“I instructed you to bring the human to the King,” Yilu drawls, his tone cutting. “I don’t recall giving you permission to touch her.”

“My apologies, my Lord.” Zakiel drops to his knees, leaving me standing awkwardly before Yilu. I raise my chin.

Yilu sighs deeply. “Come here, human,” he commands, his voice low and dangerous.

I hesitate for a heartbeat before forcing my feet to move. I walk past a kneeling Zakiel, towards the dragon who caught me. How different would my life be like if he wasn't the one that found me?

Yilu turns around the second I reach him. He walks through the double doors into the dark room. The moment I step through the doors, darkness envelops me. Only a few candles flicker in the vast room, casting eerie shadows across the stone walls.

Then I see him.

The King.

He’s larger than life, towering over everyone I’ve encountered so far. His imposing frame radiates power and menace, his tight, scaly shirt straining against the sheer breadth of his muscles.

He’s leaning over a table yet again, his sharp features illuminated by the dim candlelight. He's looking down with great concentration, his weird eyes scanning the map in front of him.

I shudder with disgust.

“My King,” Yilu announces softly.

The King’s head snaps up, his eyes locking onto mine. They do a quick assessment of my half-naked body and my dirty skin. “You,” he rumbles, his voice deep and resonant. “I’d nearly forgotten about you.”

I scowl, clenching my fists at my sides.

“The week is over, my King,” Yilu informs him helpfully. The King straightens to his full height, sighing as if my very presence is an inconvenience. His piercing gaze sweeps over my disheveled, half-naked form yet again.

I clench my jaw but wisely keep my mouth shut.

Just let me leave.

“The vampire servant has taken an interest in her,” Yilu adds.

That has the king snapping his head towards the dragon beside me. “Is that so?” he growls softly. Movement on my right catches my attention.

I almost stumble back. Three women recline on a low couch, their bare breasts glistening in the dim light. Their long hair cascades over their shoulders, but it’s their sharp eyes and predatory smiles that send a shiver down my spine.

With one look, I know that they're vampires. They're not build like dragons, and they're tall and white as Zakiel.

I turn back just as the King strides toward me. He stops mere inches away, his towering presence suffocating. I meet his eyes—if they can even be called that.

I can't even decipher the colour. Swirls of silver ripple through a brownish hue, alive and moving like smoke. His pupils shift, slitting like a reptile’s.

Dragon eyes.

He studies me like a specimen under a microscope, his expression unreadable. I don't know what he's seeing.

“Get me a collar,” he says abruptly, his voice cold, his eyes still locked on mine. I keep my gaze steady on his.

Yilu disappears for a moment before returning with a heavy, silver collar.

The King's hand suddenly grasps my chin, moving my face to the side. His touch is unusually warm, and I grit my teeth at the revulsion I feel. He eyes my face, his thumb smearing the mud from my cheek. “Interesting,“ he murmurs in thought.

I refuse to give any reaction.

At last, he lets go off me. I turn back to face him, disgust clear in my eyes. Let him know what I feel.

“I’m going to claim you as mine,” the King declares, his silvery gaze pinning me in place.

My heart sinks. “What does that mean?” I ask in a whisper.

His lips curl into a smirk as he fastens the collar around my neck. The metal bites into my skin, cold and unforgiving. “My beautiful butterfly,“ he comments as he tests the cold silver, making sure it's fastened properly. It wraps too tightly around my throat.

I ignore his words and keep my eyes on his.

“It means you’re mine,” he murmurs, his fingers brushing against the collar as if admiring his handiwork. “You’ll do whatever I say. Anything. No questions, no hesitation. If I order you to slit your own throat, you do it. If I order you to suck someone's cock, you do it.”

I hate him.

I swallow hard, the weight of the collar almost as suffocating as his words.

His silvery eyes are back on me, the dragon slits gone. “Understand?” He asks with a dangerous edge.

I don't answer. I want to spit in his face. But Zakiel's warning rings in my head, and I realise that I don't have a choice. For now.

My silence earns me a sharp grip on my neck. He yanks me close, our faces only millimeters apart.

The dragon slits are back. I can see the monster he is. The bringer of death. It disgusts me. “Do. You. Understand?” he snarls, his breath hot and metallic against my face. He reeks of blood.

“I understand,” I whisper, hating the words as they leave my lips.