MasukI forced myself out of bed, my body still heavy with exhaustion, and dragged my feet toward the door.
Four unfamiliar men stood before me, their expressions unreadable and their stance almost threatening, as if they had come to drag me away by force. “W-w-wha… what d-do you… you w-want?” I stammered, my voice trembling uncontrollably as fear gripped me. They simply ignored me , shoved past me and stormed into the room. I stood there frozen, watching in utter disbelief as he began gathering my belongings. He folded my clothes with unsettling calmness and placed them into a small suitcase, as though my fate had already been sealed. One of them grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. “W-wait… what are you doing?” I stammered, my voice trembling as fear crept through every inch of me. “It’s time to serve our boss,” he said coldly. "You should be glad you're here, he said. “Serve…?” I whispered, my mind struggling to comprehend what he meant. "WTF" “He’s finally ready…” I murmured silently, my heart pounding violently against my chest. “He’s finally going to drain my blood.” One of the men suddenly asked me a question so bizarre and weird question. "Where are your handcuffs?" “My… handcuffs?” I repeated, staring at him as though he had just spoken a foreign language. “Why on earth would I have handcuffs? I’m not some prisoner.” “Who unlocked them?” he demanded, his words carrying a dangerous edge. “Wait… what are you talking about?” I asked, my confusion growing by the second. A slow, devilish smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, sending an unsettling shiver down my spine. “Don’t worry,” he said, his tone filled with amusement. “I’ll make sure the boss knows you need a pair.” I was hauled through the vast corridor, my sobs filling the silence around us. I pleaded until my voice grew hoarse, desperately searching their faces for a trace of mercy, but none of them showed even a flicker of sympathy. They halted several feet away from the boss chambers, their steps coming to an abrupt stop. “Go in yourself,” one of them instructed before turning away, leaving me standing there alone. I stared after them, utterly bewildered. “Why would they abandon me here?” I wondered silently, my heart sinking with unease. Then the realization struck me like a bolt from the blue. No one dared set foot near his chambers unless they had been personally summoned. Even the bravest among them wouldn’t dare cross that line without permission. My fingers tightened around the small cross hanging in my hand, the only fragment of comfort I had left. My fingers tightened around the small cross hanging in my hand, the only fragment of comfort I had left. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I gathered every ounce of courage I could find and stepped toward the door. My heart was pounding relentlessly as I raised my trembling hand. Knock. Knock. The sound echoed through the silent hallway, and I stood there holding my breath, waiting to face whatever awaited me on the other side. In the blink of an eye, a strong hand grabbed me and dragged inside. The door shut behind me with a chilling finality, and my heart sank. With fear coursing through my veins, I could only brace myself and accept the fate that was waiting for me. “Sit,” he ordered, his deep voice echoing through the room. My legs moved before my mind could catch up. I carefully sat on the bed, my fingers trembling as I braced myself for what was to come. I waited for him to bare his fangs, for the inevitable pain, for him to drain my blood and prove every terrifying rumor I had heard true. "Isn't this what vampires are supposed to do?" I wondered silently, my mind spiraling into a whirlwind of fear and uncertainty. Every rumor, every horror story, and every warning replayed in my head, convincing me that my fate was already sealed. “Go get yourself ready,” he instructed. I stared at him in confusion, unsure of what he meant by get ready. My mind immediately wandered to the worst possibilities, and I opened my mouth to ask for clarification. Before I could utter a word, he cut me off. “Take a bath and sleep over there.” He pointed toward a medium-sized bed tucked away in the corner of his chambers. He wasn’t nearly as monstrous as the rumors had painted him to be. I slowly made my way to the bathroom, still trying to process the unexpected turn of events. After undressing, I stepped beneath the warm stream of the shower, allowing the water to wash away some of the tension that had been weighing heavily on me. After my bath , he handed me towel and I wrapped and stepped out of the bathroom. He stepped into the shower afterward, and a few minutes later, he emerged, already finished. I lay back on the bed, heart hammering as he stepped out of the bathroom. Water droplets traced paths down his pale, muscular chest, his jet-black hair plastered wet and messy against his forehead. His crimson eyes locked onto mine with that predatory hunger, fangs peeking from parted lips. " This was the first time I had ever seen his fangs." I had only ever watched them in movies—fake, exaggerated versions created to scare audiences. But this was different. "............This was real." The sharp points peeking from behind his lips weren’t some special effect on a screen. The towel hung low on his hips, barely containing the thick bulge pressing against the fabric. He moved closer to me on the bed, and my entire body stiffened. Fear immediately washed over me as my mind raced. Had he changed his mind? Was he finally going to sink his fangs into my neck and take my blood?RUBY POV I just stood there, completely dumbfounded.“You’re just like your mom,” she said. “Nothing more than a coward who married a human thinking everything was going to end up well… like some fairytale. But look at her. She met her death at the hands of a human.And vampires? They’re no different. Evil. Greedy. Stupid. Way more stupid than humans.”Zyren was already losing it. You could see it in the way his shoulders locked up, the way his hands kept curling into fists.“Then why the fuck are you here?” he yelled. “You manipulated my father and you think that’s going to work on me? You lied. No freaking way. Just get the hell out of here and leave us alone.”She didn’t even flinch. She just kept walking closer to me.“You think getting married to him will spare you the suffering? You must be a child if you think that way. Vampires are the most cunning creatures on earth.Why don’t you come with me? Join me. You can take revenge on the ones who made you suffer… the ones who kille
RUBY POVThere was a woman in her late thirties, wearing the same veiled hat as the one I'd seen earlier. Who is she? How did she know my name? And why did Andrew suddenly look like a boy caught doing something he shouldn't have?I didn't know what to say or how to react to hearing her say my name so easily, but something told me to choose my words carefully. She didn't look ordinary. I didn't need a soothsayer or a seer to tell me her intentions toward me weren't good."Ruby," she said, voice smooth, almost amused. "You look surprised to hear me call you by name, even though we've never met before today."I said nothing. Andrew, surprisingly, said nothing either — didn't step in, didn't try to stop whatever this was from happening."Your aura." She tilted her head beneath the veil. "Not human. Not vampire. Then what, exactly, are you?"She moved closer, the brim of her hat still shadowing her face completely, and reached for my hands. The moment her fingers touched mine, something sh
RUBY POVI was helping prepare for the marriage ceremony when Isolde , one of the slaves, called me into her room."So. You. Tell me more about yourself — how did you end up so fucked up that you landed in Zyren's arms?""Miss, nothing about me is really important," I said, and turned to leave."And who do you think you are, walking out on me? Huh? A princess? Someone from the royal family or what?""I'm sorry, Miss Isolde," I said, bowing slightly."Well, I'm sure you're aware that by noon, me and your master will tie the knot. After that, you'll have no place here — not you, not that stupid family of yours.""Yes, I know, miss," I replied."Nah. You should correct yourself better. I am your master's wife, and very soon, I'll be queen of all vampires." She smiled, clearly pleased with herself."Yes, I know, my queen," I said."Good girl." She looked me over. "So tell me — how did you end up here, and what exactly did you do to make Zyren so glued to you?""I did nothing to Zy— to my
RUBY Three days have passed in a blur, and we've all been busy preparing for Zyren's marriage to Isolde. Though I've had days where I cried, I keep hoping everything goes the way Zyren planned. Cecilia is still locked up in her cell, and her mother hasn't done much either — just quiet and silent in the wing they put her in.Isabella and Ana's master brought them along, and strange faces have been coming in and out of the estate ever since. Zyren's parents haven't set foot in the estate or his private wing, and I'm sure it's because they don't care who he marries — all they want is the vampire throne, the title of Lord. Andrew came two days ago, but he didn't stay long. Just his usual shenanigans, bragging about how he's going to make me his, whether I want him or not.I don't know what to think about me and Zyren anymore. I trust his decisions, whatever plan he has for us. But what if it backfires? What if they actually get married for real? Then I'd have no reason to stay by his sid
“Huh, hey.I called Joel. Hey, are you sure you’re fine ? He studied me for a long moment before speaking. "I'm glad you found your fated mate. Truly. But do you think your father — the elders — are just going to let this slide? Marrying a human instead of a noble vampire could seriously damage your standing for the Lord title." He paused, letting that sink in. "I know you understand what that means. The only reason none of this has escalated faster is because of your blood — pureblood, and not just any pureblood. A bloodline the vampire world hasn't seen in centuries. That's the only leverage keeping the wolves back right now." He crossed his arms. "Marrying her only slows you down further. Gives every rival watching — your father, your brother, Isolde's father, and plenty of others you don't even know exist yet — exactly the opening they've been waiting for." "I know," I said quietly. "But I never wanted the title. Not from the beginning." I looked away, out toward the window.
ZYREN…I left the den without giving Isolde an answer, her offer trailing after me like smoke I couldn't quite shake off. Marry me. The nerve of it, even now, even from behind bars, still trying to bargain her way into a life I'd never wanted her in.I was halfway down the hall when Kai came jogging toward me, and one look at his face told me everything had changed."Boss — it's Ruby. She's awake."I didn't remember moving. One second I was standing in the corridor, the next I was pushing through the door to her room, chest tight with something too big to name — relief and fear tangled together so completely I couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.She was sitting up, propped against a mountain of pillows, pale but awake, her eyes finding mine the moment I stepped inside. Joel was hovering near the window, and the doctor stood at the foot of the bed, quietly packing away his instruments like he'd been waiting for this exact moment to make his exit."Zyren," she breathed.I







