로그인I 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 was so happy when we had sex, and the way he didn’t even flinch when Isolde walked in on us — that got to me. I was embarrassed, sure, mortified even, but he didn’t care. I think Zyren forgot to lock the door, or maybe he just didn’t think to. Either way, none of that mattered to me. I don’t think I’m just a toy to him, or some warm body to pass the time with. I think he loves me — really loves me. What worries me is him getting hurt trying to protect me from his family. Something’s off there. I can feel it, even if I can’t put my finger on what exactly is going on. His phone buzzed on the nightstand beside me. I nudged him awake — he’d passed out cold, worn out from earlier. He glanced at the screen and hissed under his breath, then leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before slipping out of the room to take the call-kind of suspicious though. ZYREN POV I went outside, making sure I was far enough that Ruby couldn’t hear me. I unlocked my phone — Isolde’
ZYREN I was fucking furious.But that didn’t stop my hips from rolling deep into my little one, slow and steady, keeping her stretched around me while Isolde stood there spitting her threats. Every time I pushed forward, her soft walls fluttered and tightened, a sweet little reminder that she was still mine even with another woman in the room demanding I throw her away.Isolde was actually threatening me. Raising her voice in *my* house, in *my* bedroom, as if she had any real power here. I had tolerated her for far too long. All because of my stupid father and that bastard son of his, Andrew—the two of them cornering me, trying to chain me to their little political games. They thought they could move pieces around the board without me noticing. They were wrong. I was always one step ahead. Always.And Ana… my twin. I knew she’d already heard every word spoken in this mansion tonight. She would make sure the right people found out. Including Andrew, if it served us.I thrust harder i
RUBY I watched him sleep. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm, peaceful in a way that almost hurt to look at. The nightmare that had clawed at him earlier had finally loosened its grip. One arm rested above his head, the other low across his stomach. The soft glow of the bedside lamp traced gold along every hard line of his body—those arms strong enough to break a man without effort, the sharp cut of his jaw, the full mouth that looked almost soft in sleep. The old ache rose in my chest again. Everything he had endured at the hands of his family… I knew versions of it. The difference was that he had power. He could stand above them. I was still the powerless one, the ordinary girl Cecilia and my stepmother could grind under their heels whenever they pleased. My gaze drifted lower, lingering on the curve of his lips. God, those lips. And the rest of him—every inch of that body looked carved for sin. Heat pooled low in my belly, uninvited and relentless. *I wish h
ZYREN Some nights, the past didn't ask permission. It just walked in.The dream always started the same way — the cold first, then the smell of blood I hadn't wanted, then his voice, patient and amused, waiting for me on the other side of sleep like he'd never left at all.I was young again, small enough that the world still felt too big for me, standing over something I didn't want to look at, my hands shaking with a hunger I hadn't learned to control yet. And Andrew was there. He was always there, in every version of this memory my mind refused to let go of.I woke before it finished. I always did."Zyren." Ruby's voice, soft, pulling me back. "Hey."I opened my eyes too fast, breath sharp in my chest, and for one unguarded second I couldn't get the mask back up in time. I felt her see it — whatever was left on my face before I managed to smooth it into something calmer."Bad dream?" she asked, careful, like she already knew not to push too hard."I don't have those." The lie came
ZYREN I heard him before I saw them.Andrew's voice, easy and warm, the same voice he used on every woman who ever made the mistake of thinking he meant it. I was halfway down the hall when the words reached me, clear as anything.I love you. I'd do anything for you.Something in my chest went very still, and very cold.I don't remember deciding to move. One second I was standing at the top of the stairs, the next I was watching my own hand wrapped loosely around the banister like it was the only thing keeping me from doing something I couldn't take back.He was too close to her. That was the first thing I noticed. The second was the look on her face — not soft, not swooning, nothing close to what he probably wanted. Just tired. Wary. Like she'd heard this before and hadn't liked it the first time either.That should have made it easier to breathe. It didn't."Take your hand off her."I hadn't touched him yet, hadn't even raised my voice, but I felt the room shift the second I spoke —
RUBY Morning came softer than I expected.Zyren was still beside me, one arm slung over my waist like he had no plans of letting go anytime soon. For once, the house was quiet. No, Cecilia. No stepmother barking down the hall. No Isolde reminding everyone she existed.I let myself enjoy it. Ten whole minutes of peace felt like a luxury these days."You're staring," Zyren said, without even opening his eyes."I'm allowed to stare. You're in my bed.""Technically, it's my bed.""Not really," I said, and he laughed, low and rough with sleep, and pulled me closer.For a second, everything felt normal. Like we were just two people, not a vampire prince and the girl he kept on a leash. I could almost forget about the chain of cuffs still sitting in my drawer, waiting for the next time he decided I needed reminding of my place.Almost.Of course, it didn't last.A knock hit the door , it was sharp, impatient, the kind of knock that already knew it was interrupting something."Go away," Zyre







