Now, Undress

"Easy, girl. I'm not going to suck your blood... not yet," he said.

"...What?"

Is he postponing my death until another day? I wondered, utterly bewildered.

What did he mean by not yet? If he wasn't going to suck my blood now... did that mean he planned to do it later? I murmured to myself, my heart pounding against my ribs.

"Did Kai brief you on the rules you'll be expected to obey while you're here?" he asked, his voice slicing through the heavy silence.

What rules is he talking about? I wondered silently, my curiosity piqued.

"What's your name?" he asked, his deep voice breaking the silence.

"I... I-I... I'm Ruby," I replied, my words trembling as I stammered nervously.

"So, Ruby," he said, his crimson eyes fixed on mine, "while we're inside this mansion, you will address me as Prince Zyren. Once we step outside these walls, you'll call me Boss."

"And why aren't you wearing the handcuffs I ordered for you?" he asked, his voice laced with authority.

"I wasn't given any since I came here," I answered timidly.

"Do I have to wear handcuffs, my Prince?" I asked cautiously.

"No, Ruby," he said, his tone firm yet composed. "The handcuffs are only to be worn outside the mansion walls. Within this estate, you won't need them."

He paused for a moment before adding in a firm, commanding tone,

"Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-Yessss... my prince ," I stammered, my voice trembling with fear.

“Good girl “he said patting my head .

"Get some rest, little one. We have an important event to attend tomorrow morning," he said calmly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following morning, it was Zyren's voice that stirred me from my sleep.

I blinked my eyes open, a relentless migraine pounding against my temples.

"Good morning, little one," he said in his usual tone. "Go get yourself ready. We have an important event to attend this morning."

I got dressed in no time and waited patiently for him.

A few moments later, he returned, a pair of gleaming handcuffs in his hand. Without a word, he gently fastened them around my wrists.

“I’m sorry, little one. You have to wear these,” he said softly.

Moments later, two of his men entered the room. They escorted me out of the mansion and helped me into his waiting car before taking their places beside us.

We finally pulled up in front of an old, imposing mansion.

“Can you walk properly?” he asked, glancing at me.

I nodded silently.

There were countless vampires inside the mansion, every gaze fixed on me as though I had grown a second head. I felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

But what caught me completely off guard wasn’t their piercing stares.

It was the familiar face I saw standing among them.

What?

Andrew?

My eyes widened in utter disbelief, and my jaw nearly hit the floor.

What was Andrew doing here?

I stood rooted to the spot, completely dumbfounded, as a whirlwind of questions stormed through my mind.

Zyren took a seat beside Andrew while I stood there like a lifeless doll, too stunned to move.

Are they family?

Did they bring me here to feast on my blood? I wondered silently, my heart lodged in my throat.

The maids were instructed to serve the guests. In no time, they placed a glass of wine before Zyren…

No… not wine.

It was a glass brimming with blood, accompanied by a whole fried chicken.

Two elderly vampires were there, whom I assumed were Zyren's grandparents. There was also a young couple, whom I guessed were Zyren's parents, a young lady, Andrew, and another pale young man with blond hair.

This is a whole family of vampires, I mumbled to myself.

They're probably holding this meeting to discuss how to lure more victims, I muttered to myself.

Or worse... maybe they're deciding who they'll feast on next.

"Wow... is this your new toy?" the blond-haired guy asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

“Damn right!!!” Zyren replied.

"Bring her a chair," Andrew said, gesturing toward me.

"Don't you dare!" the lady among them snapped.

"What right does a toy have to sit here?"

"And who are you to give orders when Mom and Dad are here?"

Andrew sprang to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury.

"You've really grown wings, haven't you?" he scoffed. "Looks like you've forgotten your place."

"You'll both hold your tongues before I order you to be flogged with silver-coated lashes and forbid you from feeding for a month," Zyren said, his voice as cold as ice.

A feral snarl ripped from his throat, sending chills racing down everyone's spine.

The entire hall fell deathly silent. Even a pin drop could have been heard.

After that heated exchange, an eerie silence descended over the dining hall. No one dared utter another word. You could’ve heard a pin drop.

I remained rooted to the spot like a lifeless statue, too afraid to move a muscle. One by one, they finished their meals while I stood there, empty-handed and empty-stomached.

Not a single morsel had passed my lips. My stomach twisted into knots and growled in protest, but I swallowed my hunger, knowing better than to test my luck.

I felt like a fish out of water, completely out of place among them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By noon, they had finally wrapped up the meeting—or whatever business they had been discussing.

We headed back to the mansion in silence. The entire ride was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The moment we arrived, Zyren walked straight to his chambers, and I followed closely behind.

"Come here, little one," he called, his deep voice breaking the heavy silence.

He carefully unlocked the handcuffs from my wrists, his touch surprisingly gentle. Then, with unexpected tenderness, he guided me to the plush sofa and eased me onto it.

“You must be absolutely famished,” he said, his voice softening. “You haven’t had a single bite all day.”

He let out a quiet sigh before adding, “Come on, little one. Let’s get something into your stomach before you waste away.”

In no time, the Kai returned carrying a steaming plate of rich, mouthwatering pasta alongside a generous serving of crispy golden fried chicken.

I devoured the meal like a starving soul, savoring every mouthful as though it were my last.

"Slow down, little one. Don't choke yourself," Zyren said softly, amusement flickering across his face.

Before I knew it, I had licked the plate clean. Within a few minutes, I was done eating.

"Now, undress," he said.