All Chapters of Annesa, Vampire King's Mate: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Malthus had spent centuries mastering one thing above all else— control. He controlled kingdoms. He controlled armies. He controlled nobles through fear, debt, secrets, and promises. He had learned how to make people kneel without ever touching them. If someone wanted something, Malthus gave it to them—at a price. If someone loved him, he learned how to use that love. If someone hated him, he learned how to turn their hatred against them. He had never truly needed to love anyone. Love, to Malthus, had always been another form of weakness. Something that made people irrational. Something that gave another person the power to hurt you. And he had already been hurt enough. So he chose power instead. Power could not betray him. Power could not leave him. Power could not wake one morning and decide that someone else was

Malthus closed his eyes. He remembered the night she had given him her blood. He remembered her terrified expression. The knife. The blood running down her arm. The way his hunger had disappeared. And the way his mind had suddenly become clear. Nobody had ever sacrificed anything for him without expecting something in return. Not his family. Not his nobles. Not his former companions. Not Lilith. Everyone wanted something. Power. Protection. Status. Love. Revenge. But Annesa had simply seen him suffering. And she had helped. Malthus opened his eyes. He wanted her. There was no denying it. Not as a possession. Not as a political trophy. Not as a source of blood. He wanted her beside him when he woke. He wanted to hear h

The grand council chamber of the obsidian fortress was suffocatingly quiet. Only the dry scraping of parchment disturbed the heavy silence. Maps covered the enormous stone table in the center of the room. Black stones marked the positions of Malthus's remaining forces, while crimson pieces represented the territories controlled by Eryx and the growing rebellion. Around the table stood the most powerful commanders who remained loyal to the Sovereign. Lord Commander Vane stood at the eastern side of the table, one hand resting on a map. "The Shadow Battalion has withdrawn from the northern ridge," he reported. "But scouts have detected movement along the western forest." Another commander stepped forward. "We believe several noble houses have secretly supplied Eryx with horses and blood reserves." A murmur passed through the chamber. Malthus sat at the head of the table. He appeared completely composed. Dark armor covered his broad shoulders. A heavy mantle of blac

A horn sounded in the distance. Both of them turned. A soldier appeared at the far end of the corridor. "Your Majesty!" Malthus's expression immediately hardened. "What?" "The western scouts have returned." "Report." The soldier bowed. "Eryx's forces have been sighted." Annesa went still. Malthus noticed. He stepped slightly closer to her. "Where?" "Three hours from the western ridge." Malthus's eyes narrowed. "How many?" "We don't know." "Find out." "Yes, Your Majesty." The soldier left. Annesa looked toward Malthus. "Eryx is coming." "Yes." She lowered her gaze. Malthus studied her face. "You don't have to be afraid." "I'm not." "You're worried." Annesa looked at him. "I don't know what will happen." Malthus understood. Neither did he. But one thing was certain. Whatever happened next would change everything. He looked toward the distant mountains. Then back at Annesa. "Whatever happens..." He paused. "You

The battle had finally begun to move away from the inner chambers of the fortress. The screams outside were growing more distant. Yet the castle itself remained filled with the echoes of war. Heavy footsteps thundered through the corridors. Doors were being forced open. Soldiers shouted orders from one chamber to another. The smell of smoke, iron, and blood had seeped into every corner of the ancient fortress. Gareth moved quickly through the upper corridor. Two soldiers followed behind him. "Search the western chambers," he ordered. "Yes, Lord Gareth." "Do not harm anyone you find. There may be prisoners." Gareth continued forward. His eyes moved constantly. He was looking for one person. Annesa. He had spent the entire battle wondering where she was. Was she still inside the fortress? Had Malthus taken her somewhere else? Had she been injured? Every possibility had crossed his mind. Then— Something caught his attention. A faint scent. Not blood. Not smoke.