KNOX'S POV
The ball was already in full swing when I arrived. Everyone stopped partying and bowed. Yes, you could say I'm the Alpha king here. For an unknown reason, I scanned the hall looking for her.
Delaney.
I felt slightly disappointed that she isn't here yet. There is something about her that seems different from other humans, I just don't know what that is.
I strode over to my seat, once I'm seated, the party began again. Female humans danced while male vampires watched and drink.
Today is all about choosing, every year, vampires gather here to choose humans and use them as concubines.
The concubines are to satisfy the vampire's needs, either sexually or offer their blood to us. There is always a rule, though... the vampires are to treat them with care for a year. After a year, the human will choose between becoming one of us, or they die. You might think it's vile and awful, but it's nothing compared to what humans did to us.
I could still remember that year when they killed us, called us monsters, they did all sorts of things to our females. My hands clenched involuntary, rage burned down deep inside me at the thought.
As the ruler of the kingdom, I had no choice but to come up with this event yearly, it prevented stubborn Vampires from venturing into the human world, we're supposed to remain hidden, but some vampires are secretly going behind my back looking for a way into the human world to take revenge.
The only temporary solution is to bring humans here, for their use and when they get tired of them, they have no choice but to wait for the next election. I hope this would go on for a few more years. Although, I left some strong-willed vampires to work as CEOs in big companies in the human world. They're allowed to go out because they have control of their over their thirst, they're vampires whose revenge isn't clouding their judgment. Take me for example, I own several businesses in the human world, they know me as a billionaire just that I like to keep a low profile by not attending too many events.
"Alpha."
A slutty voice drawled in a mocking tone, snapping him out of his thoughts.
It was Vendetta, a friend of mine. I don't usually have friends because no one here in Valleys can be trusted, my pack only fears me because I'm powerful. Though I have little trust in her.
I also hate it when she calls me that, and she knows it.
"What are you doing here, vendetta?" I asked inside her head.
"Why Alpha? This ball is for the whole vampire kingdom she shrugged, "besides, I was curious about whom you'll choose this year."
Normally, an Alpha king is supposed to choose more than ten humans, but I chose five last year. I know everyone here is curious about whom I'll choose this year.
I ignored Vendetta to do her thing while I studied everyone, their behaviors, and all that, I noticed that many of them are almost stiff.
They're tired of this, they want the freedom to roam around the human world.
I also want the same thing, but it'll be a disaster, it had happened once in the past, it took the life of his father to solve the problem at that time.
Just then, the door open and more than fifty humans walked in. His eyes scanned through the crowd and finally, it landed on her.
Delaney.
At that moment, she raised her head and her eyes met his. Seeing how beautiful she looked, my body burned with needs. I want her.
DELANEY's POV
I quickly lowered my head when our eyes met. My heart was beating so loud that I can even hear it.
Camellia and Cornelia had explained this to me, they're both happy and hoped the Alpha will choose them again. If he does, they'll change to vamps and pleasure him any way he wants.
He should choose you than anyone else, he might be cruel, but he's better. They had warned.
The hell, I don't want anyone to choose me, in fact, if I had my way, I would have run out of here the moment I regained consciousness, but I haven't gotten the opportunity...yet.
I used my long reddish-brown hair as a curtain to cover my face, then peek at my surroundings to see them laughing merrily.
Yes, they're mostly guys, just a few vampire females. I saw some of them hold a red glass of wine... No, not wine but blood.
My stomach twisted in knots causing me to gagged softly. I wasn't myself anymore, I'm so scared that even the slightest movement made me jump. I mean, I'm in a room filled with vampires! And can lose my life if anything goes wrong. The girls around were all jubilant as though they don't care about anything, their excitement left me speechless.
Are they crazy? Weren't they kidnapped and sold to this bunch of killers?
What's there to be excited about? Don't they have families or loved ones at home?
The Alpha stood up and everyone quiets down. "The moment we've all been waiting for is here," he said in a low monotone, but it seems everyone heard him "I won't waste our time by saying much, so let's begin! You know the rules, no killing."
After saying that, many vampires poured into our midst. I wiped my sweaty hands on my clothes and slowly moved away from the center.
Yes, I want to hide. I can't stay here anymore or else who knows what will happen next. The last thing I want is to get selected by a delirious vampire, I won't even know how I died.
I slowly moved towards the door, making sure to avoid the vamps. Suddenly, I heard laughter in my head.
"It seems like you love running, Delaney."
I froze.
That voice... I glanced around looking for Knox but couldn't find him, all I saw was male vampires choosing girls and some fighting over a particular girl.
I decided to use that opportunity to run since no one's attention was on me.
I left the hall, saw some guards by the door, so I took another route.
"You know what I like the most ?" The voice came again.
"Get the fuck out of my head!!" I growled
He chuckles, "I love chasing, you get what I mean?"
I ignored him and entered another hallway when I saw another batch of guards.
I saw a room and decided to hide there for the time being. I leaned on the door, breathing hard, I need to find a phone, so I can call Cassie. She must be worried sick.
I opened my eyes to take in the room and gasp. Holy shit!
The room was filled with sex toys.
Just then, I heard a low chuckle"I've been waiting for you little Delaney" Knox said from behind me. I froze instantly. What the...? How did he get here?
He was at the ball just now, how did he get here?
"I have many abilities, Delaney, I controlled your movement, so you'll come here."
I frown, controlled my what? I clearly came here myself.
"That's what you think."
I glared at him, "Stop reading my mind!"
He tilted his head to the side and poured a drink in two glasses, "Come sit Delaney, and before you ask, it's not blood, it's a wine."
Do vampires drink wine? I thought.
"Yes Delaney, we do, and we eat normal food as you do that's if we want to."
"Stop reading my mind," I said again. It's uncomfortable.
He shrugs"Look around you, do you know what these are?" he said pointing at the sex toys "Of course I'm sure you do, so the next question should be, have you used any of them before? On yourself" his eyes twinkles, waiting for my answer.
My face flushed at that. I can't answer that question.
Knowing he can read my mind, I tried my best not to think of anything and stared at him.
"Hmph, I guess you have so, I want you to show me."
Cassie stayed in between the guys, loving every second as they touched her. "You're so beautiful, darling," the man with blue eyes said, grabbing her ass. She moans softly. This is like a dream come true for her! She's sure all the girls in the club are glaring daggers at her. Rumors said that the D– brothers never talk to anyone whenever they show up in this club, only drink and leave. Never once have they been seen with any girl, some began to wonder if they're gay but clearly, they're not. Because they're all over her, touching her. Laney needs to see this, Cassie hopes she's also getting some, ha! Suddenly, their hands froze on her skin. She frowns, "What happened?" "Sorry, sweetheart, we need to go." "What? Why?" They already left before she could question them. She pursed her lips, "Ahh why did this happen? I already had them in my arms." With a sigh, she deci
~ DELANEY's POV ~ Knowing he can read my mind, I tried my best not to think of anything and stared at him. "Hmph, I guess you have so, I want you to show me." Show him? How will I do that? He gave me a toothy grin exposing his fangs which means he read my mind. "It's easy darling, you pick the one you're comfortable in using, then show me how you did it." I raised my chin, "What happens if I don't do it?" "What happens?" His icy gray eyes went to my neck, sending chills down my spine. I understood what that meant, he'll bite me and suck my blood. I shook my head fiercely, "You wouldn't do that" He slowly stood up and stalk towards me, "Lesson one, never threaten a vampire, it sends a thrill into us that'll make them want to fulfill It at all costs." He stopped a few feet away from me before speaking, "And trust me when I say I love the threats." "W–What's yo
I freeze instantly upon hearing that, somehow I knew the lady is a vamp. Oh God, why am I so unlucky? Is she going to kill me now? "You're the new alpha king's concubine, right?" Concubine? She pressed a blade to the back, not too hard to wound me, "Answer me." I nodded quickly,"Yes, I am. Please don't hurt me." I whimpered. "Quiet. Look, I can help you get out of here, there's a way out, but that depends on if you want to leave." I blinked, "You know a way out?" That wasn't what I was expecting. My heart rate spiked up in excitement, knowing I can leave here without depending on Knox. I can leave before my one-week expires. "Yes, but I don't have much time, just do as I say. Got it?" I nodded and listened to her plan, "Remember, don't tell anyone about it or else you'll be killed." With that, she slipped out of the dressing room, leaving me in my shocked state. Not long after that, I heard... "De
I open the door only to freeze in surprise upon seeing Knox! Why the hell is he here instead of that lady? My heart began racing, thinking he might be here for my decision when my time isn't up yet. He gave me one week, there are two days left, so why did come? "Aren't you going to welcome me in, dear Delaney?" Too shocked to say anything, I silently open the door and stepped aside. My mind began reeling with excuses I could come up with if he brings up the topic. I need to come up with a reasonable lie, something that can delay him. Did vendetta say something about his behavior different towards me? I can use that as an advantage to get out of this. As I thought of all this, I made sure my walls were tightly shut though, I'm not sure whether it'll have any effect on him. Vendetta said powerful and ancient vampires could still hear your thoughts no matter how thick your walls are. The thought made me wonder how old Knox is, he can't be an
Knox POV ~ A familiar pang in my throat made me clench my fist, I need to feed quickly. I don't think I can hold it anymore, If this goes on, I'll go bloodlust and that will be terrible since I'm an ancient vampire. It'll be hard for anyone to get me under control. A week before the selection, I didn't get a chance to feed because I was busy with preparations for the selection. Also, I preferred not to feed on my old concubines, I was waiting for my new chosen human. The little I took from her the last time wasn't enough, I wanted more. Recalling how her blood tasted made me salivate and has been keeping me on the edge any time I think of her, It's been taking more than I expected not to go to her, and it's all my fault! I gave her one fucking week for some unknown reason — something I've never done before, especially for a human! Left for me, I would have fed from her and fucked her senseless on the selection day, but I couldn't. Something about her made me co
Delaney's POV ~ Tears began streaming down my face, "You came! You're really here!" Now I have hope of leaving. She gazes at my tears with a hint of irritation on her face. I heard her mutter 'humans' before she clears her throat. "We don't have much time, we have to leave now before anyone shows up." She said urgently. I studied her for a moment and couldn't help but ask, "What's your name? I mean I can't keep calling you 'that lady' right?" "Amira, my name is Amira." I nodded, "Why are you helping me? What will you gain by doing so? Hope you aren't expecting you to pay with my blood, as you can see, I haven't fully recovered from one yet." No matter what, I know she isn't helping me out of goodwill, I'm smart enough to know that she has her motives, just that I don't know what that is. I know it's foolish of me to put all my hopes on a vampire — one I just met, but I've got no choice, she's the only one who has
Valleys Kingdom ~ After helping Delaney escape, Amira didn't linger around, she could hear the rouge vampires running towards her. If she stays in their territory a minute longer, she would die a horrible death. She heaved a soft sigh as she has achieved success this time, but also dreads what awaited her as she headed to the city. She's sure that Knox has already found out hell, he might be on his way here, but she doesn't give a damn! Furthermore, she has achieved her goal already, so she'd take whatever he throws her way – anything so long as he won't have any female by his side. Amira too was a human when they first brought her here, you can say she's the first concubine Knox has, his first chosen! Her case is a little different from the new humans coming here. She suffered the most because Knox's hatred for humans was still fresh on his mind. It was at that time he lost his parents! At first, Knox gave her the illusion of wanting her, of lo
Rakel's POV Everything has been planned out that evening, I've gathered the strongest werewolves in my pack ready to attack valleys if they don't bring the girl out. I know it's unreasonable starting a war between us but werewolves and vampires are mutual enemies, no one will give a damn about what happens between us. The fact that the Vampires took what was supposed to be mine means they initiated the fight. I have every goddamn reason to fight back. From my investigation, I found a way into their kingdom, I ordered my men to remain hidden in the woods thinking of a way to cross the rogue's territory. I know it'll be a loss for us if we fight head-on with them because it's their home, they'll always be an advantage. The best way to deal with them is strategy! Just when I decide to go in, my ear picked a sound. I told my boys to stand down through the mind link. We all stood there waiting to see who that was. Soon, a small frame ran out,
Does this mean my parents cause the rift between the werewolves and the vampires? But they were only two people in love who weren't concerned about their identity. What was wrong with that? Do they think that dad really killed mom? She died of childbirth. I… I killed my mother. Tears filled my eyes instantly the moment I realized this. I haven't finished digesting this news when someone broke the shower door. I jumped out of the bathtub in surprise. Rakel stood at the door, his eyes running over my body and then the bathroom. “Are you okay? I've been knocking.” “I…” How do I tell him I'm the product of the very thing they hated the most? What will they do if they find out what I am? In other to hide my fear from Rakel, I distracted him by picking a towel from the rack and using it to cover my body. His eyes followed my movement, but he didn't step into the bathroom. We both stood there silently, watching each other. Right at that time, a familiar feeling started in my tumm
Delaney's POV ~It's been two days since we arrived at Valleys, with no sign of the ‘Heat’. Everything has been calm. Extremely calm, which doesn't sit well with me. I feel as though something has changed in valleys since the last time I came here. A feeling that something is wrong somewhere. Just like the calm before the storm? That's precisely how I feel now. Something is about to happen, something big. But, what? What is going to happen? Am I the only one sensing this?I glanced down at Rakel who sat in the living room discussing with some of his pack members and sighed. Knox has gone out to attend a meeting with his fellow vampires. Though they said nothing to me, I know they've been busy these days. I had inadvertently put them in a tight spot by forcing Knox to bring Rakel here. If the news gets out, it will dissatisfy the vampires with the werewolves in their kingdom. Knox had to teleport Rakel and his pack members to his mansion to avoid the p
Cassie's POV ~I had the nicest dream ever that night. I dreamt an angel watched over me throughout the night, keeping me safe. The notion left me protected, never felt that safe. And when he kissed me, I felt like I'm on cloud nine; I didn't want it to stop. His lips moved from my mouth to my forehead.Though, as his lips touched my skin, I frown. Why does it feel so real? Just as I was about to shrug off the feeling, I heard the door banged up. Immediately, my eyes snapped open, and I stared at the ceiling for a while. After a few minutes, everything that happened last night flooded into my head, causing me to curse. “Crap! It's not a dream!”His smell lingered in the air. Not only that, the slight ache in the neck and me, lying naked on the bed, proofs I'm not dreaming! Getting up, I made my way to the bathroom — wincing at the soreness I felt between my legs. I glanced at myself in the mirror and couldn't help but curse at Asher, beho
“What?!!”I yelled after they told me about the heat thing. “You knew about this, yet you still marked me?”When no one answered, I scoffed in disbelief. “Is there any other thing you guys are hiding from me? The thing I should know?”They both averted their eyes from mine which made me suspicious. It's funny how two dominant males became mute under my gaze. Just the thought of experiencing another heat caused me to shudder. From the looks of it, it won't be long before I go through it again. Why won't they just mate with me and let go of their pride? The knowledge made me glare at them in anger.Knox decided to change the topic by saying, “You can't live here any more Delaney, you need to come with us.”I scoffed. “Why should I? It's like you're forgetting you both rejected me last night.”“That's not it…”“Then? Tell me what it is!” I spat. &l
Delaney's POV ~The moment I slipped into darkness, I found myself outside a cave — the same one I dreamt of last night. This time, I re-watch what transpired, with the couple not regarding my existence.“Don't give up, my lover, you can do this. We will do this together.”“I can't. I feel so tired, I want to sleep.”“Not now, my love, you need to push. Just give it one more try, okay?”She nodded. “Damon? What will we do if they find out about her? You need to protect her, Damon.”“I will, with my life. Now, are you ready?”She responded and pushed, gripping Damon's hand. However, no matter how she pushed, the baby just won't come out. The woman fell back to the little cloth she was lying on, breathing hard. Watching from the sidelines, I could tell she's already exhausted. So many questions filled my head at that moment. Questions like, why are they in t
I don't know what Knox meant by I'm going into heat, but I have a feeling it has something to do with what's happening to me now. All at once, all the werewolf males in the room began moving towards me, the vampire males rushing out of the house. I couldn't bring myself to figure out why, nor do I care. I didn't notice Asher going out. When did he even show up here? I thought he was with Cassie…Rakel paused halfway when he noted the wolves behind him. He growled at them, looking like he would shift at any moment. I would have been afraid of him if I wasn't in this state because he looked feral. The male wolves whimpered under their Alpha's gaze, turned, and left the room.Seeing that only Rakel and Knox were the only ones in the suite, I palmed my breast — moaning out loud at the jolt of electricity that zinged through my body. But it wasn't enough. I wanted them to a point of pain. Rakel arrived at my side. His mouth slammed against mine an
There was silence then Ten, Rakel's beta broke it by saying, “Luna, you are asking for war. You do realize that, don't you? If you don't choose between them, then there's no way the vampire kingdom and our pack will unite.”“Exactly! That's impossible!” Keith, who was sitting beside him, chimed in.I maintained my blank face even as Knox and Rakel scrutinized me. They still haven't gotten over what I just said. They were stunned. I could feel them through the bond trying to probe into my mind, to know what I was thinking, but I didn't give them that chance to do that. I kept my mental shield up.Knox couldn't hold it in again, he walked over to me and took my hand. “Tell me something, Delaney, is someone stopping you from making a choice? I can…”“No, Knox. I've thought this through on my own, no one is stopping me. It's either I have you both to myself or we end things here. I've made my decision, no
Delaney's POV ~ Knox teleported himself home after that. I laid my head on the window while thinking. ‘Am I doing the right thing? How will the meeting tomorrow go?’ In other, to calm the raging headache from my hangover, I moved to the kitchen to prepare the hangover tea I learned from Cassie. Speaking of Cassie, she doesn't seem to be at home. She and Asher. I wonder how last night went for them or where they are now. As I sipped my drink, I heard a meowing sound in the living room. On reaching there, I saw Mr. Toms lying on the couch. “Hey there, big guy. Where have you been?” he seems to have disappeared forever since Rakel showed up. Ambling to him, I patted his fur and sighed. “What should I do, Toms? Did I make the right decision?” The next day, Cassie returned home without Asher. I raised my brow curiously, wondering what happened between them. I wanted to ask but dropped it for now. I have enough on my plate as it, s
Outside Delaney's house, I was about to barge in when I heard her voice.“Asher… no! I want more!”Asher grunted. “No, you don't. If your mates find us like this, we will both be in trouble.”My eyes narrowed. Don't tell me Asher really took advantage of her in that state.“Ah! Please, Asher, I need more. This isn't enough.” She moaned.Huh, she's even begging him for more? This can't be happening. Is Rakel stupid for leaving his cousin in our mate's house?“Pretty please…”“Fine, just don't let your mates know about this.”Right at that time, I barge into the house, ready to kill that bastard with a punch him to death. “Too late Asher. I already know about it.”However, the scene inside was different from the one I expected. Instead, of seeing them naked, I saw Delaney clutching a bottle of alcohol while Asher struggl