I needed a moment to process Leo's words. I was so preoccupied with everything around that I never asked Leo or Sariel what had happened when they'd lost communication and how they had managed to get to Greystoneville. I looked at Sariel. His eyes were blazing red, and his expression was completely different than when his eyes were on me.
"How much time do we have before they'll enter the town?" he asked, gritting his teeth.
Leo replied immediately, "Three hours tops."
Sariel reached for my hand and pulled me to stand close beside him. "Draven should speed up his healing. We'd need all of his dogs ready. Call the meeting in fifteen," he said in a firm tone.
Leo nodded and quickly dashed to execute Sariel's order. He watched Leo disappear into the corridor, silently processing the situation before turning my way.
He cupped my face in his hands and locked his eyes on me. "I want you to stay out of this fight."
I stroked his hands on my face an
Hybrid. This one word bounced inside my mind as I tried to grasp the meaning of it. There was no reliable information about creatures being a mix of werewolf and vampire. According to the legends, there was a tiny possibility of a child of a vampire and a werewolf being born, but no records were found to prove that. To give us any information, Leo read the notes that Doctor Will Duarte provided after examining the body of one of the degenerates.Will found many similarities between them and vampire commoners, which could suggest that the one creating the degenerates had to be a vampire noble or at least have a lot of noble genes. At the same time, their insatiable hunger could only be compared to those who were born to live with a commoner vampire's bite: the vampire degenerates. The hybrid degenerates didn't have fangs but massive jaws with sharp teeth. Their claws also resembled those of wolves rather than blade-like vampire claws. They were all at least 6.7 feet tall, with
The monster standing right before me lowered its massive jaw, exposing its blade-like teeth. My ten-inch knife was still stuck in its chest, but it didn't seem to weaken it at all. Its breath felt burning hot against my face as it tried to sink its teeth into my flesh. I ducked and pulled out my knife, cutting the monster wide open.It let out an awful howl, making my ears ring. I jumped to the side, dodging the sharp claws trying to reach me. That creature was fast, and its movements were more agile than those of an average wolf. Risking getting into the range of its claws, I swung my knife across its stomach and then leaned back, avoiding the hit, but my moves weren't swift enough. Four of its claws pierced my flesh right below my ribs. I screamed in pain and raised my head to meet the pair of monster's vicious eyes. I could have sworn that it seemed to be enjoying my suffering. Its jaws were getting closer, preparing to tear my skin, flesh, and insides apart. It was the on
As soon as we crossed the Greystoneville borders, I heard of the first attacks already starting in the northern part of the town. Leo was there with two battalions to repel the degenerates. So far they succeeded in keeping the enemy right outside the borders, but the hybrids' numbers were increasing by the minute.Sariel was relentless about keeping me close to him. I had to assure him that I wasn't going to do anything reckless and that I treasured my life enough not to make any rash decisions. The only time I was allowed to leave his side was when Patrick came to tell me that he had something for me."Your King must sincerely trust you," I snorted as Patrick led me to the car."Why do you say that?" he asked."He didn't want me to pee alone, but the moment you showed up, he just let me go to do whatever." I gave him a suspicious glance.He burst out laughing and then replied, "Yes, you can say that he trusts me. He wouldn't allow anyone near you
"Lilith!" The voice calling my name was full of fright and anger. "Damn it, Lilith! Open your eyes!" My eyelids were heavy. I felt as if I had lost control over my body. It was terrifying. Yet, the voice commanded me relentlessly. "Lilith! Stay with me! Open your eyes!" As the voice cried out my name, my senses began coming back to me, starting with the pain, an excruciating pain. I couldn't breathe. Every second of being conscious felt like hell. My mouth twisted in a silent scream, making me pull up my eyelids. The image I saw was blurry, but then I recognized a few people bending down, looking at me, and Sariel, who held me in his arms while kneeling on the ground. I saw him sigh as I focused my eyes on him. Supporting my weight on his knees, he used one of his claws to cut his other hand and made the blood flow directly to my mouth. I swallowed it, feeling the thick drops burn while falling down my throat. "That's it, Lilith… Drink it and stay wit
I stared at the world outside as if I was looking at it for the first time. It seemed different, more vivid, more intense. I recognized the view quickly: I was looking at the central fountain and garden of the Palace. I didn't have a view like that while I was living in the chamber of the east wing. Judging by that, I concluded that I must have been placed in the main building… Considering that I had to die to get here, it felt bittersweet.I stayed exposed to the sunlight for some time, waiting to experience any kind of tickling or itching as a sign of sunburn, but that didn't happen. Then I took a closer look at my hands. My skin was pale and perfectly even. Excited about discovering the new me, I rushed to the wall mirror in the corner of the chamber. I focused on my reflection and gasped.I looked similar yet differentas if every single detail of me had become more saturated and exposed. My black hair glowed with a raven-like hue, forming a silky surfa
I stood before Sariel in front of his chamber. I was barefoot and wearing nothing but a shoulder-strapped silk nightgown. He scanned me from head to toe and grabbed my hand, intending to lead me into his room, but then he stopped before crossing the threshold. "I have to close the curtains," he explained. "No need," I smirked as I boldly opened the door myself. His face betrayed shock, a similar expression I'd seen on Will. He stood in awe, watching me as I entered his sunlit room, confidently gliding towards the window. Once I fully exposed myself to the light, I turned around to face him. He chuckled, closed the door behind him, and slowly walked over to me. His smile widened the longer he looked at me. I could feel his relief. I could feel the tension that finally left his muscles, as he saw that the new life he had given me wasn't going to be a life I would live in the darkness. "You've given me an amazing gift," I said, reaching out my hand towar
I had never been more embarrassed in my whole life. It was one thing to feel the desire filling every inch of me, and another to let anyone see how badly I couldn't control myself! I was used to the thought that the only way anyone could literally see my so-called excitement was when my nipples became hard, and now this?! I began to think that just throwing myself on Sariel would have been a better choice than letting him see my hunger for him in this shamefully primal way. I felt as if I had suddenly become naked."Don't hide them," Sariel coaxed, his voice madly alluring.I moved my hand and slid my index finger into my mouth to check if my fangs had truly grown. I brushed the smooth surface, reaching its pointy end. As I touched the needle-like top, my teeth hid, but the sharp edge accidentally cut my finger. I hissed and looked at my hand with a drop of blood growing on the fingertip. A flash later, Sariel was standing right beside me, and my hand was in his grasp.
I held my breath as we entered the room. I tried to hold my head high and focused on each step, praying that nothing would betray how nervous I was. I didn't want to look at their faces. I could already imagine their stares filled with disdain or disgust, even refusing to spare a glance. I kept programming myself mentally, implanting self-esteem, and repeating that I was way better than most of those fools.I quickly noticed that Sariel wanted to make a clear statement this time around. As I walked inside, I saw two thrones placed on the podium: one for him as the King and one for me as his Queen. Ignoring the etiquette, he led me to my seat first, making sure that I sat comfortably before taking his rightful place on my right. Our chairs stood close, nearly touching each other, sending a clear signal that Sariel wanted me to be treated as his equal.My sole presence there was enough to cause a commotion, but the true uproar started once everyone saw me sitting on the