Lucian's PovDrek's smile was infectious as he gazed at me, his eyes sparkling with warmth. We had been friends for a long time, despite my infrequent visits. "You're just as ageless as ever, Lucian. You look even younger than before," he said, extending his hand to greet me.I shook it, smiling briefly."You're back at this, man," I teased, trying to lighten the mood.I mean, Drek was a good man who at most loved the coming together of humans and vampires to live in the same world."What's the secret, Lucian?" Drek asked, his curiosity piqued as he laughed out loud.I took a sip of my drink, responding with a concise sentence."The secret is being yourself. That's just it" I responded. He nodded his head, giving me the impression that I wasn't totally telling him the truth."Of course, it is," I said. As we strolled through the mansion, Drek continued to smile, his hands clasped behind his back as we explored the mansion together. It was indeed decorated with a lot of ancient obje
Lucian's PovI spun around, my eyes locking onto the speaker. Gaze, trying to read his expression, but the mask they wore obscured their features. I took a step closer, my voice low and even"Who are you? What do you know about Naomi?" I asked with desperation in my voice.My fangs ached to descend, my instincts on high alert, but I forced myself to remain calm, not wanting to escalate the situation. I needed to know what this stranger knew, and I needed to know now."Tell me," I demanded, my voice firm but controlled.The stranger's eyes gleamed in the dim light, and I sensed a hint of amusement in his voice just like he was enjoying it all."Follow me, Lucian."I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should trust this mysterious man. But something in his tone put me at ease, and I decided to follow him, my senses on high alert, ready to pounce if necessary.As I trailed behind the stranger, I caught Drek's eye, and he raised an eyebrow in inquiry. I nodded subtly, indicating that I ha
Naomi's Pov"S-Sebastian," I stammered, my voice barely audible.Lucian felt a jolt of surprise and anger. Sebastian? He was obviously Drek's assistant, the one who seemed so charming and harmless? I couldn't believe it.Lucian held me closer, trying to process this new information."What happened?" He asked, his voice low and urgent.My sobs intensified, and I could feel my body trembling in Lucian's arms. I held him tightly as my eyes scanned the room again.Lucian was trying to calm me down, but my mind was racing with questions and fears.What did Sebastian do?, he pressed, his grip on me tightening.My words tumbled out in a rush, my voice shaking with fear."He came out of nowhere, and tried to save Deluna from the one who took her away. He tried to fight him, but he was too strong," I said. Lucian I felt a wave of fury as he continued to hold me,“Who is Deluna?” He asked as he stared into my eyes. He knew I had not really associated with people and just today I was here, I ha
Lucian's PovI felt like I was melting into her words, my lips tingling beneath me, I had longed to kiss her, but I wasn't sure if she was going to want it, just as I craved it so badly.I couldn't lie, I was almost dying inside of me, since the last time she kissed me, I had wanted more of it, but I just couldn't tell her.“You want it?” She asked softly,Her words sent shivers to me as I began to feel aroused, everything in my body had risen up.I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to answer."Yes," I whispered, my voice barely audible.As I spoke the word, my eyes flashed with excitement, and I leaned in closer to me. I felt her breath on my skin, and I knew that everything was about to change.I moved my hands slowly as I tried to unzip her gold-shimmering dress. She stared at me, her eyes shining like an angel. I slowly unbuttoned the dress and pulled down her zippers till my hands got to her bottom, I then proceeded to pull it off, starting from the dress's little
Naomi's PovI stared into Lucian's eyes, my voice barely above a whisper,"Lucian, Lucian, stop. Please, stop, you should stop now." My words were a silent scream, but he didn't flinch. His lips continued to graze my neck, his fangs piercing my skin. I felt myself drifting away, my eyelids growing heavy.“Lucian, Lucian” I cried as I stared at him again. Holding his head to retreat again.My voice trembled as I called out his name again, desperate for him to hear me. But he remained motionless, consumed by his thirst. My vision blurred, and I felt my body weaken. I tried to push him away, but my strength failed me. My eyes closed, and I succumbed to the darkness.Hours passed, or so it seemed. I jolted awake, gasping for air. Lucian slept beside me, still unclad. I didn't know what really had happened, or what had stopped him? I placed a trembling hand on my neck, feeling for his fangs. They were gone, but the ache remained.I stood up, staggering, my legs like jelly. My vision blu
Lucian's PovI sat alone in my room, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My mind was consumed by the weight of my vampire curse, growing stronger by the day. I felt powerless, unable to control my actions. The memory of almost draining Naomi haunted me, a stark reminder of my vulnerability.I just couldn't say if I was going to be able to face Naomi again, now, when I had just started to think that I had really found peace, things had started showing up, which only left me depressed. Naomi had asked me earlier this morning as we had some conversation. She had asked me if I was alright, and what had caused me to drink in that way, she had started to notice that there was something wrong.I couldn't let her know, I couldn't tell her that I had a vampire rabid disease that seemed to tear me up. I didn't know how much time I had left to turn fully into it. I couldn't bring myself to tell her, perhaps she might start to see me as a monster again, which I feared the most."Why did thi
Naomi's Pov I just knew that the best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing things. Even if Lucian wasn't ready to tell me everything that was wrong with him, maybe he feared the worst-case scenario, I had decided to uncover the truth and make sure that I found a solution for him. At this point, I knew that just talking wouldn't do. I needed to get up and help him out. It was almost an hour after Lucian had left the house, I hurriedly changed into something better and decided to search out Deluna. Deluna might have something to say about it. The air felt stiffening, as my skin prickled with unease. I realized with a sinking feeling that I couldn't reach Deluna on the phone because I didn't even have her number saved on the phone. Our sporadic encounters had never involved direct calls; she seemed to sense my solitude. The more I thought about it, I could sense fear and vulnerability gnawing at my heart, like it was about to rip me apart. Just as I placed my hands
Naomi's PovIf there was something that I was going to forget, I was never going to forget his eyes, even if I was blind, I was sure that I was still going to obviously recognize him. He was obviously just a coward like Alexander.I tried stepping back as my heart pounded fast. I had come to see Deluna, but I had unfortunately come across another devil. He increased his pace, knowing that I had stepped back. He was Alexander's right-hand man, he was his companion, He was the one who Alexander had sent to fetch me to his chambers whenever he wanted to have his way. He never cared about the girls as long as Alexander was ready to pay him really well.Furthermore, he was mostly known for his dubious acts and his deceitfulness. Not only that, but he had also disappeared that night. Alexander went into the air.As he approached me, I felt my feet trembling as I stared at him. "It's been a while, Naomi" he said, smiling scornfully, while turning to raise a finger to brush my hair."Don't
Lucian's PovYears had elapsed since Deluna’s fall, and despite the wounds of war, the world had begun healing. What once had been a country full of tyranny and fright lived with hope in its heart. Vampires, living under Deluna’s tyranny, were free at long, long last. And I, with Naomi, had sworn ourselves to seeing freedom stretch to each and every soul yet living in shackles. We fought together, forging alliances, destroying whatever of Deluna’s corrupt empire lay in its path, and providing refuge and protection to souls that lived for too long in misery and agony. And yet, even with all that we accomplished, the greatest transformation hadn’t been in the world at all—it had been in me. Naomi tamed my rougher corners, taught me in virtue of love, in hope, and most of all, in the fact that redemption existed. And I, seeing her sit out on our balcony, in sunlight and in gold, bathing in sunlight, I saw that my greatest purpose no longer lay in commanding a people, but in protectin
Naomi’s PovThe battlefield hung in a dead, matted quiet. Once, with a reek of death and sorcery, but now with a mere whisper of wind, it breathed. The sky, which was shrouded in Deluna’s shadow, seemed lighter.I turned and looked around us, and saw the faces of my companions who fought with us. Some I recognized, scarred in battle, with looks of both loss and relief etched onto them. Others… Others were not with me.Travis.Alexander.Bane.They'd gone, some dead, and gone, whose fate I could not say. But one reality I could not deny is that those who fought with Deluna, who fought to maintain Deluna’s tyranny, died with her.Some of them, perhaps, still lay in shadows, but if ever again… They'd have to answer to us.I breathed out, a slow, deep one.Lucian, noting my hesitation, stroked my hair behind my ear, out of my face. His fingers were rough but kind, a reminder of battles won, of wars won, and of love won in choosing him."We did it," he whispered, eyes bloodshot and intent
Lucian's PovThe seconds ticked in slow motion as I saw Naomi’s delicate form move towards me. The whole scenario seemed dreamlike, a nightmare I couldn’t awaken from. And then, in a matter of a split second, her form collapsed onto the ground. Everything else melted, my eyes refocusing onto Naomi's dying form at my feet. My heart thudded savagely in my chest, a thudding beat drowning out everything else. "No… Naomi…" I faltered, dropping onto my knees at her side, my shaking hands extending out towards her. “No, no, no. This can't happen.” I touched her face, and her face was dispiritedly cool to my fingertips. Something deep and suffocating took over, its talons closing in my heart. Her eyes shut, her mouth a little apart, but no sign of life moved in them. My voice died in my mouth, taken over with horror. "How far are you willing to go, Deluna?"A faint echo of laughter sounded over my head, Deluna’s mocking laughter, sharp and cutting and rough-edged, like broken glass. How
Naomi’s PovThe battlefield lay covered in shadow, thick with smoke, burning wood, blood, and residues of lingering magic. Under my feet, the earth shuddered minutely, unsure whether this war had actually reached its conclusion. Deluna was a distance of a few feet, her black cloak fluttering a little in the evening breeze, her eyes squinted in observation of me. She yet seemed powerful, untouched by events transpired about her. But I could detect it now, the tiniest tremble of doubt in her eyes. She was starting to understand. Understand that she wasn't as unscathed as she long convinced herself to believe. I breathed in, slow and deliberate, then moved to speak. "What request?" Deluna questioned me, with a taint of distrust in her voice. I jerked my head, raising my chin a notch. "What way would you like to breathe your last?" Her mouth twisted in a cold sneer, but I could detect tension in her shoulder. "You can't do that," she taunted me. I took a pace in her direction. "I
Lucian’s PovI'd long been convinced wickedness took a face and one I'd seen in both monsters and in men, too. But tonight, with dusk consumed and sunset gone, I saw an atrocity that challenged my definitions of wickedness and forced me to redefine them. I'd seen evil I could hardly have dreamed in my most fevered imagination.The sky wasn't at its radiant best, but one contrast alone remained: one silver glow of the moon painted everything with an eerie, dark radiance, and I could almost feel its vigor. I kept moving onward, a burning fury in my heart burning brighter with each pace I took. "Your face, moon," I whispered in a snarl of anger, "tonight, your face bore witness to my friend’s murder." Travis’s dying memories looped in my head forever: laughter, soft comforts, and a shocked cry of betrayal that took him from me. I hadn't seen him coming.Travis, a man who firmly insisted wicked souls bore a glimmer of virtue, lay dead, robbed of life at our hands through a wickedness I co
Deluna’s PovDid I just kill Travis? The question echoed in my mind as I stood in the middle of the battle, blood on the floor. The taste of blood and regret was in my mouth, and I could barely breathe. The silence after the fight was louder than all the noise before.I staggered back, my limbs trembling as I tried to steady myself against a shattered column. Every heartbeat throbbed in my ears, a cruel metronome marking the passing of a moment I could never undo. The pain consumed me deeply; it was as though the very essence of my soul was being torn apart. I felt as if I might die from the weight of my own remorse.For a long while, I recalled our fight. Travis, even in his final moments, had pressed me with questions that now haunted my every thought. His eyes, full of anguish and bitter disappointment, burned into me as though searing my skin. I could still hear his voice in the clamor of my memories: "Why did you do all this, Deluna?" he had demanded, his tone a mixture of sorr
Naomi's PovMy pleas were swallowed by the chaos around us. Amidst the din of battle and the cries of wounded men, I could only hear my own heart breaking. I remembered Travis’s promise from earlier, a promise made with a laugh and a spark of defiant joy. I remembered how he had vowed to come back victorious. And now, that promise lay shattered like glass on cold stone.Lucian looked into my eyes, and for a moment, the anger in his gaze shifted to sadness. "Naomi," he said softly, "we can't bring him back, but we can make sure his sacrifice wasn't wasted." His words felt like both a blessing and a burden. A reminder that this war's cost was counted in blood and lost love.The thought of Deluna, the traitorous witch who caused Travis’s death made me burn with a need for revenge. "Where is she, Lucian?" I demanded, voice trembling with a mix of anger and despair. "I must face her. I must know why she did this. I want her to answer for Travis’s death!"Lucian’s eyes darkened further, and
Naomi’s Pov"Wake me up, someone, please wake me up!"My voice echoed through the pain, like I was calling out to a bad dream. I blinked at the bright light, tasting blood and sweat in my mouth. Everything around me was a blur of red and shadow. I could barely remember the morning, only broken memories of the night before the screams, the clash of steel, and the grief still twisting in my chest."Travis...?" I whispered, my voice breaking. My mind spun with disbelief. Travis Scott, my dearest friend, the one who had always been there to watch my back, to make me laugh even in our darkest moments, was gone. Gone, as if snatched away by some cruel fate. And all because of this cursed war and the betrayal that has splintered our lives. I pressed trembling fingers to my lips, tasting the bitter tang of my own tears. "How… how can this be?" My heart pounded painfully against my rib cage, each beat a reminder of the promise he had made earlier that day. I remembered the way his eyes had sp
Lucian’s PovDeluna’s voice echoed through the hall like a death knell. With her dark eyes burning, and her words laced with venom, she had suddenly declared war in the grand dining hall. “Kill them all, bring Naomi to me!” she roared, her command reverberating off the bloodstained walls. My heart thundered as I took in the chaos. The hall transformed into a nightmarish tableau: broken bodies strewn across the flagstones, heads severed, and crimson pools of blood pooling around fallen soldiers.“Has she forgotten who she’s dealing with?” I spat internally, anger coiling inside. I was not merely a man. I was a rabid vampire warrior fueled by vengeance and duty. I could not let Deluna’s treachery stand.I stepped forward, my voice cutting through the din. “Deluna, face me!” I demanded, halting her advance with my challenge. For a brief, electrifying moment, her eyes widened in astonishment, as if she had not expected me to stand so defiant. It was then that I realized how much our fates