Lucian PovI was choking. And not on anything relatively poisonous. No, I was choking on salt. Just because someone thought it was going to be a funny joke to play on me. Well, it turned out to be an expensive one. “What the heck did you do, Naomi?” I managed to say as my heart constricted in my chest. “I already played that choking game on you earlier, remember?” She smiled cockily. So she thought I was joking. I laughed humorlessly as the joke I had plagued her earlier came to bite me back. Salt had never actually bothered me before, but in large proportions, it was lethal.My taste buds were very sensitive and dunking a huge amount of salt in them was a very bad idea. My hands shakily reached for the pitcher of water on the table, but before I could get to it, I slumped on the floor. My body was actively fighting the poison, but I had gone on without blood for two days now, and I didn't have enough strength to expel the same from my system without help. Knowing what was coming
Lucian PovBlood roared in my ears and I almost thought I imagined his words. “What did you say?” I asked, praying my ears heard wrong.“I said I want to buy Naomi back from you.” He had the gall to repeat his words. “I don't know if you're really as stupid as I have always thought, or you've suddenly grown some blind courage you finally want to put into use. But whatever it is that's happening to you, remember who you're talking to, and I'd advise you to think deeply about whatever you're saying next,” I warned. My fists were already clenched, and I was so angry I could burst a vein in my wrist just from how hard I was clenching my fists.But Alexander seemed nonchalant, sipping his whiskey like he could not be bothered by my words. He looked me square in the eyes and continued, “I would compensate you, of course. Never will I cheat you, my Lord. There are more obedient slaves I just got recently, and I think you'll be taken with them. I have just the right one in mind for you.”It
Alexander PovToday was going down as one of the worst days in the history of my life. I had been humiliated by that rat who calls himself a Lord. He's not even as experienced as I am, he just had luck in terms of birth and, suddenly, he's the head of the coven. I got into my Jeep as soon as I got out of his house, annoyed that my bodyguards had seen him throw me out of his house. I was seething as I sat down and pulled out my phone, giving the driver the command to move. I went to search the internet for the picture of Naomi and Lucian again. That picture has plagued my nightmares since it was released yesterday. Naomi was one of my favorite sex slaves back in the day and I never wanted to sell her. But I had to, seeing as I was getting obsessed with her. I had made a deal with one of the top drug Lords to buy her for a while.Lucian was never supposed to buy her. Heck, he wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place. He wasn't invited to the auction, but seeing as he was t
Lucian PovFinally, the long-awaited day arrived. Naomi's birthday. I don't know why she dreaded it, since she refused to open up about it. I had asked her countless times in the past few days, but she always shut down in the face of the question, even if she was full of energy and excitement a second before. I had made a conscious effort not to probe into her mind ever since, even though curiosity was threatening to eat me alive. Not like I could even do that at this point.I didn't know what she had done to her brain, but there was a shield around her thoughts these days. It made it impossible for her thoughts to filter out, and I'm sure even I would have a hard time getting into her brain. Not like I wanted to anyway.I was still thinking about what I could do for her today. She needed to acknowledge the day she was born, but she didn't want to have anything to do with it.She had not left her room since morning and I could hear her sniffles as she tried to be quiet, sobbing soft
Lucian PovI parked my Bentley outside Alexander's mansion and walked in. The guards at the gate blocked my entrance and I snarled at them with my fangs, causing them to tremble before they hurriedly opened up the way for me. Puny humans, I thought. Alexander had refused to employ any vampire under him at all and, according to him, he did it because we vampires are made to rule, not serve another.Although his speech was nice and awe-inspiring, I didn't believe it one bit. He was just a coward that feared people that could stand up to him, simple. He didn't have to fear humans since they were weak.Anyway, I safely made my way inside, snapping my fingers as soon as I was in and erasing the last one minute from the guards at the door. It was lethal for humans to know our true nature unless they were bound to us in a way.I met with a human lady in the lobby of the mansion, and she led me into a private living room. She gazed at me suspiciously as I sat and made myself at home. “It's
Lucian PovI was enjoying the moment with Naomi, kissing and smiling. I am happy that I made her smile again. My phone beeped, it was a message from Alexander, "I am coming for Naomi. If I can't have her, nobody will. She is mine alone."The surroundings within the room shifted, a palpable anxiety setting heavy in the air. I may want to sense the hazard lurking really past the partitions of my sanctuary. Alex, the pitiful excuse of a drug lord, should no longer truly take delivery of my actions without retaliation. He thrived on chaos, and I had simply dealt him a huge blow. “Naomi,” I stated, turning and returning to her with urgency, “we need to prepare. I can’t allow him to get to you.”She looked up at me, her large brown eyes full of uncertainty and worry. “What are you going to do?” I took a deep breath, in search of keeping my voice regular. “I’ll address Alex. I can’t allow him to threaten what we’ve constructed.”“Lucian, please! You can’t just confront him! He’s dangerous!
Naomi PovTime appeared to stretch without cease as I watched Lucian fall, the arena round me spiraling into chaos. My coronary heart raced, and panic surged through my veins. I rushed towards him, desperate to reach him and, if possible, to do something that would make him stand up, even if I had to give him my blood. I didn't care at that moment!!!“Lucian!” I cried out, my voice breaking. I ought to sense the tears streaming down my cheeks, burning like acid in competition with my skin. He was injured, and I saw the pain etched throughout his face.“Naomi, run!!!!” he shouted weakly, but I refused to listen. I wouldn’t allow him to face this by himself.I knelt beside him, cradling his face in my arms, my heart pounding in fear. “Stay with me, please! I can’t lose you!”His breath emerged as ragged, and I saw the pain in his eyes as he struggled to talk. “You want to—”He lost consciousness before he could speak. Alexander came closer to us, his expression twisted with satisfaction
Lucian PovThe chaos of the spot seems to slow us. I sensed the adrenaline coursing through my veins. The pain from the knife wound came to be sharp, but it paled in evaluation to the fireside ignited with the resource of her unwavering willpower. “Lucian, are you ready?” Naomi asked, her voice fearless despite the surrounding tumult.“Always,” I spoke back, my remedy hardening. I ought to experience the bond between us strengthening, a tether of electricity that fueled my strength. The world around us dwindled, narrowing all the way right down to the threat that Alexander and the men he came with. Alexander staggered back, his face etched with surprise and fury. “You think you can fight me with this weak human woman of yours? Oh dear, Lucian, you’re all fools!”I saw the madness in his eyes. He underestimated Naomi, viewing her as nothing extra than a pawn. But now, he will witness her transformation—a change from victim to warrior, and it terrifies him.“Fools we may be, but we’re
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