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CHAPTER FIVE

(Southern Svetyland – Master Vampire's Estate)

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

Elizabeth woke up abruptly with a gasp escaping her mouth. Drop of sweat gathered on her forehead as she sat upright on the bed. She had a dream. A terrible dream where she was about to be eaten by monsters. And the monsters in her dream looked exactly like the werewolves she watched in movies, and it felt so real. The pain felt real. Instantly, she looked at her arms for any injury, but none was seen. Her arms were completely okay.

“It was just a dream,” she whispered to herself, trying to calm the pounding in her chest. “Werewolves aren’t real…”

But as her breath began to steady, she noticed something that sent a fresh wave of panic through her. This wasn’t her room. The bed she sat in was grand and foreign—a canopy bed draped in elegant white curtains that blurred her view of the room beyond. The soft, plush rug beneath her feet was warm, a stark contrast to the cold, hardwood floor of her bedroom back home. None of this was familiar.

Elizabeth shot out of bed, her bare feet sinking into the thick carpet as she scanned her surroundings. Where was she? How did she get here? It wasn't Freya's room either, so where was she? Her head spinned with thoughts as she searched for an answer. Then she remembered that she was at a party with Freya the other night, but she couldn't remember the details of the party. The last thing she remembered was slapping Gabriel across his face when he groped her. And then... nothing.

“Oh no…”

Elizabeth's hand flew to her mouth as a horrifying thought struck her. Could this be Gabriel’s room? Had he taken advantage of her while she was unconscious? Her hands trembled as she lifted the hem of her dress, and her heart dropped when she discovered that her panties were missing.

“Please, no…” she whispered in terror.

Dragging down her gown she went to the door and twisted the knob harshly, but it didn't bulge. The door was locked. She fell to the floor in despair, her back on the door as tears rolled down her eyes.

“That scumbag!” she screamed, her voice breaking with anger and despair. “How could this happen? How could he do this to me?”

Elizabeth's mind raced, consumed by the thought that Gabriel had raped her, taking something from her that she could never get back. Her precious virginity, which she was keeping for the love of her life, was finally taken by a scumbag.

If only she hadn't followed Freya to that Party.

Torrents of tears kept rolling down Elizabeth's face as she dragged her hair violently, then there was a knock on the door which got her attention.

“Are you awake now?” A voice called from the other side, calm and collected, completely unlike Gabriel’s. But Elizabeth was too consumed by her emotions to notice the difference.

“I hate you!” she screamed, her voice hoarse. “You coward! How dare you touch me? How dare you do this to me? Bastard!”

There was no response to Elizabeth's rant and that made her more furious and aggravated, but she said nothing more as she fell to the floor and cried more, with snort escaping through her nose.

The door creaked open, and Elizabeth looked up to see a figure step into the room. He was tall and imposing, dressed in a black two-piece suit that contrasted sharply with his pale skin. His strawberry-blonde hair framed a face that was eerily calm, but there was something about him that sent a chill down Elizabeth’s spine.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice gentle, almost concerned.

Elizabeth didn’t respond, her tears blurring her vision. She didn’t know who this man was, but she was too overwhelmed to even care at this point.

The man knelt beside her, his presence surprisingly non-threatening. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Don’t touch me!” Elizabeth cried, scooting away from him.

The man raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I promise, I’m not going to bite.”

Elizabeth cleaned her eyes with the back of her palm, taking in the stranger’s appearance more carefully. This wasn’t Gabriel. He looked nothing like Gabriel. His eyes were a warm chestnut color, and though his face was pale, it held a softness that Gabriel's cruel features lacked.

“Who are you?” she demanded, her voice shaky. “And where am I?”

The man stood, straightening his suit jacket with a practiced ease. “My name is Damien, and you’re at the Master’s house.”

“Master?” Elizabeth repeated, confused. “Who’s the Master? And what about Freya and that scumbag…Gabriel?”

“Freya?” Damien’s brow furrowed slightly, now confused. “Is she your friend?”

“My best friend, we came to the party together.”

“She’s not here,” Damien replied, his tone even. “Neither is anyone named Gabriel. You were brought here last night because you were found unconscious.”

“I don't understand,” Elizabeth stood up shakily, her foot weak. “I was unconscious? Did that bastard dump me on the road after defiling me?”

“I don't know anything about that, but Master would like to see you now.”

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

The Master sat on a chair in the humongous living room — he hadn't changed from the cloth he wore the other night, even his sunshades were still placed on his eyes. Three other Vampires and two witches were seated around him and they all were discombobulated about the news of a mysterious power that the Master Vampire had told them about.

“Perhaps we should track the source of this power,” suggested Hannah, one of the witches. Her voice was soft but firm, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the room.

“I doubt you’d find anything useful,” countered Demon as he rose from his seat where he was seated next to Hannah. “What we need to do is wage war against the werewolves. They’re the prime suspects here. Notice how none of them have been killed or gone missing since this all started?”

Demon was an original Vampire, from the bloodline of the Dracula's — which was also the Master vampire bloodline. He was older than the Master Vampire with a century, making him the oldest in the room.

“Brother, I'm aware the werewolves know nothing about this,” The Master spoke. “I had a meeting with the pack Alpha yesterday night, and I read his mind as he spoke to me. They really are as confused as we are here. We all are in oblivion.”

Demon tucked his long black hair to the back of his ear, sighed, and said nothing before seating, while the other other vampires quietly observed.

“So I will prepare the ritual for the tracking,” Rebecca said, standing up alongside Hannah. Rebecca was the elder sister to Hannah, and they were both powerful witches. “We will take our leave now.”

The sisters bowed respectfully before taking their leave, leaving the vampires to their thoughts.

It was then that Damien entered the room, Elizabeth trailing nervously behind him. The scent of fresh human blood wafted into the room, immediately drawing the attention of the vampires in the room.

“I smell fresh blood, Elbert,” Demon remarked, his voice laced with hunger. His gaze locked onto Elizabeth, who was trying to hide behind Damien.

“She’s not one of us, is she?” Another vampire, by the name Cialis, asked. He was almost as old as Demon himself.

“Isn't that obvious?” The other vampire in the room retorted. His name, Anubis. He was the same age as Cialis. Then, he turned to the master vampire. “Where did you get such fresh blood from? You new sex toy?”

“No,” the Master replied, his voice really calm. “I found her unconscious at the scene yesterday and brought her here.”

“Oh, but she smells... delectable,” Demon said, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he approached Elizabeth. He reached out to grab her, but she recoiled, retreating further behind Damien.

“Don’t touch me!” Elizabeth screamed, her voice filled with both fear and willfulness.

Demon laughed, the sound mocking. “Isn’t she a feisty one?” He turned back to the Master, a knowing look in his eyes. “She seems... familiar.”

“You see it too?” The Master’s voice was measured, but there was an undercurrent of something more, something, something that made Demon pause.

“Now I understand why you brought her here,” Demon murmured, his grin widening as he looked at the two other vampires in the room. “It seems our Master has found himself a good meal.”

To Be Continued…