Chapter 6: Predator and Prey

Anya and Konstantin land a few steps away on the balcony, and as soon as his feet touch down, my mother springs from his arms and rushes toward me.

The reunion with my mother is a mix of relief and anger. I throw myself into her embrace. "Mom," I manage, tears welling. "This is unbelievable. None of this seems real. Why didn’t you…"

She holds me tight as she whispers, "I'm sorry, Arianna. I never wanted you to find out like this."

"We need to get out of here, mom," I murmur urgently, my gaze darting to the Vasiliev family. "It's not safe."

"I know it's confusing, sweetheart," my mother says. "But trust me. We're safe. I promise."

Safe? How can she say that?

“We wouldn't harm you, Arianna,” Konstantin adds.

In awe, I watch Anya stretch out and unfurl her vast, bat-like wings, before they fold down against her back. In a split second, they vanish entirely. Her sons follow suit.

Bat-like wings, intense reaction to blood, creepy castle ..OH MY GOD… they must be…

"Are they..." I hesitate, whispering to my mother, "are they… vampires?"

Anya responds with a sardonic smile, making it clear she heard me despite my hushed tone.

"What do you think, dear?" She asks with a hint of amusement.

Dread courses through my veins. Vampires are real, and we're surrounded by them. I was right to be afraid earlier, and I should have listened to my gut. My mother and I are surrounded by three predators, more lethal than my wildest nightmares. Every nerve in my body freezes over, tingling with alarm.

Instinctively, I bare my teeth and clench my fists, edging closer to my mother, prepared to grab her hand and flee. But Anya seems to sense my intentions. Her gaze locks with mine, and she chuckles softly, sweetness in her smile.

"No need to worry, dear," she assures. "You and your mother are not - and never will be - on the menu. After all, you're family now. Plus, if I were to eat you, I'd have done so ages ago. I'm absolutely famished."

Her words strike me, and I notice her unnaturally long and sharp canines, the teeth of a predator, of an apex hunter.

And we, my mother and I, are the prey, regardless of Anya’s hollow reassurances that we’re not.

“I’ll have the servants prepare a meal immediately, Mother,” Konstantin chimes in. “Let's move inside. Ladies first.”

My mother smiles at him as he gestures politely towards the door with a quick wink. She strides toward the massive oak doors, now wide open, revealing a darkened chamber within.

I grab her wrist, pulling her back.

“What are you doing?” I plead. “You can't seriously intend to go into this creepy nightmare castle, right? Right mom?”

I feel my eyes prickling with tears again - tears of frustration, betrayal and confusion.

My mother gazes at me, her eyes full of sadness, imploring me to understand.

"Please, sweetheart," she steps closer, her hand brushing my cheek as the tears begin to fall. "Let me explain."

I'm conflicted, but one thing I do know for certain - I can never accept this situation… these monsters.

"How long did you know what they are?" I demand, fighting to keep my voice steady as my mom looks at me with sorrowful eyes.

Her eyes beg me to understand, regret painting her expression. "A while."

"How could you?" Frustration bubbles over. "How could you hide something like this from me? How could you agree to marry one of them? How could you marry a monster?"

My mother's touch softens, her hand on my cheek wiping away hot tears. "Arianna, Konstantin isn't a monster. He's far from it. And he's not only a vampire; he's immortal. Centuries old. He's witnessed the planet change, watched firsthand as humans have brought this once beautiful world to the brink of destruction."

"So what?" I murmur, struggling to process her words. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He, like us, cares about our world's survival," she continues. "Given that they’re immortal, with no end in sight, Konstantin and his family are more invested in the ongoing existence of this world than any short-lived human could be. Don’t you see? He's dedicated his entire immortal life to protecting it, mending what humanity has broken, undoing the damage we’ve done. That's why he attended that sustainability conference in Luxembourg, where we met. That’s why their corporation is spending billions, leading the industry in green tech. The Vasilievs" – she gestures to Konstantin, Anya and Aleksandr – "they're committed to using their power and influence to save this world. Our world. They’re our only hope."

"Sure, but they’re doing it for selfish reasons," I spit out, my anger directed at my new stepfather. "If they're truly immortal, as you say, then obviously they’d be invested in saving the planet they're stuck on, along with the helpless human 'cattle' living here. Cattle they require for sustenance. Am I right?"

The question is practically hurled in Konstantin's direction.

“That’s all we puny mortals are to you, right Konstantin?” I ask bitterly. “Cattle. Food. Tasty, expendable blood bags that need this dying planet to survive.”

"That's not how it is, Arianna," he retorts, the first hint of steel in his voice. "I love this world. And more than anything in it, I love your mother."

I narrow my eyes in disbelief, struggling to accept his words.

My mother draws near once more, as if to embrace me, and I shy away, out of her reach.

“He loves me, Arianna,” she says softly. “And I love him. That's why I've agreed to become not just his lawfully wedded wife, but also his blood wife. The ceremony is scheduled for one week from today, on the night of the Blood Moon.”

“Blood wife?” I stammer, hoping it’s not what it sounds like.

“His vampire bride,” Aleksandr cuts in, breaking his long, brooding silence. “She will be turned.”

“Your mother will undergo a cleansing over the next week,” Anya chimes in, her smile small. “We're following tradition. Our forebears would be proud, Sandra.”

She glances warmly at my mother before focusing on me again.

"Truly, Arianna, you should rejoice for her," Anya urges. "Being selected to join the immortal ranks is an immense honour."

"Wait, you're seriously becoming a VAMPIRE?" My exclamation is near a shout, and she winces. She nods, sadness in her eyes.

Reality crashes down on me. My strong, passionate mother is willingly stepping into this dark world, surrendering her life and freedom to marry a monster.

"Mom, just listen, please,” I beg, my desperation palpable. “Earlier, at the wedding, when I had the nose bleed... you saw them! They would've torn me apart, like ravenous wolves. You know it's true. Please mom, you can't possibly be considering this."

"That shouldn’t have happened," she admits, pain and regret etched on her face. "I'm sorry for putting you in danger. You weren't supposed to learn about this world like this. I wanted to protect you from the truth, and I failed. I’m sorry."

"That was your plan, then?" I lash out. "To keep me ignorant while I went to college, in the name of ‘protecting me from the truth’? What would've happened in ten, twenty years, when I noticed you weren't ageing? Then what?"

Tears well in her eyes. She cups my face, wiped away by her touch. "Eventually, I would've told you. Invited you in. I promise. But I wanted you to experience life first, all the joys and sorrows of being human. Your life is just beginning, my sweet, sweet baby girl. Please…" The last few words come out in a sob, and now she’s crying.

It's too much. I can't hold back the anger. I bat her hand away. "Don't touch me," I snarl, my voice trembling with rage.

Without another word, I turn and run. I can't leap from the balcony, so I sprint through the enormous double doors into a grand hall that seems endless. A hearth blazes at one end, the same eerie blue flames dancing in sconces and torches. Spiral staircases stretch into darkness, adorned with ancient tapestries and portraits. Stained glass windows high above reveal the night sky, the unfamiliar pale white stars peering in like curious ghosts. The majesty of the place feels oppressive, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me.

I bolt down the hall, my steps echoing in the silence. Panic propels me as I hunt for an exit, for a way to get to the ground floor of the castle, where I can escape into the forest. I can't stay. The weight of this new reality, of my mother's secret life, of the truth about the Vasilievs, is suffocating.

I race through shadows, driven by an urge to escape. Whatever's ahead must be away from the castle, from vampires, from my life which has become a nightmare in the span of just a few short hours.