CHAPTER 3

DARIUS

One hour earlier

As I pinned her beneath me, my fangs sank into the tender skin of her neck, and I felt her warm blood surge into my mouth. The metallic taste exploded on my tongue, and I drank deeply, feeling her life force ebb and flow with each swallow. But I didn't just stop at drinking her blood - I wanted to claim her completely.

I thrust into her roughly, my hips pounding against hers as I sucked harder, feeling her blood rush into me like a river of life. Her moans filled the air, a mixture of pleasure and surrender, as her body yielded to mine. Her heartbeat was like music to my ears, a rhythmic pulse that seemed to match the pounding of my own heart.

As I drank and thrust, I could feel her body begin to weaken, her movements growing slower and more languid. But I didn't care - I was lost in the frenzy of the moment, driven by my hunger for blood and flesh. My fingers dug deep into her skin, holding her in place as I ravaged her neck and body.

And then, it happened. My body tensed up, every muscle coiling tight as I reached the peak of my release. "Ahhh!" I cried out loud as I let go inside of her warm depths releasing all that i had been holding back .My vision blurred for an instant ,as wave after wave washed over me leaving me spent .

As i pulled out ,i also withdrew my fangs from from neck .Her heartbeat was faint now but she'll live .I leaned back gazing down at pale face watching for signs she might stir again soon.My chest rose fell with each breath taken trying regain control over myself once more

"Lucas," I call out to my attendant,

"Get rid of her. She's served her purpose."

My voice is laced with indifference, and I don't even bother to look at her as I speak. The human has been used and discarded, a mere plaything for my amusement.

He bows his head slightly before reaching down to lift the girl into his arms. She's limp and unresponsive, a rag doll tossed aside after being played with. Lucas cradles her in his arms, his face expressionless as he begins to carry her away.

"And find out when this fucking auction is going to start," I demand. "I'm growing impatient."

As Lucas disappears into the darkness, I'm left standing in silence, my fingers wrapped around the delicate stem of an empty crystal glass.

Around me, the elite of the Vampire Society lounge on velvet seats, their pale fingers tracing over the trembling skin of freshly purchased slaves.

Some pour blood into waiting glasses, but others—those with less patience and fewer scruples—drink straight from the source.

I watch with mild interest as another vampire, less disciplined than I, drinks too greedily from his prey, the girl collapsing lifelessly in his grasp. A waste

One vampire tilts his pet’s head back, his fangs hooked deep into the curve of her throat, his eyes fluttering shut as he drinks greedily.

Another grips a trembling young man’s jaw, forcing his mouth open as he slices a thin line across his wrist, letting the crimson flow coat willing lips.

Others feed like ravenous beasts, tearing into their victims with no concern for the brutal mess they leave behind.

A wave of boredom washes over me, the thick scent of blood and sex hanging heavy in the air, doing nothing to ignite the dullness that wraps around my mind.

I don’t know why I’m here.

A compulsion brought me tonight, an unshakable pull I can’t explain. It gnaws at me, an invisible thread winding tighter with every passing second.

I could leave. Nothing is stopping me. I owe nothing to this place, to these creatures revelling in their excess.

And yet, I stay.

When will this fucking auction start?

I grip the glass tighter, the cold edges biting into my palm, my jaw clenched in a restless tension.

A server approaches, her eyes devoid of life, the dark bottle trembling in her hands as she inches closer, her every step steeped in the silence of submission.

“Sir?”

Her hands tremble as she pours the thick, red liquid—harvested from humans bred solely for this purpose.

I take the glass from her, my fingers brushing against hers for the briefest moment.

The black netting draped over her body does little to conceal her nakedness, the delicate chains wrapped around her form nothing more than an ornamental mockery of modesty.

She's a slender yet curvy blonde with hair cascading down her back like a golden waterfall.

Her full lips are an invitation to sin, and I can feel my hunger stirring once more. The last girl had been a disappointment, failing to satiate the darkness within me. But this one... maybe she's exactly what I need.

“May I offer you anything further this evening, sir?”

"What are you offering?"

She sets the bottle down with careful precision before lowering herself onto her knees in front of me.

Then, slowly, deliberately, she tilts her head to the side.

The movement exposes the delicate column of her throat, the soft, vulnerable skin stretched taut.

My eyes catch on the faint blue line of her vein, pulsing just beneath the surface. The rhythm of her heartbeat is steady but not calm—She’s been trained to offer herself this way. To bare her throat to creatures like me.

Blood, rich and warm, waits just beneath the surface. There for the taking.

My fangs ache with the instinct to sink in, to claim, to feed.

After all, the human's purpose is clear. To serve.

To be tasted—just samples.

To offer their veins, their bodies, their silence.

My fingers tighten around her throat, her breath hitching as I pull her close, our lips mere inches apart.

The warmth of her skin tempts me, the pulse beneath her jaw a siren’s call. I savour the moment, prepared to indulge in her sweetness.

But just as my lips are about to brush her skin, movement catches my eye. A guard approaches, his head bowed low in submission, his presence an unwelcome interruption.

"You Highness, the auction is about to begin"

About fucking time!

I slowly release the girl from my grasp, and let my gaze linger on her for a moment.

I lean in close, inhaling the scent of her blood and the underlying tang of her sweat.

My lips brush against hers in a fleeting kiss, and I whisper,

"Find me later...or I'll find you..."

Without another word, I release her and turn to follow the guard. He leads me through the gathering of guests, weaving past clusters of vampires, wolves, and other creatures of the night.

Whispers ripple through the crowd, hungry gazes trailing me, some bold enough to try and catch my eye. I don’t slow. I don’t acknowledge them.

The chandeliers overhead cast a dim, golden glow, barely cutting through the shadows that linger in every corner. The room is arranged with precision—lavish booths lining the perimeter, all facing the grand circular stage at the centre. Each booth is veiled in just enough darkness to conceal its occupants.

My assigned seat is positioned for a perfect view of the stage.

The lights above the centre stage flare to life, slicing through the gloom. A disembodied voice echoes through the sound system, smooth and practised.

“Esteemed guests, creatures of the night, and connoisseurs of the finest pleasures… welcome to The Society’s most exclusive auction of the season.

Tonight, you feast not only with your eyes but with your deepest desires. The rarest offerings stand before you, untouched, unspoiled—waiting to be claimed by those with the power to take them.

"Let the bidding begin.”

The low murmurs of the crowd swirled around me, a constant hum that seemed to blend with the rustle of bodies shifting in their seats, eager, waiting.

One human after another paraded onto the stage, sold like livestock, like objects—like they always were. That's what humans were for, right? For our pleasure, for our entertainment.

But then the air shifted.

And she appeared.

At first, I thought it was some trick of the light.

But no—there she stood, illuminated by the spotlight as it cut through the shadows, making her look almost ethereal, fragile as glass.

A girl.

Not just any girl. The most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on.

She was delicate, yes, but there was an edge to her, something about the way she held herself. Like she knew she was no longer free, but hadn’t completely given herself over to the situation. I could see it in the way her chin was tilted just slightly, the way her eyes—wide, fearful, yet defiant—stared back at the crowd.

The rest of her… her skin was dirty, smeared with grime and dust. Her clothes were torn, barely holding together. The scent of sweat and fear clung to her, but there was something else.

Beneath it all—something almost untouched.

My gaze traced over her, unwilling to look away. I could see the trembling in her frame, the way her hands shook slightly as they hung by her sides, chained. But it was more than that. Even in her broken state, she radiated a kind of untamed power.

Something about her was- different.

There was a softness to her face, but it wasn’t softness I was drawn to. No, it was the way she stood there as though she had the strength to fight, to run, even if she had no way of doing so. It was in the set of her jaw, the defiant spark in her eyes.

I watched as the auctioneer rattled off her details, but I wasn’t listening. I was consumed by her presence, by the way, she seemed to stand apart from all the others.

No, she wasn’t just another human to be bought. There was something special about her. Something deep within her, some pull, that resonated with me.

She may have been covered in dirt, her body fragile, but in that moment, she was the most intriguing thing I’d ever seen. And that—that—was what drew me in.

And I was going to find out what it was.

She was mine. No one else’s.

The thought hit me like a surge of raw, undeniable need. My gaze never wavered from her as the crowd buzzed around me, unaware of the storm building in my chest. She was mine—and I would make sure they knew it.

My voice cut through the murmur like a blade.

“A million,” I said, the words slipping from my lips with a chilling calm.

“In cash.”

The room fell into an unnatural silence. My eyes never left her, and I could feel the weight of my bid settle over the crowd, making them realize that there was no contest, no question.

She was mine.