A sudden cramp doubled Luna over, and she cried out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

In.

Out.

Gradually, the pain subsided.

She slowly straightened her body again.

Her ears were ringing loudly as her blood pounded through her.

“Holy goddess. Thank you for saving my life.” She forced herself to give the boy a grateful smile, but then she changed her mind and frowned. “Wait. You said something about poison and the kingdom’s castle’s property.”

“You’re too plain to be a High Consort and too strong to be human. It will be a shame if Vali appoints you to be a blood slave.”

Luna thought she was already healed, but a new ache in her head intensifies[d] the more this vampire boy talked.

Too plain to be a High Consort?

Did this kid just insult her beauty to her face?

“What are you talking about?” In the end, she settled on giving him a quizzical look while he cradled his head with both hands in boredom.

What was with this whole Consort thing?

Her eyes cast a veiled glance for any and on all possible exits.

There were none.

No windows.

No doors.

Just white walls with tiny holes in the ceiling.

What kind of prison cell was this?

“You’re the Vampire King’s property now.” He answered.

Luna pulled herself together and carefully sat up on the bed as the vampire boy loomed closer.

“I assume I’m part of the Vampire King’s harem now? As a…” Luna furrowed her brows in confusion, and the vampire noticed.

She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t.

All Luna needed to end this stupid conversation was to ram a wooden stake straight into his heart.

Without warning, she stepped forward and attempted to pull out his weapon as she clutched the golden hilt.

She finally held the kid’s shining sword with her own hands. “Didn’t your parents tell you that kids should not play with sharp objects?”

“You don’t want to make an enemy out of me, my lady.” The admonishment was ripe in his tone as he raised his eyebrow at the sword. “The last person who called me a kid had his head chopped off and put on a pike that is now displayed at the center of the battle arena.”

“Who do you think you are?” Luna demanded, and the kid stroked his chin with his hand as if thinking deeply before answering.

“I am Cederic, the Vampire King’s military general, my lady.” He replied as he smiled innocently. “In charge of defending the kingdom, killing those who stumble into the Vampire Kingdom’s territory and, of course, kidnapping luscious women for the Consortium.”

Kidnapping women?

There was no time to dwell on the thought.

She swung the sword she had stolen but only managed to slam her body into his shoulder when he dodged her attack.

The warrior general growled as he blocked her next blow easily with nothing but skill.

Luna was surprised by his lightning-quick reflexes.

The enemy’s claws extended and sliced her forearm, drawing blood.

She could feel the blood soaking into the sleeve of her silky, white dress.

She retreated against the wall as the boy grinned and flung a tourniquet on her.

Like a snake, the band wrapped itself around the base of her throat, not tight enough to choke her, just tight enough to ensure it stayed in place.

“As much as this skirmish turns me on, we have to stop, my lady.” Luna heard Cederic’s voice drop an octave as he whispered, “Vali would not appreciate me using his consorts for my own selfish reasons as much as I’d be delighted to.”

In the next instant, Luna’s knees buckled of their own accord, and she fell onto the floor.

The boy was controlling her with his mind.

Panic coiled inside her once again, but she fought against it, trying to erect some mental shield against him.

His power proved to be too strong, however.

A high-pitched scream pierced her brain.

It was drowned out by the sword’s clatter when she lost her grip on it, sending up an echo that reverberated through the entire cell.

A thousand tiny knots twisted her stomach.

She was weaponless, and her opponent could freeze her in place.

How could she fight him?

“Do not panic, consort.” The warrior general sent her a sardonic smile. “I’ll release you from the paralysis soon enough.”

Cold rage rushed through her, and her heart beat fast. “Let go of me.”

“Swear your allegiance to the Vampire Kingdom first,” he commanded.

“And if I refuse your offer?”

“Swear your allegiance.” Cederic snapped as cold anger rolled through him like waves. “If you refuse, I’ll make sure you die a lowly blood slave before the Blood Moon Banquet.”

“Release me first.” Luna hissed in pain when the band around her throat tightened.

When Cederic made the mistake of letting her go, Luna kicked his chest, and he stumbled backward a few feet.

A mere second later, she found her arms and lower body, frozen, again.

Dark fury exploded through her veins. She hated how easily he subdued her.

“You want to test my patience right now?” 

Luna was forced to kneel on the floor as he brought the sharp tip of his sword to her neck.

“Swear it right now, or I’ll strike you down and kill you once and for all.”

“I s-swear.” She clenched her fists and practically spat, “I will swear my allegiance, my lord.”

“Disobedient girls like you could be punished if you’re not careful.” He released a defeated sigh and then drew her into his arms. She swore she could feel his lips brush against her temple. “I should’ve made you Escort so that I could play with you some more. But I think Vali would agree that you’re a hundred times better than being ranked as a warrior’s whore in the Consortium. You should be thankful.”

Before she could utter a word, they teleported.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Groaning, she clutched a hand to her stomach.

She wasn’t prepared.

She’d never been this sick before.

She had no time to scan her surroundings to know where exactly the vampire kid had teleported the two of them because he had taken hold of her face in both hands and stared directly into her eyes.

“Don’t touch me.”

She tried to shake her head to get out of his grip to no avail.

It wasn’t too late.

She was already mesmerized by his cool grey eyes.

He intensified his hypnotic powers on her, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

Cederic hugged her briefly and stepped back.

The floor creaked as he ushered her to an enormous ceramic bathtub.

She reached for him but her arms submerged into the water, too heavy to hold up.

“I’ll make sure the eunuchs pamper you before you enter the Harem.” Luna felt his cold hand on her forehead. “We will see you at the Blood Moon Banquet tonight. Along with the other captives.”

A strange,  but welcome, lethargy suddenly flowed through her body and mind, pulling her into the darkness.

Luna’s eyelids closed, and a black web wove itself inside her mind.

+++

Edited By: RedPandaChick