CHAPTER THREE
3
Draven
“We’ve lost her, my Lord,” the voices of one of the guards at Vimic’s estate admitted. There were six of them, though I didn’t bother counting. Their heads were lowered, eyes avoiding mine in fear. An intruder had breached the Vimic estate, a Chimeran bold enough to trespass on our grounds. My guards had failed to apprehend her, neglecting to inform me, fully aware of the consequences.
Allowing an uninvited guest to depart unpunished was a grave error, and the weight of their failure hung over them.
Their fate, in this case, was not a typical vampire demise. They would be condemned to endure the very thing they abhorred: the flames of hell leading to the abyss of the Vimic’s lair.
They had not only failed to capture Morwenna, the intruder, but also foolishly believed they could conceal it from me.
I had sensed her presence in the estate before anyone else, relying on my heightened senses rather than the guards. Nothing eluded me—not sight, not smell, nor any other sense.
What they didn’t realize was that I had permitted Morwenna’s escape, though not without cost. Everything had its price, and she would pay it dearly. I had anticipated her presence for too long to allow her to evade me. Let her run. It only adds to the amusement.
“We’re deeply sorry...” muttered one guard, still shrinking under my gaze, speaking for the rest who dared not meet my eyes.
“Sorry?” I scoffed. “Are you sorry a Chimeran outmatched you, or sorry you failed to apprehend her?” My words dripped with mockery. I didn’t expect an answer; it would be futile.
“We apologize for everything,” the guard ventured. “It won’t happen next time.”
“No next time,” I retorted, my tone laced with disdain. “Not for anyone, not even for you.” I jabbed a finger toward the gesture, eliciting a collective flinch. They knew the consequences of failure: the fires of hell.
“Please, my Lord,” one pleaded, hands trembling. “If she hadn’t used vile garlic, we would have caught her...”
Garlic? I mused inwardly. So, my resourceful Morwenna came prepared.
“Even without garlic, you baffoons still failed to capture her,” I snapped. “She trespassed unchallenged, slipping past your noses and you dare blame a sprinkle of garlic for your ineptitude? That, gentlemen, is precisely why you’ll all be meeting your demise tonight.”
“My Lord, please!” the guards whimpered, their palms slick with fear as they rubbed them together.
An aura of dread and power clung to me, a constant companion that followed me wherever I went. It instilled fear in both mortals and immortals alike. Humans cowered, vampires flinched, and even the witches in their covens whispered my name with trepidation. I, the eldest of seven brothers, was feared by all. Yet, I hadn’t graced Chimera City with my presence in a millennium. My sprawling estate remained my haven, my solitary kingdom.
The throne, rightfully mine, had sat vacant for a millennium.
Grief, a crushing weight for a thousand years, had kept me a recluse, mourning the loss of my fiancée, Victoria.
Preoccupied by my sorrow, I’d relinquished the crown to my seven brothers, those embodiments of sin – Envy, Greed, Pride, Lust, Wrath, Sloth and Gluttony. For a thousand years, they’d ruled as they pleased.
But now, sensing my beloved Victoria’s scent reincarnated, I knew it was time to reclaim what was rightfully mine. It was time.
The throne. It was mine.
For a thousand years, I’ve searched for Victoria’s reincarnated soul, the scent haunting me, but eluding my grasp.
Stuck in the shadows of my past, my dark powers only grew stronger.
Yet, in my dreams, another woman appears—Morwenna.
For six consecutive nights, she has occupied my dreams, hinting at her arrival at the Vimic’s estate.
When I caught wind of a foreign scent, I mistook it for her, believing her to be Victoria’s reincarnation.
But I was wrong, though uncertainty lingers.
I needed another glimpse, another whiff of that elusive scent to confirm if Victoria’s essence resides within her.
Hence, I devised a plan, as I always do.
My attention returned to the pleading guards, already begging for their lives. “And why should I spare you?” I questioned, my tone devoid of mercy. “You failed a simple task. Why should I show you any leniency?”
“My Lord, grant us a second chance,” they pleaded.
“Second chance?” I scoffed dismissing the notion. “Vampires don’t get do-overs.” Unlike the flimsy lives of humans, our existence wasn’t a cheap carnival game offering retries. “Second chance!” I spat, irritation lacing my voice. “There are no damn second chances under my rule! I’m not some benevolent deity, doling out mercy. You break the rules, you face the consequences. That’s the law.” My jaw clenched, a mere whisper from unleashing my power to snuff them out.
“What about the human intruder...?” My brother, the insufferable Prince of Sloth, piped up. Unlike the others, I didn’t lounge on a gilded throne. I stood, hands shoved in my pockets, towering over my siblings from my elevated seat. Authority and respect demanded such a position. I didn’t need to face him.
“What fate awaits her for trespassing into the Vimic’s estate?” he questioned further. “And it seems unlikely she escaped the way she came in, unless someone aided her...” he insinuated, referencing a past incident when two Chimeran reporters attempted to spy on our estate and met a swift demise, serving as a grim reminder for Chimerans to stay away from our territory.
“Well, it seems you were all too preoccupied with indulging in your sins to notice her...” I remarked. “Cassian, I entrusted you with overseeing the estate this week, yet you were busy getting a blowjob with your mistresses,” I continued, a hint of mockery in my tone, eliciting giggles from my brothers and causing some to shrink under my scrutiny. While I didn’t hold them accountable for their indulgences, failing to carry out a task irked me. If they were my guards, I would have incinerated them without a second thought, but being my brothers, they received special treatment. Cassian attempted to explain, but his words failed him, prompting me to intervene.
“Do you have any explanation for neglecting your duty?” I inquired, cutting through his stammering.
“Uh...” Cassian stammered, lowering his head in shame. “I’m sorry, brother... It won’t happen again,” he offered, settling for an apology.
Apologies were something I despised; they served as mere excuses for failures, and I loathed failures.
I settled back into my gilded throne, a perfect mirror to the fiery depths of my eyes. “Meeting dismissed,” I declared with a dismissive flick of my hand. My brothers, no doubt, wallowed in their usual debauchery by now, their mistresses are vying for their fleeting attentions. This damned meeting – Cassian’s harebrained scheme – thankfully reached its end.
Distance had always been my weapon of choice. My seven brothers embodied the cardinal sins, reveling in their debauchery. Unlike them, I wasn’t defined by a single vice. I was a potent cocktail, a confluence of all seven sins, a volatile mix held in check. Only one thing could unleash the maelstrom within: Victoria.
A thousand years had passed since her demise, a thousand years of relentless mourning. Despite my efforts to distract myself, her absence persisted, overshadowing any other purpose I might find.
Yet, every time I dreamt of this new woman, Morwenna, the ache for Victoria dulled momentarily. She was an anomaly, the only one impervious to my allure. Not absolute, of course – I could always bend her will if I chose. But she dared to resist, a defiance as rare and captivating as a moth drawn to a forbidden flame.
“Morwenna,” I whispered her name, savoring its taste on my tongue. I was undeniably drawn to her. I had lost my one true love, the one my heart beat for, ages ago, but now, against all odds, my heart once a silent tumb seemed to stir for another—her.
“The intruder stole from us, brother!” Cassian exclaimed, relaying information whispered to him by one of the guards. He sought to prove his competence, but I saw through his intent. Continuing, he revealed, “She stole the rare jade pendent worth up to a billion from us, brother!”
His words elicited gasps of shock from my other brothers. It was unprecedented for a human to steal from us.
“Impossible!” Aric, the prince of Lust, exclaimed.
“Who would dare to steal from the Vimic’s?” Rafael, the prince of Envy, questioned.
“The intruder did,” Cassian confirmed. As gasps and outraged pronouncements filled the air, I rested a hand on my jaw, a flicker of amusement playing on my lips. This was my doing. Unlike them, I wasn’t surprised. Everything was going according to plan. I’d told her she’d come to me, and despite her mental scoff, I knew better. Now, she would dance to my tune.
“And also, brother,” Cassian’s words continued, “She didn’t just take the precious jade pendent; she also stole the family’s raven necklace, once worn by your...” Cassian hesitated, avoiding saying the name that might trigger painful memories for me. “She had the audacity not only to enter the Vimic’s estate but also to attempt theft,” he concluded. “We should eliminate her to send a message to other Chimerans who might be considering similar actions.”
“Yes, we should kill her, indulge in her blood,” declared Aric, the prince of Lust.
As my brothers discussed the suitable punishment for a thief daring to steal from the almighty Vimic’s, my thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Morwenna. Little did she suspect the raven’s necklace – the very one adorning Victoria on our wedding night, a constant reminder I carried close – now resided in her bag, along with the jade. A cruel twist, perhaps, but the necklace held far greater significance. It wouldn’t be long before her fate was sealed.
“Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!” My brothers roared in unison, their voices echoing through the chamber. A chorus of bloodthirsty pronouncements, childish in their fervor. I watched, my thoughts distant, when a woman burst through the doors, her arrival disrupting the savage symphony.
“Please, don’t kill her!” Her voice, barely a whisper, held a tremor of fear. Recognition flickered in my mind. This was Alina Petrova’s daughter, what was her name again? It gnawed at the edges of my memory. Regardless, Alina had entrusted her to me years ago as a token of her loyalty, yet here she was, working in my brother Aric’s, the Prince of Lust’s, estate. Somehow, she’d gotten wind of our conversation and, upon hearing Aric utter the word “kill,” had barged in.
“Who the devil do you think you are, barging in on a Vimic family meeting?” Viktor, the prince of Pride, thundered. I stifled a sigh. Viktor always played the part of the self-important elder brother, forgetting that while he might be a prince, I was the king. A very big difference indeed.
“My apologies, Your Majesties,” the young woman stammered, dropping to her knees in a show of abject submission. Fear painted her face a stark white. She knew the consequences of interrupting a Vimic family gathering – punishment, possibly death, or worse. Her intrusion wouldn’t be tolerated. “I… I deeply regret this interruption. Please, forgive my disrespect. I come to plead for mercy…” Her voice trailed off, her forehead pressed against the cold stone floor.
Aric, her master, cut her off. “Start by getting the hell out of here.”
She swallowed hard. “Please,” she pleaded, her voice barely a squeak, ignoring Aric’s dismissal. “Don’t kill her.”
“And who gave you that right?” Cassian’s offended voice interjected.
“Please, she doesn’t know what she’s doing!” the woman defended Morwenna.
“What’s your name, woman?” I interjected, cutting through Cassian’s impending barrage of questions.
“Th...,” her voice faltered as she lifted her gaze to meet mine, though she remained kneeling. “Theresa, my Lord,” she answered.
So, that’s her name.
“Theresa Petrova, correct?” I confirmed.
“Yes, my Lord,” she affirmed.
“Why are you defending the intruder, Theresa Petrova?” I inquired.
“Because...” she hesitated, gasping for air before continuing, “She’s my sister!”
Her revelation shocked not only my brothers but also me. Morwenna was her sister.
“The transpasser is your sister?” I clarified, masking my astonishment.
“Yes, my Lord, half-sister. She’s my half-sister,” Theresa clarified, shoulders slumping. “She must have followed me here because she was worried about me,” she explained, defending Morwenna.
“Alina has two daughters? She didn’t disclose this to us,” Cassian remarked. “Why did Alina deceive us into believing she had only one daughter, you?” he questioned Theresa, echoing my own curiosity. After all, Alina had distinctly claimed to have only one child.
“I-I...” Theresa faltered, realizing she was about to expose her mother’s secret but feeling compelled to speak the truth. “I don’t know, Prince Cassian, please,” she pleaded, attempting to deflect.
Cassian’s suspicion deepened. “That’s a lie.”
“No, Prince Cassian, I speak the truth!” Theresa’s head dipped even lower, a tremor running through her voice. My telepathic senses, however, painted a different picture. Her mind harbored the answer, yet doubt gnawed at her, a chilling reminder of the consequences attached to Vimic misinformation.
“What other secrets is Alina keeping from us, hmm?” Cassian pressed on, his annoyance palpable as Theresa continued to withhold information.
“I-I honestly don’t know much, Prince Cassian,” Theresa stammered, her voice trembling under Cassian’s relentless interrogation.
“Enough!” I boomed, silencing Cassian’s relentless interrogation before it could break the girl. His questioning ceased immediately under the weight of my command. My gaze then returned to Theresa. “Were you aware your sister followed you?”
She shook her head, a single, emphatic movement. “No.”
“And does she understand the repercussions of trespassing on a Vimic’s estate?” I inquired, my voice firm. Theresa hesitated a beat. “Answer me!” I commanded, the temperature in the throne room dropping with my icy tone. Her features paled, a tremor of fear betraying her composure.
Theresa finally nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Good. Then she’s aware that such an act, especially one involving theft, can be met with death.” My words hung heavy in the air, causing Theresa’s breath to hitch. I ensured my message was crystal clear.
“My sister would never steal!” Theresa retorted. But the defiance quickly faded as she realized her outburst. “I apologize, my Lord. I know my sister; she may be stubborn, but she would never steal!”
“Well, she stole from Lord Draven!” Cassian interjected, his irritation evident in his tone. I stifled a sigh. His constant interruptions were grating on my nerves. Here he was again, blustering like a peacock, oblivious to the fact that I was perfectly capable of handling the situation.
Cassian’s voice rose, seemingly attempting to pronounce judgment. “And she must pay the ultimate price!”
“Shut your mouth, Cassian,” I growled, silencing him instantly.
He stammered an apology, “I-I’m sorry, brother!”
I brushed off Cassian’s apologies, knowing they held little sincerity. “Now,” I redirected my focus to the matter at hand, “Your sister will have to face the consequences,” I declared, my gaze pinning Theresa in place.
“Please, I’ll return what she stole, and I’ll pay you double if necessary. Just spare her, please,” Theresa pleaded, her palms pressed together in desperation.
I scoffed at her offer to pay me double, doubting her mother’s financial stability. It sounded like an empty promise.
However, I had no intention of killing Morwenna. I had made a promise to myself, and to her, that she would be mine. My cold and intimidating demeanor was merely a facade to appease my brothers, while I had my own plans carefully plotted in my mind.
“No,” I said, letting the word hang heavy in the air. Theresa flinched, clearly mistaking it for a death sentence. It was just a taste of the fear I could evoke in anyone, her included. “I want her here. In person.” I added, referring to Morwenna. She was the one I needed to see, the one who had managed to resist my charms to some extent.
At my words, Theresa’s face betrayed skepticism. I could sense her doubts through her thoughts. “Is there a problem?” I demanded, my voice cutting through her thoughts like a knife. She snapped to attention, fear flickering across her face.
“No, no, no, my Lord,” she interjected hastily. “Thank you for your mercy, my Lord, and for granting a second chance.”
I scoffed at the notion of second chances. I wasn’t known for giving them, nor for being merciful. However, Morwenna would be an exception, as long as I obtained what I needed from her.
“Who said anything about second chances?” I retorted, a low rumble emanating from my chest. She attempted to speak again, but I cut her off with a stern glare. “Just bring what’s mine here, and I’ll determine her fate,” I stated firmly, my jaw clenched. I realized that by making this demand, I had implicitly claimed Morwenna in front of everyone—my brothers and Theresa. Some looked confused, while others seemed to have misheard, but I paid them no mind. I was about to assert my dominance over Morwenna, regardless of their reactions.
“Yes, my Lord,” Theresa replied, bowing her head lower as she remained kneeling.
Morwenna. I could feel her blood calling out to me, sensing her presence from afar. I could hear the rhythm of her heartbeat, the sound of her breathing—every detail was palpable. My impatience grew as I longed to see her face, to claim what was rightfully mine.
I was too impatient. Damn it.
A surge of heat coursed through my groin.
As she attempted to rise, frustration gnawed at me, worse than mere impatience. “And you have two hours to bring her here, or...” I paused, licking my lips intently, “I’ll reconsider.”
Her breath hitched as she realized the limited time she had. She bowed her head in submission. “Yes, Lord Draven.”
Turning my attention to the guards, whom I had a strong desire to eliminate, I issued a directive, “You can accompany Theresa as a means to redeem yourselves before I change my mind and consign you all to the flames of hell.” My voice carried a potent threat, causing them to tense up, trying to maintain their composure. Seizing the moment, I continued, “Furthermore, don’t even think about laying a finger on what belongs to me, and keep your damned fangs sheathed if you catch a glimpse of her. Any attempt to harm her will result in consequences far beyond your imagination. You’ll experience hellfire on earth!” My warning was punctuated with a dangerous hiss as I emphasized what was rightfully mine.
They hesitated momentarily before nodding in unison, their voices trembling as they responded, “Y-yes, Lord Draven!”
The corner of my lip curled into a snarl. “I mean it. She. Is. Mine. Do not touch her. Do not harm her.” I repeated.
The threat hung heavy in the air. They nodded fervently, fear etched on their faces. “Understood, Lord Draven.”