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CHAPTER 52 — "CLAIMED BY THE PRINCE"
The great doors of the chamber exploded inward with a deafening crack, shards of ancient wood scattering across the blood-slick floor.
Emily's breath caught as the figure stepped through the ruined doorway.
Leo.
The man who had once sworn to protect her, who had smiled with a warmth that made her forget every danger in the world, now stood cloaked in darkness like a conquering warlord. His armor gleamed black as obsidian, the edges sharp enough to cut through moonlight. A crimson cape trailed behind him like a streak of spilled blood, and his eyes—those molten, gold-flecked eyes—locked on her with a heat that seared through her bones.
The air itself seemed to bend around him, heavy with the scent of storms and steel. Power rolled from his frame in waves that made the stone walls groan in quiet submission.
> "Everyone. Leave."
His voice was a command wrapped in velvet, but it carried the weight of death.
The priestess stiffened but obeyed without hesitation, bowing so deeply her forehead almost touched the floor. All around them, the hidden watchers melted back into the darkness, their whispers dying mid-syllable. The room emptied, shadows swallowing the last hint of movement until only the two of them remained.
The doors slammed shut behind him with a sound like a coffin sealing, trapping them together in the thick, blood-heavy air.
Emily's heart pounded. She forced herself to stand tall, though every instinct screamed to run. "You came for me…"
Leo's steps were slow, deliberate—each one echoing in the silence. His gaze never left her, drinking in every detail as though to confirm she was real. He stopped only when there was barely an arm's length between them.
One gloved hand rose, fingers brushing a lock of her golden hair. His touch was not tender—it was appraising, as if he were testing the weight of a weapon.
> "I came for what's mine."
Her pulse faltered. "What's yours?"
His eyes flickered downward, landing on the mark etched into her skin. The Mark of Thorns pulsed faintly beneath the thin fabric, as though it recognized him. The set of his jaw tightened.
> "Do you even know what they've done to you?" he asked, his tone a mixture of fury and fascination.
Emily didn't answer, but her fingers instinctively brushed the mark.
Leo's gaze darkened. "That isn't just a brand. It's the key to a force that hasn't stirred for centuries—a power capable of tearing apart the foundations of the Vampire Realm. The kind of power kings would slaughter nations for. The kind of power queens would burn themselves to possess."
A shiver ran through her, but she masked it with defiance. "And you want it."
His lips curved slightly, the expression dangerous in its honesty. "I want you, Emily." His voice dropped lower. "But I won't lie… I want what you carry too."
Before she could speak, his arm swept around her waist, pulling her against him. The scent of him—smoke, leather, and faint traces of blood—filled her senses, pulling her into the storm of his presence.
> "The others will come for you," he murmured. "The priestesses, the warlords… even the Blood Moon itself will hunger for what's inside you. You're standing in a den of predators, and you're the only prey worth killing."
Her heart raced. "And you're not a predator?"
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Oh, I am. The worst kind. But I'm the only one who will keep you alive."
He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. The molten gold there blazed with possessive heat, but beneath it lay something colder—calculation.
> "Stay with me, and I'll protect you. I'll make you untouchable."
Emily swallowed, torn between the memory of the man who had once held her in his arms and the dangerous creature standing before her now. "Protect me… or own me?"
For the first time, he didn't answer immediately. His thumb traced the line of her jaw, slow and deliberate. "Why not both?"
She stiffened, but his grip on her waist didn't loosen.
> "You'll give me the oath," he said finally, voice dropping into something darker. "The Blood Oath will bind you to me before the next moonrise. Once it's done, no one will be able to touch you without my permission."
Her breath hitched. "And if I refuse?"
His eyes softened for the briefest moment, as though the question had wounded him—but the flicker of vulnerability vanished just as quickly.
> "Then I'll take it by force."
The words hit her like a physical blow. There was no threat in his tone—only a certainty that made her blood run cold.
The silence between them was sharp enough to cut. Emily's hands trembled, not from fear alone, but from the treacherous pull of him. Despite the danger, a part of her longed to trust him, to let herself believe that somewhere beneath the armor and hunger, the man she had once loved still remained.
> "Leo… what happened to you?" she whispered.
His hand cupped the side of her face, thumb brushing her cheekbone. For a moment, his expression softened into something almost human.
> "You died, Emily. And I burned the world to get you back."
Her chest tightened, the truth in his voice striking deeper than any blade. But before she could speak, a low, resonant sound shuddered through the chamber—a rumble like the earth itself was growling.
Leo stiffened, his head turning toward the altar.
The runes carved into the stone flared crimson, brighter than they had when she awoke. The Mark of Thorns on her skin burned hot, sending tendrils of pain racing through her veins. Emily gasped, clutching at her abdomen.
> "What's happening?"
Leo's eyes narrowed. "It's waking up."
The floor beneath the altar cracked, jagged lines spiderwebbing outward. The sound of stone tearing apart filled the air. The blood mist above swirled violently, as if caught in an unseen vortex.
Leo's grip on her tightened. "Stay behind me."
Emily didn't move. The heat radiating from the mark was becoming unbearable, her vision blurring at the edges. The cracks widened, and from the darkness below, a faint, otherworldly light began to seep through.
A whisper—ancient, malevolent—slithered into her mind.
Child of the Thorn…
She staggered. "Did you hear that?"
Leo's gaze snapped to hers, and for the first time since he entered the room, there was something like fear in his eyes.
The altar split apart with a deafening boom, and a blast of wind howled through the chamber. From the rift beneath, something vast began to rise—its shape obscured by the roiling mist, but its presence heavy enough to crush the air from her lungs.
The voice came again, louder this time, vibrating through her bones.
Give me the oath… or I will take you myself.
Emily's knees buckled. Leo caught her, pulling her against him with one arm while his other hand summoned a blade from thin air, its edge dripping with crimson light.
> "Emily," he said, his voice low but urgent, "you have to decide—now. Me… or that."
The creature's shadow loomed taller, its eyes like burning coals locking onto her.
Her heart slammed against her ribs as the choice ripped through her—either step into Leo's arms and bind herself to a man whose love was tangled with ambition… or face whatever ancient horror was clawing its way into the world.
And there was no time left to choose.