For the first time ever, I crossed the border and journeyed past it.
The only time I had ever set foot at the border was to fight off the vampires, but this time was different. I was approaching their territory with no help and no weapon to ensure my safety.
I continued to run in the direction given by the gamma through mind-link.
Suddenly, it felt as if the atmosphere had shifted.
Compared to our werewolf's peaceful and calm vibe, this was the opposite. It gave off a mysterious, dull yet oddly cheerful feeling at the same time. Approaching closer, a growing sense of pressure overwhelmed me.
Soon, the sight of a beautiful, large black castle appeared in my view.
This was the first time I had seen something so different, yet beautiful and breathtaking.
It was so amazing that I paused to gawk for a minute. Perhaps it was my eagerness, because somehow the pressure seemed to disappear and it felt so welcoming.
Right, Father! I snapped out of my reverie and continued running, increasing my pace this time.
No matter how beautiful, welcoming, or whatever the atmosphere posed toward me, I knew it was fake—an illusion.
I wasn't a vampire. Of course the castle had no place for me. For different creatures, it posed endless danger.
And judging by how fucking mysterious, scheming, and cruel the vampires were, any wrong step could lead to my death!
During the war my father had thrown to cause chaos in the vampire coven; the vampires hadn't been moved.
It didn't help that several of them were ancient and had spent hundreds and thousands of years here. They already knew how to deal with us and what protective barriers to use to steer us clear.
And since these same vampires had been the ones attacking my ancestors and now us, it was inevitable that they knew far more about us than we knew about them.
Those motherfuckers…
"You are Harlyn." A vampire guard who stood behind the gate bared his teeth and turned up his nose the moment he saw me arrive.
A measly vampire guard dared to disrespect me to my face?
My eyes narrowed and my hand balled into a fist, yet I couldn't do anything. I was in their territory—alone, with no plan, no help, and no sense of familiarity. It would be too easy for me to be killed.
Veyron, that damn motherfucker!
Veyron was such a wicked vampire. He must enjoy humiliating me—humiliating the werewolves.
Still, I was a princess. And despite the fact that it was a vampire guard attending to me, he shouldn't have been this disrespectful.
I glared at him, bared my teeth, and scowled. "I don't have time for a measly guard. Bring me to that fucker of your king."
The guard's head whipped toward me, clearly not expecting me to be so domineering and emit such words in their vampire castle—alone and without help.
But… I didn't give a damn what he thought. Just like I said, I didn't have his time.
The vampire guard opened the gate, and another vampire stood behind him, listening to music.
The vampire didn't glance at me. Instead, he opened the car and said in a gruff voice, "Get in."
My lips curled into a scowl, and I snorted. They could run and vanish—what sort of fakery was this? They were so flaunting and pretending!
I pursed my lips in disdain, yet I could only get into the car and let him drive me.
The road was made with cobblestone, tall and lush trees, beautiful flowers, plants I had never seen before, and a significant amount of wolfsbane lined each side.
Ancient yet beautiful and neatly kept brick walls and castles that had been built ages ago clearly stood the test of time. It was dark, haunting, and mysterious.
In the werewolf clan, where we only accommodated the sense of home and belonging, one would always find beautiful and happy children playing around and giving more life to the clan.
The vampire castle was the opposite. It was quiet and empty. So quiet that the silence was louder. Yet my ears continued to catch the sound of dripping water, and my nose picked up the faint scent of blood.
Although I had the urge to ask my chauffeur what was happening and if this was what happened on a daily basis, I kept quiet. Even though no one was talking, I knew he must be secretly evaluating me.
Soon, the most breathtaking and grand of all the castles appeared before my view.
Although it was black, the black was different from the dull ones I had been seeing—shining yet eye-catching.
The chauffeur parked the car to the side and alighted. "Follow me," he said without looking at me.
I quickly got out of the car and followed.
A red carpet that screamed extravagance graced the entrance of the castle. I stepped on it and made my way into the mansion.
Although the outside of the castle was beautiful, nothing had prepared me for the inside. It was breathtaking, beautiful, and ethereal, yet dull and quiet at the same time.
Compared to outside, I couldn't catch any scent of blood. Instead, there was a beautiful fragrance drifting in the castle.
Red tables and golden cushions filled the living room. Silky red curtains stitched with golden threads shimmered arrogantly yet smothered any trace of light.
An ancient clock ticked in a numbing, dull manner. High ceilings with chandeliers, cold marble floors, and stairs made of polished wood completed the scene.
The vampire chauffeur opened one of the doors linked to the living room, revealing a hall. "Stay here. His Highness will be here soon." With this, he left and shut the door behind me, leaving me alone in the hall.
My eyes scanned the room. Except for the antique clock on the wall and the red tables and chairs, there was nothing interesting to see.
I knew Veyron must have arranged this to prevent me from having any clue or idea to deal with him or the vampires.
I plopped down on the chair and huffed. Fine, the moment I chose to come here, I knew I was bound to be at his whim.
While I knew the vampire king was a damn motherfucker for choosing to kidnap my father using such an awful method, I hadn't expected him to be such a jerk.
But for him to act like this meant he didn't underestimate me—and he wasn't untouchable.
I placed my legs on the table, leaned back, and shut my eyes, awaiting Veyron's presence.
When the chauffeur had informed me that Veyron would be here soon, I hadn't expected that even after five hours of waiting, "soon" wouldn't come.
Neither did I catch a glimpse of anyone, nor did that motherfucker appear in my presence.
My fury had now reached a boiling point, and I couldn't stand it anymore. I gnashed my teeth, my chest heaving heavily. I sprang up, unable to control the anger coursing through me.
If this jerk knew he wanted to play tricks, then there was no need to invite me like this. Fine, he wanted to embarrass me—he had.
However, Veyron was kidding if he thought I would be wrapped around his finger for him to control. We werewolves never submit. We'd rather fight to the death.
If Veyron didn't want to see me, then I could only come up with another motive—like creating a plan to attack their coven!
It would be easier to create a plan now that I had stepped into the coven compared to before, when I could only plan blindly.
I sprang up and kicked the chair, causing it to topple over.
Enough was enough. I marched toward the door and yanked it open.
My feet froze when a ripped, bare chest looked directly at me. I looked up to meet crimson eyes with golden flecks that turned fully golden whenever the owner took a sip of the blood in the goblet in his hand. They were the most sparkling, captivating eyes I had ever seen, and I could drown in them.
His golden hair fell across his face. His nose was straight and proud as if sculpted by a divine artisan. His chin was sharp, and his chiseled jaw was angled to perfection. His full, pale lips, stained with blood, curved into a proud, arrogant smile.
He was draped in a black robe that revealed his muscular chest and long pants that accentuated his straight, powerful legs. A cold, pressuring aura exuded from his tall, commanding build, making one want to worship him.
His scent was as sharp as winter ice mixed with cedar, oak, and damp air. It was sharp yet refreshing—the most beautiful and delicious scent I had ever smelt.
My wolf clawed in excitement, pleading to be let out. Her growl instantly confirmed my fear: MATE. MY MATE.
MY MATE IS A VAMPIRE!
I felt my head explode. When I wished to the moon goddess to let me see my mate soon, I hadn't expected this type of surprise.
The vampire lowered his goblet and licked his lips, my dazed eyes following his actions like it was the most fascinating performance.
His crimson eyes locked on me, and he lazily straightened his back. "I estimated the hours you could spend in there, but your patience is far greater than I thought." He smirked and stepped inside the hall as if he owned the place. As if he owned the world.
This peerlessly handsome jerk was Veyron? And Veyron was my mate?
But that wasn't even the most infuriating part.
All this time I had been waiting patiently in the hall; Veyron had been putting me to a test? This damn motherfucker!
Although I had just discovered Veyron was my mate, knowing he had been playing tricks on me was enough to make my fury spark.
Veyron swaggered into the hall and sat in the top chair. Although it was just a chair, it seemed to turn into a throne when he sat on it.
"Sit." Veyron's eyes fell on me as he commanded, like I was a subordinate. His gaze didn't waver. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought he hadn't noticed we were mates.
My heart clenched, and my wolf whimpered in pain. Our mate—why was he doing this to us?
While Jayden and I had ended up not being mates, I had thought at least my true mate would love and care for me.
I hadn't expected my mate to not only be a vampire, but for our first interaction to develop like this. And for him to ignore our bond and act like there was nothing between us.
Even though I didn't sit as he ordered, Veyron wasn't moved or displeased.
Veyron leaned back in the chair, picked up the goblet, and took a sip of blood, his eyes evaluating me.
He placed down the cup and lazily looked at me. "I know about the offer thrown to you last night. I will give you two choices." He paused. "Accept the offer and watch your father die, or leave with your father and pretend your interactions with him never happened," he asserted in that infuriatingly sexy and deep voice.
He twirled the glass of blood in his hand, his eyes fixed on it. He took another sip and shut his eyes in bliss, savoring the taste.