The moment her body hit the ground—
The sharp sting across her cheek came before the pain even registered.
A loud, echoing sound cracked through the hall.
The entire space fell silent.
Lily's head snapped to the side from the force, strands of her hair falling across her face as her vision blurred for a second. A burning sensation spread slowly across her skin, her cheek throbbing where the Luna's hand had struck her.
For a brief second—
She didn't react.
Didn't move.
Didn't even blink.
Because the shock wasn't just physical.
It was… deeper.
Something inside her had gone completely still.
The Luna stood in front of her, chest rising and falling sharply, eyes blazing with rage that looked almost… uncontrollable.
Not just anger.
Something more personal.
Something broken.
Before Lily could even process what was happening—
A hand suddenly gripped her throat.
Tight.
Unforgiving.
Cutting off her breath.
Lily's body jerked instinctively, her hands flying to the Luna's wrist, fingers trembling as she tried to pull away—but the grip didn't loosen.
It only tightened.
Her feet barely touched the ground now, her body struggling as her lungs burned for air.
"Tell me…" the Luna's voice came low, shaking—not with weakness, but with fury barely contained. "What exactly do you think you are?"
Lily's vision started to blur again, this time from lack of oxygen. Her chest rose sharply, desperately trying to breathe, but nothing came.
Her thoughts—
Strangely—
Were quiet.
Too quiet.
"You bring a witch behind you…" the Luna continued, her grip tightening just enough to make Lily gasp weakly, "…and now you're seen with a vampire."
Her eyes darkened further.
"Did you truly believe…" she leaned slightly closer, her voice dropping into something almost dangerous, "…that we would never find out?"
Lily's fingers weakened against her wrist.
She wasn't fighting anymore.
Not really.
Because—
What was there to say?
Her mind searched for words.
For explanations.
For something—anything—that could make this stop.
But there was nothing.
Only emptiness.
I really am… the unluckiest person… her thoughts echoed faintly.
No tears came.
No panic.
No screaming.
Just… silence.
Inside her.
And outside.
The Luna stared at her for a moment longer before suddenly releasing her.
Lily collapsed to the ground instantly, her body folding as she gasped for air, her lungs burning painfully as oxygen rushed back in.
She coughed weakly, one hand pressed against her throat, her body trembling slightly—but even now…
Her eyes were empty.
The Luna straightened slowly.
Then spoke.
Clear.
Cold.
Final.
"Today," she said, her voice carrying through the entire hall, "the Alpha will not decide your fate."
A pause.
Her gaze hardened.
"I will."
Every person present felt the shift.
Authority.
Power.
And something dangerously emotional behind it.
"Take her," the Luna ordered, not even sparing Lily another glance. "Lock her in the dungeon."
Her voice lowered.
"And tomorrow afternoon…"
A faint smile touched her lips.
Cruel.
"…we will burn her."
A ripple of shock moved through the room.
Even the warriors—men who had seen violence, death, punishment—shifted slightly at those words.
Burning.
That wasn't punishment.
That was… execution.
Public.
Painful.
Final.
No one spoke.
No one objected.
Because when the Luna decided something—
It was law.
Lily didn't react.
Didn't beg.
Didn't cry.
As two guards stepped forward and grabbed her arms, lifting her roughly to her feet—
She let them.
Her body moved because they forced it to.
Not because she resisted.
————
Sence Shift — Jimmy
Outside the pack house, hidden within the shadows where the rain still fell steadily—
Jimmy stood still.
Listening.
Every word.
Every order.
Every decision.
His jaw tightened slowly as he processed what he had just heard.
"…Burn her?" he muttered under his breath, disbelief mixing with irritation. "What the hell…"
At first, he had no intention of getting involved.
This wasn't their pack.
Not their problem.
Not their fight.
But then—
Leo's voice echoed in his mind.
"My mate is in danger."
Jimmy exhaled slowly, running a hand through his damp hair, rain dripping from his fingers.
"…Damn it, Leo…" he murmured softly.
He glanced toward the pack house again, eyes narrowing slightly.
He didn't even know who the girl was.
Didn't know if she was really Leo's mate.
Didn't even know if this had anything to do with them.
But something about this—
Felt wrong.
And if there was even a chance—
Even a small chance—
That this girl was connected to Leo's mate…
Then he couldn't just walk away.
"…Fine," he muttered, straightening slightly. "I'll check it out myself."
Even if it meant stepping into danger.
——————
Elsewhere — Lucien
The room was silent.
Too silent.
The ancient book lay open on the table, its pages unmoving despite the faint wind that slipped through the half-open window.
Lucien stood nearby, his expression dark, eyes fixed on the object as if willing it to reveal something—anything.
Days.
He had spent days trying to unlock its secrets.
Trying to force it open.
Trying to make it respond.
But nothing.
Not a single reaction.
His jaw tightened.
"…Useless," he muttered, though frustration flickered briefly across his face.
But then—
His gaze shifted.
Something…
Small.
Barely noticeable.
But different.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped closer to the book, leaning down just enough to inspect its cover more carefully.
And then—
He saw it.
A symbol.
Etched faintly into the worn surface.
A crescent moon—
Pierced through by a sword.
Below it—
A delicate marking.
A butterfly.
And beneath that—
A single word.
Luna.
Lucien's expression changed instantly.
Not shock.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
"…This isn't just a book," he murmured softly, his voice quieter now, more thoughtful.
His fingers brushed lightly over the symbol, tracing its shape as his mind began to piece things together.
A Luna…
Someone powerful.
Someone connected.
"…So that's it written by any ancient luna…" he whispered.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"This book doesn't respond to me."
A pause.
"It responds to her that means it's choosed her."
Elina.
Without wasting another second—
He moved.
And vanished.
—————
Elina's Room
Darkness filled the space.
The only light came from the faint glow of the moon outside, slipping through the open window as the wind moved gently through the curtains.
Elina sat on her bed.
Still.
Quiet.
But not calm.
Her thoughts circled endlessly around one person.
Lucien.
His words.
His behavior.
The way he had pushed her away.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she hugged her knees closer to herself.
"…What even is he…" she whispered softly.
Then—
Something shifted.
A presence.
Subtle.
But wrong.
Her body tensed instantly, her senses sharpening as she slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes moved across the room.
Searching.
Listening.
Feeling.
And then—
She saw them.
Two red eyes.
Glowing.
Watching her from the darkness.
Her breath caught sharply.
Before she could scream—
A figure moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
A hand covered her mouth instantly, pulling her back slightly as her body stiffened in shock.
"Don't scream."
His voice.
Low.
Close.
Familiar.
Lucien.
But—
Not the same.
His face was closer now, the faint light revealing sharp features—and something else.
His fangs.
Visible.
Dangerous.
And his eyes—
Still glowing red.
Elina's entire body trembled beneath him, fear rushing through her veins as her heart pounded wildly against her chest.
He leaned closer.
Too close.
His face lowering toward her neck as he inhaled deeply—
And froze.
Her scent.
Warm.
Sweet.
It hit him like a storm.
His control—
Slipped.
The room felt smaller.
Not physically—
But because of him.
Lucien's presence filled every inch of space around her, pressing in, stealing the air from her lungs, making it impossible to think clearly.
Elina's back met the cold bed as he leaned closer, one hand still braced beside her, the other firm around her waist—not hurting her, not forcing—
But not letting her go either.
Her breath came uneven.
Fast.
Shallow.
His face lowered slowly toward her neck again.
This time—
Not as sudden.
Not as violent.
But more controlled.
More aware.
And somehow—
That made it worse.
"I…" his voice came out rough, like he was fighting something inside himself. "…I told you to find answers…"
His breath brushed against her skin.
Warm.
Too warm for something that called itself a monster.
he murmured, his nose barely grazing the curve of her neck now, "…I became the answer...yes .. I'm that vampire"
Elina's fingers clenched slightly against his chest, instinctively trying to push him away—
But she didn't.
Her body froze.
Not just from fear.
But from something else she couldn't name.
"I've never…" he paused, his voice dropping lower, quieter, "…lost control like this."
His hand at her waist tightened just a little—not enough to hurt, but enough to ground himself.
"To anyone," he added. "Not in five hundred years."
Her heart skipped.
"…What are you saying…?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, trembling not just with fear—but confusion.
Lucien lifted his head slightly.
Just enough to look at her.
Really look.
His red eyes met hers—
And for a brief moment—
They softened.
Not completely.
Not human.
But something inside them shifted.
"I'm not perfect for you," he said, his voice quieter now, steadier… almost honest in a way that didn't match the danger surrounding him.
His thumb brushed lightly against her side—absent-minded, like he didn't even realize he was doing it.
"But I don't want to share you."
The words sent a strange shiver through her.
Not just fear.
Something deeper.
Something that made her chest tighten.
"I tried to stay away," he continued, his jaw clenching slightly, frustration flickering across his face. "I didn't want you dragged into this."
His gaze darkened again.
"But fate…" he exhaled slowly, almost bitterly, "…doesn't care what I want."
Elina swallowed.
Hard.
Her thoughts were a mess.
This man—
This thing—
Was dangerous.
She knew that.
Her instincts screamed it.
Every part of her told her to push him away.
To run.
To fight.
But her body—
Wasn't moving.
"…You're scaring me…" she admitted softly, her voice shaking—but not loud, not panicked.
Honest.
Lucien stilled.
Completely.
For a second—
His expression changed.
A flicker.
Quick.
But real.
"I know," he said quietly.
And that—
That made it worse.
Because he knew.
And still…
He didn't step back.
Instead—
He leaned in again.
Slower this time.
More deliberate.
His face hovered just beside her neck, his breath brushing against her skin as he inhaled deeply again—
And his control slipped.
Just a little.
"I can't control myself around you…" he admitted, his voice barely more than a whisper now, rough and strained. "And I hate that."
His fingers tightened slightly at her waist again.
"I don't even understand this feeling…"
A pause.
"…but it's there."
Elina's heart pounded harder.
Her hand, still resting against his chest, felt it—
No heartbeat.
Nothing.
And yet—
He felt so alive.
Too alive.
"…What do you want from me…?" she asked, her voice softer now, almost lost between fear and something dangerously close to curiosity.
Lucien's lips parted slightly.
His gaze dropped again.
To her neck.
You.
Everything of your.
Not demanded.
Not taken.
Asked.
And that made it more terrifying.
Her breath hitched.
"…What?" she whispered, her body going cold.
"…Want Your body, soul,heart, everything even your blood" he clarified, his voice still controlled—but thinner now, like restraint was slipping.
"I've never asked anyone before," he continued. "If I need it… I take it."
His fingers slowly traced the curve of her waist again, absent, distracted—
Focused on her scent.
"But with you…"
He leaned closer again.
Closer than before.
"So this is new."
Elina's lips parted slightly, her breath uneven.
"…Five hundred years…?" she repeated faintly, trying to hold onto something normal, something logical.
"yes, I'm five hundred years old & in those years i never touch any woman like this." he said simply.
No hesitation.
No shame.
Just truth.
Then—
Softer.
More dangerous.
"I won't kill you."
His lips hovered just above her skin now.
So close—
That she could feel them without being touched.
"But I want to mark you."
Her body tensed.
"…Mark…?" she whispered.
His voice dropped lower.
"Yes ,i want to bite you"
A pause.
His eyes lifted back to hers.
"And then…"
Something darker flickered in them.
Possessive.
Unavoidable.
"I'll make you mine but slowly slowly."
Silence wrapped around them.
Heavy.
Breathing.
Alive.
Elina's heart raced violently, her thoughts colliding, fear screaming at her to stop this—
But her body remained still.
Caught.
Trapped.
Not just by him—
But by the moment itself.
"…Please."
That one word—
Soft.
Almost broken.
And that's what made it dangerous.
Because it didn't sound like a monster asking.
It sounded like someone who didn't understand why he needed her—
But knew he couldn't walk away.
And somehow—
That scared her more than his fangs.
——————
His touch felt real… his voice felt honest…
But could a vampire truly love… or was she already falling into something that would destroy her?