+ Queen +

Awakening groggily, Luna recognized her surroundings: she was on the other side of the Valley of Kings, right where the Vampire King's lair stood. An echo of Jon's voice played in her mind, wasn't this the very place he'd instructed her to reach during their venture through the underwater tunnels?

The Blood Beast's stride was brisk as he cradled her in his arms, moving through an expansive hallway. Military guards and eunuchs sensed the urgency – not of the Vampire King, but the more menacing Blood Beast. They made haste to clear the path, instinctively knowing better than to impede him, especially when his intentions seemed so pointedly private.

Fatigue weighed heavily on Luna, making even the act of keeping her eyes open a challenge. What was the point of resisting when every inadvertent touch from the Blood Beast felt like torment? Rather than fight, she directed all her energy inward, seeking to heal and lessen the pain. She was grateful, in a twisted way, for the Vampire King's earlier gift – his blood, which had mended her stab wound. Without it, she'd be in a far more dire state.

Yet, the predominant thought in her mind was figuring out how to free the Vampire King from the Blood Beast's grip. She had Hecate's spells at her disposal, inscribed in her memory thanks to the grimoire. However, having just reincarnated, she hadn't yet had the opportunity to hone those powers.

A fleeting thought crossed her mind: had the Vampire King consumed her blood, or had it been the Blood Beast? Her heart raced with uncertainty and fear. What did he desire now? Her very soul? A defiant scowl marred her features. That was one thing she wouldn't – couldn't – relinquish.

Luna's eyes darted around, taking in billowing black gauze hanging from open windows and wide doors as they traversed the labyrinthine corridors. The deeper they ventured, the fewer the guards and eunuchs became, as though they'd vanished into thin air.

Finally, they reached a secluded chamber at the very end of the lair. The Blood Beast gently set her down amidst a sea of scattered pillows. To one side, a serene pool reflected the dim light.

Within the dimly lit chamber, the sole piece of furniture was a grand bed, its canopy billowing softly. As Luna's gaze swept over it, she noticed three concubines lounging amidst the black, velvet-like cushions. Their eyes widened in astonishment, fixed on her, held securely in the Vampire King's embrace, with his cloak wrapped protectively around her.

Tension settled on Luna's face, her lips pressing firmly together. Not only was she unprepared to explain to the concubines why the realm's virgin High Priestess was in the clutches of the Blood Beast, but she was also taken aback by the presence of the three women.

The tableau before her was disconcerting: her friend, Lady Clarence; the ever-haughty Lady Catriona; and a third concubine she didn't recognize. They lay sprawled across the bed like ethereal beings, bathed in the silvery luminescence of the moonlight as if awaiting the King's attention. The scene was so suggestive it made Luna wonder if she had inadvertently stumbled upon an intimate gathering.

A sigh escaped her, her head pounding with fresh intensity. Lady Clarence, always the quick thinker, sat up with a start and hastily draped a blanket over her form. Her voice, barely a whisper, broke the stillness. "Your Highness?"

Muttering a spell, Luna bathed the chamber in a soft amalgamation of silver and crimson hues. Turning to the concubines, she said, with a touch of exhaustion, "Ladies," and briefly revealed a deep bruise on her upper arm. As she spoke, the mark faded from a dark purple to a sickly green and then healed entirely, blending seamlessly with her skin. "I am with the Blood Beast. One brush against him and you'll perish."

The weight of her words settled heavily in the room. The trio appeared as if they'd glimpsed Medusa, turning to stone under her petrifying gaze. Lady Clarence's eyes bore into Luna's, silently pleading for a more detailed explanation. But Luna, out of words and equally confounded, could only offer a helpless shrug. After all, only the Vampire King could elucidate the situation, but how could she reach him when he was overshadowed by the Blood Beast?

His voice, rough and commanding, sliced through the tension, "Leave." Luna's heart skipped a beat, the weight of his command palpable in the room.

"Leave swiftly, ladies," Luna urged, her voice heavy with resignation, gesturing towards the chamber's exit. Uncertainty knotted her stomach as she pondered the Blood Beast's intentions. She was acutely aware that evading his venomous touch would prove an impossible task.

The two unnamed concubines bolted from the bed, their movements a blur as they made their way to a wooden chest nestled in the corner. Frantically, they pulled out red silk robes to shield their exposed forms. However, Lady Catriona lingered, her pride evident as she remained unabashedly naked, apparently hoping her allure might disarm the Blood Beast. Luna tsked inwardly; the audacious woman seemed to possess a perilous flirtation with death itself.

Moving with a calculated grace, Lady Catriona made her way to the exit, ensuring that neither she nor her garment grazed Luna or the Blood Beast. As she neared the threshold, Catriona cast a triumphant glance over her shoulder at Luna, her smug grin sending an involuntary shiver down Luna's spine. From that single look, Luna discerned that Catriona anticipated this would be her last night alive. Anger bubbled within Luna, a fleeting desire to see if forcing a touch between Catriona and the Blood Beast might indeed be lethal. However, such a rash act might endanger everyone else.

Before Luna could dwell further on the temptation, the other concubines, displaying an unexpected courtesy, locked the chamber door behind them. It was as if they were granting the Blood Beast the privacy to dispatch her without witnesses.

The Blood Beast then moved purposefully toward the opulent bed, seemingly undeterred by the recent disturbance. As he began to lower Luna, he teasingly slid her down his chest, the thin fabric of her clothing the only barrier between them. But in an abrupt change of intent, he flung her onto the bed. Her breath caught as she landed with an ungraceful thud, the soft cushions absorbing the impact and expelling the air from her lungs.

  With a surge of adrenaline, Luna pushed herself upright, wrestling with the cloak that constricted her limbs. After a moment of fervent effort, she managed to free herself from its confines, casting it aside onto the bed.

The Blood Beast ascended the bed with a predatory grace, his voice a deep, husky whisper. "You're not like the others, wilting at my touch."

Retreating, Luna's back pressed against the ornate headboard, her heart drumming loudly in her ears.

With an intensity that made Luna's blood run cold, the Blood Beast declared, "You will be mine, my chosen queen."