Chapter 152 Ares dark secrets

20 MINUTES BEFORE THE BALL

The room was steeped in an intoxicating blend of desire and danger. Ezekiel lay beneath Ares, his body trembling from the fervent passion they had just shared. Ares' pale, crystalline eyes bore into him, their icy depths concealing a hunger that Ezekiel had barely begun to comprehend.

Ezekiel could feel Ares' cold hands trailing along his flushed skin, igniting a fire that made him arch into the touch. The vampire's pale face was framed by Raven locks that fell in cascades around them, creating a cocoon of intimacy and power. His lips, stained crimson, parted slightly, revealing sharp fangs that glinted ominously in the faint candlelight.

"Do you know how irresistible you are, Zeke?" Ares whispered, his voice a velvety caress that sent shivers racing down Ezekiel's spine.

Ezekiel was too entranced to respond, his mind clouded by the lingering heat of their lovemaking. Ares had been everything—gentle, domineering, intoxicating. His touch had unraveled Ezekiel, pulling him into a world where time ceased to exist, and only their shared passion remained.

But then, the shift came.

Ares' gaze darkened, his crystalline eyes swirling with a shadowy hunger. His lips descended on Ezekiel's neck, not with the sensual tenderness from before, but with an urgency that bordered on feral.

"A-Ares?" Ezekiel stammered, his voice weak as he felt the sharp press of fangs against his skin.

The vampire didn't respond. Instead, he sank his teeth into Ezekiel's neck, eliciting a sharp gasp that dissolved into a moan. Pain and pleasure melded together, creating a dizzying cocktail that left Ezekiel reeling.

Ares drank deeply, his cold hands gripping Ezekiel's trembling body as if anchoring him in place. The world spun around Ezekiel, the edges of his vision blurring as his life force ebbed away. Yet, even in the haze of blood loss, a strange euphoria took hold.

"Sleep," Ares commanded, his voice dripping with compulsion.

Ezekiel's body obeyed before his mind could protest, his consciousness slipping away as Ares' pale, blood-streaked face became the last thing he saw.

---

When Ezekiel woke, the world was cloaked in darkness. The air was cold, and the room felt unfamiliar, its oppressive silence broken only by the sound of his own ragged breathing. He sat up slowly, his head pounding as he tried to piece together what had happened.

His hand flew to his neck, where a dull ache pulsed beneath his fingertips. There were faint puncture marks—proof of the vampire's bite—but they felt… different. Instead of pain, there was a strange warmth, as if his body was trying to heal itself.

Ezekiel frowned, his memories a tangled web of sensations and emotions. He couldn't remember how he had gotten back to his room, but fragments of the night before lingered in vivid detail.

He could still feel the ghost of Ares' touch—the way his cold hands had roamed over his body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. The memory of Ares' lips on his skin, his breath icy against the heat of Ezekiel's flushed cheeks, sent a shiver through him.

His mind replayed the way Ares had looked at him, those crystalline eyes filled with a mix of desire and danger. The vampire's beauty had been otherworldly, his pale face framed by Raven hair that seemed to glow in the dim light. Ezekiel could still hear Ares' voice, deep and melodic, whispering words that made his heart race.

"You're mine possession now," Ares had said, his tone both a promise and a warning.

Ezekiel's cheeks burned as he remembered how his body had responded to Ares' dominance. He had surrendered completely, lost in the intoxicating allure of the vampire's touch. And yet, there was a darkness beneath the surface—a shadow that Ezekiel had been too blinded by passion to see.

As he tried to make sense of his fragmented memories, Ezekiel became aware of a strange sensation in his body. His senses felt sharper, more attuned to the world around him. He could see the faint outlines of furniture in the pitch-black room, his vision adjusting to the darkness in a way that defied explanation.

Even the air smelled different—richer, more vivid. He could pick up faint traces of iron and something sweet, a scent that made his mouth water despite himself.

"What… is happening to me?" Ezekiel whispered, his voice trembling.

He stood on unsteady legs, his body thrumming with a newfound energy that felt both exhilarating and terrifying. His reflection in the mirror across the room caught his eye, and he froze.

His skin was paler than before, his eyes darker, with faint traces of crimson swirling in their depths. He reached up to touch his face, half-expecting it to feel unfamiliar, but it was still him. And yet, it wasn't.

Memories of Ares flooded his mind once more—the way the vampire had feasted on him, the feral gleam in his eyes as he drank deeply. Ezekiel shuddered, his fingers brushing over the faint scars on his neck.

Despite the confusion and fear, there was a part of him that longed to return to Ares. The memory of their shared intimacy—the heat of their bodies intertwined, the way Ares had made him feel alive in ways he'd never experienced—was burned into his soul.

But there was something else—a shadowy presence that lingered at the edges of his consciousness. A faint whisper of a memory that refused to surface, as if hidden behind a veil of compulsion.

---

In another part of the building, Ares stood by the window, gazing out at the moonlit landscape. A glass of red liquid rested in his hand, the faintest trace of a smirk playing on his lips.

"Zeke," he murmured, the name rolling off his tongue like a forbidden promise. "Your blood was exquisite… but it's your body that will truly satisfy me."

He turned, his crystalline eyes glinting with malice and anticipation. The man who had interrupted earlier bowed low, his trembling evident.

"Your Majesty," the man said hesitantly, "the child of light has not yet been found. Without them, the plan—"

"Silence," Ares interrupted, his voice a deadly whisper.

The man flinched as Ares took a slow step forward, his pale face twisted into a sinister smile.

"Get the human out of here," Ares ordered, his tone sharp.

The man hesitated, reaching for a sack to carry Ezekiel's unconscious body.

"What are you doing?" Ares growled, his fangs glinting in the dim light. "I said carry him safely to his room. If any harm comes to him, it will cost you your head."

The man paled, quickly adjusting his approach. He carried Ezekiel carefully, his mind racing with confusion. Why hadn't his master killed this one?

As the door closed behind the man, Ares let out a low, sadistic laugh.

"Oh, Zeke," he murmured, swirling the liquid in his glass. "You've only just begun to unravel. Your blood has enticed me, yes… but it's your body and blood that will bring the child out of their slumber."

He raised the glass to his lips, drinking deeply before smirking.

"The eclipse is coming. Soon, you'll have no choice but to awaken… and when you do, I'll be waiting."

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