Chapter 3 : The Night Ceremony

Elliot's POV

The night was thick with anticipation, the air heavy with the scent of fear and blood.

My kingdom, vast and powerful, was bathed in moonlight as the night ceremony commenced. Thousands of my subjects gathered in the courtyard of my estate—loyal vampires who thrived under my rule, who knew the meaning of power and submission. And in the center of it all, twenty trembling human girls knelt before me, their fates sealed the moment they were taken.

The ceremony was an ancient tradition, a reminder of the hierarchy that governed our world. Humans existed to serve, to nourish us. Some offered themselves willingly, believing servitude was better than death. Others had been dragged from their homes, forced to accept their inevitable fate. It didn't matter how they arrived here—their blood would flow all the same.

From my throne, I surveyed the gathering with cold detachment. My presence alone commanded silence. I leaned back, tapping my fingers against the armrest, listening. The erratic heartbeats. The muffled sobs. The silent prayers.

Weak creatures.

Silas, the head of my guards, stepped forward and bowed deeply. His dark cloak billowed behind him as he spoke. "My Lord, we have collected twenty offerings tonight. We searched every district as commanded."

I arched a brow. "Were there any problems?"

His jaw tightened. "Some families tried to hide their daughters, but none succeeded."

A smirk ghosted my lips. How foolish. The poor always thought they could outsmart me. No one escapes my will.

Silas turned to the prisoners and barked, "Raise your heads!"

One by one, the human girls lifted their faces, their expressions a mix of terror and reluctant submission. Tears glistened in their eyes, lips quivered, bodies trembled. Pathetic.

I descended from my throne with slow, deliberate steps. The crowd parted as I moved, my people watching in reverence. Their king was about to feed.

The first girl before me was young—perhaps no older than sixteen. Her chest heaved, her pulse visible at her throat. The scent of her fear was overwhelming.

She would do.

I grasped her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. She flinched but didn't resist. Good. Obedience would make this painless.

Without hesitation, I sank my fangs into her neck.

The moment her blood touched my tongue, a warm rush filled my veins. I swallowed deeply, feeling the familiar surge of power. The taste was sweet, rich—everything it should be.

And yet…

As I pulled back, licking the remnants from my lips, my satisfaction quickly faded. The taste was the same as always.

I moved to the next girl. Then the next. And the next.

Each time, I took what I needed. Each time, the taste was predictable. Ordinary. Boring.

By the time I reached the final offering, my patience was thin. The hunger inside me remained unsatisfied, a deeper craving gnawing at my insides. This was not what I needed.

I clenched my jaw, schooling my features into indifference. My people could not see my displeasure. A king does not show weakness.

I wiped the last drops of blood from my mouth and returned to my throne, my irritation simmering beneath the surface.

Something was missing.

No matter how many humans I drank from, none of them were enough.

There was a taste I longed for, a flavor I had never known yet craved more than anything. It was out there, somewhere in my kingdom, waiting for me to claim it.

And when I found it, nothing would stop me from taking it.

Katherine's POV

I held my breath, curled into the smallest space possible beneath the wooden floorboards of our home.

Above me, the heavy boots of vampire guards thudded against the floor as they stormed through our house. My mother stood between them and the small trapdoor that hid me, her voice shaking as she pleaded, "Please, there are no young girls here. You've already taken too many."

A moment of silence stretched between them before one of the guards scoffed. "If we find out you're lying, woman, you'll pay with your life."

Then, just as suddenly as they came, the boots retreated. The door slammed shut, and silence returned.

I remained frozen, listening. Waiting.

Finally, my mother lifted the trapdoor, her tear-streaked face appearing in the dim candlelight. "They're gone," she whispered.

I crawled out, my limbs stiff from being in such a tight space. My heart still pounded from the near miss, my throat thick with unshed tears.

We both knew the truth—we had barely escaped.

We weren't lucky. Just fortunate this time.

I wasn't always hidden when the vampires came. There were nights I watched as they dragged other girls from their homes, nights when I listened to their screams echo through the streets. And I knew that if I were ever taken, there would be no saving me.

Tonight was the blood ceremony.

Twenty girls had been captured. Twenty lives stolen.

I could only imagine what was happening to them now. And the worst part? No one could stop it. No one could defy Elliot King.

The most terrifying creature in this world.

My hands curled into fists. One day, I would escape this life. One day, I would rise above this misery.

I didn't know how or when, but I knew one thing for certain:

I would never belong to a monster like him.

Even if fate had other plans.