Demands

A heavy silence filled the room, thick with tension, as everyone absorbed Lucian's words. Shock registered on every face except one—Adrian, the man standing guard by the door. Having worked under Lucian for years, Adrian wasn't the least bit surprised. If anything, he knew his boss was being merciful.

Mr. Carter threw Lucian an incredulous look before chuckling. It started as a low rumble before turning into full-blown laughter. "You can't be serious," he said, shaking his head in amusement.

Lucian didn't laugh. He didn't smile. His icy gaze remained locked on Carter, unyielding, unamused.

Mr. Carter's laughter faded almost immediately. The smugness on his face disappeared, replaced by a slight twitch of his jaw. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "You're being ridiculous," he scoffed. "You do realize who you're dealing with, don't you? This isn't some petty rival fight. This is the Council of Vitae. You don't spew threats here."

Lucian met his gaze with an unsettling calm. "I'm well aware." His voice was cold, deadly. "That's why I know my cooperation is worth more to you than anything you're offering me. You need me more than I need you. And if you truly want my cooperation, you know what to do."

Carter's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white as he struggled to contain his anger. A muscle in his jaw ticked. For a long moment, he simply glared at Lucian, his teeth grinding together audibly.

Then, as if flipping a switch, Carter's expression shifted again. He forced a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Come on now, Mr Draven," he said smoothly, leaning forward. "Let's not blow this out of proportion. Look, I'll have the guy apologize. No need for anything extreme."

Lucian remained as unmoved as a statue. "He didn't give her a chance to apologize before he hit her. Why should I accept one now?"

Serena, who had been quiet throughout the exchange, felt her stomach twist. She wasn't sure how to feel about what was happening. One thing was certain—she didn't pity the man who had struck her. She had seen firsthand the cruelty these people were capable of.

Lucian glanced at his watch. "You have two minutes left before I walk out of here."

Carter's eyes flashed with frustration. His fingers drummed against his desk before he let out a heavy sigh. Muttering a curse under his breath, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

The room was deathly silent as he spoke in a low voice, explaining the situation to whoever was on the other end of the call. Every few seconds, his gaze flicked toward Lucian, his expression darkening. Eventually, he ended the call, tossing his phone onto the desk with a loud clatter.

His eyes burned into Lucian's as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Fine. The request is granted. His hand will be cut off."

A few gasps echoed in the room, but no one dared to speak.

Carter seemed to expect some kind of satisfaction from Lucian, but he found none. Instead, Lucian merely leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable. "Good. Go ahead. I want it done right here, right now," he said.

Carter's nostrils flared. His fingers curled into his palm, but he didn't argue. With a sharp nod, he motioned for one of the men in the office to come to him, and he whispered instructions to his ear.

The man who was given instructions hurriedly went to carry them out. He returned with a wooden stool, a sheated knife, and three other guards.

The guy in question—Damon, who had slapped Serena— panicked. He never thought that the council would agree to what Lucian said. Now, he was forced to his knees by two people, his face draining of color as the reality of his situation set in.

"Wait—no! Mr. Carter, please!" He struggled against the grip of the guards, desperation in his eyes. "I—I didn't mean to—!"

"Cut his palm off," Carter instructed, gritting his teeth.

The blade was unsheathed. And without hesitation, it was brought down heavily on Damon's right wrist, which had been secured to the stool.

A sickening scream tore through the air.

Blood splattered across the floor. Damon crumpled forward, his severed hand falling limply beside him. His ragged gasps of pain filled the room, but no one moved to help him.

Carter's gaze snapped back to Lucian. His face was taut with barely restrained fury. "Satisfied?" he bit out.

Lucian didn't even glance at Damon's writhing form. He exhaled slowly, then said, "That was step one."

Carter's chair scraped against the floor as he shot to his feet. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Lucian didn't flinch. "Don't interrupt me, Carter. I'm already pissed as it is."

For a moment, it looked like Carter might lunge at him. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his hands trembling at his sides. But Lucian's gaze remained steady, waiting.

With a heavy exhale, Carter lowered himself back into his chair. His fingers tapped against the desk. "What else?"

Lucian turned his head, his gaze finding Serena. His expression didn't soften. "Look at her. You went to her house," he said, his voice measured. "Kidnapped her. Tied her up like a criminal. And then dragged her here to offer her to me, as if I were some dog that would simply accept whatever you threw at me."

Carter scoffed. "What did you expect? You think she was a willing participant? The reason she's standing here and looking all sober is because we have her brother. If not, she'd have been raving and fighting like a mad woman."

Lucian's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "That is reasonable, don't you think?"

Carter's fingers clenched. "You already got your pound of flesh. What more could you possibly want?"

Lucian leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Take her back to her house, ensure she gets a good night's rest, bring her back here tomorrow without all the blood and the ropes. She needs to look like someone relatively worthy of being by my side. Only then will I accept her," he said simply, standing up. "You have her brother so I'm pretty sure she will not run away." He added, walking away.

Serena followed him with her eyes, but she wasn't in awe this time. She was glaring at him. What did he mean by someone relatively worthy of being by the side? What did he take her for?

Carter exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening. "Why are you doing all this when she isn't your type as you claimed?" He asked.

"If she were to be my type, I wouldn't have asked for just a hand. Your guy would be dead by now for having the guts to hit her in my presence." Lucian responded without slowing down or stopping his advance toward the door.

Seeing how he was already at the door, Carter spoke out one more time. "Mr Draven, we still need to conduct the initial testing."

Lucian's eyes darkened. "There will be no testing happening tonight, Carter. I will be back here tomorrow for the testing and the joining." He turned around, fixing his gaze on Serena, who to his satisfaction, was also glaring at him. "Also, any modafucker who lays his hands on her will answer to me." He added, before finally walking away.

As soon as he got to his car and climbed in, Adrian shot him in knowing look. "You just offended the Council of Vitae. They will not forgive what you did in there."

Lucian let out a sigh, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"The Council of Vitae offended me first. I do not forgive either," he answered, and Adrian just turned towards the road after letting out a sigh. He started the car and drove away from the council building.

Back inside Carter's office, the atmosphere, instead of becoming lighter, became even more tense after Lucian left.

Serena moved her eyes away from the door she had been glaring at, back to Carter, only to see the guy shooting daggers at her.

A sweet smile appeared on her face, which infuriated Carter the more. "Aren't you going to untie me now?" She asked in a sweet, calm voice, loving how he had shifted from his arrogant and proud self into a ruffled mess.

Carter instructed one of the men to untie her. With her hands free, Serena let out a relieved breath. "I also have demands before I agree to anything," she spoke in the same sweet voice,swaying her body from side to side in a playful manner.

"You are in no position to make demands," Carter spoke in finality, but she only let out a dramatic sigh.

"I haven't even done anything to you, yet all the veins in your head and face are about to pop because of me. I wonder how you still think you can underestimate me. I can ruin things for you without even raising a finger so you better cooperate." Now it was her turn to dish out threats.

Carter smirked, nodding his head in realization of what she was doing. "What do you want?" He asked, deciding to play along... For now.

"I want to speak to my brother. I need to be sure he's alive and well. Only then will I agree to this madness y'all came up with."

Carter was surprised, but he refused adamantly to let it show. He had expected a rather ridiculous or outrageous demand from her.

"I'll make arrangements for you to speak with your brother," he answered, then gestured to one of the men in the office. "Get her out of my sight."