Chapter 1

On the eve of eternal darkness, my fiancé and I attended a vampire night feast at an ancient mansion.

At midnight, he slipped away, entangling himself with my "dear friend" by her coffin until dawn broke.

I was thunderstruck.

If he was there, then who was the man who, last night, grazed my sensitive neck with his fangs, making me tremble all over, until I screamed in ecstasy?

Who could it be?

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1

I stood outside my best friend's ornate stone coffin, hearing my fiancé's muffled panting:

"Baby, one more time? I added 'Sleeping Powder' to Scarlett's blood wine. Don't worry, she won't wake up so soon."

"Lilith, just give it to me." His voice was hoarse, filled with desire.

Lilith, my most trusted vampire sister. This night feast was also her idea, supposedly to celebrate my impending union with Ethan, a final fling before our eternal marriage.

The double betrayal made my blood run cold.

Ethan's three vampire brothers were also there. They pulled me back, whispering, "Stay calm, Scarlett. Don't do anything rash."

My mind was in chaos, but I could only think, if Ethan was there...

Then last night, sneaking into my room, savagely tearing my silk nightgown, worshipping every inch of my skin with his icy yet burning lips and tongue, pinning me against the cold stone wall and tangling with me in a dance of passion.

Bringing me to climax again and again, until I was soaked all over, limp and powerless, the man who had nearly drained me of my newly embraced strength.

Who was it really?

Last night, I was unusually drowsy. I thought the heaviness in my eyelids and the haziness in my mind were due to the long journey and the excitement of the blood feast. In my foggy state, I heard Ethan call out to me tentatively a few times near my ear.

Then, he quietly left. Was he going hunting?

I'm not sure how much time passed before the thick velvet curtains were drawn open again.

A gust of cold night air rushed in, and I instinctively shrank back, but couldn't escape it.

A warmth pressed against my lips.

It was a kiss, an invasive vampire kiss. His tongue boldly explored my mouth, savoring my sweetness.

"No, not here..."

My feeble protest was swallowed up by a barrage of kisses. His hand daringly slipped under my nightgown, igniting flames of desire across my sensitive skin. The near-frenzied passion left me bewildered, as a warm, indescribable wetness pooled between my thighs.

The night wind howled outside the castle, but I felt like I was on fire. My whole body was burning and weak, unable to even lift a finger. What little reason I had left made me stifle my moans.

……There were other vampires outside.

But he pried open my tightly clenched lips, his tongue plundering my mouth at will. He whispered in my ear with a hint of seduction:

"It's okay. I want to hear you. Let me enjoy every beautiful moan you make."

Who was he? I raised my eyes in confusion, looking towards Ethan's brothers with their distinct auras.

Here, there were no less than...

Three of him.

I sat on the luxurious velvet couch, my face as pale as paper.

Ethan quickly returned.

"Darling, did you sleep well last night? I specially hunted for the freshest 'morning dew' for you. It's just been warmed up. Thoughtful, aren't I?"

He lay back down beside me, his body still carrying Lilith's unique, sickly sweet scent of blood, along with the distinctive musk from her intimate areas. Yet he shamelessly sought praise from me.

I wanted to laugh, but felt nauseous enough to vomit.

Drugging me, fooling around with my "best friend" right under my nose.

What other surprises were in store for me?

During breakfast, Lilith suddenly complained, "Ethan, you were breathing so heavily last night. I could hear you from next door. Scarlett's going to be driven crazy by your noise in the future."

Ethan glared at her, "Well, you better not find a partner in the future then. You won't even have a chance to find someone to annoy you." His tone was disgusted, but the corners of his mouth couldn't suppress a smile.

Lilith wouldn't let it go, turning to me with a whine, "Scarlett, did you hear how he talks to me? He has the nerve to criticize me!"

I just sat there, watching their performance in silence. I had never noticed it before.

Ethan was always courteous to all vampires, except for Lilith, whom he always treated with a hint of impatience.

The two would bicker whenever they met, so to ease the tension, I often spoke well of each in front of the other.

Lilith grumbled as she struggled with the crystal bottle containing the "morning dew," which was notoriously difficult to open. Ethan naturally took it from her, saying, "How hard can it be? Some newborns are just clumsy. Here!"

My stomach churned.

I was about to set down the crystal glass.

The handsome vampire sitting next to me reached out and effortlessly twisted off the cap.

"How difficult is this, Scarlett? You agree, right? Anyone can do it."

Damien, Ethan's follower and a rising star among vampires, was tall and slender. When he smiled, his eyes held a rebellious spark.

In my daze, he had already poured and handed me the "morning dew."