CHAPTER 4

SELENE

Then, the room fell into a hush as he moved. He stepped toward the edge of the stage.

And then I saw him fully.

The buyer.

My breath hitched, my heart hammering against my ribs, betraying me. He was, hands down, the most gorgeous man I had ever seen—dark, commanding, and lethal in his beauty. A predator in the body of a god. Every inch of him radiated power, and yet it was his gaze that held me captive, ensnaring me in a way I didn’t understand.

His features were breathtaking—chiselled cheekbones, a strong, defined jaw, and full lips that held the hint of a smirk. His dark, piercing eyes were framed by thick lashes, their intensity both alluring and dangerous. Midnight-black hair, effortlessly tousled, added to his air of untouchable perfection.

He was the most striking man I'd ever seen.

His jaw was clenched, his body coiled with restraint, but his eyes… his eyes never left me.

The sudden pressure on my arm snapped me out of my thoughts.

The burly guard's grip tightened around my arms, yanking me off the stage.

"Let me go!" I screamed, my voice cracking with panic as I struggled against his iron grip. I swung my fists, trying to break free, but the chains rattled, and his hold only tightened.

He flashed his fangs, his face looming dangerously close. The stench of blood-fresh filled my nostrils, mingling with the decaying remnants of his last victim. The raw, metallic scent made my stomach lurch, and I fought to keep the bile down as his breath, thick with death, washed over me.

And then it hit me. The words of the woman who had warned me—whispered of monsters lurking in the shadows—came rushing back, crashing over me like a tidal wave.

Vampires. It wasn’t a metaphor. It wasn’t some dark fairy tale to scare children. He was a vampire. A real, blood-drinking, soulless creature of the night.

A scream tore from my throat, raw and desperate, as the reality settled in. Vampires existed. And now, I was their prey.

No. No, no, no. This wasn’t happening. My mind refused to process it. It couldn’t be real. And yet, the sharp fangs glinting under the dim light, the way his pupils dilated at the scent of my fear—it was undeniable.

I struggled, but my resistance was futile-if anything, it seemed to fuel his amusement.

His fingers dug deeper into my skin, his fangs flashing as he leaned in, breath rancid and heavy. Desperation surged through me, and I threw myself against the wall, trying to break free.

"Filthy disgusting whore!" the vampire snarled, his voice dripping with disdain.

"I can't believe someone like him would pay a million dollars for you. What's so special about you, huh?"

I struggled against his iron grip, my nails raking down his arm as I hissed,

"Let me go, you bloodsucking monster!" My voice trembled with fury, but my body, as he dragged me further away from the stage.

His hand rose, and I braced for the strike, squeezing my eyes shut and waiting for the inevitable blow. But it never came. Slowly, I cracked my eyes open, and my breath caught in my throat as I froze in place, caught between fear and disbelief.

The guard was suspended in the air, his feet dangling several inches off the ground.

The buyer's hand was wrapped tightly around the guard's throat.

His fangs gleamed under the dim light, sharp and menacing, while his copper eyes burned with an eerie glow, their intensity almost hypnotic.

His grip on the guard's throat was unyielding, a force of absolute dominance. The sickening sound of grinding bone and tearing tissue filled the room, a grotesque symphony of power and pain.

Vampires didn’t need to breathe—they were dead, after all. But that didn’t make them invincible. Flesh could still bruise, and bones could still shatter under enough force. And the buyer… he wielded more than enough.

I stumbled back, my shoulders pressing into the cold stone wall as panic seized me. My fingers clutched at my throat, my breath coming in shallow bursts as I frantically scanned the room, searching for any possible escape. But there was none.

The buyer's expression remained cold, detached as if the struggle in his grip was beneath him. He didn't flinch, didn't exert visible effort- yet the effort- yet applied was absolute, merciless. The guard's body convulsed, his strangled gasps turning into pathetic whimpers.

The buyer leaned in slightly, his voice a slow, lethal whisper.

"You forget your place." His voice was a blade, cold and merciless, slicing through the suffocating silence. His grip tightened, and the sickening crunch of bones shifting under pressure sent a jagged scream ripping through the air.

"She. Is. Mine."

The words dripped like poison, each syllable a death sentence. His abyssal gaze locked onto the trembling guard, pinning him in place with the sheer force of his fury.

"Touch what belongs to me again, and I will not stop at breaking bones—I will tear you apart, piece by piece until our own kind fails to recognize what’s left."

With a flick of his wrist—he hurled the guard across the room. The brutal crack of his body colliding with the stone wall reverberated through the chamber, followed by a strangled groan.

The vampire crumpled, twitching in agony.

The buyer barely spared him another glance, his focus returning to me. And in his eyes, I saw it—unwavering possession. A promise of ruin for anyone who tried to take me from him.

I stared, frozen in disbelief.

The guard—easily over two hundred pounds—had been hurled aside as if he weighed nothing, his body hitting the wall with a sickening crack, he was tossed aside with the same effort it would take to discard a crumpled piece of paper, The sheer ease of it, the casual flick of the buyer’s wrist, sent a chill down my spine.

Not a single wrinkle marred his pristine suit, not a strand of his hair disturbed by the chaos he had just unleashed.

Who was this man… this monster draped in elegance and power?

"I-I'm sorry... Prince Darius," the guard stammered, struggling to rise to his feet. But one look from the master vampire had him crumbling back to his knees in submission.

Darius?

The guard kept his eyes lowered, forehead pressed to the floor as he dared not meet Darius's gaze.

"Is she to your satisfaction, Master?" he asked, his voice thick with fear and reverence.

Darius didn't answer.

His eyes, dark and unreadable, swept over me slowly, lingering at every inch of exposed skin. I crossed my arms instinctively, hugging my stomach as if that could shield me from his penetrating stare.

The silence stretched between us. I couldn't fathom what he saw, but the way his expression didn't change made me question whether he was satisfied.

"Are you okay?" His voice was a low murmur, the words almost too calm for the situation. I wasn't sure if it was a genuine concern or something more sinister.

The question took me by surprise. I hesitated before nodding, unsure whether it was a trick, a test, or if he genuinely wanted to know.

"Have your sire arrange the settlement with my men," Darius ordered, his tone firm and decisive, his eyes still locked on mine.

"Yes, Prince Darius, anything you command," the guard responded quickly, bowing his head even lower.

But Darius didn't break his gaze from me. His unreadable expression never wavered, leaving me in a state of unease, unable to decipher his thoughts.

I was alone with him, the weight of the situation settling like a heavy fog in the pit of my stomach. Fear curled through my veins, chilling my blood as I dared to glance up into the cold, stony eyes of the vampire who now thought he owned me.

The one who would probably suck me dry.

No...no

As soon as I found my moment, I would slip away, and he would never know what hit him.

His eyes, dark as the night, gleamed faintly with an unnatural amber glow, like fire smouldering beneath the surface. His face was carved from stone, every feature sharp and unforgiving, offering no clue as to what he was thinking. The strength beneath his tailored suit was undeniable, his muscles bulging with the kind of power that could break a man with a single movement. This was no ordinary vampire. He radiated danger, untamed power-

Without warning, his grip tightened on my hair, forcing my head to the side and exposing the delicate curve of my neck to his gaze. I fought to keep my breath steady, to remain calm, but the panic surged in my chest, making my heart race and my blood pound. His eyes locked on my jugular, and I felt the primal weight of his attention.

He inhaled deeply, flaring his nostrils as though savouring the scent of my fear.

"I heard there was a virgin for sale," he murmured, his voice low, almost... intrigued.

"But I didn't believe it until now. Pure women are a rarity these days."

Heat flooded my cheeks, a wave of embarrassment crashing over me.

Nineteen years old and still untouched- something I had never been able to shake off. The shame twisted in my gut, especially now that I could feel his senses honing in on the fact that his sharp awareness picking up what I'd always feared was so obvious.

His fingers dug into my hair, forcing my head back until I had no choice but to meet his gaze. I bit back a cry, determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. I held his gaze, unflinching, even as my body screamed for escape.

He studied me carefully, his expression unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes intense curiosity that sent a shiver down my spine. He seemed to be looking for something, his focus narrowing as if trying to understand what exactly it was about me that didn't fit.

"There's something... different about you," he said, his voice softer, though still laced with that unshakable dominance.

"I can sense it, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

The air between us thickened, and I swallowed hard, unsure of what he meant.