Sold To My Fated Enemy

Nyra’s POV My legs rooted to the ground, every inch of my body trembling as I stared at the horror unfolding before me. My heart slammed wildly against my ribs, breath hitching as my eyes widened in disbelief. A woman was trapped in the arms of a cruel vampire. He held her tightly, his head buried in her neck, drinking her blood as she whimpered weakly. She struggled, desperate to break free, but he refused to release her. My muscles locked, terror freezing me in place. When he had taken his fill, he shoved her away. Her body—already lifeless—collapsed to the ground with a dull thud. My gaze followed her fall, and in that instant, the world shattered. Mother? The air was knocked from my lungs. Panic clawed through me as adrenaline surged. I ran to her, dropping to my knees, my hands trembling as they brushed her blood-soaked face. Pain crushed my chest as I watched her eyes flutter weakly, barely open, her lips stained crimson. “Please, mummy,” I begged, sobbing. “Don’t die. Don’t leave me.” “Run,” she whispered—the last word she ever spoke. Her eyelids slid shut. A scream tore from my throat. I sat there, broken, sobbing beside her body, oblivious to the monster standing nearby. “Stop crying.” The voice was cold. Detached. I turned slowly and saw the vampire who had murdered my mother. Her blood coated his lips, glistening under the moonlight. But his face was hidden beneath a cloak. “Here,” he said calmly, extending his hand. “Take my hand. Come with me, my little wolf.” “No… never,” I whispered, scrambling to my feet, turning to flee. I never made it far. He caught me easily. “Let me claim you,” he muttered, forcing my head aside, exposing my neck. “You are mine.” Then his teeth sank into my flesh. I screamed. ***** I jolted upright in bed, heart racing, its frantic rhythm pounding in my ears. Sweat drenched my skin as I gasped for air, clutching my chest. My eyes darted around the room until reality settled in. I was in my room. I exhaled shakily, relief washing over me—followed immediately by grief. A single tear slid down my cheek. The same dream. Every night. The same nightmare. I wished it stopped. The memory of the day my mother was killed by vampires never faded. It lived in me, sharp and unrelenting. Long ago, when I was still a child, vampires invaded our pack, slaughtering many. My mother fought fiercely to protect me—until she paid for it with her life. That was why I loathed vampires. They were heartless demons who killed without conscience. They were monsters. And since that day, I had locked myself inside this room, never stepping beyond the palace walls. The only person who had truly loved me was gone. My father had never been the same—if he ever cared at all. He blamed me for her death and never once offered comfort or affection. The door burst open. My maid stormed in and stopped short when she saw me. She inhaled deeply—a sound I knew too well. Anger. No—rage. She was the only person who loved me after my mother. “Don’t tell me you were sleeping,” she snapped, marching toward me. I nodded timidly. She groaned. “Who sleeps on their birthday?” Birthday? Oh. I had forgotten. “You had the dream again, didn’t you?” she asked softly. Again, I nodded. Her expression softened into sympathy before she straightened. “It’s your birthday. Cheer up!” She pulled me up, but I slipped from her grasp. “What’s with that tone?” I frowned. “Why make a fuss when we both know my birthday is never celebrated? It’s just another day.” “But it’s different this time,” she said with a smile. “I think Alpha is finally treating you like your half-sister.” My curiosity stirred uneasily. “What are you talking about?” “Come downstairs,” she urged. “People are eager to meet the celebrant. No one has ever seen you—except those in the palace.” She dragged me from the bed, already stripping away my clothes. “You mean Father is throwing me a party?” I asked, disbelief tightening my voice. “Enough questions. Take a shower and get ready,” she said briskly. “Tonight, you may meet your mate. You’re twenty now, and you’ve never found one because you hide away. Tonight will be different.” Something about her words made my chest tighten. *** I moved quietly among the crowd, unnoticed. No one knew who I was—and that was intentional. Since my mother’s death, I had stayed hidden, eating alone, studying alone, living alone. My stepmother terrified me, and my half-sister was a venomous snake, sweet before our father, but cruel behind his back. Still, something felt wrong. Father throwing me a party? The thought unsettled me. His sudden generosity felt unnatural. Ominous. I settled into a chair in a far corner, observing the room. Wealthy, powerful figures filled the hall, their presence making my skin crawl. What is Father planning? “You must be from the Crystal Moon Pack—specifically the palace.” The cold voice shattered my thoughts. I glanced sideways. A man sat beside me, his back turned. Assuming he wasn’t speaking to me, I looked away. “You didn’t hear me?” he said again, his voice colder. My body stiffened. Slowly, I turned and met him looking at me. Hazel-dark eyes locked onto mine, burning through me, sending chills down my spine. His face was devastatingly handsome—dangerously so. “Uhm?” My voice barely escaped. “Your scent speaks of this pack,” he said calmly. “Are you from the palace?” I nodded. “Then you must know the princess.” “Princess?” I echoed, startled. “The elder princess,” he said. “I’ve asked many, yet no one seems to know her. Who is she?” His words struck like lightning. My breath caught, pulse roaring in my ears. Something about him felt… wrong. Powerful. Unnatural. “I don’t know her,” I lied. His gaze sharpened. He rose and stepped closer, towering over me, invading my space. My heart froze. “Your face betrays you,” he murmured. “And your dress speaks volumes.” His fingers brushed my gown. “Either you know her,” he said quietly, “or you are her.” “Why are you so desperate to find her?” I snapped, anger flaring. He leaned closer, lifting a strand of my red hair. “Because soon,” he whispered, “she will belong to me.” “What?” I gasped, my heart stopping momentarily. “So you’ve met already.” My father’s voice cut through the tension, and I jolted up from the chair, taking a few steps away from the man. He approached with my stepmother and her daughter. “Nyra,” he announced coldly, “meet King Nickolas—the ruler of all vampire kingdoms.” My blood turned to ice. My body stilled, and slowly I turned to face him. Horror etched on my face. “And your husband-to-be.” The world spun. “What?” My voice cracked as my mind shattered under the weight of his words. How could he think of pairing me up with a vampire when he knew that I loathed them. Not even an ordinary vampire, but their king? What's he thinking?