Chapter Two: The Devil’s Castle
1270 Words
The journey to the vampire king felt like traveling toward my own execution.
No one spoke as we rode through the forest.
Four warriors from the Moonshadow Pack surrounded me on horseback, their expressions grim and distant. The ropes around my wrists weren’t tight, but they didn’t need to be.
Where would I run?
Behind us lay the pack that had abandoned me.
Ahead waited the monster they had chosen to appease.
The forest thinned as the night deepened. Soon the tall pines gave way to dark cliffs and winding stone roads that twisted toward the mountains.
Vampire territory.
Even the air felt different here.
Colder.
Heavier.
As if the shadows themselves were alive.
One of the wolves riding beside me cleared his throat.
“Don’t look them in the eyes,” he muttered quietly.
I turned toward him.
“What?”
He kept his gaze forward. “Vampires. Especially their king.”
A chill slid down my spine.
“They can control your mind,” he continued. “Compel you to do whatever they want.”
I swallowed.
“That’s… comforting.”
He gave a humorless laugh.
“You’re lucky, you know.”
Lucky.
The word felt like a slap.
“How exactly is this lucky?” I asked.
He hesitated.
“Because if Lucien Draven wanted revenge,” he said slowly, “he could’ve demanded the entire pack.”
My throat tightened.
Instead…
He had chosen me.
The useless wolf.
The sacrifice no one would miss.
The road curved around the mountainside, and suddenly the forest opened.
My breath caught.
Below us, carved into the black stone cliffs, stood a city.
Nocturne.
Even from this distance, it looked ancient and terrifyingly beautiful. Tall gothic towers rose toward the sky like claws reaching for the moon. Countless lights burned within the dark buildings, casting golden reflections across narrow streets and stone bridges.
At the center of it all stood a castle.
Massive.
Obsidian-black.
Its spires pierced the clouds like jagged knives.
“That’s where he lives,” one of the wolves muttered.
The Devil’s Castle.
My stomach twisted.
We continued down the winding road until the massive iron gates of the city came into view.
They opened before we even stopped.
The guards waiting behind them weren’t human.
Pale skin.
Crimson eyes.
Still bodies that moved with unnatural grace.
Vampires.
One of them stepped forward, his long dark coat brushing the ground.
“You’re late,” he said coolly.
His gaze slid over our group before landing on me.
For a moment, something like curiosity flickered in his eyes.
“So,” he murmured.
“This is the tribute.”
The wolf beside me dismounted first.
“We’ve come to deliver the payment demanded by your king,” he said stiffly.
The vampire’s lips curved slightly.
“Oh, we know.”
His gaze returned to me.
“Trust me,” he said softly.
“He’s been waiting.”
My pulse quickened.
Waiting?
For me?
The guards escorted us through the city.
As we passed through the streets, I noticed something strange.
No humans.
No ordinary life.
Only vampires.
Watching.
Whispering.
Their eyes followed me like predators observing wounded prey.
By the time we reached the castle gates, my nerves were stretched so thin they felt ready to snap.
The doors opened slowly.
Inside waited darkness.
And silence.
We were led through towering hallways lit only by candlelight. Shadows stretched across the black marble floors, twisting into shapes that made my imagination run wild.
Finally, the guards stopped outside a pair of massive doors.
One of them pushed them open.
“The king will see you now.”
My heart hammered against my ribs as we stepped inside.
The throne room was enormous.
Black pillars lined the walls, rising toward a ceiling so high it disappeared into shadow. Hundreds of candles burned throughout the chamber, casting flickering light across the stone floor.
And at the far end of the room…
A throne.
Carved from obsidian.
Someone sat on it.
At first, I couldn’t see his face.
Only the shape of a tall figure leaning slightly forward, elbows resting on the arms of the throne.
Waiting.
Watching.
The wolves beside me stopped walking.
One of them shoved me forward.
My knees nearly buckled as I stumbled several steps closer.
Then the figure on the throne stood.
The movement was slow.
Deliberate.
Terrifying.
He stepped down from the throne and walked toward us.
Each footstep echoed across the chamber.
When he finally stepped into the candlelight, the entire room seemed to hold its breath.
Lucien Draven was… not what I expected.
He looked almost human.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Dark hair falling loosely around a pale, striking face.
But his eyes—
His eyes glowed a deep, unnatural crimson.
Ancient.
Predatory.
Beautiful.
And utterly merciless.
Every instinct in my body screamed danger.
The wolves bowed immediately.
“My king,” one of them said quickly.
Lucien ignored them.
His gaze was locked on me.
For a moment, he didn’t speak.
He simply studied me like a scientist examining something rare.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
“This,” he said quietly, “is what the Moonshadow Pack believes will satisfy our treaty?”
His voice was smooth.
Controlled.
But beneath it lurked something darker.
Something dangerous.
The wolf beside me stiffened.
“She is the tribute demanded by your messenger.”
Lucien’s gaze never left my face.
Slowly… he smiled.
But there was no warmth in it.
“No,” he said softly.
“This isn’t the tribute I demanded.”
A cold ripple spread through the room.
The wolves exchanged confused glances.
“My king?” one of them asked carefully.
Lucien took another step closer to me.
Close enough that I could feel the unnatural chill radiating from his body.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then something strange happened.
The air between us changed.
My chest tightened.
My heartbeat suddenly felt too loud.
Too fast.
Lucien’s expression shifted.
Surprise flickered across his face.
Just for a moment.
Then it vanished.
“Well,” he murmured.
“That’s… interesting.”
My throat went dry.
“What is?” I whispered before I could stop myself.
Lucien’s gaze dropped briefly to my chest—directly over my heart.
Then he leaned closer.
Close enough that his voice brushed against my ear like a dark secret.
“You’re not wolf,” he whispered.
My breath caught.
“What?”
Lucien straightened slowly.
His crimson eyes gleamed with something dangerous.
Something almost… excited.
Then he turned toward the wolves.
“You may leave,” he said.
Relief flashed across their faces.
They bowed quickly before turning to go.
But before they could reach the door—
Lucien spoke again.
“Oh,” he added casually.
“One more thing.”
The wolves paused.
Lucien’s smile returned.
Cold.
Ruthless.
“Tell your Alpha,” he said softly, “that he sent me the wrong girl.”
The room went silent.
Because the way Lucien was looking at me now…
Was not the way a king looked at a sacrifice.
It was the way a predator looked at something rare.
Something valuable.
Something he had been searching for.
And somewhere deep inside my chest…
That strange warmth from earlier flickered again.
Lucien’s eyes darkened.
Then he whispered the words that made my blood run cold.
“You’re a hybrid.”
The entire room froze.
Because hybrids weren’t supposed to exist.
Except for one.
Lucien Draven.
And suddenly I realized something terrifying.
The devil who ruled the night…
Wasn’t planning to kill me.
He was planning to keep me
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