CHAPTER ELEVEN — Predators in Silk
1010 Words
(Seraphina’s POV)
The ballroom glittered like heaven.
Which was ironic…
Considering it felt far closer to hell.
Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, their golden light dancing across polished marble floors while soft violin music drifted through the room.
Everyone smiled.
Everyone laughed.
Everyone pretended.
But beneath the elegance…I could smell the rot.
Powerful men speaking too quietly.
Women watching each other with careful suspicion.
Vampires moving through crowds like wolves dressed in expensive suits and somehow…The humans seemed worse.
Michael’s hand rested lightly against the small of my back as he guided me deeper into the ballroom possessively.Every person we passed reacted to him. Some lowered their gaze. Others stiffened. A few smiled too quickly.
Fear disguised as respect.
“You enjoy this,” I murmured quietly.
Michael glanced down at me.
“Enjoy what?”
“Watching people fear you.”
A faint smile curved his lips.
“Fear is honest,” he said softly. “Most emotions aren’t.” Before I could respond, a man approached us.
Older.
Human.
Expensive suit. Gold cufflinks. Greasy smile.
The kind of man who looked respectable until you looked too closely.
“Lord Michael,” he greeted smoothly.
Lord Michael
Michael’s expression remained calm.
“Senator Laurent.”
Ah.
Political power.
Wonderful.
The senator’s eyes shifted toward me immediately. Lingering too long. Disgust crawled beneath my skin.
“And who is this?” he asked.
Michael’s fingers pressed slightly against my back.
A warning.
Or a claim.
Maybe both.
“Seraphina.”
“That’s all?” the senator asked with a chuckle.
“That’s all she requires.”
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Subtle. Sharp.
The senator smiled again, though this time it looked forced.
“Of course.”
His gaze remained on me anyway. Hungry.
I suddenly understood exactly what happened at these gatherings.
Girls weren’t people here, they were currency.
Entertainment.
Luxury products for monsters with money and influence.
Rage burned beneath my skin so intensely I almost smiled. Because every second I spent here…I wanted Michael’s empire destroyed even more.
The senator finally walked away and I exhaled slowly. “You looked like you wanted to stab him,” Michael observed.
“I was considering it.”
To my surprise, he laughed softly.
“You disapprove of men like him.”
“Shouldn’t I?”
Michael’s gaze drifted across the ballroom.
Toward the wealthy guests moving elegantly through candlelight.
“Humans enjoy pretending monsters are different from them,” he murmured. “But most monsters start human.”
The words settled heavily in my chest.
Because part of me knew he believed that completely.
And maybe…
Part of him wasn’t wrong.
A soft clink echoed through the ballroom as someone tapped a glass.
The music faded.
Conversations quieted.
My attention shifted toward the center staircase and then…I saw them.
Three girls.
Young.
Beautiful.
Terrified.
They descended the staircase slowly wearing elegant dresses and empty expressions. My stomach twisted violently.
No.
No, no, no—
“They’re presenting them,” I whispered.
Michael looked at me calmly.
“Yes.”
The single word nearly shattered my self-control.
I looked around the room.
At the wealthy guests watching with amusement.
Interest.
Desire.
And suddenly I wanted to burn this entire place to the ground.
One of the girls stumbled slightly near the bottom step.
Fear obvious in every movement.
A man in the crowd laughed quietly.
That sound—
That disgusting sound—
Snapped something inside me.
I moved before thinking, straight toward the staircase.
“Seraphina,” Michael warned sharply behind me.
I ignored him.
The frightened girl looked ready to collapse entirely by the time I reached her.
I grabbed her hand gently.
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Confused.
Terrified.
“Smile,” I murmured softly. “They’re watching.”
The girl’s breathing trembled.
But slowly…
She nodded.
I turned toward the crowd.
And smiled coldly.
“If you’re going to stare,” I said clearly, “at least try not to look desperate.”
Silence crashed across the ballroom.
Several guests stiffened instantly.
Others looked offended.
Good.
Behind me, I could practically feel Lucien trying not to laugh.
And Michael…
Michael was staring at me like he couldn’t decide whether to punish me or kiss me.
Interesting.
The senator from earlier narrowed his eyes.
“You speak boldly for someone in your position.”
I met his gaze directly.
“And you speak too confidently for someone whose heart could stop at any moment.”
A few nearby vampires smirked openly.
The senator went pale.
Michael stepped beside me slowly.
Dangerously calm. The room held its breath.
Then unexpectedly—
He laughed.
Rich and genuine this time.
“Careful, Senator,” Michael drawled smoothly. “She bites.”
The tension eased slightly after that but not completely.
Because now…
Everyone in the room was watching me differently, not like prey, but like a problem.
Good.
That meant they finally noticed me. Michael leaned closer slightly.
“You enjoy causing chaos.”
“I enjoy irritating powerful men.”
“Dangerous hobby.”
I looked up at him.
“Am I in danger?”
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Constantly.”
For one brief second…
The world around us blurred.
The music.
The voices.
The ballroom.
It was just him.
Watching me like I fascinated him.
Like I challenged him.
Like he wanted to unravel me piece by piece.
And terrifyingly…Part of me wanted to know what would happen if he tried.
A sudden movement across the room broke the moment.
Lucien.
Lucien Draven
He was moving quickly toward us now.
Too quickly, his expression was colder than I’d ever seen it.
“Michael,” he said sharply.
Something in his tone made the atmosphere shift instantly.
Danger.
Real danger.
Michael’s amusement vanished immediately.
“What happened?”
Lucien’s gaze flickered briefly toward me.
Then back to Michael.
“There’s been a breach.”
The ballroom fell eerily quiet.
And suddenly…
Every instinct in my body screamed that tonight was about to become far more dangerous.
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