My Vampire Thralls

Chapter 21: The Sinner’s Collar

Seraphina’s knee remained firmly pressed against Micah’s abdomen, pinning him to the stage.

The entire auditorium had fallen into an eerie, suffocating silence. Micah let out a low, ragged breath, his blood-stained fingertips twitching as they tried to slide up the length of Seraphina’s leg.

"Hands off," Seraphina commanded, her voice cold. "Don’t move."

Micah froze instantly, his obedience absolute.

The collar fit him perfectly, buckled just beneath his prominent Adam’s apple. A silver cross hung between his collarbones, glinting against his pale skin. Because of his heightened state of agitation, Micah’s chest rose and fell in heavy, uneven cycles. Seraphina could feel the heat radiating from him; he was becoming difficult to hold down.

Perhaps sensing no real threat to their leader, the vampires of the Wild Rose Clan made no move to intervene. The interrupted aria resumed, its haunting melody filling the hall once more.

Seraphina remained silent, caught under Micah’s intensely expectant gaze. Damn it, she thought, how exactly am I supposed to use this thing Lillian gave me?

In the awkward standoff, Seraphina noticed something shift. Her gaze drifted downward.

Whatever the act of being collared had triggered in Micah's mind, it had manifested physically. A feverish flush crept up his porcelain-white face, and the sharp lines of his pristine uniform were now disrupted by a visible, restless tension.

Great, she thought grimly. I’ve actually turned him on.

"Suppress it," Seraphina snapped, her tone stiff.

The good news: Hunting Day was still a week away. If the collar didn't malfunction, its effects should last until the day after the hunt, making Micah a high-tier insurance policy for her journey into the forest.

The bad news: Micah’s depravity exceeded her wildest imaginations.

He reached up, his fingers lightly grazing Seraphina’s waist. "That’s... a bit difficult," he whispered, his face crimson. "You’ll have to give me a moment."

Seraphina shot him a look. The boy, possessing a beauty that felt almost divine, was staring back at her with a terrifying singular focus. She realized the collar was indeed working; without it, he likely would have devoured her right then and there.

Micah touched the leather around his neck, the black material a stark contrast to his snowy skin. "Are you a Hunter?" he asked softly.

Seraphina shook her head. "No. My former teacher gave this to me for self-defense."

Using it on the leader of one of the school’s most powerful factions seemed like a fair trade.

Micah’s gaze remained thick with obsession. "It wouldn't matter even if you were... Once you're turned into a vampire, everything from your past fades, leaving only your deepest desires. You could choose to care only for me."

Nobody said anything about turning! Seraphina screamed internally.

Now that the collar was secure, her heart rate finally began to steady. She eased the pressure she was exerting on him, but the beautiful vampire looked almost disappointed. He instinctively reached for her waist as if to pull her back, but she was faster.

Seraphina stood up, putting a clean two meters of distance between them. "Get up."

Micah stared at the ceiling lights for a few seconds, dazed, before slowly pushing himself off the floor. Below the stage, several satiated vampires discarded their "food"—the human students—as men in black moved in to clear the mess.

Seraphina watched the scene with a chilling detachment. "Are they... dead?"

Was every monthly theatrical performance a bloodbath?

"Of course not, darling," Micah said, his voice regaining its gentle lilt. "They’ve just lost a little blood. We aren't like those savages in the Crossed Swords Clan. The Wild Rose Clan rarely kills its blood bags."

A heavy fragrance of flowers followed him as he approached. Micah leaned in from behind, his hands hovering just over her abdomen in a silent, suggestive arc. "They are loyal fans of the troupe... look at them. Don't they look happy?"

His palm pressed against her stomach through her clothes, his fingers beginning to stray downward.

Seraphina brushed his hand away before he could get any bolder. She turned to face him. "What happens to them after? Where do they go?"

Would they remain as thralls for the Wild Rose Clan, or would they have their memories wiped and return to their mundane lives? It wasn't her primary concern right now. She needed to focus on utility.

"Darling," Micah asked, "what do you need me to do?"

She knew that once Hunting Day was over and Micah returned to normal, he’d likely hunt her down. For now, she had to use him.

Seraphina thought for a moment. "During Hunting Day, find Demyan. And beat him within an inch of his life."

She admitted she held a grudge. But taking Demyan out of the equation would also remove a massive threat. Since the Wild Rose and Crossed Swords clans were already at each other's throats, this shouldn't be too much to ask.

Leave a way out for yourself, she reminded herself. She didn't want a vampire as... clingy as Micah coming after her for revenge later.

Micah looked genuinely dejected. "Is that all? I told you, you can do anything you want to me."

"Stop talking nonsense," Seraphina said, feeling a chill crawl up her spine.

Micah slowly began to unbutton his shirt. As the collar of his uniform fell away, the black leather strap was fully revealed. He adjusted the angle, making the small silver cross dangle provocatively.

Seraphina looked away, feeling a phantom headache coming on. For her own mental health, she said, "Could you please button your shirt back up?"

Micah smiled at her. "No? I want everyone to know that I belong to you now."

"Senior..." Seraphina sighed. "Please don't come looking for me before Hunting Day. And don't say weird things to people about... whatever relationship you think we have."

Micah lowered his eyes. "Can I at least visit you in secret?"

"No, thank you."

He looked utterly heartbroken, and Seraphina forced herself to look away. Despite his twisted personality, that face was undeniably flawless.

She didn't want to stay in this mix of copper-scented blood and floral perfume any longer. She had entered with Adrian, but he was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, as she exited through the wings, she spotted him.

Standing across from Adrian, perched atop a massive stage prop, was a girl in a frilly western dress.

Her golden, voluminous hair reached her waist, and her face was so exquisite it was difficult to look away. In her elaborate gown, she looked like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. Except this "princess" was unusually tall—easily over 180cm—and she was idly clutching a razor-sharp dagger.

Seraphina blinked. "...?"

"He blocked me halfway," Adrian explained.

The doll-like figure’s gaze fell on Seraphina, scanning her from head to toe. She hopped down from her perch, gliding toward Seraphina with high-saturation blue eyes locked onto her target.

Micah stepped forward, placing a hand in front of the newcomer’s eyes to shield Seraphina.

Seraphina didn't want any more trouble. She grabbed Adrian and beat a hasty retreat.

Only when Seraphina’s silhouette had vanished did Micah pull back his lingering, soulful gaze. His voice turned sharp with a gentle warning. "Don't stare at what's mine like that, Yves. You should be careful with those eyes."

The doll tilted her head, her voice an ambiguous blend of masculine and feminine. "Yours? She has no wounds, no marks." She glanced at Micah, noting his heightened state of excitement. "I've never seen you this worked up... You didn't drink from her? There are empty rooms prepared backstage."

Micah shook his head. He touched the side of his neck, his fingers tracing the leather collar. The smile on his lips was unstoppable.

"I'm satisfied... When Hunting Day is over, I will make her mine."

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Micah kept his word and stayed away.

Perhaps because the vampires were all preparing for the hunt, the atmosphere on campus had become unsettling.

Finally, Hunting Day arrived.

It was Saturday. Most of the human students had already left for the weekend, leaving the campus hollow and hauntingly quiet.

Seraphina noticed Theodore Canaster passing by her for the umpteenth time. She put down her book, catching the young lord’s supposedly "discreet" stare.

Theodore frowned. "Are you really going to participate?"

He couldn't understand why Seraphina insisted on joining something as lethal as Hunting Day.

Seraphina leaned her cheek on her hand as he finally approached her. "Are you worried about me, My Lord?" She added, "I have to go. Someone very important to me is connected to that forest."

Important person?

"Man or woman?" Theodore blurted out.

Seraphina didn't answer; she just watched him. Theodore’s dark red eyes smoldered with annoyance for a few seconds before he looked away.

"Fine. Do what you want. This is the last time I ask."

Unlike a mixed-blood like Adrian, pureblood clan members usually met up first to decide whether to hunt in groups or go solo. Seraphina watched as Theodore marched out of the classroom with heavy, frustrated steps.

Once the room was empty save for the two of them, Adrian asked, "Did you provoke him on purpose?"

His intuition was always sharp.

Seraphina nodded. "He's been looking at me like a jilted husband lately. A family like the Scepter Clan, so obsessed with bloodlines, wouldn't allow a Prince to have a 'close relationship' with a human like me."

In the human world, a rich family might throw a check at her to go away. In the vampire world, they’d likely just make her disappear from the earth.

Non-humans are terrifying, she thought.

Seraphina walked to the window, Adrian following close behind. Both were remarkably calm. For humans, Hunting Day was nothing short of a Battle Royale.

It was autumn, and the nights weren't yet at their longest. If a "blood bag" could survive until dawn, they could earn their freedom.

Seraphina looked up at the sky. A full moon hung high, and dark silhouettes—bats—occasionally darted across its face.

She turned around. "Let's go."

The coordinates left by her brother, Silas, were deep within the forest. According to the map Theodore had given her, it would take at least an hour on foot.

Seraphina tucked her silver dagger securely into her gear. She was prepared to shed some blood on this path.

The Hunt had begun.