Claimed By The Vampire King

The cold was the first thing Lucianna remembered. Not the gentle cold of winter mornings when snow covered the ground and the world looked peaceful. Not the kind of cold that came from walking through a forest beneath a silver moon. This cold was different. This cold was cruel. It had teeth. It wrapped around her bones, sinking deeper with every passing hour until she couldn't remember what warmth felt like. Her fingers trembled against the frozen stone floor beneath her. The rough surface cut into her skin, but she barely felt the pain anymore. The iron chains around her wrists had rubbed her skin raw days ago, leaving behind wounds that refused to heal. Not because she was weak. Because they had made sure she couldn't heal. The dungeon beneath Silver Moon Pack had been designed to hold the strongest wolves. But no prison had ever felt as painful as knowing the person she loved had placed her there. Lucianna closed her eyes. She didn't know how long she had been trapped. A day. A week. Maybe longer. Time had lost all meaning. The only thing she counted now were the breaths between moments of consciousness. The moments when she wondered if the door would open. If footsteps would approach. If he would finally come. If he would finally remember her. "Kael..." His name escaped her lips as barely a whisper. Once, saying his name had brought her happiness. Once, his name had been home. Now it felt like a scar. Alpha Kael Ashthorn. Her mate. Her husband. The man she had loved more than anything in this world. The man who had stood before the Moon Goddess and promised he would protect her. "I will cherish you." "I will stand beside you." "I will choose you above all others." Those were the words he had spoken. Words that everyone believed. Words that she had believed. But promises meant nothing when they came from someone who had already decided to break them. A tear slid down Lucianna's cheek. The moment it touched the cold air, it froze. She stared at the small piece of ice on the ground. A strange thought crossed her mind. Even her tears couldn't survive here. Maybe that was what hurt the most. She had spent her entire life trying to be enough. Enough for her pack. Enough for her mate. Enough for everyone who looked at her and decided she was something less. But no matter how much she gave... It had never been enough. Her mind drifted back to the beginning. Before the pain. Before the betrayal. Before she learned that the person who promised to protect her could become the reason she needed protection. She had been eighteen when the Moon Goddess revealed her mate. She remembered that night perfectly. The entire Silver Moon Pack had gathered beneath the full moon. The air had been filled with excitement and celebration. Everyone dreamed of finding their mate. But no one expected Lucianna to be chosen by the Alpha. The moment their eyes met, the bond ignited. A powerful connection. A pull that felt impossible to resist. The entire pack had cheered. "Luna Lucianna." "The future queen of Silver Moon." "You are blessed." Those words followed her everywhere. And she believed them. She believed Kael was different. When he smiled at her, she thought she had found her forever. When he held her hand, she thought she was safe. When he whispered that no one would ever come between them, she believed him. She didn't know that sometimes the person who makes you feel the safest... Is the same person who can destroy you. The first warning came slowly. So slowly that she ignored it. Kael started coming home later. At first, she didn't question him. An Alpha had responsibilities. Pack meetings. Border patrols. Training. She understood. She wanted to be a supportive Luna. She wanted to be the woman he needed. But then the excuses became more frequent. The distance between them grew. The man who once couldn't spend a moment away from her began finding reasons to leave. And still... She defended him. Because love made her blind. Because admitting something was wrong meant admitting the future she dreamed of might never exist. Until the night she saw him. With her. Seraphina Vale. The woman everyone whispered would have made the perfect Luna. Beautiful. Strong. Powerful. A warrior. Everything people said Lucianna wasn't. She remembered standing outside the training grounds that night. She had only been looking for Kael because she wanted to surprise him. She remembered the smile disappearing from her face when she saw them. Kael was laughing. Not the polite smile he gave during meetings. A real laugh. A laugh Lucianna hadn't heard in months. Seraphina touched his arm. And Kael didn't move away. That tiny moment broke something inside her. But even then... She made excuses. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it wasn't what it looked like. Maybe she was just being insecure. Because accepting the truth meant accepting that the man she loved was slipping away. And she wasn't ready for that. The dungeon door suddenly slammed open. The sound ripped Lucianna from her memories. Her weak eyes opened. For one desperate second... Hope returned. "Kael?" Footsteps echoed against the stone floor. Slow. Confident. But they weren't his. Seraphina entered the dungeon. She looked completely untouched by the darkness surrounding them. Her elegant dress was spotless. Her hair was perfect. She looked like she belonged in a palace. Not standing in front of a dying woman. Lucianna's heart sank. "What are you doing here?" Seraphina smiled. A smile colder than the dungeon itself. "I wanted to see you before the end." Lucianna stared at her. "The end?" Seraphina walked closer. Her heels clicked against the stone. "Did you really think Kael was coming?" The silence answered her. Seraphina's smile widened. "Oh, Lucianna." The pity in her voice was worse than hatred. "He never loved you." The words hurt. But they didn't surprise her. Not anymore. "No." Seraphina tilted her head. "He loved what you represented." She crouched in front of her. "Your bloodline." A pause. "Your connection to the Moon Goddess." Another pause. "Your ability to strengthen the pack." Lucianna shook her head. "No..." "You were useful." The words shattered something inside her. "You were never his true choice." Lucianna felt her chest tighten. "Kael would never..." Seraphina laughed softly. "He already did." She stood. "While you were down here freezing, he was upstairs celebrating." Lucianna's breath caught. "Celebrating what?" Seraphina's smile became cruel. "Our mating ceremony." The world stopped. For a moment, Lucianna couldn't hear anything. Not the dungeon. Not her own breathing. Nothing. Because the person she loved had already replaced her. "You lie." "I wish I did." Seraphina turned toward the door. Then paused. "One last thing." She looked back. "Kael wanted you to know..." Her smile was almost gentle. Almost. "He never considered you his true mate." The door closed. And Lucianna was alone again. For a long time, she didn't move. She had imagined many endings. Anger. Revenge. A desire to destroy everything that hurt her. But she felt none of those things. Only exhaustion. She was tired. Tired of fighting for someone who would never choose her. Tired of proving she deserved love. Tired of begging for a place in someone's heart. Her eyes slowly closed. "I hope..." Her voice trembled. "In another life..." A tear slipped down her cheek. "I find someone who chooses me." The darkness came quietly. But it wasn't frightening. For the first time in years... She wasn't hurting. Then a voice reached her. Ancient. Powerful. Gentle. You were given the wrong mate. Lucianna opened her eyes. She was no longer in the dungeon. Moonlight surrounded her. A silver glow filled the endless space around her. "Who are you?" Her voice echoed. You were never meant to die forgotten. A warmth surrounded her. Your story does not end here. A strange flower appeared before her. A rose. But not a normal rose. Its petals were crimson. Like blood. Like fire. Like power. Rise, Blood Rose. Lucianna stared. "What does that mean?" But there was no answer. Only light. And then... She woke up. To sunlight.