Claire POV.
Edited.

A beautiful vampire woman in a tight, stylish black lace and silk dress walks in—a naked human chained to a leash is crawling behind her. The dress is short in the front, revealing her long slender legs and trails to the floor in the back, glorifying her curvy frame with every step she takes.

Her bleach-blond hair is pinned into a tight, high bun, not a single hair is out of place. Her hips sway as she walks in, and her light-blue eyes shine brightly as they center on him.

I have no doubt in my mind what or who she is to him. One look says it all. She is his beloved.

Her cheeks catch on fire. She throws her human leash on the floor as she crosses the room in inhuman speed to embrace him.

His body stiffens slightly before he responds to her by embracing and wrapping his arms around her.

She wastes no time capturing his lips with her own. He responds to her kiss instantly, nibbling on her bottom lip with his fangs. She sticks her tongue down the back of his throat, deep enough that I'm sure if he wasn't a vampire, he would've choked. They suck each other's faces, completely disregarding the fact that I'm currently locked in place behind him.

I wrinkle my nose in disgust as their intimate moment stirs some unknown emotions inside me. My chest starts to burn, and without thinking, I pound on his stone-hard back. I then start wiggling myself from side to side, attempting to break free.

"Get off of me, you blood-sucking leech," I scream, throwing a tantrum like a seven-year-old child.

I don't know what's gotten into me. I don't even know why I'm so mad, but the burning sensation stirring within me clouds my better judgment.

I feel his body go dangerously still.

Her eyes flash bright red, acknowledging my presence for the very first time since she stepped into the room. I soon realize my error. Disrespecting him or their kind is a crime punishable by death—a crime that I've already committed once when I spat in his face.

The fact that his beloved now bears witness to my treason put me in deep shit.

Seconds after her eyes land in my direction, she leaps over him with fangs bared, ready to end my life. Surprisingly, he shoves his beloved, gentle enough not to cause her harm, but hard enough to send her stumbling back.

His muscles flex as he crouches slightly in front of me, shoulders crammed, full of tension. His back still presses against my frame, holding me in place.

His beloved hits the table, and light snickering can be heard from the other end of it.

I can see King Cyrus barely able to hold back his laughter, while both human girls watch the scene with wide eyes.

I can't blame them. It's not like you see vampires protecting humans on an everyday basis. It's unheard of.

"What the hell, Nicklaus!" she screams out in utter shock.

King Nicklaus doesn't even flinch.

"You will not touch my property without my permission," he growls low, his tone more than a warning.

I'm frozen in place.

"That filthy thing disrespected you," she says, her voice rising and eyes glowing brighter with every word. "She disrespected our kind. She's . . . a human!" Her face is bright red as she screams. She studies his expression, eyes quickly searching his face.

I can tell she's trying to understand what just happened. We all are. Besides, King Cyrus, who is currently rolling over with laughter. He's damn near losing his mind.

King Niklaus's features soften as he struggles to contain his anger.

"And she will pay for it," he speaks through clenched teeth.

My temperature rises to a new height once I see the soft expression that lingers on his usually inexpressive face. He cares for her, and that bothers me on a whole other level, sending a storm of emotions to flood through my veins.

Now that his guard is down, I manage to break loose of his hold, diving towards the table and grabbing a plate. I know I'm overreacting. He means nothing to me. I'm human. He's a vampire.

With all that being said, that doesn't stop me from throwing the plate in his direction, hitting him square in his face.

King Cyrus's laughter stops completely when the door swings open, revealing another extremely beautiful vampire woman. Her hair is dark as night. Unlike his beloved, this vampire's bloodshot, narrowed eyes go straight to me. She's wearing a skintight black leather suit that seems to be painted on her slender, milky frame.

King Nicklaus blocks me from view before I can drink in any more of her features. I have overstepped my boundaries. I know that. Speaking against him is bad enough, but a human attacking a vampire no matter how small the attack, is one rule that cannot go unanswered.

He appears so much taller as he stands in front of me. I want to cower away in fear, but I don't. I manage to find the courage to stare at him head-on. Unshaken. I purposely ignore another rule that should result in my death, not caring that both of the vampire women's eyes seem to flash brighter.

His next words catch me off guard.

"Cyrus, bring me the girl!"

King Cyrus stands to his full height.

"Which one, Your Highness?" he asks, fixing his eyes on me.

The amusement he once showed has disappeared completely, and I notice he has addressed him with his formal title.

"The one she tried to protect."

My heart drops instantly.

King Cyrus pulls the human girl by her mahogany hair, slinging her across the floor without hesitation.

The girl calls out, "No, please. Don't do this, Your Highness."

My attention shoots to him as I open my mouth to defend her.

"Silence, be still, and pay attention," says his voice in my head.

I feel his commandment sink into my bones, preventing my body from fulfilling my mind's true desires.

King Nicklaus holds the girl by the back of her neck; her sobs and screams penetrate the air.

Tears flow heavily out of my eyes. I try to break free, utter a word, anything to stop this punishment that I've caused. But no matter how hard I try, I can't move, I can't speak. I'm just frozen in place, forced to watch this monstrous act.

King Nicklaus tightens his grip.

The newcomer makes her way towards him and asks, "What does this human have to do with that human disrespecting you, Nicklaus?"

"To train an animal, you must first break their spirit, Mother."

He grips her harder.

"As you can see, this human doesn't fear losing her life. However, another life being ripped away because of her actions will do the trick." His voice becomes dangerously low. "Her death is on your hands," he hisses in my direction, cutting me deep.

My tears match the human girl's own, spiraling out of control.

Who I now know to be his mother nods in approval.

He places the girl in front of me. She looks me in my eyes, still screaming and lashing out as her fight for survival kicks in.

I try so hard to look away, but my eyes are locked on her, unable to break his command. My heart pounds loudly, beating against my chest.

Please, don't do this. Take me instead, I plead inside of my head.

His angry expression turns to stone, void of any emotions.

Please . . . don't.

"I-I . . . did . . . do . . ." She hiccups in between her words, sobbing and trembling with every breath she takes.

Déjà vu swirls inside my head, reminding me of the events that took place the first time we met. This is not the first time the true nature of one of the kings is demonstrated in front of me, but this is different.

"No, you didn't." His eyes found their way to me as he points in my direction. "She did."

More words that don't come from his mouth float in my head.

"You gave me no choice."

Ear-splitting screams fill the air as King Nicklaus sinks his fangs into the side of her neck.

Pity floods King Cyrus's expression, while King Nicklaus's beloved smiles from ear to ear. Her pet shoots a quick glance in my direction, watching my reaction, sending guilt to swallow me whole, blaming me as she should. This is my fault. I've caused this, and for what?

For some unspoken emotion, I can't even explain what feelings are flowing through me, clouding my better judgment.

His bite becomes harder, draining every ounce of her blood.

Her screams go silent, and the life in her eyes fades away.

He tears her head from her neck when he rips his fangs away, catching her limp form before it hits the floor. It reminds me in that very moment of who he is and what he's capable of—the ruler of the others and the most heartless, barbaric vampire of all time.

How could I forget so quickly? His boyish behavior when we are alone is all a front. He is still a vampire, and I'm just a human. I will not make the same mistake twice.

His words swirl in my head, "To train an animal, you must first break their spirit."

Everything starts to make sense—it was all an act.

I stare at the girl's body with no head attached, with utter fear. I can only pray that she can forgive me for causing such a savage death.

King Nicklaus's muscles tense as he orders, "Take her to the dungeons, Cyrus." 

He pauses, as a look of hurt flashes across his features, or so I think. "Place her in the cell across from her original one."

King Cyrus freezes in place.

"Are you cer—"

"Take her now!" he cuts King Cyrus off before storming out of the door.

His beloved snatches her pet's collar, dragging her, and follows behind him. His mother watches me for a long-drawn-out moment.

"Do as my son ordered!" she hisses in King Cyrus's direction.

"As you wish, Queen Mother," he responds.

The sound of her high heels clicking out the door follows behind him, eventually fading away.

My chest heaves up and down. I fall to my knees, hugging my body the moment I'm no longer under his control. My breathing is hard . . .

Guilt. Regret. Unbearable pain. All swirl together, forming a tight circle in the center of my chest.

I killed her. I did this.

Her body is still lying in the center of the room, and her head is in front of me, staring at me with lifeless eyes.

Tears flow heavily down my face and sobs shake my body.

King Cyrus's golden orbs meet my own as he lowers down to my level, forcing my attention away from her. He releases a soft sigh.

"Please, calm down. You left him no choice."

(Queen Mother)

Don't forget to show some love by tapping that ⭐️ and blessing me with comments!!!