Zhera's POV:
I went back to Aurelith's place. The chain of events weighing heavily on my mind. I didn't really remember what happened last night. I don't know how I ended up with him again. And when I tried to, my head started aching terribly so I just let it go. Aurelith was supposed to be with me so how did I end up in his bed again?
That man, he felt familiar; like I knew him from somewhere but I couldn't tell where. He is a vampire prince so he certainly has access to many information, maybe even the information on my mother's death. I had been looking into this for years since my mother went missing seven years ago. I will never accept that she's gone until I see her dead body.
My dad doesn't even deserve to be the king of the Caracal Wild Cats. He's not even a Caracal shifter in the first place. He was a fox shifter like the woman he married. My mom married him against her family's wishes after they died. They faced the same fate as my mom. They went on an expedition to the vampires kingdom to form an alliance with them but they never returned. And people drew the conclusion that the vampires killed them. But they didn't have a reason to and my mom refused to believe it. And I'll never forgive her for marrying our dad.
I remember on the thirteenth birthday of me, Lunara and Thyra, my mother informed us that he wasn't our biological father. But she never told us who our biological father was or why she married him instead. This meant that now, the kingdom was being ruled by people who not only didn't deserve the throne, but also weren't even rightful heirs. They have been holding Thyra back saying she wasn't ready yet. And I felt that there was no coincidence in this situation. And I had gotten no leads and I felt like this man could be what I have been searching for.
Even though he had a bad impression of me, I'll try to change that. And I don't blame him; I would've done the same thing if I were in his shoes. But even though I don't remember what happened last night, I remembered the man who came to me and drugged me after Aurelith left for the bathroom. I remember that the prince helped me and he was the last person I saw before passing out. So I think moving in with him won't be bad.
Before I knew it, I had finished packing for tomorrow. And almost on sync, Aurelith came. It was already afternoon.
"Where were you girl? I've been looking everywhere for you."
"Maybe I should ask you the same thing."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Last night where were you? I went to the club for the first time in six years and you left me alone."
"I told you before going to the bathroom." She tried to make an excuse but I wasn't buying it.
"Who takes half an hour in a bathroom at a club especially when someone's waiting for them?" I said with a bit of anger in my tone.
"I'm sorry Zhera." She said apologetically and when I saw the look in her eyes, I couldn't bring myself to push the matter further and ask her why she took so long.
"Fine it's okay."
"But what happened yesterday when I was gone? Why are there rumours circulating about you being engaged to a vampire prince?"
"Okay so, long story short. After you left, a man walked up to me, convinced me to take a shot and turns out it was drugged. When it started working and weakening me, he tried to force himself on me. That vampire prince from before stepped in and helped me. Then I passed out. I woke up next to him with no memory of what happened after that. The media came in and he told them I was his fiancée and he wasn't kidding. He also suggested that we move in together to make it look real."
"What? That vampire prince is delusional." She said laughing but when she saw my serious face she halted.
"Wait — you said no right?" When I looked down without answering, she growled and planted her face in her hands.
"Zhera what were you thinking. Why would you agree to move in with him? You realise that he's a vampire right?. Those are the same people who killed your family and are almost at war with our kingdom."
"It's not certain if it's them who killed my family or not. If I want to know the truth, I believe he might be the only person who can help me know."
"But Zhera —"
"I'm sorry Aurelith, but I already made up my mind and it's not up for discussion. I'm leaving now. Please don't follow."
I left Aurelith's place and boarded a taxi to head for the address that he gave me. There was something fishy about everything that has been going on and I was willing to go as far as to move in with a vampire to get to the bottom of it. And before I knew it I had already arrived at the only vampire castle in the kingdom of the Caracals, Velmoria.
At the Velmoria Castle:
The sky was the color of old bruises — thick, low-hanging clouds casting the world in a muted gray that made everything feel a little more uncertain. I stood on the cracked sidewalk, suitcase by my side, my fingers nervously twisting the strap of my bag as if that alone might keep me grounded.
Across the street, the castle of Velmoria was in sight. Tall, old, and quiet, with weather-worn shutters and ivy crawling like veins across its stone exterior. Tall and narrow towers pierced the sky, their obsidian stone walls slick with age and rain. Sharp arches framed narrow windows of stained glass, glowing faintly red from within. Thorned iron balconies clung to the upper levels, and a grand staircase spilled down from a gate carved with snarling beasts and forgotten runes.
It looked less like a home and more like a secret no one dared speak out loud. A chill crept up my spine, and it had nothing to do with the wind.
My phone buzzed in my hand. And it was a call from Aurelith.
"Don't go," her voice pleaded through the speaker, quiet but raw. "Please. You don't have to do this."
I closed my eyes, letting the words settle inside me. They echoed what my heart had been screaming for days. I didn't want to go. Not really. Not to that eerie castle. Not to him.But I didn't have the luxury of wanting. Not anymore.
"You know why I have to," I said, my voice tight. "He knows something. About my mom. He might be the only one who can tell me."
"And you think he'll just tell you? You think moving in with him is suddenly going to make him open up? What if this is a trap? What if he—?"
"I don't think," I cut in, sharper than I meant to be. "I know he's hiding something. And if I'm in that house, close to him, maybe I'll finally find out the truth."
There was a pause on the other end. A rustle. The sound of her pacing, probably dragging a hand through her hair like she always did when she was scared.
"You could just stay," her friend whispered. "We'll find another way. You don't have to carry this alone."
I smiled faintly, though it didn't reach my eyes. "I've been carrying it alone since the day she left."
The truth was, I had spent years living in a haze of half-answers and lies that didn't quite line up. People changed the subject when I asked too many questions. Files went missing. Memories didn't match. And now, finally, I was standing at the doorstep of the man who might be the only one who can give me the answers I've been looking for.Those answers meant everything to me.
"I'm scared for you," she admitted, barely a whisper. "He's not—he's not someone you just move in with. You don't know him."
"I don't need to know him," I said, picking up the suitcase. "I need to know what he knows."
Another silence, heavier this time. My heart beat against my ribs like it wanted out.
"Call me every night, promise?"
I hesitated. Then nodded, knowing she couldn't see it, but feeling the weight of the promise settle anyway. "I will."
And with that, I ended the call, slid the phone into my pocket, and looked at the castle once more.
This wasn't home. This wasn't sanctuary. This was sacrifice.
I crossed the street slowly, every step loud in my chest. When I reached the door, it opened before I even knocked.
An old tall gaunt man in a sharp black suit with pale skin, silver streaked hair and eyes that miss nothing stood before me and said
"Welcome Miss Nyzhart. We've been expecting you. The young prince is waiting for you at the hearth."
He then led me to the fire place where he was sitting with his back facing me. He was holding and tracing a finger on a glass of what most people will think is wine.
"You came." He said bluntly.
"Considering that I don't have a say in this and you can bring all my hard work down in three seconds, I didn't have a choice but to comply."
"I thought you had forgotten everything I said about being able to bring you down in three seconds considering that you are late."
"Considering that you didn't give a specific time I should come after sunset I don't see what I did wrong." I said shocked at my own boldness..
"You know you've got some nerves talking back at me. But it's okay for now, you'll learn." He said mockingly.
"Get her out of here before I lose my calm." He said signalling the butler to send me away.The butler materialized to take my belongings. I caught his cold glance, the slight narrowing of his eyes. Every step I took echoed too loudly against the marble floors. Every breath seemed too shallow, too mortal.