Chapter 7 Marked by the King
And then, like a cruel echo, her mother’s voice resurfaced a memory long buried: “Fear those who drink blood, Selena. They are not like us.”
The warning echoed in her mind, sharp and cold, as if her mother stood right beside her, whispering those words again. Selena’s chest tightened. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but her thoughts had drifted far from her desk.
……………...
Monica lay sprawled across the cold bed, her body trembling with exhaustion and pain. Her wrists bore the fresh marks of Luca’s iron grip, and her heart pounded in her chest like a caged animal trying to break free.
“Please...” Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper, as she gasped for air. “Please, let me go back to my reign. I promise…I swear…I’ll never speak of this, never reveal who you are.” Tears streamed down her face, her sobs filling the suffocating silence.
Luca loomed over her, his dark eyes gleaming with a twisted hunger. “You think you can just leave me, Monica?” His voice was low, but the threat in it was unmistakable. “Once I put my mark on you, you became mine. Forever.”
Her body ached from his relentless assault. Every touch from him sent waves of disgust coursing through her veins. This wasn’t passion it was torment.
“Please,” Monica cried out, her voice breaking. “I can’t take this anymore.”
But Luca’s rage only deepened at her resistance. With a snarl, he quickened his brutal pace, forcing cries of pain from her lips. “You should be honored,” he hissed, his fangs flashing. “You belong to a king now.”
When he finally pulled away, Monica’s body went limp, her tears staining the sheets. Luca stood over her, chest heaving, then reached for a goblet filled with dark red liquid. He raised it to his lips, drinking deeply. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, his sharp fangs now fully revealed.
Monica shivered, turning her face away in disgust. “I have a mother… a father. They’ll be waiting for me. Please, let me go to them,” she begged, her voice hoarse.
Luca’s lips curled into a sinister smile. He moved toward her, his fingers brushing her tear-soaked cheek before gripping her hair and yanking her head back, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You want to see them?” he whispered cruelly.
With a snap of his fingers, a mirror from his desk floated through the room, hovering in front of them. The glass shimmered before revealing an image her parents sitting at a table, her mother’s eyes red and swollen from crying, her father staring blankly at an untouched meal.
Monica’s heart shattered. “Mama! Papa!” she screamed, reaching for the mirror, but it hovered just out of her grasp.
“You can’t see them unless I allow it,” Luca murmured into her ear, his voice dripping with possessiveness. “And if you ever try to leave me again, I’ll erase you from their memories. To them, you’ll be nothing. A ghost.”
Tears streamed down Monica’s face, her body trembling with helplessness.
“And now,” Luca continued, his hand gliding down to her stomach, “you have even more reason to stay.”
She froze, her mind racing. “W-What are you talking about?”
Luca’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “You’re carrying my child. I can sense it—the life growing inside you. My heir.”
Monica’s breath caught in her throat. “No... no, that’s impossible!”
But Luca simply smirked. “It’s happening, my love. Soon, you’ll understand your place here. And tonight, I will introduce you to the council as my queen.”
She recoiled, shaking her head violently. “I won’t be your queen! I won’t!”
His smile faded, replaced by a hard, cold glare. “Then I’ll make sure your parents forget they ever had a daughter.”
Monica’s heart sank. Every avenue of escape was slipping away.
Luca released her roughly and moved toward the door. “You have fifteen minutes. Wear the red dress I prepared for you. If you don’t...” he let the threat linger in the air before slamming the door shut behind him.
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The room felt colder now, heavier with the weight of his words. Monica forced herself to her feet, her body trembling. She stumbled into the bathroom, its black marble walls cold against her skin. Her reflection in the mirror was barely recognizable her eyes hollow, her cheeks streaked with tears.
She scrubbed at her skin, trying to wash away his touch, but it felt impossible. Time was running out. She pulled on the red dress he had chosen its silky fabric clung to her like a second skin, reminding her that even her clothes were not her own.
The heavy door creaked open. Luca stood there, his eyes dark with desire as they roamed over her. “You look breathtaking, my love,” he murmured, circling her like a predator. He inhaled deeply, savoring her scent, before taking her hand in his cold grip.
Monica tried to suppress the shudder that ran through her as he led her down a grand hallway, their footsteps echoing against the stone floors. The massive doors to the council chamber opened, revealing a hall filled with vampires hundreds of them, their eyes gleaming as they caught the scent of human blood.
A low murmur filled the hall.
Luca pulled her close, seating himself on his grand throne and forcing Monica to sit at his side.
“Silence!” he commanded, his voice echoing through the hall. Instantly, the murmurs died.
He lifted Monica’s trembling hand, displaying it for all to see. “She will be my queen.”
The room erupted into chaos.
One of the council members, an ancient vampire with hollow eyes, stood and pointed directly at Monica. “It is forbidden! She is human. She should be food, not queen!”
Monica’s heart raced, but before anything more could be said—
“Selena? Selena!”
The voice jolted her back to the present. Lilith was waving her hand in front of her face.
Selena blinked, realizing she’d been completely lost in thought.
“Where did you go just now? You’ve been zoning out all morning,” Lilith asked, concerned.
“Nowhere,” Selena replied quickly, trying to compose herself.
“Really? Since you came back from your uncle’s office, you’ve been acting strange.”
Selena hesitated. “What do you think about vampires?” she asked, trying to steer the conversation.
Lilith grinned. “I think they’re hot. All those vampire novels make them seem so dark and brooding, but they’d do anything for the ones they love. Super possessive though.”
Selena nodded, her mind still racing.
I need to find out the truth... before it’s too late.