Chapter 1

I failed my mate.

I failed Zeus. I felt that cold, that familiar, haunting sensation. One I had long tossed away flooded throughout my body like the ocean.

My tough wall crumbled, my body shivered, and my breath barely escaped as tears soaked my eyes. They trickled across my cheeks and down to my mate's lifeless face.

“Don't do this to me, Zeus," I cried, but my silky voice came out in a tiny whisper. Broken and filled with guilt, my palms curled around his perfect face.

“Zeus!" I pleaded and for the first time that word didn't sound like an abomination to me. For the first time in years, I was begging for mercy.

“Zeus!" I pleaded again, tapping his face repeatedly.

“I love you," I mumbled without hesitation. "I love you Zeus!" I affirmed again, this time leaning against his blood-coated shirt as I sobbed.

I had become weak. I had fallen into the chains of love, a feeling I had spent centuries hiding from. It finally caught up with me and just when I was about to accept it, to accept him, he faded. Like a dream. He was a good man. A perfect Mate.

I wondered how I got here. How did I become this new person? It felt like I knew the answer, but at the same time, it felt like I didn't.

Amidst my tears, amidst the scent of blood, amidst his lifeless body, amidst this large wooden room we were in, the twin doors opened.

The light dawned on me and as my eyes glimpsed it, I knew the answer to everything—how it all began.

***

The twin doors gradually opened, revealing a large room adorned with gold paint and strong pillars. The beautiful sun rays shone through the tall windows, illuminating the room. My eyes inspected every detail, from the female guards sternly in their position to my clan leaders. Three young, fair, and beautiful ladies stood by a long rectangular table. They rose immediately when they noticed my presence. Bowing their heads, they stayed silent as I stood proud and elegant in my luxurious green and black medieval gown.

My eyes briskly darted to the most glorious object in the room—my throne. Rooted in the center of the room, it gleamed with polished black and faint gold, reflecting the ginger color of my long hair.

Like always, it never failed to remind me of my past glories—how I had mercilessly killed the vampire king and his son. A tiny smile crept to my face, and I began to take an elegant stride towards my seat. With every knocking sound my heels made against the marble floor, the tension further heightened. The scent of fear and horror reeked throughout the room. I loved it, and so with divine pleasure, I climbed into my throne.

My eyes studied every detail once again. Something wasn't right, something I couldn't pinpoint as I relaxed in my seat. Crossing my leg, a man servant immediately rushed up to my vicinity. With his head bowed, his hands trembled as he held a tray containing a glass cup of blood. Immediately, I took the cup, which gleamed with an irresistible shade of red. He briskly walked away.

“You may sit," I announced and then took a gentle sip. They nodded before relaxing to their respective chairs. My gaze focused on them again, and then it struck me that I had four clan leaders, not three.

“Where is Rila?" I asked with a slight frown. My brows further furrowed as they shared knowing glances with each other. All of them hesitated to speak and it began to irk me. They were obviously planning to lie, but just one glance at me made them lose their tongue.

“I said," I chorused in a devilish tone, "Where is the clan leader of the Northern Clan?"

“My Queen," one of them arose in a trembling fashion as she stuttered. "Today is Rila's mate’s coronation ceremony as King of the Northern Province."

Anger ignited within me, and my cup shattered into pieces instantly. Drooling its sweet contents all over my throne to the floor. The tiny smile on my face vanished as my blood boiled with genuine hatred and rage. The tension in the room only heightened to a greater extent but I couldn’t care less. At this point, I was willing to have anybody's heart displaced out of their bodies. I rose sharply and they gasped.

“How dare she!" I growled as I climbed down the stairs slowly. "How dare she take my position and hand it over to a mere man!"

“My Queen, but he is her mate," the same lady uttered again.

“Mate or not, he is but a man!" I growled with my palms already curled into a fist. “Not under my watch will a man have a taste of power in my clan. Not under my watch will a man be called King. Not under my watch will a man be allowed to dominate. Men are our slaves! And slaves they shall remain for eternity in the City of Marr!" I banged my hand against the table, causing them to jerk in fear.

I stared at them but none of them could utter a word, let alone gaze at me.

“Of all the things I can tolerate…no one, absolutely no one dares to defy me," I uttered.

“Martha!!" I yelled and immediately the twin doors opened, and my second-in-command walked in.

Her white hair swayed freely across her shoulder and her blue eyes were sharp and dazzling. With every commanding step her heels gave against the ground, her black and green uniform gleamed with nothing but glory.

“Prepare my escort. We're visiting the Northern Clan today," I commanded. She nodded with a stern expression before exiting sharply.

“My Queen, please show mer—"

“One more word from you, and I'll hang your head on a stake," I cut her off with a ferocious glare. “Leave, before my anger descends on you all," I ordered, and in haste, they rose sharply, bowing their heads in a courteous gesture before exiting.

As my doors closed behind them, I walked to the window, and stared at the river whilst waiting patiently for Martha's feedback. The doors opened again and there she was, except this time she didn't wear a stern expression. It was a look of plea. One I didn't want to see.

“Green," she called softly, but my gaze returned to the window.

“My decision is final, Martha. Rila defied me," I coldly responded. Martha joined me by my side, her pleading gaze on me. But I didn't want to look. I didn't want to change my resolve.

“But she is your strongest ally. You have fought many wars alongside Rila…just to kill her for this petty issue."

I frowned while my eyes inadvertently met hers.

“Petty? She made a man a ruler. She gave that mere manpower. And you call that petty?!"

“He is her mate, Green."

“No," I stated. "He is her slave. That's what men are supposed to be here, and they'll remain that way for as long as I breathe," I avowed with utmost confidence.

She heaved a sigh while her eyes lowered to the ground.

“Is there no way I can change your mind?"

I went mute.

“Your escort is ready,” she added after long silence between us.

“Good," I muttered with a sinister smile before turning away from the window, pacing towards my doors, across the gigantic, long hallway, and finally outside. I was greeted by solemn winds breezing across my body, and the sun's warmth gracing my cold skin.

I stared at my black Mercedes parked just few meters away from me, waiting for Martha to join me. When she finally arrived by my side, we gingerly stepped into my escort.

As the vehicle drove along the tarred roads, I stared across the beautiful green forest we passed. In a strange way, it reminded of my mother. Her smile, which never ceased to cheer my heart, and her perfect gray irises that gleamed of hope. She would go about making crowns out of twigs. To this day, I still couldn't understand why she loved them. Perhaps it was a passion, or perhaps, it was something else. I knew not the reason and would never know.

“We've arrived, My Queen." The chauffeur's voice tousled my thoughts. Only then did I realize our vehicle was parked in front of the Northern Clan house. As I alighted alongside Martha, I reviewed the magnificent environment already encroached with several luxurious vehicles. There was the sound of music and laughter emanating from the building, but instead of soothing me, it irritated me to the very core. My teeth gnashed against each other while my palms curled into a fist.

Once the guards noticed us, their stern countenances easily shrunk into fear. Their once rigid stances were now nothing but a tremble.

“Green," Martha called softly beside me, “Give your decision one last thought. Please."

I hesitated for a minute, and in a strange way, thought about another memory—the day my mother died. I sealed my eyes whilst heaving a light sigh, hoping this memory would fade away as usual.

When I opened them, I wore a sinister smile and began to stride elegantly to the gigantic twin doors.

“The Queen of the Vampires, Lady Green, has arrived!" I heard one of the Royal guards proclaim as I emerged into the ballroom alongside Martha and my guards.

The orchestra came to an abrupt halt along with the chatter and laughter. All eyes fell on me, and they only beheld one thing—horror.

I maintained my sinister smile as I reviewed men dressed in fine tuxes and ladies in splendid gowns with glasses of blood dangling between their fingers. Amidst these people, my eyes darted to the center of the room where Rila and her beloved mate stood. Their faces were more petrified than the others.

As I took a solemn stride towards them, my heels were the only sound that echoed throughout the room. I still maintained my devilish smile and took a glass of blood from the manservant beside them.

“L-lady Green—" Rila trembled while her eyes twitched, “It's such an honor to have you here."

“An honor?" I arched my eyebrow upwards. "To a party I wasn't invited to." I chuckled. Her eyes lowered as tiny traces of tears dawned.

“Rila, you and I share a bond, you know that," I continued, not bothered in the slightest about the pain and worry she was going through. “But today, you brought shame to that bond. Today, you broke that bond." Her eyes briefly met mine.

“None of this is her fault, My Queen," her mate sharply interjected. Only then did I choose to notice him. “I asked her not to tell you. I asked her to throw this party. I-I love her, my Queen."

“And who gave you permission to speak?" I retorted with a slight growl and his body stiffened instantly.

“Please forgive him, Lady Green, but he is my mate after all. I love him and I just can't bring myself to despise him." My fingers pressed tightly around my cup, causing it to crack. Yet I sauntered closer to Rila.

“Oh dear, why has love made you this blind? I'm not forbidding you to have a mate. I just won't tolerate any lady Vampire treating a man like a somebody. Men are our slaves. That has been the rule ever since you've known me, but today you defied that order."

My smile gradually faded.

“I can tolerate every other thing, but not the sins of a man."

“My Queen." This time her eyes revealed the tears she had long held back. "Please have mercy."

“Mercy?" I wore a sinister smile again and returned my glass to the trembling manservant’s tray.

“No Rila," she gasped while her mate gulped down his saliva.

“Lock the doors!" I ordered, and the guards briskly shut the doors behind us. The tension in the room heightened but no one dared talk. No one dared to even move, for just one action could be the end of their life.

“Since you both claim to love each other, why don't you die together?"

“Lady Green!" her mate blared, his shock looming all over his face. I glared and he instantly lost his courage. Tears only streamed across Rila's face. She knew my ways, and she knew my orders were final.

“We have defied you, and we're ready to bear our punishment," she whispered with her gaze holding mine. For a split moment, I wondered about the best method to inflict pain on both of them.

“Kill him," I stated. Her eyes shot up while his jaw dropped. Tears filled his eyes.

“Kill your beloved mate."

“Lady Green, this is too much a punishment to bear. Ple—"

“I said," I cut her off with the iciest tone my chords could offer, but deep within me, I knew she couldn't do it. No one could ever. Hence, I resorted to my compulsion powers.

I took another step and my eyes transformed into a flaming shade of green, holding hers so she found it hard to break from my enchantment.

“Kill your mate," I ordered again and like one who was charmed, she yielded to my compulsion. Her tears ceased and her eyes were ferocious, just like predator she was.

“Rila," her mate mumbled, his eyes staring in disbelief, "Rila, this is not you, fight it! Fight it!"

I scoffed. She growled. Her eyes were now a threatening shade of reddish, black and her fangs gleamed in the chill air.

“Rila!!" He held onto her, but that was his mistake, and that was the last of his breath. Her claws had already found their way to his heart. Without any emotions, she ripped it out mercilessly. His body thudded lifelessly to the floor while blood soaked his tux. I smiled, deriving so much pleasure from watching his body turn pale white.

“Oh no, what have I done?!" Rila screamed. My compulsion was over. "James! James!" she cried helplessly as she knelt towards him.

“Lady Green," she mumbled amidst her tears. "You have done me no good!" she added as she rose towards me, tears still spilling down her face.

“I know, darling." My smile deepened. "I wanted you to feel pain before you die. The same pain you gave me for disobeying me."

I closed the gap between us and in a sharp moment, my right hand dug into her chest.

She groaned and my smile faded once again. I wasn't happy doing this, yet I wanted to.

“Don't worry, love, I'm going to put you out of your misery," I muttered while I briefly studied the looks of horror on the attendees.

“I own your life, and I can take it as well. You've been a great leader, Rila," I whispered only for her to hear.

“Thank you," she whispered with a tiny smile of admiration intertwined with sadness.

On that note, I pulled it out, that red heart that fell in love. She exhaled, and another tear streamed down her cheek before she fell lifeless beside her mate. I stared at her heart for a second, and in a strange way, it reminded me of my mother. But rather than let those memories haunt me, I let it fall from my blood-coated hand.

“I want his head posted on a stake till the sun burns his wretched skin off," I proclaimed while a manservant gently cleaned my hand.

“Rila was a great leader. Give her a proper burial, and this time, make sure I'm invited."

I finished with a cunning smile directed at their shocked faces. Without further thought, I turned towards the doors, and to the light, where I was certainly going to wreak more havoc.