The Moonlit Desires: Bound by Blood

I could feel the room fall into an eerie silence as the loud bang echoed. All eyes were fixed on me, and my gaze met theirs, with so much resentment and defiance. It was evident that my words had provoked a deeper anger within him than I had expected.

“Hmm… You think you can be stubborn, huh?” He said, trying to hide his anger. A sly grin crept across his face, causing his deep brown eyes to twinkle with mischief.

Despite the unsettling tension in the air, I still didn’t allow them to see my fear. However, I couldn’t help but wonder why this monster here hasn’t shredded me into pieces. It’s like I’m tiptoeing through a minefield, unsure of when the explosion will occur. Every step I take feels like a gamble, a dangerous dance on the edge of a knife. But here I am, still standing, still breathing. It’s almost as if this monster has a twisted sense of amusement, toying with me, keeping me on the edge of my sanity. I can’t deny the adrenaline pumping through my veins, the thrill of not knowing what is on his mind.

“You can just kill her, we’ll still find out about their hideout without her information,” the same woman who had given me a look of disgust earlier suddenly said, throwing death glares my way.

I rolled my eyes at her statement.

“I see no reason for that,” That guy who looks like Alessandro snapped me back to reality with his words. I lifted my head, and there it was, the intense glare between him and the lady. It’s crystal clear they ain’t exactly best buddies. The vibes between them are icy, like a frozen lake in the middle of winter. Something tells me there’s a whole lot of history and bad blood there.

Well….. not like any of my business, my whole body is throbbing with pain right now! Looking up, I noticed that Alessandro seemed deep in thoughts or could I say in some deep state of contemplation. His head tilted back, eyes shut tight, and that index finger of his tapping away on the armchair like it’s got a mind of its own. It’s like he’s trying to solve the world’s greatest mystery or something. …… What a narcissist being!

However, I can’t even begin to describe the sheer anger that surged through me when I heard those words from that exact woman again, “She is of no use here, Aless, you should just kill her instantly. She is a damn dog!! Remember,” My eyebrow started twitching uncontrollably, a mix of disgust and fury coursing through my veins. I feel the urge to shred her into pieces. How dare she address me like that?

But then, the same guy by my left retorts immediately with a sneer, saying, “That still doesn’t mean that killing her is the best option.” It totally pulls me out of my thoughts, making me glance at him. I can’t help but wonder why he’s opposing the idea. And that response of his causes a quick growl from the woman, and then this other guy, Lucas, pushes forward, snarling at both of them.

The tension in the room reaches its breaking point as Alessandro, already aggravated by their childish banter, suddenly growls loudly, “Enough!!” His patience has run out, and the vampires in the room quickly lean back and bow their heads in submission. It’s like they know not to mess with Alessandro when he’s had enough.

“I still don’t understand why you haven’t taken my life yet, King Alessandro,” I said immediately, a smirk playing on my lips as I spoke with a hint of mockery in my tone. The air was thick with tension, but I remained unfazed by it. “Kill me…..!!” I screamed, forcefully struggling to push forward but I was tightly held back by his men.

“Serena!” Alessandro’s gaze pierced me with intense hatred as he let out a frustrated groan. The woman standing a few feet away from him took a step forward.

“Yes, my king,” Serena replied, her voice steady. It was her, Serena, the very woman who had forcefully pulled me from Alma’s room that fateful night and injected those syringes into my neck. She possessed a striking beauty, but there was an undeniable aura of danger surrounding her.

“You and some of my men should torture her,” he declared, catching everyone off guard. The vampires stood in shocked silence, their eyes fixed on him.

“B… But Aless,” the same exact lady dares to speak up again, “You can just kill her instead of this constant torture and save time.”

“Sofia!!” he growled with a warning tone, instantly silencing her. This unexpected reaction surprised everyone in the room, including myself. Seeing how close Sofia was seated to him, it’s pretty clear that they have a strong connection. I don’t need anyone to tell me that, the closeness says it all.

They all seemed taken aback and uncomfortable. I can see the confusion in their faces when especially the lady who now seemed embarrassed and shocked…… Hmmm, so her name is Sofia.

“This same disrespect is what annoys me most. You’ll do well to keep quiet and only speak when spoken to,” his eyes were dead set on her, and I noticed her swallow hard before she looked away. By my left-hand side is a cheerful-looking guy, the same guy that looks exactly like Alessandro. I couldn’t do much but just watch as Sofia glared at him but that only deepened his smile.

“Any other thing you need us to do, King Alessandro?” I heard Serena clear her throat drawing our attention.

My heart raced as he cast a dangerous gaze in my direction. “Hmmm… She should be taken to the Abyssal dungeon,” he said, his voice filled with a chilling intensity.

A satisfied smile suddenly appeared on his lips, causing gasps from everyone in the room, especially the guy beside me. Well… except Sofia, who now wore a satisfied smile on her face. I won’t deny it, I’m already trembling in fear. Just the mention of the place sends a shocking wave down my spine, and the pitiful looks on their faces only intensify my unease.

“Break her to the extent that she couldn’t feel her legs. And once she is completely broken, then bring her to my chamber,” Alessandro said, his eyes fixed on me. “I have a special punishment for her.”

On hearing the word “break,” my heart raced with fear. I know that in this context, “break” carries a much darker and sinister meaning than its usual definition.

“Yes, King,” Serena replied, her voice filled with defiance. She marched towards me, coming to a halt right in front of me. With a quick gesture, she signaled the men who immediately grabbed hold of me and pulled me up.

“Hey, watch it!!” I rasped at the way the men were handling me. But it seemed like they paid no attention to my plea, as if they couldn’t hear me, and continued dragging me away.

Shooting a fierce glare at Alessandro, I noticed that everyone’s eyes were on me… Some were smiling, especially the other girl who had given me those disgusting looks earlier. But the guy who resembled Alessandro was giving pitiful looks as if he actually cared. It gave me an unsettling feeling deep within.

“Stop it,” I yelled at them as we came to a halt in front of a hallowed hallway. The eerie silence that filled the air sent a lingering fear coursing through my veins.

“Move her inside,” she instructed, completely disregarding my daily struggles. The men forcefully pushed me into the room, binding me against a long iron rod. My hands were tightly chained to the rod. Lost in my own thoughts, I was abruptly pulled back to reality when I felt my clothes being yanked down, stopping at my waist and exposing my bare back. I let out a shriek as the icy cold breeze instantly hit me with full force. Then, I felt a sharp whip, covered in thorns, lash at my back, striking me with intensity and causing my skin to prickle upon contact.

“Ah… No!” I cried out, clenching my teeth tightly in agony as tears welled up in my eyes, streaming down my face.

The lashing continued, and the tears flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks. I bit my lip, refusing to utter a plea, even though the pain was evident on my face.

But all of a sudden, the lashing came to a halt as the guard stepped back, obeying Serena’s command with just a flick of her index finger. Rising from the chair, Serena began pacing in a circle beside me. “Are you finally ready to speak up?” she asked, her voice filled with anticipation.

“Answer me!” Serena exclaimed, her movements swift like lightning as she abruptly halted in front of me. She forcefully grabbed my chin, holding it with a brutal intensity. “Are you ready?” she taunted, a dangerous smirk stretching across her lips.

“Never… Fu. ck youuuu!” I shouted defiantly, spitting a mixture of saliva and blood towards her. Gasping for breath, I observed as she swiftly turned her head to the side upon the unexpected contact with my saliva. That single act seemed to infuriate her. In a fit of anger, she delivered a thunderous slap across my face before retrieving a picana from the desk and pointing it towards me.

My eyes widened in disbelief at the scene unfolding before me. But just as she was about to stick the picana at me, a voice suddenly interrupted, saving me from further harm. “It has exceeded the time the king allowed for her torture. She needs to be released,” the voice declared.

I wearily tilted my head and spotted Lucas standing by the door, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. The lady nodded obediently and then addressed the guards, “Release her and send her back to the slave’s quarters until evening.”

*****

Alessandro’s POV:Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“What do you want to do with her?” my brother, Aristide, asked me as soon as she was dragged away by my men.

“Breaking her, what does it seem to be?” I replied, nonchalantly shrugging my shoulders. It’s a well-kept secret that I have a brother. Only a select few, like Lucas and others, are aware that he’s still alive.

“She will work for you afterward?” Marcos asked, coming to sit beside me. I could detect the excitement in his voice. It was clear that slave trading was something he had always wanted. “I suggest you spare her life,” he added, emphasizing his opinion.

“That’s a good suggestion,” Aristide said with a sigh. “But I think you need to release her, bro. She might die there,” he pleaded, earning a sharp glare from me.

“She is our enemy, remember?” I reminded him firmly. “Never let your emotions cloud your judgment,” I roared, earning a slight nod of understanding from him.

“You can’t waste her in there, Aless… She can earn a fortune for us,” Marcos persisted, but I shook my head in disapproval, shooting him a fierce glare.

“She is not going to earn a fortune. She is such a loyal subject of Matteo that she doesn’t seem afraid of death, but I will make her crave it herself…” I turned to stare at their puzzled faces. “Bring her to my chamber,” I said with hegemony before standing up to leave the office.

“Oh, yeah… I sure wasn’t expecting that,” I heard Marcos blurt out as I made my way out of the office. “What an unlucky situation for her,” he added, understanding the gravity of the situation.