Chapter 4

One of them was Arthur—the man I had once turned at any cost, the man I had showered with endless resources and favoritism.

And now, this man who was supposed to be frail and sickly was pinning Claire deep into the couch, kissing her with raw, hungry lust.

"Mmm... Arthur, don't... what if Avira comes back?" Claire giggled coyly, pretending to resist even as her arms stayed locked tight around his neck.

"That stupid bitch?" Arthur let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Albert and those mad dogs have probably already chopped her into paste by now! We spiked her blood supply with filthy pig's blood and anticoagulants—stuff so nasty even sewer rats would puke it back up. Once she lost her strength, she didn't even have the right to struggle. It's pathetic. She kept playing the saint, never realizing that every time I looked at that smug, holier-than-thou face of hers, it made me sick."

Claire burst into laughter.

Arthur looked at her with sickening tenderness. "Isn't this exactly what you wanted? Now this estate—and everything she owns—is ours."

My nails instantly bit through my palms.

So there had never been any innocent little adventure. This had been a death trap from the very beginning, one Arthur and Claire had built together. They had used my softness against me and delivered me straight to the hunters' execution block.

Just as I was about to lose control and kick the doors open, a cold hand covered my eyes from behind.

"Don't look, Avira. They're not worth dirtying your eyes over." Vincent's lips brushed my ear, his warm breath spilling across the hollow of my neck.

I tore his hand away and turned to stare at him.

"I want revenge." My voice was hoarse. "Arthur, every last one of the so-called family who betrayed me, the Blackwood family... I want to grind their bones to dust, inch by inch."

Vincent did not hesitate for even a second. Tilting his head back, he tugged open the collar of his shirt and bared his vulnerable throat completely, the captivating pulse in his neck beating right in front of me.

"Then do it, my queen." He closed his eyes, and a tear of sheer exhilaration even slipped from the corner of one eye. His trembling voice sounded almost like a prayer. "Use my blood to soothe your fury. Use my life... to forge your throne anew."

Without a moment's hesitation, I lunged. My sharpened fangs tore through his skin and sank deep into his artery.