Daisy saw two more women standing beside the man.
Their gowns shimmered like royalty—rich fabrics, deep colors, and golden embroidery that whispered of ancient power.
They looked less like ordinary women… and more like queens from a forgotten kingdom.
Suddenly, one of the regal women moved with inhuman speed.
Before Daisy could even scream, her cold pale hands wrapped tightly around Mila Golubev's throat and lifted her off the ground.
Mila's boots scraped against the frozen earth, her breath caught in a strangled gasp.
The woman's eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight—cruel, ancient, and hungry.
Her lips curled into a smile that held no warmth, only darkness.
All around them, wolves stood in a silent, eerie circle.
Their fur shimmered silver under the moonlight, eyes glowing like coals in the dark.
Each one had its head bowed low—not in fear, but in reverence.
As if they recognized their queens… and had already pledged their savage loyalty.
The woman hurled Mila to the ground with a brutal force.
Her body hit the cold earth like a rag doll, the air leaving her lungs in a sharp gasp.
The snow beneath her was quickly stained red.
The handsome young man stepped toward Daisy… but suddenly stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
Around Daisy's neck hung a simple iron necklace. And it was that very chain that made him freeze.
Vampires feared iron like death itself.
He took a cautious step back, his regal composure cracking for a brief moment.
"If you take off that chain, We might let Mila live. Mila's life is in your hands. Take off the chain, and she walks free. The vampire's voice was smooth like silk, but it carried a threat beneath every word.
Mila Golubev tried to speak, but no words came out. Daisy saw no other way. With trembling hands, she removed the chain.
Mila let out a broken sob. She didn't know what to do—her heart was tearing in two.
A smile curled on the young man's lips—exactly what he wanted. The man grabbed Daisy by the throat. Her breath caught, struggling to break free. Then, suddenly, he threw her aside like she was nothing.
The woman seized Mila tightly, her eyes burning with fury. Today, your blood will be the last thing you spill—for me to drink. Mila looked at Daisy one last time, as if this gaze would be their final farewell.
he woman sank her sharp fangs deep into Mila's neck. A cold shiver ran through the air as darkness seemed to pulse with every drop of blood she drew. Mila's breath hitched, her eyes fluttered with a mix of pain and surrender—a haunting moment suspended between life and death. After drinking Mila's blood, the woman threw down Mila's lifeless body like a discarded shadow, cold and still—an empty vessel left behind in the creeping darkness. To Daisy, it all felt like a nightmare—a dark, haunting dream she couldn't wake from.
Then, as the young man stepped closer to Daisy, the sound of footsteps echoed—someone tall, dressed in a long black coat, was walking toward them. Suddenly, everything fell silent; everyone bowed their heads in respect and fear.
Daisy saw another very handsome young man.
It was Ivan—yes, it was Ivan. Had Ivan come to save Daisy? Daisy struggled to stand up, then ran toward Ivan. But Ivan pushed her away with his hand, as if she was something dirty.
Daisy couldn't comprehend anything. What was happening around her?
"I am Lucien Volkov—the king of the vampires. Fear is your only wisdom, for my reign is eternal, and my wrath, unstoppable."
Daisy's breath caught in her throat. This was not Ivan.
Her heart pounded as the truth sank in—the boy she thought was her protector was nothing compared to the terrifying king who now stood before her.
Lucien suddenly moved like a flash of lightning, his hand clamping fiercely around the young man's throat. The cold night air was thick with falling snow, each flake swirling wildly in the chilling wind.
Around them, silence swallowed the world—only the crackling sound of Lucien's grip tightening, and the sharp, frozen breath escaping the young man's lips.
"My order was clear — why have you come here without my permission, Arvid?" Lucien's voice cut through the cold night like steel.
Lucien shoved Arvid hard, throwing him back into the swirling snow with a harsh crash.
Arvid rose slowly from the snow-covered ground, his breath visible in the cold night air. His eyes burned with fierce determination as he faced Lucien.
"I am your brother, Arvid Volkov, I have come to fight alongside you, to destroy our enemies—together, brother."
"I don't need anyone's help. I can destroy the enemy on my own," Lucien said.
Everyone stood frozen in fear. No one dared to breathe too loudly, let alone speak. None of them knew how to respond to Lucien; his very presence commanded terror.
On the snow-covered, desolate street, everyone stood frozen, holding their breath. The wolves had lowered their heads in silence, and the vampires' eyes were filled only with fear.
And then—Daisy did the unthinkable.
She slowly stepped forward, right up to Lucien Volkov, and raised her trembling hand.
The mighty king, the one before whom everyone bowed in terror… She slapped him.
The sharp sound cracked through the frozen night, echoing against the silence. Lucien's crimson eyes flickered for a brief moment—was it rage? Or was it shock?
The other vampires stood frozen, their eyes locked on Daisy.
Her daring act had silenced the night, and even the wolves did not stir. Who was this girl?
What kind of mortal carried such audacity—to raise her hand against Lucien Volkov, the King of Vampires?
Lucien stood in silence, his face carved like stone against the pale glow of the falling snow. His crimson eyes flickered, unreadable, as though the world itself held its breath.
Daisy's voice, trembling yet defiant, broke through the heavy stillness. "Vera Sokolova loved you like her own son… and this is how you repay her?" You killed my Mimia too…
Lucien's jaw tightened. For the first time, his expression shifted—a flicker of something dangerous, unreadable, almost human, before his face settled back into that terrifying calm.
Suddenly, Lucien's hand shot out with lightning speed, his pale fingers curling tight around Daisy's throat. Her breath caught, eyes wide with shock as her feet barely touched the snow-covered ground.
Without a word, he hurled her aside. Daisy's body slammed into the cold, hard street, the icy snow biting into her skin. The sound of her fall echoed in the frozen night, sharp and hollow, as though the whole world held its breath.
"How dare a mere human lay a hand on the King of Vampires?" Lucien's voice thundered across the snow-drowned street, echoing off the stone walls like a wrathful storm. His crimson eyes blazed with fury, and the very air seemed to shiver at his roar.
The wolves whimpered, claws sinking into the ice, their bodies pressed to the ground as though the sound itself had crushed them. "Tear her apart. Let this insolent human learn what it means to defy the King of Vampires."
The wolves immediately stirred at his command. Their glowing eyes gleamed with hunger, fangs bared as low growls rumbled through the icy street. The snow beneath their paws scattered, claws scraping against stone as they closed in on Daisy.
In a heartbeat, the wolves leapt upon Daisy, their massive bodies crashing down with a thunderous force. Their snarls split the silence of the snowy street, fangs flashing in the pale moonlight.
Daisy's breath caught in her throat—her chest tightened as icy fear coiled around her. This is it… she thought. Death has finally come for me.
But no—Lucien would not let her die so easily. A mere death beneath wolves was far too small a punishment for daring to lay hands upon the King of Vampires.
His crimson eyes burned like fire as his voice cut through the frozen air, commanding the wolves to halt. The beasts froze mid-snarl, their fangs inches from Daisy's skin, whimpering as they backed away, terrified of defying their master.
Lucien stepped forward slowly, each movement heavy with a terrible grace. The snow crunched beneath his boots, the night itself seemed to bend to his will. He looked down at Daisy with a cold, merciless smile.
"No," he whispered darkly, his voice echoing like a curse. "Your end will not be so swift. I will make you suffer—piece by piece, breath by breath—until death becomes the mercy you beg for."
Lucien's hand twisted into Daisy's hair, yanking her head back so she was forced to look at him. His crimson eyes burned like fire in the snow-lit darkness.
He leaned closer, his cold breath brushing against her skin. A line of blood clung to her cheek. Slowly, almost deliberately, his tongue traced across it, tasting her.
A cruel smile curved his lips.
"Warm… defiant… intoxicating," he said softly, each word heavy with danger. Daisy trembled in his grasp, horror freezing her voice in her throat.