The first thing Selene felt was the cold.
Not the ordinary chill of night air, but a heavy, unnatural cold that seemed to seep into her very bones. It clung to her, pressing down on her chest, making each breath feel shallow.
Her eyelids fluttered open, slow and heavy.
The sight that greeted her stole her breath.
A canopy loomed above her bed, black velvet embroidered with silver thread. Thick curtains hung on all sides, blocking out whatever lay beyond. The sheets beneath her were soft as silk, warmer than anything she had ever touched, their faint perfume hinting of roses and iron.
Her heart lurched. Where am I?
She pushed herself upright, her hands clutching the covers. That was when she felt it—an ache at her neck. Her fingers brushed the spot, and she froze. Two small puncture wounds, tender and pulsing faintly, as though her skin itself remembered what had happened.
Her mind reeled. The alley. The man. His burning eyes. The bite.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No, no, no…"
The sound of a door creaking open silenced her.
Selene's head whipped toward it, her pulse hammering.
He entered.
And the sight of him made her heart skip a beat.
Gone was the wounded man she had seen bleeding in the alley. Now he stood tall and composed, dressed in a tailored black coat that hugged his broad shoulders and tapered neatly down his frame. Silver clasps gleamed faintly across his chest, each polished to perfection. His raven-black hair fell in smooth waves, framing a face that seemed almost too flawless to belong to anything human. His skin was pale, luminous—like moonlight carved into marble, untouched by age or imperfection.
And his eyes…
Crimson. Glowing faintly in the dim candlelight, as though fire smoldered in their depths.
Selene's throat tightened. He was beautiful. Terrifyingly so. The kind of beauty that warned you it was not human, but something higher, darker, more dangerous.
"You—" Her voice cracked. "What are you? Where am I?"
The man shut the door behind him, the movement unhurried, elegant. His gaze never left her.
"Safe," he said simply. His voice was smooth, low, resonant—like velvet hiding steel.
Selene laughed, the sound sharp and shaky. "Safe? You bit me! You dragged me here—I don't even know who you are!"
His expression didn't change. Only his crimson gaze deepened, as if he were looking straight through her. "You would have died if I had left you."
"Died?" She shook her head, her voice trembling. "From what?"
He stepped closer, silent, his movements so fluid they seemed unreal. Selene's body tensed as she scrambled back across the bed. But no matter how far she pulled away, he filled the space, his presence overwhelming.
"Hunters," he said finally. "They were already closing in. If they had found you with me, you wouldn't have lived to see another sunrise."
Her pulse spiked. "Hunters? What does that even mean?"
His eyes glowed brighter. "It means you are entangled in a world you were never meant to touch." He paused, then added softly, almost regretfully, "And you can never go back."
Selene's stomach twisted. "W-What are you?"
He stopped at the foot of the bed, tall and unyielding, his dark coat casting shadows across the floor. When he spoke, his words were a blade:
"I am Raven. Prince of the Nightborne."
Her lips parted in disbelief. "Prince…?"
His smile curved, cold and mocking. "Vampire prince."
The words struck her like lightning.
Selene shook her head, refusing. "No. No, vampires don't exist. They're myths—stories."
In less than a breath, he was gone from the foot of the bed and standing before her. She hadn't seen him move. One blink, and he was there, his hand braced against the canopy post beside her head, trapping her.
His face was inches from hers, flawless, unearthly. His eyes burned brighter, devouring.
"Do I look like a story to you?"
Her chest rose and fell too quickly. She could barely find her voice.
He leaned closer, his lips brushing near her ear, his breath cold. "Your blood saved me, mortal. Do you understand what that means?"
Selene's throat went dry. "I… I don't want to."
He tilted his head, studying her like she was both puzzle and prey. Then he caught her wrist, his touch deceptively gentle. His fingers pressed against her pulse point. Her veins thrummed violently, warmth spreading from his touch as if he commanded her very blood.
Selene gasped and ripped her hand away. "What did you do to me?"
"You bear my mark now." His voice carried a dangerous calm. "The bite bound us. Your blood awakened something inside me I thought was lost."
Her head shook violently. "No. No, undo it. I don't want this!"
His expression hardened, cold fury flashing across his perfect features. "You think I want this? That I chose you?" His words sharpened, his voice dropping lower. "Do you know how dangerous this bond is—for both of us?"
Tears stung her eyes, hot with fear and frustration. "Then let me go!" she begged. "Just let me go home!"
Silence stretched, thick and suffocating.
Raven's gaze lingered on her, unreadable. For a fleeting second, Selene thought he might release her.
Then his lips curled, cruel and final. "You don't have a home anymore."
Her chest tightened, the words slamming into her like shackles.
He straightened, tall and regal, his silhouette cutting against the flickering candlelight. His crimson gaze locked onto hers with unyielding authority.
"From this night onward," he said softly, his voice carrying the weight of a vow, "you belong to me."
The air left her lungs.
A sharp knock rattled the door before she could speak.
"What is it?" Raven's voice hardened, laced with command.
A woman's voice answered from the other side, smooth and cutting. "Brother, the hunters have found the outer gates. And… the girl's scent is spreading. We cannot hide her much longer."
Selene's blood ran cold. Her scent?
Raven's eyes narrowed. He turned toward the door, his expression unreadable.
"Then let them come."
He swung the door open.
A tall, elegant woman stepped inside. Her beauty was cold, like sharpened glass. She wore a gown of midnight silk, her crimson eyes gleaming with disdain as they fell upon Selene.
"This?" the woman said, her voice dripping with contempt. "This fragile mortal is the girl you risked everything for?"
Selene's heart squeezed painfully in her chest.
Raven's lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Yes."
The woman's gaze sharpened, flicking between them like a blade.
"Then she will be the death of you."
Before Selene could breathe, the windows shattered.
Dozens of black-cloaked figures surged through, eyes glinting with steel, their weapons gleaming silver in the candlelight.
One hunter raised his blade, pointing it straight at Selene.
"Kill the girl—before she turns."
Her scream caught in her throat.
Raven's crimson eyes flared, brighter than fire, his fangs glinting as a low growl rumbled through the chamber.
And in that instant Selene knew—she wasn't caught between monsters and men.
She was caught between prey and predator.