My eyes lingered on Victor's heart, which was now in the palm of my hand, blood dripping between my fingers. The scent was fresh and metallic. It felt soft against my palm. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to devour it whole and that's exactly what I did.
I sunk my fangs into the heart, and immediately blood flooded into my mouth. I chewed and swallowed every drop until there was nothing left.
[You have devoured the heart of a level 9 noble vampire]
[You have ascended to level 7]
[You have acquired a level 1 bloodline skill: Phantom Pack]
"No~ This cannot be! How could this have happened?" Isabella fell to her knees, tears in her eyes. Her beautiful, doll-like face was seething with rage.
She stared at me with bloodshot eyes, and for a second I thought she would attack again, but instead she raised her dagger to her throat.
"What are you doing?" I asked, taken aback by her action.
Has she gone mad?
"Master Victor is no more. I have no more reason to live."
"Killing yourself for that guy doesn't sound too smart."
She looked at me bitterly.
"A mongrel wouldn't understand. The only reason I exist is to serve him. My family has served his for generations, and now that he is gone I have no place. I must pay for letting him die. It's all my fault."
She brought the knife closer to her throat and tightened her grip. A small understanding of her situation began to form in my mind
"He was supposed to turn you, wasn't he?" I asked.
Vampires were predictable creatures so it wasn't hard to figure out.
Noble vampires are the only vampires that can procreate and create vampire offsprings. If two normal vampires had a child, that child would be human. The only way that child could become a vampire was if he or she was turned by a noble vampire.
That was one of the biggest advantages a noble vampire has over a regular vampire. That's why every regular vampire is under the rule of a noble vampire.
She didn't answer my question, but I knew I was correct. If she was a servant of Victor's clan, then she was in line to be turned into a vampire herself. She was to be his lover or his slave.
I stared at this girl holding the knife to her throat without any sense of fear. Her eyes were just as empty as they always were. She was a beautiful doll with black hair that cascaded down to her waist like water flowing from a waterfall.
Her eyes were crimson and almost lifeless. If it wasn't for her beauty, you would've mistaken her for a zombie. From the way she fought, you could tell that she had received combat training. Though she always had an air of elegance around her. Almost like a dignified noble woman.
But what really made her interesting to me was the lack of value she had for her own life. She valued Victor's life more than her own and something told me she would even die for him. I always had a fondness for strange people. Her willingness to kill herself at the drop of a hat intrigued me like no one ever had before.
Her breathing steadied, and I could tell her mind was made up. Using all her strength, she attempted to sink the knife deep into her throat, but I stopped her at the last second. I then pried the dagger from her grasp and tossed it aside.
"What are you doing?!" Her voice trembled with rage. "Damn you! First you killed my master, and now you're stopping me from atoning."
She stared into my eyes without any sign of fear. Even after she saw what I did to her master. An idea formed in my head.
"Since Victor is no longer with us, I'll do what he was supposed to do. I'll turn you."
She blinked and looked at me with wide eyes.
"Impossible. Only alphas can turn a human. You're too young to be an alpha of your own pack."
She was right. I wasn't an alpha, but I wasn't a regular werewolf either. Some rules simply didn't apply to me. To turn a human was relatively easy, you just needed to make them submit to you with every fiber of their being. In this situation, it could prove to be a bit tricky.
How would you make someone who isn't even afraid of death submit to you?
The answer was simple… killing intent.
Every supernatural creature, whether werewolf or vampire, has a strong urge to kill. That urge comes out in the form of killing intent. It's usually an invisible pressure that forces someone weaker than you to submit. This urge has to be constantly suppressed, and at times it can even be used as a weapon to cripple your opponent.
Killing intent varies from creature to creature, and like many other things, mine was a bit different. Isabella was about to get a firsthand experience of how different it is. First, I took a deep breath and cleared my mind, allowing my natural instincts to flow, then I released all my suppressed urge.
…
[Isabella's POV]
Turn me into a werewolf? Impossible! I would rather die than be turned by the likes of him. If I were ever turned into a werewolf, It would only bring more disgrace to my family. I, Isabella Nora, refuse that fate. From the moment I was born, I was trained to be the best servant I could be.
From the beginning, I was only a gift. A gift for young master Victor, in hopes that he would one day make me his slave or his lover. I only belong to him. My entire existence was for him. And this monster took that away from me. I would never forgive that.
I achieved the one thing every young girl my age dreams of. To be close to a noble vampire and somehow earn his favor. It was the greatest privilege one could achieve. That has been the way for centuries. But now… He took that from me.
This mongrel!
Everything I had worked so hard for. Everything my mom had worked so hard for. All the suffering I had been through now means nothing. But maybe if I die with young master Victor then my family would be spared.
I can't submit to him. It will never happen. No matter what. For the sake of those I love, I must die here.
I glanced up at Liam who stood over me with a cold, scrutinizing gaze. I could only wonder what was going on behind those flame-colored eyes of his, but whatever it was, I wasn't afraid. I matched his gaze but then, the temperature in the room suddenly began to rise.
Pain gripped me as my skin began to burn from an intense heat. An ominous feeling rose from the pit of my stomach, and the next thing I knew, I was in a river of flames. My skin sizzled causing me to scream in pain. I saw countless people suffering the same fate I was.
It was as if I was dropped into hell itself.
The screams of the damned were primal, and it was the only sound that echoed in this dark space. The sight was horrifying, but I clutched my chest and forced myself to calm down. That was until I saw something that made my stomach churn.
It was the sight of my own family being burned to death. I watched my mother's flesh being burned from her skin. Her figure began to take on a grotesque form as she screamed my name over and over. I tried desperately to reach her, but the closer I got, the further away she seemed. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to get to her, but before I could, it was too late.
A giant black wolf loomed over her. Its fur was so black that it almost looked like a shadow. Its eyes glowed a deep shade of orange. It reminded me of him. I watched the monster rip her apart as she continued to wail my name. Her voice echoed in the dark space.
When the giant wolf was done ripping her to shreds, it turned its cold empty eyes to me. A primal need rose from the pit of my stomach. A need to survive. A need to live. No matter what. This was the first time I had felt true fear and it caused my entire body to freeze stiff. It was like my mind was trapped inside my body and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move.
Is this what true fear feels like?
In the next second, I was back in the classroom with Liam standing in front of me. My body trembled uncontrollably, and soon I felt a wetness seep between my thighs. I glanced down to see I was sitting in a puddle of my own pee.
"How?"
The world around me felt unreal. Nothing made sense. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to live.
…
[Liam's POV]
I glanced down at the girl in front of me, and from her state, I could tell that my killing intent had done its job. She had completely surrendered herself to me. Her mind was broken. I could see it in the way she was trembling. In the way her eyes were dilated. With a slight satisfaction, I lifted her up. Her body felt cold to the touch and she was trembling in fear. Whatever she saw was enough to break her mind.
This was actually the first time I had used my killing intent on a human before. I had only used it on a bear and a dog before and both of them died badly. The bear impaled itself on a sharp rock before throwing itself off a cliff and the dog turned rabid and chewed out its own throat.
From then I had been hesitant to use it on anyone. But seeing a girl with such a strong mental fortitude. A girl that doesn't even fear death itself. I was curious as to how it would turn out. She was strong indeed. My instincts told me I had caught a prize and I was anxious to claim it.
Without further ado, I sank my teeth into her neck and immediately, a notification popped up.
[Level 3 human tamed. Would you like to turn her and make her a part of your pack?] [Y/N]