Chapter 37: A Fool’s Loss, Another’s Treasure
{IRIS}
"Don’t tell me you’re actually considering jumping to escape school. Go ahead if you want—but all you’ll get is a few broken bones, maybe a cracked skull. You’ll heal, of course . . . just in time to still attend school, but in agony."
"O-Of course not, Lord Val!" I stammered, feeling my face heat. No matter how much time I spent with him, I still struggled to meet his eyes for more than a few seconds.
Whether it was his intimidating presence or his dangerously handsome face, I couldn’t tell. Maybe both.
"Good," he said simply. "You should get some rest. We leave at dawn."
I hesitated, watching as he turned slightly, preparing to leave. A sudden wave of panic gripped me. I didn’t want him to disappear just yet.
"Uhm! Lord Val!" My voice came out urgent, needy even.
He paused, his gaze sliding back to me. "What is it?"
I clenched my fingers into my dress, embarrassed by how small my voice had become.
"I just . . . I wanted to say thank you." I swallowed hard, forcing myself to hold my ground. "For everything. I’ll find a way to repay you one day, I promise."
He exhaled, a sound almost like a scoff, before suddenly appearing in front of me in a blink. I gasped, stepping back, but the railing kept me in place.
". . . I told you," his voice was impossibly close, a whisper against my ear, "don’t thank me." His breath fanned against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. "Because someday . . . I will collect that debt."
A sharp silence settled between us.
I forced myself to look up, and when I did, I was met with those piercing silver eyes, glowing like twin moons. My chest tightened.
"I . . ." My voice trembled. "Before you . . . I never imagined I would end up here. I was content with my life in the pack—content being an omega, a servant. At least they fed me. At least I had a roof when it rained. That was enough."
I inhaled shakily, my grip on my dress tightening.
"I accepted my fate. I thought I’d grow old serving the pack. That I’d live and die in the pack—until I turned eighteen and the mate bond pulled me to my other half."
A flicker of something unreadable crossed Vladimir’s face. "You have a mate? Of course, you do. Beings like us have a mate." He let out a small smile, though it felt more like a sneer—one laced with something almost like sadness.
"I . . . I did. But he . . . rejected me. He severed our bond."
Vladimir gaze darkened instantly. His entire demeanor shifted, his once-neutral face turning cold and sharp. "He rejected you?" His voice was dangerously low. "He severed the mate bond?"
I nodded again, this time slower. "I can’t blame him. He needed someone strong, someone confident, someone who could lead the pack with him—not a weakling, unshifted like me."
His lips curled slightly, but it wasn’t a smile. It was something crueler, colder. "Then he’s a fool. Because it turns out you’re not weak, and you’re not unshifted."
I let out a soft, bitter laugh. "Thank you for trying to comfort me, Lord Val."
"It’s not comfort. It’s a fact," he said flatly. Then, after a pause, he exhaled sharply and turned his gaze to the stormy night sky.
"In our world, finding our mate is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Many die without ever meeting theirs, others live lonely, hollow lives, and some would give everything—burn kingdoms to the ground—just for one more moment with the mate they lost."
His jaw clenched slightly. "The feeling of finding your other half . . . it can’t be described. It’s like finding your purpose, like knowing, without a doubt, that you were meant to exist. But that man . . ." His voice lowered, a whisper laced with venom. "That man threw it away. He doesn’t deserve you."
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My eyes burned with unshed tears, my emotions teetering on the edge of spilling over.
I lowered my head, blinking rapidly as warm drops fell silently onto the marble floor.
"T-Thank you, Lord Val . . ."
I wanted to ask how he knew so much. Had he found his mate too? Had something happened? But I was too overwhelmed to speak.
He watched me for a long moment before stepping back, as if giving me space to breathe. Then, without another word, he turned to leave.
"L-Lord Val," I called, not even sure why his name slipped from my lips.
Vladimir halted, turning to face me. His expression was the same as always—calm, icy, that mask of indifference he wore so well. "What is it?"
I hesitated, my fingers curling against my dress. "I . . . I thought you brought me here to drink my blood, but you haven’t since the first time. I just—" The words tumbled out before I could stop them.
It had been gnawing at me for a while. Every day, I braced myself, waiting for the inevitable. But it never came. And the longer he refrained, the more I started to wonder . . . why?
Vladimir met my gaze, his silver eyes like frozen moons. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, but there was something almost reluctant in it.
"Your blood . . . it’s intoxicating. The scent alone is maddening. If I ever lost control—even for a moment—I wouldn’t stop. I would drain you dry."
A chill raced down my spine. Not out of fear, but at the way he said it, with such absolute certainty.
I swallowed. "So . . . so you’re afraid you’d lose control and . . ." I hesitated, my heart hammering. "Kill me?"
He inclined his head slightly. "Pretty much."
I exhaled slowly. The weight of his words pressed against me. I never imagined my blood could be so dangerous. That a single drop could drive creatures like him to madness.
"If someone like me, with centuries of control, could struggle against it . . ." His voice darkened, a warning laced beneath his words. "Imagine what lesser creatures would do. You must be careful not to bleed. Always carry the Bloodveil potion with you. The moment you’re wounded, drink it. Do not hesitate."
I nodded quickly. "Y-yes, I understand."
But something still nagged at me. He said ’pretty much the reason.’ So . . . there was another?
Gathering my courage, I dared to ask, "Then . . . if that’s ’pretty much’ the reason, what’s the rest?"
I braced myself for his annoyance, for him to brush me off and disappear into the night. But instead, he paused—just for a breath—before answering.
"The other reason," he murmured, voice dropping an octave, "is that a vampire’s bite can elicit euphoria in their prey." His eyes gleamed dangerously. "And I have no interest in smelling the heat of your arousal."
I froze.
He left.
My brain short-circuited.
And then—
I shrieked into the nearest pillow.
Why did I even ask?!
