Samantha's POV:

Heavy boots echoed through the tiled corridors. I sat still and cross-legged at the center of the ritual circle. 

The door suddenly pushed open, and Alpha Ken walked in with a few guards by his side. But on seeing the sight in front of him, he froze. One of the guards immediately threw up.

Around me lay eight guards; their hearts, heads, and intestines were neatly arranged beside them like offerings. My hands were dripping, and my mouth still tasted of iron.

Alpha Ken’s eyes widened in horror and disbelief. “What…exactly are you?”

I looked up slowly at him. “You asked them to kill me. I only defended myself.”

“They were my finest men.”

“They were slow.”

His jaw clenched. He took a cautious step closer to me, his nostrils flaring. “I should have killed you back then.”

I smiled faintly. “I guess you were slower than them.”

“Lock her up,” he barked. “Now!”

Soldiers rushed in, gagging at the acrid smell. They hit me in different parts of my body and chained my wrists.

But I didn’t fight back. Not yet.

They dragged me through the corridors into the main building, to the same cell Elder William had once thrown me into. the same one lined with silver blades and cursed needles that tore into your very soul. My body screamed the moment I entered the room.

The guards sat me on the metallic chair, and the tiny needles immediately pierced my skin.

 “Let’s see your demon tricks now.” One of the guards sneered and slammed the door shut.

Thick silence followed, and only my own shallow breathing could be heard. The silver made my skin split open in tiny red lines. Every breath felt like glass, and every heartbeat was like burning fire.

But I wouldn’t beg. Neither for mercy nor for death.

After a few hours, I began to feel strange inside of me. The searing pain began to fade, slowly and unnaturally. My vision that was blurred began to sharpen. I could still feel the needles inside of me, but they no longer hurt. My body was… healing?

“What have you become...?” I whispered to myself.

The air in the room grew colder, but there was no way to know what time of day it was.

The lock suddenly clicked, and I heard the door open quietly.

I expected Alpha Ken or one of his soldiers. But instead, I saw the small flame of a candle, and behind it, a woman whispered, “Don’t scream.”

Even in my condition, I recognized the soft voice. It was Clara.

Her protruding belly brushed the doorframe as she entered. Her hair was messy and her face pale, but her eyes shone with determination.

“What are you doing here?” I managed to ask. My body had become weak due to blood loss.

“Saving you,” she said as she knelt beside me. “You’re bleeding.”

“And you soon will if you don't leave now.” I rasped.

She ignored me and began unlocking the chains. Her hands trembled, and I could tell she was scared, but she didn’t stop until the last chains fell off.

She helped me to my feet, supporting my weight with surprising strength as we moved quietly through the halls until we were outside of the mansion. She took me to her tent at the far end of the campground.

The tent was warm, with soft sheets and warm lights. It was luxury compared to the dungeon of a kitchen.

“You live here?” I asked, with disbelief in my tone.

Clara nodded. “William says I need peace. My mate and family were killed by a rival pack when I was pregnant. I had managed to escape and was trying to find him when the guards caught me. He's my only family now, with my baby.” She said with grief as she tended to my wounds.

I sat still, studying her face. She was kind, too kind for this cursed household.

“How did you know I was down there? ”

“I've been watching you.  I asked one of my close servants to keep an eye on you. Ever since I saw you that day, I knew you were different,” she said with a small smile.

“I’ll protect you,” I said quietly.

She looked up at me in an amused state. “Protect me? Protect me from what?”

“When the Prince of the World comes,” I said. “When Dracula returns for his debt, and I satisfy my quest for revenge. I’ll make sure your name is not among the fallen.”

Her brows furrowed. “Dracula? Revenge? What are you talking about?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Then make me.”

I met her piercing eyes. “I owe someone. But not everyone deserves death. Especially not people like you.”

She reached out, her warm hands clasping mine. “Then let me help you. Whatever you need.”

For the first time in a long while, I felt something small and fragile stir inside me.

Trust.

But it didn’t last. I didn't let it.

“You can stay here tonight until you feel much stronger to go back.” 

I nodded and lay down on the soft couch, letting the warmth caress my aching body. The bleeding had also stopped, thanks to her aid.

I could assume Alpha ken's plans. For every single one of his men I killed, he'd make me bleed ten times more. 

This definitely wasn't the Alpha Kelvin I knew. He had greatly changed; he was more cruel, merciless, and dangerous. 

But then, I had also changed even more.

The air in the tent chilled, and the candles began to flicker violently.

Clara turned towards the window, and I followed her gaze. I was sure she couldn't see anything, but I saw it. A figure, standing outside in the shadows of the moonlight. Its eyes were a glowing deep red, and it was watching, smiling evilly.

My breath hitched. “Wait…”

The figure tilted its head, and its crimson eyes burned brighter.

“Dracula...?” I whispered.