Chapter 1: The Only Rock Among the Diamonds

AMID the heavy music, the laughter, the sound of wine and blood spilling everywhere, the gasps and the moans from variety of strangers as they drown themselves in blood and sex, I heard her. First, it was her footsteps. They were careful and light as a feather as if she was afraid to make a single sound, afraid to be noticed.

Then it was her voice.

She cleared her throat. “Pardon my intrusion, your Majesty,” she said. Her voice was soft, but it was devoid of emotion humans ought to have. “I’ve brought the file you requested.”

“Human, if you know you’re intruding, then you shouldn’t have come at all! You are not welcome here. Shoo,” the female Vampire who was with me commented just when I was about to speak.

My forehead creased. I took my hand off the woman’s thigh and released her neck before looking at her. I don’t remember her name. I only remember that she was from one of the twelve noble families in the Kingdom. Other than that, everything about her was forgettable.

If not for her blood that was not even that delicious, I would not waste a second with her. I stared at her blankly and said, “You are the one who ought to leave and not my secretary.”

She was stunned. The reason was obvious. It was her first time to get thrown away and be humiliated. I heard she was called the social butterfly in every party.

But not in my party.

“Your Majesty? Are you choosing that ugly duckling over me?”

I chuckled. “You make me laugh. You are not even a swan yourself. Leave, whoever you are. And never come back. Don’t make me say it twice.”

When she remained standing there with that aghast expression, I motioned my hand, the woman flew toward the door. The knights quickly opened it for her. She was still screaming her heart out when they led her outside. I could still hear a commotion, but it was nothing the knights couldn’t handle.

In an instant, all the noise had stopped as every single Vampire turned to look at me. Men, women, young and old, I could see them all fidgeting except for one person.

Kate.

Damon, the General of the Vampire army who was sitting in front of me clicked his tongue and whispered, “Claudia’s brother is my friend, but I can’t help her this time. It was her fault. She shouldn’t have done that.”

“Done what?” the woman near him asked.

“She pushed the ‘Kate’ button. Her biggest mistake.”

I shrugged, stood up, and turned to Kate, my secretary. I saw her flinch a while ago. “Are you okay?”

She lowered her head. “You didn’t have to do that, Your Majesty.”

“Are you worried about her? She’s a Vampire. She’ll live. If she doesn’t, remind me to send flowers to her funeral.”

Kate just sighed and adjusted her thick glasses. And then she took out her handkerchief and handed it to me. Our fingers touched and slowly, I began to calm down. It was quick, but it was enough for her warmth to spread all over my fingertips.

I used the handkerchief to wipe the blood off my mouth before I glanced at her who remain unfazed despite the debauchery she was seeing around the hall. A faint smile curved my lips as I gave her back the tiny piece of cloth. It had the same scent as her. She smelled of roses, it was not too strong, just enough to tease the senses. Was she staying in the garden before I summoned her?

“Thank you, Kate,” I said after she gave me the envelope.

She nodded. “Anything else, Your Majesty?”

“No. You can go.”

She bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

And then she left as quickly as she came, not bothering to throw a glance at the people around her. I still have no idea whether it was out of fear or she just didn’t think the guests were worth her precious time. She was a mystery, the only woman whose mind I couldn’t grasp, like the black rose that she was, the rare female humans who served the Vampires.

Black Roses were the people we couldn’t compel to do our bidding. But they were loyal and their blood tasted good.

As always, as Kate passed by the guests, she stood out. It was not because she was the only human among the blood-suckers in this party. It was the odd way she dressed herself. The Vampires were the ancient ones. Some, like me, had lived for hundreds of years. But no woman here had worn the clothes she wore, making her appear more ancient than the Vampires.

Kate Morelli was trapped in an era which she didn’t even get to live in, all thanks to her grandmother who raised her. She was the youngest in this Castle yet, she looked older with her polite expression, with her black hair tied in a bun, and with her big, black thick glasses which almost covered half her face. She also wore her signature long plain black, turtleneck dress with sleeves so long that only her fingers would show as if she was afraid to reveal even a little skin. She paired it with her old black boots.

That was how Kate found me. In that very dress.

“She’s really not the type to talk,” Damon commented after a while. “Normally, the Vampires would be so excited over a Black Rose’s blood. They would try to do anything to win her. But the males here didn’t even throw her a glance. Her lack of fashion sense saved her.”

My brows furrowed. “Are you saying that my secretary is ugly?”

“I’m just saying that Vampires like things that are easy on the eyes. And Miss Morelli is obviously not that type of person. So, she’s out of their list. Anyway, Claudia will not let this slide, Your Majesty. I would wager all the blood bags in my house that she will tattle to her Daddy dearest about this,” Damon added as we watched Kate approach the door. “Their family is the most powerful among the twelve families. Being their only daughter, they would surely cause a stir.”

So, Claudia was her name.

“And what harm could those little bugs do to me? This is my party, my castle, and my rules, Damon. Besides, if I allowed that woman to stay for a second more, she would have ripped Kate’s throat and drain her of her blood. I read it in her thoughts. And I need my secretary alive,” I said after I took the goblet he offered and finished the blood inside in one drink.

Among the guests here, Damon was the closest to me. He was like a brother to me. We had fought together in the battlefield too many times before.

“Because she once saved your life from the Hunters?”

I sat and leaned on my chair. That was only the time when the guests began to relax and continued with their business.

“Because she is the only woman who didn’t fall for me. Nothing more, nothing less. Work life is so much easier now that I have Kate. She is pretty good at her job, smart, and very dedicated. The only thing she lacks is some decent clothes no matter how much I pay her but other than that, I think she’s perfect. I can’t lose her at a time like this. She still has so much work to do.”

Damon laughed. “So, in the end, it all comes down to work?”

“What else could be the reason? Kate is the only person who became my secretary and lasted for two years. And I intend to keep her in my office longer than that.”

I know the rumors spreading around me about the only rock that I kept in a treasure box filled with diamonds. But I don’t give a damn because right now, I’m quite fond of that rock. And I will let no one harm the rock while I’m still using it.

I threw the documents at Damon’s face when I saw mischief dancing in his eyes. “That is the latest report about the Hunters. Gather a search troop as soon as possible and find every single one of them. You can kill the rest of them except for one person. Their leader. Present him to me. I will end him myself.”

All of a sudden, Damon’s face became dead serious. The issue about the Hunters will never be something to smile about. We had wiped them all out before, including their leader who I killed with my bare hands in a war two years ago. But a rat managed to escape. It was the son of their leader. And that son rebuilt their organization.

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

I didn’t get to respond when I caught a familiar face in the crowd. She was looking straight into my eyes. There was a devious glimmer in her eyes which I loathed. When I stood up, the stinky witch disappeared. But I could still hear her voice in my head.

“One day, a woman will become the death of you, Zachary Collins! You will die by her hands! But before that, you will experience a pain like no other… just like how I felt after you mercilessly killed my lover!”

I gritted my teeth and was about to order a search operation when I froze. My throat was burning up. My temperature became higher than usual. And my stomach tightened. But why? It was not that time of the month yet. I was not supposed to feel this way this early.

“Your Majesty, is something wrong?” Damon asked.

I clenched my hands. In an instant, my eyes had changed its color and became red as the veins in my neck and arms became more visible. I didn’t answer and just grabbed the first woman in front of me. I buried my fangs in her neck, fed on her blood and energy, but it was not enough.

“Your eyes changed! Damn, it’s that blood witch’s curse acting up again,” Damon cussed. “How the hell did this happen? It’s still too soon for this! Hold on. I will summon them in your room, Your Majesty, and take you there.”

I knew the General was still talking. But I could no longer process what he was saying.

More.

I needed more. That was all I know.

I grabbed another woman and heard her wince as I fed on her energy. But I still felt so thirsty. Their blood was no longer sufficient for me. I roared as the pain all over my body grew. I shut my eyes and tried to feed on as much energy as I could. The music stopped as I gathered the energy of the rest of the Vampires around me.

I could hear their sobs, their voices begging me to stop.

When I opened my eyes, I saw them on the floor, now weak and shivering, including Damon. I quickly disappeared and went to my quarters. I needed to get away from everyone as soon as possible. Or else, I might kill all of them this time.

But I caught a whiff of Kate’s faint smell near my room. My stomach growled; my chest pounded. My head was telling me not to search for her, to just lock myself up in my quarters until the curse subside. But my body was saying something else.

I wanted to warn her not to come close when I heard her footsteps. But my voice wouldn’t come out. When I tried speaking, I only ended up snarling like the hungry monster that I am.

But then she appeared in the hallway. She was taken aback when she saw me.

“Your Majesty? Why do you look like that? You’re sweating a lot. Are you sick? Did something happen to you?” she hurried toward my direction.

And before I knew it, I already held her head and sank my teeth onto her pale neck.

She screamed.