Chapter 1

I could not give up! Not now, when I was so close to achieving it. I was only a few meters away from reaching my desired freedom.

The sun was peeking over the horizon—the perfect time, as Eduardo would be asleep, along with the rest of the inhabitants of that house.

The humans, our blood slaves, were beginning to arrive for their daily chores, tidying up a mansion that looked more like a palace, where their master and his kin restored their energy, far from the light of day.

That was all they paid attention to: their tasks, and nothing else around them. A young woman walking through the gardens was not something they needed to concern themselves with; just as I had hoped, they ignored me, not caring whether I burst into flames or simply vanished into thin air.

That was exactly what I intended to do, as quickly as I possibly could.

I looked around, taking in the imposing mansion one last time from a distance. Bathed in the rays of the sun that began to illuminate every detail of its ancient structure, it looked somber and dark.

I sighed in a silent lament—a farewell accompanied by both sorrow and relief. It was the right thing to do! Justice would only be served if I walked away from that place.

In a single surge of momentum, I vaulted over the two-meter wall that enclosed the place where I had lived for practically my entire life. Finally, I would be able to get away from Eduardo and his insanity.

Eduardo—a man who had once fascinated me, seducing me with his beauty and dominant posture—now filled me with revulsion.

Growing up close to all the warrior vampires, it was normal for an adolescent girl to begin having feelings and desires for one of them, but Eduardo had been the object of my obsession.

A young girl entering sexual maturity, hormones running wild and libido spiraling out of control—it could be said that it was natural.

But discovering later that I was, after all, just another girl in the hands of someone without scruples? That was not so normal anymore.

I believed that Eduardo was loyal to those he served, especially as the co-regent of the clan. How could I have been so wrong?

His almond-colored eyes, his short hair with golden strands falling in layers over his face—it was enough to drive anyone crazy. But I didn't just desire him; I idolized him.

His charisma, combined with his beauty and a killer smile, made me desire him and love him with every fiber of my being. His body, sculpted for combat, did nothing to help control my libido, as he used it as a weapon of seduction.

A weapon he wielded without any shame. It was no wonder he was always surrounded by women; however, he didn't even care that they threw themselves at his feet, despite his being selective. In my naivety, I had thought I was the chosen one, for eternity.

Thus, in my mind, the idea formed that it would be best if this remained a state secret. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying went.

Tip-toeing in extreme silence, I opened the door a crack, scouting the hallway. To my relief, it was deserted. I slinked away quickly, pressed against the wall, attentive to every room distributed along the path.

Everything was going well until, nearly at the railing of the first-floor stairs, one of the doors opened. I immediately hid behind one of the massive columns that adorned the mansion.

I hoped that whoever it was would leave quickly; nerves began to set in, making my stomach contract painfully.

To my astonishment, the door remained ajar for a few seconds, and to my horror, the words that followed left me completely brought to my knees.