CHAPTER 33: INDECENT PROPOSAL (3)

«N-Not sure this is appropriate...» I mutter timidly.

The sight of her bloodstained torture tools churns my stomach.

I weigh every word carefully—I don’t want my blood added to the mess.

There has to be some law against this... right?

A rule that forbids vampires from torturing another vampire’s familiar?

I desperately pray such a rule exists, but I can’t be sure, so it’s better not to risk provoking her.

«To your kind, we’re nothing more than animals forced to fight for your amusement. I don’t know how things work here, but in our world doing indecent things with an animal is... kind of illegal,» I add, trying to buy time and, if fate allows, dissuade her from carrying out whatever she’s planning.

It’s not that the idea of having sex with Sasha disgusts me—quite the opposite, since she’s undeniably an incredibly seductive woman.

But the real issue is the context.

She isn’t even my master, and for all I know this could be considered a betrayal of Ayra.

In a society this archaic and traditional, I wouldn’t be surprised if betrayal was punishable by death.

I have no intention of risking execution for a quick fling!

«Oh no, you’re very wrong. Sex between vampires and humans is absolutely legal, since your bodies are aesthetically identical to ours, and especially compatible for reproduction. There’s even an entire district in Noxscura where vampires of all ages and social classes can pay to enjoy themselves with humans. Though members of the Volkom family are strictly forbidden from going there, since it would ruin the royal family’s image—yet another of my father’s ridiculous laws.»

In other words, a red-light district.

Which means we’re not just their battle animals but also their sex toys.

The situation keeps getting worse by the minute...

«There’s also one small, but rather important, restriction. We’re not allowed to have sex with a human already bound to another vampire through a Bonding Ritual...» Sasha murmurs, clearly displeased about this rule as well.

I let out a silent sigh of relief.

Luckily, my guess about being forbidden from touching another vampire’s familiar turned out to be right.

«That’s why you’ll become my familiar,» she continues, grinning from ear to ear as she stretches over me—her chest and hips pressing against mine, our lips so close I can feel her warm breath brush against my cheek.

She... WHAT?! Is that even possible?!

«I think there’s one small, but rather important, detail. I already have a master,» I reply, turning my eyes away—her sharp, malicious gaze scares me more than her torture tools.

«Oh... yes, my dear little sister Ayra. But I have a feeling she won’t be your master for much longer.»

«What do you mean...?» I ask, a trace of worry in my voice, though I can already guess what she’s hinting at.

«Her condition is steadily improving, and she should wake up any moment now. But what truly matters is what happens afterward. Surely Daphne has already told you, so I don’t need to explain. Just remember this: Edgar Narkov—one of the three commanders of the Scarlet Army, and master of Rashid, the familiar who just fought Kajetan—is counted among the five strongest vampires of this age. He even possesses an Innatus. His strength is absolute, undeniable, as is his natural talent for combat. He mastered his Innatus in record time—it took him... only a month.»

Sasha grinds her naked body against me with increasing fervor.

«If a genius like Edgar needed a month to master his Innatus, how do you expect Ayra to do it in just a week? Her death is only days away. And when it happens, you’ll be put on the market. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of vampires will do anything to claim a human with Visanguis—even giving up a higher-ranking familiar. Then it will be up to you to decide with whom to form a new Bonding Ritual.»

But how... how can she say all this without a hint of remorse?

She’s talking about her sister, damn it!

How can she speak so coldly, so indifferently, about the possible death of her own blood?!

«Even if that day comes, the day I have to choose a new master...» My gaze, sharp and resolute, locks onto Sasha’s eyes. «...I would never choose you. Not in a million years!»

«Oh? And can I know where all this reluctance toward me comes from?»

«I know what you do to poor Dorje—all the torture and humiliation you put him through! You’re a sadistic woman, completely heartless! I’d rather die than become your toy to satisfy your twisted perversions!» I snap, my voice full of anger.

The words spilling out without restraint, not caring about the consequences.

«Aren’t you the one who draws strength from erotic thoughts about Ayra? You even pushed her to train with you completely naked! Isn’t it ironic that the perverted familiar—yes, that’s what all the noble vampires call you now—dares to lecture me?» she retorts, clear irritation in her tone. «I may be a pervert, but so are you! In fact, it’s exactly this perversion we share that would make us a perfect pair.»

Her hand slides down my chest, lower and lower, until it reaches my erection, so hard it feels like every drop of blood in my body has rushed there.

Honestly, who could stay unmoved with a woman like Sasha—dripping with eroticism and sensuality from every pore—lying on top of me, on her bed, with those ridiculously huge breasts just inches from my face?

As much as I despise her, I’m still a teenager... have mercy!

«In other words...» I take a deep breath.

I fight to regain a shred of clarity.

«You’re trying to buy me... with sex? Tempting as your offer may be, I have no intention of selling myself so cheap. If I ever serve a new master, it’ll be someone with at least a shred of feeling—someone who truly cares for their familiar... someone like Daphne!»

The moment that name leaves my lips, Sasha bursts out laughing—uncontrollably, tears streaming down her cheeks from the sheer amusement.

«Seems my sister has crafted a persuasion strategy far more effective than mine. Just a few days, and you’re already at her feet!» she mocks, shaking her head in disbelief.

But her laughter dies quickly, her face twisting into pure frustration.

«Yes... at her feet... just like everyone else in Mildelar! That bitch, with her perfect manners and gentle ways, managed to win over everyone! They all adore her, even the humans... even that fool Ayra, hanging on her every word as if she were the ultimate bearer of truth!»

All of a sudden Sasha pulls away, sliding off me and crawling toward the end of the bed.

She shoots me a dark glare, her brows drawn in irritation.

«Only I know what that woman is truly capable of—the unmatched cruelty she hides, and the torment Kajetan endures every single day. If you knew what I know, you’d think twice before calling me a sadist or a depraved monster. You have no idea what those words really mean until you’ve seen what I’ve seen with my own eyes.»

Turning away, she moves across the room, picking up the lingerie she had tossed on the floor.

Then she heads for the emerald-green dress with golden trim—the one I had chosen for her to wear to tonight’s ball—carelessly thrown on the couch.

«Knowing her methods, she’s surely already told you not to trust me—that I’m a liar, a manipulator, or something along those lines. So I don’t expect you to believe me... frankly, I couldn’t care less.»

Her voice is calm again.

With a snap of her fingers, the crimson chains binding me to the bed vanish into thin air.

I push myself upright, utterly overwhelmed by confusion.

Daphne had warned me about Sasha, describing her as a woman skilled at twisting reality with flawless credibility just to get what she wants.

It’s obvious this is just another trick, meant to discredit her sister, to make herself seem less evil than she truly is, all so she can claim me as her familiar if Ayra dies prematurely. Everything fits perfectly.

And yet... what if that’s not the case?

What if Daphne is the real manipulator, warning me against Sasha in advance—afraid she might reveal inconvenient truths—just to keep me from believing her?

But... Kajetan didn’t seem unhappy or traumatized.

No, there’s no doubt—Sasha is the real manipulator here!

«I’m sending you back to your dormitory—I have no interest in wasting more time on a gullible fool like you. I thought you were smarter, but clearly I was wrong. I’ll be waiting, with great anticipation, for the day when—after becoming Daphne’s familiar and seeing the truth with your own eyes—you collapse at my feet, crying, cursing yourself for not believing me, begging me to convince Daphne to hand you over!»