The Bride He Hates-Chapter 58: First Kill

A week had passed since Victor’s revelation about the Council of Light. Thornfield was transformed into a fortress and an intelligence hub. Guards patrolled in triple rotations, magical wards were strengthened around every entrance, and Victor along with his spies worked tirelessly to gather information about the traitors. Everyone knew enemies walked among them, but identifying them felt impossible.

Meanwhile, Lyanna was slowly gaining control over her vampire senses through constant practice and focus. She could now filter out most of the background noise, walk through torch-lit corridors without squinting, and pick up objects without breaking them. But Azrael insisted she needed more than just control over her enhanced senses.

"You’ve been only feeding from willing donors." Azrael said one evening as they got ready to leave the castle. "But tonight, you’ll hunt."

Lyanna was surprised. She hadn’t known this was what Azrael had in mind when he asked her to be ready by the evening.

"Hunt?? Is that necessary?"

"Yes. Right now, you’re in a controlled environment where you don’t need to hunt. But there will be situations where you’ll have to, and I want you to be prepared for them."

Lyanna just nodded in response, not sure what to say. Then, along with Azrael, Adrian, and several younger vampires who had been turned within the last few decades, she made her way towards the forest.

The forest was dense and dark, but Lyanna’s vampire vision made it clear as day. She could see every branch, every leaf, and every small creature scuttling about.

"We’re tracking a deer." Azrael said as they dismounted and tied the horses.

Lyanna felt something unfamiliar stirring inside her. It wasn’t hunger. Instead, her instincts were awakening, recognizing what was about to happen.

"Close your eyes." Azrael instructed. "Use your other senses and tell me what you smell?"

Lyanna inhaled deeply. She could smell the scent of earth, trees and moss, but under all that she smelled something warm and living. And her fangs came out automatically.

"There." She whispered, pointing in the northeast. "Something is there, alive and moving."

"Good. Now try to listen."

She focused on her hearing and heard a heartbeat.

"I hear it."

"Then track it. Let your instincts guide you."

Lyanna walked through the forest like she’d been doing this for centuries. Her vampire body knew how to walk silently, use shadows for cover, and approach from downwind. The deer’s scent grew stronger as she crossed the distance, and then came the scent of the deer’s fear. It was sharp and intoxicating.

The predator inside her loved it. She could hear its heartbeat, and feel its exact position through vibrations in the ground. She followed her senses and found a large buck grazing peacefully.

Lyanna immediately crouched behind a tree, and in the next second, she was on the deer. Her fangs found its throat, and warm blood flooded her mouth. The feeding was transcendent. It was different from drinking from willing donors. It was wilder, and more satisfying.

As she pulled away and wiped blood from her mouth, she saw Azrael watching her from a distance.

"You’re a natural hunter." He said, walking closer. "Some newly turned vampires struggle with their predatory nature. They fight against it and try to cling to their humanity but you embraced it."

"Should I feel guilty?" Lyanna asked. "I killed it."

"You fed from it. That’s what predators do. You’re a vampire now, Lyanna. Predation is part of your nature now. The sooner you accept that, the stronger you’ll be."

Lyanna nodded, and together they waited for the other vampires who had gone on their own hunts. Lyanna could hear them from a distance; feeding, and satisfying themselves.

During their ride back, Lyanna, still excited from her first successful hunt, asked a question she had wanted to ask for a long time.

"Would you ever kill a human for food?" She asked suddenly.

"I have killed a lot of humans, in war, in self-defense, when they threatened my people or my territory. But never for feeding. There are enough willing donors, unwilling feeding creates unwanted enemies.

Some vampires do feed from unwilling humans. The rogues we eliminated used to kill humans without hesitation, and then used to abandon them. That’s why they had to be eliminated."

"So there are rules?"

"Mostly unwritten. Feed from only willing humans, never take enough to kill unless necessary. Don’t create new vampires without permission from the regional authority, protect vampire secrets and territories at all costs." He glanced at her. "We’re predators, but civilized ones."

"What happens to vampires who break the rules?"

Azrael smiled.

"They’re eliminated. Sometimes quickly, sometimes after trial and interrogation, depending on the crime."

"The Council of Light sees all of us as monsters, no matter whether we follow rules or not."

"To them, we’re abominations. Creatures that shouldn’t exist. They’re not completely wrong. We’re apex predators who feed on our species. But they’re not right either. We can coexist, show restraint, and build a society. They just refuse to see it."

Lyanna nodded absorbing everything.

"Do you ever regret being a vampire?" She asked as they came close to the castle.

"No. Being a vampire has given me power, time, and experiences I could never have had as a human. Yes, it has also cost me things like connections with mortals who age and die, the peace of knowing I’ll eventually rest." He replied while looking at her. "You’ll learn that eternity is both a gift and a burden, the important thing is to decide which matters more."

Before Lyanna could respond, Adrian suddenly stopped his horse.

"Your Majesty. Something is wrong."

And within a second, they were attacked from three directions simultaneously. Vampires appeared from the shadows. They were organized, well-armed, and trained.

"Protect the queen!" Azrael shouted, as he intercepted two attackers with supernatural speed.

Adrian was fighting with two as well. The younger vampires were scattered. Some were fighting, while others were fleeing. One attacker looked at Lyanna like a predator.

"The human bride." He said mockingly, circling her. "Trying to be a vampire. You’re barely a week old, child."

Lyanna couldn’t tolerate the dismissiveness anymore. She was done being underestimated, done being treated like she was weak. She immediately attacked the vampire. The vampire blocked her first strike, laughing.

"Enthusiastic, I’ll give you that. But enthusiasm isn’t a skill."

He moved to stake her, aiming the wood at her heart. Lyanna turned, barely avoiding the blow, and countered with a strike on his throat that made him stumble.

"Better." He said. "But still not good enough."

They fought brutally, exchanging blows that would have killed a human instantly. Lyanna endured hits that cracked her ribs, but felt her new vampire body already healing them. Her opponent was stronger, faster, and more experienced but she was fueled by rage and determination.

She feinted left, and then moved right, slipping inside his guard. Her hand grabbed the stake he had been trying to use on her, pulling it from his grip.

"Not good enough?" She snarled, driving the stake into his heart.

The vampire’s eyes widened in shock before he crumbled to dust. Lyanna stood there trembling, staring at the pile of ash and the stake in her hand. This was her first vampire kill.

Around her, Azrael and Adrian had almost killed their opponents. The younger vampires were shaken but alive.

"One escaped." Adrian said, breathing hard. "But we have got one alive." He pointed to a vampire on the ground.

"Tie him." Azrael ordered. "We’re taking him for interrogation."

The captured vampire was chained to a wall.

"Who sent you?" Victor asked.

The vampire spat blood.

"Go to hell."

"Already there." Victor touched him with silver and he screamed. "Who sent you?"

"The Covenant." The vampire gasped. "We were sent by the Covenant."

"The Covenant? Explain." Azrael stopped forward.

"We’re traditional vampires. We believe vampire society has become weak, and corrupted by cooperation with humans. Your rule is too lenient. You married a human and elevated her to queen. It’s disgusting."

"So you attacked us?"

"We attacked her. She shouldn’t exist." He looked at Lyanna with hatred. "You should have stayed human and died."

"Tradition that doesn’t adapt dies. You’ll die. And when I find the vampires who sent you, they’ll wish I’d been merciful enough to just kill them."

The interrogation continued for another hour, extracting details about covenant members, their bases, and their plans. When Victor finally signalled that he had everything useful, Azrael nodded.

"Execute him publicly. Let other covenant sympathizers see what happens to vampires who attack the crown."

After the guards dragged the vampire away, Azrael looked at Lyanna. She was covered in dirt and blood from the fight, still trembling slightly from the shock.

"This is what we face." Azrael said. "Threats from both humans and vampires. The Council of Light wants us dead. The covenant wants you dead. Still think eternity is appealing?"

"More appealing than dying." She replied. "Besides, if there are vampires who want to kill me, I’d rather be able to fight back as an equal than die as a helpless human. You gave me strength, Azreal. Now teach me how to use it properly."

Azrael’s expression changed from surprise to pride.

"Adrian will start your advanced training tomorrow. You’ll learn combat techniques specifically designed for vampire warfare. Ready?"

"Absolutely."