The Vampire King's Pet-Chapter 351: Something different

Liora’s hands would have shaken if she could move them.

Even her nerves felt frozen, her body as still as stone, even as she felt the man’s warm breath ghost against her neck. His presence loomed behind her—too close, suffocating, inescapable. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut, the effort alone draining, after struggling enough to yield nothing. No movement. No resistance.

Then she felt it.

His fangs pierced into her neck.

A sharp, burning pain flared for only a moment before it melted into something far worse—something intoxicating and terrifying all at once. His hold on her tightened, far tighter than anything she had ever felt before, his arm like iron wrapped around her waist. She heard the low, guttural sounds of him gulping, swallowing greedily.

Drinking her blood.

A deep, satisfied sound left his lips, almost a groan, as if he were savoring a fine wine. Liora did everything she possibly could to move. She strained, screamed silently inside her own head, doing her best to move even a single finger, a single toe.

Nothing.

Eventually, she gave up.

Her body betrayed her completely as an unexpected pleasure bloomed through her veins, twisted and cruel, coming with the horrifying realization that her life was slowly fading even as she remained upright in his grasp. Tears slid down her cheeks, hot and unstoppable, as she fluttered her eyes shut again, knowing—truly knowing—that it was over.

This is how I die.

Yet all she could think of was her sister.

Her chest tightened painfully as the image of her sister’s face filled her mind—her laugh, her voice, the way she frowned when worried. She hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye. Hadn’t been able to warn her. Hadn’t been able to hold her one last time.

She’ll find my body, Liora thought weakly. She’ll see me like this.

The thought shattered her.

Her heart ached unbearably, grief heavier than fear, but regardless of what she felt, she could do nothing. She remained trapped as she felt the monster continue to splurge on her life’s blood, uncaring, merciless.

Her vision blurred. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Just when she felt her strength drain completely—enough for her head to swim dizzily, the edges of her sight darkening in a way that made it clear she was dying—she felt it stop.

Abruptly.

He pulled his fangs from her neck with a wet sound, followed by a satisfied gasp. His lips were smeared with blood—her blood—as he stepped back. A grin stretched across his face as he threw his arms wide, as if basking in triumph.

"That is the most satisfying drink I’ve had in almost a century," he sighed.

His gaze lingered on Liora’s now extremely pale face, her skin almost translucent, even as blood continued to slide down her neck in slow, sticky rivulets. Her body felt impossibly heavy. She knew that even if he released her completely, she would only topple to the ground like a discarded doll.

Still, she forced her eyes open and met his gaze.

"...Just do it," she managed to whisper.

Her voice was barely there, broken and breathless. He chuckled in response, clearly amused.

His ability was far stronger than hers. That was why he had been able to grant her just enough control to speak. He wanted to kill her—but at the same time, if her ability was one she struggled to activate, then perhaps it would be better to keep her alive.

Having a powerful blood bank beside me would be nice, he thought.

The idea pleased him. He was also keenly aware that he could use her for his pleasure as well. Still, her unknown ability worried him, even as he stepped closer and spoke in a tone that mimicked care—though his eyes shone with nothing but cruelty, restrained only by calculation.

"Kill you?" he asked, his voice teasing, dripping with confidence.

Why wouldn’t he believe everything was under his control? Liora looked seconds away from collapsing. Her head tilted slightly to the side—the only movement he had allowed her—her body swaying faintly.

"...Why would I do that when I could let you live?" he continued. "As long as you tell me your ability, there’s no reason why you can’t live by my side."

He didn’t mince words. If her ability proved weaker than his, he would let her live. And even then, she would be nothing more than a blood slave.

Still better than eternal death.

"...Tell me," he murmured, stepping closer again, "and maybe sometime in the future you’ll have a chance to escape me, my love."

The moniker made Liora cringe.

Her stomach churned with nausea as she forced herself to meet his gaze, understanding perfectly what he meant. Her neck was still bleeding, but she knew it was only a matter of time before it healed—before he pierced her again.

And again.

The words had barely finished registering when she smiled.

Blood surged from beneath her wound, exploding outward into thin, razor-like strips that shot directly toward his head.

Liora knew better than to draw too much. She barely had enough blood left as it was. But she was also painfully aware that not drawing enough to kill him was the same as killing herself.

Both choices led to the same outcome.

She bit down hard on her lip, tasting iron as she focused, using her ability with everything she had left. The blood hardened midair, sharp as steel, raining down on him as she heard him scream.

She could mold her blood—make it as hard as metal and as thin as she desired. But her focus was shattered, her body failing, her blood supply dangerously low. Her aim wavered.

Still, a few strikes landed true.

One pierced straight through his chest. Another tore through his head. His body convulsed violently as he was thrown back, crashing several steps away. He was still alive—but gravely wounded. Wounds that could only be healed by drinking blood.

His distance from her was about five steps.

Liora’s knees finally gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping. She watched him crawl toward her, instantly understanding that letting him get close again would be the end.

Scrambling backward, she dragged herself across the floor, drawing more blood from her own body. Her vision swam violently now. Yes, the ritual had given her power. Yes, it had made her stronger.

But at her core, she was still human.

And Vander was a vampire.

He groaned loudly, bleeding heavily, struggling to rise—yet still moving.

Liora attacked again.

Her heart skipped painfully as she realized that if she drew blood one more time, she would die. There would be no stopping it. No miracle. No escape.

Drawing a thread so thin it was nearly invisible, she shot it forward. It embedded itself directly into his eyes.

He screamed.

Blinded.

Using the last of her strength, she pushed herself off the ground and lunged at him. Grabbing the string of blood, she sliced it across his neck with everything she had, then sank her teeth into him.

She drank.

Suckling his blood like a starved beast, desperate and feral. Ripping his head off was impossible with her meager strength, and she couldn’t risk letting him live. She took advantage of the moment—his blindness, his pain, his distraction.

She had only taken a few gulps when she felt it.

Something was wrong.

Something...different.

This isn’t just blood.

Her body reacted instantly—violently—as a foreign heat spread through her veins, sharp and electric, making her gasp.

What...what is this?