Chapter 5: Fractured Alliance
Evanora’s POV
Kaden loomed over me, his amber eyes scrutinizing.
“So, you're a half-vampire, then?” he asked, voice low with curiosity.
I sat, chained and helpless—but my sarcasm remained free.
“You’re the one who mistook me for a wolf with a disappeared scent,” I reminded him.
He flipped open a notebook, scanning its contents.
“The medical report confirms you’re a half-vampire... or, as it says here, a third-class vampire.”
“Classes for vampires?” I echoed, arching a brow. “You have a hierarchy?”
Kaden tilted his head. “Apparently, you do.”
I nodded. “Full vampires are first-class, hybrids like vampire-witches or vampire-lycans are second-class, and human-vampires—or half-vampires like me—are third-class.”
Kaden’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“And where do you fit in this hierarchy, exactly?”
I smiled sweetly.
“Third-class, Your Excellency. But don’t worry. I don’t bite… hard.”
He gave a short, humorless laugh.
“According to Devourix lore, there are distinct vampire species. Half-vampires, for instance, can’t fully transform. They’re a different breed. Then there are vampire-human hybrids, born of vampires and half-vampires. They age slower than half-vampires, faster than full-bloods. Their power falls somewhere in between.”
He paused, then continued reading aloud.
1. Devourix – the ancient, pureblood creators
2. Full Vampires – current royals and nobles
3. Vampire Hybrids – mixed with witches, wizards, demons
4. Half-Vampires – limited transformation
“I see I should’ve paid more attention to vampire studies,” Kaden muttered. “What’s your real name?”
“I told you. It’s Faith.” I lied again without hesitation.
His look said he didn’t buy it, but he let it slide.
“So, Faith,” he said, “how did you end up here?”
“I mean no harm to your pack,” I said, voice measured. “Please trust me, Beta Kaden.”
He crossed his arms. “Trust you? After deceiving me?”
I sighed. “I crossed the Deadly Sea in my realm. A portal opened—a circle of energy I couldn’t escape. I was pulled in… and landed here.”
Kaden’s expression sharpened. “Anyone else?”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“No. Just me.”
I caught him glancing around—checking for spies or eavesdroppers. Smart man.
Suddenly, my replaced heart began to thud—lub-dub, lub-dub—louder than normal.
Kaden frowned. “Calm down.”
“What?”
“Your heart,” he said, voice clipped. “It’s racing.”
My body tensed. That rhythm—I recognized it. It mirrored the frantic beat I heard when hunting traitors.
Was I afraid?
“Guards!” Kaden barked. “Transfer her to the vampire cell. Reinforce the perimeter.”
Two guards entered, unlocking my chains and dragging me out. I stumbled forward, blinking as the stone corridors blurred past.
The air was colder in this wing. Dust clung to the walls. The cells were mostly empty, a few still lined with silver dust. But then—
Zagan. My third in command. Exanimate.
He hung limp in the shadows, bound in silver chains that left angry red marks on his pale arms. His head lifted slightly as I was shoved into the cell across from him.
Our eyes met.
And despite the distance and the silence, I saw the faintest smile. He bowed his head—respectful, still loyal. His blue eyes glinted with the fire I remembered.
I exhaled softly.
So he followed me after all.
“Gentlemen,” I said dryly to the guards, “let’s dispel any confusion. My master and I are harmless. The portal simply… rerouted our journey.”
Zagan chimed in without missing a beat.
“We’re merchants, not conquerors. Unless there’s a market for inter-realm trade?”
The guards exchanged looks—uncertain but amused.
Hours passed. Days passed, I tapped my foot against the stone, impatient, days rolled off, . Finally, a guard returned.
He cleared his throat like he was announcing a royal decree.
“We’re not starting a war over this. But you’re not going free either. The Alpha says you’ll stay .... Consider yourselves part of the Wolf-Vampire Cooperation Initiative.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, brow raised.
He grinned.
“You get to attend the upcoming royal engagement in your realm.”
I blinked. “Royal engagement?”
“The Vampire Princess Valentina and Lycan Prince Armon. Big affair. You didn’t know?”
I smiled tightly, my heart aching as his words sunk in.
“Oh… wow.”
Zagan’s voice was quieter, serious.
“The rumors were true. I didn’t realize the storm had landed.”
"Our pack was invited, according to supernatural council, you both are part of the Wolf-Vampire Cooperation Initiative. So no harm unless you both try break pack safety and rules” the guard muttered casually.
We nodded, since we have no options.
---
TRANSFER TO THE PACK HOUSE
The next morning, we were taken from the dungeon.
No chains. No veils. But the warning in the guards’ glares was loud enough.
Zagan and I were loaded into a rough wooden vehicle pulled by desert deer. The road to the pack’s capital twisted through sandstorms . At last, we reached the East god Pack House—a pale fortress rising out of the desert like a forgotten monument.
Inside, white halls stretched wide. Simple, cold. Nothing extravagant.
Kaden stood waiting, his arms crossed. Beautiful as usual.
“Your existence here hangs by a thread,” he said without ceremony. “You’ll serve in the pack house. No magic. No contact outside. No breaking rules .”
Zagan stepped forward. “And sustenance?”
“We tested your blood pouch,” Kaden said flatly. “It was human. We don’t have that. You’ll make do with animal blood.”
Zagan nodded, jaw tight.
Kaden’s voice dropped. “Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t mercy. We’re preserving peace. One mistake—and you’ll vanish without a trace.”
He turned away. “Fresh clothing will be provided. Your duties begin tomorrow. Report to my office at dawn. Dismissed.”
---
We were shown to a separate wing—servants’ quarters—quiet and plain. Zagan’s room was across from mine. The guard handed me a folded dress.
I found a bathing space for women, i stepped into the stone-tiled bathroom and turned on the water. Cold. Harsh. Perfect.
By the time I stepped out and dressed, I felt almost… good.
The dress was white cotton with soft pink trim—simple, innocent. Nothing like the armor I once wore.
I sank onto the bed. Servent quarters, no one i shared with.
The guard’s words echoed.
“Vampire Princess Valentina and Lycan Prince Armon… tying the knot.”
The memory of that promise, that ceremony… it surged like venom in my blood.
They erased me.
They replaced me.
And now?
Now I was a servent in a pack house.
But they would learn. Every one of them.
This heart might be replaced.
But it still remembers how to burn.
