Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 453: Chapter 453

The rational part of her mind warned her that provoking Azul was a dangerous game, one she could not afford to play. Her husband already despised her. Jayran is indifferent to her. And if Hairan was to be believed, the queen would cast her aside the moment she ceased to be useful.

She would be alone. Powerless. No different from the girl she had once been in her father’s house.

The thought alone was enough to make her pulse jump. She had clawed her way out of that darkness, survived things that should have broken her, and she had sworn that she would never return to that helpless state again.

And yet she could not bring herself to endure this. Not from him. Not after what he had implied. Her pride would not allow it.

She pushed to her feet abruptly, the movement sharp and decisive. The sooner she put distance between them, the better.

"Sit down, Elka."

His tone remained deceptively light, almost conversational, but there was something undoubtedly dangerous beneath it.

She ignored him and took a step away.

"I assure you," he added smoothly, "you will regret walking away from here far more than you would regret staying."

She turned back, fixing him with a withering glare. "I’m sure the queen would love to hear that you are threatening me," she snapped, her voice laced with anger, though some of it was directed at herself.

She should never have sat beside him. She should have kept walking. Better yet, she should never have left her chambers at all that night.

"I’m certain she would," Azul replied easily. "And while you are at it, you can also tell her about the contents of the letter you sent to Lord Rycoff after his son’s death."

The world seemed to tilt.

Elka went completely still, as though the very air had been knocked from her lungs. Her blood turned to ice, a cold dread seeping through her veins as her gaze locked onto his.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," she said, forcing the words out.

Her expression remained neutral but beneath that fragile surface, her thoughts raced wildly.

How?

How could he possibly know?

"I hate it when people play dumb," Azul said. "It irritates me to no end."

"I couldn’t care less."

The moment the words left her mouth, his hand shot out.

His fingers wrapped around her wrist, tightening just enough for his grip to be difficult to break out of.

"But you will care," he murmured, his voice dropping lower. "Before I am finished, you will be scrambling to please me."

His thumb pressed slightly into her pulse. "Let’s start with something simple. Tell me why you did it. Why you betrayed your own family. All those resources wasted... all for a war you orchestrated."

"I have no idea—"

He raised his free hand, silencing her instantly.

The gesture alone was enough to halt her words. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"I haven’t spoken to your father in quite some time," he continued thoughtfully. "But if you insist on being obstinate, I will send him a letter tomorrow. I’ll explain, in great detail, how your actions sparked the conflict between the two houses."

His smile returned, utterly merciless.

"And of course," he added, "I will attach the original letter you sent to Rycoff. That alone will serve as more than enough proof. Your father would be delighted to hear from me. And I suspect he would believe me over you. I am a prince and a trusted friend. You are merely his unruly daughter. This is not a decision he would struggle with."

The words struck their mark.

Tears burned at the back of Elka’s eyes, her vision blurring despite her efforts to contain it. Still, she refused to look away.

There was no use denying it anymore. He knew.

He knew everything and worse, he had no qualms about using it against her.

The first tear slipped free, trailing silently down her cheek.

"Dry your eyes, Elka," Azul said flatly. "Your tears mean nothing to a man who is unmoved by them. Don’t waste your effort."

She took a deep breath, despite the storm raging inside her.

"How did you find out?"

Even as she asked, she wasn’t certain she truly wanted to hear the answer.

"A few months ago," Azul began, "I made the mistake of underestimating my twin brother and as a result, he outsmarted me. I swore it would never happen again. There are many things you don’t know about me. My reach extends far beyond what most would imagine, wider than even my mother’s. I am quite popular among the nobles. But not because they like me. Every single one of them has something they would rather keep hidden and I make it my business to discover exactly what that is. I enjoy uncovering the skeletons in their cupboards. The corrupt ones are particularly entertaining. The darker their secrets, the more valuable they become. And my reach does not end with the nobles. It extends to others as well. Couriers, for instance."

Elka’s stomach dropped.

"The one you paid that day," he said softly, "happens to be fiercely loyal to me. He recognized you immediately. And he came straight to me. I read and duplicated your letter. Then I resealed it with a plain wax stamp, just like the one you used before sending the forgery off to Rycoff. I kept your original letter, Elka. I read it to myself every night before bed. I was wrong to believe you were timid. So vicious, so full of hatred... you are nothing like I imagined. Who could blame me for being so fascinated?"

"I am your brother’s wife." Elka gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with restrained fury as she tried to yank her hand free, but his grip remained like steel shackles around her wrist.

The reminder that she belonged to Hairan was all it took to wipe the smug grin from Azul’s face. His expression darkened instantly. He pulled her closer, closing the distance between them until only a few inches remained.

"Hairan would sell you for a cup of ale," Azul said coldly. "That is how much he dislikes you, how little you are worth in his eyes. Make no mistake, the moment my father dies and Hairan takes the throne, he will rid himself of you and marry a woman he can actually stand to be around. And nothing my mother says will stop him. You will have no choice but to return to your father, a fate I am certain you would rather avoid."

A faint smile crept back onto his lips. "But I would allow you to live comfortably in one of my other residences. You would be cared for like a princess. You would want for nothing."

A lump the size of her fist lodged itself in Elka’s throat, making the simple act of swallowing feel impossibly difficult. She couldn’t believe she had allowed him to corner her like this. Couldn’t believe he was threatening her so openly.

A dull, painful throbbing began at her temple. Her vision blurred as silent tears spilled down her cheeks. Azul watched her without a trace of sympathy, completely unmoved.

"And what do you want in return?" she asked. The words scraped against her throat, but she forced them out anyway. She knew better than to believe his promises came without a price. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"I want you at my beck and call," he said without hesitation. "I want you as my mistress and everything else I decide you should be."

"You want to own me." The full extent of her new reality was finally dawning on her "My body in exchange for security."

Sick. He was sick.

A wave of revulsion rose within her.

Azul licked his lips slowly, as though savoring the moment. "You are very intelligent," he added. "I like that about you. A pity, Hairan has never cared for women with brains. He prefers his women to be empty-headed and silent."

"And if I refuse your offer?" she asked, lifting her chin despite the tremor in her voice. It was defiance, but it was all she had left.

For a moment, he simply looked at her. "Then you had better start making peace with your father."

He released her wrist at last. Elka stumbled backward immediately, putting as much distance between them as she could, her heart hammering violently in her chest.

"Think about my offer, the king may not be alive for much longer." He called after her. "And get some rest. It’s late."