Chapter 2

Raven's Pov

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, The man my mother was marrying didn't look a day over twenty-five, maybe younger than my own boyfriend back in the city. His features were too sharp, too perfect, almost unreal. His skin was flawless, a pale ivory that made his dark crimson eyes even more unnerving.

And by the time I looked back at the three figures, they were gone as if they were never there, how? I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to stare. This is the man my mother is marrying?

"Raven, meet King Devereux," my mother said in her voice light but I could hear the nervousness beneath it. "He is... well, he's going to be your stepfather."

I blinked, shifting my gaze between them. My mother looked out of place next to him, standing there in her modest dress and minimal makeup. Meanwhile, Devereux looked like he belonged on a throne, draped in a deep maroon silk robe with gold embroidery, exuding power and dominance.

This had to be a joke but I forced a polite nod and kept my voice even. "It's nice to meet you."

His lips curled into a small, knowing smirk. "The pleasure is mine, Raven." "Make yourself at home. Velmora is your home now."

I clenched my jaw and smiled, Like hell it is.

I didn't bother responding. I had no choice in any of this, but I wouldn't act like I was happy about it either.

A group of maids appeared, bowing their heads as they gestured for me to follow. They led me through a long corridor with stone walls covered in ancient stones. Everything screamed old money and royalty but in a way that made my stomach churn.

The maids took me to a luxurious chamber where a bath was already prepared. The scent of lavender and honey filled the air and before I could protest, they undressed me, scrubbed every inch of my skin, and dressed me in an elaborate medieval-style gown-soft blue with gold trimmings, the fabric was rich and heavy. When I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I almost laughed.

I looked like I had walked straight out of a British royal movie and I hated it.

The moment I was alone, I collapsed onto the massive bed, groaning. What the hell was my life right now?

--

The next morning, I was thrown into the chaos of Blackthorn University.

I had barely stepped into the school grounds before I was hit with a wave of stares. Everyone was too beautiful-like, impossibly beautiful. Flawless skin, sculpted features, an air of arrogance that made my blood boil and then there was me.

I wasn't ugly, but compared to these people? I might as well have been invisible.

"New girl!" A voice chirped beside me and I turned to see a blonde bombshell with emerald-green eyes and a playful smirk. She was wearing the same uniform but had customized it slightly-her skirt was shorter and her shirt unbuttoned just enough to be rebellious but acceptable.

"I'm Friessa," she said, looping her arm through mine like we were already best friends. "And you, my dear, are going to need all the help you can get."

I frowned but felt glad that someone was talking to me. "Am I that obvious, huh?"

She snorted and grinned at me. "You're gawking like a tourist babe, You might as well carry a sign that says I don't belong here."

"Great, nice observation." I sighed in frustration.

"Don't worry, I'll give you the grand tour." She winked. "You're lucky you found me before the vultures did." I chuckled at her words and loved her already. "And you are.."

"I'm Raven, you can just call me Rave."

"Alright Rave, let me show you wonders."

She wasn't lying about the grand tour.

Friessa took me everywhere, the library that looked like it belonged in an ancient castle, the cafeteria where students dined like royalty, the hockey field, the basketball courts, and my favorite, the computer lab, which was nothing short of futuristic.

But then she stopped in front of a particular building with a darkened expression.

"Okay, this is the one place you need to stay away from."

I followed her gaze and wondered why it's out of bounds. The building wasn't anything like the others. It was dark and gothic, the inside looked like it was bathed in blood-red lighting. The name Thorns' Den was carved in sharp, elegant letters above the entrance.

I frowned. "Why?"

Friessa hesitated. "Because you don't want to get involved with the people who own it."

"Who owns it?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "The Four Cursed Princes of Velmora."

I raised a brow. "You're joking, right?"

"I wish I was." She let out a sigh. "They don't take classes with us. They don't eat with us. They don't participate in anything with us and it's for a good reason."

I rolled my eyes. "Sounds like a bunch of stuck-up rich brats."

Friessa looked at me like I was insane. "You really don't know anything about this place, do you?" Before I could respond, the entire school erupted into chaos.

Screams, Gasps and excited whispers almost blasted by ear drums and I turned my head just in time to see them.

The Four Princes.

They walked in perfect sync, moving through the crowd like they owned the world. The students practically worshipped them with girls swooning, guys were either bowing their heads in respect or glaring in jealousy.

I didn't even look at them properly. I just hissed in irritation because I know they were annoyingly beautiful but what's with the attention.

Seriously? All this fuss over a bunch of guys? I had better things to do than to care about their little fan club.

After school hours and activities, I almost made it home before realizing I had forgotten my iPad in my locker.

"Just leave it till tomorrow," my driver said.

"No," I argued. "I need it for my assignment. It'll only take five minutes."

He hesitated and sighed. "It's dangerous to go back alone."

"It's six freaking PM," I huffed and unbuckled the safety belts. "The sun isn't even down yet."

After a long pause and consideration, he sighed and relented his efforts.

I rushed back into the school and walked through the now-empty hallways, reaching my locker in record time, Grabbing my iPad and turning to leave only to freeze.

I heard a scream. It was Faint, muffled and fucking scary.

My gaze snapped toward the Thorns' Den and there was a flicker of light and shadows moving behind the glass walls.

'Don't be stupid, Raven.' My subconscious mind screamed at me but my feet moved anyway very slowly and cautiously, I approached the building with a pounding heart. The moment my fingers touched the door handle, the world and everything around me seems to shift.

Chapter 3

Raven's Pov

The moment I stepped into the Den, I knew I had made a mistake. The place was shrouded in darkness, like a void swallowing everything whole. A thick, sickening stench of blood invaded my nostrils, making my stomach churn. My instincts screamed at me to turn around and leave, but something inside me pushed forward.

The wailing, the sobbing I had heard moments ago had stopped. Now, there was nothing but silence. A dreadful, suffocating silence that made my skin prickle. My throat tightened and my fingers curled into fists as I forced my feet to keep moving.

Then I saw them.

Four women lay sprawled across the marble floor, their bodies were lifeless, their necks slit open like cattle in a slaughterhouse. Their blood soaked the ground, pooling around them like a horrific piece of art and my entire body went numb as my mind was unable to process the nightmare before me.

One of the women twitched and her lips moved as if she wanted to speak. I saw her fingers tremble, as she lifted it up just enough to signal one thing to me-run!

A choked gasp escaped my lips and before I could stop myself, I screamed.

The sound shattered the silence, echoing against the glass walls of the Den. My breath hitched as I stumbled backward and my shaking hands gripped the edges of my skirt. This isn't real. This can't be real right ?

It was fucking real.

Something loomed behind me with a cold and suffocating presence. Before I could react and run, I slammed into a solid figure and my back collided with something cold and unmoving. A scent of smoke, blood, and something dark intoxicating filled my senses. My body was too tense and my instincts were screaming at me to not turn around.

But I did and that was the second mistake I made that night.

My gaze lifted to meet four sets of blood-red eyes, glowing in the dim light like burning embers. They weren't human. They were beautiful in the most terrifying way possible with sharp cheekbones, perfect lips, a skin so pale it looked like it had never seen sunlight. They were dressed in dark, elegant shirts and the fabric hugged their powerful forms like second skin.

The one standing directly in front of me tilted his head, his red gaze burning into mine with an expression I couldn't decipher. Curiosity? Amusement? Hunger?

I didn't wait to find out.

Survival instincts kicked in, and I ran.

I barely registered the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears as I bolted. My feet carried me toward the nearest exit, a tall window at the far end of the Den. Without thinking, I lunged.

The glass shattered as I crashed through it, a sharp sting slashed across my arm from the impact but I didn't want to tell it, I hit the ground hard, rolling onto the cold pavement and Ignored the pain, I scrambled to my feet and sprinted toward the school gates where my car was waiting.

"Drive," I choked out as I threw myself inside.

The driver turned, startled. "Miss Raven, what-?"

"I said drive!" I shrieked, my voice raw with panic. "Now please."

He didn't ask any more questions as the tires screeched against the pavement while we sped off, leaving the school and the four monsters inside that cursed Den behind.

I stormed into the mansion, ignoring my mother and Devereux as they called after me. My hands were still shaking as I ran to my room, slamming the door shut behind me. God! My breathing was ragged, my chest kept rising and falling rapidly as I tried to process what I had just seen.

They killed them.

They killed those women.

Who were they? Because they were NOT human. I buried my face in my hands, squeezing my eyes shut, but the images wouldn't leave my mind. The blood, The red eyes and the way they looked at me like I was their next meal.

I didn't know how long I sat there, my body trembled and my heart refused to calm down but suddenly, I heard a voice.

A Soft, mocking voice that echoed in my room.

"So, you're the new bratty stepsister."

My eyes flew open. I whipped around so fast my head spun. Four figures stood in the middle of my room, their presence was overwhelming and suffocating. They were here, they were in my room!

The second one clicked his tongue. "She's tiny," he mused, his red eyes glinting with amusement. "But brave. Brave enough to step into our Den."

The third one let out a low chuckle, his gaze sliding lazily down my body. "I wonder how delicious her blood would taste."

The fourth one stepped forward with his smirk dripping with malice. "You have no idea the hell you just walked into, little girl."

My mouth went dry as my pulse pounded against my skin. This wasn't happening to me, who the fuck are these men?

I grabbed the nearest thing I could find-a metal pole from the nightstand, and pointed it at them. "S-Stay back!" I stammered.

Deed rich Laughter erupted from their throat. It was so Dark and Cold.

They weren't scared nor were they remotely concerned. They just looked at me like I was a joke.

"You're in our house," one of them said, his voice laced with amusement. "In our mother's room. And you entered our fucking Den at school. Who the fuck do you think you are Minx?"

Another took a step closer, his gaze locked on my throat. "You're trembling, Raven."

I swallowed hard and cursed,Of course, I was trembling. I backed away but the second I did, one of them moved. So fast, Too fast like a blur.

A hand fisted my hair, yanking me back against a hard chest. A sharp gasp escaped my lips as my fingers clawed at his hold.

"Let go of me!" I shouted.

The third one hummed as his fingers trailed down the hem of my school skirt. "She needs to be taught a lesson."

I froze.

A rough grip flipped me around, forcing me to face them. My breath hitched when I saw the sharp fangs glinting in the dim light.

Vampires.

Jesus Christ! What's this place, where am I crying out loud?

The fourth one smirked, dragging his fingers down my neck. "You smell divine."

I should've been scared. I was scared. But deep down, beneath the fear, something else lurked, something dark and unfamiliar.

One of them grabbed my hips, pressing me against him. "Maybe she likes being watched," he whispered, pinching my nipples hard through the fabric of my bra. Pain, shock, liquid flowed down to my region. I gasped so hard that I felt asthmatic.

The third one tilted his head, his eyes flashing with hunger. "Maybe she likes being owned. What do you think Cassian" The one with blonde hair asked tauntingly, cupping my ass from behind and I trembled.

What is this?

God, why does it look like my body is enjoying this sickening thing?

"Get your hands off me!" I trembled but it was as if I didn't exist.

I barely had time to react before a sharp sting shot through my body. One of them had yanked my school skirt up, and the other ripped my lace panties, his fingers grazing my bare skin.

"What the hell are you –"

A hard smack landed on my ass.

I gasped, my entire body jerking from the impact.

Oh my God, raw pain spreads on my ass cheeks and was quickly replaced with need, pleasure, no fuck me! This is stupid.

Heat spread through my face as humiliation burned deep in my stomach. Another sharp slap followed, harder this time, sending a jolt up my spine. I turned to the third brother and he smirked, rubbing my ass softly at first, watching it jiggle before a loud slap echoed.

I screamed in pain, wanted, needed more, I didn't even know because I was so messed up.

"Fuck look at this Elias, she's wet already!" Another deep voice whispered and before I could say anything to stop them, another smack landed on my ass cheeks again making my body jerk too hard and forward to slam into the one holding me that I felt his hard cock pushing through.

"Please.." I muffled a sob, letting the tears fall. "Stop please"

"She looks a little slut, fuck! Should we play with her pussy and bite her neck?" The one who seemed to be the youngest asked in excitement and I didn't know why my body liked that. This was sick but my pussy throbbed, wanting to see their faces as they touched me.

"Stop!" I choked out, my voice breaking. This was sick!

But they didn't stop.

"As much as I'll love to bite this little thing right now, let's save it for tomorrow. She broke the rules already so a lot more worse is coming for her Caius."

"Hmm, and Dad might get mad and lock us with his silly powers. Let's go. We'll be right back Step sister!" Cassian winked at me and that's when I kne, I had stepped into something far darker than I ever imagined.

Chapter 4

I woke up with a headache pounding against my skull, my body was sore from last night's nightmare. Only it wasn't a nightmare, it was real. The red eyes, the fangs, the smell of blood and the way they cornered me in my room and touched me with such demeaning words that made my body tremble.

I sat up with a shaky breath, my heart was still racing from the terror that clung to me like a second skin. I can't stay here. I needed answers and I needed them now.

Without hesitation, I stormed out of my room and barged into my mother's chambers, not caring if I interrupted anything. The room was grand and decorated with gothic chandeliers and velvet curtains but I had no time to admire it. My mother was sitting at the vanity, brushing her hair while he stood near the fireplace.

King Devereux.

He was dressed in a dark, elegant suit, his long silver-white hair falling over his broad shoulders. His beauty was inhuman, his presence so powerful that it almost suffocated me. I had known he was young-looking but now that I was seeing him up close, something about him felt unnatural.

I didn't hesitate and suddenly spat out, "What the hell is this place?"

My mother turned to me, feeling startled. "Raven-"

"No, Mom," I snapped, my hands trembling with frustration. "I want answers. What the hell is happening? What is this place? Who are they? And why does he," I pointed at Devereux, "look like he's barely twenty-five when he's supposed to be older than you?"

Silence.

A heavy, dreadful silence that made my skin crawl.

Devereux smirked, sipping his wine like he found my outburst amusing. My mother, on the other hand, looked sad.

She took a deep breath. "Raven... this is Velmora, a Vampire City."

I froze.

"What?"

"We're the only humans here," she continued softly, standing up. "But you don't have to be scared. Devereux is the King. He will protect us."

I laughed bitterly. "Are you hearing yourself, Mom? Protect us? From what? From them?!"

My voice cracked, and my hands curled into fists as the memories of last night came rushing back. The bodies,blood, The fangs.

Tears burned my eyes as I shook my head. "Mom... do I look like a beast? A wolf? An alien? How the hell am I supposed to live in a place like this? I don't belong here!"

Her face fell, guilt shadowing her features. "Raven..."

"No, let me guess," I spat. "You thought you were doing the right thing, right? Marrying him and moving here to pretend like this is all normal?" I let out a broken laugh. "Well, it's not. Nothing about this is normal!"

My chest heaved and my anger boiled over. "And do you know what your precious stepsons did to me last night?"

I couldn't finish my sentence.

Because right at that moment, the door swung open and they walked them.

Cassian, Caius, Dante and Elias.

The four of them strolled in like gods, their movements slow and deliberate. They looked... different. No red eyes. No fangs. No coldness in their expressions. Instead, they were all smiling sweetly at me.

"Raven," Dante cooed, his voice soft and charming. "Why are you so angry? We just came to welcome you home."

I stiffened at their lies.

These bastards were lying right in front of my mother and Devereux and they looked perfect, almost too innocent like the ideal older brothers anyone would wish to have.

Cassian's dark gaze met mine, and in an instant, his fake smile vanished. His eyes flashed red for a split second, and he bared his fangs so quick that only I noticed. "Say a word, and I'll tear you to pieces," he mouthed.

A chill ran down my spine.

Caius leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, looking bored. "Raven, go eat your breakfast and get ready for school, Now."

I didn't move.

His gaze darkened. "I said, now."

I swallowed as my entire body stiffen, Then, forcing a fake smile, I nodded like a puppet. "Sure, I've heard."

Devereux chuckled and felt amused. "It's good to see you all getting along so well."

I almost laughed at the irony because Dante suddenly pulled me into a hug, his embrace was warm and deceptive. "Don't worry," he whispered against my ear. "You're fucking doomed when we reach school."

****

My stomach dropped and twisted in hot pain.

I didn't want to go to school with them.

The idea of being trapped in a car alone with the four of them felt like a death sentence. So I turned to our driver, begging. "Please, just take me to school. I don't want to-"

"She'll go with us," Cassian interrupted smoothly.

The driver looked at them, hesitated, then nodded. "Alright my Prince."

It seems I had no choice because as soon as I slid into the car, the atmosphere changed the moment the doors were closed, the air turned thick with something dark and they weren't pretending anymore.

I could feel their power, their aura was suffocating and dangerous. Their fangs itched behind their lips and their hunger evident.

Fear enveloped my senses as I pressed myself against the door, my voice weak. "P-Please don't kill me."

They didn't even look at me; it was as if I didn't exist.

The ride was silent except for my own heartbeat hammering against my ribs and glancing everywhere at them in the car before they turned into the beast they were. When we reached school, I barely had time to breathe before a loud slap cracked across my face.

The world spun and I stumbled back, my cheeks were burning.

Loud Gasps filled the air and a huge crowd had suddenly gathered while excited whispers and glares were thrown at me and standing before me with a furious was Friessa.

The beautiful girl I had befriended on my first day.

My hand flew to my face and my fingers trembled against the stinging heat. "F-Friessa?"

Her expression was cold. "I warned you bitch."

Her voice rang out in anger and pain, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I warned you not to go to the Thorns Den. I told you to stay away. But you didn't listen. You stubborn Human!" My lips parted, but no words came out.

The murmurs around us grew, students whispering among themselves. I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for my reaction.

Friessa's fists clenched as her anger boiled over. "Because of you," she spat, "I'm getting expelled. Because of you, I won't attend this school anymore, I was only warning you as a friend, you were not supposed to even know it existed but I guess you got me trapped in your cursed self to make my life. I hate you!"

She screamed at me and the murmurs stopped, a stunned silence fell over the crowd.

I blinked, my heart lurching. My voice and lip trembled in raw pain and confusion "W-What?"

"You heard me." Her voice trembled with rage. "Because of you, four vampires died last night. Because you're a human, the only one who entered that den, they're blaming me. You're not just an ordinary human Raven, you're forbidden and Heavens and the Moons help you to escape the hell you've brought upon yourself because you won't survive it. By the time they finish with you for breaking their one sacred rule, you will run back to the hole you came back from"

The breath left my lungs as she spat those words with venom.

I felt sick.

I hadn't killed anyone. I had only seen what happened. But now- Now, the entire school was looking at me like a murderer.

The realization sank deep and paralyzed me.

I wasn't safe here or anywhere around here.

And worst of all, I had just made an enemy of the only person who had tried to protect me.