AVA'S POV

The gates of the castle opened to welcome me as I stepped into the formidable palace.

I could only picture a grandeur that only the Nightshade Clan would ever be capable of owning.

Paintings hung about the walls on every side, and I couldn't seem to pull my gaze away from them.

Their ghastliness and morbid nature only made them more alluring, which seemed to be the case for most things around here.

The uneasy feeling in my stomach persisted, so I gladly accepted the server's offer; a glass of red wine.

It occurred to me that these tall walls of stone that held up the castle mirrored the ones that surrounded these royals' hearts.

How lonely it must be to be living in a cold world that you fill with weapons and all things violent, never knowing the true meaning of happiness or love.

So lost in my own thoughts, I didn't notice the young woman in front of me until her velvety hair was in my mouth.

"Umph!"

She whipped around to look at me, and I was a little awestruck by her beauty. She had olive skin the likes of which I could never achieve, aristocratic features that were framed by dark waves, and eyes the color of honey edged with a deep forest-green.

It took me a second to realize that those eyes were staring directly at me.

"Oh! Forgive me, I wasn't looking in front of me," I stuttered nervously as she continued to give me a thunderous glare.

"Obviously," she sneered. I recoiled slightly at her harsh tone. Her glare was very intimidating. But then the harshness faded and was replaced by a bright smile that lit up the whole room.

"No need to look so frightened. I was just messing with you," she laughed lightly. I sighed with relief.

"I'm Eleanor Moreno," she introduced herself whilst extending her hand towards me. I shook it eagerly.

"Ava Griffin," I reciprocated the gesture with a happy grin.

My first friend! I guess Dad was right; maybe coming here tonight would do some good. I had never been the social type, and most girls in town ignored my presence, anyway. The only friend I ever had was the goldfish my dad got me when I was six.

A mop of blond hair behind Eleanor caught my attention, and I froze when the vampire started approaching us. There were some telltale signs that came with vampires, aside from the fangs, obviously.

They're astonishing good looks for one, as well as the natural aura of power and dominance that oozes out of them. The crowd seemed to recognize his presence and parted slightly to allow him easy passage.

He was walking in our direction with such purpose that one might think he was going to save a life.

Eleanor's face became a mask of indifference as she followed my line of sight. He was a few feet away from us, and I dipped into a curtsy quickly, surprised when Eleanor didn't do the same and shook her head at me instead. Is she suicidal? It's common knowledge that you must curtsy to any vampire you come across.

"I'll see you later, Ava," was all she said before gliding away, leaving me alone with the man-the vampire.

I kept my eyes averted and my head down, not knowing how to proceed. He stared after her curiously for a moment. Fear and anxiety coursed through my veins as potential scenarios with this vampire ran through my head. I bit my lip.

"Would you give me the honor of granting me this dance?"

The way he asked made it seem like I had a choice in the matter, but I knew better than that.

Vampires always get what they want, to hell with the consequences. So, I did what any sane person would do. I smiled and nodded, still staring at the ground.

Long, slim fingers cupped my chin and tilted my head back to meet his face with a gentle but firm pressure. I fell into the fathomless eyes that were a thousand hues of blue with a touch of green radiating within them.

"There's no need to be afraid of me. Relax," he said calmly. My mind felt instantly at ease. All previous worries and fears were forgotten, and I was suddenly relaxed.

"There's no need to be afraid," I repeated automatically. The mischievous fellow smiled widely, revealing his dimples.

"Shall we?"

He offered his hand to me with a playful flourish as the blues music played and couples made their way to the dance floor eagerly.

The vampire and I stood at a respectful distance from each other. He had one of his hands on my waist and the other in my right hand, leaving my left hand to find its way to his shoulder.

He was rather tall, so I had to crane my neck to look up at him from my meager height of 5 '5.

"So," he began cheerfully, "does the pretty lady have a name?"

"Indeed, she does, but whether you are deserving of such valuable knowledge is yet to be determined," I responded.

He chuckled, turning his head to the side and allowing me a clear view of his impressive jawline.

"Well, perhaps you'll be more comfortable sharing after I have introduced myself." He twirled me around twice before he continued.

"I'm Axel Reeves."

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. He was a prince; arguably one of the most powerful men in the world. The Reeves family was the founding family of the Nightshade clan and held in very high esteem amongst all the other vampire clans.

He watched my reaction carefully.

There was a small part of me that was screaming to get away from this dangerous man, but it couldn't seem to break through the numbing calmness I was feeling. So, instead of running away, I returned the gesture.

"Ava Griffin," I said softly.

"Ava. Is that short for 'Avery' or something?"

"No, it's just Ava."

"Well, just Ava," he stated, lowering me into a dip and laughing when I squealed, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

The song ended, and we, along with all the other couples on the floor, stepped away from each other. The men bowed, the women curtsied, and then most went their separate ways. Prince Axel, however, seemed to have other plans.

Before I had even taken a step off the dance floor, he clamped a hand on my wrist gently and began steering me out with a grin.

AVA'S POV

"Hey, what the hell are you..."

Immediately he raised a hand to my lips and forced me to keep quiet.

We walked through the crowd with ease; they all moved aside and bowed their heads in respect. As soon as we were out of the ballroom and in a less crowded hallway, he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Close your eyes," he mumbled, his gaze roaming the hallway as he ducked his head every few seconds.

"Why?" I asked with furrowed brows.

"Just trust me."

I gave him a stern look. There was still a nagging voice in the back of my head telling me; screaming at me not to trust him, not to go with him, but I was too relaxed to bother thinking about why. My eyelids fell shut. Axel's grip tightened, and there was a gust of wind. Then it was quiet.

The music that had once been so loud that my eardrums felt like they were about to burst was now faint and soft. It wasn't stuffy anymore with the smell of alcohol all around me. I opened my eyes and felt my lips part in surprise.

We were standing on a balcony that overlooked the lake. Even in the dark, it was a sight to behold.

The surface of the lake reflected the stars in the sky, as well as the lights from the mansion, making it a shining wonder.

Despite the glowing surface, it still had a certain depth to it that made it even more beautiful.

"Wow," I breathed.

"Wow," Axel mimicked, but something about the way he said it made me think we weren't talking about the same thing.

I felt my face heat, and I was thankful for the dim lighting. It was so quiet, so peaceful. The chirping of the crickets was much better than the obnoxious chatter of everyone inside. Parties are really not my thing.

"Why did you bring me here?" I spoke quietly, not wanting to sound confrontational.

He didn't respond for a bit, so I turned to look at him. In the moonlight his features were soft, almost angelic. The gold of his hair, the paleness of his skin, and the brightness of his eyes made him look so innocent.

"You seemed like you could use a minute away from all of that," the prince said finally, dimples on display. I hummed in response.

"So, how did we get here? One minute we were in that hallway and the next..."

"I brought you," he said simply.

"But....." I was interrupted when the door flew open with a loud bang, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin.

"Jaxon..." Axel said exasperatedly, looking over my shoulder. When I turned around, my jaw dropped. Well, figuratively dropped.

The man standing at the door was easily the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes upon, but also the most intimidating.

With his curly black hair, icy blue eyes, and impressive figure, he seemed perfect. The only flaw on his face was his irritated scowl as he pulled a cigarette between his lips.

"Dad is mad at me again," he muttered to Axel, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Jax, I thought you promised you'd behave tonight. What the hell did you do this time?" The blond responded with a frown. Jaxon walked closer to Axel and rolled his eyes.

"Let's just say it involves me and a certain lady from the Bloodworth Clan. I'll spare you the details, brother," he sneered, blowing smoke in Axel's face. Brother?

"Jaxon...you know how much this ball means to mother. She wanted us to............."

But Jaxon wasn't listening. His eyes had travelled to me amid his brother's speaking, and I noticed his gaze roam my body from top to bottom. I felt myself flush deeply.

"And who might this beauty be?" He reached for my hand and lifted it to his lips in a chaste kiss.

Axel glared at him.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to please two princes in one night, wouldn't you, angel? Few girls get that honor."

I snatched my hand away from him in disgust and pushed past him, ignoring Axel calling my name.

This was becoming more unbearable. I definitely do not understand how I got into this unholy union with this awful guy. I felt that this was just plain wrong; something was not adding up.

In being captured and taken down here, I was tricked into visiting this mansion.

Everything inside me fought against it, but an external force kept pulling me towards an attraction.

I felt I had lost it at this point and there was no going back for me.

ELEANOR'S POV

All the girls giggled as they centered themselves on the stage where the king and queen stood.

The guards had moved everyone out of the ballroom and into what looked to be a stage room of some sort. I rolled my eyes at the giddiness and lack of dignity the girls were displaying.

They made it seem like the royal wives were going to be chosen and announced or something.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I trust you've been enjoying yourselves, but let's not forget the main reason we are gathered here today. My queen and I have decided that it is time our sons found their missing ribs and produced strong heirs to the throne. The sweet damsel will be chosen from amongst the young ladies gathered in this very ballroom," the king announced in his charismatic yet abrupt manner.

Wow, they really are announcing the royal wives, then. I looked around the ballroom in search of anything to distract me from the loud and obnoxious chatter of the fangirls. Then I hit my forehead on a stone wall.

"Eleanor..." The stone wall said.

He said my name slowly, like he was savoring the way it felt on his tongue. Not this guy again. I tilted my head upward to meet his gaze steadily, brushing the hair out of my face as I did so.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

I observed a jumble of unreadable emotions in the deep pools of blue that were his eyes.

"Your necklace. Where did you get it?"

My fingers reached out to clutch at the necklace. It had been a gift. A gift from someone who had once been very dear to me. But I wasn't about to tell this bloodsucker anything about that.

"That's none of your business," I hissed as I tried to walk away.

He stepped to the side, blocking my way, and I had to use every ounce of self-control I had not to punch him in the jaw. It'd probably hurt me way more than him, anyway. Vampire strength and all.

Jaxon brought his face closer to mine.

I wanted to take a step back, but I couldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Tell me where you got the necklace, love," he whispered, his eyes boring into mine in a way that made it obvious he was trying to compel me.

Luckily, I had drunk an extra dose of vervain before I came to the ball, so I simply raised a brow at him. If he was surprised at my resistance, he didn't show it. I got even closer to him until my lips were brushing his ear.

"Bite me," I spat.

I pushed past him and walked away as quickly as I could, breathing hard. When I felt I was a good distance away from him, I glanced back over my shoulder, only to find him staring after me with a shudder-inducing smirk.

Swallowing hard, I moved forward once again.

There were a group of furious girls standing in front of me, glaring daggers. I folded my arms against my chest and leaned against the wall.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Were you about to kiss my prince?"

"Don't fool yourself. You're not special, Eleanor Moreno."

"She's trying to play hard to get and mysterious, so she'll get picked."

They all hurled insult after insult at me, and I felt my blood boil.

"How bold of you to assume that I actually care about what goes on tonight and who gets chosen. If anything, whoever gets chosen is in for a hell of a ride, and not the good kind," I scoffed.

The leader of the little group used to be a wannabe mean girl at school. Tessy. She shoved me backwards.

"You stupid bitch," she said in that nasal voice of hers.

Oh, she is so in for it. But before I could say or do anything, a clinking sound echoed through the entire room.

Everyone turned to the source of the sound, almost creepily in sync, and stared at the queen. She continued to tap her champagne glass lightly with a golden spoon until she had the attention of every single person. Then she smiled brilliantly.

"My sons, come join me and choose your lucky brides."

Her voice was much softer than I had imagined. I felt a presence to my left and looked over to see Ava shuffling into a seat beside me. She offered me a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Jaxon sauntered onto the stage, and all the girls swooned. He was followed by the blond vampire who had danced with Ava earlier. I gave her a startled glance, but she continued to stare grimly ahead.

I wonder what happened. Jaxon's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"I would like to thank you all for coming tonight. It's been an honor getting to know so many of you stunning and bright young ladies. I think I speak for my little brother as well as myself when I say that this was no easy choice to make," he said evenly with a charming smile.

I snorted loudly. He probably doesn't remember any of these 'stunning and bright' girls' names. Ava elbowed me in the ribs to keep quiet, but I kept grinning. This nightmare is about to be over. I can finally go home.

"I choose... Eleanor Moreno."

My neck snapped up so fast it hurt. I gaped openly at the smug bastard standing on the stage while the crowd whispered indignantly. Ava put her hand on top of mine and squeezed it, but I could barely register anything happening around me.

My mind was completely blank, my body frozen to the spot, and my eyes glued onto the monsters on stage. It was when Jaxon took a step forward that something clicked inside of me.

I jumped out of my seat, pushing past the angry people, and sprinted towards the exit.