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Chapter 3 - chapter 3

Under the Moonlight

Chapter 3: The Hunt

The next morning was a quiet kind of agony. Aria woke on the cold marble floor, her back aching and eyes swollen from crying. The room was empty. Lucien was gone, and in his absence, it felt even colder.

Her stomach growled, painful and loud in the silence. She hadn't eaten anything since her arrival. Not that she could. The fear had turned her hunger into a gnawing sickness.

But now, it was unbearable.

She waited. Ten minutes. Twenty. Maybe Lucien would return. Maybe he'd say something. Anything.

Nothing.

Screw him.

Aria grabbed her cardigan, wrapped it tightly around herself, and slipped out the door.

She followed the scent of baked bread and something sweet down a winding hallway. The architecture was a mix of gothic towers and modern luxury. Everything was sharp and cold, like the people inside.

She passed by elegant students with flawless faces and sharp stares. Some looked at her with amusement. Others with hunger.

She kept her head down. Her footsteps quickened.

But as she rounded a corner toward what looked like a dining hall, a cold voice halted her.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

Four boys stepped out from the shadows. All tall. All pale. And all wearing the same twisted smile.

Aria froze.

"I thought Lucien kept his toys inside," one of them said, licking his lips.

"Maybe she's broken. He threw her out."

"Or maybe he's just waiting for us to break her in first."

They laughed.

Aria stepped back. "I'm just looking for food..."

The tallest one stepped forward, his eyes glowing a faint red. "We heard. Your stomach's louder than your voice."

She turned to run.

One of them appeared instantly in front of her.

"Where are you going, little lamb?"

Her chest heaved. "Lucien claimed me. He'll kill you if you touch me -."

The one with silver eyes smirked. "And where is your master now, hmm?"

The others laughed.

Aria's heart thumped wildly. Her legs moved before her thoughts could. She sprinted down the hall, weaving between stone pillars.

"RUN, LITTLE TOY! RUN!"

Their laughter echoed behind her. Her breath came in sharp gasps. Her vision blurred with tears.

She turned a corner and slammed into a hard chest. Hands grabbed her shoulders.

"Woah there, kitten."

She looked up into the face of the fourth vampire. Black hair. A cruel grin. He shoved her back.

She stumbled and fell hard onto the stone.

Her palms burned.

The other three closed in around her.

She backed away on her hands, scraping her skin. "Please... please don't..please leave me..."

"You smell delicious," one whispered.

"Fresh. Unmarked."

"He hasn't fed from you yet, has he?"

She shook her head desperately. "Please... don't..."

The tallest one crouched in front of her. "You think your tears will stop us? This is Bloodmoor. You're not protected. You're prey."

One of them reached for her.

"DON'T TOUCH HER."

The voice cracked like thunder.

All four vampires froze.

Lucien stood at the end of the hall, his eyes glowing crimson. Power rolled off him in waves, his jaw tight with fury.

"Lucien... we were just playing—"

"Do I look like I care what you thought you were doing?" he hissed, his fangs bared. "Back. Off. Now."

The tallest one sneered. "She was outside your dorm. Rules say—"

Lucien appeared in front of him in a blink. His hand wrapped around the vampire's throat and lifted him effortlessly into the air.

"Do you want me to gut you in front of your friends? Because I will."

The others backed up, eyes wide.

Lucien dropped him hard.

"She. Is. Mine."

He turned to Aria, who was still shaking on the floor.

"Get up," he ordered, voice low and dark.

She flinched.

"I said get up."

Her limbs barely worked as she scrambled to her feet. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

He didn't look at her. Just turned and walked away.

She followed, silent, broken.

They walked back to the dorm in silence. When they entered, he slammed the door shut.

"Are you stupid, Aria?" he growled, spinning to face her. "You think this place is a playground?"

"I was hungry... I just wanted something to eat..."

"You could have died. Do you get that? They would've drained you and left your body in the garden."

"Then maybe I should've just let them!" she screamed.

He paused.

She sobbed, voice raw. "I didn't ask to be here! I didn't ask to be your blood slave or... or live in a nightmare! I'm scared and starving and no one cares!"

Lucien stepped forward, grabbed her chin roughly. "You're mine. That means you don't die unless I allow it."

"I HATE YOU!"

He smiled coldly. "Good. Hate keeps you alive."

He let go of her and walked into the kitchen. A moment later, a loaf of warm bread and a glass of milk slid onto the counter.

"Eat. Before I change my mind."

She stared at it, tears in her eyes.

"Now."

She sat slowly, hands trembling.

He watched her silently.

And in that eerie quiet, Aria realized the truth:

She was never safe here. Not even from the one who kept saving her.

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