Chapter 2: Chains in the Moonlight
Leona ran through the forest path, heart pounding, breath ragged. She had escaped her family's arranged marriage, determined to keep her freedom at any cost. But the night was not as empty as it seemed.
A sudden shout made her stumble. Figures emerged from the shadows—rough men with cruel eyes and heavy chains. The slave sellers had found her.
"Hold her!" one barked, lunging forward.
Leona fought fiercely, but she was only human, and there were too many of them. A rope bit into her wrists as they dragged her toward a waiting cart. She struggled, kicking, trying to scream, but the forest swallowed her cries.
From the shadows, a pair of silver eyes watched. The Vampire King. He had been tracking her—not out of malice, but curiosity. Something about this bold, defiant girl had captured his attention.
As the slave sellers bound her to the cart, she caught a glimpse of him, standing silently in the darkness. The sight both terrified and intrigued her. She realized with a jolt: she was in his territory now, and her fate was no longer in the hands of mere humans.
The cart rattled away, taking her further into the night—and closer to a destiny she could never have imagined.