Chapter 2: The Blood Hunt

Calista

"Just keep running. If you can cross the forest and reach the river, you'll be safe," Cora insisted. She seemed to feel sorry for me and wanted to help. That night, she showed me a map and told me about the Dark Forest. My brother and I had lived in the forest for a while, and I believed I was smart enough to make it there and thought I might have a chance.

"You have to be careful. The most dangerous vampires have come to hunt. It is even said that there is a vampire prince. _And there are also rumors of a killer on the loose," she said, and that was not good news. I regretted having eaten as my stomach churned.

"Get ready now!" a vampire shouted the next day as evening approached. Cora brought my dress, which looked torn and worn.

"I did what I could to mend it. Put on this cloak. They will try to track your scent. You're one of the few women here; you need to go unnoticed," she explained.

"Tributes, get ready!" the vampire yelled, and I ran to get in line. I saw that there were werewolves, lesser vampires, and other humans. I hid behind everyone and noticed four women.

"The tributes are going to die!"

"May the best vampire win!" the vampires yelled, shouting obscenities.

"Behave yourselves, gentlemen. We have a prince among us," a voice intervened, and there was instant silence. A prince. So the rumors were true. The Crimson Lion, straight from the castle of the Vampire King, was here. I thought he was a legend. In the darkness, I saw a pair of blue eyes.

Run. Reach the river. Escape.

As the great door opened, I saw the forest. It was dark and damp, and the snow had already melted. At that moment, I knew I wouldn't survive. If, by some miracle, they didn't catch me, how was I going to live in the forest? My only plan was to find my brother in his cabin, but before that, I would freeze to death or be eaten by wolves. I was lost.

"Ready, set, go!" a vampire shouted, and the race began. The other prisoners ran while we humans lagged. The vampires didn't catch up with us until thirty minutes later - just enough time to catch us in peace.

"I think I saw a small human!"

"If she's mine, I'll share her!" I heard them laugh. I could hear my blood pounding in my ears as I ran. I had to use all my strength. As long as I kept moving, I wouldn't feel the cold as much. I took a different path from the others, heading for the river. I walked between trees and almost slipped, but I grabbed a branch. I tore the ends of my dress, making two slits so I could move more easily. Then I heard another shot and screams. The vampires had been released and had already caught someone. I ran until I saw the river. Finally! I had to cross it.

My boots slipped, and I almost fell into the water, but I kept going until I heard footsteps behind me that made my skin crawl.

"Well, well... I thought this would be easier. I must say, you were fast, little human," said Hans. "Come, surrender. I only need to touch your skin to claim you, and I intend to bite you right now." But as he grabbed me, he took my cloak, and I slipped away, the vampire fell into the water.

"You damned bitch!" he shouted as he drifted downstream. "Run, run, little human! It'll be more fun to catch you!"

I felt the cold spread through my body. My dress was in tatters, but I kept running. I slipped through the trees until a sound caught my attention. It was a small crowd that seemed to be waiting for me. I noticed that it was missing an eye... and a feeling of darkness enveloped me.

It was too late. I saw a vampire like I had never seen before. His blue eyes shone in the moonlight, his black hair was like the night itself, he was strong and tall, and his voice chilled my blood.

"A human..." he hissed in a hoarse voice, scanning my body.

The forest seemed to have fallen silent, except for the sound of more crows flapping their wings as they arrived with him. It was as if darkness was his domain, and the closer he came, the more terrifying his presence became. His fangs gleamed, and his face was a mask of hunger. Vampires were the most violent predators, and he was the Prince, the Crimson Lion, the Prince of Eternal Night - the worst of them all. His dark suit had small gold details. I was completely at his mercy.

"The answer I needed..." he said, looking at strands of my hair. "This hair... You're not just a simple human," he murmured in that deep, husky voice, and I shivered. I felt his body pressed against mine, his hand running down my bare leg, and I was terrified.

"I'm nobody," I replied. He pinned me against the tree, and when I felt his cold hand on my inner thigh, I shuddered.

"You already prepared yourself for me? That dress... I'm pretty sure, between your legs, your hair is red, isn't it? So warm and soft..." he said, gently brushing the back of his fingers over my underwear, the tips barely touching the edge of my most intimate part, and I panicked. "But I see you... a red woman." He pulled his hand away as we heard a sound.

I didn't even have time to recover from such an intimate touch before Hans appeared, dripping wet.

"She's mine! I saw her first!"

"Then you should have marked her as yours," the prince replied, and Hans looked horrified.

"Your Majesty... I didn't know it was you," he said, kneeling. The prince looked at him suspiciously.

"So you were also looking for the human... why?"

"I was just looking for a hot meal."

"The rite does not allow us to kill our prey... yet," the prince said casually, and with a single movement, he lifted me and threw me over his shoulder.

"Hang on, slave," he ordered, running so fast I had to close my eyes. All I could hear was the birds flying around us.

In the Great Hall, the Prince set me down and made me kneel at his feet while he sat on what looked like a throne. I covered myself as best I could, feeling exposed. I had been touched, groped - what else was to come?

A priest spoke, and I took in my surroundings. The other vampires came from various regions. Some had captured wolves, others wounded vampires, and still others had bloodstains on their hands and mouths. I guess not everyone followed the rules like the prince.

In the distance, I saw Hans, his long brown hair and small eyes glaring at me with resentment. Behind me, the Prince stroked my neck, his fingers twisting strands of my hair. What did he mean when he said I wasn't a simple human?