The UV rays were a thousand knives, tearing at my skin.

I wanted to scream, but the sound was trapped in my throat.

Black mist started to rise from my body—the soul bleeding out, a sign of extreme agony for a vampire.

Every inch of me was on fire.

I curled up on the floor, feeling myself being roasted alive.

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

A heavy black curtain was drawn, and the sunlight's intensity dropped by half.

But for me, it was still hell.

Scarlett walked in, a short silver whip in her hand.

"Look at this," she said, staring down at me. "The legendary fox who seduced my man, now groveling at my feet like a dog."

She raised the whip and brought it down hard on my back.

Crack!

The silver hissed as it met my skin.

A bloody gash tore open on my back.

"Why would an old hag like you seduce my Corvus?" Scarlett roared, striking me again. "What makes you think a wrinkled bitch like you deserves his gifts?"

Crack! Another lash.

My back was a mess of torn flesh.

Black blood dripped onto the floor, sizzling as it hit the metal.

"Answer me! What poison did you use on him?" she screamed.

I struggled to lift my head and look at her twisted face.

I said weakly. "You're mistaken..."

Before I could finish, a fourth lash struck my face.

The silver whip carved a deep wound across my left cheek.

The pain nearly made me pass out.

"Liar!" Scarlett shrieked, losing control. "You think I don't know? Every time he came back from you, he reeked of sex and satisfaction!"

She threw the whip aside and waved to the guards outside.

"Get in here! Hold her down!"

The two brutes entered the room.

Wearing thick gloves, they pinned my arms and head without hesitation.

Scarlett retrieved a black bottle from the corner.

It was filled with a thick liquid that gave off a foul, sickening stench.

Beast blood.

And the filthiest kind—from a rabid wolf.

My pupils contracted in horror.

For a pureblood noble, being forced to drink beast blood was the ultimate humiliation.

Worse, the foul blood would corrupt our bloodline, causing a permanent loss of power.

"No..." I struggled desperately.

But the guards' hands were like iron clamps.

"This is what happens when you seduce another woman's man!" Scarlett ordered. "Open your mouth!"

I clenched my teeth, refusing.

Scarlett sneered and pried my jaw open.

The filthy beast blood was forced down my throat.

The feeling was... indescribable.

Like swallowing a rotting corpse. It was a revulsion that sickened my very soul.

My body instinctively tried to vomit, but Scarlett choked my neck, forcing me to swallow.

One gulp, two, three...

I felt my bloodline thrown into chaos. My pure power was being tainted, like a drop of ink in clean water.

"Have a taste!" Scarlett let go, a satisfied smile on her face as she watched me suffer. "This is the price for stealing my man!"

I knelt on the floor, retching violently.

Clots of black blood poured from my mouth, corroding the silver floor.

"Learned your lesson yet?" Scarlett crouched down, whispering in my ear. "I'll give you two choices."

She held up two fingers.

"One: get the hell out of Corvus's world. Give me your heart's blood and swear you'll never seduce my man again."

I struggled to look up.

"Two: you compensate me. Three vials of Elder's Blood, plus a million in cash for the emotional damage you caused."

She paused, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Of course, if you choose neither, I'd be happy to keep feeding you beast blood. Until you're completely broken, a mindless 'Feral.' Let's see you seduce men with that broken body then!"

A Feral.

The lowest of the low in vampire society.

Monsters who'd lost all reason, driven only by a thirst for blood.

My consciousness began to fade.

The beast blood's corruption was spreading. If I didn't stop it, the consequences would be dire.

"I..." I coughed up more black blood. "I'll pay."

Scarlett's eyes lit up.

"Smart choice," she said, standing to look down on me. "Guess you're not completely stupid."

"I need... to make a call," I said weakly.

Scarlett hesitated, then glared.

"Fine. But don't try any tricks. Or you'll be tasting more beast blood until you're insane."

Shaking, I took out my phone and dialed my cousin Chloe's number.

"Chloe..." I tried to keep my voice steady. "I need you to bring three vials of Elder's Blood to The Crimson Curtain. Immediately."

Chloe's surprised voice came from the other end. "Mora? You sound..."

"And a million in cash," I cut in. "As fast as you can."

"Mora, what in the world happened?"

"Don't ask. Just come."

I hung up and looked at Scarlett.

Her face was a mask of greed and triumph.

"Three vials of Elder's Blood? And a million?" Scarlett licked her lips. "Seems you're a rich old bitch. But even so, you're staying the hell out of Corvus's world!"

Twenty minutes later, the air in the Sun Chamber turned frigid.

A swarm of black bats flooded in through the window, coalescing into a human form in the center of the room.

Chloe appeared.

When she saw the state I was in, a furious fire lit her amber eyes.

"Gods, Mora!"

Scarlett, startled by the sudden entrance, quickly regained her composure.

"You're the one with the money?" She sized Chloe up. "You were quick."

Chloe ignored her and rushed to my side.

A warm, white light emanated from her palm as she began a purification ritual.

The incantation echoed in the room. I felt the beast blood's corruption being driven out by a holy power.

The pain began to fade.

"Where's the Elder's Blood and the cash?" Scarlett asked impatiently.

Chloe produced three exquisite crystal vials and a case full of cash from her dimensional ring.

"Take it," she said coldly, tossing them at Scarlett's feet.

Scarlett eagerly snatched up a vial, inspecting it.

The pure Elder's Blood gave off a faint golden glow. She nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. And remember, old woman," Scarlett said, looking down at me, "if this blood is fake, I have plenty of ways to punish you again. And it won't be as simple as beast blood next time."

She grabbed the case and the vials and strutted out of the room.

Chloe helped me up, continuing her healing spells.

"Can you walk?" she asked softly.

"I can." I stood up, gritting my teeth against the pain.

"Mora, what happened? Why would that bitch do this to you?"

"I'll explain later," I said through clenched teeth. "Let's just get out of here."

Chloe nodded and teleported us away from the club.

We reappeared on the other side of the city.

"Thank you, Chloe," I said, taking her hand.

"Don't say that," she said, her eyes filled with worry. "What are you going to do?"

"Settle the score with Corvus," I said, my voice turning to ice.

But first, I had other business.

I took out my phone and dialed the number of the club's real manager.

"Marcus, it's me."

"Miss Volkov? How did you..."

"Throw Scarlett out of the club," I ordered. "And ban her from all Volkov properties. Permanently."

There was a surprised silence on the other end. "Miss, what happened?"

"Just follow the order."

"Yes, Miss."

After hanging up, I told Chloe, "Come with me."

"Where?"

"The Sanctuary of Truth."

The Sanctuary of Truth, located in neutral territory, was a place of justice recognized by vampires, witches, werewolves, and other supernatural races.

Its guardians wielded the most powerful magic, capable of creating irrefutable proof.

When we arrived, a white-robed guardian greeted us.

"Lady Volkov, what service do you require?"

"I need a magical attestation," I said, revealing the wounds covering my body. "I want a binding record of the silver burns and the beast blood contamination."

The guardian's eyes widened in shock.

"Someone used beast blood on a pureblood noble? That violates the ancient laws..."

"Exactly. And I need ironclad proof."

An hour later, I held a magically-bound affidavit that glowed with a holy light.

It detailed every wound on my body and an analysis of the beast blood contamination.

It was evidence no one could dispute.

Less than half an hour later, the Vampire Council issued a warrant for Scarlett's arrest based on my affidavit.

With that settled, I gathered my family guard and headed for Corvus's manor.

His indulgence had cost me this suffering. It seemed he'd been living too comfortably.

The manor was brightly lit. A party was clearly in full swing.

Standing outside the gates, I could hear laughter and music.

Then, I heard Scarlett's voice.

"Corvus, you have to stand up for me!" she cried, her voice full of outrage. "That woman was completely out of line!"

"What woman?" Corvus's voice replied.

"That old flame of yours! She came to the club today making a scene, saying she was going to take back ownership. I was just following the rules, making her pay for the Elder's Blood, and she completely lost it! She even had someone attack me!"

Scarlett started sobbing.

"She had me thrown out of the club! Corvus, I only took that manager job for you, and now I'm being humiliated by your ex..."

Angry murmurs rose from within the manor.

"What woman would dare do that to Scarlett?"

"She's Corvus's woman. Who would dare touch her?"

"We have to find that bitch!"

Then, I heard Corvus's voice, thick with misplaced rage. "Darling, don't cry. I swear on my blood, I'll make the woman who hurt you kneel by the next blood moon."

The guests chimed in.

"We'll help you find that shameless woman!"

"An insult to Scarlett is an insult to Lord Corvus!"

"She must pay!"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

My "brother," the one I had protected for centuries, was now vowing to make me kneel for a stranger.

The manor gates shattered under a massive force.

I materialized from a cloud of black mist, my Nightguard flanking me like ghosts.

The music inside screeched to a halt.

Everyone stared at us in terror.

My gaze locked onto Corvus, my voice as cold as a tomb.

"No need to search. I'm right here. Who wants to teach me a lesson?"