BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 58: VAMPIRE SLAVES

Chapter 58: VAMPIRE SLAVES

"Slavery is theft"

Cassius halted mid-step. His shoulders tensed, and for a moment, the night air grew thick with unspoken threats. Idris and Tio exchanged wary glances, their amusement from earlier fading. Desmond, as always, remained unreadable, his gaze locked onto me as if he were silently assessing the weight of my words.

Cassius slowly turned around, his eyes burning with restrained fury. "You don’t know what you’re talking about, Elder Dante," he said, his voice smooth, but the underlying threat was unmistakable.

I took a step closer, my stance relaxed but my presence unwavering. "Oh, but I do," I countered. "And you know I do." My eyes never left his. "Freyr will know soon, too. And when he does, do you think he’ll let it slide?"

Cassius’ lips curled into a smirk, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "That sounds like a threat."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "No, that’s a warning. There’s a difference. You should learn it before it’s too late."

Tio scoffed, crossing his arms. "You talk big for someone who’s supposed to be retired from coven politics."

I shifted my gaze to him, my expression turning bored. "And yet, here you are, worried about what I must say."

Desmond finally spoke, his tone calm but firm. "We hear you, Elder Dante. But you should be careful about throwing accusations without proof."

I let the words settle before responding. "Proof? If you’re worried about that, then maybe you should be more concerned about your leader’s actions than my words."

Cassius’ smirk vanished. He turned away abruptly, motioning for the others to follow. "Let’s go."

I watched them disappear into the night before exhaling slowly. The confrontation had gone as expected, tense but calculated. I wasn’t foolish enough to think Cassius would back off entirely, but at least now, he knew I was watching.

By the time I got back to Kayne’s home, dawn had set, and I found Sierra, Auror, and Nessa seated in the living room waiting for me. I walked over and sat down with a huff and cursed while at it, and Sierra chuckled as Aurora and Nessa never uttered a word. I was pissed off as hell knew that Freyr had bought time by sending them my way.

I turned to Sierra and narrated everything that I had found in Blood Stone Mountain from the time I set foot on the bottom of the mountain. Shock registered on their faces with every word. D and Aurora even shuddered in response,se and by the time I finished narrating,g they were all angry and shocked beyond belief.

Sierra was the first to speak, her voice tight with controlled fury. "A nest? With gold? And something, someone, waiting for them to hatch?" She shook her head, standing abruptly as if the movement would help her process the insanity of what I had just told them.

Aurora still looked pale, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair. "You said the smell was unbearable? That’s dark magic," she whispered, almost to herself. "And Marcel... he’s feeding it?"

I nodded, rubbing a hand over my face. "That’s what it sounded like. The voice in the chamber told the guard to tell Marcel to add more gold so the ’babies’ could hatch faster." I exhaled sharply. "Whatever they are, they’re coming. And soon."

Nessa cursed under her breath, her fists clenched. "That bastard. He’s not just messing with politics; he’s breeding something. Something unnatural."

Sierra turned back to me, her gaze sharp. "And you’re sure they didn’t see you?"

I let out a dry laugh. "If they did, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now."

She nodded, her expression thoughtful before she spoke again. "We need to tell Freyr."

Aurora flinched at the name, and I sighed, shaking my head. "Freyr already knows something’s happening. That’s why he sent Cassius and his men my way, to keep me busy."

Sierra’s eyes darkened. "Then he’s playing a dangerous game."

Aurora, who had been silent for too long, finally spoke up, her voice trembling slightly. "Dante... what do you think is inside that nest?"

I met her gaze and gave her the only honest answer I had. "Something that should never be born."

Silence settled over the room as the weight of our conversation sank in. I could see the gears turning in Sierra’s mind, her sharp eyes narrowing as she pieced together the implications of what I had just revealed.

"An old vampire’s voice," she repeated slowly, tapping her fingers against her arm. "And familiar to you?"

I nodded, my jaw tightening. "I just can’t place where I’ve heard it before. But the way it commanded the guard... it wasn’t just a voice of power, Sierra. It was a voice of ownership. Whoever it is, they’re not just working with Marcel; they’re controlling him."

Nessa scoffed. "Of course. That bastard has always been a pawn. He’s too impulsive to be the mastermind."

Aurora shuddered at my mention of the bloodstone bugs. "I barely survived it, Dante," she whispered, her voice haunted. "I could feel it inside me, draining me, eating away at my will. The moment I fought back... the pain was indescribable." She swallowed hard, her hands shaking slightly. "I don’t know how many people could survive that."

Sierra crossed her arms, her expression hard. "Which means Marcel isn’t just turning people into mindless slaves. He’s culling them, only the strongest survive. He’s building an army of the most resilient."

A cold realization settled in my gut. "And if he’s going through all this effort, that means he’s preparing for war."

Nessa’s curiosity turned into alarm. "But against who? He already controls the coven army."

Sierra’s gaze flickered with something dark. "That’s the question, isn’t it? And I think the answer lies with whoever was speaking to you in the mountains."

I leaned back, rubbing a hand over my face. "We need to move carefully. If Marcel and whoever he’s working with realize we know too much, they’ll come for us."

Sierra nodded in agreement. "Then we need to find out who that voice belongs to. If we can figure that out, we’ll know exactly what kind of nightmare we’re dealing with."

Aurora exhaled shakily. "And how do we do that?"

I met Sierra’s gaze, my voice cold and determined. "We hunt."

Sierra’s words stopped me in my tracks. I clenched my jaw, trying to rein in my frustration, but the weight of the situation pressed heavily on my shoulders.

"Two months," I repeated, shaking my head. "That’s barely any time at all. And if they’re using gold to speed up the hatching process, then we don’t have the luxury of waiting."

Sierra’s brows furrowed deeper. "Gold?" she echoed, the sharpness in her voice making it clear that something about that detail unsettled her.

I nodded. "The guards mentioned it. They’re using gold in the incubation chambers. But that doesn’t make sense, does it? The only known sources of gold are in Bay shifter pack Sagstone Mountain." I paused, narrowing my eyes. "And unless the coven suddenly gained access to those mines, someone is supplying it to them."

Nessa exhaled sharply. "Who in their right mind would trade with Lord Marcel? He’s reckless and unpredictable. No merchant would risk their business dealing with him."

Sierra’s gaze darkened, her mind clicking through possibilities. "Unless they don’t have a choice," she murmured.

Aurora tensed beside her. "You think someone’s being forced to supply the gold?"

Sierra nodded slowly. "Or manipulated. If Marcel’s goal is to build an army, he needs more than just soldiers. He needs resources, wealth, and infrastructure. Controlling a gold supply would give him a powerful advantage."

I crossed my arms. "And that means whoever is behind this is more than just some power-hungry vampire. This is bigger. More calculated."

Nessa leaned forward, her eyes serious. "Then the real question is: Who owns the mines in Sagstone Mountain?"

Silence stretched between us for a moment before Sierra finally spoke. "Bay Shifter pack royal families"

I stiffened. " Shit!!

Aurora’s reaction was immediate. She shot up from her seat, her eyes blazing with fury. "Are you saying that the Bay Shifter Pack is colluding with Lord Marcel?" Her voice rose sharply, disbelief and anger lacing her words.

I exhaled slowly, watching her carefully. "That would be the case," I admitted. "Or else, where would Lord Marcel get gold? He needs large supplies to feed the nest, and that kind of wealth doesn’t just appear out of nowhere."

Nessa folded her arms, nodding grimly. "Which means whoever is supplying him either has a stake in this, or they’re being forced into it."

Sierra leaned back, her expression unreadable. "I’m afraid this is why Duncan was killed," she stated, her voice colder than before. "And it goes deeper than just the leadership of the coven."

Her words settled over us like a heavy storm cloud. I let out a low hum of agreement, then straightened, glancing at each of them. "That’s why it’s a good idea to wait for Freyr to return with the intel from Tor," I pointed out. "But there’s something else we need to consider."

Aurora frowned. "What?"

I smirked slightly, though there was no humor behind it. "After my conversation with Cassius, I can tell you one thing: he’s not going to back down from you, Aurora."

Aurora’s hands clenched at her sides, but she said nothing.

"And that means," I continued, leaning forward slightly, "we use his anger. His obsession. If we push him the right way, he’ll act recklessly. And once he does, we can start driving a wedge between all of them."

Sierra’s eyes gleamed with understanding. "Divide and conquer," she murmured.

I nodded. "Exactly. If we can turn them against each other, we might just stand a chance."

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