Chapter 1: Salvation
1809words
I stood rigid in the center of the clan's judgment chamber, surrounded by the aristocratic faces of my so-called family. Their eyes gleamed with malice in the flickering torchlight, hungry for my humiliation. I clenched my trembling hands, willing myself not to show weakness.
"I didn't ask to be born this way," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. The familiar burning sensation crawled up my throat—the same pain that had plagued me since childhood whenever I attempted to drink blood directly from a living being.
"Excuses!" Lord Darius, the clan leader, slammed his fist against his ornate chair. "For centuries, the Nightshade clan has produced only the strongest vampires. Then you come along—unable to perform the most basic function of our kind."
The chamber fell silent, the weight of disappointment pressing down on my shoulders. I'd endured this ritual humiliation monthly since my sixteenth birthday, when my "defect" became impossible to ignore. Three years had passed, and nothing had changed except the growing contempt in their eyes.
"Perhaps we should reconsider her position in the clan entirely," suggested Lina, my childhood tormentor, now a vision of vampiric perfection with her alabaster skin and flawless feeding technique. "After all, what use is a vampire who brings nothing but shame to our name?"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the chamber. My heart sank. This was new—they had never before suggested expulsion.
"I can still contribute," I said desperately. "My other abilities—"
"Your parlor tricks with blood vials?" Lady Morgana laughed cruelly. "Drinking stored blood like some common newborn? You're nineteen, Ella. It's time to accept that you're broken."
The word sliced through me like a silver blade. Broken. The truth I'd been fighting against my entire life.
"I move to put it to a vote," Lord Darius announced, his voice echoing in the vaulted chamber. "All those in favor of Ella's expulsion from the Nightshade clan, speak now."
One by one, hands raised around the room. Faces I had known since birth—tutors who had taught me vampire history, cousins I had played with as a child, even my own aunt—all voting for my banishment.
"Wait!" A deep voice cut through the chamber, causing heads to turn toward the massive double doors. They swung open with a dramatic creak, revealing a tall figure silhouetted against the moonlight.
The scent hit me first—wild, earthy, dangerous. Not vampire. Werewolf.
The stranger stepped into the light, and collective gasps echoed through the chamber. He moved with predatory grace, his broad shoulders and powerful frame marking him as an alpha. But it was his face that caused the stir—handsome beyond measure, with sharp cheekbones and piercing amber eyes that seemed to glow in the torchlight.
"Prince Luke," Lord Darius said, his voice tight with surprise. "To what do we owe this... unexpected honor?"
Luke. The werewolf prince. I had heard stories of him—heir to the Northern Pack, notorious for his strength in battle and his rare diplomatic efforts with vampires. What was he doing here?
"I apologize for interrupting your... family council," Luke said, his voice unexpectedly gentle for a werewolf. His gaze swept the room before landing on me, lingering with an intensity that made my skin prickle—not with fear, but with something I couldn't name. "But I believe I may offer a solution to your current... dilemma."
"We're in the middle of an important vote," Lady Morgana said coldly.
"A vote to expel one of your own?" Luke raised an eyebrow, his expression softening with what appeared to be genuine concern. "Perhaps I arrived at precisely the right moment."
He strode forward, moving directly toward me. The vampires parted before him like water, their ancient wariness of werewolves warring with their curiosity. When he reached me, he didn't circle me as Lady Morgana had done. Instead, he stood before me, meeting my eyes with unexpected warmth.
"You must be Ella," he said softly, for my ears alone. "I've heard about you."
"All bad things, I'm sure," I replied bitterly.
To my surprise, he shook his head, a gentle smile transforming his face. "On the contrary. Your unique condition has reached ears far beyond your clan. I've been hoping to meet you for some time."
Before I could ask what he meant, he turned to address the assembly.
"The Northern Pack proposes a cultural exchange with the Nightshade clan," he announced. "And as a gesture of goodwill, I would like to invite Ella to visit our territory as an honored guest."
Shocked silence fell over the chamber.
"Absurd!" Lord Darius finally sputtered. "A cultural exchange? And why her specifically?"
"Because sometimes what one family sees as a flaw, another recognizes as a gift," Luke replied, his voice carrying a conviction that made my heart flutter unexpectedly. "The Northern Pack has ancient texts that speak of vampires with... special abilities. Abilities that manifest differently than the norm."
I stared at him in disbelief. Was it possible? Could my "defect" actually be something else entirely?
"What exactly are you proposing?" Lord Darius asked, suspicion evident in his tone.
"Ella comes with me to the Northern Territory as my personal guest. In exchange, our healers will share their knowledge of blood ailments with your clan. Perhaps together, we might better understand her unique condition."
Murmurs erupted throughout the chamber. The offer of werewolf healing knowledge was unprecedented—their natural regenerative abilities had long been envied by vampires.
"And if we refuse?" Lady Morgana challenged.
Luke's expression remained gentle, but something flashed in his eyes—a brief glimpse of steel beneath the velvet. "Then you lose both a potential ally and a clan member with extraordinary potential. Though from what I witnessed upon entering, you seem prepared for the latter already."
I found my voice at last. "Don't I get a say in this?"
All eyes turned to me, many widening in shock at my audacity to speak.
"Of course," Luke said, his expression softening as he looked at me. "This invitation is entirely your choice, Ella. I would never force you to leave your home."
Home. The word rang hollow in my mind as I glanced around at the faces that had only moments ago voted for my expulsion. "Why me? What possible interest could the werewolf prince have in a defective vampire?"
"Defective?" Luke repeated, his voice gentle but firm. He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the unnatural warmth radiating from his skin. "Is that what they've convinced you that you are?"
He reached out slowly, giving me time to retreat, and when I didn't, he gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. The simple gesture of kindness—so foreign after years of rejection—nearly undid me.
"What if I told you that your inability to feed normally isn't a defect at all, but a sign of something far more... extraordinary?" he asked softly.
My heart raced. No one had ever suggested my condition might be anything but shameful.
"He's manipulating you, Ella," Lina cut in sharply. "Werewolves can't be trusted."
"Rich coming from someone who just voted to expel me," I retorted, earning a few surprised looks from the assembly.
Luke's eyes gleamed with approval. "I offer you a choice, Ella of Nightshade. Stay here, where your differences are seen as flaws, or come with me and discover what you're truly capable of."
"This is ridiculous," Lord Darius interrupted. "We cannot allow a member of our clan, even a defective one, to—"
"To what?" I challenged, a lifetime of suppressed hurt suddenly finding voice. "To possibly find answers about my condition? To be treated as something other than a disappointment?"
I turned to Luke, searching his face for any sign of deception. There was something intense in his gaze, yes, but also something that looked remarkably like compassion—a quality I'd rarely encountered in my life.
"If I go with you," I said carefully, "I can return if I wish?"
"At any time," Luke promised. "You would be a guest, not a prisoner."
I looked around the chamber one last time, at the faces that had judged me, mocked me, made me feel less than whole my entire life. Then I turned back to Luke, straightening my shoulders.
"When do we leave?"
"Ella!" Lady Morgana gasped. "You cannot seriously—"
"Tomorrow at dawn, if that suits you," Luke interrupted smoothly, offering me a respectful bow rather than touching me again.
Lord Darius rose from his chair. "This meeting is not concluded! The vote—"
"Is irrelevant," I finished for him, a new confidence flowing through me. "I'm not waiting around to be expelled. I'm accepting Prince Luke's invitation."
With those words, I turned toward the doors, feeling the weight of my clan's stares on my back. Luke fell into step beside me, not touching me but remaining close enough to offer silent support.
"One more thing," he said, looking back at the assembly. "Ella will be under the protection of the Northern Pack during her stay. We take the safety of our guests very seriously."
The subtle warning hung in the air as we stepped out into the cool night. Only when the massive doors closed behind us did I release the breath I'd been holding.
"Thank you," I whispered, suddenly overwhelmed by the magnitude of my decision.
Luke smiled, the moonlight catching in his amber eyes. "No need for thanks. I meant what I said in there, Ella. You're not defective. You're special in ways your clan was too blind to see."
"And you can see it?" I asked, unable to keep the skepticism from my voice despite his kindness.
His expression turned serious, almost reverent. "I've been searching for someone like you for a very long time."
"Why?" I pressed.
Luke gazed up at the waxing moon, nearly full in the night sky. "In three days, there will be a full moon ritual. A sacred time for my people." He turned back to me, his eyes reflecting the moonlight. "I believe it might hold answers for you as well—answers about your true nature, your abilities."
"A ritual?" I asked, both intrigued and wary.
"Yes," he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "One that could change your destiny forever."
Something in his tone sent a shiver down my spine—not entirely unpleasant, but warning nonetheless. As we walked toward the waiting horses at the gate, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was stepping into something far bigger than a simple cultural exchange.
But for the first time in my life, someone was looking at me with hope instead of disappointment. Whatever secrets the werewolf prince held, at least he saw possibility where others had seen only failure.
Or so I believed.
