Chapter 3: onyx

The moment Onyx spoke, silence fell over the courtyard like a thick, suffocating fog. Every eye turned to me, their gazes burning into my skin like fire. Even the wind seemed to still, as if the very air itself dared not disturb the tension.

My heart pounded in my chest. Had I heard him correctly? My mate? My mate was Onyx?

No. It had to be a mistake.

I had spent years being ridiculed for not having a mate. Other vampire maidens had long found theirs, while I had remained alone, the disgraced granddaughter of a fallen king, the last remnant of a dying legacy. The nobles sneered at me, the guards mocked me behind my back, and the servants whispered about how I must be cursed.

And yet, here he was, this bastard prince, this arrogant man with eyes like the abyss, claiming me as his mate in front of everyone.

My face burned as I quickly looked away. I could already hear the whispers beginning to spread through the crowd like wildfire.

Draco's expression darkened, his crimson eyes flashing with barely contained fury. He looked at me like I was the most disgusting thing in existence before turning back to Onyx.

"Explain yourself." His voice was low, but the weight of command in it was unmistakable.

Onyx smirked, completely unbothered by the growing tension.

"What is there to explain, father?" He said the word mockingly.

"I've finally decided to return home, and I figured I should bring something valuable with me." He turned his sharp gaze to me. "Turns out, that something is my mate."

A sharp intake of breath came from Morgana, her face twisting in disgust. "You dare claim her?" she spat, her fingers curling at her sides.

Onyx turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Well, it's not like I chose this, dear stepmother." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "But you and I both know the mate bond is unbreakable."

The word "mate" sent another ripple of shock through the gathered nobles and guards. Some exchanged uneasy glances, while others openly looked disgusted.

I clenched my fists. I could already tell what they were thinking. Not only was I the granddaughter of Alucardian, but I was also nothing more than a slave in this household. I had been serving Draco's court like a mere servant, scrubbing floors and taking orders like the lowest of the low. And now, this man...this wild, unpredictable son of Draco, had just announced to the world that I was meant to be his equal?

It was ridiculous.

Draco's lips curled back, his fangs glinting under the moonlight.

"You expect me to believe this?" he asked coldly. "That the gods, in all their wisdom, would bind you to this worthless creature?"

I stiffened at the insult, but I said nothing. I had long learned that speaking back to Draco was a mistake from all the torture I had endured from his hands.

Onyx, however, laughed, a deep, amused sound that sent a chill down Blair's spine.

"Oh, father," he said, shaking his head. "You should know better than anyone that the gods have a cruel sense of humor."

Draco's nostrils flared. "I have no son."

Onyx's smirk widened. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot." He turned to the crowd, spreading his arms dramatically.

"For those of you who may be new here, allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Onyx, bastard son of Draco, the unfortunate result of my dear father's affair with a human woman." His voice was laced with mockery. "A walking disgrace, as some of you like to say."

My body flinched. So I was right, he was a bastard, born from a forbidden union.

Onyx turned back to Draco. "But no matter how much you try to deny it, I am still of your blood. And now, as fate would have it, I'm mated to the last living descendant of your greatest enemy."

The court erupted into murmurs. My stomach twisted as I caught fragments of their hushed conversations.

"The gods must be mad..."

"She's Alucardian's granddaughter, and now she's tied to him?"

"This can't be allowed..."

My nails dug into my palms. This was exactly what I had feared. I was already hated, already seen as an outcast, but now things had taken a turn for the worse.

Draco took a slow step forward, his crimson gaze locking onto mine like a predator sizing up prey.

"You," he said, his voice venomous. "Is this true?"

I swallowed hard. I knew what he was asking. He wanted me to deny it, to tell everyone that this was some kind of cruel joke.

But I couldn't.

The mate bond was real. I could feel it in my blood, in the way my body had reacted to Onyx the moment I saw him. I had dreamed of him, felt him, long before they ever met. No matter how much I hated it, no matter how much I wished it weren't true... Onyx was my mate.

Slowly, I lifted my chin. "Yes," I said. "It's true."

The air seemed to grow colder.

Draco's jaw tightened. Morgana's eyes darkened with fury. Even Skye, Draco's heir, narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable.

Onyx grinned, placing a hand over his heart in mock gratitude. "Ah, what a lovely confession."

Draco's fangs bared in rage. "You are nothing," he spat at me. "You are a slave. A pathetic remnant of a fallen king. And you dare to stand before me and claim you are meant to be my son's mate?"

I forced herself to meet his gaze, even as my body screamed at me to shrink away.

"I didn't choose this," I said evenly. "But you know the laws of our kind. A mate bond cannot be undone."

Morgana took a sharp step forward, her nails elongating into claws. "Then we will have to kill her."

My breath caught in her throat.

Onyx's smirk disappeared in an instant. The air around him darkened, a dangerous energy rippling off his body. In one swift movement, he was in front of me, his hand gripping Morgana's wrist before she could take another step.

"I dare you to try," he said, his voice low and menacing.

Morgana's eyes widened, shock flickering across her face at the speed of his movement.

Draco watched the exchange with unreadable eyes before slowly exhaling through his nose.

"This is a disgrace," he muttered. Then, he looked at me once more, his gaze filled with pure loathing. "Take her to the dungeon. We will deal with this later."

My stomach dropped.

"Father," Onyx growled, stepping forward. "That's not happening."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Are you questioning my rule, bastard?"

The tension between them was thick, suffocating.

Onyx clenched his jaw, his body tense as if he were holding himself back. For a long moment, it seemed as though he would lunge at his father.

But then, to my shock, he smirked again.

"Of course not," he said, stepping back. "I wouldn't dare."

Draco narrowed his eyes before flicking his wrist. "Take her."

Two guards stepped forward, grabbing my arms roughly.

Onyx stood still, watching as I was dragged away.

I felt the panic rising in my chest. Why wasn't he stopping them? Had he just claimed me in front of everyone only to let them throw me in the dungeons?

As the heavy doors of the castle slammed shut behind me, one thought repeated in my mind over and over again.

What the hell have I just gotten myself into?