Bon Appétit

It wasn't difficult for Visenya to figure out where they were headed; her heart jumped into her throat as they approached the Lycan Kingdom. As Lucian made his descent, Visenya tried to make out the dark figures down below who also seemed to be heading there.

The figures became clearer as they neared the ground, and that was when horror gripped her very soul. It was a multitude of vampires swarming towards the Kingdom gates, led by none other than Lazarus, the Vampire King.

"Lucian, please... don't do this!" Visenya begged.

Lucian crashed into the gates, minimizing them to scrap metal and debris. Visenya's guards retreated, fully aware that there was no containing the deadly dragon. Lucian approached the palace, gliding just above the ground. He materialized into his natural form mid-air, causing Visenya to tumble for a couple of feet, scraping her knees and elbows in the process.

Lucian walked right up and plucked her from the ground, hauling her towards the entrance of her palace. The guards at the doors looked frightened and confused, not knowing what move to take. They were not only facing a formidable Dragon Lord but one who held their Queen captive.

"Well, aren't you going to lay out the red carpet and give me a proper welcome?" Lucian taunted.

The guards trembled in fear, uncertain of how to respond.

"Open the doors," Visenya ordered.

Reluctantly, the guards obeyed and swung open the grand palace doors. Lucian seized hold of the short chain on Visenya's collar, parading her inside like some prized pet. A defensive line of guards stood near the entrance with Caspian at its forefront. He looked at Lucian with pure hatred, and Lucian returned the same despising stare.

Lucian decided he would have a little fun by taunting Caspian. He tugged Visenya closer to his side by the chain of her collar, causing her to yelp in pain as the spikes dug into her flesh. "Kneel to your master, dog," he commanded her, not once breaking eye contact with Caspian.

Visenya complied immediately and fell to her knees, bowing her head at Lucian's feet. Caspian's eyes grew even darker as he shook with rage, wanting nothing more than to kill Lucian where he stood. Lucian only shot him a sinister-looking smirk as he reveled in his own sick glory.

"Let her go, Lucian! This is madness!" Caspian protested.

"Where is she?!" Lucian roared.

"Where is who?" Caspian replied.

"Queen Sarai!" Lucian exclaimed.

Visenya's head shot up at the mention of her mother's name. "Lucian, please... leave my mother out of this..."

"You be silent!" Lucian barked.

"I'm here," Sarai revealed, stepping out into plain sight.

Lucian's fury ignited at the mere sight of Sarai. He glared at her with eyes ablaze and marched straight towards her. With a vice-like grip, he seized her throat so tight that her neck was on the verge of snapping.

"Lucian!" Visenya's voice echoed in a desperate plea. "Please, don't hurt her!"

"Were you in on it?!" Lucian's voice thundered with a volatile mix of rage and anguish. "Did you know that your mate was planning to kill everyone that ever mattered to me?!"

Sarai gasped desperately, struggling for even a single breath. "If... if I confess... will you... release my daughter?"

Lucian's piercing gaze locked onto Sarai's, and it was clear that she would say anything to protect Visenya.

He drew her closer until their faces were mere inches apart. "Why do I have a feeling that you already know the answer?"

Tears streamed down Sarai's face as she comprehended his insinuation. "Please... she is too pure-hearted… to endure your cruelty."

"Let my mommy go!" Synora's voice echoed through the room.

Lucian released his grip on Sarai, causing her to crash to the ground as she desperately gasped for air. Synora, her eyes filled with tears and trauma, rushed to Sarai's side, wrapping her arms protectively around her.

"I told you to stay in the bunker," Sarai rasped, her words barely escaping her throat.

Just as the tension in the room reached its peak, Lazarus made his grand entrance, capturing everyone's attention. His applause filled the air as if he had just witnessed the most awe-inspiring performance imaginable. "How very moving," he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He stood over a kneeling Visenya, their gazes locked in a fierce scowl. "Did I hear that correctly? The part about Visenya being too pure-hearted?" Lazarus scoffed. "Was she too pure-hearted when she invaded my kingdom and mercilessly killed hundreds of my people? Was she too pure-hearted when she condemned us all to a slow and agonizing death? If you ask me, she deserves every ounce of what's coming to her. I hope she pleads for death when the Dragon Lord is through with her!"

"We tried to find a compromise with you, Lazarus! But you rejected any notion of it... You brought this invasion upon yourself and your people!" Caspian interjected.

Lazarus sneered at Caspian, and in the blink of an eye, he sped over to him, effortlessly lifting Caspian by the throat. However, due to his weakened and malnourished state, Lazarus proved to be no match for Caspian.

Caspian swiftly pulled Lazarus' hands off his throat and delivered a powerful headbutt, sending Lazarus crashing to the ground. In response, a surge of vampires rushed forward, ready to wage war in defense of their king. Visenya's guards countered their reaction, backing their Beta with unwavering loyalty as they prepared to shift into their wolf forms at his command.

"It would be wise to instruct your guards to stand down," Lucian advised Visenya with a tone of warning.

Caspian's eyes were fixated on Lazarus, who now took the lead in front of his warriors. They were seconds away from a full-on battle before Caspian's gaze softened and shifted to Visenya. Their expressions became animated, and Lucian realized that they were conversing through their mind-link.

Perhaps, it was the fact that Lucian was excluded from their private conversation and needed to be in control of every situation, or maybe it just felt too intimate for his liking. Whatever it was, it infuriated him beyond comprehension. "Sever your mind-link," Lucian demanded.

Visenya looked at Lucian as if he had gone completely mad. "You can't be serious..."

"Do it... now," he ordered, his tone as cold as ice.

"Severing my mind-link will be excruciatingly painful! You don't understand what you are asking of me!" Visenya argued.

Lucian's gaze shifted from Visenya, wandering around the room until it settled on Synora. He walked right up to her and forcefully tore her from Sarai's trembling embrace, triggering terrified screams from Synora, Sarai, and Visenya alike.

"How would you like to fill up on some young Lycan blood, Lazarus?"

Lucian's chilling offer caused Visenya's heart to sink. "No!" She cried. "I'll do it! I'll do it... please, just let my sister go!"

"Do it now and stop testing me because this is no game!" Lucian fumed.

"Okay... okay..." Visenya submitted.

She closed her eyes and opened her signal to every Lycan, uttering the words: "I, Visenya Callisto, hereby sever all connections that bind me to you."

Visenya screamed, clutching her head in agony. Sharp, stabbing pains rippled through her skull, threatening to split it in two. Blood gushed from her nose as she continued to scream, tormented beyond measure.

In the room, every Lycan grabbed their heads, feeling the connection snap between them and their Alpha. Visenya collapsed to the ground, unconscious, overwhelmed by the excruciating pain.

Lucian released Synora, and she rushed to Visenya's side, desperately trying to wake her. Sarai, seeing Synora's distress, took hold of her and sat down beside Visenya, who lay motionless on the floor.

Sarai gently stroked Visenya's head, her heart breaking as tears streamed down her face at the sight of her daughter's suffering. "Please... let my daughter go. Take me instead," she pleaded.

"She is of no concern to you anymore," Lucian coldly responded. "Listen to me, all of you! From this day forward, King Lazarus shall rule over this land, and you will answer to him! This is not your queen anymore, she is now my slave and belongs to me. It will do you well to forget her very existence, and if any of you dare to defy your new king, your precious queen will suffer the consequences!"

"My Lord... I am overwhelmed with gratitude," Lazarus expressed, bowing to Lucian.

"I suggest you and your kind refrain from feasting on the humans in the cities. Your people are too weak and frail and will end up killing the majority. We won't have any slaves to divide amongst us then," Lucian advised.

"Then what do you propose? My people are starving," Lazarus inquired.

“You have plenty of Lycans right here. They are stronger and regenerate faster. Feed on them first,” Lucian advised.

“You’re so wise, Dragon Lord,” Lazarus applauded. “You heard him! Grab yourself a Lycan and feed!”

“No children!” Lucian demanded.

The vampires latched onto a Lycan and sank their fangs into their necks, feeding until they were satisfied. Lazarus made his way towards an unconscious Visenya, intending to drain her dry. But before he could make a move, Lucian swiftly stepped in front, his imposing figure blocking Lazarus' path.

Lucian gave Lazarus a forbidding look of warning. “Not this one.”

Lazarus suppressed a sneer at Lucian, swiftly regaining his composure. He then made eye contact with Caspian, looking at him as if he were a four-course meal. He dashed over to him and sank his fangs into his neck, devouring his blood with haste.

Lucian effortlessly lifted Visenya from the floor, tossing her over his shoulder. In a final exchange of deadly stares between the Beta and the Dragon, Lucian pivoted on his heel, bidding him a mocking farewell. "Bon appétit," Lucian winked as he gave Visenya's rear a firm spank, taunting Caspian even further.

Caspian appeared to be on the brink of a meltdown, his eyes welling up with tears as he witnessed the woman he loved being whisked away by a deranged lunatic. "You bastard... you heartless bastard!"