Josef and Sarim looked at each other in confusion.
“My lord, there’s no scent of blood anywhere,” Josef said, puzzled.
Mikhail’s eyes narrowed.
Josef and Sarim were two of his most trusted warriors. They were always open with him and could sense things quickly, sometimes as fast as he could.
But the expressions on their faces seemed genuine.
There was something strange about this particular scent of blood, and Mikhail was determined to find out what it was.
“Move forward,” he commanded, and Josef and Sarim nodded, immediately going into a defensive stance.
As they walked on, Mikhail noticed that the smell of blood grew stronger. It drifted into his nostrils like a tantalizing mist, clouding his mind and spreading to every part of his body. It was an irresistible smell, something that made his breath catch in his throat.
It was as if the scent was seducing him, urging him to come closer and closer.
It could be a trap.
Mikhail’s eyes narrowed as he walked faster, causing Josef and Sarim to quickly follow from behind. Their eyes glowed a bright red as claws slowly protruded from their fingers.
As Mikhail rounded the corner where the smell grew stronger, Josef and Sarim stopped, their eyes widening. Their fangs began to elongate.
“Human blood,” Josef said heavily.
“A human is bleeding out,” Sarim said quietly. “The cold might be slowing down the blood, but it’s unmistakable at this point. It’s a bit fresh, too.”
The smell of human blood was irresistible to vampires, especially when they were hungry.
Suddenly, Mikhail stopped in his tracks and turned towards them, his red eyes glowing dangerously.
“Do not touch this one,” he warned. “It’s mine.”
At their master’s command, Josef and Sarim calmed down and let their fangs shrink until their teeth returned to normal size.
If there was anything they valued most, it was their lives. Second to that was their stubborn loyalty to Mikhail.
A century ago, Josef had been an orphan who had been forcibly turned into a vampire. Sarim, on the other hand, was someone who voluntarily became a vampire to save himself from danger.
If it weren’t for Mikhail, who saved them from the brink of death, they would never have lived to this day.
Hunger was trivial; after all, there were several other sources of blood they could use. They could afford to wait a little longer.
When Mikhail told them that he would claim this human, they would obey.
With a nod, Josef and Sarim followed Mikhail as he walked in the direction of the delicious smell.
A minute or two later, Mikhail finally reached the end of the farthest alley.
And saw a woman.
She was beautiful, with long, silky brown hair and a slender figure. She was panting heavily, and her hands were covered in blood.
She was clutching her shoulder, which was the part of her body that was bleeding. She was also shivering, presumably from the cold.
Her white shirt was soaked red, and she was barefoot, with wounds all over her ankles and feet.
It appeared that she had been stabbed and that she had fought back, which was probably the reason for the bruises on her arm and the side of her face.
He wondered, even though she looked messy and battered right now, why she still looked so breathtaking.
Mikhail stood before her, feeling foreign emotions rise in his chest. He had never felt this way before.
And he had never smelled blood this delicious.
He imagined reaching out with his fingers to cradle the side of her face, tilting her head to the side so he could lower his lips to the skin of her neck. He’d let his fangs grow, and then he’d bite through, letting her blood seep into his mouth. He would drink from her continuously, the pleasure spreading through his body as her blood coursed through his veins.
He had no heart; it was just a lifeless organ, but at that moment it was as if he could feel it beating hard against his chest with excitement.
The irresistible smell of her blood. This unnatural heat. This dizziness. These unexpected fantasies dancing in his head.
This woman was special. There was no doubt about it.
Was she possibly what they called his ‘mate’?
A human?
Mikhail’s lips curved into a smirk.
After more than a century, he finally found her.
Mikhail crouched down to get a better look at the woman. She had not said a word since his arrival, but he knew she sensed him. After all, he didn’t bother to hide the sound of his footsteps. Even though he had no shadow, he was close enough for her to register his proximity.
She did not look at him and simply closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate. It was no secret that humans both feared and resented vampires. Normal humans who were not hunters were helpless against vampires, and even the vampire hunters would have no chance against Mikhail, who was one of the most powerful supernaturals in the world.
“She’s bleeding out, sire,” Sarim remarked tonelessly. “It’s better to drink from her blood while she’s still alive.”
Josef nodded in agreement. “Blood tastes better when it’s fresh.”
Mikhail smiled. It was not a kind smile.
Rather, a malicious one.
“I will do nothing of the sort,” he said.
“Sire?” Josef and Sarim turned to Mikhail with a hint of astonishment on their faces.
Mikhail didn’t answer their puzzled inquiries and instead knelt down before the human, reaching out to grasp her chin. He lifted up her head, but she still refused to open her eyes.
“Look at me,” Mikhail commanded.
The woman’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she stubbornly kept her eyes closed.
“I will not ask you again,” Mikhail said, narrowing his eyes. “Look at me, human. Or you will face the consequences of disobeying me.”
After a few moments, the woman seemed to give up and opened her eyes, leaving Mikhail mesmerized by the sight.
The woman’s beauty was highlighted even more as she stared at him almost defiantly. With her brown hair, heart-shaped face, and stunning hazel eyes, she looked so out of place in this dark, dirty alley with blood all over her face and body. Her lips were plump and red, and her skin was pale and smooth, so alluring that Mikhail had to fight the urge to sink his fangs into her.
Mikhail had never had a problem with controlling his lust for blood. As an elite vampire, he was much more self-disciplined and able to control himself when it came to blood. Not like the rogue vampires who would salivate and go crazy at the mere smell of blood. Those vampires were either cold-blooded serial killers with no regard for supernatural rules, or they were untamed by their own thirst.
But for Mikhail, this was probably the first time in a hundred years that he could barely control himself in front of a human.
Despite his calm voice and menacing gaze, his fingers trembled slightly, and his fangs slowly began to extend.
It took every ounce of self-control Mikhail had to keep himself from doing something he might regret.
If this woman’s blood was so delicious that it overwhelmed him, it meant that she was indeed his human mate, the one he had been curious about for more than a century. The idea took shape in his mind, and every second he spent with her now only helped to solidify it.
She was the first human to ever make him feel that way. His instincts practically told him to claim her and take everything he wanted.
No doubt, it would be foolish of him to drain her of her delicious blood and kill her right here and now. The mate bond would punish him if he ever did that.
He had never kept a human before, but this one might prove her worth.