Chapter 8
Harley's POV
"I know," I said. "I know everything."
I knew that he was cursed by the Moon Goddess.
"You know what the werewolves made you believe," he said. "And that is not true."
"Then what is true?"
"After the creation of vampires, my people lived for a thousand years in peace. But then the former Queen, Calista—"
"She caused the war between werewolves and vampires," I interrupted. "I know how the war began. I know how you were cursed."
"Very wrong and bold," he said. "Queen Calista fell in love with a werewolf male named Merek. At that time, she ruled over the witches, vampires, and werewolves."
"Merek brought freedom to the vampires."
"Yes, he did. But do you know the story behind it?"
"And what was the story behind it?" I asked.
"He broke her heart."
Rhain must have lost his mind, claiming Merek broke Calista's heart. She was a cruel queen. She ruled with an iron fist, bringing slavery to witches and werewolves. Yet, in the end, the witches still sided with the vampires.
Rhain narrowed his eyes, sensing that I didn't believe a word he was saying.
"I know you don't believe me, but think about it—when Merek had the chance to kill her, why didn't he?"
"Because he was still in love with her?"
"After everything that happened?" he scoffed. "Instead, he imprisoned her body. He made sure she was drained of every drop of blood and locked her in a tomb."
His words sank deep. Why didn't Merek kill her and ascend the throne as ruler of both vampires and werewolves? He could have, but instead, he chose to imprison her.
I shook my head, trying to clear away the doubts Rhain was planting in my mind.
"Back to the beginning of the story," he continued. "Merek was Calista's slave before she fell in love with him and they got married."
"They never married," I snapped. "The history books say Merek didn't marry her."
"Whoever wrote that book must not have known what really happened. I'm telling you this because it all happened when my great-grandfather was still alive," he said. "No more interruption from you. Don't forget—you're my captive."
I frowned. I wasn't afraid of him.
"Glad you're going to listen, pet," he said.
Pet. This was the second time he'd called me that.
"They were in love. He softened her heart. He made her free the werewolves and witches from slavery. Until he betrayed her…"
Rhain stopped speaking, and I saw his eyes darken. His anger was visible.
"She gave him everything he would ever need, but he refused to mate with her. That was because he was stalling—waiting to meet his true mate. Which he eventually did. A young, wolfless girl who was always bullied because she had no wolf. She worked for Calista as her handmaid."
"Arin. Her name is Arin."
Rhain turned to look at me. I couldn't bring myself to believe him.
"He began having secret affairs with the maid. One day, he left Calista for her. When Calista found out he had escaped with the wolfless girl, she was consumed with anger."
"She could have moved on, but instead, she brought slavery back to the land. Many vampires began killing werewolves and draining them of their blood," I said.
"You're right."
"Werewolves revolted because they refused to be slaves again. That's what triggered the first war between vampires and werewolves. And the werewolves won that war."
"We were not defeated, pet," he said. "It was just Calista who was abducted, drained of her blood, and Merek took her body to the tomb. Vampires still won."
To this day, no one knew where that tomb was.
"Do you really think I believe any of this?" I asked.
"They fed you lies."
"Murders of men and children during the war were lies? Raping children and women?"
"You don't want to believe anything I'm saying."
"Because none of it is true. And what about the curse?"
"I fed from the chosen one," he said. "The... the Moon Goddess did this to me."
Chosen Ones were those blessed by the Moon Goddess with powers. In our version of the story, Arin was wolfless because she was chosen by the goddess. Arin wasn't Merek's mate. She was just a slave to Calista. Even after Calista claimed to have ended slavery, she still kept young girls in her chambers and fed from their blood. Arin wasn't a maid—she was Calista's blood bag. Merek saved her and others by helping them escape from Shadowsvale. He didn't betray Calista, but she saw it that way.
Many believe Arin had a hand in what happened to Calista.
"Why?" I asked. "Why does this have anything to do with me being abducted?"
"Because you're important."
"Important?"
"You're the Chosen One," he said. "I have a witch who foresaw everything."
The Chosen One? Does that mean I was somehow connected to the Moon Goddess?
But I didn't see visions or hear voices from her.
"You must be confused," he said.
"There hasn't been a Chosen One in hundreds of years. The Moon Goddess made sure we knew that."
"The prophecy is real. You are a Chosen One," he said. "You were born with a mark—the mark of the Moon Goddess. It's been hidden from you, but it's still there. Your blood, Harley... your blood is the key."
I knew immediately that this wasn't going as planned. I quickly stood up, taking a step back.
"Don't fret."
"Key to what?"
"Key to freeing me from this curse," he murmured, stepping closer.
I swallowed hard as I saw his eyes darken.
"I've lived for centuries with a price—a flesh that decays, a thirst that's never quenched, and a heart that'll never beat again until the curse is lifted."
"Vampires don't have hearts."
"Turned ones don't. Their hearts die when they're reborn. But those born as vampires—purebloods—have beating hearts."
I took another step back when I caught sight of his two sharp fangs elongating.
"My blood is the key to the curse?"
"Not just your blood—every single drop that runs through your veins. It has to be drained. Only then will I be freed."
He planned to kill me to lift the curse.
My eyes widened as he closed the distance between us. Before I could react, he vanished into thin air.