Eleanor barely had time to process what had just happened with Silas before the door to her room burst open.
She gasped, her heart leaping into her throat as Viktor and Dorian strode in with purpose.
Before she could react, hands were on her—grabbing, pinning, holding her down.
“W-what are you doing?!” she shrieked, struggling against their grip.
Dorian smirked. “Relax, little bird.”
Viktor held her wrists above her head, his grip like iron. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Panic surged through Eleanor. "No—please—"
She barely finished the sentence before both of them sank their fangs into her.
Pain—sharp and burning—ripped through her as she let out a scream.
She had been bitten before, but this was different. This was brutal. Two mouths feeding at the same time, pulling from her veins without care for her pain.
Her body trembled violently as dizziness clouded her vision.
She wanted it to stop.
Her mind screamed for Silas. Silas had made it different. He had made it bearable.
Why did she wish for him now?
Her breathing turned ragged as the pain threatened to pull her under.
And then—
It stopped.
Viktor and Dorian pulled away, wiping their lips, their eyes glowing with satisfaction.
Eleanor gasped for breath, her body trembling as the wounds on her neck sealed shut.
Dorian casually picked up a glass of water from the bedside table and handed it to her. “Drink.”
She hesitated, glaring at him through teary eyes.
Dorian rolled his eyes. “It’s just water, Eleanor. We’re not savages.”
A humorless laugh threatened to escape her lips. Not savages?
She snatched the glass, downing the water in one desperate gulp. The cool liquid soothed her parched throat, but it did nothing to settle the burning rage inside her.
Dorian leaned against the wall, watching her with amusement. “We mean you no harm, you know.”
Eleanor’s head snapped up, disbelief flashing across her face. “No harm? You just attacked me!”
Viktor sighed dramatically. “Attacked? That’s a strong word.”
“You pinned me down and drank my blood!” she spat.
Dorian chuckled. “And yet, you’re still breathing. Imagine that.”
Eleanor clenched her fists, fighting the overwhelming urge to scream.
Viktor leaned in, brushing his lips against her cheek in an infuriatingly soft kiss. “You need to learn obedience, darling.”
Eleanor recoiled, hatred bubbling in her veins.
Viktor smirked and strolled to the door, Dorian following close behind.
Before stepping out, Dorian threw her one last glance. “Behave, Eleanor. It’ll make things easier for everyone.”
And then—
They were gone.
She was alone.
Her body ached. Her mind swirled with confusion, anger, and fear.
She hated them.
All of them.
Her fingers curled around the bed sheets as her vision blurred with exhaustion.
She didn’t want to sleep.
But her body had other plans. She barely had time to fight the heaviness in her limbs before sleep dragged her under. And the dream returned.
***
She was walking down the aisle again. A beautiful bouquet of flowers rested in her left hand.
Her right hand was entwined with someone else’s. She didn’t need to look to know who it was.
Her father.
Her heart clenched painfully.
The soft hum of music filled the air as her feet gilded forward. The guests were nothing but shadows. The world around her was a blur. But she could feel it. The weight of the moment. The inevitable. Her breath hitched as her gaze lifted to the podium, to the man waiting for her at the end of the aisle.
She expected to see the five Valerian brothers- Lucian, Viktor, Dorian, Cassius and Silas.
But there was only one man standing before her.
The man standing at the altar, dressed in black, was—
Silas.
Eleanor’s entire body froze.
Her grip on her father’s hand tightened as dread coiled in her stomach.
No.
No, this wasn’t right.
Why was he there?
Why was he the one waiting for her?
A suffocating sense of inevitability wrapped around her, pulling her forward.
She wanted to stop.
She wanted to turn and run.
But her feet kept moving.
One step.
Then another.
And then—
Her father released her hand.
Silas extended his own.
A silent invitation.
Her heart pounded violently as she hesitated. And then, just as she reached for him—
she jolted awake. A sharp gasp tore from her lips as she shot upright, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
The room was dark and she was alone. Her hands trembled as she clutched the sheets, her mind spinning.
Why was she dreaming about him?
Why was Silas in her dreams?
And why did it feel so terrifyingly real?