Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Roommate Options

Music Recommendation: Postcards - Alexandre Desplat

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Not just an Elite, but a man as a roommate.

"Lady Blake... a man and a woman cannot share a room," Ruelle frowned, her voice faltering at the scandalous implication. "That—that is improper. It’s—"

"Scandalous?" Blake finished for her, raising an eyebrow as though the very idea amused her. "In your society, yes. But Sexton isn’t exactly bound by such rules. There have been exceptions for those with special arrangements, especially when they are requested by an Elite."

Ruelle’s face flushed with heat as her friend shifted uncomfortably beside her.

Her mind spun with thoughts of societal rules, of decency, and reputations that were so carefully built, yet could so easily crumble. In her world, unmarried men and women did not share living quarters. Ever. If word got out, it wouldn’t just be her reputation on the line—it could ruin everything.

"I—I can’t," Ruelle stammered.

"You shouldn’t trouble yourself with the thought. It’s not as if he would agree to it either," Blake said matter-of-factly, shrugging off her robe and tossed it over a chair. "He’d rather burn down the room than let a human live with him."

Hailey, still wide-eyed, asked curiously, "Who are you talking about, milady?"

"Lucian Slater," Blake replied calmly.

Ruelle’s heart seemed to stop for a moment as the realisation sank in. Her pulse quickened; she hadn’t forgotten his cold gaze on her. The dark-haired Elite, who had already dismissed her as insignificant, the one who had looked at her with barely concealed contempt.

"If you’re hoping for a different roommate, you’ll have to check with the office," Blake added, eyeing Ruelle with a trace of pity. "But don’t get your hopes up."

Ruelle nodded weakly, her pulse quickening as dread settled over her. She knew the odds were slim. In a faint voice, she said, "I’ll check with the office."

"I’ll come with you," Hailey offered, but Ruelle quickly shook her head.

"No, Hailey. Stay here." Ruelle’s eyes darted nervously to the shadows cast by the flickering lanterns in the hallway. "I don’t want you getting caught up in this if Alanna finds you with me."

Blake’s presence was enough to keep Alanna at bay for now, and Ruelle didn’t want to endanger her friend. She offered a grateful bow to the vampiress. "Thank you for listening to us, Lady Blake."

Without another word, Ruelle slipped into the vast, cold corridors of Sexton. The sound of her footsteps echoed off the cold stone walls, and the faint, wavering light of the lanterns did little to chase away the creeping unease growing in the pit of her stomach.

The few Elites that crossed her path didn’t hide their disdainful stares, their pale faces illuminated by the dim light

ominously as it opened, and

him with a respectful bow, her

without looking up, his voice dry as parchment. "You aren’t here to request to leave Sexton again, I hope. Two students tried that and found themselves leaving... permanently." He placed the parchment down,

replied, "No, I’m not here to leave. I... I wanted to see the list of

"To switch rooms? We don’t

meant the Elites," she clarified, her voice barely above a

it on the desk before her, and Ruelle stepped closer. She skimmed through the names, her breath

names—and

implications, a familiar voice broke

see Dane Slater, his blond hair gleaming under the lantern’s light, his lips

S," she greeted quickly, bowing

of mischief. His eyes

along. She stole something of mine and gave

nodding as if the story were only mildly entertaining. He took the parchment from her hand, scanning the names with a murmur. "Let’s

room the same way he entered. Volunteered, he said." His lips quirked up in amusement before he moved on. "Then there’s Kane, second-year. He’s a fan of letting his guests feed on humans at his parties. Very

Ruelle’s stomach churned.

dress up his human roommates." Dane smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "And lastly, Cedric Thorn. His

to a nightmare. None of these options seemed safe–they all

male, and secondly, they were Elites—all dangerous vampires. She muttered anxiously, "There are no

Dane said smoothly, his voice dropping to a murmur as his eyes flicked to the last name on the list. "Lucian’s

faltered, and she asked, "Lucian? Hasn’t he... killed people before?

not taking her concern seriously. "Well, if someone deserves it, it’s not really murder, is it?" His tone was teasing, but something cold lurked beneath his words. "No one

parted to respond, but before she could, Dane

panic bubbling up in her chest. "Isn’t there

her forward as he led her

thoughts racing. The corridors grew quieter, the flickering lights dimmer. When they finally reached the narrow passage leading

here," he said, his

door creaked open. And though she couldn’t see him,

grinned infuriatingly wide and began, "A

Lucian’s response was

against the doorframe, his grin widening as though Lucian’s annoyance only fuelled his amusement. He teased,

was sharp. It was the kind of voice that made others flinch and the temperature drop. He knew his

"That’s not very nice, Lucian. The instructor for Interspecies Coexistence might be less than pleased to hear

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