Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 211: The Third Carriage

"His Highness hasn’t returned, but the Ravencrofts are here," Maude continued to report at the entrance, to which Lucian gave a nod. "They are in the drawing room."

Ruelle rested her hand over Lucian’s and instinctively leaned closer, lowering her voice as though sharing a secret. She said, "I’ll go and see my cousin."

Lucian nodded. But before she could step away, he caught her gently by the wrist and pressed a kiss against her temple. Warmth rushed to her cheeks. Her eyes quickly fell on Maude, who looked ahead, as though she had witnessed nothing at all.

"I’ll see you in the drawing room," Lucian said.

Ruelle smiled before making her way through the mansion.

The long corridors had grown quieter with the approaching evening. Lamps and lanterns had already been lit along the walls, their golden glow stretching across the polished wooden panels while the last traces of daylight filtered through the tall windows. As she passed one of them, she paused for a brief moment. The heavy clouds that had followed them throughout the weeks had begun to thin, allowing ribbons of pale blue to emerge once more.

She then continued to walk in the direction of Lachlan’s room. The door wasn’t completely shut and she pushed the door open.

"Cousin Lachlan, why didn’t you go with Hai—"

The rest of the sentence disappeared. A box was left scattered on the ground and her cousin was sitting on the floor, but not alone.

One hand of his had twisted tightly into the front of Dane’s shirt and so were Brother Dane’s hands on her cousin’s. Though Dane laid flat on his back with all the composure of someone merely taking an afternoon nap.

For one long, quiet moment, they simply stared at Ruelle, who stood at the door.

"...We were sparring," Lachlan said too quickly.

Ruelle blinked. His face was unusually red and Brother Dane looked amused.

"Indeed," said the pureblooded vampire smoothly as they let go of each other’s shirts. Once Lachlan stood up while glaring at the man, Dane rose with an effortless grace despite the faint redness colouring one cheek. "I’ll leave you two to catch up." His smile widened ever so slightly as he walked past Ruelle.

Only when she saw Dane disappear at the corner of the corridor did she look back at Lachlan, whose lip had a cut and this had her frown. She asked him,

"Do you and Brother Dane not get along?"

Lachlan finally looked at her. The concern in her expression had him quickly respond, "Of course not."

"I know you don’t think highly of vampires," Ruelle continued gently, "but the Slaters are good people. And Brother Dane is as important as you are to me. He looked after me when I first came to Sexton."

Only because it benefited his younger brother, Lachlan thought to himself. That one wasn’t a fox but a hyena. His jaw tightened at the memory that flashed uninvited into his mind, which had occurred a moment before she had arrived.

Managing a smile, Lachlan replied, "You’re worrying over nothing. Everything is fine between us. It is common for men to spar with each other. It is how you get to know each other."

Ruelle still didn’t look entirely convinced.

sigh before crouching to gather the things scattered across the floor. One by one, she placed the fallen books back into the box and her cousin helped her with

one of you to get hurt?" Ruelle asked him before getting up and placing

like herbs," Lachlan changed the

have grown numb at the smell and she decided to

you went to visit

nodded with a thoughtful

"How did it go?"

faltered and she added, "I

in his eyes before he had finally spoken. The quiet guilt of a father who had watched

the aisle?" She turned to him. "He is your father. Traditionally,

head and replied, "That place belongs to you. It has only been two days since Father and I truly came to know one another. But you’ve always been my family." Her eyes lowered to her hands resting neatly in

He then chuckled and said, "I’m not saying

at his words and said,

of the officials had dropped by the Slater mansion to take another round of reports

what both of you were doing in a witch’s house, Mr. Slater?" one

a walk

and Prince Edward there.

quietly, and Ruelle curled next to

garments, polished shoes and trays carrying refreshments, their footsteps echoing across the floors before disappearing up the grand staircase. Although it appeared as though the household was

in the courtyard, three carriages stood waiting side by side beneath the fading evening sky, their polished black exteriors catching the warm glow of the lanterns that had already been lit around the

the high-standing society. Tonight is the night, Ruelle. I am

showcased only once a week," Ruelle answered, watching Hailey’s hair being done by a maid. Her own hair was half-pinned in a cascade, while a

"The one Edward and I saw was quite interesting. With the music and light, it will be better than

though the witch had tried to cause harm, her predictions

just not matching. Maybe I can ask to be seated next to him in the private gallery today?" she wore a thoughtful

Ruelle raised

he will have it arranged with a snap of his fingers," Hailey snapped her fingers to emphasise

her friend’s words before nodding. "Okay, I will ask him to help you out." She had pushed her cousin to attend the theatre so that he could spend some time with the others.

Caroline is attending with us?" Hailey asked, to which

spoken to Caroline, as her sister seemed to avoid

her a bow. The vampiress informed, "Miss Ruelle, Master Lucian

the theatre," Hailey urged her with a wide

the stairs, she found herself

Because Lucian was there.

the foot of the stairs, clad in a black vest and coat so dark it seemed to drink the light around him. Only the crisp white of his inner

Ruelle’s breath was caught in her chest. As she descended, the

faint flush on her cheeks. For a heartbeat, the world narrowed to that look alone, the way his fingers twitched at his side,

last step of the stairs, Lucian’s hand extended. His long fingers slightly curled, palm upturned, and her heart stuttered. She slid her fingers into his, and the moment their skin touched, a