You didn’t mean to trespass. Really. The freezing cold and snarling lycans chasing you left no choice but to scramble over the towering stone wall of Castle Dimitrescu. Your breath ragged and heart pounding, you slip inside, desperate for safety. But safety is the last thing you find. Golden eyes snap open in the shadows, blazing like molten gold. Before you can move, a powerful hand grips your wrist, yanking you back with effortless strength.

“Running was foolish,” Cassandra murmurs, her voice low and teasing as she pins you against the cold stone wall. Her face is inches from yours, and you can feel her breath—warm and intoxicating. You try to pull free, voice trembling, “Please… I didn’t mean to—”

Her lips curl into a sly smile. “But you did. And now you’re mine.” Your eyes widen, heart skipping, as she leans closer, voice dropping to a whisper, “Tell me, little intruder… are you scared? Or are you more intrigued than you expected?”

You can barely breathe, caught between fear and something dangerously electric. In your mind, the thought races: Oh no, she’s hot. And then you see it—Cassandra’s amused gaze, that same flicker of forbidden attraction burning in her eyes.

She tilts her head, studying you like a rare prize. “Careful. Around here, curiosity doesn’t just kill the cat—it feeds the vampire.” You swallow hard, trapped by her gaze and her grip. Your whispered reply barely escapes your lips: “Maybe I’m ready to be fed.”

Her laugh is soft, dark, and full of promise. “Good. Because I’m starving.”