The sterile scent of antiseptic stung Serena's nose as the doors of the van swung open. It was the second van she had been thrown in since her abduction.
With her hands tied behind her, and her captors flanking her, she walked forward through the entrance of the council's research center.
She rembered this place. Her father used to work here.
"Move," one of the enforcers barked, shoving her forward.
Serena didn't resist, but her mind was racing. Every step she took echoed like a countdown, each sound a reminder of how far she was from the quiet coastal town she had called ho.
The doors to the main chamber swung open, revealing a large, almost empty hall. She was dragged to a huge office at the far end, where she was made to stand before a man who she assud to be their leader.
His presence dominated the space, even as he remained seated. He was a tall man with an angular face, his sharp cheekbones and piercing gray eyes giving him an almost predatory air.
"Serena Alaric," his voice bood, deep and authoritative. "Welco to the heart of the Council."
Serena's jaw tightened, but she held her tongue. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a response, not yet.
"You've caused quite the stir," he continued, tapping the table lightly with his fingers. "Fighting back against our enforcers, refusing to cooperate. It seems the Alaric bloodline hasn't lost its defiance."
"Why am I here?" Serena demanded, her voice steadier than she expected.
The Council Leader smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "You're here because it's ti for you to serve the Council of Vitae."
He gestured, and a holographic display flickered to life beside him. Serena's na appeared at the top of a complex genealogical chart, lines branching out to reveal connections she didn't understand.
"The Alaric family has always been of great interest to the Council," he said, his tone almost conversational. "Your lineage is rare—genetically unique. Your father, however, squandered the trust we placed in your family. His betrayal cost us dearly."
Serena's fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms. "My father's dead. He has been for years. What does any of this have to do with ?"
"Everything," the Council Leader said, his eyes narrowing. "You are his legacy. The bloodline contract system ensures that certain lineages—like yours—are preserved for the benefit of our society. You, Serena, are a key piece in that puzzle."
Serena scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "I didn't sign any contract with you or your organization."
"You don't have to," he said smoothly. "The contract was sealed years ago. It binds not just you, but all who carry your blood. It had been predestined from the ti of your birth that you would serve the Council of Vitae. It's ti to fulfil that destiny."
"I carve my own destiny. You don't get to decide that."
The Council Leader's smile faded. His eyes narrowed at her, seeing how, despite everything, she was still being stubborn. It had been expected, knowing, with the information they had, that she was no easy target.
But that had made them prepare even better. He waved his hand and the image on the holographic display changed. A live feed appeared on the screen, showing Elias bound to a chair in a dimly lit room. Sitting beside him was a bowl of peanuts.
Serena's breath caught. "Elias..." she called, but quickly realized he couldn't hear her when he didn't react. She shifted her gaze to the council leader. "What are you doing to him? He's allergic to peanuts. Don't you dare hurt my brother."
"We know he's allergic. It would be a pity to watch him go through the torture of dying such a slow, painful and avoidable death," the leader said coldly. "Your defiance would be admirable, if it weren't so futile."
Serena's legs felt like they might give out, but she forced herself to stay upright. Every fiber of her being wanted to lash out, to scream, to fight—but she couldn't risk Elias's life.
"What do you want from ?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You've been matched," the leader said simply, a satisfied smirk resting on his lips. "To Lucian Draven."
The na hit Serena like a punch to the gut. She'd heard whispers of him even in her quiet town. A ruthless syndicate leader, a man whose na was synonymous with fear, cruelty, and power.
"I believe daddy must have explained the matching system to you. If he didn't, do let know. I'd be glad to explain it to you in layman's language."
Before she could respond, the door to the office opened. The air in the large space grew heavier as a figure strode in, followed by another, who shut the door behind him.
The last man stood beside the door, not moving further into the room. His face, devoid of any emotion. The first man, however, continued moving majestically like he owned the place, stopping just before his body could brush against one of the receiving chairs.
"Mr Draven. You ca just at the right ti. Have a seat." The council leader spoke, pointing to one of the receiving chairs.
Lucian Draven was a commanding presence, his tall fra and sharp features exuding an aura of danger.
But Serena couldn't deny, no matter how furious she was, that he was a drool worthy eye candy.
Lucian sat comfortably on the chair across the council leader, his cold eyes locked with the man.
"Tell sothing, Carter. When did the rule change and by who?" Lucian asked and a confused expression settled on Carter's face.
"What rule are you talking about?" Carter asked back.
"The rule of matching two people states that both parties must be inford at least a month prior. But you went ahead to find a match without informing of your plans, and still had the guts to tell on the sa day you want to carry out initial testing. What do you take for?" Lucian blew hot, his tone deadly cold and sharp enough to cut.
Carter, however, looked only slightly shaken. He let out a soft sigh and leaned forward. "I know the rules, Mr Draven and we're sorry for the impromptu invitation. You already know that your case is a special one which we are handling the best way we can. So please understand that this was beyond our control. We expended a lot of resources just to find her." Carter gestured with his head toward Serena before continuing his speech.
"She is very good at hiding. We didn't want to give you false hope that's why we didn't inform you until now."
Lucian kept his eyes on Carter for a few seconds before turning his head to his left hand side, setting his gaze on Serena for the first ti since he walked into the office. She stared back at him with a kind of fierceness that he admired, but with years of experience, he could still detect the helplessness and innocence in her eyes, despite the fact that she had dried blood splattered across her face and clothes.
Turning back to Carter, Lucian spoke in a dismissive tone. "Sorry Carter, she's not my type."
Carter opened his mouth to say sothing, however, the words never made it out because Serena's voice suddenly echoed. "Oh, thank the heavens. Can I go now?"
The relief that dripped from her voice brought an irritated frown to Lucian's face, but it only lasted a second before it vanished.
"That is why we are not mandating you two to stay together for a long ti, Mr. Draven. You just need to produce a child in the space of one year, and after that, both of you can be free of each other and go your separate ways. The blood of the child holds the permanent solution to your problem. That's why it is important that you cooperate." Carter responded to Lucian's comnt, ignoring Serena and her comnt.
But instead of a response from Lucian, what they all heard was Serena's laughter. "Mr Carter or whatever your na is—"
"Watch your mouth, bitch. Call that na with respect." The man standing by her left side cut her off with a glare, which she returned.
"Let her speak." Carter said, and Serena looked back at him.
"You not only expect to get married to a stranger I know nothing about, you guys also expect to produce a child in one year. How the hell is that even possible?" Serena fired the question.
She already knew this was how the organization operated, with no one challenging or questioning them. But now that it was happening to her, she didn't know how to take it.
"It's very simple, Serena. You just have to open your legs and let the magic happen." Carter responded to her question, bringing a disgusted look to her face.
"You're disgusting." Serena spat. "You seem to forget that not everyone goes about sticking their dicks into anything that looks like a hole, and not everyone opens their legs for anything that looks like a pole. Everyone cannot be like you, Mr Carter." Serena answered, and a resounding slap landed on her left cheek by the sa guy standing beside her.
The slap blinded her temporarily, making her miss the satisfying look of fury she was looking forward to seeing on Carter's face.
The sound of a clap pulled everyone's attention from Serena to Lucian, who had his gaze set on the man that slapped Serena.
Another clap echoed, then another, until the fifth ti when Lucian finally stopped clapping.
"Nice one. You seem to have fast hands." Lucian said, his gaze never leaving the guy's face. He could see blood trailing down the side of the guy's head, and he wondered if the wound was inflicted by Serena, which was why he was so angry.
The man bowed slightly. "She needs to be taught how to speak to her superiors with respect," he said.
Lucian smiled. "You also need to be taught respect, by learning not to lay your filthy hands on a woman, especially one matched to ." Lucian said, surprising everyone. He turned to Carter, and with all the seriousness in the world, he added, "You have five minutes to make sure he loses that hand, else this discussion is over."
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