6. King Of The Clan

Dante's POV

I glanced at the woman lying on the bed, my eyes roaming over every inch of her. She’d been asleep for hours since I compelled her, completely knocked out.

There was something about her that didn’t sit right. She wasn’t like anyone else. There was an essence, an energy, that I just couldn’t pin down.

The first time I saw her was about a month ago at the club. She walked into the VIP lounge with drinks in her hands, and the second she stepped in, her scent hit us—hard. It was something unique, something I hadn’t smelled in... well, forever.

The air in the room shifted instantly. I could see it in my boys' eyes—the hunger, the craving to taste her blood. But she had no idea what kind of danger she’d just walked into. She was nervous, shaking even, but I didn’t need to see it to know. Her fear was so strong I could sense it in the air.

Then her eyes locked on me. She just stood there, staring, her gaze cutting right through me, like she was trying to figure me out. And when I finally looked at her? Damn. She was stunning.

Tall, with long brown hair and a body that could make a saint sin. But it wasn’t just that. Her emerald eyes... they were mesmerizing. They had this pull, this raw power she didn’t even realize she had. And the innocence? God, that pure innocence could bring any man to his knees.

I couldn’t look away, and she knew it. My attention made her tremble, made her heart race like crazy. She bolted, practically running out of the lounge, her face as red as a tomato. I just smirked, knowing I’d rattled her without even trying. She wasn’t wrong to feel uneasy around me. Hell, she was right to be scared. I’m dangerous, and everyone knows it. They don’t call me The Destroyer for nothing.

I wanted to chase after her, to demand to know why she had this effect on me. She’d grabbed my attention, a rare feat, and that scent of hers only made it worse. But I held back. Timing is everything, and her time came last night.

I was chilling in the back room of the club, the one I call The Upper Room, though my staff calls it the Off Boundary Room. It’s where my clan gathers to feast or just hang out. We don’t kill humans, by the way. We feed, compel, and let them go. Anyone who breaks that rule? They deal with me.

So, I was kicking back when I heard commotion outside. My gut told me it was my boys causing trouble. And then her scent hit me. She was here.

I got up and walked out, calm but curious. “What’s going on here?” I asked, my voice low and steady.

Everyone froze when they saw me and gave the usual respectful bows. And there she was—standing right in front of me.

Her scent was intoxicating, pulling me in. I wanted to taste her, to kiss her, to claim her as mine. But she looked at me like she was trying to figure out who, or what…I was. And then it hit her. Her gasp, the way her eyes widened... yeah, she figured it out.

“Why’s she here?” I asked, my gaze locked on her.

Turns out, she knew Derek. That complicated things. I wanted to take her with me, but finding out she was his friend? That made it tricky.

Derek was a great person. I saved his life three years ago during a raid at Alistair’s club. The scumbag vampires there drained him dry and left him for dead. I gave him a choice, die or become one of us. He chose immortality, and I turned him. But part of the deal was cutting ties with his old life, including his friends and family. It was tough on him, but it was for their safety.

Still, I couldn’t just let her walk away. She knew too much now. But when we tried to compel her to forget, it didn’t work. Not for Derek, not for anyone. Who the hell was this girl?

I had to keep her close until I figured it out. When she asked what I wanted from her, I told her something to scare her off. “You’ll serve me as my slave,” I said. But truthfully? I didn’t know what I wanted.

My boys brought her to me, trembling and terrified. Derek tried to comfort her, but it didn’t help. And when she finally looked me in the eye, she asked, “What are you?”

“Vampires,” I said bluntly. She already knew, but hearing it out loud made her more scared.

When she struggled, I grabbed her face and compelled her to sleep. It worked, thankfully. Only a handful of vampires have that power, and I’m one of them.

I checked my watch. Noon. She’d been out for over 12 hours. She needed the rest. I left her to sleep and headed to my study.

Sitting at my desk, I went through some paperwork, trying to focus. A knock on the door broke my thoughts. “Come in,” I said.

Razor walked in, his head bowed in respect. “Boss, we checked the underground club in the city center, but no sign of him,” he said in a shaky voice…. clearly anticipating my wrath.