Josef and Sarim looked at each other, confused. “My lord, there’s no scent of blood anywhere,” Josef said, puzzled.

Mikhail’s eyes narrowed.

Josef and Sarim were two of his most trusted warriors. They were always frank with him and would sense things quickly, sometimes just as fast as he did.

However, the expressions on their faces seemed genuine.

There was something odd about this blood scent.

And Mikhail was determined to find out.

“Move forward,” he commanded, and Josef and Sarim nodded, immediately going into a defensive stance.

As they walked on, Mikhail noticed that the scent of blood grew stronger. It drifted into his nostrils like an enticing mist, clouding his mind and spreading towards every part of his body. It was an irresistible smell, something that made his breath catch in his throat.

It was as though the scent was seducing him, prompting him to come closer, and closer.

It might be a trap.

Mikhail’s eyes narrowed as he walked faster, causing Josef and Sarim to follow him quickly from behind. Their eyes glowed a bright red as claws slowly protruded from their fingers.

When Mikhail rounded the corner where the smell was getting stronger, Josef and Sarim paused in their tracks, their eyes turning wide. Their fangs started to elongate.

“Human blood,” Josef said.

“A human is bleeding out,” Sarim said quietly. “The cold might be slowing down the blood, but it’s unmistakable at this point. It’s a bit fresh, too.”

The smell of human blood was irresistible to vampires, especially when they were hungry.

Suddenly, Mikhail stopped in his tracks to turn towards them, his red eyes gleaming dangerously.

“Do not touch this one,” he warned. “It’s mine.”

At their lord’s order, Josef and Sarim calmed down, letting their fangs shrink back until their teeth returned to normal size.

If there was anything that they valued the most, it was their lives. Second to that was their stubborn loyalty to Mikhail.

A century ago, Josef had been an orphan who was forcefully turned into a vampire. Sarim, on the other hand, was someone who voluntarily became a vampire in order to save himself from danger.

If it weren’t for Mikhail who saved them from the verge of death, they would’ve never lived to this day.

Hunger was trivial; after all, there were several other blood sources they could use. They could afford to wait a little longer.

If Mikhail told them that he would claim this human, then they would obey.

With a nod, Josef and Sarim followed behind Mikhail as the latter walked towards the direction of the delicious smell.

A minute or two later, Mikhail finally came to the end of the furthest alley.

And saw a woman.

She was beautiful, with long, silky brown hair and a slim frame. She was panting heavily, and blood splattered all over her hands. She was clutching at her shoulder which was the part of her body that was bleeding out. She was also trembling, presumably from the cold.

Her white shirt was drenched red, and she was barefoot, with wounds all over her ankles and feet.

It seemed that she had been stabbed, and before that, she fought back, which was probably the reason for the bruises along her arm and on the side of her face.

He wondered, even though she looked messy and battered right now, why she still looked so breathtaking.

Mikhail stood before her, feeling foreign emotions rise in his chest. He had never felt this way before.

And he had never smelled blood this delicious.

He imagined reaching out with his fingers to cradle the side of her face, letting her head tilt sideways so he could lower his lips towards the skin of her neck. He would let his fangs grow, and then he’d pierce through, causing her blood to seep into his mouth. He would drink from her continuously, the pleasure spreading through his body as her blood flowed through his veins.

He had no heart; it was just a lifeless organ, yet at this moment it was as if he could feel it beating hard against his ribcage from the excitement.

The irresistible scent of her blood. This unnatural heat. This dizziness. These unexpected fantasies dancing around in his head.

This woman was special. There was no doubt about it.

Was she possibly what they called his ‘mate’?

A human?

Mikhail’s lips curved into a smirk.

After more than a century, he finally found her.

Mikhail crouched down to get a better look at the woman. She had not said a word ever since he arrived, but he knew that she sensed him. After all, he didn’t bother to conceal the sound of his footsteps. Even though he had no shadow, he was near enough for her to register his proximity.

She did not look at him and simply closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate. After all, it was no secret that the humans both feared and resented the vampires. Normal humans who were not hunters were helpless in front of vampires, and even the vampire hunters would not stand a chance against Mikhail, who was one of the most powerful there was in the entire world.

“She’s bleeding out, sire,” Sarim remarked tonelessly. “It’s better to drink from her blood while she’s still alive.”

Josef nodded in agreement. “Blood tastes better when it’s fresh.”

Mikhail smiled. It was not a kind smile. Rather, a malicious one.

“I will do nothing of the sort,” he said.

“Sire?” Josef and Sarim turned to Mikhail with a hint of astonishment on their faces.

Mikhail didn’t answer their puzzled inquiries and instead knelt down before the human, reaching out to grasp her chin. He lifted up her head, but she still refused to open her eyes.

“Look at me,” Mikhail commanded.

The woman’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she stubbornly kept her eyes closed.

“I will not ask you again,” Mikhail said, narrowing his eyes. “Look at me, human. Or you will face the consequences of disobeying me.”

After a few moments, the woman seemingly gave up and opened her eyes, making Mikhail fascinated at the sight.

The woman’s beauty was highlighted even more as she stared at him almost defiantly. With her brown hair, heart-shaped face, and stunning hazel eyes, she looked so out of place in this dark, dirty alley, with blood on her face and body. Her lips were plump and red, and her skin was fair and smooth, so tempting that Mikhail had to repress the urge to sink his fangs into her.

Mikhail had never had a problem with controlling his lust for blood. Being an elite vampire, he was much more self-disciplined and was capable of controlling himself whenever blood was involved. Not like the rogue vampires that would salivate and go crazy over the mere scent of blood. Those vampires were either cold-blooded serial killers with no care for the supernatural rules, or they were untamed by their own thirst.

Yet for Mikhail, this was quite possibly the first time that he could barely control himself in front of a human. Despite his calm voice and threatening gaze, his fingers were slightly trembling, and his fangs were starting to elongate ever so slowly.

It took every bit of self-control inside Mikhail to prevent himself from doing something that he might regret.