Chapter 78: Seraphina’s rabid dog.

July 14 2026, 12:01am.

The night went from posh and quiet to twisted and depraved. It happened so gradually that Nyx’ara almost missed the moment the mask slipped.

An hour ago, champagne had flowed beneath crystal chandeliers. At the same time, billionaires and socialites spoke in hushed voices about acquisitions, politics, scandals that would never make the papers, and a deal that more than half the room had benefited from. Everyone had been dressed to perfection—diamonds at throats, tailored suits, gowns that probably cost more than most people’s homes.

But now, the chandeliers had dimmed. The music had become darker, and whatever rules had governed the evening had apparently been left at the door the moment Vincent Lau Jin-Hao made his final toast.

Women in barely-there costumes danced on elevated platforms beneath pools of crimson light, their bodies glittering with jewels and sweat. Guests lounged across velvet sofas, laughing too loudly as servants circulated with trays of champagne and stranger, darker offerings.

Then Nyx’ara saw the blood.

She wasn’t sure that was what it was until she caught a whiff of its pungent metallic scent. She watched with her spine straight and her breath hitched as a silver goblet passed from hand to hand, filled with something far too dark to be wine.

The business tycoon, Vincent, who was the first to receive it lifted it without hesitation and drank.

A cheer erupted.

She stared.

Her heart raced within the confines of her chest and goosebumps spread across her skin as she watched more men drink from the intricate silver goblet, and just as the ushers began to serve some people close to them, Draven leaned close to her, looped his fingers around her upper arm, and drawled; "Do not meet his eyes. Do not accept the drink or you’ll be forced to drink it."

"B-but what’s happening?" She hissed, her breath catching when her eyes met those of one of the servers. He was a completely bald man with a large nose and larger lips and his eyes were so red that it looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

"Vincent is not only a business mogul but also a vampire king, so things like these are expected at his party. The men who have taken a sip of the blood are either vampires or hybrids. You have nothing to fear as long as you’re with us... and as long as you do not take the glass in the first place."

While they spoke, one of the servers passed by them. He bowed to them and held out his tray. However, as soon as he did, Azriel beamed a flirty smile at him, waved him off, and drawled; "We’ll take Champagne please. We are werewolves."

The server nodded once before moving away to serve others and Nyx’ara could only watch him as he went, her heart hammering within her chest as he walked over to Flynn and Elara.

Elara had been watching Nyx’ara the entire time and paid little to no attention to the ’wine’ being passed around the room. So when she was served, she quickly took a glass, brought it to her lips, and instantly frowned as soon as the red liquid touched her mouth.

Her reaction made the guard instinctively stiffen, then as if to further escalate matters, Elara hissed; "Is... is that blood?"

"Is your sister perhaps... brain dead?" Kieran whispered from behind Nyx’ara who instinctively stiffened at the sound of his voice. Her head whipped up to the scene which Elara was causing and for a minute... a very brief minute... she felt fear claw at the back of her spine.

However, before she could think of a way to help— or not at all— a lady walked over to stand beside Elara. She planted one dominant hand on Elara’s waist while her other hand pointed over to the quads as she hissed;

"Forgive my sister. She was a bit carried away. We are with them and are also werewolves and she isn’t supposed to take the drink."

"But she has... and it is law that she has to drink it." The server sneered, his eyes thinning into fierce slits as they roved from one woman to the other.

The quads sat to the side, watching the scene with fascination, and Kieran, most of all, wondered why Seraphina who had just walked into the party less than ten minutes ago had decided to help Elara, a girl she didn’t know, out of a situation this twisted.

However, before he could ponder over it, he was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts when Seraphina asked the server. She snarled;

"Can someone else take the drink in her stead? She cannot and this is..." her eyes darted around, "...causing a scene."

The server shook his head. "No. The only people who can take it are... the woman herself or... you."

He hadn’t even finished speaking when Seraphina snatched the glass right out of Elara’s hands. She brought the cup to her mouth and downed the whole contents in one swift swig.

The crowd gasped with fascination and awe as they watched her stand up for Elara, and in that moment, Nyx’ara heard a woman snicker from behind:

"She is so tough, it’s crazy how the Alphas chose that runt over her."

The words stung. There was no way she would deny it. But she pretended to turn a deaf ear to it, sipped her wine quietly and lowered her lashes, while counting the remaining two hours until this party would come to an end.

Elara, on the other hand, had experienced about a dozen different emotions from the moment she stepped into this hall tonight, and from the moment she picked up that wine glass, thinking it was red wine, her mood had gone right from envious of her sister to completely annoyed then irritated before settling on fear.

Fear and mortification had been what she had felt right until this beautiful vixen stepped out of nowhere and helped her out of that unfortunate situation... and gratitude had been what she felt when she turned to her and bowed her head curtly.

"Thank you for helping me with that..." She sounded rushed. Breathless even. "I do not know what I would have done without you and I am very grateful!"

Seraphina, however, was not looking at the girl whom she had just saved. She was glaring at the quads who had not tried to help her. The quads who had watched her take that blood wine without stepping in... and the quads who at the moment were fussing over Nyx’ara like she was the only woman in the room.

She was jolted out of her thoughts when Elara coughed beside her. She blocked and turned to her, her voice cold as she snapped;

"You can go."

Elara flinched. For a moment, she wondered what was so unbearable about herself that made everyone try to shoo her off. Flynn had completely ignored her, the quads had insulted her... and now, this woman... this woman had shooed her away like she was some petulant child or something.

The corners of her eyes stunned but she did not back down. She hissed: "I am..."

"Elara. I know your name." Seraphina cut in, her voice crisp. "I do not wish to know you more than I already do. I just want you out of my way... you and your filthy sister."

At the woman’s outburst, Elara turned away to latch her eyes onto whatever it was that the woman was watching with such keen interest, and when she realized that it was Nyx’ara— the same Nyx’ara— she smiled darkly to herself.

"Is there something you need? I can help you with it. I mean it, anything at all."

Her response finally snagged the other woman’s attention as she turned to look at her, a flicker of amusement crossing her face before she slowly nodded.

"You know what? I think you can help me..." she said. "I am positive that you’re the only one capable of helping me tonight."

Seraphina made it sound as though Elara had offered her some help and she had taken the bait when in truth, she was the one who had initially fished Elara from the crowd.

She knew about the feud between the two sisters and she knew that showing her even an ounce of kindness was enough to get her running like a rabid dog.

—And that was what she was about to become— Seraphina’s rabid dog.