Tempting Fate - Chapter 115

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

“I will make you my queen.”

He grabbed the chains attached to the bed and closed the shackles around her wrists.

“I'm the High Priestess. You can't—”

Fear trembled through her mind and body.

She couldn’t consummate this marriage if the Blood Beast truly decided to make her his queen. Luna must remain a virgin High Priestess in order to remain a vessel for Hecate's magic.

“What are you planning to do?”

“I will make you mine no matter what so that I can take control of the Vampire King's consciousness forever. He won’t be back anytime soon.”

Luna thought the Blood Beast was out of his mind for wanting to make the virgin High Priestess his mate. The consequences of that would…

Her mind raced through all of the possible consequences.

There was no way she could allow the Blood Beast to gain any more power. Especially if he gained that power by drinking the blood that was, laced with Hecate’s magic, running through her veins.

She needed the Vampire King back.

The Blood Beast moved on top of her body. He stopped when he was eye-level with her. The sudden intimacy was shocking, especially since she was tied down. Chest to chest, he removed her cloak and peeled off her flimsy dress.

He growled. “If you struggle, I will rip your head off.”

+++

Luna was one of the few remaining Amazons who worshipped the goddess Artemis.

As an Amazon, her ordinary life took an unexpected turn when a pack of rogue werewolves took over their home--the Sacred Valley. Left with no other choice, Luna flees into the nearest kingdom, the Vampire Realm, where she was captured to be part of the Vampire King’s Consortium.

To avoid the fate of living and dying as a Harem girl for vampires, she offers to become the High Priestess and study dark magic in order to break the King's curse. If she is successful, she could request the King to grant her her well-earned freedom.

There has not been an official High Priestess in the Vampire Realm for centuries. Not since the first High Priestess cursed the King to become the Blood Beast.

When the Blood Beast tries to take the reins of the Vampire King's consciousness, the King was cursed to drain the blood and his victims' life force in order to pacify the other immortal inside of him.

In order to try and maintain some semblance of control, the Vampire King is forced to maintain his strength and immortality by kidnapping women from all over the realm to be used for food and sex.

But, what will he do when he finds a woman worth keeping, but he can't even touch her?

Will he be able to control his hunger for blood and lust when he looks upon her delectable body?

“The harder I try to hate you, the deeper I fall for you.”

His presence irked her to the core, but whenever he got out of her sight, she missed him?!

….

A tyrant, known to be the city’s infamous playboy.

As an executive assistant, she was forced to work under him by the most cruel twist of fate.

If losing her job overnight was a nightmare, then working under a boss like Desmond Fort was hell. He was an arrogant narcissist with an ego bigger than the whole of Imperium city, but that was not what angered her the most.

The most infuriating fact was that despite his constant assholery, her heart seemed to stupidly skip a beat every time he gazed at her with those devilishly charming eyes.

She knew she was making a mistake but that didn't stop her from sinking deeper and deeper into his charm.

All she wanted now was to leave! But leaving hell was not nearly as easy as getting in.

After two-hundred years of diligent cultivation, Xie Jiuniang successfully achieved Core Formation, yet on that very night, she was killed by her dual-cultivation partner Lin Wangchen.However, Xie Jiuniang was reborn... and she accidentally discovered a great secret.It turned out that in her previous life, she was a child deeply favored by the Heavenly Dao, watched over by some top forces who secretly stole her opportunities time and again, fattening up the esteemed talents of the Cultivation World, with that scum being just one of them.The weak, pitiable, and helpless Xie Jiuniang decided to first become a dark horse, secretly sweeping away all the opportunities.And so...The favored talents were dumbfounded, “Where did my opportunity go?”Her scumbag ex-husband felt wronged, “ ...She didn't like me.”Her cousin with the Heavenly Spiritual Root was shocked, “What happened to the supposedly weak talent, how is her cultivation speed faster than mine?”The big shots behind the scenes also started cursing, where was the great opportunity for the child of the Heavenly Dao to ascend? Something is not right!Opportunities?I've taken them, all of them!His, yours, they are all mine, Xie Jiuniang's!Before she knew it, she had trampled over all the privileged talents, challenged all the big shots, becoming the most formidable name, and rolled up into the number one person in the Cultivation World!