Chapter 110: Chapter 110

JONEA

I knew I messed up. I never should’ve followed Daran here. I should’ve stayed home, far away from all the mysteries surrounding him. But my curiosity was stronger than my fear.

When the burly guy glared at me and said, "You're not human," my heart almost stopped. The darkness inside the club felt heavier, suffocating me, and I knew I had to leave before things got worse.

Just then, chaos broke out in the far corner of the room—shouting, the sound of glass shattering. It cut through the pounding music, creating the distraction I desperately needed.

I moved quickly but carefully, slipping away from the guy’s intense gaze. The club’s guards, usually stationed around, headed toward the commotion, giving me a chance to blend into the crowd.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daran and that woman. They were standing now, looking like they were about to leave.

I had to decide—let it go and head home, or keep following them to find out what the hell was going on.

Of course, I kept following them.

Daran led the way through the crowd, past the deafening music and blinding strobe lights, until we reached a completely different area of the club.

It was darker, quieter here. No pounding bass, just faint conversations and the soft sound of footsteps echoing in the halls. The people here weren’t normal—they gave me chills. Their glowing eyes pierced the shadows, sharp teeth flashed now and then, and a sinister aura clung to them like a second skin. These weren’t ordinary guests. They were the VIPs, creatures from a world I didn’t belong to.

I tried to stay calm, moving cautiously to blend in with the shadows, hoping no one noticed me.

At the end of the dim hallway, I saw Daran step into a room. The door closed quickly behind him, but I knew it was him.

I hurried forward, but before I could reach the door, two guards started patrolling the area. They were massive and looked anything but friendly. No way could I get close without drawing attention.

I ducked behind a large column, waiting for a chance to move.

Time dragged on as I stood there, hidden in the shadows. My thoughts spun out of control.

Why am I even doing this? What do I hope to find by following him here?

But before I could make up my mind to leave, the VIP room door cracked open. A staff member stepped out, carrying an empty tray—probably after delivering drinks.

It was my opening. I peeked into the room, and what I saw froze me in place.

Inside, Daran stood in the center with that gorgeous woman. But the scene wasn’t romantic—far from it.

Daran’s mouth opened wide, exposing sharp, predatory teeth I’d never seen before. His face twisted into something unrecognizable, something terrifying. His eyes glowed with a dark, bloody red light, full of raw savagery.

The woman stood there, dazed, like she wasn’t even aware of what was about to happen. Daran stepped closer, raising his hand to her neck, ready to bite.

I couldn’t stop myself.

“Daran!” I shouted, louder than I intended.

Daran froze, then slowly turned toward me, his glowing red eyes locking onto mine just before the door swung shut again. His monstrous face was still burned into my mind, and I felt ice flood my veins.

I knew I’d made a huge mistake.

Without thinking, I turned and ran as fast as I could. I didn’t care where I was going—just away.

“Jonea, stop!” I heard him shout, but the sound of heavy footsteps chasing me drowned out everything else.

The club’s hallways felt like a maze, but I kept running, pushing past confused onlookers. None of them tried to stop me.

Finally, I found myself in a quieter hallway, far from the club’s chaos. I stopped, panting, my chest heaving as I strained to hear if Daran was still behind me.

And then he appeared, stepping out of the shadows just a few meters ahead.

“Jonea,” he said softly, his voice full of regret.

I backed away, my shoulders hitting the wall behind me.

“Daran... what were you doing in there?” I asked, my voice trembling.

He didn’t answer immediately, just stared at me with those glowing red eyes. Slowly, he started walking toward me.

“Jonea, you weren’t supposed to see that,” he said finally, his voice more human now but still cold.

“Were you... were you going to eat that woman?” I whispered, barely able to get the words out.

He stopped, then sighed deeply. His face slowly shifted back to normal, the red fading from his eyes until they were the familiar blue I knew.

“I wasn’t going to hurt her,” he said, though I wasn’t sure if I could believe him.

“But you were about to, weren’t you? What are you hiding from me, Daran?”

He stared at me, silent for a moment, like he was searching for the right words.

“I’m doing this to protect you,” he said finally. “There are things you don’t understand, Jonea. And it’s better if you don’t try to.”

“Protect me? By doing that?” My voice was rising now, anger mixing with my fear and confusion. “You told me I was your bride, that I could trust you. But how can I trust someone who hides something like this from me?!”

His expression tightened, but he didn’t look away.

“Because I didn’t want you to see this side of me,” he said softly. “I didn’t want you to be afraid of me.”

But I was afraid. Afraid of what I’d seen, of what he might’ve done, and of what might happen next.

“Daran, I... I can’t keep doing this,” I said, my voice breaking. “I don’t even know who you really are. And I don’t know if I can stay by your side if this is what it means. Did you... did you kill those werewolf women on the news? Did you prey on them so you wouldn’t have to prey on me?”

He lowered his head, silent for a long moment.

“Jonea... please, let me explain. Or at least give me a chance to prove I’m worthy of you,” he said firmly. “But for now, you have to leave. This place is too dangerous for you.”

I didn’t know if I could ever trust him again, but he was right about one thing—I shouldn’t be here.

Reluctantly, I turned and walked out of the club without another word.

That night, back in my room, I felt shattered. I didn’t know who to trust anymore—Daran, Aland, or even myself.

But one thing was clear: Daran’s secret was just the beginning of something much bigger. And no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, I couldn’t escape the shadow it cast over me.