Page 230 of Blood Day

“I’ve spent the better part of the last century creating my own version of utopia.” He started pulling up feeds from around his region. “Hence the reason I rarely let anyone visit my home.” A series of images of humans appeared, most of them moving in groups. Some were smiling. Others were stoic. And a few appeared abundantly lost.

“These are members of the new shipments from Blood Day,” Khalid explained, pulling up footage of two girls walking with hunched shoulders. “It looks like one of my elites is showing them the ropes.” He clicked a button to enable audio, allowing theelite’svoice to come through the speakers.

“You’ll sleep here,” he was saying, gesturing to a room with a pair of beds in it. “We share the communal kitchen and living area downstairs, but you have your own private bath through there.” He pointed to somewhere in the room that we couldn’t see through our viewpoint.

“We only have cameras in the residence hallways,” Khalid explained before I could ask. “And honestly, they’re used more for protection than for spying. I only chose this feed as it’ll give you an idea of what I’m trying to preserve.”

“I-in here?” the smaller of the two females asked.

The man whom Khalid had referred to as an “elite” dipped his chin in confirmation. “There’s a key on the dresser for you to use to lock up after you leave. And your closet is filled with a week’s worth of outfits to help get you settled.”

Both women looked at each before glancing up at the human male. “I don’t… I don’t understand,” one of them whispered. “Do we stay here until it’s time for dinner service?”

The male clicked his watch, pulling up a screen similar to the one on the table before us.

“Ah, food service,” he murmured. “I see. That explains your confusion.”

“Is he looking at mortal assignments?” I asked, noting the familiar file on the screen.

“My team uploads copies from Lilith’s logs every day and distributes them through our own private database,” Khalid explained.

“And you let humans have access to it?” Not that I really minded, it was just a surprising detail.

“Only those in certain positions, like this elite.” Khalid’s gaze was on the male in question, watching as he gentled his expression and tone.

“Your designation from Blood Day no longer applies,” he informed the two females. “You’ll be retrained and attend another school here. Upon successful graduation, you will be given a new role—one of your choosing. And the only payment you need to worry about is a monthly blood donation.”

They blinked at him again, reminding me of deer caught in twin headlights. “M-more university?” the one with darker hair asked. She was slightly bigger than the other female, but not by much.

“Yes, but not like the one you just left,” the male replied. “This is a more traditional one with real classes. There’s more information in your room. Just press the button that says Play, and the on-screen tutorial will explain everything you need to know.”

Khalid shifted to a new screen as he said, “This is what they’re going to watch.” His gaze went to Lily. “I think you’ll find this more interesting than your mate will. I know Emine did when I showed it to her six months ago.”

My eyebrow lifted, but I didn’t comment, instead waiting for the video to begin.

“Hello and welcome to my world.” Khalid’s smooth tones came through the speakers, his expression just as stoic as ever on the screen before us.

However, there was a glint in his turquoise irises that spoke of a deep-seated secret. A hidden agenda. A purpose not yet realized.

But one he obviously intended to share.

Finally.

Chapter 49

Lily

I could feelKhalid watching me as I focused on the screen, his piercing gaze seeming to haunt every corner of my existence.

But there was something engaging about him. Something that compelled me to continue watching. Almost as though he were controlling my mind and actions, forcing me to remain calm, and tolisten.

“Everything you’ve experienced up until this point is a travesty, and for that, my deepest condolences. While I believe that vampires and lycans are the apex predators of the world, I also believe in respecting my ancestry, which, in my case, is once being human.”

The video version of Khalid steepled his fingers together on the large metal desk before him.

“I know you’ll think this is a trick, some sort of experiment, or a dark game meant for my pleasure. But in time, you’ll come to realize that I do things differently in Khalid Region. I prefer humans to be properly informed, cared for, and above all,respected.”

He uttered that last word with a finality that scatteredgoose bumps along my arms.