Luna thought they had to wait for Panterra to announce that he had yielded over Apollyon verbally, but he didn't.

She guessed that the Feline King was too proud to do just that, so Cederic had bestowed Apollyon's victory without further ado.

Luna's brows knitted in confusion.

Cederic had mentioned the sword duel rules that Panterra had to admit defeat before Apollyon could be declared the victor.

Perhaps, he honestly forgot.

Luna doubted that the Feline King would admit defeat in his own words when his actions had spoken louder.

The shameful proceeding had sapped the poor panther's ability to feign a feeble enthusiasm for becoming a sport.

She kept repeating the same thought repeatedly, willing the military general to remember the rules of the game.

Panterra had to proclaim that he had lost before they could proceed.

As if Cederic had finally heard her telepathic message by coincidence, his eyes had widened with recollection when he suddenly announced, "If there are no other challengers, I am forced to announce that the Vampire King Apollyon—"

The spectators watched in uneasy silence before Luna jumped to her feet, cheering wildly over Apollyon's victory.

Luna did it just so she could get rid of the awkward pause.

She realized everyone gaped at her, including the Vampire King.

The crowd's delayed reaction made Luna hesitate, but it was fortunate that they followed her lead, or things might be more tricky.

There was a chorus of cheers and whistles from the audience, ecstatic on the Vampire King's triumph, before Luna sank sheepishly back down, hiding her chagrin from the protective veil of her lashes.

"Stay your hand, umpire." An imperious voice rang out from below the Feline King's elevated throne.

Of course, the warning was from Catriona.

Luna resisted the urge to cross the railings which separated the spectators and the arena and slap the fuck out of her, rearranging her face to something unrecognizable.

She would recognize that annoying fake husky voice anywhere based on how it grated not only her ears but also her nerves.

That seductive high-pitched, breathy voice that Catriona used to ensnare the men specifically didn't fail to make her cringe.

Catriona pulled back her elegant damask-trimmed hood, and her mocking gaze wasn't fixed on Cdederic or Apollyon but her.

"I am more than prepared to challenge the Empress in a fair fight for my Feline King's honor." Catriona's voice rang loud and clear on the makeshift stadium.

Luna arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms when Catriona wove her way through the battle arena from the muttering crowd and approached Cederic and Apollyon in the middle.

She tilted her head and smirked at Catriona before gripping the banister, climbed over the railing, and jumped on the other side to meet her challenger.

She was elated that the shapeshifter had said what was exactly on her mind and issued the challenge first.

Catriona would surely experience double humiliation along with her Feline King if she lost to her.

She would run back to her Feline King's arms and bawl her eyes out in regret.

Losers belong to each other.

Displaying them a wide grin, Luna blinked the sunlight out of her eyes as she walked towards the center of the arena where the Vampire King, Cederic, and Catriona stood there, waiting for her to accept.

Apollyon looked her full in the face as he dropped to one knee at her feet and brought her hand to his warm lips in a greeting.

"Wife," Apollyon murmured beneath the guise of kissing her hand as his playful tongue flicked out to lash her knuckles, "Will you accept Catriona's challenge?"

Luna found herself glancing at Apollyon.

She nodded in approval, and the Vampire King stood up straight and faced Catriona without letting go of her hand.

She turned her head to stare into the dark, malevolent, purple eyes of Catriona.

Luna lifted her chin high, her shoulders were back, and her chest was thrust out when she drawled, "You must be out of your mind, challenging and Empress, darling."

"I know you would accept the challenge because if you back down, you will appear weak in front of these thousands of people." Catriona gave her a frigid smile that would give gentle lady chills of foreboding running down her spine.

Luna gave her the coldest, intimidating look she could muster.

"You can either appear weak in a sense where you reject my challenge, or you would be frail and decrepit if I pummel you to death in front of the crowd." There was a dark gleam in her eyes when she emphasized her next words, "It's your choice, darling."

"You sure are suicidal, bitch." A booming laugh came out from Luna's belly as she gave her a half-shrug. "No shapeshifting to a leopard, dog."

"I wouldn't." Catriona bared her teeth, and she attempted to enter Luna's personal space as intimidation.

Still, Apollyon beat her to it by stepping in front of her, blocking Catriona out of her sight.

The concubine hesitated before speaking in front of the King directly.

Weighing her words, she said calmly without expression, "I would have announced what the Vampire King's Empress had become, but I swore an oath as an Apollyon's concubine—"

"Ex-concubine," Luna corrected her angrily, and her fangs extended as well as her claws, but she willed it back to normal so that she could hide it from the spectators.

"--that I would never tell anyone." Catriona continued.

Did Catriona just threaten her that she would expose her acquired vampirism from a pureblood instead of being born as a vampire?

What would the citizens of the Vampire Realm think if they found out that the Empress was a rogue vampire?

The Vampire King looked over his shoulder because of her sudden outburst, giving her a wide-eyed look, which kind of pissed her off.

Did he expect her to be meek whenever another girl approached out of nowhere and claimed him?

He smiled at her in amusement with her demands, and his blue eyes lit with a twinkle of mischief.

Apollyon whispered, "I only belong to you, my Empress."