Soon the Lamia's scream became a soft symphony. The louder she screamed, the more the sound would be distorted by the walls of the labyrinth. I continued torturing her until I finally heard the words I had been waiting for all along.

"Kill me!" she screamed. No, she practically begged.

By then I had completely removed the scales from her tail. The room was scattered with small fragments of what remained. My claws were drenched in her blood to the point where it was completely discolored by her blood.

I knelt down in front of her. She was on her stomach, desperately trying to claw away.

"Is that so? Do you really wish to die right here, right now?"

She didn't answer; instead, she bit her lip to the point where it drew blood. Even though she was in pain, being talked down to seemed to still infuriate her. It made sense, considering that this is a woman who has been in power for centuries.

The very reason she came down here was because she couldn't stand the thought of being under the vampires and the witches. Such a woman would never accept being toyed with or mocked.

This was the only way I was going to get her to listen. I knew it the moment I gazed into her eyes.

"I… You… Just do it. I can't take it anymore."

She talked so low that her voice almost sounded forced. She was like a ripe fruit ready to be picked.

"Just leave the people here be," she pleaded.

"That depends."

"Depends on what?"

"On you, of course. I want you to join my pack. That's all you need to do to save your people."

"I can't! I won't submit my people under another rule no matter what you do to me. And if you do kill me, my people will never join you."

She was partially right. It would be difficult to make the others join my pack if I killed their queen. But still, it wouldn't be impossible.

The lamia queen would be a great asset to me. Hence killing her is off the table. I need to strike some kind of deal with her.

Now that I could have a proper conversation with her, I could now ask.

"What would it take for you to join me?"

She gritted her teeth as she stared up at me without saying a word, but her eyes lingered on my neck.

"Blood, so that's what it is. Since you're so obsessed with high-quality blood, does that mean you'll happily trade your people's lives so that you can indulge your desires?"

"You know nothing! It's not a simple desire for high-quality blood; it's a need."

A need?

"What do you mean by need?"

"For lamias, blood is responsible for all your bodily functions. If you don't have enough, then your body starts to shut down. This is more so for me, the queen."

"Do you mean your body will start shutting down if you don't drink my blood?"

"No, not exactly. It's just that some things are inaccessible to me."

"Like what?"

The moment I asked, her face turned crimson, and she began stammering over her words.

"It's embarrassing. I… I can't ovulate."

"Hmm?"

"I need high quality blood to be able to ovulate. That is why I need your blood. Lamias grow stronger every generation, but that is only when the queen finds someone of high-quality blood to mate with. Her children would mate with the rest of the population of lamias, hence creating stronger generation. That's the real reason why I've been searching for someone with high-quality blood."

"So that's it, you want someone to mate with?"

"You don't have to say it like that!"

"How many offspring are you looking for?"

Her eyes widened the moment I asked the question.

"Wait, you're seriously considering it?"

"If that's what it takes for you to join my pack."

"But we hardly know each other."

"This is a business arrangement, nothing more, so I ask again, how many offspring are you looking for?"

"Wait, this is too sudden! A moment ago you were torturing me, and now you're asking to mate with me."

"We're monsters. Something as trivial shouldn't be a big deal. You'll heal," I said.

"Yes, but still…"

Reproducing to create a stronger pack… maybe I can take a page out of Cerberus's book. Can't say I haven't thought about it.

"If we're going through with this, then I'm going to need a number." I said.

"Uh, okay, um… how about one, no, one hundred."

"How do you jump from one to one hundred?"

She seemed too flustered to think straight.

"This is too sudden!" She shouted.

"You planned to capture me before. Would you rather it be against my will?" I asked.

"No, of course not! I wouldn't have done it for pleasure. It's a necessity," she shouted.

"Then it's no different from what I'm asking from you now. This is strictly business."

"But what if I want more? What if I want a mate that I truly love. Not just someone who will be there to have children with?"

"Then let's include that as part of the deal. We won't mate unless I can make you fall in love with me."

For a moment, she stared at me without uttering a word as if truly contemplating my proposal.

It would work in her favor. She would have access to my blood and she would have someone who can produce strong children with her.

"As for what I'll get out of this deal, I want you to submit to me. You'll be the queen of the lamias, but I'll still be your alpha."

This was a blow to her pride as queen. Someone who doesn't want to be below anyone. It was hard for her, I could see it in the way she hesitated.

But still, she doesn't have a choice. Her people were dying here as we speak.

All she had to do to save them was lower her pride. Prideful people are always the hardest to conquer. But I would have my way, even if I have to push her to her breaking point.

The queen gazed into my eye, and for a moment it felt as if she was reading my mind.

Her lips began to quiver, and suddenly she spoke her answer.

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