Rajat Shah, the arrogant vampire king known for claiming whatever he desired, struggled to mask his fury at Swara's rejection. Though his face remained serene, his eyes burned with restrained anger. Rising from his seat, he circled Swara like a predator sizing up its prey, finally stopping just behind her.

Positioned menacingly behind her, Rajat murmured into her ear, "Here, in my domain, you have two choices: accept my proposal or forfeit your life. Regardless, your so-called mate, Sanskar Maheshwari, will suffer. I know he plans to attack me on the night of the blue moon. Rest assured, I'll deal with him."

A dark chuckle reached Swara's ears, causing her to tighten her grip on her skirt.

"So, what do you have to say for yourself now?" Rajat's tone was laced with smug satisfaction.

'Is this old blowhard really clueless about Sanskar's sharp mind and formidable powers, or is he just that arrogant?' Swara pondered, rubbing her chin. 'There's no way Sanskar hasn't figured out I've been snatched by vampires. Anyone who thinks he'll sit on his hands for two days is barking up the wrong tree. He's probably already plotting the attack as we speak.'

A sly smile briefly crossed Swara's lips before she forced a frightened expression. Turning to Rajat, she locked eyes with him and declared, "Very well, I agree to be your queen, but I have one condition."

'Since things came this far, with the attack inevitable, I need to do everything in my power to aid Sanskar.' She set about formulating a clever plan to guarantee his triumph.

"Before taking things any further, I wish for you to proclaim me your queen in a grand celebration for our people," she said, her voice soft with affection.

Rajat found himself charmed by her radiant smile, and her reference to "our people" left no room for doubt about her sincerity. "Anything you wish, my queen," he responded eagerly.

"Gear up for the most challenging confrontation, my warriors."

In accordance with Sanskar's command, the lead soldiers mustered their forces, and Sanskar stood before them, his voice steady yet infused with a simmering rage as he addressed the crowd.

"Those vampire scum dared to lay a hand on Swara, and they will pay dearly for it. Today, we begin our quest for vengeance against Rajat Shah," Sanskar added, proclaiming to his pack.

"Today? How is that possible? I thought he said the battle was set for the blue moon night," Adarsh remarked to Kavita, who stood next to him, equally bewildered.

"No, Adarsh. Swara is Sanskar's top priority. There's no way he would wait two days to rescue her from the enemy's grasp. We clearly overlooked the gravity of the situation," Kavita said, deep in thought.

"Rushing into an attack with an unprepared army will spell disaster for us. And if Sanskar rescues Swara, we'll have risked everything for nothing," Adarsh exclaimed, raking his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

"First, we need to focus on the battle and help Sanskar take down Rajat. Once that's done, we can move forward with our plan to eliminate Sanskar," Kavita advised, her voice resolute.

"Should we notify the big boss about the change in plans?" Adarsh queried.

"Go ahead and dial him; just make sure to keep it under wraps," Kavita instructed. As Adarsh began to pull out his phone, Sanskar and Laksh caught sight of their secretive exchange.

"Adarsh and Kavita, if you can't stay focused on this crucial meeting about the upcoming battle, then please step out," Laksh said sharply, causing them to flinch at being called out in front of everyone.

"Due to their lingering resentments and past conflicts with Swara, Kavita and Adarsh should be excluded from this battle. Their so-called attempt to rescue her would only be a deceptive act," Sanskar stated emphatically with hard expressions.

Adarsh bristled, ready to protest, but Kavita grasped his hand and stepped forward. "Alpha Sanskar, I admit that I feel jealousy towards Swara, but this battle is about freeing our world from vampires and defeating the vampire king. We want to give our all, not for anyone else but for ourselves."

Kavita carefully selected her words to persuade Sanskar, and her strategy proved effective.

"Fine, if this is what you want, but remember, today, we eradicate the menace that has plagued our pack, ruthlessly tormenting and claiming lives. So, brace yourselves for a challenging fight." Sanskar declared with fierce determination, urging his army forward.

With Sanskar at the helm of his army, they advanced toward Rajat Shah's castle, only to be taken aback by the absence of guards at the gate.

"Sanskar, how can it be that no one is here? Even though the castle is buried deep underground, there are usually guards stationed to defend the entrance," Laksh inquired, clearly perplexed.

"It looks like someone else is taking care of them on our behalf," Sanskar noted, a proud smile forming on his lips.

"Is that Swara? Do you think she already figured out your advance attack plan, even being away from you?" Laksh speculated, recognizing the unspoken message behind Sanskar's smile.

"That seems to be the case, though nothing is guaranteed," Sanskar replied before turning to face his army. "We are at the precipice of a vital battle; do not hesitate against any enemy, whether they're resting or on guard. Eradicate them all."

With Sanskar's command ringing in their ears, the army charged into the castle, dispatching every vampire they encountered, most of whom were fast asleep. Although they didn't grasp why vampires would slumber at night, they continued to obey their alpha without hesitation.

On the other side, Swara glanced at the vial of potions she made with Vervain flowers and silently thanked the moon goddess for having it with her. This powerful elixir was known to induce deep, restful sleep in vampires, keeping them oblivious for hours.

As Swara had wished, Rajat introduced her to the gathered crowd as his queen, and the festivities began, with vampires eagerly toasting. While the celebration unfolded, Swara quietly slipped out of the festivities and made her way to the kitchen, where two chefs were working, oblivious to her ulterior motives as their soon-to-be queen.

'After the vampires' last failed attempt to kidnap me, I've made it a point to carry the Vervain potion for such situations," Swara whispered to herself. With a mischievous grin, she discreetly added the potent potion to the barrel of drinks intended for the celebration, paving the way for the Crescent Moon army to enter unimpeded.

"Only the old tyrant and his generals are left to handle now," she muttered under her breath as she laced the large bottle of wine with the potion and made her way to Rajat.

Rajat reclined in his throne room among his high-ranking generals, sipping blood with a self-satisfied grin, basking in the triumph of making Sanskar's mate his queen with such ease. Swara entered the room at that moment.

"My king, I have brought this special wine just for you. May I serve it?" she asked, her tone intentionally submissive.

"Absolutely," Rajat replied, grinning widely.

He felt a surge of pride at having so quickly tamed Swara, who had vehemently rejected his proposal not long ago, now serving him willingly and obediently.

Swara was gracefully serving drinks to everyone in the room when a guard suddenly burst in, looking panicked.

"My king, the werewolves are attacking! Alpha Sanskar's army is forcing their way into the castle!" The guard exclaimed in a single breath.

"How can this be? What are the guards doing, and why was I not alerted?" Rajat roared in fury.

"They're all asleep, and most of them have been slaughtered by the werewolves," the guard responded urgently.

It took Rajat only a moment to understand that Swara had tricked him. "You witch, how dare you deceive me!" he bellowed, striking her with a forceful slap that she did not evade on purpose.

"Send for the backup army at once and intercept Sanskar Maheshwari! Until I can exploit his weakness, he will bow before me," Rajat commanded, his voice echoing with authority, as his generals hurried out to tackle the impending attack.

Rajat turned sharply to Swara, yanking her by the hair and throwing her onto the couch with a growl. "You were aware of Sanskar's scheme, which is why you set this whole trap in motion," he spat, his words laced with venom.

"You're not completely witless," Swara remarked with a sly smirk, provoking Rajat's ego.

"You witch, I won't let you go unpunished! Even if it costs me my life, I'll take you down with me!" Rajat roared, lunging at Swara. She responded by delivering a powerful kick that sent him sprawling backward.

"It seems you've been misled. I'm not merely a witch; I'm a hybrid," Swara asserted, launching herself at him. Yet, Rajat deftly evaded her attack.

While Swara was undeniably strong, it wasn't sufficient to match the vampire king, and she soon found herself subdued.

Just as he was about to bring his weapon down on her, the throne room door burst open, and Sanskar stormed in, landing a fierce punch on Rajat that left him stunned.

"How did you manage to get here?" Rajat gasped.