Bite Me! Part Deux
Copyright© 2026 by Megumi Kashuahara
Chapter 5: The Trap
The Invitation
Three days after the Paris concert, Mrs. Choi walked into the Bordeaux château’s breakfast room with an expression Selene had learned to recognize.
Something interesting was about to happen.
“The Councils sent a message,” Mrs. Choi said, setting down her tablet.
Selene looked up from her blood-infused coffee. “Let me guess—they want another hearing to complain about the Paris show?”
“Actually, no.” Mrs. Choi pulled up the email. “They want to ... participate.”
Lucian lowered his newspaper. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Prince Laurent—well, Former Prince Laurent, Marie-Claire is officially in charge now—the Council wants to demonstrate ‘proper vampire tradition’ at one of your upcoming concerts. As a gesture of ... cooperation.”
Selene and Lucian exchanged glances.
“That’s the most suspicious thing I’ve ever heard,” Selene said.
“Agreed,” Mrs. Choi said. “But here’s the interesting part. They want Gregor to do it.”
“Gregor?” Lucian set down his paper entirely. “The Enforcer wants to perform?”
“Not perform, exactly. They want him to demonstrate ‘traditional vampire feeding’ on stage. Show the difference between your ... theatrical feeding and what they consider ‘authentic vampire behavior.’”
Selene laughed. “They want Gregor to make me look bad by comparison?”
“That would be my interpretation, yes.”
“And Gregor agreed to this?”
Mrs. Choi scrolled through the email. “According to this, he volunteered. Said it would be ‘educational’ for your audience to see how ancient vampires conduct themselves.”
Lucian stood, moving to look over Mrs. Choi’s shoulder at the message. “This is a setup.”
“Obviously,” Selene agreed. “But for what? They already compromised at the hearing. We submitted the protocols. Everything’s settled.”
“Laurent may have lost his position, but he still has allies on the Council,” Lucian said slowly. “And Gregor, for all his apparent neutrality, is still their Enforcer. This could be an attempt to humiliate you publicly.”
“Or worse,” Mrs. Choi added. “What if they’re planning to use this as an excuse to attack you? Gregor ‘demonstrates proper feeding,’ you look inadequate by comparison, they use it to invalidate the compromise?”
Selene considered this, tapping her black-lacquered nails against her coffee cup. “When do they want to do this?”
“They’re proposing the Berlin concert. Two weeks from now. Olympic Stadium, 80,000 capacity, already sold out.”
“Berlin,” Selene murmured. “Not Paris. Not their territory.”
“Neutral ground,” Lucian observed. “Or at least, that’s how they want it to appear.”
Selene stood, pacing to the window that overlooked the vineyards. The sun was setting—they’d be able to go outside soon. “What if we turned this around on them?”
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Choi asked.
“They want Gregor to demonstrate ‘proper’ vampire feeding. To show up my ‘theatrical’ version.” Selene turned, and her smile was sharp. “What if we gave them exactly what they wanted? But on our terms?”
Lucian’s eyes narrowed. “You have a plan.”
“I’m developing one.” Selene moved back to the table. “Mrs. Choi, can you find me someone?”
“That’s ominously vague, but sure. What kind of someone?”
“Someone young. Korean, preferably, to match my aesthetic. Beautiful. Female.” Selene paused. “And very recently deceased.”
The room went silent.
“Selene,” Lucian said carefully. “What are you thinking?”
“Dead blood is poisonous to vampires, right? You told me that when I was first turned. That feeding from corpses can make us violently ill.”
“Yes, but—” Lucian’s eyes widened as he understood. “Mon Dieu.”
“Exactly.” Selene’s smile widened. “Gregor wants to demonstrate ‘authentic’ vampire feeding? We’ll give him an authentic victim. She’ll look perfect—young, beautiful, positioned like she’s sleeping or drugged. The audience will think it’s all part of the show.”
“And when Gregor feeds—” Mrs. Choi was already making notes.
“Dead blood hits his system. He gets sick. Maybe worse, depending on how old he is and how toxic the blood is.”
“This is dangerous,” Lucian said. “If it goes wrong, if the Council realizes what you’ve done—”
“Then what? They already compromised. They’re trying to undermine me with this stunt. If Gregor gets ‘food poisoning’ from bad blood, that’s not my fault. That’s his own failure to properly vet his volunteer.”
Mrs. Choi looked up from her tablet. “You want to poison the Council’s Enforcer. On stage. In front of 80,000 people and however many watching the PPV livestream.”
“I want to prove that their ‘traditional methods’ are just as flawed as they claim mine are,” Selene corrected. “If Gregor happens to have a bad reaction to contaminated blood, well ... that’s the risk of feeding from strangers, isn’t it?”
“You could start a war,” Lucian said quietly.
“Or I could end one.” Selene met his eyes. “They keep pushing, Lucian. First the hearing, now this demonstration. Laurent may be gone, but his allies aren’t. They’re going to keep testing me, keep trying to prove I’m inadequate, until I prove definitively that I’m not.”
“By killing their Enforcer?”
“By showing that ancient doesn’t mean infallible. That their traditions aren’t automatically superior. That maybe—” she paused, “—maybe it’s time for new blood. Literally.”
Lucian studied her for a long moment. Then he sighed. “If we do this, we do it carefully. We need plausible deniability at every step.”
“Agreed.”
“And we need to be prepared for retaliation.”
“Also agreed.”
Mrs. Choi cleared her throat. “I’ll start making inquiries. Discreetly. We’ll need someone who died very recently—within 24 hours of the performance. And we’ll need a cover story for how we acquired the body.”
“Medical research donation,” Selene suggested. “My beauty company is always doing trials. We could say she volunteered for a sleep study and signed all the appropriate waivers.”
“That could work.” Mrs. Choi made more notes. “I’ll set it up. But Selene—if this goes wrong, if the Council proves you deliberately poisoned Gregor—”
“Then I’ll deal with the consequences.” Selene’s voice was firm. “But I’m tired of playing defense. It’s time they remembered that I’m not just some child they can push around.”
Lucian moved to stand behind her, his hands settling on her shoulders. “You’re sure about this, mon cœur?”
“I’m sure that if we don’t act, they will. And I’d rather control the narrative than react to theirs.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Then we’ll do it your way. But carefully.”
“Always.”
Mrs. Choi stood, gathering her tablet. “I’ll start making arrangements. We have two weeks. That’s enough time to set everything up properly.” She paused at the door. “For what it’s worth? I think Laurent and his allies have been underestimating you from the beginning. This will be ... educational for them.”
After she left, Selene turned in Lucian’s arms. “You think I’m crazy.”
“I think you’re brilliant and terrifying in equal measure.” He kissed her softly. “I also think you’re right. The Council needs to learn that you’re not someone to be trifled with.”
“Even if it means killing Gregor?”
“Gregor is an executioner, ma belle. He’s killed dozens of vampires over his centuries. Perhaps it’s time he learned what that feels like.”
Selene searched his face. “No regrets?”
“Only that I didn’t think of it first.” He smiled. “Now, we have two weeks to prepare. We should probably make sure every detail is perfect.”
“Perfectionism. I like that in a co-conspirator.”
“Co-conspirator.” Lucian laughed. “Is that what we are now?”
“Partners in crime. Bonded mates. Revolutionary vampires.” Selene grinned. “Take your pick.”
“How about all of the above?”
“That works too.”
Scene 2: Preparations
The next two weeks were a carefully orchestrated dance of logistics, misdirection, and preparation.
Mrs. Choi proved her worth a hundred times over.
She found their volunteer—a young Korean woman named Yoon Min-seo who had died in a car accident 18 hours before the concert. The family, devastated and in need of money, agreed to donate the body to “medical research” in exchange for a substantial payment and the promise that their daughter would be treated with respect.
They had no idea what that “research” would actually entail.
The body was preserved carefully, kept cold but not frozen. Mrs. Choi hired a mortician to do Min-seo’s hair and makeup, making her look peaceful, beautiful, like she was sleeping. A gorgeous black dress, artfully arranged hair, perfect makeup that would photograph well under stage lights.
She looked like a princess from a dark fairy tale.
“This feels wrong,” Selene murmured, looking at Min-seo’s peaceful face in the preparation room.
“It is wrong,” Lucian agreed. “But so is what the Council is trying to do to you.”
“She didn’t ask to be part of this.”
“No. But her family will be taken care of. And her death will serve a purpose.” He squeezed Selene’s hand. “Sometimes there are no good choices. Only necessary ones.”
The Berlin concert preparations continued as normal. Rehearsals, costume fittings, sound checks. The usual chaos of a major production.
The promotion for Gregor’s “special appearance” went viral immediately.
“ANCIENT VAMPIRE ENFORCER TO DEMONSTRATE TRADITIONAL FEEDING AT SLAYER TOUR BERLIN! ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME AUTHENTIC VAMPIRE EXPERIENCE!”
Ticket resale prices tripled.
PPV pre-orders broke records.
Social media exploded with speculation:
“Is Gregor actually going to bite someone??”
“This is going to be SO much better than Selene’s show feeds”
“Finally we’ll see what REAL vampires do”
“Team Gregor! Show that pop star how it’s done!”
Selene read the comments with grim amusement. “They have no idea what they’re about to witness.”
“Neither does Gregor,” Mrs. Choi observed. “I’ve been monitoring Council communications. They genuinely believe this will be a triumph. A demonstration of superiority.”
“Pride before the fall,” Lucian murmured.
Three days before the concert, Gregor himself arrived in Berlin to coordinate with the production team.
Selene met with him in her hotel suite, Mrs. Choi and Lucian present as always.
The Enforcer looked the same as ever—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black, his ancient eyes missing nothing.
“Ms. Park,” he said with a slight nod. “Thank you for accommodating this demonstration.”
“Of course,” Selene said smoothly. “I’m always happy to showcase different aspects of vampire culture. Diversity of approach and all that.”
“Indeed.” Gregor’s expression was unreadable. “I’ve reviewed the production schedule. You’ve allocated fifteen minutes for my segment?”
“Yes. Right before the finale. Maximum audience engagement.”
“And the volunteer?”
“Already secured. Young woman, early twenties, signed all the consent forms. She’ll be positioned on stage, appears to be sleeping or in a trance state. Very atmospheric.” Selene smiled. “I thought it would create a nice contrast—the ancient vampire feeding in the traditional way, while my approach is more ... interactive.”
“That’s the goal.” Gregor studied her. “You’re being remarkably cooperative about this.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? If this demonstrates that both approaches have merit, everyone wins.”
“And if it demonstrates that traditional methods are superior?”
“Then I’ll learn something.” Selene’s smile didn’t waver. “I’m always open to education.”
Gregor’s eyes narrowed slightly, like he sensed something but couldn’t quite identify what. “The Council appreciates your ... flexibility.”
“I’m sure they do.”
After he left, Lucian let out a breath. “He suspects something.”
“Maybe. But he doesn’t know what. And by the time he figures it out, it’ll be too late.”
Mrs. Choi pulled up the final checklist on her tablet. “Everything’s in place. The body will be transported to the venue the morning of the concert, kept in cold storage until needed. The stage crew has been told she’s a specially trained performance artist who’ll be in a meditative state. No one suspects anything unusual.”
“And after?” Selene asked.
“After Gregor ... reacts, we have medical teams standing by. They’ll attempt treatment, but dead blood poisoning in a vampire as old as Gregor?” Mrs. Choi shook her head. “The historical records suggest it’s fatal within minutes for ancient vampires. Their systems can’t process the necrotic toxins.”
“How do we know this?” Lucian asked.
“Because it’s happened before. 1347, during the Black Plague. Several ancient vampires fed from plague victims who had just died. All of them perished within an hour, showing the same symptoms—red foam from the mouth, convulsions, complete system failure.” Mrs. Choi’s research was thorough as always. “Dead blood is poison. The older the vampire, the more vulnerable they are.”
“So Gregor will die on stage,” Selene said quietly.
“Almost certainly. And it will look like an accident. A tragic miscalculation. Perhaps the ‘volunteer’ had a medical condition no one knew about. Perhaps Gregor’s ancient constitution couldn’t handle modern human blood chemistry. Either way—” Mrs. Choi met Selene’s eyes, “—it won’t trace back to deliberate action on your part.”
“Unless someone tests the body.”
“By the time anyone thinks to do that, she’ll have been cremated as part of her family’s wishes. Which we’re paying for, by the way. Very generous funeral package.”
Lucian moved to the window, looking out over Berlin. “This is really happening.”
“Cold feet?” Selene asked.
“No. Just ... acknowledging the magnitude. We’re about to kill one of the most powerful vampires in existence. On stage. In front of the world.”
“He chose to participate,” Selene said. “He could have declined. Could have let the compromise stand. But he didn’t. He wanted to humiliate me, prove the old ways superior.” She stood, moving to join Lucian at the window. “I’m just ... helping him prove his point. One way or another.”
“That’s a very generous interpretation.”
“I prefer ‘pragmatic.’”
Lucian turned, pulling her into his arms. “After this, everything changes. You know that, right? The Council will never forgive this.”
“The Council is going to shelf this entire matter for 500 years because they’ll have no choice. They can’t admit their Enforcer died from amateur mistakes. They can’t accuse me without proof. And they definitely can’t risk open war with someone who just demonstrated she can kill their most dangerous operative without lifting a finger.”
“You’re terrifying when you’re strategic.”
“Good. It’s about time they were scared of me instead of the other way around.”
He kissed her—deep, claiming, full of dark promise. “Whatever happens, we face it together.”
“Always.”
Scene 3: The Performance
The Berlin Olympic Stadium was packed.
85,000 people filled every seat, standing room only in the general admission areas. The energy was electric, anticipatory.
Outside, protests had erupted—religious groups condemning the “glorification of evil,” vampire traditionalists who agreed with Laurent’s position, and a small but vocal group who insisted vampires weren’t real and this was all elaborate theater.
Inside, none of that mattered.
This was spectacle. This was entertainment. This was history.