Malte Arnou, a young woman of thirty, once lived a life of both beauty and indulgence as a concubine in the renowned Golden Hair establishment. Adorned with amber eyes, raven-black hair, and an ivory pale complexion, her allure was undeniable, captivating the hearts of both men and women who crossed her path.
Yet, destiny had its own designs for Malte's path. An enigmatic company, one that concealed a dark secret, commissioned her services for a clandestine gathering. Unbeknownst to her, the company consisted of vampires, who marked her as their intended feast. A sinister fate loomed over her, but fortune smiled upon her that night.
Bitten and left for dead, Malte's instincts took over, and she managed to escape to the sanctuary of a tavern's hidden basement. The transformative effects of vampiric saliva initiated the process of her rebirth into the realm of the undead. Over the following six months, she concealed herself, subsisting on rat's blood as her body underwent the agonizing metamorphosis.
Emerging from her hideaway, Malte embraced her newly acquired vampiric traits - bat ears and concealed bite marks. Seeking solace and anonymity, she resettled in the tranquil town of Dreadwood, determined to build a life amidst common folk while keeping her true nature a closely guarded secret.
With the passage of time, her existence seemed to find a semblance of equilibrium, until the echoes of a mystery encroached upon her newfound tranquility. The town's tranquility was shattered by the mysterious disappearances that plagued Dreadwood, prompting the intervention of a relentless king's investigator named Marcus. He arrived with a singular purpose: to unveil the enigma behind the unsettling occurrences.
Fate entwined their destinies when Malte, stirred by a sense of duty, offered her assistance to the determined investigator. Marcus was initially drawn by the allure of her beauty, but it was the depth of her spirit and the shadows of her past that truly captivated him. As they embarked on the journey to uncover the truth, a tender connection began to flourish between them, transcending their disparate worlds.
United by a shared goal, Malte and Marcus faced the intricate web of intrigue that engulfed Dreadwood, each harboring their own secrets and desires. Despite the darkness that surrounded them, their bond deepened, revealing vulnerabilities and strengths that neither had anticipated.
As their investigation intensified, Malte's past remained veiled in secrecy, a tapestry woven with both pain and pleasure. Her journey from a concubine's embrace to the realm of the undead bore witness to the transformation of a once-cherished existence into one defined by shadows and mystery. Yet, amidst the darkness, the blossoming romance between Malte and Marcus offered a glimmer of hope, a testament to the enduring power of connection, even in the most unexpected of circumstances.