The morning sun poured in through the tall windows of Ranan’s mansion, casting warm golden streaks across the polished floor of the dining hall. The clinking of silverware was unusually soft, the air heavy with a silence that felt more like tension than calm. Ashara sat at the edge of the long table, her eyes fixed on the untouched breakfast on her plate.She hadn’t touched a single bite.Zev sat beside her, stealing glances at her pale face. She hadn’t said much since she woke up. Her lips trembled, her eyes were swollen from crying all night, and her fingers fidgeted with the hem of the oversized shirt she wore—his shirt. She looked like a child who knew she’d broken something that couldn’t be fixed.Across the table, Ranan and his wife watched her quietly.“Ashara,” Ranan’s voice finally broke the silence. Calm, deep, but grave. “You need to eat something.”Ashara lifted her head, her lips parted as if she might respond, but the words got stuck somewhere in her throat. Her eyes met
The moonlight cut through the thick fog as Luca weaved deeper into the jungle, his breath silent, movements fluid. The forest here was darker than any other part of their land—twisted trees arched overhead like ancient guardians, and the air shimmered with a chill not born of cold but of emotion.Then he heard it.The low rumble of the waterfall.His steps slowed as he approached, eyes scanning the shadows that danced in the moonlight. And then he saw her—sitting on a moss-covered rock near the edge, wrapped in her cloak, still as the stone she sat upon.His mother.Her long silver hair shimmered in the faint light, cascading down her back like a frozen river. She didn’t turn when he approached. She didn’t need to.Luca knelt beside her without a word, the sound of water crashing below them echoing in the space between heartbeats. Slowly, gently, he wrapped an arm around her slender frame and pulled her close to him.She didn’t resist.She let her head rest against his chest, her hand
The fire in the hearth crackled behind her, but Carlos’s wife stood frozen in place, staring at the door that had just slammed shut behind her husband. His footsteps had faded into the darkness of the hallway, but the echo of his glare—sharp, unforgiving—still burned in her chest like acid.She had only said it because she was worried.Because she had seen the way Luca’s golden eyes followed the girl—the werewolf girl, Kael’s daughter. Ashara.“He’s attracted to her because of her blood,” she had whispered, her voice laced with something between fear and jealousy.But the moment the words left her lips, Carlos had turned. His ancient eyes—cold as glacier stone, wise beyond time—had pinned her in place. He didn’t shout. He didn’t curse. He didn’t strike her with words or hands. But the silence that followed his stare screamed louder than fury.The conversation ended right there.Now she stood alone in the grand hall of their forest-bound mansion, her arms wrapped around herself despite
Carlos stood up from beneath the ancient tree, his body tense, eyes distant as the memory of Alara’s voice echoed through his mind. The wind stirred his dark coat as he vanished in a blur—faster than any beast, silent as a shadow—racing through the woods. The forest parted for him like it remembered who he was, who he had been, and what had been stolen from him in silence and sacrifice.His mansion came into view, hidden deep within the thickets of wild forest where even sunlight feared to enter. The tall gothic structure stood proud and cold, framed by frost-covered pines and thick mist swirling like ghosts around its stone base. Its towering spires sliced into the sky, black against a silver moon. This was the home of the vampires who bore the name of Carlos—the purebloods, the unaging, the untouchable.In the backyard, carved out with towering hedges and ancient marble columns, five figures moved like whispers under the veil of night. The vampires didn’t sleep—they hadn’t in centur
Ashara opened her eyes the moment she sensed the shift in the room’s energy. Her father had just left, the heavy sound of the front door closing echoed faintly through the walls. She blinked slowly, adjusting to the dim golden glow of the lamp on the bedside table. Her body was still aching, not from injury, but from the weight of humiliation and fear she’d endured earlier.The first thing she saw was Zev—sitting quietly in a chair near the window, arms folded, eyes lost in the darkness beyond the glass. His profile was somber, unlike his usual teasing and lively self. He was still in the clothes he wore during the confrontation, and his hair was slightly tousled, as if he’d run his hand through it too many times.“Zev…” Her voice was soft, uncertain. He turned toward her immediately.Ashara gave him a fragile smile. “Thank you… for letting me stay here tonight.”Zev’s eyes met hers, but instead of the usual warmth, there was something else—something unreadable. He gave a faint nod, n
Ashara sat curled in Zev’s arms, her face buried in his chest as her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Zev held her tightly, his chin resting gently on her head, his fingers stroking her back in slow, soothing motions. Around them, Zev’s friends gathered, their usual teasing demeanor replaced with quiet concern. No one said much—what words could possibly undo the pain of a father’s slap or the weight of nearly crossing into death’s grasp?Ashara had walked into a storm, into forbidden land, into the heart of vampire territory—into hell. And somehow, she had come back unharmed. That alone was a miracle.“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice hoarse against Zev’s shirt.“You’re okay now,” Zev murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re safe. That’s all that matters.”Ranan stood just behind them, arms crossed over his chest, his face unreadable. Even he, strict and loyal as he was, couldn’t bring himself to scold her—not yet. Not when she looked so fragile, like a leaf a