Chapter 1

"Don't argue with me. Follow my plan exactly. The Purified Essence must be precise - make sure it destroys her bloodline power completely. She can't suspect anything." My mate Lord Damien's voice was cold.

"Once she wakes up, I'll take her to meet Vivienne's child. Without her power, she'll have no choice but to cherish the boy as her own. No Vampire Thrall has ever challenged a High Blood's decision."

The apothecary Elara wiped sweat from her brow, her conscience clearly troubled.

"My Lord, please reconsider. Serena will be covered in burn scars, and now you want to destroy her bloodline power too? This is beyond cruel - it's practically a death sentence. How will she face the coven elders as a Thrall?"

"And what about Vivienne's child? The boy looks exactly like you. What if Serena notices the resemblance? Everything will fall apart!"

Damien reached out, methodically pressing a blood-silk cloth to my cracked lips with surprising gentleness.

His voice carried a note of resigned sadness that made my heart ache despite everything.

"She won't notice anything. Once she becomes a Thrall, she will have to stay in the coven. She cannot afford any risk of leaving. A powerless vampire wouldn't survive a week outside these walls."

"I promised Vivienne I would give her a magnificent blood oath ceremony. That I would watch our son grow up together. Even though she's bonded to another Lord now, I won't let her worry about our child's future."

Elara sighed heavily, looking at my pale face on the healing bed.

"Serena is a good soul. You grew up together in this coven. Why are you choosing that... never mind. If you're determined to do this, then proceed."

"Prepare the Purified Essence. Make sure it's done cleanly. No traces. I want it done before she wakes up - I don't want her to feel more pain than necessary."

Elara hurried from the room, her footsteps echoing with reluctance.

Damien pulled out his phone and sent a voice message to his second, Gideon.

"Has the arsonist kept quiet? Stick to our agreement - two hundred thousand in compensation, help their family relocate outside coven territory. And make sure every trace of the silver crucifix is destroyed. Serena can't find out."

I couldn't stop the tears from falling, soaking silently into my pillow.

Damien continued to tend to my burns with warm blood-silk cloths, his touch gentle even as he plotted to destroy my life.

Despite the warmth of his care, I felt cold to my very core.

So this was the truth - the blood oath ceremony I'd spent five years dreaming about was nothing but a façade for Vivienne's benefit.

The fire wasn't an accident at all.

He was simply removing an obstacle for Vivienne, the mother of his secret child.

Everything I believed about our happiness together had been nothing but an illusion.

Lies and betrayal - that was the real foundation of our relationship.

I struggled to open my eyes against the heaviness of sedation.

But before I could fully wake, I felt another needle pierce my skin, this time carrying something far worse than just anesthesia.

Before they wheeled me into the treatment chamber, Damien pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

"Be brave, little one. It will be over soon. Serena, I'll be waiting for you."

The Purified Essence burned like holy water through my veins. My bloodline power screamed in agony, ancient and primal, thrashing against the poison that sought to extinguish it.

As my power began to fade, my heart grew as cold as the poison destroying it.

When I next opened my eyes, I was back in the healing chamber. The burns still covered my body, but something far worse had changed.

The familiar hum of my bloodline, the power I'd carried since I was first turned, was gone.

Damien sat vigilant by my bedside. When he saw me wake, his face showed perfect concern, as if he hadn't just ordered my power's destruction.

He took my hand in his, pressing it against his cold cheek with such tenderness it made the betrayal cut even deeper.

"Serena? You're awake? Are you in pain anywhere?"

"Tell me if it hurts. I'll have Elara adjust your medication."

His expression was as loving as ever, but now I could see the emptiness behind his crimson eyes. The calculating coolness that had always been there, hidden beneath the warmth.

It was terrifying to realize how far someone would go for another person's love. How thoroughly they would destroy a life that stood in their way.

I shook my head slightly, reaching up to touch the stubble on his jaw. Playing my part in this cruel charade.

"You haven't slept all night, have you? I'm fine. Get some rest."

Damien accepted my words without suspicion, finally letting his guard down. Soon he was asleep beside my bed.