Chapter 3

I drove, following Alaric's trail all the way to the forbidden forest at the edge of the Kindred's territory.

Only high-ranking members of the clan's core were permitted here. Thankfully, the Shadow Guards patrolling the woods recognized my car, bowing their heads and stepping aside from a distance.

I parked the car in a secluded shadow and peered forward from the cover of the withered trees.

At the edge of my vision, Elise, draped in a tight velvet gown, was wrapped around Alaric.

"My Prince, I saw the meteor shower too." She nibbled gently on his earlobe. "It made my heart ache with jealousy."

Alaric's hand slid down her back, his voice softening.

"Didn't I spend the entire night of the Blood Moon Festival with you just days ago? Are you so easily swayed by these petty mortal tricks?"

"I promised you, as long as you're obedient, don't let Seraphina suspect a thing, and bear a pureblood heir for the clan, her title and all its honors will one day be yours."

The words struck me like a blow, and my heart seized in my chest.

I remembered the night of the Blood Moon Festival.

That night, Alaric had said there was a traitor in the clan and he had to lead the purge himself. He was gone the entire night.

I was so afraid he had been ambushed by hunters that I stood watch at the window all night, my heart in my throat.

I realized then my worries were misplaced. I should not have feared for his safety, but for his fidelity.

And I, the princess, was the last fool in this charade to know the truth.

Elise giggled, her fingertip tracing the silver crest on his chest.

"Making me jealous of a human, Your Highness. How could you be so cruel?"

Alaric gave her cheek a light pinch. "Enough. You are the rose I have cultivated by my side since childhood."

"Just wait. I'll make it all up to you tonight."

Elise rose onto her toes, whispered something in his ear, and then reached out to untie the silk ribbon at his collar.

The fire in Alaric's eyes deepened to a burning crimson.

"Then why don't you show me your sincerity?"

"You'll have to 'taste' it for yourself to find out."

The next second, he swept her up into his arms. Elise let out a soft laugh, and the rest of her words were swallowed by his lips.

Their figures disappeared down the stone steps behind the altar, vanishing into the thick, impenetrable darkness.

I sat in the car, my fingers digging into the steering wheel, knuckles white.

Five years of our marriage, and in his eyes, it all weighed less than a gust of night wind.

Even though I already knew the outcome, seeing it with my own eyes still felt like being ripped apart.

Tears I could no longer control finally fell.

I remembered when we first made our blood pact. Alaric had sworn on his clan's honor that he would stay by my side, without fail, on every anniversary.

But now, a single flirtatious move from Elise was enough to shatter that ancient vow into dust.

I had lost everything so completely.

I took a deep breath, forcing the churning emotions back into the deepest part of my chest.

Just two more days.

In two days, I would be free.

It was nearly dawn when I returned to the castle. I didn't go back to the main hall, instead walking straight to the glass conservatory in the deepest part of the estate.

Alaric had built it specifically for me. It housed the flowers and plants I had personally tended to. Because of the sunlight, no Kindred ever set foot here. It had become my only sanctuary.

I don't know how long I was there before the heavy sound of a door opening echoed through the castle.

"Seraphina? Seraphina!" Alaric's voice called out from the main hall, growing louder with each call.

"Damnation! Where is she? Didn't you tell me the lady was in her room?"

His unrestrained roar followed.

"A pack of useless curs! You can't even sense where the princess is!"

"Your Highness, the lady is not in the master bedroom. Perhaps she is in another room," the butler replied, trembling. "Find her! Now! What are you standing there for?"

The sound of footsteps grew closer as he threw open one door after another.

When the ornate glass door to the conservatory was thrown open, I lifted my head, feigning the look of someone just stirring from a light sleep.

The moment he saw me, all the violence in his eyes shattered, replaced by a fear that bordered on collapse.

"Gods, Seraphina!" He crossed the room in a few long strides and locked me in a tight embrace, his chest heaving. "Why did you not tell me you were here? Do you have any idea how I nearly went mad when I could not sense you?"

I could feel his hands trembling slightly.

"I felt overwhelmed and came here for some air." I gently patted his back, my voice as soft as possible. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing serious. I just thought you were gone, and I was terrified." He kissed my hair over and over, burying his face in its strands.

If you were truly afraid of losing me, you wouldn't have touched another woman. And you certainly wouldn't have brought her to a place that was once ours alone.

"I'm sorry. I must have fallen asleep here and forgot to tell you."

After five years steeped in his lies, my own acting had become second nature.

Alaric let out a long sigh of relief and lifted me into his arms, carrying me all the way back to our bedchamber as if I were a treasure that could shatter at any moment.

"Don't you ever do that again. Losing you would truly make me go insane."

"You know I would do anything for you."

I closed my eyes, a cold smile on my lips.

The next morning, I carefully prepared a black velvet gift box.

Inside lay two things: a blood pact annulment agreement, signed by me and witnessed by my family's high priest, and the matriarchal ring of Clan Morvath.

"Alaric, this is a gift for you."

He took it, a flash of pleasant surprise in his eyes.

"Should I open it now?"

"No. Wait two days. It will be more meaningful that way."

He nodded obediently and placed the box in the blood-sealed safe in the deepest part of his study.

"Trust me, you're going to love this gift."

Two days from now, when he opened this box, I would be completely erased from his long life.

At that moment, this "gift" would tell him the whole truth for me.

The words had barely left my mouth when the castle's heavy bronze bell rang sharply.

A guard pulled open the main doors, and there stood Elise, her mane of red curls framing a face streaked with tears.