~ Lumiére's POV ~Arin's presence in the room was enough to make it feel smaller than it already was. His towering height and broad build made him appear like a mountain of muscle. The Sentinel uniform he was wearing only seemed to amplify his intimidating presence. Lumiére couldn't help but wonder if it was designed that way intentionally. The uniform lacked subtlety, it was meant to attract attention anywhere and instill fear, just as Arin was doing now.Arin turned sharply to Lord Ramona, “ Fucking tell me why your guards are lurking around my Sentinels, around my perimeter!” he spat at Lord Ramona.Lord Ramona was a warrior himself and was obviously not going to back down. He squared his shoulders facing Arin with the same intensity the other man had. If there was anybody who could look down on any vampire, it was Arin, His Head Sentinel. The guy had no sense of fear and respect in him.As Lord Ramona stood his ground, Arin's anger seemed to reach a boiling point. His voice rose

~ Raven's POV ~Raven looked around her office, trying to figure out what to do next. This interaction was awkward, but she couldn't help but hope that it would lead to something more.“Can I get you anything? Perhaps coffee?” Raven asked, gesturing to the counter where the coffee machine was on as she moved to take her seat behind her desk. The massive oak desk made her feel safer, grateful for the distance it provided between them. She didn't know what she was going to do if she was any closer to Lumiére.Lumiére raised up a cup of coffee, "Oh, never mind. Your assistant took care of me," he said with a small smile.Raven couldn't help but scoff, understanding why Megan's face was flushed and red when she saw her. She was probably too overwhelmed after spending time in the room with Lumiére. He had that effect on her too. "I see," she said, glancing at the half-empty cup on her desk."You do know you have some fan girls outside my office right?" Raven teased him, trying to make the

~ Lumiére's POV ~Lumiére, with his supernatural speed, sprinted through the ground floor of the building as if his life depended on it. His feet hardly touching the ground, he raced towards the elevator, which was located at the far end of the lobby. " What the hell have you done!" He told himself.The button for the penthouse was his next target, and he punched it with lightning-fast reflexes. He watched as the doors slid shut, If only there was a way to make the elevator move even faster, he would have done it without hesitation. But alas, he was at the mercy of human technology, and so he waited, anxiously."Shit!" he muttered angrily, the frustration evident in his voice. Lumiére had made some mistakes in his long life, but this was by far the biggest one he had ever made. He was a Vampire, having lived for 120 years, and he had seen and done many things. Yet, he couldn't believe he had allowed himself to fall and lose control like this."Damn!" he yelled, slamming his fist in

~ Lumiére's POV ~Instead of heading to his room, Lumiére made his way to his study. His study was one of his favorite places in the entire building, that was why it was attached to his room. It was peaceful and quiet, and he could lose himself in the books for hours on end. As he walked through the shelves, he was reminded of the times he had spent with Raven at the library, pretending to read while secretly stealing glances at her.Raven was a constant presence in his mind, and Lumiére couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to be the death of him. As he scanned the shelves, his eyes were drawn to a book about the importance of staying away from humans. The irony was not lost on him. Here he was, the High Lord of the Vampire race and yet he had entangled himself in a messy situation with a human.Lumiére shook his head in frustration as he pulled the book off the shelf. He knew that he should stay away from Raven, that it was too risky to continue seeing her. But he couldn't

~ Reagan's POV~Reagan and Arin stayed in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts about what to do next. Lumiére was a curious one, and they both knew that once he started asking questions, it would only be a matter of time before the elders found out. And that was something neither of them wanted to deal with.Arin paced back and forth, his mind racing with ideas for how to distract Lumiére. He knew that the longer they waited, the more dangerous the situation would become. They needed to act fast.Suddenly, an idea came to him. "What about the Masquerade Ball?" he suggested. "It's coming up in a few days. Maybe we can use that as a distraction."Reagan furrowed his brow, considering the idea. "It's risky," he said.Arin nodded gently, "But it just might work. We could make sure Lumiére is invited and keep him busy with the festivities."Reagan sighed, already mentally planning the details of the ball. "Okay," he said. "I'll get started on the preparations. Meanwhile, i