Alle Kapitel von The Vampire's Human Bride: Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

Winter’s POVBranches whipped against my arms as I ran deeper into the chaos. I slipped between the carriages and hid behind each one, trying to remain undetected as I searched for Mavros.I could vividly remember what his carriage looked like, but with the long line of carriages and the darkness surrounding us, I had no idea where to find it.I ducked behind a tree as two figures rushed past me, their weapons clashing as they fought.My heart hammered painfully against my chest.'Who are you? Why are you attacking us?'I clasped my trembling hands together and forced myself to take a deep breath.'Hold yourself together, Winter. You can do this. What matters most right now is finding Mavros and keeping him safe.'When I finally opened my eyes, I saw the carriage I had been searching for, as though someone had heard my desperate plea.I broke into a sprint.Ignoring the battle raging around me, I darted between abandoned carriages, trees, and fallen branches, keeping my eyes fixed on

Winter's POVMy gaze swept across the silent battlefield. Silver weapons and pieces of shattered silver armor lay scattered across the forest floor, reflecting the pale moonlight that filtered through the tears. Broken silver arrows also littered the ground, while scarred trunks and splintered branches stood as the only witnesses to the fierce battle that had unfolded moments ago. I watched as the vampire warriors searched every corner of the forest, some inspected the discarded weapons while others disappeared into the darkness beyond the clearing to try to catch a fleeing assassin. “Princess, what are we going to do?” Lara whispered beside me as she held the torch high enough to illuminate the path ahead. “If we fail to prove our innocence, they’re going to kill us, aren’t they?”We had joined the search, hoping to find something among the abandoned armor and weapons that could support my claim.“We don’t have to prove anything to them,” Dane said. “We can escape while no one is

Winter’s POVThe vampire kingdom was covered in frost. Snow blanketed everything in sight, turning the entire land white. It was exactly as the rumors had described it.I clutched the cloak tighter around myself, along with the thick blanket wrapped around my body. The cold outside was unbearable, and the wind howled violently against the carriage. I could only peek through the small gap between the window curtains.I had no idea what time it was. The sky was so gloomy that I couldn’t tell whether it was morning, afternoon, or evening.Lara sat across from me, shivering. Even beneath several layers of clothing, she couldn’t stop trembling.I supposed this was her first time seeing snow. Back home, we only had two seasons—the rainy season and the dry season. We had never known winter.But here, there seemed to be nothing else. From now on, winter might be the only season we would ever know."Here, take this," I hand the blanket to Lara.Lara raises her hands to accept it, but then she s

Winter's POVLara’s eyes widened. She looked at me immediately, and for a moment, I could see the fear in her face—as though she thought I might actually ask her to do it.I turned to him, unable to hide my surprise. He had suggested it so casually, as though sacrificing another human’s safety was the most natural thing in the world.“They’re not my slaves,” I said.The servant glanced at me and I looked back at Lara and Dane before continuing.“They’re my…” I hesitated. Servants sounded wrong and companions sounded too formal.“Friends,” I finished. “They’re my friends.”The servant did not bother to respond.My attention drifted back to the glowing lantern in his hand.“Are the other lights in the palace lunar lights too?”He let out a quiet sigh before answering. “Lunar energy powers more than lanterns. It powers the entire palace. We use it for lighting, heating, gates, lifts, and other mechanisms. Most major cities in the kingdom are connected to lunar lines.”He glanced at me. “

Winter’s POVMy whole body stung from the rough scrubbing. They scrubbed so hard that thin rolls of dead skin began coming off beneath the cloth, leaving the water cloudy around me.The three attendants worked over every inch of my body until my skin turned pink from all the rubbing.Once they were satisfied, they rinsed me clean and covered my skin with rich oils that smelled softly of flowers.By the time they were done, my skin felt smoother than it ever had before, and the sweet floral scent clung from my skin. After the bath, they sat me in front of the vanity and started working on my hair.They brushed through the long strands until there wasn’t a single knot left, then carefully arranged my hair so that most of it fell loose down my back. After that came the makeup. Thankfully, they kept it light, adding only enough color to my cheeks and lips to make me look less tired.For a while, I almost forgot what they were preparing me for.Then one of the attendants walked toward th