When Eternity Becomes a Lie

The war between vampires and werewolves has raged for centuries. But Dorian, the most revered vampire prince, shattered every rule and bound himself to me—a werewolf. The Elders punished him for it. For this, he was chained in sacred silver for days on end. Forced to drink the blood of beasts. He nearly died in a baptism of holy water. The pain was absolute. But when he saw me again, his eyes were bloodshot as he kissed my tears away. "The moment we bonded, I made a vow," he whispered. "You are my eternal mate. I will never forsake you." Finally, his family—the Valkyries—agreed. But they had one condition. He could leave the vampire world with me. But first, he had to sleep with Liliana, the pureblood noblewoman. He had to give his family a new, powerful heir. Dorian held me, his voice tight with desperation. "Please, Freya. Just wait a little longer. A few more years, and we can go to the human world. We can have our eternity." I waited. Night after night, he went to her bed. A hundred nights of betrayal passed before she finally conceived. But their daughter, Aria, was born without the proper bloodline mark. She couldn't be the heir. They had to have another. I endured another two hundred nights of their betrayal. Liliana was pregnant again. But on Aria's first birthday, sunlight somehow flooded her room. She was dying. Everyone thought I did it. I was locked in a cellar lined with silver. Dorian's face was a mask of pain and exhaustion as he confronted me. "I told you we could leave after the next child was born. You're the only one here immune to the sun. Why would you hurt my daughter?!" Tears streamed down my swollen face as I tried to deny it, but the silver poison burning in my bones had already stolen my voice. By the time the cellar door opened again, the wolf inside me was fading. I forced myself to my feet and walked toward the Valkyrie Elders. This eternal bond he promised? I was done. Chapter 1 The war between vampires and werewolves has raged for centuries. But Dorian, the most revered vampire prince, shattered every rule and bound himself to me—a werewolf. The Elders punished him for it. For this, he was chained in sacred silver for days on end. Forced to drink the blood of beasts. He nearly died in a baptism of holy water. The pain was absolute. But when he saw me again, his eyes were bloodshot as he kissed my tears away. "The moment we bonded, I made a vow," he whispered. "You are my eternal mate. I will never forsake you." Finally, his family—the Valkyries—agreed. But they had one condition. He could leave the vampire world with me. But first, he had to sleep with Liliana, the pureblood noblewoman. He had to give his family a new, powerful heir. Dorian held me, his voice tight with desperation. "Please, Freya. Just wait a little longer. A few more years, and we can go to the human world. We can have our eternity." I waited. Night after night, he went to her bed. A hundred nights of betrayal passed before she finally conceived. But their daughter, Aria, was born without the proper bloodline mark. She couldn't be the heir. They had to have another. I endured another two hundred nights of their betrayal. Liliana was pregnant again. But on Aria's first birthday, sunlight somehow flooded her room. She was dying. Everyone thought I did it. I was locked in a cellar lined with silver. Dorian's face was a mask of pain and exhaustion as he confronted me. "I told you we could leave after the next child was born. You're the only one here immune to the sun. Why would you hurt my daughter?!" Tears streamed down my swollen face as I tried to deny it, but the silver poison burning in my bones had already stolen my voice. By the time the cellar door opened again, the wolf inside me was fading. I forced myself to my feet and walked toward the Valkyrie Elders. This eternal bond he promised? I was done. ... A full day and a night. That’s how long I burned in silver before the cellar door finally creaked open. The poison had seeped into my marrow. Every breath was like swallowing shattered glass. The wolf inside me whimpered, too weak to fight back. "Elder Viktor." I pushed myself up against the wall, my silver-burned skin still weeping blood. The head of the Vampire Council stood in the doorway, a satisfied smile on his pale face. He had waited a long time for this moment. "So, you've finally come to your senses?" "I have." I met his cold, red eyes. "I'll leave Dorian." Viktor’s eyes narrowed. "Your terms?" "Send me somewhere he can never, ever find me." "Ha!" He let out a scornful laugh. "You she-wolf. If you had given up sooner, you wouldn't have had to suffer in here. The Blood Moon is in ten days. I'll arrange everything." I nodded and walked out of that hell, the stench of corroding silver clinging to me. A soft cooing sound drifted from the grand hall. I stopped. My heart seized. Dorian was holding his nine-month-old daughter, Aria, softly humming an ancient vampire lullaby. Liliana snuggled against his side, one hand resting on her newly swollen belly. She was carrying their second child. The heir who was supposed to grant Dorian his freedom. What a perfect family. My eyes burned with unshed tears. I refused to let them fall. A bond between our kinds was never meant to be. Especially not between a werewolf and a vampire, whose war had raged for centuries. And I was the fool who thought I could change that. The wolf inside me howled, curling up in pain. "Freya?" Liliana spotted me first, her body instantly pressing closer to Dorian in a protective gesture. Dorian looked up. Those deep blue eyes that once burned for me were now cold with suspicion. He instinctively shifted, shielding the baby from my gaze. After all this time, he still didn't trust me. "You're out," he said, his voice terrifyingly calm. I didn't answer, turning to escape the suffocating scene. "Wait." He handed Aria to a nearby thrall and walked toward me. "Let me see your wounds." "Don't bother." "Freya." His tone became firm. "Come here." When he reached for my blood-stained sleeve, I flinched away. The silver burns were still raw, the skin blackened and festering. But the hole in my heart hurt more than any physical wound. "Don't touch me." His hand froze in mid-air. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by weariness. "I couldn't stop them," he explained, his voice ragged with exhaustion. "It would have only made them angrier. If I had stepped in, they would have found a crueler way to execute you. If you hadn't tried to harm an innocent child—" "I didn't do it!" I cut him off, the tears finally breaking free. He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes filled with a disappointment and pain that told me he didn't believe me. Just then, Liliana walked over, holding the baby, her face a mask of false concern. "Freya, I want to apologize for yesterday. Perhaps I misunderstood something." I gave a numb nod, but my eyes were suddenly glued to something around her neck. An exquisite moonstone necklace, glowing with a soft blue light in the dim castle halls. It was the last relic of my slaughtered pack. The day Dorian and I became blood-bound mates, I told him how much that necklace meant to me. It held the last memories of the Crescent Moon pack. It was my only tie to the world I had lost. "Where did you get that?" I stared at the necklace, my voice shaking. Liliana touched it instinctively, then glanced at Dorian. "I gave it to her," Dorian said, taking a deep breath, his voice artificially calm. "Liliana's been emotional with the pregnancy. She needed a gift to soothe her." A gift to soothe her. Using my pack’s sacred relic. My life’s anchor. "That's mine!" I lunged forward, trying to snatch it back. Liliana let out a sharp cry, stumbling back as if I'd struck her. "Oh!" she gasped, one hand flying to her stomach. "The baby… I’m cramping…" "Are you insane?!" Dorian's voice was a low growl of terror and suppressed rage. He looked from Liliana’s pale face to her hand protecting her belly, and a bottomless exhaustion filled his eyes. The next second, he shoved me. Hard. The force of his shove slammed me against the stone wall. The wound on my back tore open, drenching my clothes in fresh blood. The agony was so intense, I couldn't breathe. But Dorian didn’t even look at me. He caught Liliana as she pretended to faint, and they vanished in a cloud of black mist. The only thing left in the hall was the echo of his last gentle words to her. "Don't worry. Our heir will be fine." Chapter 2 The silver poison had crippled my healing. I sat frozen on the cold stone floor, a pool of my own blood spreading around me. Alone. Utterly abandoned. I closed my eyes, and the memories came flooding back, unbidden. Three years ago. Veridian City, the dangerous neutral zone on the edge of the Eternal Night. I'd lost my pack and was working as a lone healer, desperately gathering rare herbs to join the Healer's Guild. It was my only way out. That night, I found him in a back alley. Dorian was lying in a pool of his own blood, three silver bullets in his chest. The poison was eating him alive. The work of the Silver Fangs, a clan that hated vampires more than anyone. As a werewolf, I should have left him there to die. But in the moonlight, his deep blue eyes were filled with the same desperation I once knew. It took me all night to purge the silver from his body. He was as weak as a human then, clinging to my hand. "Thank you," he'd rasped. "I'm Dorian Valkyrie." My heart stopped. I knew that name. The Prince of the Valkyrie coven. I should have run. But there was no darkness in his eyes, only a startling purity. I couldn't leave him. For the next three months, his pursuit was relentless. He bought out every rare herb from every merchant in Veridian City, just for a chance to talk to me. "You need these, right?" he'd say, his eyes full of hope. "Can we talk for a minute?" He was a creature of the night, yet he paid a fortune for a sun-warding amulet, risking his life to help me gather herbs in the daylight forests. The sun scorched his skin, but he never complained. "I just want to watch you work," he'd say with a smile. The craziest time was when another vampire, jealous of me, set a trap of silver wires on my path. Dorian threw himself in front of me without a second thought. The wires sliced across his back, leaving scars that would never fully heal. "Are you crazy?" I cried, tending to his wounds. "For you, going a little mad is worth it," he murmured, stroking my face. After we got together, his devotion bordered on obsession. I cut my finger on a crystal vial while mixing a potion, and he summoned his family's best blood-healer that same night. "Her hands are more precious than my own life," he’d told the healer. I once sprained my ankle picking moonpetal on a cliff—a minor injury that would heal in minutes—and his eyes would flash crimson with worry. "I don't want you to feel an ounce of pain," he'd insist, using his own blood to heal me. Back then, he only had eyes for me. But now... Now I was poisoned with silver, my clothes soaked in blood, and he had walked away without a backward glance. Tears blurred my vision as I struggled to my feet. The underground clinic was in the mountains behind the castle. I knew the way. The healers there didn't ask too many questions. I dragged myself out of the castle, every step on the silver-laced path a fresh agony. Two hours later, I left the clinic, my back wrapped in thick gauze. As I stepped out of the alley, a dark shape materialized in front of me. It was Dorian. His face was dark, his eyes burning with fury. "What are you doing here?" he snarled, his voice pure ice. "You followed me. You terrified Liliana—she's a wreck because of you!" I stared at him, stunned. "I wasn't following you—" "Enough!" he snapped. "You think I don't know? She told me someone was lurking outside. She's scared!" I looked at his furious face, and my heart sank into a frozen pit. "So that's what you think of me." "You—" He started to argue, then stopped. The thick scent of blood hit him. Then his gaze dropped to the gauze on my back. It was already soaked through with fresh blood. The anger on his face instantly vanished, replaced by pale shock and regret. "Is that..." His hand reached out, then hesitated, his voice trembling. "Freya, I..." I took a step back, avoiding his touch. "I was just getting my wound treated. It has nothing to do with you." He was silent for a long time, his eyes swirling with a pain I couldn't decipher. Then, he suddenly pulled me into his arms, holding me so tight I thought he'd crush my bones. "I'm sorry," he whispered, burying his face in my neck. "I'm at my breaking point, Freya," he whispered, his voice rough. "Liliana is carrying my heir. The Elders are watching my every move. I have to protect her... It's not that I don't trust you, I'm just... scared. Once the baby is born, I'll take you away from here. We'll go to the human world. I won't break my promise to you." More promises. More waiting. I stood stiffly in his arms, feeling no warmth at all. He called for his thrall. "Alfred. Escort her back. See that she's safe." He pressed a light kiss to my forehead. "I'll go get you some moonshadow flowers. Your favorite." Then he turned and walked toward the hospital's exclusive wing. Toward Liliana. I watched him disappear down the hall toward her, and a broken, hollow laugh escaped my lips. Tears fell onto my chest. "Dorian," I whispered to my shattered heart, "I will never trust another one of your promises." Chapter 3 Dorian vanished for three days. It was like he'd dropped off the face of the earth. But messages from Liliana never stopped coming. Day one: a video. Dorian sat by her hospital bed, gently feeding her medicine. His hands were so careful, as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Day two: another video. Dorian held Aria, his face full of a father's love. The little girl giggled in his arms, his eyes soft and warm. Day three was the one that shattered me. A family portrait in the garden. Dorian pushed the stroller while Liliana clung to his arm. The perfect family. The wolf inside me howled in agony. I’d seen it a thousand times before, but seeing it now, while I was injured, felt like a blade twisting in my heart. Just as I was about to block her for good, a new message appeared. "Want your necklace back? Meet me at the clinic." My fingers trembled as I clutched the device. My necklace. The last mark of the Crescent Moon pack. I had to get it back. At the clinic, Liliana was lounging on a sofa, toying with the moonstone necklace. "You came," she said, a smug smile on her face. "Give me back my necklace." "Of course." She rose slowly. "But there's a small condition." My internal alarms screamed. "What condition?" "Shift for me," she purred. "Show me that primitive, feral form. Submit to your future queen." Humiliation washed over me. She wanted me to bow to her in my most vulnerable form. But it was the last thing my pack had left me. Gritting my teeth, I slowly sank to my knees. My bones began to crack and shift. Silver fur sprouted from my skin. Seconds later, a giant silver wolf stood in the room. I lowered my head in a gesture of submission. "Good," Liliana clapped, her eyes filled with vicious glee. "Werewolves truly are a lesser species. So easily broken." She walked toward me, dangling the necklace just in front of my face. "Come on. Take it with your mouth." I moved closer, opening my jaws. Just as my teeth were about to close around it, Liliana squeezed her fist. CRACK. The sound of the moonstone shattering echoed in the room. Blue fragments scattered across the floor. "Oops," Liliana said, faking surprise. "It broke so easily. I guess werewolf things really are just trash." My sanity snapped. All thought vanished. I launched myself at her, a beast of pure rage. "Ahhh!" Liliana screamed, falling backward. "Help! She's attacking my child!" But I hadn't even touched her when Aria, in her arms, began to wail. Red marks, like claw scratches, appeared on the baby's face. "What's going on?" Dorian's voice came from behind me. I whipped my head around to see him, Viktor, and several other elders materializing in the room. "Dorian!" Liliana sobbed, throwing herself at him. "She shifted and attacked Aria!" Dorian took the child, and his eyes fell on the scratches on his daughter's face. Fury ignited in his gaze. "Freya, what is the meaning of this?" "It wasn't me!" I explained desperately. "She did it her—" "Enough!" Viktor roared, raising his staff and slamming it into my chest. I flew backward, hitting the wall and coughing up blood. "A beast is still a beast!" Viktor's voice thundered. "How dare you harm the Valkyrie bloodline!" "Take her to the Punishment Chamber!" he commanded. "Thirty-three lashes. With the silver-dipped whip!" Two thralls grabbed me, dragging me out. "Dorian!" I cried out to him, my last hope. "You believe me, don't you?" Dorian clutched his crying daughter, his gaze fixed on her scratched face. His eyes were filled with nothing but pain and disappointment. He turned his head, refusing to meet my eyes. He’d made his choice. A broken laugh escaped my lips, tears streaming down my face. Why did I ever believe in an eternity between species? Why did I ever believe his vows? It's okay. Just six more days, and I can leave. In the Punishment Chamber, the silver whip cut a blinding arc through the air. The first lash tore my skin open. The second. The third... My consciousness began to fade in the searing pain. In the haze, I remembered Dorian's vows. "I will protect you, always." "You are the only one I will ever love." "We will have an eternal future together." I remembered the first time he'd made love to me, kissing every inch of my skin like I was something sacred. I remembered the time I had a high fever from searching for a rare herb, and he'd cared for me so gently, feeding me medicine with his own mouth. "Freya, you are more important to me than my own life." All lies. My consciousness blurred. At first, my wolf howled in agony, but soon it fell silent, retreating deep within me. I couldn't feel the pain anymore. Only numbness. As the thirty-third lash was about to fall, I heard a heart-shattering roar. "STOP!" In the last second before the world went black, I saw Dorian. A blur of motion as he threw his body over mine, shielding me from the blow. Chapter 4 When I woke, the familiar, searing pain was back. Every nerve screamed. Silver poison still coursed through my veins. A bitter smile touched my lips. I, a healer, had let my own regenerative abilities decay to almost nothing. The irony was thick. "Freya?" A familiar voice. I slowly opened my eyes. Dorian was sitting by my bed, his own eyes filled with worry. "You're awake!" He rushed forward, gently helping me sit up. "How do you feel? Do you want some broth?" It was the same worried expression, but this time it felt different from all the times he'd cared for me before. Because this time, he had stood by and watched as I was wounded. I flinched away. His hand froze in mid-air. "Freya..." His voice trembled. "I know you're angry with me." "I'm not angry," I said, my voice hoarse. "You just made the choice you had to make." "No," he said, desperate. "I let it happen to save your life. If I had stopped them then, Viktor would have found a reason to have you executed." I looked at him, my eyes empty. "So you still think I hurt Aria?" He fell silent. "Answer me, Dorian." I pushed myself up, staring directly into his eyes. "Then swear it," I challenged him, my voice trembling. "Swear on our bond that you believe me." If he truly believed me, this was the ultimate proof. But he just stared back, silent. "You don't dare," I laughed, a tear sliding down my cheek. "Because deep down, you still believe I'm the feral wolf who hurt her." "Freya, it's not like that—" "Don't." I turned my head away. "Please leave." "I'm not leaving you." He tried to take my hand, but I pulled it away. Just then, a knock came at the door. "Your Highness," a thrall said from outside. "Lady Liliana is very distraught. She's refusing to eat and won't stop crying." Dorian's expression tensed immediately. "She's pregnant. She has to eat." He stood, glancing back at me. "I'll be right back." Same words. Same empty promises. The door clicked shut, sealing me in. I closed my eyes and waited. But he never came back that night. When I was discharged the next day, I saw Dorian's car at the entrance. Liliana was in the passenger seat. Aria was in the baby seat in the back. "Freya." Dorian walked over, looking awkward. "Get in." Liliana shot me a terrified look, her voice trembling. "Dorian, I'm scared to be in the same car as her." "Liliana..." "I'm terrified of her," she whimpered. "She's a beast, Dorian. What if she tries to hurt our baby again?" Dorian looked at me, then back at her. He made his choice. "Freya, wait here. I'll take them home first, then I'll come back for you." "It's snowing," I stated flatly. "I know, but..." He glanced at the baby in Liliana's arms. "I can't risk it." I watched the snowflakes drift down and nodded. "Fine. I'll wait." Their car disappeared into the curtain of snow. I stood at the hospital entrance as snowflakes collected on my hair and eyelashes, melting into freezing water that trickled down my skin. I waited as day turned to dusk, and dusk bled into the dead of night. The snow turned into a blizzard. My body began to shake uncontrollably. I tried to reach him through our Mind Link, the most intimate channel between mates. Once, no matter where I was, he could feel my heartbeat the moment I called. He had been ecstatic the first time I'd used it. "This way, no matter what happens, I can always get to you," he'd said. But now, all I felt was a void. He'd shut me out. The snow was getting deeper. My legs were numb. Finally, I began the long walk back to the castle, my body weak. The road was treacherous in the blizzard. I fell several times, skinning my knees, blood seeping through the white bandages. By the time I stumbled back into the castle, soaked and frozen, I was too cold to speak. As I pushed the door open, I heard Liliana's soft sobs from upstairs. "Dorian… I’m so scared…" Her voice was a fragile, trembling whisper. "The healer was just here. He said… my body is too narrow for the baby." I froze. "What does that mean?" Dorian's voice was tight with tension. "You know vampire births are... difficult. Our bodies don't yield easily. I almost died with Aria. This baby is stronger." Liliana's voice broke, threatening to shatter. "He'll be trapped, Dorian! He won't be able to get out! He will die! Our son will die inside me!" I crept up the stairs, an invisible hand squeezing my heart. "Don't be afraid. We'll find a way," Dorian said, his voice urgent. "The only way is you," Liliana’s voice dropped to a low, heated plea. "The healer said my mate needs to… help me. Every night. With your fingers. To help me... stretch. Otherwise, everything we’ve done will be for nothing." I reached the door and peered through the crack. The air left my lungs. Liliana was half-reclined on the bed, her silk nightgown pushed down to her waist. Her swollen belly was on full display, along with her long, perfect legs. "But Liliana, this is..." Dorian's voice was full of hesitation and conflict. "For the child, Dorian!" Liliana sobbed, cutting him off. She spread her legs even wider, a shameless, humiliating invitation. "I know it's hard. But you're saving his life! Help me... please... You don't want anything to happen to him, do you?" I slapped a hand over my mouth, choking back a sob. Right then, through the crack in the door, Liliana's eyes found mine. A tiny, triumphant smile touched her lips. And Dorian—the man who had sworn I was his only one, his eternity—struggled for only a moment before sinking to his knees by the bed. He bowed his head, as if performing some holy, painful ritual. Then he reached out, moving his hand between Liliana's legs. Chapter 5 I was frozen to the spot. My world shattered. A low, satisfied moan came from the room. "Ah... yes, right there... Dorian... a little deeper... for our child..." Her voice was a poison-laced whip, lashing my soul with every word. Through the crack, I saw her place her own hand over Dorian's, guiding his movements. The smile on her face was pure cruelty. And her eyes, burning with lust, never left the crack in the door. They were fixed on me. Dorian was silent. He said nothing. The rigid line of his back was the only sign of the agony he was in. But he didn't stop. The hands that had once cherished every inch of my skin were now inside another woman. Forging a path for a child that wasn't ours. I couldn't breathe. I turned and ran, stumbling from the castle like a wounded animal. The blizzard hit me full force, but it was nothing compared to the ice in my heart. The snowflakes felt like razors on my face, but I was already numb. My heart was dead. The memory of a night three years ago surfaced. The first time we'd made love, Dorian had cradled my face, his eyes full of devotion. "Do you know, Freya?" he'd whispered, kissing my lips. "You will be my one and only, for all eternity." "I don't care that you're a werewolf. I don't care what the world thinks." His fingers intertwined with mine. "I only care about you." "Do you swear it?" I had asked him. "I swear it," he had promised, the power of our blood bond sealing the words. "For all my life, you are my only love." My one and only. My eternity. Such beautiful, poisonous lies. I walked in the blizzard until I couldn't feel my feet. Only when the castle lights began to go out, deep in the night, did I return to my room like a ghost. I was soaked through. The combination of silver poison and frostbite sent shivers through my body. Sometime after midnight, the fever hit me like a tidal wave. I was burning from the inside out, my consciousness fraying at the edges. Just then, a low humming drifted from the master bedroom next door. It was the ancient vampire lullaby. Gentle and full of love. I was instantly wide awake. That song. It was the one Dorian had promised to sing to our child. "When we have a baby," he'd said, holding me, "I'll sing this song to them every night." Now, he was singing it for someone else's child. Tears streamed down my face, evaporating in the heat of my fever. Sometime later, the door creaked open. "Freya?" Dorian's voice came from the doorway. I kept my eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious. He walked over and placed a hand on my burning forehead. "You're burning up..." he murmured, his voice laced with concern. I thought he would stay and take care of me, like he used to. But the next second, he stood up. "Alfred!" he called the butler. "Have a servant bring Miss Freya some herbs. And whatever food she needs." "Yes, Your Highness." "And," his voice went flat, turning cold, "move her to the East Wing. I want her gone until she's recovered. Liliana is with child. She requires a... purified environment." "Dorian..." I whispered, my eyes fluttering open. "Rest up," he said without looking back. "We'll talk when you're better." The door slammed shut. I heard the sound of a lock turning. My tears fell again, hot and useless. His vows to protect me were gone. All that was left was his fear that I would somehow harm his new family. I was a prisoner. For the next few days, for some reason, no one brought me food on time. When a servant did come, they'd just toss a bowl of spoiled synthetic blood on the floor and leave. No healing herbs. No healer. Not even clean water. I'm a werewolf. What was I supposed to do with synthetic blood? All I could do was listen to the sounds of their happy life next door. Day one, I heard Liliana's tinkling laugh as she leaned against him. Day two, I heard the clinking of silverware. They were having a nice dinner. Day three, the sound that finally killed me. "If it's a boy, what do you think of the name Lucian?" Liliana asked softly. "Lucian?" Dorian's voice was thoughtful. "'Light'," Liliana explained. "I want our son to bring light into our lives." "Our son," Dorian repeated the words, his voice full of joy. "Lucian Valkyrie. I like the sound of that." "Then it's decided," Liliana said happily. "Lucian. Our little prince." Something inside me shattered. He’d forgotten. He’d forgotten all the nights he’d held me, whispering that our son would be named Lucian. I curled up on the bed, biting down hard on the blanket to keep from screaming. Chapter 6 The next day, my fever finally broke. My healing had finally clawed its way back, granting me a sliver of strength. But the silver poison remained, a cold fire in my veins. I pushed open my door and left the East Wing. The castle was alive with light and decorations for a celebration. It was the day of Aria's Blood Moon Christening. Even if she wasn't the true heir, as a princess of the coven, she had to receive the family's blessing after her first birthday. I followed the crowd to the family's sacred chamber, a vast stone room carved with the likenesses of Valkyrie ancestors. At the central altar, Elder Viktor held a glittering necklace. It was the coven's greatest treasure, the "Tear of Night," a massive black diamond cradled by a silver chain, radiating a dark power. "Today, we witness the Blood Moon Christening of the princess, Aria," Viktor's voice echoed through the chamber. "And we also bless the lady Liliana, who will soon be our queen." The entire coven applauded. I stood in a dark corner, watching as Dorian led Liliana to the altar. She was radiant in a magnificent crimson gown, her pregnant belly proudly on display. She looked like a goddess. Viktor himself placed the Tear of Night around her neck. "May the Night Mother bless you, our future queen." Dorian gazed at her tenderly, adjusting the necklace for her. He leaned in, his voice a low whisper for her ears only. "You have given me a future." Liliana smiled shyly as their perfect little family accepted the coven's blessing. I watched the scene, my heart twisting like a knife. I used to dream of a moment like this. As my grief threatened to overwhelm me, I heard Liliana's voice behind me. She had Aria in her arms and pulled me into a secluded corner of the chamber. "You see?" she said, smugly stroking the necklace. "This is how a true queen is treated." I said nothing. "You know," she whispered in my ear, "Dorian comes to me every night." My body went rigid. "He can't get enough of me, even while I'm pregnant," Liliana boasted. "Every night, he presses me into the bed, whispering that I'm the most beautiful woman he's ever seen." "Enough," my voice trembled. "He wants a dynasty with me. And you?" She leaned closer, her voice a venomous whisper. "You're just the loose end he hasn't figured out how to tie off. Yet." Tears blurred my vision. I tried to pull away, but just then, a loud crack echoed through the chamber. The sacred vessel containing the blood of the Valkyrie ancestors had fractured. It was an ancient crystal container, filled with the pure blood of their progenitors, pulsing with immense power. And now, that power was about to break free. "Everyone, back!" Viktor roared. But it was too late. The vessel exploded, sending a massive wave of energy ripping through the room. In that split second, a blur of black mist wrapped around me. Dorian had shifted, teleporting me to safety. But Liliana wasn't so lucky. She was hit by a shard from the explosion. Blood bloomed across her crimson dress. "LILIANA!" Dorian's scream was torn from his soul. He dropped me instantly, rushing to where she lay in a pool of blood. "Liliana, stay with me!" he cried, gathering her into his arms. I stood frozen, watching him cradle her as they vanished in a dark cloud. A moment later, we were all in the clinic. The blood-healer rushed to examine Liliana, his face growing grim. "Her system is rejecting everything," the healer said, his face grim. "She needs a transfusion of pure life force. Something only a werewolf can provide." He looked directly at me. Dorian's eyes snapped to mine, cold and hard as chips of ice. "Freya. Your blood. Now." I looked at his frantic face, a bitter taste filling my mouth. "And what if I don't?" "If she dies, we will never leave this place," his voice was ice. "Can't you think of anyone but yourself? Do you have any idea what this puts me through? You are so selfish!" Selfish? If I were truly selfish, I would have rejected this forbidden love from the start. I would have joined the Healer's Guild and lived a quiet life. "I refuse," I said, tears streaming down my face. Dorian's face turned to stone. "Do you regret it?" I screamed, the words tearing from my throat. "Do you regret saving me instead of her? Do you wish it was me bleeding out on that floor?!" "You're being irrational!" he snarled, turning to the guards. "Take her to the bloodletting room!" Two guards seized me, dragging me away. "Dorian!" I screamed his name, my voice breaking. But he didn't turn around. He just stood vigil by Liliana's bed. In the bloodletting room, a thick needle pierced my vein. I watched my own life force drain into the collection bag, drop by drop. "Four hundred milliliters," the nurse reported to Dorian outside the door. "For a werewolf recently wounded by silver, this is already dangerous." I heard Dorian's voice from outside, chillingly detached. "Keep going." The needle stayed in. Five hundred milliliters. I started to feel dizzy. Six hundred. My vision blurred. My consciousness began to slip away. I thought of the first time we met, how Dorian had looked at me with those clear blue eyes and smiled. "So, you're the one who saved me, little wolf." Now he was hurting me without a second thought... Just before I passed out, I heard the nurse exclaim, "We have to stop, she's going into shock!" But I heard Dorian's voice, devoid of all emotion. "It's enough. Take it to Liliana." When I woke, he was there. A silhouette in the shadows by my bed, radiating a chilling authority. And when he spoke, his voice was a razor's edge. "Did you do it?" Chapter 7 A sharp pain shot through my chest. The wolf inside me cried out. "It wasn't me!" I screamed, sitting bolt upright. "Use the bond! If I'm lying, you can kill me right now!" The blood bond was our most sacred connection. No lie could hide within it. He finally looked up, his deep blue eyes bloodshot, swimming with pain and conflict. "Everyone saw you. How am I supposed to believe you over my entire coven?" he snarled. "How can I protect you when you make it impossible? I have sacrificed everything for our 'forever'—for this damned eternity!" This damned eternity. That’s what our love had become to him. "If our eternity is a curse," I said, my voice dangerously quiet as I met his furious gaze, "then I don't want it." "What?" "I want to break our bond." The words hit the room like a bomb. Dorian's face went white with rage. He slammed his fist into the stone table beside him. The solid marble shattered. "What did you just say?" His voice was a low growl. He lunged, his hands gripping my shoulders like steel bands. "Say. It. Again." "I said," I repeated, each word clear and sharp, "I want. To break. The bond." "No!" His roar shook the room. "You can't leave me!" "Why not?" I laughed, a cold, broken sound. "You already have your perfect family, don't you? You have your heir. What use is there for this 'outsider' anymore?" "Because I love you!" he roared, his eyes wild with desperation. "It has only ever been you!" We stood there, locked in a standoff. His hands were shaking. His eyes were a storm of pain, madness, and despair. Finally, he pulled me into a crushing embrace. "Don't you ever talk about leaving again," he rasped, holding me so tight I thought I would break. "Ever." I didn't fight him. I had no fight left. "Liliana has forgiven you," he said against my ear. "But on one condition." I closed my eyes, waiting for the final blow. "I have to perform the Blood Moon Vow with her," he finally said, his voice hollow. "It's the only way to legitimize the heir." The Blood Moon Vows. The most sacred union for vampires, a pledge of eternal fidelity. I smiled, but it was a smile of pure heartbreak. "When?" "In three days." I nodded, unable to speak. For the next few days, Dorian was a model of devotion. He fed me, changed my bandages, and took me for walks in the garden. It was as if nothing had happened. But after I was discharged, everything was different. The castle was buzzing with servants preparing for a wedding. Red carpets, silver decorations, and massive bouquets of blood-red roses. Dorian confiscated my communication device. "To prevent any accidents," he explained. Blood servants began to watch me twenty-four hours a day. "For your safety," he said. I was a prisoner in his castle. On the day of the Blood Moon Vow ceremony, I sat in my room, listening to the noise outside. The guests were arriving, their laughter and congratulations echoing through the halls. Just then, a soft knock came at my door. It was Elder Viktor. Right. This was the day we agreed I would leave. "A flight ticket to the Crimson Port," he said, handing me an envelope. "And a new identity." I took the envelope, my face calm as I fought back the pain. Then I stood and picked up the suitcase I'd already packed. "Freya," Viktor called out. "Don't you want to watch the ceremony? Hear the vows he makes to her?" I shook my head. "No." I walked out the door with my suitcase, the sound of ceremony bells ringing through the night air. I didn't look back at the lavish ceremony. I didn't stay to hear Dorian's vows of eternity to Liliana. I just sat in the back of the car, watching the castle shrink in the distance until it was gone. Let the past, and the love that was never meant to be, fade away. Goodbye, Dorian. May you enjoy your new eternity. The one without me.