Inside the main hall, Max stood at the long table, surrounded by Crescent warriors and advisors. Maps were spread across the surface, marked with red lines and black symbols. His jaw was clenched tight, his hand resting near his blade.
“The eastern ridge,” one scout reported breathlessly, panting as he burst through the door. “Movement just past the cliffs. Smells like blood and ash.”
Max’s eyes narrowed. “Vampires.”
A hushed murmur spread through the room. Warriors exchanged nervous glances. Tension rippled through the air like lightning waiting to strike.
“We prepare for war,” Max said, his voice low and firm. “Double the patrols. Fortify the gates. No one leaves Crescent grounds tonight.”
The warriors nodded and scattered, following orders. But one voice rose behind him—steady and unmistakable.
“I’m coming with you,” Eva said.
Max turned, brows furrowed. “No.”
She crossed her arms, standing tall. “I’m not asking.”
“I don’t care,” Max snapped. “I won’t watch you bleed again, Eva.”
Her expression didn’t soften. If anything, it sharpened. “Then fight beside me,” she said slowly, deliberately, “not ahead of me.”
Silence fell between them like a dropped sword. Max looked away first, his hands tightening at his sides.
“Eva…” he began, but she held up her hand.
“I’m the Alpha Queen,” she reminded him. “Chosen by fate or not, I won’t sit in safety while others die. You need to stop treating me like I’m still the girl who hid behind her parents. I’ve survived worse than vampires.”
Max’s eyes darkened. “It’s not about what you’ve survived. It’s about what you shouldn’t have to.”
Her heart ached at the rawness in his voice, but she didn’t let herself break. “Then let me be what I am. A fighter. Your equal. Or stop pretending you respect me at all.”
His lips parted like he wanted to argue, but then—he simply nodded, once. A quiet surrender.
“Suit up,” he said.
Eva turned on her heel without another word, leaving behind the echo of emotions too dangerous to name.
—
In the training yard, Tiana fastened her boots while Dany hovered nearby, clearly on edge.
“You don’t have to come,” he said, eyes scanning her face. “You’re not a soldier.”
Tiana snorted. “I’m not a houseplant either.”
Dany sighed. “I know that. But vampires don’t fight fair. They don’t care if you’re trained. If they catch you—”
She cut him off by holding up her hand. “If they catch me, they’ll regret it.”
He looked at her then, really looked. His hand slipped into his belt pouch, and he pulled out a small dagger. The blade wasn’t silver, but it gleamed sharply in the fading light.
“It’s not silver,” he said, placing it in her palm, “but if anyone touches you, stab them where it hurts most.”
She stared at the dagger, then at him, her throat tight. “Why does that almost sound romantic?”
Dany gave a crooked smile. “Because this is our kind of romance.”
She tucked the blade into her boot and kissed his cheek quickly. “Stay close to me.”
“Always.”
Night fell fast.
The pack moved like a silent wave through the woods. Eva walked just behind Max, her heart pounding, her senses on high alert. The woods around them were unusually quiet—no birds, no rustling leaves. Just silence.
They reached the edge of the eastern ridge. Moonlight spilled through the clouds, lighting the path below. Then came a sound—barely audible at first. A low hum. Then a hiss.
Shadows flickered in the trees.
Max raised his fist, signaling the warriors to stop.
From the darkness emerged a figure—tall, pale, and cloaked in black. His eyes glowed faintly red. Behind him, more shapes moved. Silent. Watching.
Eva’s breath caught.
“Vladymyr’s soldiers,” Max growled. “Scouts. Testing our border.”
“We should strike first,” one of the warriors whispered.
“No,” Eva said, her eyes locked on the lead vampire. “They’re not attacking. Not yet.”
The vampire stepped forward, his voice cold and polished. “The queen herself graces us with her presence. How bold.”
Max moved to shield her, but Eva stepped past him, chin raised. “You’re trespassing.”
The vampire smiled. “We’re delivering a message. From Vladymyr.”
Max’s hand reached for his sword.
The vampire held up a black rose and dropped it to the ground.
“He says the game has begun.”
Then, with inhuman speed, the shadows vanished. Like smoke swallowed by the wind.
Eva stared at the rose, heart thudding. The message was clear. The warning had arrived. And it was personal.
