Aurelia stood by the window, her fingers tracing the delicate glass. Outside, the winds howled, the trees bowing to their force, yet it was the tempest inside her that felt more unbearable. She hadn't slept in days. Every night, the same thoughts circled her mind like vultures, swooping in on her peace, leaving nothing but the ache of uncertainty.
Lucien's words from the night before lingered in her mind, weighing on her chest. The night of your wedding… we'll leave together. She clutched the fabric of her nightdress, its fine silk slipping through her fingers like sand. Her wedding. The thought alone was enough to make her stomach twist. She had once dreamt of a grand celebration, a union that would bring peace between kingdoms, one that would end the years of strife between humans and vampires. But now, with the truth of the crystal flower necklace revealed, that dream seemed like a cruel joke.
She didn't know what to believe anymore. The man who had sworn to protect her, the one who had shared secrets and laughter, was now the very person who had come to steal from her family. And yet… and yet, she couldn't help the way her heart beat faster when he was near. She hated it. She hated how he made her feel, how he saw straight through the armor she wore to protect herself. He had infiltrated her life, become something more than a knight in her eyes, and that terrified her.
The sound of footsteps behind her snapped her from her thoughts. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The air had shifted the moment he entered, a quiet weight that settled over her like a cloak. She could almost feel the pull of his presence, the way his mere existence seemed to draw her in, like a tide that carried her further from the shore, further from the life she knew.
Lucien didn't say anything at first. He didn't need to. His presence alone spoke volumes. They had danced this dance before, this silent exchange that spoke more than any words ever could. But today, his presence felt different. It felt… heavier.
Aurelia took a deep breath, unwilling to turn to face him just yet. She wasn't ready to see the expression in his eyes, the unreadable mask that had become a constant fixture of his features. Instead, she focused on the storm outside, the fury of the wind, the crackle of thunder that seemed to echo her turmoil.
"You're still awake," Lucien's voice broke through the silence, low and hesitant, as if he wasn't sure how to approach her.
Aurelia's fingers tightened on the glass. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted, her voice softer than she intended. The admission felt strange, raw in the quiet of the room. She hadn't spoken much about her sleepless nights, not even to her father, though they seemed to stretch on endlessly, each one filled with the same restless thoughts.
Lucien stepped closer, his footsteps barely audible against the stone floor. He was close now, so close she could feel the heat radiating off him. The tension between them seemed to thicken with each passing second, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on both of them. "I've been meaning to speak to you," he said, his voice carrying a quiet urgency.
Aurelia finally turned to face him, the movement slow, deliberate, as though she were steeling herself for something she already knew but didn't want to hear. Her eyes searched his face, looking for some sign, some hint of the man she thought she knew. But what she found only left her more confused. His expression was unreadable, his features tight with something she couldn't place.
"What is it, Lucien?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, the words leaving her mouth with a weight she didn't fully understand.
He took another step closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "I can't keep pretending, Aurelia," he said, his voice raw, the edges of it frayed with something darker. "I came here for a reason, and it's not to be your friend, or your protector…"
The air between them seemed to crackle with tension, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to scream, to lash out at him for the betrayal, for the lies. But she held it in, her fists clenching at her sides, her breath coming faster.
"Then why?" she demanded, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and something else she couldn't name. "Why did you make me believe you cared? Why did you—"
"I do care," he cut in sharply, his voice so forceful it made her flinch. He closed the distance between them, his presence overwhelming, his eyes dark with the intensity of his emotions. "I care more than I ever should. And that's why this is so difficult." His breath was uneven, his chest rising and falling in a way that matched the storm outside. "I didn't plan on this. I didn't plan on you."
Aurelia's breath caught in her throat, the words crashing into her like a tidal wave, sweeping her under. He hadn't planned on her? The man who had saved her, protected her, shared those stolen moments of laughter and vulnerability with her—he hadn't planned on her?
She felt something inside her break, the fragile trust she'd built with him shattering like glass. It was as if the world had tilted off its axis, leaving her grasping for something solid. "So what now?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, as though speaking any louder would make the truth too real. "You'll take the necklace, and then what? You'll leave me behind, just like everyone else?"
Lucien's face hardened, but his eyes… His eyes betrayed him. There was pain there, deep and raw, and something else—something softer that made her heart flutter against her ribs. "No," he said softly, his voice cracking with the weight of his own regret. "I'll never leave you, Aurelia. Not like this. I didn't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you."
Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, a hurricane of emotions that threatened to consume her whole. She wanted to believe him, wanted to cling to the idea that the man before her wasn't the monster he seemed to be. But how could she? How could she trust the man who had come to steal from her family, to use her as a pawn in some game she didn't understand?
Her eyes blurred with unshed tears, and she turned away from him, not wanting him to see her weakness. "I don't know what to believe anymore," she whispered, the words barely audible, swallowed by the silence of the room.
There was a long pause before Lucien spoke again, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't expect you to trust me. Not yet. But I will earn it, Aurelia. I swear it. Just come with me, let's leave, tomorrow night…what do you say my pearl?"
She couldn't look at him, not now, not with all the hurt he had caused. But she couldn't push him away either, not completely. Something in her still reached for him, even as she tried to harden her heart against him.
The room was heavy with unspoken words, the storm outside raging as fiercely as the one within them. Aurelia's chest tightened, the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. She didn't know what the future held, didn't know what path they would take, but one thing was certain—nothing would ever be the same.
And as much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't sure if she wanted it any other way.