Chapter 2
Lyria's POV
The streets felt colder today, though the sun barely reached through the tall stone walls of the vampire kingdom.
Lyria kept her head down, hands clenching the edges of her cloak. She had learned long ago that people didn't wait for kindness. They waited to judge.
"They say she's—"
"…disgusting."
The whispers followed her like shadows. She didn't bother looking up. Not today. Not anymore.
Her legs wobbled slightly as she stepped over a loose cobblestone. She wasn't used to the stamina of normal vampires. The others would have laughed at her weakness—but she had long stopped caring.
"Lyria!"
A bright voice cut through the murmur of the town. Selene. Her so-called "best friend" ran up, all warmth and golden hair and fake concern.
"You shouldn't walk alone," Selene said, clasping Lyria's arm. "People can be… cruel."
Lyria nodded faintly. "I'm fine," she whispered.
Selene's smile widened, but Lyria's eyes caught the movement of someone high above—on the palace balcony. A shadow against the morning sun.
Their eyes met for a brief second.
A man. Watching.
Lyria blinked and looked away quickly. Nothing about him was normal. But she told herself it was just a guard… just another noble who liked to stare.
Kael's POV
Fragile. Unexpected. Hidden.
The Seventh Prince watched her from the balcony, unmoving, silent.
No one would have guessed she was his mate. Not yet. And she didn't know. That was how it had to be.
A faint pull. A bond he could feel, though he had no idea if she even sensed it. Not yet.
Most would crumble under the stares and whispers, but she hadn't. Not fully. That was… interesting. Intriguing.
Kael tilted his head slightly, his silver eyes following her every step.
So weak. So fragile. Yet… there was something else, hidden beneath the surface.
He would keep it a secret. For now.
Selene's POV
Selene's smile was flawless. Warm. Bright. Perfect.
But inside… a storm.
The prince.
The Seventh Prince. Kael Draven. Watching her best friend.
The fragile girl.
Selene's fingers tightened around Lyria's arm just a little. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to feel… protective.
He shouldn't be looking at her like that. He was hers. At least, that's what she had always believed.
Selene's smile never faltered, but her eyes… betrayed her. A flicker of jealousy, of warning.
This was her game now. And she wouldn't lose.
Kael's POV
Prepare the carriage.
The girl wouldn't come to him—not yet. But he would keep watching. Learning. Waiting.
He wouldn't reveal the bond—not today, not ever until the moment was right.
Fragile. Weak. Hidden. Yet… undeniably his.
And that alone made her worth protecting.