VERA’S POV

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Caelen asked, fastening the last strap on his gear. His voice was light, but his eyes didn’t miss a thing, not the tremor in my breath, not the way I kept adjusting the silver blade at my hip even though it was already secure.

I tilted my head, a smirk teasing the corner of my mouth. “You mean the diplomatic hunt or the possibility of outpacing you in front of half the Conclave?”

“Oh, I fully expect you to try,” he said, tossing me a wink. “But it’s cute that you think you’ll succeed.”

We walked side by side into the shadowed forest. The clearing was still alive with sound, commands of lieutenants, the chatter of diplomats, armor clinking, vampires testing their enhanced senses in the darkness.

The Conclave Hunt wasn’t just ceremonial anymore. It had become something else this year. A show of strength. Of alliances. Of loyalty to the royal bloodline.

To me.

Leaders from every major coven had gathered, eyes constantly tracking me, measuring me. Every step I took was both proof and test.

Caelen adjusted the blade strapped at his hip, his eyes flicking toward me in that way they always did when he was trying to read beneath the surface.

“Still haven’t answered me.”

I arched a brow. “Answered what?”

He raised one of his own. “You know what.”

And I did.

He was referring to what he’d said days ago, how he’d told me he was interested in me, not as a political ally or a figurehead, but as me. As Vera. And I hadn’t responded.

Not because I didn’t care.

Not because I didn’t feel something stir inside me every time he got too close, or looked at me like I was made of stars and rage and reasons to believe.

But because there were still parts of me I hadn’t claimed yet. Pieces that had belonged to someone else. Pieces I was still pulling back.

“I haven’t forgotten,” I said softly.

He gave a small smile, no pressure in it. “I told you I’d wait.”

“Forever?”

“Don’t push it.”

I laughed, shaking my head. It was the kind of laugh I hadn’t allowed myself in a long time, one that didn’t feel like it had to be hidden behind armor.

The woods grew thicker the further we moved. The terrain shifted subtly beneath our boots, roots twisted under the moss, and the scent of the earth grew stronger. Vampires fanned out into designated hunting groups behind us, their movements silent and predatory.

I stepped ahead, scanning the ridge with enhanced vision. My role today wasn’t just symbolic, I was leading the Hunt, just as the vampire heir should.

Caelen stepped beside me, gaze fixed ahead. “You know, when you become Queen…”

“When?” I echoed, glancing sideways.

He nodded once. “When.”

I gave him a mock skeptical look.

“…You could do worse than naming me your First.”

I barked a laugh. “Oh? Is this your pitch now?”

“I bring loyalty, sarcasm, and a very firm sword arm.”

“And the ability to take a punch from a jealous ex.”

He gave a dramatic bow. “An underrated skill in court politics.”

We both laughed, an easy, genuine sound that cut through the tension lingering in the woods. For the first time in days, it felt like I was with someone who saw me without the title. Without the crown. Just me.

“Besides,” he continued, “I’ve already seen you at your worst. Most advisors don’t get that luxury.”

“My worst?”

“The morning after your awakening. You were grumpy, covered in dirt, and your hair looked like you’d been struck by lightning.”

“I was exhausted from channeling ancient blood magic!”

“And adorable.”

I felt heat rise in my cheeks. “Caelen—”

“What? It’s true. You were adorable, terrifying, and magnificent.”

“You’re impossible.”

“I’m honest.”

“Same thing.”

He grinned. “See? This is why we work well together.”

“Do we?”

“We do. You challenge me. I ground you. You bring the fire, I bring the strategy.”

“And if I’m not ready for… this?” I gestured between us.

“Then I wait. But I don’t disappear.”

I studied his face in the moonlight, seeing the sincerity there, the patience. “Why?”

“Because you’re worth waiting for.”

The words hung between us, simple and profound.

And then, everything shifted.

The breeze that had been tugging at the leaves stilled completely, like the forest had sucked in a breath and forgotten how to exhale. My vampire instincts stirred beneath my skin, alert, and uneasy.

Caelen’s head turned sharply, eyes narrowing. “You feel that?”

“Something’s off.”

Even before I finished the sentence, I saw it, a flicker of movement through the trees. It was quick, and controlled. Then I saw the glint of steel, and crossbow bolts.

Shit.

“It’s an ambush!” Caelen’s voice rang out across the trees as he reached for the horn at his belt. The sharp call pierced the air.

Everything erupted.

Vampires moved with inhuman speed. Hisses of rage rose in alarm. Shouts tore through the forest as crossbow bolts began to rain down, sharp and fast. The enemy knew exactly where to aim.

I didn’t think.

I let the power take me.

The heat of it was instant, blistering. My vampire nature exploded outward, every enhanced sense amplifying. Crimson light burst from my skin, brighter than fire. Power exploded from me, pure and violent and divine.

Gasps tore through the trees. I felt their shock ripple through the ranks.

The Blood Princess.

I was no longer just Vera. I was something else entirely.

Three attackers burst from the brush, masked and silent. I met them head-on.

My body collided with the first, sending him crashing into a tree. The crack of his ribs echoed through the clearing. Another slashed across my arm, pain seared through me, but I didn’t falter. I turned on him, fangs bared, and sank them into his throat. Blood sprayed the ground, and I felt the ancient power surge through me.

“Vera!” Caelen shouted from somewhere to my left.

I whipped around to see him struggling with two attackers, his blade flashing in the moonlight. He moved with deadly grace, but he was outnumbered.

“Behind you!” I screamed, spotting another figure emerging from the shadows.

But he was already moving toward me, thinking I was the one in danger. I tried to move, to warn him, but I was seconds too late.

A crossbow bolt arced through the air, aimed directly at my heart.

He crashed into me, wrapping his arms around my glowing frame, shielding me with his body just as the bolt found its mark.

It slammed into his shoulder with a sickening thunk.

“NO!” I screamed.

He collapsed beside me, his body hitting the dirt hard. His breathing came in short, ragged gasps.

“Caelen!” I dropped to my knees beside him, my hands hovering over the bolt protruding from his shoulder. “Why did you do that?”

“Because,” he gasped, his face pale but his eyes still focused on mine, “you’re more important than I am.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is to me.”

Blood was seeping through his shirt, dark and spreading. I pressed my hands against the wound, trying to stem the flow.

“Don’t you dare die on me,” I whispered fiercely.