Damien's POV
I don't know why I didn't say it.
Why didn't I say that I loved him too?
The thought had been tormenting me for days, a cruel echo that gnawed at my chest like a restless animal. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face again, the hurt in Adrian's eyes when I turned away, the way his breath caught as if he was waiting for something… something I could've given him, but didn't.
I should've said it. I should've told him that I loved him too.
But I didn't.
Because I was a coward.
Because I knew what it meant, for him, for me, for our kingdoms. Love between a wolf and a vampire was not something written in fate. It was a curse disguised as affection.
And even if it didn't end with our deaths, it would destroy everything we'd built.
Adrian and I had both been raised on duty.
We were born to wear crowns that weighed more than our hearts could bear. What right did I have to risk his life for a feeling?
Yet, despite my reasoning, the ache never stopped.
I remembered the way he used to look at me when no one was watching, like he could see through the layers of my armor, straight into the pieces of me I didn't even know existed.
That look had undone me. And that night, when he'd asked if I loved him, I froze.
My silence was the blade that cut him.
Now, sitting alone in my chamber, the silence was heavier than steel. The moonlight stretched across the marble floor like a ghost, pale and cold. My mind replayed everything, his voice, his touch, his smile, and the way he'd walked away. Every memory was a punishment.
And yet… I couldn't stop loving him.
My thoughts shifted to Selene.
My stubborn sister.
She had refused every talk about marrying the Obsidian Prince, insisting that she'd rather die than marry a man she didn't love. But love had never been a luxury in our world, it was a liability. And I, as her brother and King, would have to force her hand soon. The union with the Obsidian kingdom was the only way to secure peace.
Still, I hated myself for it. For forcing her into something I wouldn't accept for myself. But duty had never cared for feelings.
I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. My heart was still heavy with Adrian's shadow when a knock came at the door.
"Your Majesty," Kael's voice came through.
"Enter," I said, straightening my posture.
Kael stepped in, his expression serious. He bowed quickly. "Two vampire elders are here to see you."
I frowned. "Elders?"
He nodded. "They say they come in peace and mean no harm."
That was… unusual. Vampires didn't visit without purpose, especially not their elders. "Did they say what they wanted?"
"No, only that it is urgent."
I stood immediately, adjusting the clasp on my robe. "Take me to them."
Kael nodded and led the way down the long corridors of stone and silence. My boots echoed faintly as we descended toward the main hall. My mind raced through a thousand possibilities, none of them good.
When we reached the front court, I saw them.
Two old men stood in the center of the room, cloaked in long garments of deep crimson. Their faces were lined with centuries, pale and grave. One had sharp blue eyes that glowed faintly under the torchlight, Elder Volrian, I would later learn and the other, Elder Caelius, had silver hair that fell past his shoulders, his expression as unreadable as marble.
Both bowed low.
"Your Majesty," Volrian said in a voice like gravel, "we come in peace."
I folded my arms. "Peace is a rare thing for vampires to bring. Speak."
Caelius exchanged a glance with Volrian before stepping forward. "We would request to speak with you in private. It concerns His Highness, King Adrian."
At the sound of Adrian's name, my heart skipped.
"What about him?" I asked, trying to sound unaffected.
"It would be better spoken in private," Caelius replied softly.
Kael moved forward immediately. "No, if you have something to say, say it here. No wolf will allow a vampire to whisper secrets to our king."
Caelius frowned slightly but said nothing. Volrian sighed. "We mean no disrespect. But this concerns delicate matters, the kind that could start wars if overheard."
I studied them both, their sincerity hard to read. "Fine," I said at last. "Follow me. Kael, you're coming too."
They didn't object.
We walked into the inner chamber, a dimly lit room with iron walls and high windows that filtered in only the faintest moonlight. I gestured to the chairs, but both elders shook their heads.
"We dare not sit comfortably in the den of wolves," Volrian murmured.
"Suit yourselves," I said coldly, settling into my own seat. "Now tell me what this is about."
Volrian hesitated. Then his voice lowered. "His Highness, King Adrian, is being accused of treason."
For a moment, I didn't understand the words.
Then they sank in, and my blood ran cold.
"Treason?" I repeated, my voice sharper now. "What in the gods' name are you talking about?"
Caelius's eyes flickered to mine. "It is believed that His Highness has been engaged in… an affair with a wolf."
My breath caught.
The world went silent.
For a heartbeat, I couldn't move. My hands clenched against my knees as my pulse roared in my ears. Had someone seen us? How? We had been careful, shadows within shadows, our meetings hidden in the night. No one could have known.
No one.
I looked at Kael. He was staring at the elders in disbelief, his jaw tight. "That's impossible," he said quickly.
I forced myself to speak. "And where did you get this absurd idea?"
Volrian nodded grimly. "There have been witnesses. Servants who claim to have seen His Highness leaving the palace late at night, multiple times. Always alone."
My heart pounded. I could feel sweat forming on my palms.
"Leaving the palace does not mean betrayal," I snapped.
"Perhaps," Caelius said. "But there was also a letter found in his chambers, a confession of sorts. No name mentioned, but it speaks of love… with someone of royal blood."
The air seemed to vanish.
A letter.
He wrote it down.
Of course he did. Adrian always had a habit of putting his heart on paper when his mouth failed him.
I tried to steady my breathing. "And what proof do you have?"
Volrian's gaze was heavy. "The letter hints at someone of royal descent, someone within your palace walls. Rumor now spreads that His Highness has been seeing your sister Lady Selene."
"What?" The word tore from me before I could stop it.
"That's impossible."
Kael's head snapped toward me. "My lord..."
"No," I said, standing now. "Selene has nothing to do with this. She hasn't left this palace in months."
Volrian raised a brow. "And how would you know that, Your Majesty?"
My temper flared. "Because she's my sister, and I know where she is every moment of the day."
The room fell into a tense silence.
I took a deep breath, forcing calm. "What did Adrian say when confronted with this… letter?"
The two elders exchanged a glance. Then Caelius answered quietly, "We haven't confronted him. His Highness… is missing."
For a moment, I thought I'd misheard.
"Missing?" I repeated. "What do you mean missing?"
Volrian looked uneasy. "He hasn't been seen for three days. The council believes he eloped with his lover."
"Eloped?" My voice cracked. "That's impossible. Selene is here, in this palace, preparing for her marriage alliance as we speak."
Both elders looked startled. "You're certain?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "Whatever rumors you've heard, they're lies."
The two vampires glanced at each other, their eyes wide. Then they both bowed low.
"Then it seems the truth has been twisted further than we feared. We must return and inform the court."
They turned swiftly and left the chamber.
For a while, the room was silent.
Only Kael and I remained, both frozen in the weight of what we'd just heard.
Kael was the first to speak. "My lord… what do you plan to do?"
I didn't answer at first. My mind was a storm, confusion, anger, fear all swirling together.
Kael continued, "The vampires seem to already be hunting him. And you..." his voice lowered, "you could be next. They might realize soon enough that you were the one he was seeing."
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my skin. "I know."
He hesitated. "And Selene?"
I swallowed hard. "She mustn't hear of this."
He bowed slightly, his eyes full of worry. "As you command."
Then he turned and left me in the silence.
The moment the door closed, I let myself breathe. But it wasn't steady, it was ragged, uneven.
Adrian.
Gone.
Accused of treason.
The words echoed in my head until I thought I'd go mad.
He would never abandon his kingdom. Not like this. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
I leaned against the cold wall, pressing a hand to my chest. My heart was still racing. I could already imagine the whispers spreading, the vampire king eloped with his wolf lover. The thought made bile rise in my throat. They would call him a traitor, and me… a seducer. A monster.
I sank into a chair, my mind racing through every possibility. Did he run away? Was he captured? Or worse…
No. I couldn't think that.
But then I remembered his face that night, the look in his eyes when I stayed silent.
The heartbreak.
The loneliness.
The way he'd turned away from me, as if all the light had left him.
What if he'd done something reckless?
What if my silence had broken him?
My chest ached painfully.
"No," I whispered to the empty room. "You wouldn't, Adrian. You're stronger than that."
But doubt crept in like poison.
I looked toward the window. The night stretched endlessly beyond it, dark and merciless. Somewhere out there, he was alone. Maybe in danger. Maybe waiting for me to find him.
Maybe hating me for not saying I loved him back.
I rose to my feet, my decision burning quietly inside me. If he was missing, then I would have to find him. Even if it meant crossing enemy lines. I was scared. I am scared. I don't want to fail my kingdom but i wouldn't be able to have peace knowing that he is missing. I have to look for him.
I owed him that much.
Because love, forbidden or not doesn't disappear with silence.
It echoes.
It just echoes.