Moonlight filtered through the window, outlining Danifae's sleeping figure. Her breathing was shallow and steady, long lashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes. She was like an edelweiss blooming in the dark—pure, unblemished, and so fragile it ached. My chest tightened.
What exactly lay within her? That red light, that overwhelming power that could purify everything in an instant, exceeded all I had ever known. The Primordial Force mentioned in the clan's ancient texts, described in vague, almost mystical terms… I had never imagined it would appear before my eyes. And its bearer was my Danifae.
I sat at the edge of the bed, my palm brushing gently over her forehead. The cool touch reminded me of the rainy night we first met. She had been trembling then, like an abandoned kitten. Who could have guessed that such a frail body hid power enough to unmake the world?
That power was a double-edged sword. It could protect her, but it could also make her a target. Every race, every greedy eye, every force lurking in the dark would crave it. I could not let anyone discover it. Never.
The sky paled at the horizon, and Danifae slowly opened her eyes. She stretched sleepily, then smiled sweetly when she saw me.
"Charles? You're awake? Why are you sitting here?" Her voice was soft, husky with sleep.
I forced a smile, hiding the weariness in my eyes. The corrosive marks on my arm still throbbed faintly, even after I'd cleaned them last night. It was one reason I hadn't slept. I couldn't let her notice.
"I couldn't sleep. I wanted to watch you," I murmured, my thumb brushing gently over her cheek. She closed her eyes, like a cat savoring affection.
"You're so cheesy," she muttered, her cheeks flushing, but she didn't pull away.
I looked at her innocent, carefree expression, my heart tangled in conflicting emotions. How was I supposed to tell her? Or rather, how was I supposed to hide everything? Her innocence was her charm—and her greatest weakness.
"Hungry? I'll make breakfast." I changed the subject quickly and stood up.
"Okay! I want strawberry waffles!" she cheered.
In the kitchen, I prepared breakfast absentmindedly. Carlos's voice echoed in my head—at any cost. Yes. At any cost. I had to find her a way out before she was swept into this storm.
My phone vibrated. An encrypted message from Carlos. Only a few words: Preliminary findings. Call immediately.
My heart clenched. So soon?
I called back at once.
"Master Charles," Carlos's voice was heavy. "Miss Danifae's family… is far more complicated than we thought."
My grip on the phone tightened. "Explain."
"Her mother was no ordinary vampire. According to our investigation, she was once a minor member of the Bloodmoon Council—a secret organization disbanded a century ago."
The Bloodmoon Council. The name pierced my composure like a shard of ice. A fanatical sect of extremist vampires, who believed in vampire supremacy and had drenched the world in blood. My clan had fought them to the brink of annihilation.
"That… that can't be," I breathed.
"We're digging deeper into old records. Miss Danifae's mother was listed as having died in an accident. But we've found inconsistencies. Her death appears linked to a secret experiment targeting the Primordial Bloodline."
"Primordial Bloodline?" My throat went dry.
"Yes. Clan archives mention that those who awaken the Primordial Bloodline possess the power to purify all things—and to devour everything. They are seen as abominations, either worshipped as gods… or erased completely."
"Devour everything…" The words weighed on me like a boulder. Within Danifae lay both purification and consumption. What a dangerous balance.
Carlos paused, choosing his words carefully. "We've also detected unknown forces secretly contacting families once tied to the Bloodmoon Council. Their goal… it seems they're searching for an Awakened One."
I fell silent. Danger had been here all along, and I'd been blind. Danifae, my Danifae, hadn't stumbled into power by accident. She was the vessel. Every day she lived, she walked on thin ice.
"Master Charles?" Carlos prompted softly.
"Keep investigating. Stay hidden," I whispered, every word a firm command. "Find out exactly who those unknown forces are and what they want. And the Bloodmoon Council—was it truly destroyed?"
"Understood."
I hung up, my hand still trembling. The world, so calm on the surface, seethed with undercurrents. Danifae's identity was far more tangled than I'd imagined. I'd once thought loving her was enough to give her a peaceful future. I'd been so foolish.
"Charles! The waffles are burning!" Danifae called from the kitchen doorway, a hint of reproach in her voice.
I jolted back to my senses. Smoke curled from the oven, the waffles charred black at the edges. I fumbled to shut it off, flustered.
"Sorry. I was distracted." I tried to sound normal.
She stepped closer, glanced at the burnt waffles, and giggled. "It's okay. Did you not sleep well? You have dark circles."
She reached up, her fingertips brushing beneath my eyes. Her concern warmed me, yet left a bitter ache in my chest. I couldn't tell her. She would be terrified. She would blame herself. She was too kind; she would think her very existence had brought me trouble.
"I'm fine. Just clan business," I lied easily.
"Then please rest. Don't push yourself too hard." She tilted her head up, eyes clear as spring water. That purity only strengthened my resolve to protect her.
After breakfast, I drove Danifae to the café where she worked. She was just an ordinary barista, busy every day, yet always finding joy in simple things.
"Will it be busy today?" I asked, my gaze soft.
"Probably. The gallery next door has a new exhibition. It should bring in plenty of customers." She tied her apron, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear in the mirror.
"Call me if anything happens," I reminded her.
She smiled and nodded, rising on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to my cheek. "Got it, my overprotective lord."
I watched her walk into the café, a heavy stone weighing on my heart. She thought my protectiveness was just possessiveness. She had no idea it was meant to seal her away from all harm.
I drove away. Today, I had to visit the clan's forbidden archives. There, I might find more detailed records of the Primordial Force. My ancestors were among the first werewolves to sign a peace treaty with vampires. They might have left warnings… or clues on how to fight what was coming.
At the entrance to the clan estate, old John, my personal steward, approached. His expression was uncommonly grave.
"Master, the Council of Elders requests your presence at once." His voice was low.
The Council? My heart skipped. They rarely summoned me unless something of grave importance had occurred. Had they sensed something? Or had Carlos's investigation alerted hidden forces?
"I'm coming." My face remained calm, but my mind raged.
Inside the ancient hall, the air was suffocating. Several elders sat around the massive round table, their eyes sharp as blades, fixed on me. At the head stood my uncle, Elder Charles—white-haired, piercing-eyed, the most conservative and unyielding member of the clan.
"Charles," he said, his voice steeped in unchallengeable authority. "We've heard rumors. About your… vampire companion."
My pupils constricted. They already knew?
"What rumors?" I asked, feigning composure.
"Rumors of unusual… phenomena surrounding her," another elder spoke, suspicion and wariness thick in his tone. "Witnesses claim a mysterious red light has appeared near her."
Red light. My heart plummeted. Sure enough, Danifae's power had been seen. There were no secrets in this world.
"Nonsense," I said coldly. "She is an ordinary vampire. Perhaps a trick of light, or malicious gossip."
"Gossip?" Elder Charles scoffed. "Charles, have you forgotten the blood feud between werewolves and vampires? Your union with one already defies our ancestors' laws!"
"The peace treaty was signed a century ago," I met his gaze directly. "This is a new age. We are no longer enemies. Besides, love knows no race."
"Love?" Elder Charles's lips curled in disdain. "What could an ordinary vampire possibly be worth your loyalty? Do not forget—you are the future of this clan. Your mate determines the purity of our bloodline!"
"Her bloodline is none of our concern," I refused to back down.
"None of our concern?" Elder Charles slammed his fist on the table. "Stop deceiving yourself! We have reliable information. Danifae is no ordinary vampire. Her mother was involved in the catastrophic Primordial Bloodline experiment a century ago!"
I froze. They knew even that. Carlos had only just uncovered traces, yet the elders already possessed far more. That meant the Council had been acting in secret long before.
"Experiment? What experiment?" I demanded, my voice low.
"A forbidden ritual intended to awaken the Primordial Bloodline!" a female elder cut in, fear in her tone. "A power terrible enough to destroy the world. Should it awaken, no living thing would be spared."
"And now, that power appears to be reawakening inside her." Elder Charles stared at me, his gaze sharp enough to pierce my soul. "Charles, you must choose. The clan… or that vampire?"
Pressure crashed over me. They knew more than I'd feared. They might even suspect Danifae was the Awakened One. One wrong move, and they—or forces behind them—would hurl her into the abyss.
"She means no harm. She is kind," I gritted out.
"Kind?" Elder Charles laughed coldly. "The nature of power is not defined by goodness. It is defined by control. And she, a helpless vampire, cannot wield that power."
Rage burned inside me. They knew nothing of Danifae. They only saw the threat she represented.
"I will not abandon her," my voice was low, but unshakably firm. "I will protect her."
Elder Charles stood, his tall figure casting a shadow over the light. He stepped before me, eyes icy. "You are naïve, Charles. This is not a burden you can bear alone. If that power truly lives within her, then—for the safety of the clan, for the order of all beings—we must eliminate the threat."
Eliminate. The word stabbed through me. I clenched my fists so tight my nails dug into my palms.
"No one touches her," I said, each word frigid enough to freeze the hall. I stared back at them, a wild thought taking root. If they insisted on harming Danifae, I would not stand idle. Even if it meant turning against the entire world.
"Charles! You defy the authority of the Council!" an elder shouted.
I ignored them. My gaze cut through all their protests, filled only with deep worry for Danifae and desperate resolve. I would not let them lay a finger on her. I had to act faster, more quietly than they did.
I left the hall, my entire body trembling—not from fear, but from rage and a madness ready to erupt. My clan, once my shelter, had become a threat. And Danifae was still in the café, innocently making coffee, completely unaware.
I pulled out my phone and called Carlos again.
"Speed up every investigation," I ordered, my voice low and fierce. "From now on, we don't just investigate—we guard. Deploy every available man. Watch Danifae closely. Any suspicious person, any suspicious force—report immediately."
"Master Charles, what's happened?" Carlos detected the urgency in my tone.
"The Council knows," I whispered, each word forced through my teeth. "They're watching Danifae. They know about her power. I need everything you have on the table before they make a move."
On the other end, Carlos fell silent. "Understood. I will not fail you."
I hung up and stared into the distance. The sky was dark, as if a storm loomed. My Danifae had no idea a tempest was closing in. And I would shield her from it, no matter what. Even if it meant breaking with my clan, with every force that craved her power. I did not hesitate. My oath, in this moment, was heavier than any treaty.