Dinner should not have felt like a battlefield.
And yet—
sitting at the Malhotra family dining table with four vampire women who could each probably destroy kingdoms before dessert…
It absolutely did.
Mother had somehow decided the solution to supernatural political tension was more food.
Honestly, I respected that.
Father sat at the head of the table like a king disguised as a calm middle-class man.
Mother controlled the kitchen.
Which made her more dangerous.
Ananya observed everyone as if she were collecting legal evidence.
Kavya looked spiritually fulfilled.
Riya had stopped pretending this was normal three disasters ago.
And me—
I sat in the centre of destruction.
Wonderful.
To my left—
Seraphina.
Elegant.
Silent.
Territorially calm.
Which was much worse than anger.
To my right—
Valeria.
Smiling.
Bold.
Entirely too comfortable in my house.
Across from me—
Selene.
Silver-haired moonlight and dangerous patience.
Beside her—
Lilith.
Royal calm.
Watching everything.
No one trusted peace.
Correctly.
Mother placed more food on the table.
"Eat first. Fight later."
The fact that everyone silently obeyed her was proof that true power did not need bloodlines.
Valeria took a bite and looked impressed.
"I like your mother."
Mother smiled warmly.
"She says that now. Wait until she learns I ask questions."
Valeria smiled brighter.
"I enjoy dangerous women."
Father looked up from his tea.
"Good. Survival improves with honesty."
Legend.
Absolute legend.
Kavya leaned toward me and whispered,
"If you survive this, I expect a detailed explanation for future generations."
I whispered back,
"If I survive this, I'm becoming a monk."
She looked at the four women.
"No, you're not."
Fair.
Very fair.
Then—
The war resumed.
Softly.
Elegantly.
Dangerously.
Seraphina placed her glass down.
Her crimson eyes moved to Valeria.
"You kissed him without permission."
Straight to violence.
I appreciated efficiency.
Valeria smiled.
"I was unaware I needed your approval."
Selene calmly added,
"You usually need common sense first."
Lilith took a sip of wine.
"This is becoming educational."
I was surrounded by terrible women.
Perfect.
Valeria leaned back.
"He responded well."
Seraphina's gaze sharpened.
"Careful."
Valeria smiled.
"Jealous?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Beautiful.
Seraphina stood.
That was usually a sign of either emotional honesty or murder.
Possibly both.
She walked around the table slowly.
Stopped beside me.
And without warning—
placed one hand on my shoulder.
Possessive.
Clear.
Terrifyingly elegant.
Her voice was low.
Cold.
Certain.
"I do not get jealous."
She looked directly at Valeria.
"I simply dislike people touching what is already mine."
The room forgot how breathing worked.
Kavya whispered,
"This is cinema."
Riya nodded with religious sincerity.
Valeria stood too.
Of course she did.
Fire always answered fire.
She walked closer until both women stood like rival queens preparing history.
Then she smiled.
Bright.
Dangerous.
"Then perhaps you should hold onto him tighter."
Amazing.
Truly amazing.
Before someone started a blood duel over dinner plates, Selene stood.
No raised voice.
No drama.
Which somehow made it worse.
She walked to my side and calmly adjusted my tie.
The same tie.
Again.
Apparently, vampire women believed neckwear was political territory.
Her voice was soft.
Smooth.
Moonlight wrapped in warning.
"Temporary possession is inefficient."
She looked at both of them.
"I prefer permanence."
Silence.
Even Father respected that one.
Lilith finally stood.
And suddenly, even the air paid attention.
She walked toward me with royal calm.
No need to compete loudly.
Queens did not rush.
She stopped directly in front of me.
Close enough to make every heartbeat in the room noticeable.
Then—
She touched the silver ring Father had given me.
Her fingers lingered.
Her crimson eyes met mine.
And she said quietly—
"I prefer choice."
Simple.
Clean.
Terrifying.
Because that one meant the most.
Not claim.
Not instinct.
Choice.
The room fell still.
Not politics anymore.
Not performance.
Something real.
Something dangerous.
I looked at all four of them.
Seraphina.
The first blood bond.
Fire and possession.
Selene.
Moonlight and patience.
Quiet obsession.
Lilith.
Power and choice.
A queen who looked at me like an equal.
Valeria.
Chaos and certainty.
A storm that kissed first and asked never.
And me—
a former assassin king standing in a kitchen with the women who could ruin me beautifully.
Honestly?
Life had improved.
Dangerously.
I stood slowly.
Every eye followed.
Good.
I preferred honesty, too.
I looked at Seraphina first.
Then Selene.
Then Lilith.
Then Valeria.
And I said the only true thing.
"You are all impossible."
Kavya whispered,
"Romantic."
I ignored her.
I stepped closer to Seraphina.
My fingers lightly traced the mark near her wrist.
The bond pulsed.
She stilled.
I lowered my voice.
"But you stayed."
Then Selene.
I touched the edge of her hand.
Cool.
Steady.
Moonlight.
"You came back."
A flicker in her eyes.
Rare.
Important.
Then Lilith.
I leant slightly closer.
Close enough that only she heard.
"You challenged me."
Her lips curved faintly.
Victory.
Then Valeria.
I touched her chin lightly and tilted it up.
Dangerous woman.
Perfect trouble.
"And you never asked permission."
She smiled.
"Never."
I looked at all of them again.
And smiled.
Slowly.
Honestly.
"I don't belong to any of you."
Silence.
Then—
I stepped even closer.
My voice dropped lower.
"But if I choose…"
The blood bond marks burnt softly.
Ancient.
Certain.
"…I choose with everything."
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Because that was the truth.
Kings did not belong.
They decided.
And maybe—
for the first time—
They understood that.
Then Mother walked in carrying dessert.
Perfect timing.
She looked at the silence.
Then at all of us.
Then sighed.
"No dramatic declarations before sweets."
Absolute authority.
No one argued.
Even vampire queens respected dessert.
And somehow—
The first night of jealous queens ended not with blood…
But with cake.
Honestly?
That felt more dangerous.
Because a delayed war was still a war.
And tomorrow—
It would continue.
But tonight—
for the first time—
It felt less like a throne war
and more like the beginning of something none of us could control.
Something worse.
Something softer.
Something far more terrifying.
Love.