Jason's POVLove was an emotion I scorned, a treacherous path I had vowed never to tread as I embraced solitude, finding comfort in the predictable patterns of my existence as the vampire prince and next in line to rule. I had my life all planned out, and love was not part of it. I can have a queen and children, but that doesn't force love into it because I can marry without falling in love.In my eyes, the world was a constant cycle of fleeting connections, leaving behind scars of betrayal and shattered expectations, so I had vowed to shield myself from such entanglements, locking my heart away, safe from the agony that love brought.My heart was the most precious part of me and the most vulnerable—the easiest path to my destruction—so I vowed to protect it and never hand it to any woman, knowing it was indirectly a death wish. It was suicidal. I really thought it worked until now.After almost 15 years of being celibate and all to myself, rejecting every single lady that advanced a

"Are you with me or against me? You have to give me a reply now." He repeated, his face far from smiling, so stern that I knew it would be useless to try convincing him to change his mind. He was very ready to face whatever would come out of this abominable romance with a werewolf.My lips were slightly shaking as my brain went blank and my throat dried up. I stared at him without knowing what to say. My entire being was divided into two, one was against him, and the other, which included my heart, badly needed to be by his side. Going against him means I won't be his friend anymore and will have to side with the king and the clan to fight him."I don't know why it's hard for you to choose. I won't hurt you for making any choice. Seriously, I would love it if you told me to my face that you could never be part of this sh*t. Say it because I know that's what's on your mind." He hissed and exhaled, licking his lips in a way that was so seductive in my eyes that I felt a great urge to p

"Be alert and sense any slight movement you notice. We must not lose him!!" A commanding, angry voice roared through the silence of the night, and right there where I was hiding, I kept thinking about the next step to take.Jumping out and fighting was the only thought I had in mind, but I knew so well that with their numbers, I stood no chance of escape. I could kill as much as I could, but eventually I would be caught, and with how evil these werewolves are, I was surely going to see hell.Adding that I had just murdered those two bodyguards, they were sure to torture me really painfully and cruelly, but that wasn't my fear, my greatest concern was my parents. If they ever hear the news of me being caught, it would really be a big blow, especially when they begin to face all sorts of humiliation and suffering from my capture.Have I really failed before the battle could even start? Was I stupid to sneak into the royal palace to kill those bodyguards just because they hit on Selene?

My eyes glimpsed Jake, and he was motionless, and the horrifying thought of his death wreaked havoc in me, forcing my lips apart as I attempted to scream his name, but all that came out was a gasp with another wave of pain.Just at that moment, I began to hear running footsteps. At first, I thought it was those hunters coming for us, but sooner I realized it was one person, but I couldn't raise my face to see who it was.I fought against the paralysis that threatened to consume me, every muscle straining with a desperate yearning for escape. But my body betrayed me, my limbs were weak and unresponsive, robbed of their usual strength."Oh, no!!" I heard her gasp as she drew closer."Please don't hurt me. Selene sent me to give you both the antidote." She muttered nervously, and the next minute I felt her push a pill inside my mouth.As the bitter taste of the antidote spread across my tongue, a glimmer of hope flickered within me. I swallowed the elixir, feeling it course down my throa

Selene's POVThe two bodyguards were standing tall with both fists clenched, their muscles bulging and pumping as they both stared intently at Joy with the desire to kill brimming in their eyes.But one thing I was so sure of inside of me was that there was no way Joy would die in front of me. I would stop them, so I tried to convince myself.But how?Will those vampire powers return like they did on my birthday? That was a question that kept echoing in my head and sending chills down my spine.It is only a matter of a few minutes before these monsters will pounce on Joy. How will I stop them?Tears rolled down my face as my breath became shallow and rough. As I peered at the Luna in fury, she ignored me entirely, even when I shouted at them. It was like my voice was only heard by myself as they went on with what they were doing without glancing at me.Everyone in the room knew I was a weakling who could never stop them, and the Luna deliberately planned Joy's death here, in front of