“Darling, you must have drunk some tainted blood.” Clarence gently helped me back into the car, handing me a flask of fresh, crimson liquid. “Let me take you to the blood bank. You can have anything you want.”

I shook my head, trying to look weak and harmless. “No, it’s alright. I think my energy has just been low lately.”

“Then let me throw a party for you, help you relax,” he suggested, ever the thoughtful husband. “Would the Lady of House Thorne do me the honor?”

An idea sparked, sharp and cruel. I smiled. “Of course. Could we have it at the Waldorf Astoria? I’ve always loved the decor there.”

A flicker of panic crossed Clarence’s eyes, but he masked it quickly. “Of course, my love. I’ll have it arranged immediately.”

I knew what he was thinking.

The risk of us both being at the same hotel was too high.

But he couldn’t refuse the small request of his “sick” mate, could he?

Back home, Clarence was exceptionally attentive. He brought me the purest blood, insisted I stay in bed, and checked on me every hour.

The perfect husband.

But I saw the text he sent Seraphina on his phone:

“Change of plans. Meet me in the private blood cellar beneath the hotel tomorrow. It’s more discreet. More… stimulating. Imagine what we can do amongst those expensive vintages…”

Kitten Seraphina: “Sounds amazing! I’ll wear that red silk dress you like. With nothing underneath.”

The sound of the shower turning off in the bathroom brought me back. I quickly put the phone down.

Clarence emerged with a towel knotted at his waist, water droplets tracing paths down his muscular chest. Five hundred years ago, the sight would have made my heart race. Now, it just filled me with disgust.

“Feeling any better?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed to feel my forehead.

I nodded silently.

Just then, Clarence noticed the obsidian gift box on my nightstand.

He smiled softly. “I still haven’t seen the gift you prepared for me…”

He reached for it, but I stopped him.

“I want you to open it in a week. Think of it as a surprise, okay?”

He looked at me, puzzled. “Why a week?”

I gave him a mysterious smile. “Because by then, you’ll understand its true meaning.”

Clarence shrugged, placing the box in his nightstand drawer. “Alright. If that’s what you want.”

The next morning, Clarence was up early, preparing breakfast for me in the dining room.

Fresh blood in a crystal goblet, garnished with my favorite black rose petals.

A perfect breakfast from a perfect husband.

Then, the doorbell rang.

One of Clarence’s men stood outside, holding a refrigerated case.

“Your Highness. The… delivery… you requested,” the man said furtively, avoiding my gaze.

But I could smell it. A rare, vibrant vintage of blood, no doubt a “delicacy” for their little rendezvous.

After the man left, Clarence returned to the table and continued his breakfast as if nothing had happened.

I stirred the blood in my goblet. “Clarence, I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

I looked up at him. “How important do you think loyalty is between mates?”

Clarence froze for a split second before raising his goblet. “Of course, it’s important. Loyalty is the foundation of everything.”

“Is it?” I asked, playing the part of a naive wife. “So, you would never betray me?”

Clarence immediately set down his glass and placed a hand over the blood bond rune on his chest.

It was the symbol of our union, a sacred vow for vampire mates.

“I swear on my immortal life,” he said, looking me straight in the eye, his tone solemn and sincere, “I will only be loyal to you, Molly. You are my mate, my queen, the only light in my eternal night.”

His performance was flawless. If I didn’t know the truth, I might have actually been moved to tears.

“And if you did betray me?” I asked, raising my goblet, my gaze turning cold.

Clarence, oblivious, even managed a relaxed smile. “Then may my power turn to dust and my life be forfeit.”

I took a sip of blood, savoring the metallic tang.

“Good, my dear. I’ll remember that.”

“I want to go by myself.”

On the way to the hotel, Clarence looked at me, confused. “Why? You always ride with me.”

Because I couldn’t bear to sit in the passenger seat where his new pet had sat countless times.

The thought of Seraphina there, whining for him to pull over so he could feed from her, made me want to vomit.

But I just said, “I feel like being independent tonight.”

Clarence thought nothing of it.

When he took my arm and we entered the hotel, the other vampires stared with a mixture of envy and awe.

In this world, being the consort to Prince Thorne was a dream for countless vampire women.

They had no idea what the position truly cost.

Several Coven elders came to greet us.

Clarence kept his hand on the small of my back, poured me the finest vintage of blood, and whispered in my ear, “This vintage is priceless, but it pales in comparison to your beauty.”

Once, those words would have made me blush.

Now, they just made me want to laugh. In his heart, my worth was clearly less than that of a stripper blood thrall.

Dinner went smoothly, at least on the surface.

Clarence discussed Coven business, occasionally turning to me for my opinion.

I played the part of the perfect Prince’s consort: elegant, intelligent, involved but never overstepping.

At 8:20, Clarence glanced at his watch. “Darling, I need to meet a business partner downstairs. It should only take half an hour.”

“Of course,” I smiled. “I’ll be here.”

A few minutes later, I excused myself from the banquet hall, feigning a headache, and called him.

He answered on the third ring.

“Hey, my love. What’s wrong?” Clarence sounded a bit rushed.

“I’m feeling a little dizzy,” I said, my voice weak. “When will you be back?”

“Soon. Just give me… fifteen more minutes.” His voice suddenly became muffled, as if he was struggling to control something.

And then I heard it.

A woman’s breathless giggle, followed by an obscene sound of swallowing.

“Clarence? Where are you?” I kept my tone worried.

“In… in the office,” he answered, breathing heavily. “My partner just arrived.”

“Mmm… Clarence…” a woman’s breathy moan came from the background.

My hand tightened around my goblet, my knuckles white.

It was unmistakably Seraphina’s voice.

“Darling, you sound strange,” I said, intentionally dragging out the call. “Are you sure everything is alright?”

“Of course… ah…” Clarence struggled to keep his voice steady, but I could tell exactly what he was doing. “This partner is just a bit… demanding.”

“Oh yes, Clarence… right there…” Seraphina’s voice was a blur, clearly unaware the line was still open.

“Hurry, kitten,” Clarence’s voice deepened. “I need to… taste you… now.”

The damning, frantic sound of him swallowing echoed down the line.

I quickly switched on my phone’s recorder, calmly documenting it all.

“Clarence? Clarence?” I called out, feigning panic.

“What? Oh, sorry, my love,” he said, now panting. “Bad signal. I’ll be right up.”

“Okay. I love you,” I said in my sweetest voice.

“I love you too.”

The lie slipped from his tongue so naturally, so practiced.

I saved the recording and returned to the table as if nothing had happened.

Forty minutes later, Clarence returned to the dining room.

His hair was slightly disheveled, his tie crooked, but his face was flushed with satisfaction.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, my love,” he said, sitting beside me. “That partner was a tough negotiation.”

I turned to him and offered a perfect smile. “It’s fine. Business is business.”

He reached for my hand. “You’re the best mate in the world.”

Just then, my phone buzzed.

“The identity glamour and trail-covering spells are ready. Departure in five days.”

I quickly locked the screen, but Clarence caught a glimpse of the message.

“Departure?” he asked, looking at me with a frown. “Molly, are you going somewhere?”

I let out a small laugh, answering casually, “Oh, that’s my friend Maria. She wants to see the Northern Lights, but her human ID expired. She was just asking me about the renewal process. You know how she is with all that human paperwork.”

My tone was light and natural, betraying nothing.

Clarence immediately relaxed, a look of sheepishness on his face. “Sorry, my love. For a second, I thought you were going to leave me.”

His words drew envious glances from the noblewomen at nearby tables. See how devoted Prince Thorne is to me.

I hid a cold smirk behind my crystal goblet.

To the outside world, we were still the perfect, enviable couple.

At 10:30, the banquet was winding down.

When we were the last two left in the restaurant, Clarence came to my side, reaching for an embrace. “Tonight was perfect.”

As he drew near, a mixed scent hit me.

Cigar smoke, the metallic tang of expensive blood, and that damnable, sickly-sweet scent of Seraphina.

That cloying, nauseating smell was radiating from his collar, his cuffs.

He hadn’t even bothered to mask it. Or perhaps he was so used to it, he didn't even notice.

The churning in my stomach returned, ten times stronger than before.

I shoved him away, clamping a hand over my mouth as I vanished, reappearing in the restroom.

“Molly? Darling?” Clarence’s worried voice followed me.

I fell to my knees on the cold marble floor, retching violently.

There was nothing left in my stomach to bring up, only bitter bile.

“What is it? Was the blood off?” Clarence knelt beside me, trying to help me up. “Did you have too much?”

The scent of him, of her, washed over me again, and another wave of dry heaves wracked me.

“Don’t… don’t touch me!” I choked out, pushing his hand away.

“Is it my scent?” he asked, frowning. “I’m sorry, I was hunting with that partner earlier, we fed on a human…”

That excuse was the final spark. The rage inside me exploded.

I slowly pushed myself up, splashing cold water on my face, and met his eyes in the mirror.

He stood there, a picture of innocent concern, as if he truly had no idea what he’d done.

“A hunt?” I bit out, my voice shaking. “You know damn well what it was!”

Clarence froze, stunned. He had never seen me lose control like this. “Molly, what are you talking about?”

I realized I was losing my composure. I forced myself to calm down. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”

The next morning, Clarence insisted on taking me to the Coven’s private clinic.

The vampire physician examined me. “The symptoms point to a psychic disturbance, usually caused by intense emotional distress. Has Lady Thorne been under any particular stress lately?”

Clarence frowned. “No, not at all. We had a lovely time just last night.”

“Perhaps it’s cyclical, then,” the doctor said, beginning to write a prescription. “I’ll prescribe something to regulate her energy.”

Just then, Clarence’s phone lit up.

He glanced at the screen, his expression tensing. “Excuse me, an important call.”

“Go ahead,” I said flatly.

Clarence stepped into the hallway. I could hear his hushed voice. “What? Now? No, I’m with her at the doctor’s… Fine, I understand.”

He returned, his face an apology. “My love, I am so sorry. An underling is delivering an important ancient text. I need to go downstairs to receive it. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

“Go,” I said, feigning understanding.

The doctor continued his diagnosis, but I wasn’t listening. I walked to the window, pretending to admire the view, but my eyes were fixed on the street below.

A few minutes later, I saw him.

He wasn’t waiting by the main entrance for any delivery.

Instead, he strode quickly across the street, slipped into an alley, and dissolved into a swarm of bats, flying away.

I watched him disappear, feeling not anger, but a cold, numb sense of release.

I knew he wouldn't be back in five minutes.

An hour later, my phone buzzed.

A message from an unknown number.

“So sorry, Lady Thorne, but it looks like he won’t be able to keep you company today. All I had to do was whine a little, and he decided to give me the Embrace. To make me his.”