I’m about to enter a blood bond with another vampire lord.

But my partner of a century, Kaelan, has no idea.

He’s too busy getting cozy with his new human assistant, Sylvia.

They spend entire nights in his office, under the guise of “researching synthetic blood.”

He even turned our centennial anniversary into her birthday party.

In front of everyone, Kaelan presented her with a Black Forest cake decorated with Silver Bells.

They laughed, smearing frosting on each other. They forgot the flowers are a deadly poison to me.

My power shattered. Agony ripped through me as shadows lashed out, uncontrollable. My family’s guards had to drag my convulsing body away. And while I recovered alone in the cold, dark vault, Kaelan was still at the party, bathing in the cheers for him and Sylvia.

The blood in my veins turned to ice. A century of love and hope burned to ash.

In that moment, I agreed to my family's arrangement. Without hesitation.

A union with the lord of the Obsidian Throne—a vampire they say is power incarnate.

The moment my mother knew I was done with Kaelan, she started arranging the union.

I had just pulled myself from the vault’s recovery pool. The Silver Bell poison still slithered through my veins. Every inch of my skin ached.

My mother’s voice detonated in my mind—blood-telepathy. Plans for the blood bond flooded my consciousness. The venue, the guest list, the ritual. Every detail, flawless and immediate.

"The union with the Obsidian Throne is set. Three days from now, on the night of the Blood Moon." Her tone was absolute. "My dearest Rosalie, someone who truly wants an eternity with you wouldn't make you wait a century. Kaelan is just using your family's influence to secure his new little Covenant. It's time to wake up, my daughter."

I closed my eyes, feeling the last of the poison fade.

She was right. I waited a century for him.

Countless promises. Countless delays.

It was always so clear to everyone else.

"I agree."

The words brought a relief I'd never known.

My mother was silent for a few seconds. Then, I felt her exhale. "I'll arrange everything. You just need to—"

"Rosalie?"

A familiar voice cut through the silence behind me.

I spun around. Kaelan materialized from a swirl of black mist, his crimson eyes filled with confusion and suspicion.

"Who were you talking to?" He frowned, stepping closer. "I heard the words 'blood bond ceremony'."

I severed the connection with my mother.

"Nothing important."

"Don't lie to me." Kaelan gripped my wrist. His touch was light, but his grip was iron.

"Your emotions are a whirlwind. I can feel them."

I looked at him. At the face I had stared at for a century.

The high bridge of his nose, the thin lips, the red eyes that gleamed in the moonlight.

His cold arm wrapped around my waist. He tried to press into my thoughts. I slammed my mind shut.

He tried to force his way in, but his phone rang.

The night was too quiet. I could clearly hear the woman's fragile, panicked voice.

“Kaelan, I just left the office. I think a rival clan is following me! What do I do? I’m so scared. I’ve been circling the parking garage, but I can’t shake them!”

Kaelan’s protective instincts ignited. His red eyes flashed with danger.

"What? Where are you? Don't be afraid. Find somewhere safe. I'm on my way."

He hung up, the blood bond ceremony completely forgotten.

"Rosa, I have to go."

"Go," I cut him off calmly. "She needs you."

"It's not what you think. She's just—"

"Kaelan," I met his gaze. "Go save your human assistant."

His pupils constricted.

He left me alone again, dissolving into black mist and vanishing into the night to rescue his human.

But he was forgetting one crucial thing. In this dark world of bloodline and power, my family’s ancient name was the only reason he had a throne at all.

After he left, I contacted my Aunt Elara, who manages our family's affairs in Europe, to say my goodbyes.

My parents had left New York centuries ago to claim new territory, and I was left in my aunt's care.

Kaelan's Covenant was next door. That's how we met.

Later, my aunt followed her own mate to the Vatican and sold her manor in New York. I didn't want to disturb her new life, so I moved in with Kaelan.

I never thought I'd be there for a century.

When my aunt heard I was getting married, she gasped.

"Finally! Did that bastard Kaelan finally come to his senses? I told you! A century together! Sometimes you have to push a man to make him appreciate what he has—"

"It's not Kaelan," I said flatly.

The image of my aunt froze.

"Not Kaelan? Then who?"

"The lord of the Obsidian Throne. Damien. An arranged union."

"But you and Kaelan—"

"It's been a century, Aunt Elara," I interrupted, my voice devoid of emotion. "He never once offered me a true blood bond. That says enough about my place in his heart."

My aunt's shock turned to fury. "That ungrateful—"

"This is my choice," I said. "I want an eternal partner. Not an opportunist who sees me as a stepping stone to power."

After the call, I sent a message to my family, requesting a shipment of rare art as a farewell gift for my aunt.

As night fell completely, the roar of an armored truck shattered the manor's silence.

I dragged my suitcase toward the main gate, counting down the hours to my new life.

Three days left.

I had the butler open the gate. I never expected to see Kaelan standing there when it swung open.

Kaelan wasn't alone. Sylvia was with him.

The fragile human girl was leaning weakly against his arm, as if she might collapse at any moment.

But it was what they were holding that truly blinded me: shopping bags and a key.

The golden key to a luxury apartment glittered in the moonlight.

The bags were full of home goods—I saw pillows, blankets, and human toiletries.

They looked like a couple moving into their first home.

And the poison from the Silver Bells still burned inside me.

"Rosa?" Kaelan frowned, his eyes landing on the suitcase behind me. "Where are you going?"

I didn't answer.

The stench of Sylvia’s cheap human perfume drifted off him, so sweet it made me sick.

"What is the meaning of this?"

My Aunt Elara’s magical projection shimmered into existence to see me off, materializing right in the middle of the confrontation. I cut her off before she could demand answers.

“Aunt Elara, the gifts from Mother have arrived. Don’t just leave them in the collection room. Enjoy them.”

I never once looked at Kaelan, but this time, he actually tried to explain.

“Rosalie, don't get the wrong idea. The area Sylvia was living in wasn’t safe. I just found her a more suitable place. I didn't realize it was so close to your aunt's old manor."

I still didn't look at him.

"Aunt Elara, you know about the family's arrangements, right?"

"Of course. The lord of the Obsidian Throne. Pure-blooded, immensely powerful." My aunt shot a look at Kaelan. "A thousand times better than some ungrateful traitor."

"Kaelan," Sylvia whimpered, her voice trembling. "I'm so tired. Can we go inside and rest?"

The moment she spoke, Kaelan's attention snapped back to her.

"Of course." His voice instantly softened. "You've had a rough night."

He scooped Sylvia up into his arms and ordered the guards, "Clear a path!"

Then he vanished, reappearing inside the manor's private elevator with her.

I noticed his bags held more than just home goods. There was specialty food and a medical kit for humans.

He even had nutritional supplements for her.

So thoughtful.

The moment the elevator doors closed, I felt a wave of liberation.

"Rosalie," my aunt's voice was laced with pain. "Are you really not going to fight for him?"

I watched the elevator light ascend, floor by floor.

"You saw his choice, Aunt Elara."

"But a century together—"

"His silence was the only answer I needed," I cut her off. "If he truly cared, he would be down here explaining himself, not upstairs comforting his human assistant."

My aunt sighed. "Perhaps you're right. This Damien… I've heard of him. Ancient bloodline. Power beyond measure."

"At least he won't make me wait a century."

The driver of the armored car signaled that it was time to leave.

I dragged my suitcase to the car without a backward glance.

Kaelan never came back down. Not even as the car pulled out of the manor gates.

Out of basic courtesy, I sent him a single text.

"I'll be gone for a few days. Don't wait up."

My phone buzzed almost instantly.

It wasn't a reply from Kaelan.

It was a picture. Kaelan, standing in a beautifully furnished apartment, personally adjusting the UV-blocking blinds on a window.

His expression was focused, his movements gentle, as if performing a sacred rite.

I was about to turn my phone off when another text came through from her.

"Lady Rosalie, please don't get the wrong idea! Mr. Kaelan is just helping me with a few small things. I'm only human, you know, I don't know how to do any of this myself. I really need the help…"

My fury churned. I thought of how I’d been separated from my parents for centuries. How just two days ago, I had pulled strings with my family to guarantee Kaelan the elders' support.

And now, Kaelan—the great leader who was supposedly too busy to do anything but lead his Covenant to glory—was adjusting blinds for his human assistant. It was laughable.

And humans aren't afraid of the sun. Unless he planned on staying there.

Before I could process it, my phone rang again.

Kaelan.

“Rosalie, what the hell is your problem today?” His voice was low and impatient. “Sylvia is a fragile human. What’s wrong with me finding her a safe place to live? The Covenant hasn't assigned her permanent housing yet. As the leader, shouldn't I look after the weak?”

“And what was that attitude at the anniversary? You gave me a cold shoulder, said you were sick, and just left. I haven't even dealt with you about that! And now you're throwing another tantrum?”

I could hear Sylvia’s pitiful sobs in the background. I finally understood her game.

A perfect performance.

The innocent, helpless victim in front of Kaelan; a deliberate provocateur to me. She was a completely different person.

I took a breath. I saw her petty game.

But I couldn't be bothered to defend myself.

“You’re right. It was my fault. I was just asking. You’re busy. I’m already in the car. Don’t worry, I didn’t wait.”

After hanging up, I went back to my art studio.

My phone wouldn't stop vibrating.

I opened the Covenant's internal network, the "Night's Eye." Messages were flying.

The pinned post told me everything.

Posted by: Sylvia_Human

The photo showed Kaelan, intently installing a state-of-the-art anti-sunlight system in the apartment. Not just blinds—a high-tech defense grid worth hundreds of thousands.

Caption: “Thank you to our noble Lord for being so thoughtful! Humans are so lucky to have this kind of protection~ It's so moving to see our leader be so considerate!”

The comments were already over three hundred.

“Wow, the Lord is that nice to humans?”

“Lady Sylvia is so lucky!”

“Damn, that protection system is better than the one at my haven.”

“Is the Lord hiding his new pet?”

“I think Lady Sylvia is about to receive the Embrace! She'll be one of us soon!”

“Congratulations! Should we prepare for a wedding?”

Every comment was a dagger, aimed straight at my heart.

I kept scrolling.

More photos.

Kaelan, carrying her boxes of personal belongings.

Kaelan, calibrating the climate control system for her.

Kaelan, in her kitchen, preparing special food for humans.

Every photo, every detail, screamed one thing:

They were living together.

I thought of everything I had done for him over the century.

I used my family's ancient connections to fund his synthetic blood research.

I convinced my parents to recognize him as the leader of a fledgling Covenant.

I even vouched for him personally when the council of elders questioned his leadership.

But everything changed when Sylvia arrived.

Three months ago, Marcus, one of my family's elders, questioned why a human was involved in the Covenant’s core decisions.

Kaelan flew into a rage. He sentenced Marcus to a month of drinking only animal blood as punishment.

For us, animal blood is the ultimate humiliation. It weakens our power and dulls our minds.

I should have known then.

I let out a cold laugh and destroyed my network key.

From now on, their world had nothing to do with me.

Back in the vault, I started packing my personal things.

My eyes fell on a black ebony box on my desk.

I traced the intricate carvings on the lid before slowly opening it.

998 Stygian Roses lay inside, each one perfectly preserved, glowing with a faint, dark light.

The first was from 1925, when he was just a candidate for leadership.

The 998th was from last Christmas.

He had promised me that on the day he gathered 999, we would forge our eternal blood bond beneath the Blood Moon. The box was custom-made for this purpose, with exactly 999 slots.

But when I looked at the final space, it was still empty.

I stared at that empty slot for a long time, a self-mocking smile on my lips.

So it turned out, no matter how long I waited, it was all for nothing.

I carried the box out of the room and into the open grounds of the family cemetery. I took a silver match from my pocket and struck it.

The silver-kissed flame licked up the side of the box, devouring it. One by one, the magically preserved roses dissolved in the heat, turning to ash and then, to nothing.

These gifts were the testament to my century of youth. Now, the fire was their tomb.

Kaelan returned to find this scene.

His face was pale with shock and disbelief.

He shot toward me as a blur of black mist, shoved me aside, and tried to snatch the box from the flames.

But the fire was too strong. The flames, fueled by the silver match, drove him back.

Fire licked at his hands, searing his skin black. He hissed in pain and stumbled back, trying furiously to smother the blaze with his power.

It was useless.

He could only watch as the roses—the vessels of a hundred years of memories—vanished into the fire.

“Are you insane?!”

He finally spun on me, his eyes burning hotter than the flames. His voice was laced with outrage.

“You burned them? A century of work, an eternity of promises—and you just destroyed it all? Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”