Years ago, long before Zoey was born, the elders of the werewolf clans had knelt in desperation and sent a letter beyond their sacred borders—a plea to the vampires. It was a bitter, shameful act. The werewolves had always stood as proud warriors, bound by the moon and led by strength. But the endless war, the bloodshed, the stolen children and razed villages had worn them thin.
The vampires, ever elusive, never responded.
Until now.
When the letter arrived—draped in wax the color of dried blood and sealed with the ancient crest of the Vampire. There was a shift in the air that even the trees seemed to feel. The warriors stopped sneering. The Alpha's council moved like bees disturbed from a hive. Eyes that once glared turned inward, calculating.
A truce. A royal alliance. An end to the centuries of blood.
And that was why they were happy.
Not because the vampires had agreed to peace—but because it was finally, finally their turn to rise.
"The treaty has weight now," murmured one of the lieutenants in the war hall, where warriors gathered in tight circles, whispering. "If a royal match is secured, we won't just end the war. We'll secure dominance. Unity through blood."
Someone else added, "If Calista is chosen, the Alpha's bloodline joins with the oldest vampire house. That makes us rulers."
The idea of it—of a union with the feared and powerful Vampire bloodline—sent a strange thrill through the barracks.
In the female warrior's dormitory, Calista paced like a lioness ready for coronation. Her golden curls were perfectly brushed, her training armor spotless. She'd ordered the maid to bring her wine for breakfast, then waved it away as if she were already above such things.
"They'll choose me," she said aloud to no one in particular. "Of course they will. Who else has the pedigree, the grace, the strength? How many daughters does the alpha have?" she said as she smiled widely.
Zoey, sitting on the edge of her bunk with bruises blooming across her ribs, said nothing. Freya and Marnie kept near her, quiet but protective.
"Don't think too much about your brother. I'm sure he's fine. Try recovering first. Okay?"
Zoey simply nodded.
That night, long after the murmurs of peace and politics had faded into sleep, Ryan was returned.
Zoey had just finished scrubbing the blood from her knuckles when the infirmary doors opened with a loud creak. Two warriors dragged Ryan in by the arms, half-conscious and bleeding from the temple.
She rushed to him, heart slamming against her ribs like a drum of thunder.
"Ryan!"
He winced. His lip was split. One eye swollen nearly shut.
"They said... I was the warning," he murmured as she helped him lie down on the thin cot. "They wanted to remind you."
"I'm sorry," Zoey whispered, her voice thick with guilt. "I shouldn't have—"
"Don't," he interrupted, fingers clutching hers. "Just stay alive, Zoey."
By dawn, Ryan still hadn't eaten.
Zoey watched the other girls eat from silver trays in the mess hall. Thick slabs of roasted meat, honey-drizzled fruit, and a buttery pastry that smelled like childhood.
That was when she decided.
She slipped into the kitchens just before sunrise, when the staff changed shifts and the night cook had grown sleepy.
Freya caught her by the arm. "Zoey—if they catch you—"
"He needs to eat. Or he'll die. I'm not asking for permission."
Marnie met her near the back door, already having unlocked the side latch.
"Go," she said simply.
Zoey found a plate already laid out with special care. It was marked by a tiny golden emblem—Calista's seal.
She hesitated.
Then took it.
Ryan ate slowly, wincing with each chew, but his eyes filled with grateful tears.
"Don't get caught," he whispered, half a smile on his broken face.
"I won't," Zoey said. "They never even notice me."
She was wrong.
By mid-morning, Calista's scream echoed through the dormitory like a whip crack.
"WHO TOOK MY BREAKFAST?!"
The warriors still. A few exchanged nervous glances. The Alpha's daughter stood in the mess hall, a tray overturned before her, her face red with rage.
"I had the honeyfruit. I ordered the honeyfruit. There were only three in the stockroom!"
The head maid stumbled forward, pale.
"I—I served what was brought to me, my lady. The portions were smaller this morning. Maybe—maybe there was a mix-up—"
"Mix-up?" Calista rounded on her like a predator. "Do I look like someone who accepts mistakes?"
Another maid trembled. "I—I saw Zoey near the kitchens. Why don't we ask the traitor we know?.." she whispered.
That was all Calista needed.
Within minutes, Zoey was dragged to the center of the training yard.
"You think you can steal from me?" Calista demanded. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
Zoey remained silent.
"That's what I thought," Calista sneered.
The first slap came fast.
The second knocked Zoey to her knees.
She didn't fight back.
Not because she couldn't. But because she wouldn't risk Ryan again.
The others watched in silence. No one dared to intervene.
"Pathetic," Calista spat, raising her fist again.
Then a voice cut through the tension like ice:
"Calista."
Eric.
He strode into the yard, tall and smirking, his dark hair tied at the nape, his blade swinging loosely at his side.
"That's enough."
She turned to him, lip curling into a smile. "She stole from me."
"I'm sure she's learned her lesson."
Calista walked to him and threw her arms around his neck. He pulled her close, brushing his lips against her cheek with deliberate slowness.
Zoey rose to her feet, blood dripping from her nose, arms trembling.
Calista turned just enough to look at her and purred, "I'm not done with you."
Then she kissed Eric, deep and slow.
He didn't resist.
Zoey looked away.
Later that afternoon, a courier arrived.
The same assistant who had announced the vampire letter stood in the courtyard again, now holding a scroll wrapped in deep purple ribbon.
"By order of King Adrien," he said loudly, "this message is directed to the bride and to the Alpha."
Everyone gathered.
The Alpha told Calista to step forward and accept the scroll as she had been chosen among the council to be the bride.
She stepped forward and accepted the scroll.
She read it aloud with barely-concealed delight:
"You are to prepare for the arrival of the vampire envoy. You will be presented as the primary candidate for union and alliance under the blood pact. Make ready by dawn"
Cheers erupted.
Calista beamed. She turned to Eric, her eyes glowing.
"I knew it," she said. "R
oyal blood recognizes its own."
Eric wasn't very happy but he kissed her hand.