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POV Balthazar

My father tried to talk to me after the fight in Lio's room and in the morning. But I avoided him and spent the day away from home, thinking a lot, trying to distance myself from everything.

I almost went crazy when I was in the suite at the back of the palace, after dinner, and I felt something cold run up my spine. A sense of death, of something bad lurking, taking over the air. And then, came the moan in my mind. Hers.

I don't know what that was. A premonition, some unusual connection. Because I felt like I was being betrayed in the worst possible way, a sharp pain that even stopped me from breathing.

I couldn't read the mind of a pure vampire or a supreme wolf, but I heard Alexandar’s voice calling her "hot", I visualized the two of them in bed, and I was hit like a punch when my senses screamed that it wasn't an illusion. It was happening. Lio was going to sleep with him.

While my world turned upside down and I found myself defying the laws simply by ignoring my fiancée in front of everyone, Lio was rubbing herself against him, giving herself up without a second thought. Proving she didn't care. That she did whatever she wanted.

I lost my mind. I couldn’t think, not even get out of the room to check seriously. I threw myself off the terrace, jumped, and invaded her room. Ready to stop that and kill Alexandar. And everything escalated, worsening my feelings and things in the palace.

I had never done anything so crazy or felt so lost like that. She seemed to have stolen a piece of me, taking my rationality, my composure.

And I was about to completely lose my mind.

I returned home late in the afternoon, after several telepathic calls from my father. I went straight to his office and he stood up, nervous.

"Where were you? Why didn’t you answer me?"

"I took a walk. What do you want to talk about?"

His blue eyes scrutinized me carefully. His voice was serious:

"You know how important today’s meeting will be. The Draganov will try to harm us and blame us in front of the entire cave. They have a plan. And you will be the key piece for them."

I was tired of this repetitive conversation.

"I already said I’ll be present, they have no proof of anything."

"Everyone saw your loss of control yesterday, Balthazar. Letting Kassandra be embarrassed, humiliated, while you invaded your mistress' room!"

"Now you care about loyalty? As far as I know, no vampire does. Not even Kassandra."

"But this was too much! This will be brought up in the meeting, used as a weapon! Not to cancel the marriage, quite the opposite. They want you to honor your word." He straightened up, very tense. "I never thought I’d ask this of you: are you on the side of your family, your clan? Or will you betray us?"

"I honor the Severus."

His expression relaxed a bit and he nodded.

"That's all I need to know. Don’t forget what I’ve always told you, what I’ve lived in my life. Love destroys, Balthazar. Take it out of you. Let Lioara go, follow her own path. You follow yours."

This time, I didn’t deny anything. I didn’t even take offense at that word my father hammered into my head my entire life as the worst thing that could happen to a vampire. What almost destroyed him. And seemed to do the same to me.

He was right.

Love was dangerous.

***

POV Lio

That day, I didn’t want to see anyone. I called home, as I always did, and told my parents I would return in the next few days. They noticed something was off in my voice and wanted details. But I assured them that I was fine, that it was time to resume my life in Constantini. And that I would let them know the exact date.

I didn’t know why I didn’t just leave immediately, without answering to anyone, without caring about Antares’ request to wait until the meeting passed. Deep down, I was hoping for a miracle. Even against my will, I held on to a hope.

That Balthazar would choose me.

It would bring a world of problems. I was afraid of what it might mean, the punishments for him. But I knew I would fight by his side, that I would face the world if necessary. That was what kept me ready.

I had lunch in my room, thinking about him the entire time. How he was doing, if he had made up with Kassandra, if he was still fighting with Alexandar. If he would never want to look at my face again after storming out of my room, full of hatred.

Unable to bear so many emotions to the point of exploding in my chest, I called Zara when it was getting dark. She answered happily, but fell silent when she asked how I was, and I started speaking desperately, quickly. Everything that happened the night before.

When I collapsed on the bed, exhausted, the phone was silent for a few seconds. Then she said, surprised:

“I didn’t imagine the red dress would cause all this trouble!”

“Even without heels, you wore sneakers?”

Tears filled my eyes and I almost screamed:

“I told you the whole mess and you only noticed the dress?”

“Hey, calm down! It’s just that you never wear one, and when you do… it causes all sorts of trouble! Lio, my friend, don’t be like this… All this confusion happened because Balthazar got jealous. You two are crazy about each other and don’t admit it. Mélen and I saw how you looked at each other at the waterfall, I even teased you, pretending to admire you, so you’d finally admit you’re in love.”

“I’m not…”

I sniffed, as my nose started to run, my voice catching.

“I can’t believe it… you’re crying?!”

“Of course not!” I rubbed my eyes, hating the lack of control.

“Now I’m nervous! Oh my God! You never cry…” Desperation was evident in her voice. “Lio, I’m coming over! Right now!”

“Stop messing around. Have you gone crazy?”

Zara hung up on me. She soon called again, via video. I answered and saw her angry face, almost pressed to the screen, her eyes scanning my image.

“I already told you I’m not crying.”

“Are you sure? Cousin, I can sneak out with Zíme, we’ll pick you up and…”

“I’m going home tomorrow, Zara. I already talked to my parents. Everything’s fine.”

“And that face?” She sighed. “You love him. And Balthazar loves you too. But maybe he’s like his father. He’ll choose the clan, what they expect of him.”

“I don’t want to see you suffer, Lio.”

“I won’t.” I lifted my chin, determined.

She watched me, knowing me inside and out. Then she murmured:

“What if he’s your soulmate?”

“Here we go again.”

“That would explain everything! This overwhelming passion, the jealousy, the…”

“Balthazar is a vampire.” I sat up better on the bed. “I’m a wolf.”

“Not always the same species, like your mother and father.”

“I stayed in heat for seven days with him. And we know that soulmates only have three days of heat.”

“Among wolves. Your mother didn’t even have heat, she was human. Still, she was with uncle Riuk. Maybe with a vampire, it’s longer. Everything could be new and different.”

“I don’t want to know about that, Zara.”

“But it’s important. Because if you’re truly soulmates, Balthazar won’t let you leave. He won’t be able to stay away.”

That opened up a world inside of me. It created more false hopes, destabilized me completely. I even lost my voice, too nervous about that possibility. I just shook my head, denying.

She didn’t insist anymore and didn’t hang up. We stayed on the video call, while she kept me company, distracting me, telling me they had dinner at uncle Fenrir’s house the night before and had a blast with Freya, Drago, and Anton, watching a late-night movie while the parents drank wine and chatted.

They’d have another movie night with all the cousins when I got back.

Finally, after over an hour, we said goodbye and I felt better. I assured her I was fine and would keep her updated.

I thought a lot about everything, until I heard noises from outside and realized it was already past 8 p.m. The meeting would be at 9 p.m.

I heard a knock on the door and went to open it. A maid told me that Antares and Celestia invited me to meet the clan leaders, who were starting to arrive. Did I want to join them?

I put on my coat over my clothes and went downstairs, putting my hurt and fears aside. I wasn’t going to stay hidden.