••{AZRAEL'S POV}••
The princess wrenches herself out of my grip, rubbing at her neck.
"What? My—my blood?"
"Yes." I nod. "It's about time you learned the truth."
I take a deep breath then begin.
"When an ængel is cast down from the heavens, both wings are severed. Cut clean away, torn from body and spirit alike. Without them, the fallen are stripped of their divinity, rendered powerless."
"But three thousand years ago, one didn't fall as the others did. Some say his punishment was imperfect because he managed to escape. Only one wing was taken and because of that, his divinity remained, burning in his veins."
"His name… is Nytheriel." I say.
I notice at the mention of the name, a strange shiver courses through her, as if her very blood recognizes it.
"He walked this earth as both man and something more," I continue. "He took mortal lovers and in them, he planted a seed of that celestial fire. A bloodline."
Her throat bobs as she swallows hard.
"But the centuries were cruel," I say softly. "War. Famine. Flood. Plague. Kingdoms rise and fall, and with them, the traces of his children faded as time went by. Generation after generation, the divine spark depleted until almost nothing remained."
Her whisper is barely a breath. "Almost?"
"Yes." My voice lowers. "Almost… except one."
I let the silence stretch for a moment before revealing the truth to her.
"You, Princess Rhiannon Aurelian of Astragarde, are the last heir of Nytheriel. His divinity burns in your veins, stronger than it has in a thousand years. Do you understand now why I searched for you? Why I took you from your altar before anyone else could claim you?"
Her face is pale, her eyes widening with disbelief. I can hear her heartbeat pounding in her chest, her denial already breaking beneath the weight of the truth.
"That is why I took you. Because you don't yet understand the danger. Because you don't yet understand the power you carry in your veins."
"Then tell me," she whispers. "Tell me everything."
For a moment I remain silent, studying her.
"Vampires can't walk in daylight. The sun burns us to ash. But if one drinks your blood, they would walk in the sun as easily as men."
"You don't need me for that!" she snaps. "You were able to ambush my wedding. In broad daylight!"
I chuckle low, shaking my head. I lift my hand, the black ring gleaming in the moonlight.
"This is the Oblivaer. A relic passed down from ruler to ruler of Darkholme. It can shroud entire regions in darkness but only for a fleeting time. Long enough for me to take you."
I let my gaze settle on her, letting the next truth fall with deliberate weight.
"And there is more, princess. Much more."
She stiffens.
"For thousands of years, vampires have been cursed," I say quietly. "No matter how powerful our bloodline, no matter how strong our bonds… we cannot create life. Our women cannot conceive. Our men cannot sire children. The line of every pureblood and every turned vampire ends where it begins."
Her breath catches, shock flickering across her features.
"Our origins were born of blood and wrath," I murmur. "And for that sin, we were stripped of the ability to bring forth life."
I move closer, lowering my voice.
"But your blood can break any curse. A vampire who drinks from you can father children for the first time since the birth of our race."
Her eyes widen, horror dawning on her features.
"That is why you are hunted," I finish. "Not just for power. Not just for strength. But because you could give a future to a people who have been denied one for millennia."
Her lips part but she says nothing.
"Your blood can also unbind us, granting us strength beyond strength, speed beyond speed. Fire, steel, magic—nothing would be able to harm us. A single drop can change a vampire's fate forever."
"They ascend," I continue. "No longer predator, no longer prey, but something greater. They become a god."
"No…" she whispers, shaking her head.
"Do you understand now, princess? Armies would burn kingdoms to ash just for a vial of your blood. Wars would be fought. Empires would crumble. The weak will grovel. The strong will slaughter. And all of it… for you."
I lower my voice to a whisper. "Power such as this can unmake the world."
Before I can stop myself, I close the distance between us once again.
••{RHIANNON'S POV}••
He leans in again and this time, his hand closes around my wrists, pinning me down against the sheets.
I struggle beneath him but his weight keeps me trapped. My breaths come in sharp gasps and I feel dread clawing its way up my throat.
Azrael lowers himself slowly, his lips grazing along the neckline of my torn gown. He presses a kiss just above my breasts. It's soft yet scorching, as if he lights my body on fire.
I gasp, the sound slipping past my lips before I can stop it.
He kisses me again, tracing the hollow of my collarbone. His mouth lingers, hot against my skin, and a shudder runs through me so violently I think I'll break apart.
His lips trail upward, savoring every inch as though he has all the time in the world. I feel the faint scrape of his teeth when he reaches the curve of my throat, and my pulse leaps, betraying me.
I can't breathe. I can't think. My body arches despite myself. I feel an aching pull I hate, a need I despise.
His nose skims the side of my neck as he inhales deeply, drawing in my scent like it's the sweetest intoxication.
"So much power," he whispers, his voice rough with hunger. "Flowing through your veins."
Then he slowly slides his tongue along my skin. My whole body jolts and a shiver runs down my spine. Heat starts to rise in-between my legs. A treacherous ache blooming where I least want it.
Shame and anger twist inside me. My body is betraying me, lighting up beneath his touch when my mind screams no.
I swallow hard, forcing words through my shaking lips. "So this is your plan? Abduct me from my home and turn me into your living, breeding blood vessel?"
He stops, pulling back. He looks me in the eyes with furrowed brows.
"No," he says firmly. He releases me, rising from the bed.
I sit up instantly, clutching my gown to my chest.
"I would never drink your blood," he says, "If I do, I will become addicted to it. And the more I continue to take, the less I'll be able to restrain myself. I will continue to drink from you until you are nothing but a corpse in my arms. And after that? It will drive me into madness. An uncontrollable lust for blood."
"Then why?" I ask. "Why do this? Why take me away from everyone I love?"
"Because I am the only one who can protect you. Your blood can tempt not just vampires but humans too. Even beings you've never seen. You would be shocked, princess, at how quickly those you trust would turn against you."
My heart twists. My family's faces flash in my mind and I refuse to believe it.
"I can't risk you getting discovered and falling into the wrong hands." he says.
"I was already in the right hands," I hiss. "With my father, my siblings—with the man I love! The only wrong hands here are yours!"
His expression darkens, a shadow falling across his features.
But he says nothing more.
He rises from the bed, brushing his sleeve. "I'll have my servants prepare you a bath and fresh clothes."
He turns, walking toward the doors.
"Wait!" I call out, desperate.
He pauses but doesn't turn to face me.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
He glances back over his shoulder, his golden eyes gleaming in the firelight.
"There are preparations to be made."
I frown. "Preparations?"
The words that leave his mouth shatter what little is left of my world.
"For our wedding," he says calmly. "We're getting married in three days."