Augustine looked at me lovingly, his eyes filled with deep affection. "We'll let nature take its course. Besides…"

He paused, his voice growing even softer. "I want more time with just Haley. Our time alone is precious. I want to cherish every moment."

Hearing this, I silently took a sip of my wine.

The music began. The masquerade ball was starting.

Everyone donned their ornate masks, just like on that fateful night five hundred years ago.

Back then, Augustine and I both felt the mysterious pull between Mates, finding each other instantly in the crowded ballroom.

Ever since, on our anniversary, we would recreate that moment. Augustine would always walk through the sea of masked women and, without hesitation, take my hand.

It was our tradition.

I put on my silver mask and walked to the center of the dance floor.

As the familiar waltz began, everyone else started pairing up.

I stood still, waiting for Augustine to find me, just like every other year.

And then I saw him. Wearing a matching black mask, he started walking toward me.

But just as he was three steps away, he stopped.

A woman in a long, red gown approached him from the side, holding out her hand.

I recognized that figure instantly. It was Lucy.

I watched as Lucy leaned in and whispered something in his ear. A smile flickered across Augustine's face. He glanced around, as if checking to see if I was watching.

Then, under the cover of his mask, he followed her out of the ballroom.

Five hundred years of tradition, shattered by his own hand.

I quietly used my power to create a bat familiar and sent it to follow them.

They got into a black luxury car parked outside the manor.

My familiar perched on the window, and I heard their conversation clearly.

"What the hell are you doing here? This is reckless. I told you, Haley can't find out about you."

Lucy's voice was a whiny pout. "But it hurts. The thought of you spending your anniversary with her… the thought of you two making love later… it makes my skin crawl."

Augustine chuckled, trying to soothe her. "You're mine. What are you so worried about? You know where I like you best."

Rage and humiliation nearly made my familiar lose its form.

"Really?" Lucy giggled. "Then what about your promise to give me The Embrace?"

"I'll do it tonight. Happy now?" Augustine's voice turned husky. "I'll drain you dry tonight. That should keep you from getting needy and pulling a stunt like this again."

Lucy laughed and threw herself into his arms. The sound of wet, sloppy kisses filled the car.

Fighting back my nausea, I recorded it all and recalled my familiar.

Back in the ballroom, the other guests had sensed the crushing weight of my fury and had tactfully cleared out.

Half an hour later, Augustine rushed back.

Seeing the empty hall and my pale face, he immediately looked frantic.

"Haley! What happened? Why are you all alone? Where did everyone go?" He strode toward me. "I just got an urgent report from my men. A border dispute with another clan. I had to handle it personally. I'm sorry I left you alone…"

"Enough," I cut him off coldly. "I'm tired. I'm going home."

Without waiting for a reply, I teleported away from the manor.

Augustine followed me back to the castle, his face a mask of worry and confusion.

"Was it because I left to handle clan business? Because I didn't dance with you?"

I looked up, staring directly into his eyes.

His face was full of concern and self-reproach, but not a shred of guilt from his tryst.

"Yes."

Augustine sighed. "That was my mistake. From now on, no matter how urgent it is, I will always put you first."

He paused, then took my hand, asking carefully, "I just got another call from my men. An allied clan is under attack by werewolves. I have to go, Haley. You understand, don't you?"

I caught the flash of anticipation and excitement in his eyes, hidden beneath a facade of weary obligation.

So eager to give Lucy The Embrace, were you?

I forced a thin smile, too tired to call him on his lie. I just gave a quiet "Mm."

The moment he left, I dissolved into a black mist and followed him.

He went straight to the most luxurious hotel in the city and entered the presidential suite on the top floor.

I slipped through a crack in the window as a wisp of fog, hiding in the shadows.

Lucy was already waiting for him.

She wore a set of sheer black lace lingerie, her eyes smoldering as she looked at him.

"My Prince, I've been waiting for so long," she cooed. "You said you'd give me The Embrace tonight."

"Of course, my little demon," Augustine said, walking toward her, his eyes full of lust.

They embraced and kissed, his hands roaming her body.

I fought back my disgust, my phone steadily recording the scene.

"I'm going to take a shower. Wait for me, and we'll begin," Augustine murmured, kissing her neck.

After he went into the bathroom, Lucy picked up her phone, a triumphant smirk on her face.

A few seconds later, my phone buzzed with a notification.

A location pin, showing this exact hotel.

A second message followed immediately.

"Tonight, he's giving me The Embrace. I will be his, forever."

Ignoring the ache in my chest, I remained silent in the shadows and kept watching.

Augustine emerged from the bathroom with only a towel around his waist, water droplets tracing paths down his chiseled chest.

"Ready to be mine forever, my love?" he asked, his voice low and sensual as he approached Lucy.

She nodded shyly and untied the strings of her bra. "I've been ready for so long, Augustine. I want to be yours forever."

They came together, and Augustine’s fangs sank into her neck.

Blood trickled down her pale skin, but she didn't cry out in pain. She let out a soft moan of pleasure.

The ritual of The Embrace was performed with the most primal act of union.

Augustine drank her blood while they writhed together, their bodies entwined.

They even moved to the floor-to-ceiling window, letting the pedestrians below catch shadowed glimpses of their intimate dance.

Lucy seemed to revel in the thrill of being watched, pressing herself against the glass to expose more of her body.

"Look, Augustine, they're all watching us," she purred. "They must be so jealous that I have the love of a vampire Prince."

Augustine chuckled darkly, his movements becoming more feral. "Let them watch."

I calmly recorded every second of it. Then I sent the video to Clara with a short message:

"Play this at the banquet."

Clara’s reply was swift: "Understood."

Next, I sent a message to the elders of the Nightshade Clan.

"In seven days, I am returning home."

The High Elder, Damien, sensed something was wrong immediately. "Did Augustine betray you?"

"Yes."

"Damn him!" Damien’s reply was a furious curse. "I always said you couldn't trust a Slinter! Haley, you know the Nightshade Clan will always be your home."

The other elders sent messages of comfort, their words filled with disgust for Augustine and sympathy for me.

In the hotel room, the two were still lost in their sordid ritual.

I had seen enough. I slipped out of the hotel unnoticed.

Late that night, Augustine finally returned to the castle.

He reeked of Lucy’s perfume and the unmistakable scent of sex. He hadn't even bothered to hide the bite mark on his neck—a mark Lucy had left in the throes of passion.

He thought I was asleep, that I wouldn't notice such details.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly, whispering with false emotion, "Haley, I love you so much."

His hand stroked my hair. "Promise me you'll never leave me, alright? I can't lose you. I absolutely can't."

As he spoke, I could clearly smell the other woman on him.

Hypocrite.

The next day, Augustine left again, this time with the excuse of a clan council meeting.

"It will probably run late. I might not be back until late tonight," he said, kissing my forehead. "Get some rest. Don't wait up for me."

I nodded, watching him go.

Five minutes later, I was following him again.

Augustine didn't go to the council chambers. He drove to an old church on the outskirts of the city.

Lucy was already there, dressed in a pure white gown.

"Augustine!" She threw herself at him, pouting like a little girl. "I thought you weren't coming."

"How could I not?" He stroked her head fondly. "Now tell me, why did you want me to meet you at a church?"

Lucy bit her lip, putting on a wounded expression. "I know I'm just your lover. I can't compare to Haley. But…"

She paused, tears welling in her eyes. "Can't I have a ceremony of my own? Even if it's just for show, just something to make me feel like I have a place in your heart."

She clutched his hand tightly. "I won't compete with Haley for anything. I just want a ceremony to prove my love for you. Is that too much to ask?"

Augustine was silent for a long time, conflict warring in his eyes.

Finally, he sighed. "Alright. If it will make you happy."

Lucy's tears vanished, replaced by a radiant smile. She stood on her toes and kissed him. "I knew you cared about me the most!"

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from my best friend, Lila.

"Babe, where are you?"

I didn't hide anything. I told her everything that had happened.

Seconds later, she called, her voice seething with rage. "What? That bitch dared to humiliate you like that? Where are you? I'm coming over right now to gut her with a silver dagger!"

"Calm down, Lila," I stopped her. "It's not time yet. I have a much better plan."

Inside the church, everything was ready.

A priest stood at the altar. Augustine and Lucy stood before him, hand in hand.

Lucy was wearing a white wedding gown and a veil, looking every bit the bride.

The priest began the rites. "Do you, in the presence of God, wish to pledge your eternal vows?"

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Augustine gazed at Lucy, his voice soft and heartbreakingly tender. "Lucy, will you spend eternity with me?"

Tears of joy streamed down Lucy's face as she answered with a trembling voice, "I do! Augustine, of course I do!"

The priest beamed. "May God bless this union and grant you many children!"

Watching this absurd ceremony, I was thrown back five hundred years to my own wedding.

Before this very same kind of altar, Augustine had knelt on one knee and said to me with that same deep love in his eyes, "Haley, will you be my mate for all eternity?"

The same look, the same tone.

A cold laugh escaped my lips, but my eyes betrayed me, filling with tears.

So, to Augustine, our five-hundred-year love was just a script he could reuse.

A different woman, a different day, but the performance remained the same.

I fought to control my emotions, recorded the entire scene, and sent it to Clara.

In the church, Augustine was kissing Lucy, holding her as if they were truly newlyweds.

Back at the castle, I began to pack.

The room was filled with five hundred years of memories: photos of us, gifts he'd given me, souvenirs from our travels…

One by one, I tossed them into the fireplace.

The flames consumed the things I once treasured, just as they were consuming my past.

Finally, I picked up our portrait. It had been painted by the most famous artist of the time. In it, we were locked in a tight embrace, our eyes full of love.

I ripped the canvas in two and threw Augustine’s half into the fire.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was Lucy again.

"We took vows before a priest today. He said I'm his wife now, too."

"So what if you're the Princess? He's mine, too."

I still didn't reply.

As I was about to leave the room, a sharp, violent pain shot through my chest.

It was a tearing agony, as if someone was repeatedly stabbing my heart with a silver knife.

I clutched my chest and collapsed to the floor, curling into a ball of pain.

The old wound. It was acting up.

A hundred years ago, Augustine had been struck by a silver dagger in a battle with werewolves. He was on the brink of death.

To save him, I had given him a massive amount of my own heart's blood, pulling him back from the edge.

I survived, but ever since, my heart would occasionally seize with this excruciating pain. Only Augustine’s blood could soothe it.

With a trembling hand, I dialed his number.

One ring, two, three…

No answer.

I gritted my teeth and dialed again.

The pain intensified, and my vision began to blur.

Finally, the call connected.

I was about to speak when I heard Lucy's whining voice. "Augustine, I feel so awful… being a new vampire hurts all over…"

"Shh, I'll help you feel better," he cooed back at her.

I heard rustling on the other end. He was clearly comforting her, completely unaware that the call was connected.

I opened my mouth, wanting to tell him my old wound had flared up, that I needed his blood.

But as another wave of agony crashed over me, I passed out on the cold floor, my world fading to black.

When I woke up, I was in a bed at the vampire hospital, the sterile scent of disinfectant filling my nose.

The first thing I saw was Augustine’s face, etched with worry and fear.

He sat by my bedside, his eyes full of guilt. He looked haggard.

"Haley, you're finally awake!" he said, gripping my hand. "The doctors said you almost…"

His voice broke. "It's all my fault. If I had been with you, this wouldn't have happened."

Looking at his hypocritical face, I asked in a hoarse voice, "Who were you with?"