Three days before my blood oath ceremony, someone planted a silver crucifix in the bridal shop and set it ablaze while I was inside trying on my ceremonial gown.

My fiancé — Vampire Lord Damien — had the arsonist thrown into the silver prison, sentencing them to the harshest punishment our laws allowed.

I lay in the healing chamber, my body covered in severe burns, refusing to wake fully as the reality of my disfigurement sank in.

In my semi-conscious state, I heard Damien speaking with the coven's apothecary.

"My Lord, we can still heal her completely with the ancient blood rites. If we wait any longer, Serena will bear these scars for life! You just want Miss Vivienne to be your Consort at the blood oath ceremony. This is cruel beyond measure!"

"Let her keep the scars. I'll provide for her for the rest of her life, but if she's healed, she'll definitely cause trouble at the ceremony."

"I promised Vivienne that her child would be welcomed into the coven with full honors. Only when Serena is completely disfigured will she be grateful enough to raise Vivienne's child as her own. The scars are necessary - at least this way, she won't dare mistreat the boy."

In the corner of the room, where no one was watching, a tear slid down my burned cheek.

So this was the truth. The blood oath ceremony I'd dreamed of was nothing but a lie.

The blood bond I longed for would be my death sentence.

If that's how it had to be, I would give him what he wanted.

"Don't argue with me. Follow my plan exactly. The Purified Essence must be precise - make sure it destroys her bloodline power completely. She can't suspect anything." My mate Lord Damien's voice was cold.

"Once she wakes up, I'll take her to meet Vivienne's child. Without her power, she'll have no choice but to cherish the boy as her own. No Vampire Thrall has ever challenged a High Blood's decision."

The apothecary Elara wiped sweat from her brow, her conscience clearly troubled.

"My Lord, please reconsider. Serena will be covered in burn scars, and now you want to destroy her bloodline power too? This is beyond cruel - it's practically a death sentence. How will she face the coven elders as a Thrall?"

"And what about Vivienne's child? The boy looks exactly like you. What if Serena notices the resemblance? Everything will fall apart!"

Damien reached out, methodically pressing a blood-silk cloth to my cracked lips with surprising gentleness.

His voice carried a note of resigned sadness that made my heart ache despite everything.

"She won't notice anything. Once she becomes a Thrall, she will have to stay in the coven. She cannot afford any risk of leaving. A powerless vampire wouldn't survive a week outside these walls."

"I promised Vivienne I would give her a magnificent blood oath ceremony. That I would watch our son grow up together. Even though she's bonded to another Lord now, I won't let her worry about our child's future."

Elara sighed heavily, looking at my pale face on the healing bed.

"Serena is a good soul. You grew up together in this coven. Why are you choosing that... never mind. If you're determined to do this, then proceed."

"Prepare the Purified Essence. Make sure it's done cleanly. No traces. I want it done before she wakes up - I don't want her to feel more pain than necessary."

Elara hurried from the room, her footsteps echoing with reluctance.

Damien pulled out his phone and sent a voice message to his second, Gideon.

"Has the arsonist kept quiet? Stick to our agreement - two hundred thousand in compensation, help their family relocate outside coven territory. And make sure every trace of the silver crucifix is destroyed. Serena can't find out."

I couldn't stop the tears from falling, soaking silently into my pillow.

Damien continued to tend to my burns with warm blood-silk cloths, his touch gentle even as he plotted to destroy my life.

Despite the warmth of his care, I felt cold to my very core.

So this was the truth - the blood oath ceremony I'd spent five years dreaming about was nothing but a façade for Vivienne's benefit.

The fire wasn't an accident at all.

He was simply removing an obstacle for Vivienne, the mother of his secret child.

Everything I believed about our happiness together had been nothing but an illusion.

Lies and betrayal - that was the real foundation of our relationship.

I struggled to open my eyes against the heaviness of sedation.

But before I could fully wake, I felt another needle pierce my skin, this time carrying something far worse than just anesthesia.

Before they wheeled me into the treatment chamber, Damien pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

"Be brave, little one. It will be over soon. Serena, I'll be waiting for you."

The Purified Essence burned like holy water through my veins. My bloodline power screamed in agony, ancient and primal, thrashing against the poison that sought to extinguish it.

As my power began to fade, my heart grew as cold as the poison destroying it.

When I next opened my eyes, I was back in the healing chamber. The burns still covered my body, but something far worse had changed.

The familiar hum of my bloodline, the power I'd carried since I was first turned, was gone.

Damien sat vigilant by my bedside. When he saw me wake, his face showed perfect concern, as if he hadn't just ordered my power's destruction.

He took my hand in his, pressing it against his cold cheek with such tenderness it made the betrayal cut even deeper.

"Serena? You're awake? Are you in pain anywhere?"

"Tell me if it hurts. I'll have Elara adjust your medication."

His expression was as loving as ever, but now I could see the emptiness behind his crimson eyes. The calculating coolness that had always been there, hidden beneath the warmth.

It was terrifying to realize how far someone would go for another person's love. How thoroughly they would destroy a life that stood in their way.

I shook my head slightly, reaching up to touch the stubble on his jaw. Playing my part in this cruel charade.

"You haven't slept all night, have you? I'm fine. Get some rest."

Damien accepted my words without suspicion, finally letting his guard down. Soon he was asleep beside my bed.

I forced myself to get up, my newly scarred body protesting every movement.

Damien's study was just next door. The safe in his desk had a familiar combination - the date we first met.

"I'll never forget this day," he'd told me then, crimson eyes glowing with what I'd thought was love. "The day my blood first recognized her mate."

But nothing inside belonged to our story.

Instead, I found dozens of bottles of blood supplements for vampire pregnancies, still sealed, pressed against Vivienne's blood test results.

The most recent date was three years ago - the very day Damien had proposed to me.

A phone lay among the evidence. Its cloud storage synced to a folder labeled "Our Blood's Journey."

Weekly blood resonance images filled the screen. Each one had Damien's handwritten notes: "Lucien's first heartbeat!"

"Look at those tiny fingers!"

"Our little prince is growing so strong!"

There were pages of carefully crafted blood formulas - specific blood types, temperatures, and concentrations to support a vampire through each trimester. Damien had noted Vivienne's cravings and reactions to each mixture.

The nursery plans were elaborate.

"Lucien's room should have the finest blackout drapes," he'd written. "My little vampire will love the purest darkness."

The messages showed bookings at the coven's premier birthing chamber. The date matched exactly when Damien claimed he'd be away on coven business.

I remembered how he'd insisted he wasn't ready for children, how he'd said we should wait until after the blood oath ceremony.

"I want to focus on us first," he'd said. "Children can come later."

Now I understood - he didn't want children with me because he already had the family he wanted.

The safe's lower compartment held the design for a blood oath ring, sized for Vivienne's finger.

Then I found the notifications Damien had sent to neighboring coven Lords. From the very beginning, he'd introduced Vivienne as his true Blood-Bonded to everyone.

The eternal covenant scrolls bore both their signatures - Damien and Vivienne, Lord and Consort.

His message to the ceremonial master was clear: "Ensure everything is perfect for my true mate's ascension to Consort. The other matter will be handled discreetly."

The "other matter" was me.

I laughed until the sound turned to sobs.

With shaking hands, I messaged my friend Isolde overseas.

"I need a healer," I wrote. "Someone who can reverse Purified Essence poisoning. And I need to disappear. Please arrange a fake hunter attack. "

I began the formal process to remove myself from the Blood Ledger. Let them think I was accepting my fate as a Thrall.

Isolde didn't question much, assuming I'd finally seen Damien's true nature.

Her messages radiated relief that I was escaping.

I put down the phone and let exhaustion pull me into darkness.

But this time, when I closed my eyes, I didn't dream of Damien.

I dreamed of freedom.

I woke to the sound of Damien's sobs.

He clutched a report from Elara, his broad shoulders shaking with what appeared to be grief.

"Serena... Elara discovered during the examination. Your bloodline power was critically damaged in the fire. It can't restore itself."

"Without your power, you'll never be able to bear High Blood children. Our bloodline..."

He reached for my hand, his touch gentle but calculated.

"But I won't abandon you. No matter what happens, you'll still be my mate."

"Once you're released from the healing chamber, we can adopt a child. A strong High Blood child to carry on the coven line. Having a child to care for will help you heal."

I was the one who had lost my power, yet he acted more devastated than I felt.

His performance was flawless. I didn't bother exposing the lie.

After a long silence, I stared at the report in his hands and nodded slowly.

Damien's eyes welled with tears as he pulled me into his embrace.

"I'll take care of you, always. Don't be afraid. No matter what anyone says about a High Blood with a Thrall mate, I'll stand by you."

"After the blood oath ceremony, I'll transfer ownership of our coven’s territories to you. It's the least I can do to secure your future."

Our chests pressed together, but our heartbeats told different stories.

His heart raced with hidden excitement while mine beat steady with cold understanding.

Finally, Damien spoke hesitantly:

"About the blood oath ceremony... it's all prepared, but with your condition..."

"Find someone to take my place," I interrupted. "We can't let the coven lose face."

I knew exactly what he wanted to say.

Better to suggest it myself than be cornered into it.

At least this way, I could maintain some dignity.

Damien seemed amazed by my sudden compliance.

But with his goal achieved, he didn't question my change of heart.

His phone rang, shattering the moment.

He glanced at the screen, then looked at me in confusion.

"Serena, why are you canceling your Blood Ledger registration?"

I met his gaze steadily. "A Thrall has no place in the main Blood Ledger. I'm just... adapting to my new reality."

Damien's expression turned distressed. "You'll always be my Consort, Serena. You have a place here in our coven."

I met his gaze steadily. "As your future Consort, I should follow coven law. I won't embarrass you as a Lord."

He pulled me closer, voice thick with emotion. "You always think of me first. That's why you're perfect for our coven."

I suppressed a bitter smile at his performance.

"Damien, I want to leave the healing chamber."

His body tensed immediately.

"Absolutely not. You haven't healed enough. I won't risk it."

I tugged at his arm playfully, forcing a bright smile.

"But didn't you mention adopting a child?" I made my voice small, worried. "High Blood children are rarely abandoned. Will we be able to find one?"

It was the first time in five years I'd acted vulnerable with him.

Damien's expression softened. "Don't worry about that. A friend of mine, another Lord, died in a territory war two years ago. His child is in our coven's orphan ward. We can visit him."

He hesitated, then added, "I've been checking on the boy occasionally. Making sure he's cared for."

On the drive there, Damien reached into the back seat and brought out a small silver bat-wing pendant.

He claimed he'd bought it specially for me, to cheer me up.

But the tag clearly stated "Suitable for children ages 3-12."

I set the pendant aside and closed my eyes, pretending to feel unwell.

This five-year deception needed to end.

At the orphan ward, I sat in the wheelchair, my burned body still too weak to walk.

A small boy, about three years old, immediately ran to Damien.

"Daddy!" he cried, wrapping his arms around Damien's legs.

Damien's face flickered with panic before he quickly explained:

"Don't misunderstand. I sponsor this ward. I've visited several times, and this boy... he's just attached to me. Calls every male visitor 'daddy.'"

I nodded, reaching out to touch the boy's cheek.

"He looks so much like you. If you hadn't explained, I'd think he was yours."

The boy had Damien's exact crimson eyes. His small features echoed Vivienne's.

"What's his name?"

"Lucien. He's... he's the one I thought we could adopt."

I stroked the boy's hair, noting how his scent carried traces of both Damien and Vivienne.

Even with my dulled senses, there was no mistaking it.

Before Damien could explain further, Lucien started crying, asking where his mother was.

Damien's face went pale instantly. I could sense his fear pheromones spike even through my weakened perception.

His eyes darted to me anxiously.

"It's fine," I said smoothly, forcing my lips into a gentle smile. "Go comfort him. He has strong High Blood lineage - he'll make a perfect heir for our coven. His aura already shows such potential."

My words visibly relieved him.

Damien hurried into Elara's apothecary with Lucien in his arms, the boy's small hands clutching his father's shirt with familiar ease.

I made an excuse about getting my burn medicine, lingering near the door.

Even with my weakened senses, I could detect Vivienne's signature night jasmine perfume from inside.

The coven members' voices drifted clearly through the gap.

"Why is Lord Damien pretending his own son is an orphan? Those clothes are blood-silk from the Shadow Weavers - worth more than my yearly salary. The moonstone buttons alone cost thousands! Who'd believe he's an orphan?"

"You don't understand. The Lord's got it all planned out. This is the only way to make the boy his legitimate heir. Be smart and keep your mouth shut around Serena - she can't know."

"Of course Vivienne is his true choice. They used to run night patrol together at the academy, always volunteering for the darkest routes. I knew they'd end up together! And now, alone in that office..."

Their knowing laughter made my chest tighten until I could barely breathe.

I moved closer to the door, and familiar voices became clear.

"How is he treating you?" Damien asked softly.

"Fine enough. He's away on territory business most of the time, which makes things easier. This way, he won't discover about Lucien. He even talks about having children with me." Vivienne's voice held barely contained amusement.

Damien's laugh was bitter. "Once Lucien is officially in the manor, you won't have to worry. If you need anything, just call me. I'll always provide for you both."

"Oh, I got you something. A Healing Blood Crystal from the Ancient House. Cost me ten million, but it's worth it - it can heal any scar completely."

Vivienne gasped as she opened the box. "Another gift? You've given me so many presents this year, my chamber is overflowing! Serena would be upset if she knew."

She protested, but her hands eagerly cradled the crystal.

Lucien cuddled against Vivienne's side, pressing his tiny fangs gently against her neck in the instinctive way of vampire children with their true mothers. "Mommy! Mommy! Can we go home now?"

"What if Serena figures it out?" Vivienne asked. "These burns... if she learns you gave me a Healing Blood Crystal..."

"She won't need it," Damien said. "A Thrall's scars don't matter to the coven."

Lucien's laughter echoed from the room - pure and happy, secure in his parents' love.