Ever thought your life sucked so much you wished it could be different?

Well, I did. I thought of it a lot. But I never felt so strongly about it until now.

“Let’s split up! That half-breed couldn’t have gone far!”

I crouched deeper into the shadows, holding my breath tight as the hunters’ voices echoed closer. For years, I managed to stay off their radar, but the second they caught a glimpse of me, they latched on my back like koalas. This time, they cornered me, and I nearly died. They cost me an arm and a leg and I still barely got away.

As their footsteps finally faded, I exhaled, relief mixing with pain. There was someplace I needed to be, and of all days, they chose today for an ambush. I had managed to drag myself this far, but with broken bones and a gunshot wound festering with nitrate, my strength was fading fast.

I pulled out my phone, desperate for help, but every call to my lover went straight to voicemail.

“Figures,” I muttered, forcing myself to stand despite the agony.

I kept dialing his number as I staggered home, each unanswered ring a sharp twist of the knife already lodged in my chest. He was always so cold. Would it kill him to show me a little kindness for once?

As the darkness in the alley began to blur my senses, a sudden flash of light caught my eye. I turned to my right and saw through my narrowed vision, the LED screen flickering above the street, broadcasting an engagement—two pureblood vampires, masked in their grandeur. My Lucian with Elsie Hale, the one his family had always wanted for him.

My knees buckled as I leaned against the wall, the shock nearly flooring me. He swore an eternal bond to me. So why was he marrying her instead?

I wanted to cry, but the pain coursing through my body collided with the betrayal in my heart, leaving me numb—too numb, even for tears.

There was a time when I was his everything. Those memories were my solace whenever he pushed me away. Now, they only fueled my anger.

I snapped back to reality, sent him a congratulatory text, then blocked his number and fled to the nearest witch doctor’s clinic.

The next day, I called in a favor from a friend from the club where I worked. She was the only one I could rely on at times like this.

“I got someone on the phone for you,” Kris said as she walked in, her voice laced with annoyance. “You know I liked you, hun, but purebloods ringing my phone isn’t good for my health. I’m giving you space, so get it over with.”

She tossed me her phone and left me alone with this pressing silence as I recognized the number.

“Hello?” I answered, not knowing what to expect.

“Why are you fussing over an engagement, Sera?” Lucian’s voice was calm, but the weight of his words cut right through me. His indifference was almost laughable if it didn’t hurt so much.

“You know these formalities are just a cover. Can’t you be more open-minded?” he continued, dismissing my feelings as if they were nothing.

There was so much I wanted to scream at him—the hell I went through last night, the agony of watching him live so contentedly while I crawled to survive, how I needed his comfort more than ever. But the words lodged in my throat, strangled by the certainty that he would accuse me of lying.

Then, a soft voice drifted from the background. “Lucian, why aren’t you ready yet? Don’t keep me waiting.”

I scoffed instinctively. “Right. Just a cover,” I said, trying to keep my cool, but the sarcasm bled through every word.

Lucian sighed, clearly annoyed. “You’re overthinking it, Sera. I need to go. Elsie and I have a meeting with the elders. We’ll talk about this later.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” I replied and hung up.

I was always the one who had to compromise, always bending to keep us together. But I’m tired of it.

The sedatives pulled me under, and I drifted off. I’m not sure how long I was out, but someone was holding my hand when I woke up.

Lucian sat in the chair beside me, scowling at the blackened veins snaking up my arm. “You should’ve told me you were hurt instead of sulking. How did you even get this injured?”

Seriously? Out of everything he could say, he made it sound like I went out looking for trouble. Me? Sulking? Unbelievable.

I yanked my hand away and turned my head, refusing to look at him. I risked everything to be with him, and somehow, he made me feel pathetic about it.

If he hadn’t stood me up yesterday, leaving me waiting in the square for hours, maybe those hunters wouldn’t have had the chance to tear me apart.

Lucian sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I couldn’t show up. I had a lot to deal with. If I could turn back time, I would’ve flown to save you.”

He sounded genuinely regretful, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. This was his pattern—pulling me close only to push me away again.

I never expected him to be the kind of guy who’d neglect his lover and then try to make it right with sweet words. Maybe, deep down, I always knew, but I was too stubborn to admit it.

When I didn’t respond, he sighed again. “Does it hurt a lot?” he asked.

A long silence hung between us before I finally answered, cold as ice, “It doesn’t.”

The door suddenly swung open, and I recognized her by her scent alone.

“Lucian, we can’t keep the elders waiting. We have to go now.”

Elsie glided in, looking so enchanting that if I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn she was an elf.

“Oh!” Elsie gasped when our eyes met. “You’re awake.”

Her expression quickly shifted to one of concern. “Sera, how careless can you be? Do you have any idea how worried Lucian was? He searched for you frantically for hours.”

“That’s enough, Elsie. We’re leaving,” Lucian interrupted, standing up.

Elsie’s smile returned as she looked at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. When she glanced back at me, her gaze was ice-cold, brimming with that deep-seated hatred she always had for me.

Lucian gave me one last look. “We’re not done talking. I’ll be back later.”

I nodded, watching as Elsie threw me a smug smile before following him out.

I sat up, mulling over my choices. Part of me wanted to call him back, but what would that change anything?

In the end, I stayed silent, watching the door close behind them. I decided to wait for his return. Well, I should’ve known better.

Lucian never came back during the three days I spent at the clinic.

On the day of my discharge, Kris picked me up. I didn’t want to risk going back to my apartment, so I crashed at her place and tagged along with her to work for a few days.

“Girl! I get it. He’s a great catch. But you seriously need to move on from that red flag,” Kris said as we prepped the bar for the night. She couldn’t take my brooding any longer and made me spill.

“There are plenty of good vamps out there. Romance doesn’t mean you have to end up with a pureblood,” Kris added, her tone matter-of-fact.

I tossed the rag onto the table and faced her. She gave me that knowing look, and I had to admit, she made a lot of sense.

“You’re right,” I sighed, picking up a glass to wipe. “I should’ve bailed before I let myself sink this low.”

It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about it before. I had. But I was too greedy, too hopeful to pull back when I first saw the warning signs.

Kris paused restocking the drinks and came over, giving me a comforting pat on the back. “We know it’s gonna be tough, but it’s better to do it now than later.”

I took a deep breath, memories of our good times flashing through my mind. Yes, we were happy, but that wasn’t our reality. A half-breed like me could never be his eternal mate.

“Tell you what,” Kris said, trying to lift my spirits. “A little birdie told me there’s gonna be a blowout party here this weekend. I can ask some friends to hook you up.”

I was about to respond when I felt my blood freeze. I looked up, and there he was—the devil himself, locking eyes with me.

Did he hear?

Lucian stood by the entrance, his expression unreadable. Kris noticed my reaction and followed my gaze.

“Oh,” we said in unison.

“I’ll be out back. I’m no match for a pureblood, but if you need help, scream,” Kris muttered before slipping away as Lucian approached. I turned my attention back to work, not ready to face him.

“So, this is why you didn’t come home? Planning to see someone else?” Lucian’s voice was calm but laced with anger.

“How long have you been listening?” I asked, not bothering to look at him.

Kris and I covered a lot in our conversation. If he overheard everything, it would save me trouble from having to explain.

“Since she suggested you find someone else,” he replied coldly.

I could feel the tension radiating off him, his presence suffocating. “Change your friend. I don’t like her around you,” he ordered.

I scoffed in disbelief. “And what if I said I don’t like the people around you? Would you change them?” The words came out before I could stop them, surprising us both. A dhampir standing up to a pureblood—his friends would have a field day with this.

“You and I have different circumstances,” he said, clearing his throat.

I laughed, incredulously. “Exactly. You and I are different. And Kris was right. Leave her alone.”

I locked eyes with his crimson gaze, my anger boiling over. How dare he push me around just because I’m a half-blood?

I turned to leave, desperate to get away, but he ported right in front of me, yanking me toward the back rooms.

“Let me go!” I shouted, tugging at my arm, but his grip was ironclad. “Lucian!”

He slammed me against the wall, and before I could react, his teeth sank into my neck. I froze, gasping as he aggressively drank my blood.

Alarms blared in my mind, and I wanted to scream for help, but all that came out was his name, barely a whisper.

“Lucian…”

He pulled away, his eyes still wild with that animalistic hunger. Fear and anger surged through me, and with whatever strength I had left, I slapped him as hard as I could.

We were stuck in a tense, awkward silence. Lucian slowly turned back to me, snapping back to his senses. He took a step back as I fought to stay on my feet.

“I’m going to cool off,” he muttered, then walked away.

I slumped to the floor, watching him disappear into the darkness. As soon as he was out of sight, the tears I’d been holding back finally spilled over, and I silently cried my heart out.

Lucian went radio silent after that. Not that I’d know if he tried to call because I blocked him. But he could’ve found a way to let me know he was still around, instead of vanishing like smoke.

I threw myself into work over the next few days, tending to the bar during peak hours, which left me too busy to think about Lucian. The chaos was a welcome distraction.

Then the weekend arrived, and Lucian reappeared in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

The club was closed to the public for a private rave—supernaturals only. With everyone letting loose, the workload was ten times more intense. I was in the middle of a rush when Kris tapped my shoulder and whispered, “He’s here.”

I looked up, and before I could process it, Lucian was already standing there, shoving a bouquet of roses in my face.

“I’m sorry. Can I have a moment of your time?” His voice was gentle, almost too soft for him.

I took a deep breath, my mind spinning. Should I hear him out? Or would turning him away be the smarter choice?

But despite what my mind was telling me, I found myself nodding like an idiot.