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.

I led Lucian to one of the empty backrooms. We stood there in awkward silence until he gently guided me to the sofa.

“How’s your injury? Do you still feel any pain?” he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

“Isn’t it a little late to be asking that?” I couldn’t help the snark in my voice.

He’d had plenty of chances to show he cared, but it always seemed like he only noticed once he realized he’d screwed up.

Lucian grasped my hand, pressing it on his cheek. “Sera, I was wrong. Please, forgive me,” he said, his voice heavy with remorse.

That move used to break me every time, but I wasn’t going to fall for it again.

I pulled my hand back. “Lucian, we need to stop this.” I sighed, keeping my eyes down. I knew one look at him would shatter my resolve.

“What do you mean?” he asked, clearly taken aback.

“Us…” I started, but he cut me off.

“You’re making this really hard for me, Sera,” he said, his voice losing its gentleness. “You know I’m doing this for us, right?”

“I’m not blowing things out of proportion, Lucian. We’ve been avoiding the truth for too long. A pureblood with a dhampir was a joke.”

“Blast it!” he growled, slamming his fist into the coffee table, splitting it in half.

The room crackled with tension, but before it could get any more awkward, Elsie suddenly barged in.

“Lucian? What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t make it.” She stopped when she noticed me. “Oh, I didn’t mean to intrude. The door was open when I passed by.”

“Don’t worry. We’re done here,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady as stood up.

“Good.” She smiled, pulling Lucian by the arm. “Our friends are waiting for us. Let’s go see them.”

Then, she turned to me, adding with a syrupy sweetness, “Sera, you’re welcome to join us.”

Her words were inviting, but the venom behind them was unmistakable.

I tried to decline the offer, wanting to be left alone, but Elsie wasn’t having it and practically dragged me along.

She led us to another room, full of their friends, all buzzing with cheers. I felt out of place and wanted to slip out, but someone who recognized me pulled me into a seat before I could. Elsie and Lucian took their spots across from me.

“Took you two long enough! You shouldn’t keep your guests waiting!” Someone complained, to which the others agreed.

The party got going. Couples started making out, others were deep into flirting, and of course, Elsie was glued to Lucian’s side. I wanted to leave but couldn’t find the right moment to make my escape.

Then someone dropped a bomb.

“So, why’s this half-breed still tagging along, Lucian? I thought you finally moved on when you got engaged to Elsie.”

The room went dead silent, and suddenly, all eyes were on me.

“Why don’t you ask the one who dragged me here?” I said flatly. These thoroughbred vampires always threw their weight around, and I usually kept my head down, never defending myself. Lucian had no idea how they treated me when he wasn’t looking. Maybe they thought they could do whatever they wanted now that he’d dumped me for Elsie. Jokes on them, though—I was in the mood for a fight tonight.

“How dare you talk back to me, you halfwit!” he shouted.

I stood up, ready to throw down, when Lucian unleashed his dominion.

“Enough.”

The room went dead silent under the weight of his power. It didn’t hit them as hard as it hit me, though—I dropped to my knees, wheezing. Our eyes met for a brief second before I bolted out of there. Forget my shift. I just needed to be somewhere safe, so I went home.

I didn’t remember much after I got home, but I woke up sprawled on my apartment floor, my phone buzzing nonstop with an unknown number. My head was pounding from the aftermath, so I answered without thinking.

“Sera, it’s me.” Lucian’s voice, slurred and clearly drunk, cut through my haze. My dizziness vanished in an instant. I glanced at the screen, wondering if I was imagining it. I wasn’t.

“It’s morning. Why are you calling me?” I replied, my voice was cold.

Lucian sighed deeply. “I’m sorry. Can we start over? I miss you.”

I swallowed hard, at a loss for words. Why does he keep playing this wicked game with me?