Rage surged through me so suddenly that my vision blurred.

The first person I had ever trusted without holding anything back.

To him, I had been nothing more than a convenient fool.

Lost in that realization, I stepped backward without noticing the dry branch beneath my foot. It snapped loudly.

Nora turned at the sound.

Her eyes met mine through the hedge, and a slow smile curved her lips.

A cold sense of danger ran through me.

She screamed.

“Owen! There’s an intruder!”

Owen reacted instantly.

Steel flashed as he drew his blade and lunged toward the hedge where I stood.

I froze.

Wolf were bred for battle. Their speed was so far.

There was no chance to dodge.

The blade came straight for my chest.

I shut my eyes as fear seized my body.

Then metal struck metal.

The sharp clash rang through the garden.

My eyes flew open.

Someone stood in front of me.

Sebastian.

The vampire lord held his sword firmly against Owen’s blade, shielding me with his body. Half the hedge had been cut away in the strike, finally revealing me.

Owen stared at me in surprise.

Nora feigning alarm.

“Your Highness, I didn’t realize it was you,I saw someone hiding in the bushes and thought it was an intruder.”

Sebastian turned immediately.

“Princess, are you hurt?”

I shook my head.

His expression hardened as he looked back at Owen.

“Have you lost your mind? You nearly injured the Crown Princess.”

“She was the one hiding in the garden like a thief. If she got hurt it would have been a lesson.”

He glanced at Sebastian with open mockery.

“Don’t think that flattering the princess will make her choose you.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. I may not want Selena, but the Crown will still bind her to me. The High Cleric will announce the covenant soon.”

He pulled Nora close and walked away toward the ceremony hall.

Sebastian watched them go, the light in his eyes dimming slightly before he forced a polite smile.

He said quietly, “we should go as well.”

We entered the great hall where the alliance ceremony was already underway.

At the center of the chamber stood the High Cleric.

He raised his staff and began chanting ancient prayers in a language few living beings understood.

The gathered nobles murmured among themselves.

“Who do you think the princess will choose?”

“Is that even a question? She’s been showering the Bloodmoon Pack with gifts for months.”

“Exactly. Everyone knows she favors Owen.”

Another voice joined in.

“I served in the princess’s household once. She’s terrified of the dark. There’s no way she would marry into the vampire courts and spend eternity in shadow.”

Beside me, Sebastian looked deeply disappointed.

Across the hall, Owen stood with absolute confidence.

“I know the princess favors me,” he said with a theatrical sigh. “But my heart already belongs to another.”

He looked toward me with feigned regret.

“Selena, I asked you yesterday to request that the king cancel this alliance. Since you refused, I have no choice but to reject you publicly today.”

The hall fell silent.

All eyes shifted between us.

Sebastian’s patience finally snapped.

In one swift motion he drew his sword and pressed the blade against Owen’s throat.

“Enough,” he said coldly. “You will not speak to the Crown Princess that way.”

Owen didn’t even flinch.

He pushed the sword aside with careless ease.

“You should be careful,” he said lightly. “If you hurt me, the princess might be heartbroken.”

Sebastian’s eyes burned with anger.

When he saw that I remained silent, he slowly lowered his sword and returned it to its sheath.

He stood beside me quietly, looking like a man preparing himself for disappointment.

At that moment the High Cleric finished his prayer.

“From this day forward, the Princess shall be bound in alliance with the Vampire ……”