Chapter 1

The soft chime of classical music filled the bridal boutique, a melody so delicate it barely masked the sound of my fingers tapping against my phone screen. I sat, draped across a plush red lounge chair, absently flicking my thumb to the left to dodge an incoming attack in the racing game I was playing. The boutique's warm lighting bathed everything in an almost dreamlike glow, making the gold-threaded curtains shimmer and the marble floors gleam under the delicate chandeliers. The scent of fresh roses and lavender clung to the air, but none of it was enough to distract me from the tension brewing in the room.

I wasn't alone.

Across from me, my mother paced the length of the boutique's waiting area, her heeled boots clicking against the polished floor. Her honey-blonde hair, usually kept in soft curls, was straightened today, sharp and precise—much like her mood. Her perfectly manicured fingers twisted a silk handkerchief between them, her amber eyes flashing with barely concealed frustration.

Akari, my younger sister, was currently in one of the six private dressing rooms, slipping into the engagement dress that had been custom-made for her. Today was her fitting, and while it should have been a joyous occasion, the air in the boutique was heavy with unspoken words and lingering resentment.

"You could at least show more concern," my mother snapped, her voice ice-cold.

I lifted my gaze from my phone and studied her with a blank expression. Then, setting the device down in my lap, I tilted my head slightly. "Do tell me, Mother—what exactly should I be concerned about?"

"You forced—" she inhaled sharply, shaking her head as if trying to hold herself together. Her jaw clenched, and I could see the strain in the tight set of her shoulders. "Forced your little sister to marry a deranged fanger!"

I sighed and leaned back into the lounge chair, twirling a single wine-colored braid between my fingers. "I did not make that decision, and you know it."

"You could have stopped it." Her voice was low, dangerous.

I lifted an eyebrow. "In what way?"

"You could have voted against it!" she snapped, her voice rising. "It could have been anyone else. Any other woman. But why my baby? Why?"

"You know exactly why she was chosen, Mother," I replied evenly. "Don't be so dramatic."

"Are you even worried for your sister?" she yelled, her amber eyes locking onto mine with a burning intensity.

"Yes," I said simply. "I am very worried for her. That's why I've set measures in place to protect her once she steps foot into bloodsucker territory."

"But you—"

"—do not know what else you expect me to do," I cut her off. "The vote was five to one. I lost."

My mother's eyes flashed with raw emotion. "Why couldn't you marry him instead?"

I froze.

Disbelief flickered across my face before I masked it, my gaze hardening. My mother stepped forward, standing over me, her amber eyes—so identical to my own—boring into me.

"You could have married him," she repeated, her voice softer this time.

I inhaled sharply, forcing my irritation back down. "You know exactly why that isn't possible, Mother."

"Why not?" She threw her hands in the air, exasperated. "Your sister just turned twenty-eight. She's a baby. That man is three times her senior!"

"He's young," I murmured, more to myself than to her.

"That murdering monster is young for you," she retorted. "You are older than him by a hundred years."

A sharp twinge pulsed through my skull, and I pressed my fingers to my temple, rubbing slow circles in an attempt to ease the tension. "By our world's standards, he is still very young. I made sure she was engaged to the youngest member of their royal family and that she would be protected."

I let my words settle before continuing. "By treaty law, she has protective magic on her side. I personally ensured she would be allowed five of our best shifter guards. And her future husband swore on his bloodline to protect her—or perish. He made a blood oath, Mother. And you know just as well as I do how serious those are to vampires."

"You could have married him," she whispered again, as if clinging to a fading hope.

I exhaled through my nose, my patience wearing thin. "No, I could not."

She opened her mouth, but I didn't let her speak.

"No one in the Council is allowed to marry or do anything that goes against shifter morals for the sake of a peace treaty. That is law."

I leaned forward, my tone growing sharper. "You, me, and the entire supernatural world know that I am a lesbian. Do you honestly think the vampire royals would have allowed me to marry the only brother of their Empress? They would have seen it as an insult."

Silence.

She stared at me, her lips pressed into a tight line, unwilling to concede.

Then, finally—

"She's been sheltered all her life," my mother whispered, her voice hoarse. "She won't know how to handle their world. You would fare better there. You were raised to be a leader. She wasn't."

At that moment, the door to the dressing room opened, and Akari stepped out.

The tension in the room evaporated as all eyes turned to her.

She looked breathtaking.

The engagement dress was an ethereal masterpiece—ivory silk cascaded down her figure like liquid moonlight, and golden lace, as delicate as spun sunlight, trailed along the edges. As she moved, the gown shimmered, catching the boutique's warm glow and reflecting it in a way that made her look almost otherworldly.

Her amber eyes sparkled as she took a tentative step forward, her face calm, unreadable.

"My darling," my mother sniffled, rushing forward. "You look gorgeous!"

She wrapped Akari in a tight embrace, tears slipping down her cheeks. "If only this were a more joyous occasion. I would have loved to see you looking this beautiful for a man you truly loved."

Akari pulled back slightly and shrugged. "I am okay with marrying him if it brings peace."

I smiled faintly. "You look lovely, Akari."

Her gaze flickered to me, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Thank you, Nana."

I rolled my eyes. She knew how much I despised that nickname, yet she still used it every chance she got. Younger siblings truly lived to be a nuisance.

My mother, however, wasn't ready to let this go. "Even if you are okay with it, I am not okay with you sacrificing yourself," she insisted.

"Mother," Akari sighed, "I agreed to the marriage. It's okay. Soon, we will all be happy and laughing about this hundreds of years from now."

My mother scoffed. "As if." She shook her head and began pacing again. "You'll have half-demon children running around centuries later."

"And?" Akari tilted her head. "You'll love them all the same. Isn't that right, sister?"

I nodded. "Of course."

Akari placed a gentle hand on our mother's shoulder. "Can we all just be happy for me? I need all the support I can get from my family."

"Of course," my mother whispered, wrapping her in another embrace. "I will always support you, my precious baby."

Before I could react, a new voice broke through the tension.

"Sorry! I know I'm late! But hopefully, I made it in time to see the dress!"

I turned just in time to see our sister-in-law, Layla, rushing into the boutique, her dark curls bouncing as she moved. She was radiant as always, her warm brown skin glowing under the boutique lights, her deep crimson dress hugging her figure elegantly.

I immediately stood and pulled her into a hug.

"You're just in time," Akari smiled, embracing her next.

Layla took a step back, looking my sister up and down before whistling. "You look like a goddess. That man has no idea how lucky he is."

My mother huffed. "Of course he's unaware. He's unworthy of my daughter."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, already exhausted. This day was already getting on my nerves.

I sighed, pressing the bridge of my nose between my fingers as mother clung to Akari like she could somehow will the situation away. The air in the boutique felt heavier, thick with the weight of emotions neither of us knew how to process.

Layla gave me a look, her dark brown eyes filled with sympathy. She understood the burden I carried, even if no one else did. Out of everyone in this room, she was the only one who truly knew what it meant to be trapped by duty, forced into a life not of her choosing.

I exhaled and straightened my posture, forcing authority back into my voice. "This is happening whether we like it or not. The council has made its decision, and the treaty is already in motion. Akari's engagement isn't just about her—it's about the entire shifter race. We need this alliance."

Mother's sharp amber gaze snapped to me, fury burning behind her tears. "You act as if this is all politics, Kaori. This is your sister's life! She has to live with this decision, not you!"

Akari pulled back from her embrace, looking between the two of us with quiet resolve. "And I've accepted that, Mother. I know what this marriage means. I know what I'm walking into."

I narrowed my eyes at her. Did she, though? Did she truly understand what it meant to be tied to a vampire royal, to live among a species that had spent centuries as our enemies? The thought made my jaw clench.

I turned away, walking toward the boutique's window and looking out into the bustling city streets below. The sight of shifters moving freely, unaware of the political turmoil that dictated their futures, only deepened my frustration. They had the luxury of ignorance. I did not.

"You're too calm about this," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Akari let out a small laugh, the sound airy but tinged with something I couldn't quite place. "Would you rather I scream and throw a tantrum? Would that make you feel better?"

I turned back to face her, my expression unreadable. "No. I'd rather you acknowledge that this is bigger than a simple engagement. You're tying yourself to the most powerful vampire clan in existence. They'll expect loyalty. Obedience. And if you step out of line—"

"They'll kill me?" she finished for me, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "I know, Kaori. But you of all people should know that I'm not as weak as you think."

Her confidence, though admirable, made something tighten in my chest. It wasn't weakness I worried about. It was her naivety. She had been raised in the heart of our pack, shielded from the harsh realities of war and politics. While she trained alongside the best warriors, she had never been forced to make the kinds of decisions that kept me up at night.

The council had outvoted me, stripping away what little control I had over this situation. But that didn't mean I had to accept it quietly.

Mother turned to Layla, desperation in her voice. "Can't you talk some sense into them? Max is close with the prince—surely he can convince him to break the engagement."

Layla sighed, rubbing her temples. "You overestimate my brother's influence, Mother. This engagement isn't about personal connections. It's about maintaining peace between our species." She hesitated before adding, "And despite everything, Max does think the prince is honorable."

Mother scoffed. "An honorable bloodsucker? That's an oxymoron."

"Mother." Akari's voice was firm this time. "Enough."

For the first time since this conversation began, Mother fell silent. Akari rarely used that tone with her. The weight of it settled over the room, final and unyielding.

I studied my sister carefully. The way she held herself—straight-backed, chin high—reminded me of myself before stepping into the council chambers. She was playing the role of a dutiful daughter, but I knew her too well. Beneath that calm facade, she was just as terrified as the rest of us.

"You should go change," I finally said, breaking the silence. "We still need to prepare for the engagement banquet."

Akari nodded, sparing one last glance at Mother before disappearing back into the dressing room.

Layla sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "This is a mess."

I huffed out a humorless laugh. "You think?"

Mother sat down heavily in one of the lounge chairs, staring at the floor. "I just wanted her to have a normal life. To find love on her own terms."

Normal. That word felt foreign to me. None of us had ever been given the chance for normalcy.

I sat beside her, my voice softer this time. "That was never going to be an option for us, Mother."

She didn't respond.

Layla crossed her arms, glancing at me with a knowing look. "And what about you? You've been fighting this decision from the start. How are you handling it?"

I let out a slow breath. "It doesn't matter how I feel."

Layla tilted her head. "That's not an answer."

"It's the only answer I have."

She sighed, but didn't push.

The sound of a door opening drew our attention back to Akari. She had changed out of the engagement dress and back into a simple black gown that hugged her figure. Despite everything, she still smiled at us like nothing was wrong.

"I'm starving," she announced. "Can we get food now?"

Layla laughed, shaking her head. "I swear, you could be marching to war, and you'd still be thinking about your next meal."

"Priorities," Akari said with a wink.

I stood, smoothing out the fabric of my dark red blazer. "Fine. But after that, we go back to the estate. We still have work to do before the banquet."

Akari groaned. "You mean you have work to do. I just have to sit there and look pretty."

"Exactly," I deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

As we made our way out of the boutique, I cast one last glance at Mother. She hadn't moved from her chair.

For all her protests, she knew as well as I did that this was inevitable.

And despite my best efforts to control the situation, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were all walking into something far more dangerous than any of us were prepared for.

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Alright what do you guys think?