Chapter 2

I exhaled a slow breath as I slid into the back seat of my car, my body sinking into the plush leather. The scent of polished wood and the faint trace of my own cologne clung to the air, grounding me after a long, grueling night. The door shut behind me with a soft click, sealing away the chaos I had barely managed to contain at the council meeting.

Tobias, my driver, caught my gaze in the rearview mirror, his face impassive as he smoothly pulled away from the boutique. Outside, the city pulsed with life—streetlights flashing in streaks of gold and silver, neon signs flickering above crowded sidewalks. The towering buildings of the upper district loomed in the distance, casting long, distorted shadows over the lower city below.

I let my head fall back against the seat, rolling my shoulders to ease the ache that had settled deep into my muscles. My fingers brushed the buckle of my seatbelt before I let my hands fall into my lap, tension coiling through me despite the quiet hum of the engine.

My mother's voice still rang in my ears. Her grief. Her fury. A raw, unrelenting storm that had crashed down on me the moment the vote had been finalized.

I had expected anger. I had expected resistance.
The sheer depth of her rage had been like a blade pressed against my throat, as if I had personally walked my baby sister to the vampires and handed her over with a smile.

They didn't understand. None of them did. This wasn't my decision to make.

Despite being the head of all shifter societies, my power was not absolute. My word carried weight—fifty percent of the high council's voting power rested solely with me. But the remaining fifty percent belonged to the council, and tonight, they had used that power to overrule me.

It had been my father's doing. He had designed the council this way, believing that no one ruler should have unchecked control over the shifter race. He had feared the rise of another dictator like his father—my grandfather—a leader who had ruled with an iron grip, crushing dissent beneath his heel.

I had upheld my father's legacy. I had honored the balance he believed in. Now, I was drowning because of his beliefs.

The vote had been close, but my protest had meant nothing. The lower council had been summoned to break the tie, and they had sided against me. They believed it was our responsibility to cement the peace treaty, that it was only right for the leading shifter family to make the ultimate sacrifice.

A sacrifice I would have made myself if they had allowed it, but that had never been an option.

I had never even been considered. Not because I wasn't powerful enough, not because I wasn't worthy, but because I was a the head alpha. Also because I was a lesbian.

A shifter head's duty was not just to lead but to continue the bloodline. To bear the next heir. To ensure the legacy endured. My refusal to take a husband was a political inconvenience, an obstacle the council had tolerated—for now. But I knew it was only a matter of time before they turned their attention to me.

Once Akari's marriage was secured, they would come for me next. They would demand that I set aside my own desires for the good of our people. And unless I found a way to stop them, I already knew how that conversation would end.

My hands curled into fists against my thighs.

The peace treaty had to happen. The war between our species had gone on long enough. The bloodshed, the hatred—it had spiraled out of control for decades, leaving destruction in its wake and it had taken my father from me.

Ten years. It had been ten years since vampire nobility had killed him. I had been a mere one hundred and seventy-eight years old—a fledgling adult by supernatural standards. I had barely begun preparing to take over when the weight of an entire species had suddenly been dropped onto my shoulders.

Most leaders had centuries of training before they ascended. I had been given less than two hundred years.

I exhaled sharply, pressing my head against the cool leather of the seat. The tension in my body refused to dissipate, no matter how much I tried to shake it off. My wine-colored braids tumbled over my shoulders as I closed my eyes, exhaustion pressing down on me like a physical force.

I was so tired of everything.

        ****

The moment I stepped into my penthouse, I exhaled deeply, shutting the door behind me. The soft glow of city lights streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows against the polished marble floors. The space was minimalist yet elegant—dark furnishings, sleek black and gold accents, and just enough warmth to make it feel like home. However, tonight, it felt suffocating.

I loosened the buttons of my suit jacket, rolling my sore shoulders. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon hit me before I saw her.

Rosette. My lover.

She was already in my bed, curled under my sheets, her small frame rising and falling with each slow breath. Her locs spilled across my silk pillowcases in wild, beautiful disarray, her dark brown skin glowing under the soft light of the bedside lamp.

She must have fallen asleep waiting for me. A tired smile tugged at my lips.

I turned toward my closet, quietly pulling out fresh clothes for a shower, but the soft rustling of sheets behind me made me pause.

"Kaori?" Her voice was thick with sleep, groggy and warm.

I turned to find her rubbing her eyes, her bare shoulders peeking out from under the blankets.

"Who else would it be?" I teased, my tone lighter than I felt.

She chuckled, stretching lazily before sitting up. "I don't know. Some sexy vampire lover I don't know about?"

I snorted. "You wish."

She grinned, but her gaze softened as she studied me. Then, without warning, she pushed back the blankets and padded toward me, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind.

I stiffened slightly before letting myself sink into her touch. Her warmth seeped through my clothes, her scent wrapping around me like a safety net.

"I missed you," she murmured against my back.

My hands gently covered hers, resting over my stomach. "I missed you too."

We stood like that for a moment, wrapped in quiet, stolen intimacy.

Then, she tilted her head to press a kiss between my shoulder blades. "Rough night?"

I huffed a laugh. "You could say that."

She was quiet for a minute and I raised an eyebrow. She hesitated before whispering, "Do you ever think I could be your mate?"

My breath caught. I had been dreading this conversation for a long time. Her gaze searched mine, already bracing for the answer she didn't want to hear.

I swallowed hard. "Rosette—"

She let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "Forget I asked, Kaori. I already know."

My chest ached. I wanted to tell her that I wanted her, that I wished things were different. But the truth was unavoidable. Rosette deserved more than stolen moments with me in my penthouse, but she already knew that.

Rosette pulled away before I could say anything. She didn't look at me as she climbed back into bed, turning her back toward me.

A sharp pang settled in my chest.

I ran a hand down my face, exhaling slowly. I had been selfish, letting this go on for as long as I had. I could pretend all I wanted, but the truth remained—I could never offer her the future she deserved.

Not when my own fate was already written. I should have walked away from her months ago.

I should have let her go.

Instead, I had held on, taking comfort in the warmth of her body, in the quiet moments we stole in the dead of night. I had convinced myself that as long as we both knew this was temporary, no real damage would be done.

But I had been wrong.

She was slipping away from me, and I had no one to blame but myself.

I hesitated for a moment before walking toward the bed, perching on the edge. I could hear her breathing, slow and even, but I knew she wasn't asleep.

"Rosette," I murmured.

She didn't respond.

I reached out, brushing my fingers over her bare shoulder. She didn't pull away, but she didn't lean into my touch either.

"I don't—" I swallowed. "I don't want to hurt you."

A bitter chuckle slipped from her lips. "Little late for that, don't you think?"

Guilt twisted in my stomach.

"Do you love me?" she asked suddenly.

My throat tightened.

Did I? I cared about her. I wanted her. But love. Love was dangerous. Love made people weak.

I had seen what love had done to my mother when my father died. I had seen how it had nearly destroyed her, how it had left her a shell of the woman she once was.

I had sworn long ago that I would never allow myself to love like that, but when I looked at Rosette, when I heard the quiet hurt in her voice, I wondered if maybe—just maybe—I had already lost that battle.

Still, I couldn't give her what she wanted. What she deserved.

"I can't," I whispered.

She inhaled sharply, and for a moment, I thought she was going to cry, but when she finally turned to face me, her expression was unreadable.

"Then let me go."

My heart clenched.

"I mean it, Kaori." Her voice was firm, despite the sadness in her eyes. "If you can't love me, if this is all we'll ever be, then stop holding onto me like I'm something more."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

She shook her head. "You're cruel, you know that?"

I let out a humorless laugh. "I've been told."

She sighed, running a hand through her locs. "I don't hate you. I don't think I ever could. I just can't do this anymore. I won't."

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.

I wanted to argue, to tell her that I needed her, that I wasn't ready to let her go. That would only be another selfish lie.

I had lost her the moment she asked if she could be my mate and now, I had to live with the consequences. I stood slowly, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"I'll leave," I said quietly.

She blinked. "What?"

"I'll go. I won't stay here tonight." I forced a smirk, even as my chest ached. "You deserve a good night's sleep, at least."

Her brows furrowed. "Kaori—"

I interrupted her. "You should have your stuff out by the end of the week."

"Kaori—" She started to say—but I was already walking away.

I grabbed my coat, heading toward the door without looking back. I needed air. I needed space. I needed to get away.

The second the door shut behind me, I let out a long, shaky breath.

I needed to be alone.

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Drum roll please! That's the end of chapter 2. Please let me know what you all think?