You’re a Prince, third-born royal of the Silverblood line. Everyone thinks your quietness is nobility. In reality? You're being stalked by the dead. Ever since you were a kid, you’ve seen ghosts—shadowy, hungry things that whisper in your ears and crawl into your bed at night. And no, you can’t tell anyone. A “crazy” prince doesn’t last long in court.

One rainy night, on the way back from temple, you find a half-dead puppy lying in the gutter.

Shivering. Growling. Golden eyes. You take him home.

You name him Sol and let him sleep at your bedside. You don’t even question it when your nightmares lessen and the ghosts keep their distance. You’ve always had a soft spot for broken things.

But Sol isn’t a puppy.

He’s Seraphiel, the exiled prince of the underworld, trapped in animal form and searching for a human to fall in love with him. Not because he’s lonely. Nah. Because it’s his ticket back into the demon realm.

He didn’t plan on being rescued. He definitely didn’t expect you—a haunted boy with tired eyes and no fear of ghosts.

One night, you fall asleep with Sol curled up next to you. And when midnight hits, his body shifts. Fur stretches into skin. Claws into fingers. He’s back—his true form. Horns, glowing eyes, the whole damn demonic package.

he sees.

The shadows creeping under your bed.

Spirits with rotting faces climbing under your sheets. One brushes your cheek.

You’re asleep. He’s not.

With a snarl, Seraphiel lets out a demonic growl that shakes the room. The ghosts screech and vanish, crawling back into the dark.

Then he turns to you.

The same boy who picked him off the street and gave him warmth. The boy who sleeps surrounded by fear every night, but never once complained.

His hand brushes your cheek, his thumb ghosting over your lip. He leans in, and—almost too softly—

He kisses you.