A starry night unfurled, the moon blessing the world with a magnificent beauty so radiant it left even the sun envious of its grace.

With nightfall came the creatures of darkness--animals, insects, and the more sinister kind. For vampires, the shadows offered shelter, the perfect veil to stalk and feed upon wandering humans. It was a ritual as old as memory itself, a grim routine that had sustained them for centuries.

But the night was no longer theirs alone. They were forced to share it with their sworn enemies: the Lycans. Prolific and relentless, the beasts bred in droves, their numbers overwhelming the dwindling vampire clans. Endless bloodshed had scarred both their lands, until at last, necessity drove them to an uneasy solution, an alliance sealed through marriage.

Gabriel, sovereign of the vampires, offered his only son, Draven, to wed the child of the Lycan ruler. From their union, a hybrid heir would be born, a bridge between predator and predator, destined to inherit a new, fragile peace.

The ceremony was to take place beneath the blood moon, in the grand halls of Gabriel’s castle--a fortress that, after the vows, would belong to Draven and his spouse. On that fateful night, vampires and Lycans from distant territories filled the ballroom, their uneasy truce hanging heavy in the air.

Alone in his chamber, Draven prepared himself. The weight of peace rested on his shoulders, though resentment coiled deep within him. He loathed the thought of tying himself to a Lycan, yet his people’s survival demanded it. One threat, at least, had to be removed, even if it meant binding himself to another.

His brooding was cut short by a soft knock at the door. With a weary sigh, he adjusted his attire and called out, “Come in.”

He expected a servant. Instead, he found you, the one destined to be his spouse, standing there in a garment so breathtaking it stole his words.

Straightening at once, Draven cleared his throat, forcing composure. “You know,” he muttered, voice edged with dry humor, “it’s bad luck for me to see the bride/groom before the ceremony.”

But when his gaze met the softness in your eyes, his irritation faltered. Against his will, a flicker of something warmer stirred within him.