Vincent/Vaelthor~

If anyone had ever told me that a day woulde when I''d forget every vow, every scar, every purpose that dragged me to the surface world—and instead trail after a girl like some love-struck fool—I would''veughed in their face, then slit their throat just to make sure the words never spread. But today? Today it happened.

My head was a hurricane of shadows, thoughts colliding and shredding each other as Kat''s hand closed tight around mine, pulling me through the crowd. Every step away from Winter felt like tearing muscle from bone, but I made no move to stop her. What the hell was I doing?

For twenty years, Winter had been the constant in my chaos. My twin me in a world of ashes. We were forged together by blood and fury, two halves of a cursed whole. Our mother, Kalmia—in like prey by Zane and Natalie, those royal monsters who paraded themselves as just. Our father, Shadow—the god of darkness himself—sealed away in eternal chains, ripped from us before we even understood what loss meant.

We grew up in the ruins of that void. No family. No mercy. Only each other. Winter was mypass when vengeance blinded me, the only soul who could drag me back from the edge when the darkness begged me to let go. I swore I''d never leave her side. Not in the demon realms. Not in the wastnds where whispers of revenge were our only lubies. Not ever.

And now?

Now I was here, in this gaudy surface-world ballroom that glittered like a lie, crowded with vampires, wolves, and things too polished to be human. And I''d left her. For Kat.

Kat, with her ember-bright hair catching the chandeliers'' glow. Kat, whose hand in mine sent lightning jolts screaming through my veins, my shadows bending toward her like she was their rightful queen. I should''ve fought it. I should''ve pulled back. Instead, I followed—obedient, weak, chained not by force but by desire.

The crowd parted as we moved, eyes tracking her like moths to me. And just before the curtains swallowed us, I looked back.

Winter stood alone, her mask of ice perfect as ever—except I knew her too well. I saw the flicker, the fracture, the instinctive reach of her hand toward me. My chest constricted. And then he appeared. Nick. That cocky hybrid with midnight hair and eyes that smoldered like they''d swallowed too many secrets. He slid in without hesitation, caught her hand like it already belonged to him, and tugged her toward the balcony.

And Winter… she let him. Hesitant, conflicted—but she went. Just like I did.

Rage roared through my shadows, but beneath it, something worse coiled tight in my gut. Fear.

Kat pulled me into an alcove, velvet curtains falling heavy around us, muting the music and chatter outside. The sudden quiet was dizzying. The air was cooler here, scented faintly with night-blooming flowers wafting in from the garden. My shadows settled restlessly at our feet, uncertain.

I turned—and froze.

Kat stood inches away, eyes the color of a clear, reckless sky locking onto mine. Her chest rose and fell, breath quick, matching the wild tempo of my own. Her face was fierce, unyielding, as if she''d fight gods and demons both to stand here with me.

And right now, she was looking at me like I wasn''t just a shadow or a weapon or half of a curse..

She was looking at me like I was her whole damn world.

"Vincent," she said softly, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind. "I... I need to talk to you. About what''s happening between us. I don''t know if you can feel it, or if your wolf has told you, but my wolf—she''s made it crystal clear. You''re my mate. The pull, the sparks—it''s undeniable."

Her words hit me like a blow. Mate? She actually said the words. My shadows recoiled, then surged forward in a chaotic dance. I''d never felt anything like this—no wolf inside me howling, just the raw, demonic pull of fate twisting my guts. I''d never kissed anyone, never touched a woman beyond Winter''s sisterly embrace. Our lives had been revenge, nothing else. No distractions, no weaknesses. The only girl I''d ever been close to was my sister, our bond forged in the fires of loss. But in this moment, Kat... she made me feel alive, whole, like the darkness in me had found its light.

I stared at her, lost, the world tilting. My calcting mind fractured, ambition giving way to something raw and unguarded. Vulnerability? In me? I opened my mouth, but no words came. She leaned in, concern etching her features. "Vincent, did you—"

I couldn''t think. For the first time, I let my heart lead instead of my head. I surged forward, pulling her into my arms with a desperation that wed from my soul. My lips crashed onto hers, fierce and consuming, like unleashing a storm I''d bottled for years. She tasted of sunlight and wild honey, her mouth hot and yielding against mine. My hands tangled in her reddish-blonde hair, pulling her closer, as if she were the only thing keeping me from dissolving into shadows. The kiss was fire and midnight intertwined—passionate, raw, a collision of worlds that shouldn''t fit but did. Her body melted into mine, every curve igniting sparks that raced through my veins. I could feel her heartbeat thundering against my chest, frantic and wild, mirroring my own chaotic symphony. My shadows curled around us protectively, while flickers of her celestial light danced at the edges, gold sparks illuminating the alcove like forbidden stars.

It felt eternal—that heartbeat suspended in time. Devastatingly perfect. For the first time since Mother''s blood stained the earth and Father''s chains echoed in my nightmares, my fractured world felt whole again. Kat''s presence stitched the cracks together, dangerous and irresistible.

But perfection neversts.

The shes came first—sharp, intrusive bursts that sliced through the dim alcove like lightning. Bright surface-world devices—phones, cameras, whatever they called those cursed contraptions—rose in greedy hands. Shutters clicked. Screens glowed. Voices rose in hungry whispers, rippling through the crowd like a spreading fire.

"Is that Kathy?"

"With him? Who the hell is he?"fn512b This update is avable on find{n}ovel/fn512b

Each murmur was a knife twisting, a reminder that the surface world had no mercy.

Reality mmed back like a de to the throat. Good things weren''t meant for demons like me. If Kat knew what I was—a demon from the underworld—she''d abandon me, or worse, have me killed. She seemed to be popr among wolves and vamps. And Nick? He''d do the same to Winter. Those shes... what if they''d uncovered our secrets? What if the crowd knew we were demons infiltrating their world? Panic surged, my shadows recoiling as if burned.

I froze, eyes widening in rm. Without a word, I pulled back, lips still tingling from her touch, and bolted. Slipping through the crowd like smoke, I reached the balcony. There, Winter and Nick were in their own bubble—her head tilted up to him, his hand in hers, voices low and intimate. Jealousy and protectiveness boiled in me. I grabbed her arm, yanking her away. "Winter, we have to go—now!" I hissed, my voice low and urgent.

She stumbled, her enigmatic mask shattering. "Vincent? What—wait!"

Nick''s face twisted in fury, dark eyes shing red. "Hey! What the hell—"

But I was already dragging her toward the exit, her protests faint. "Vincent, stop! I don''t want to leave him!"

"This is a trick, Sylthara!" I whispered fiercely—using her real name—as we burst into the night air, the estate grounds sprawling under the moon. "Those people in the party—they''re going to kill us if we don''t get out now. The shes, the stares—they know something. We can''t trust them!"

She nced back, her cold facade cracking with vulnerability only I ever saw. "But Nick... he wasn''t like that. He was... different."

"Different? They''re all the same—enemies of our blood!" I snapped, pulling her deeper into the shadows of the manicuredwns. The chill night whipped around us, fountains glistening like mocking tears. I could hear footsteps—Kat and Nichs chasing, her lycan speed pounding the earth, his vampire blur slicing the air.

"We need to change," I urged, ducking behind a thick bush at the edge of the woods. "Back to our true forms. Now!"

Winter hesitated, fear flickering in her eyes—vulnerability she only showed me. "Vincent, I''m scared. What if—"

"Do it!" Imanded, my own body shifting. My skin rippled, horns sprouting from my head, shadows coiling like living ink. Demonic strength surged through me, enhanced senses picking up every rustle. Winter followed, her form twisting into her demoness self—darkness maniption ready, nightmare weaving at her fingertips.

I scooped mud from the damp ground, smearing it over our bodies, coating our horns, our skin, until we were caked in earthy camouge. The werewolf scent the witch Nancy had given us lingered, a faint wolfish musk even in demon form, but the mud muted it, blending us with the night''s decay. "This will throw them off," I muttered, my voice a gravelly rumble. "They''ll chase the old trail."

We bolted into the woods, branches whipping our faces, leaves crunching underfoot. The forest was abyrinth of twisted oaks and moon-dappled paths, shadows my domain. We ran, hearts pounding, my fear illusions ready to deploy if needed. Winter kept pace, but her breaths came ragged, not from exhaustion—demons like us didn''t tire easily—but from something deeper.

After what felt like miles, the party''s distant glow faded to nothing. Winter slowed, then stopped, tears streaming down her mud-streaked face. "Vaelthor... we''re getting too far from him. From Nick. It hurts... it hurts so much."

I turned, grabbing her shoulders. "Syl, listen to me. We have to keep going. If we want to avenge Mother and Father, we can''t get tangled with them. They''ll only lead us away from our true path!"

She shook her head, sobs wracking her slender frame. "But my heart... it''s like it''s being torn apart. I can''t... I can''t breathe." She clutched her chest, trying to turn back the way we''de. "Please, Vaelthor. I need to go back to him. The pain—it''s too much!"

"Sylthara, no!" I pulled her forward, but she resisted, her enigmatic coolness shattered into raw vulnerability. "Think about our goal. Revenge— that''s what we''ve lived for!"

She cried harder, copsing to her knees in the leaf-strewn dirt. "I can''t stand it! My chest is on fire... like something vital is ripping away. Nick... he made me feel... not so alone. Please, brother. I beg you—take me back!"

I knelt beside her, my own pain surging—an unbearable ache from leaving Kat, like thorns twisting in my soul. The mate bond, or whatever demonic equivalent wed at me, was excruciating, but I had more strength, forged in years of calction and ambition. I could withstand it... barely. "Sylthara! Sylthara, get up!" I called, shaking her gently. She heaved on the ground, weak, barely moving, her breaths shallow gasps.

"Vaelthor..." she whispered, eyes pleading. "Please... take me back to Nick. I can''t... I can''t do this."