When Eternity Becomes a Lie

The war between vampires and werewolves has raged for centuries. But Dorian, the most revered vampire prince, shattered every rule and bound himself to me—a werewolf.

The Elders punished him for it.

For this, he was chained in sacred silver for days on end. Forced to drink the blood of beasts. He nearly died in a baptism of holy water. The pain was absolute.

But when he saw me again, his eyes were bloodshot as he kissed my tears away. "The moment we bonded, I made a vow," he whispered. "You are my eternal mate. I will never forsake you."

Finally, his family—the Valkyries—agreed. But they had one condition.

He could leave the vampire world with me. But first, he had to sleep with Liliana, the pureblood noblewoman. He had to give his family a new, powerful heir.

Dorian held me, his voice tight with desperation. "Please, Freya. Just wait a little longer. A few more years, and we can go to the human world. We can have our eternity."

I waited. Night after night, he went to her bed. A hundred nights of betrayal passed before she finally conceived.

But their daughter, Aria, was born without the proper bloodline mark. She couldn't be the heir. They had to have another.

I endured another two hundred nights of their betrayal. Liliana was pregnant again.

But on Aria's first birthday, sunlight somehow flooded her room. She was dying.

Everyone thought I did it.

I was locked in a cellar lined with silver. Dorian's face was a mask of pain and exhaustion as he confronted me.

"I told you we could leave after the next child was born. You're the only one here immune to the sun. Why would you hurt my daughter?!"

Tears streamed down my swollen face as I tried to deny it, but the silver poison burning in my bones had already stolen my voice.

By the time the cellar door opened again, the wolf inside me was fading.

I forced myself to my feet and walked toward the Valkyrie Elders. This eternal bond he promised? I was done.

The war between vampires and werewolves has raged for centuries. But Dorian, the most revered vampire prince, shattered every rule and bound himself to me—a werewolf.

The Elders punished him for it.

For this, he was chained in sacred silver for days on end. Forced to drink the blood of beasts. He nearly died in a baptism of holy water. The pain was absolute.

But when he saw me again, his eyes were bloodshot as he kissed my tears away. "The moment we bonded, I made a vow," he whispered. "You are my eternal mate. I will never forsake you."

Finally, his family—the Valkyries—agreed. But they had one condition.

He could leave the vampire world with me. But first, he had to sleep with Liliana, the pureblood noblewoman. He had to give his family a new, powerful heir.

Dorian held me, his voice tight with desperation. "Please, Freya. Just wait