106

106

Ian’s POV

The silence of the vampire realm used to be calming to me. It was a contrast to the noisy chaos of the human world. But tonight, the stillness was oppressive. The moment I left Lyanna’s apartment, her words echoed in my mind like a storm building on the horizon. Sophia was from an ancient bloodline? And not just any bloodline—one that could shake the foundations of our world?

I moved through the dark corridors of the palace, my steps quick and quiet. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had unleashed something I didn’t fully understand.

Sophia. I thought I had protected her, marking her as mine, bringing her into my world. But now it seemed I had only opened the door to something far more dangerous. The thought of her being connected to an ancient, powerful lineage made me uneasy, not because of what it meant for me, but because of what it could mean for her. The Council wouldn’t take this lightly. They were already suspicious of her. Now, if they found out what Lyanna suspected…

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. I had fought wars, led armies, and ruled a realm of creatures who thrived on power. But this—this was different. This was personal.

I ran a frustrated hand through my hair as I walked, thinking of all this meant and all I could do to stop it. But there was barely anything I could do to stop it. Fuck. There was barely anything I could do to stop what was happening, how this was turning out.

Sophia.

I needed to talk to her. I needed to tell her everything, warn her about the danger she might be in. But how could I do that without scaring her? Without pushing her further away?

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called, turning to see Jacob enter the room. His face was serious, his usual laid-back demeanor gone.

“What’s going on?” he asked, closing the door behind him. “You’ve been acting off since we came back from the human realm. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I hadn’t wanted to involve him in this, but he’d always had a way of knowing when something was bothering me.

“It’s Sophia,” I said, not knowing how else to begin.

Jacob raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. “What about her? I thought everything was going well between you two.”

“It’s not that,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s about what Lyanna had told me.”

At the mention of Lyanna, Jacob’s expression darkened slightly. He’d never fully trusted witches, even though Lyanna had been a close friend turned family for years.

“What did she say?” he asked, one brow raised.

I hesitated, unsure of how much I should reveal. This was supposed to be a secret between she and I. But this was Jacob. He deserved to know the truth.

“She thinks Sophia is connected to an ancient vampire bloodline,” I said finally. “One that disappeared centuries ago.”

“Yeah, you told me that already,” he replied flatly.

“Yeah well she’s found something more,” I replied in an equally flat tone. “And she might be right.”

Jacob’s eyes widened, his casual stance immediately straightening as my words sank in. “Are you serious?”

I nodded. “Dead serious. Lyanna found a record—a name. Anderson. It’s a family that was thought to be extinct. If she’s right, Sophia could be the descendant of one of the most powerful vampire families to ever exist.”

Jacob let out a low whistle, rubbing the back of his neck. “And you didn’t think to mention this earlier?”

“I just found out,” I snapped, the frustration in my voice surprising even me. “And I’m still trying to process what it means.”

Jacob studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. “So, what now? What does this mean for her? For you?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “But if the Council finds out about this, they’ll see her as a threat. They’ll want to take control of the situation, and we both know what that means.”

Jacob’s expression darkened further. “They’ll kill her.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a fact. The Council didn’t tolerate threats, especially not from someone as unpredictable as Sophia. If they saw her as a danger, they wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate her.

“I’m not going to let that happen,” I said firmly, my fists clenching at my sides. “I’ll protect her, no matter what.”

Jacob let out a long breath, shaking his head. “You’re in deep, brother. Deeper than I’ve ever seen you.”

“I know,” I said quietly, the weight of my decisions settling heavily on my shoulders. “But I don’t have a choice.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The tension in the room was thick, the implications of what Lyanna had discovered hanging over us like a storm cloud.

“So, what’s your plan?” Jacob asked finally, his voice softer than before.

“I told Lyanna to dig deeper,” I said. “Find out everything she can. But until we know more, I need to keep this quiet. The Council is already suspicious. If they catch wind of this, it’ll be war.”

“And Sophia?” Jacob asked, his gaze steady. “Does she know?”

“Not yet,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair again. “But I’m going to tell her. She deserves to know what’s at stake.”

Jacob nodded slowly, pushing away from the door and walking over to the window. He stood there for a moment, staring out into the darkness before speaking again.

“You really care about her, don’t you?” he asked, his voice quieter now.

I didn’t respond immediately. The truth was, caring didn’t even begin to describe what I felt for Sophia. It was something deeper, something intense. I had spent centuries avoiding attachments after that one time I fell in love and ended in a disaster. I have been keeping everyone at arm’s length. But with her, it was different. She had a pull on me that I couldn’t explain, couldn’t resist.

“I do,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “More than I ever thought possible.”

Jacob turned to look at me, his expression unreadable. “Then you better make sure she stays alive long enough to figure out what all this means.”

I met his gaze, nodding. “I will. No matter what.”

Jacob gave me a small, grim smile before heading toward the door. “Keep me in the loop. And if you need help…”

“I’ll let you know,” I finished for him, appreciating his support. “We’re in this together, right?” I reminded him of his earlier words from the other day.

He nodded once more before slipping out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.

I moved back to the desk, staring down at the empty glass in my hand. The weight of everything was starting to feel suffocating. Sophia was more than just a girl I had fallen for. She was tied to something ancient, something dangerous. And now, it was my responsibility to protect her from a world that would tear her apart if they found out the truth. A world that would see her as nothing more than a threat.

I had fought battles, waged wars, and killed more creatures than I could count. But this—this was something else entirely.

And for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to win.