155

155

Ian’s POV

The heavy clouds hung low over the vampire realm, mirroring the mood of the day. The funeral was set to take place in the old cemetery, a secluded area deep within the heart of the realm, where the most notable vampires had been laid to rest for centuries. Today, we would bury Aldric.

I stood in front of the mirror in our room, fastening the buttons on my shirt, my thoughts churning. Sophia sat on the edge of the bed, her hands resting on her lap, looking at me with that soft, familiar gaze. She knew I was troubled. Ever since Aldric’s body had been found, things had felt wrong. Like we were walking through a fog, unsure of where the next threat would come from.

“We’ll leave right after the ceremony,” I said quietly, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “No one will have the chance to ask too many questions. You’ll be safe.”

Sophia nodded, though I could see the tension in her body. I walked over and sat beside her, taking her hand in mine. With her being pregnant, I knew every step we took had to be more cautious than ever.

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” I said, my voice low. “I can take care of things. You and Jenny can stay here.”

Sophia shook her head firmly. “No. I’m going. If anyone sees me not showing up, it’ll raise suspicion.”

She was right. As much as I wanted to shield her from the realm’s turmoil, she was already part of it. And trying to hide her absence would only draw more attention.

“I’ll stay by your side the entire time,” I promised. “No one will notice anything.”

Sophia gave me a small smile, though I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. “I know. I just… I don’t want anything to happen. Not now.”

Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach, and my heart clenched. The thought of her or our unborn child being in danger filled me with a kind of fear I hadn’t experienced before. A fear that cut deeper than anything I’d ever faced in battle.

“I won’t let anything happen,” I said, my voice stronger now. “Not to you. Not to our child.”

We left the room shortly after, meeting Jenny and Jacob downstairs. Jenny looked just as tense as Sophia, her eyes flicking to Jacob for reassurance. Right now, we all felt the same uncertainty. The realm was damaged, and trust was harder to come by than ever.

“We’ll make it quick,” Jacob said as we made our way out of the house. “Get in, pay our respects, get out.”

I nodded in agreement, though the weight of the situation hung heavy between us. We had to attend the funeral—it was expected of us as council members—but staying too long would only invite questions we weren’t ready to answer. Questions about Sophia, about the council, about what had really happened to Aldric.

As we reached the cemetery, the air seemed thicker, more oppressive. Vampires from across the realm had gathered, their faces somber, their gazes sharp. The coffin laid at the front of the gathering, draped in dark velvet, the insignia of Aldric’s lineage woven into the fabric.

We took our places among the council members, keeping to the back of the crowd. I could feel the eyes of the other vampires on us—on me, on Sophia, on all of us. They were watching, waiting. Waiting for us to show weakness, to reveal something they could use against us.

The ceremony began, the priestess’s voice echoing through the silent crowd. Her words were somber, paying tribute to Aldric’s contributions to the realm, to his power and wisdom. But there was an undercurrent of tension. Everyone knew Aldric’s death wasn’t natural. His body had been found in the woods, his throat slit, his body mutilated in ways that suggested something more than a simple assassination.

As the ceremony continued, I glanced at Sophia. She stood tall, her face calm, though I knew her well enough to see the storm brewing beneath the surface. This wasn’t just about Aldric anymore—it was about the future of the realm, about our child, about the danger that lurked around every corner.

Finally, the priestess’s voice faded, and the coffin was lowered into the ground. The crowd murmured quietly, some stepping forward to offer final words of respect. But we stayed back, waiting for the right moment to slip away.

“We need to leave now,” I whispered to Sophia. “Before anyone tries to talk to us.”

Sophia nodded, and I signaled to Jacob and Jenny. We moved quickly, making our way through the crowd, keeping our heads down. But as we reached the edge of the cemetery, a voice called out behind us.

“Ian.”

I stopped, my heart sinking. It was Viktor.

“Ian,” he repeated, stepping closer. His gaze shifted to Sophia, narrowing slightly before returning to me. “Leaving so soon?”

I forced a smile, though I could feel the tension in my chest tightening. “We have urgent matters to attend to,” I said smoothly. “But of course, we wanted to pay our respects.”

Victor’s eyes lingered on Sophia for a moment longer before he nodded, his expression unreadable. “Of course. I understand. But you should know, Ian… things are changing in the realm. Fast. It’s important that we all… stay vigilant.”

His words were laced with meaning, and I didn’t miss the underlying threat. He knew something. Or at the very least, he suspected.

“We’re always vigilant,” I replied, keeping my tone even. “We’ll be in touch.”

With that, I turned, leading Sophia and the others away from the cemetery. My heart was pounding, and I could feel Sophia’s grip tighten on my arm.

“We need to get out of here,” Jacob muttered under his breath, glancing back over his shoulder. “Before anyone else decides to chat.”

We moved quickly, making our way back to the portal that would take us to the human realm. As soon as we crossed over, the tension in my chest eased slightly, though I knew we weren’t out of danger yet. We were never truly safe. Not anymore.

Once we were back in the human world, I let out a slow breath, glancing at Sophia. She was quiet, her face pale, but she was holding herself together.

“We’re okay,” I said softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’re okay.”

But I wasn’t sure if I believed my own words.

We returned to the condo, the familiar surroundings offering a small sense of comfort. But the unease from the realm clung to us, like a shadow we couldn’t shake.

Sophia sat down on the couch, her hand resting on her stomach again. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with worry. “Do you think… do you think they know?”

I shook my head, though the truth was, I didn’t know. “We were careful. No one suspects anything yet.”

She nodded, but the fear in her eyes didn’t fade. “I just… I don’t want anything to happen to the baby, Ian. I don’t want them to find out.”

“They won’t,” I said firmly, sitting beside her and taking her hand in mine. “I’ll protect you. Both of you.”

But as the words left my mouth, I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer I could keep that promise. The realm was changing, and with it, our place in it.

For now, we were safe. But for how long?