Hidden fangs

EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO:

Alaric stood at the edge of the balcony, staring out into the night, the weight of his world pressing heavily on his chest. The moonlight bathed the sprawling kingdom below, casting a silver glow over the ancient castle walls and dark forests beyond. He could hear the whispers of the wind and the distant murmurs of his people. Soon, he would be crowned leader of the vampire kingdom-a position he had been groomed for since birth.

But all of that seemed distant, trivial compared to the storm raging inside him. His mind kept circling back to her-Emilia.

She had been an ordinary human, a traveler from a nearby town who had wandered too close to the vampire territory one fateful evening. Alaric had been on patrol when he found her, lost and confused. Something about her, the defiance in her eyes, the softness of her smile, had drawn him in. Against all reason, he had allowed her to return home, unharmed. And after that night, he couldn't stay away.

Their meetings became secret, hidden in the cover of darkness. What started as curiosity soon blossomed into something deeper, something dangerous. He hadn't meant to fall in love with her, but he did. And when Emilia confessed she felt the same, there was no going back.

But love was never simple. Especially not for a vampire prince.

"Alaric?" Emilia's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts. She stood behind him, her figure barely illuminated by the flickering torches in the hallway.

He turned slowly, his heart aching at the sight of her. She was beautiful, radiant even, but there was a shadow of fear in her eyes now. And the reason for that fear rested gently in her hands-a delicate bump beginning to show beneath her loose dress.

She was carrying his child.

"I felt the baby move," she whispered, stepping closer to him. "Alaric, what are we going to do?"

He swallowed hard, his throat tight. This should have been a moment of joy, of excitement. But instead, it felt like the end of everything they had.

"Emilia," he began, his voice hoarse, "you can't stay here. It's not safe."

Her eyes widened. "What are you saying? You want me to leave?"

His hands clenched at his sides. "I have no choice. My coronation is approaching, and once I take the throne... they will come for you. They'll see you as a threat, and the child-" He couldn't finish the sentence. The idea of their unborn child being seen as anything less than a miracle was unbearable.

"Let them come," Emilia said, defiance sparking in her voice. "I'm not afraid."

"But I am!" Alaric snapped, the words echoing into the night. "I'm afraid of what they'll do to you, what they'll do to our child. I'm next in line for the throne, Emilia. I can't protect you once I take that crown."

Tears welled in her eyes, and Alaric's heart shattered at the sight. "You want me to leave? Just like that?" she whispered, her voice breaking.

He reached out, his hand trembling as he gently cupped her face. "I want you to live. I want our child to live. If you stay here, there's no future for us. They won't let it happen. The council, the elders... they'd see it as a betrayal of everything I'm supposed to represent."

Emilia closed her eyes, pressing her cheek into his palm. "And what about us, Alaric? What about the love we share?"

"I will never stop loving you," he murmured, his voice raw with emotion. "But my world is not kind to love. It's built on power, tradition, and blood. If they discover what we've done, it won't just be you who's in danger. It'll be everyone."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The wind carried the silence, heavy with sorrow and unspoken words.

Finally, Emilia nodded, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I'll go," she whispered. "For the baby."

Alaric pulled her into his arms, holding her as tightly as he could without hurting her. He wanted to memorize every detail of her-the way she smelled, the way her heart beat against his chest, the warmth of her skin. "I'll make sure you're safe," he promised. "I'll send you to a place where no one will ever find you."

She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with tear-streaked eyes. "And you? What will you do?"

"I will take the throne," he said bitterly. "And I will rule over a kingdom that will never know the joy I've found with you."

"I don't want to be without you," Emilia whispered.

"You won't be," Alaric said, his voice trembling. "Not really. I'll always be with you, even if I can't be by your side."

They shared one final kiss, a bittersweet goodbye wrapped in longing and pain. And when Emilia finally pulled away, Alaric felt like a part of him had been ripped out.

In the dead of night, she left, escorted by one of Alaric's most trusted allies, hidden away from the eyes of the kingdom. He watched her go from the shadows, his heart breaking with every step she took.

And as the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, Alaric turned back to his castle, preparing himself for the crown and the future he never wanted-one without her.

But deep down, he knew he'd do anything, risk everything, to one day see her and their child again. Even if it meant defying the kingdom he was born to rule.