Bringing a vampire home... she never saw that coming. Ruby's eyes flickered to Dion before her hand hit the door latch.

His gaze locked on hers. He lifted the wicker basket, his face a mask of cold stone. "Where does this go?"

"...Kitchen".

Dion's pupils tracked the layout of the house. He paced after her into the kitchen. It looked like a human nest. Soft edges. Warm colors.

Her scent saturated the walls. It hit him just like the air in Solara Palace.

Ruby had her hair pinned up today. Dion tilted his chin, his gaze landing on the pale, slender line of her throat. He didn't look away.

If his fangs broke that skin now, any chance at a non-violent bridge burned to ash. For an adolescent vampire, choking back hunger felt like holding back a tidal wave.

He let out a long, jagged breath. His shoulders slumped with a weight far beyond his years.

Millie had left an apple pie cooling on the counter. Ruby slid a knife through the crust and handed a plate to Dion.

Dion shoved the first bite into his mouth. He cleared the plate in seconds, his teeth snapping against the porcelain to drown out the thrum of her pulse.

"You here for a reason, Highness?" Ruby asked.

Dion's jaw tightened. The same question every time. He stared at the empty plate, the answer refusing to come.

High risk. Zero blood. A cold reception. He still crossed the border every time the sun dipped just to see her.

He cleared his throat. "Where's Duke Vraj?".

Ruby took a bite of her pie. "No idea".

Dion's brow arched. His shoulders relaxed a fraction.

"You looking for him?" Ruby asked.

Dion's lip curled. Negotiation tables with the Duke were enough to make his skin itch.

A heavy click echoed from the front door. Dion froze.

Jacob Vraj stepped into the hall. Dion's eyes snapped to Ruby. She looked back, her fingers twisting in the hem of her apron.

Neither of them moved. The air in the kitchen turned static.

Ruby's gaze flickered to the open window, but Dion didn't move. He planted his feet and stayed.

Jacob shoved the door open. Dion sat ramrod straight, waiting a full three seconds before tilting his head toward the Duke.

Jacob offered a razor-thin smile. "Highness. To what do we owe the pleasure?".

"Why wouldn't I be here?".

"Of course. But Felix and the guard are scouring the city. It would be... unfortunate if the Queen heard of your absence".

Dion's short laugh was a bark. "You're off your clock too, aren't you, Duke?".

Jacob usually haunted the border camp at this hour. Ruby's head swung between them. Both men looked ready to shove the other through the stone wall.

She pushed her chair back, her spine hugging the wallpaper as she edged toward the exit.

Dion's eyes locked onto her. "Leaving? You haven't shown me the new nest yet".

"Is that necessary? I'm sure the layout is familiar to you, Highness".

"I'd like to see the master bedroom," Dion said, a sharp edge to his grin.

...

Jacob stepped into the gap, his shoulder blocking Dion's view of the hall. "That's off-limits".

Jacob stayed at the door until Dion's boots hit the gravel outside. The Prince's jaw was locked tight. He shot a final, ice-cold look at the Duke before turning to Ruby. "I'm out".

Ruby gave a small, hesitant wave.

The dusk visits became a routine. Jacob's boots never hit the foyer at sunset anymore.

Dion appeared one evening with a box of honey cakes. Ruby swung the door wide. Her shoulders didn't bunch at the sight of him anymore. The shield was down.

He moved with a quiet, strange stillness... almost docile. His eyes stayed dark. No fangs. No white-knuckled grip on her wrists.

He sat in the golden light, his lashes casting long shadows across his cheeks. The silver embroidery on his white tunic caught the sun. He looked like a statue from the Great Hall.

Ruby watched him from across the table. "Sunlight suits you," she murmured.

Dion took a sip of tea and looked up. Ruby's eyes were crinkled at the corners. A real smile.

He looked away, his grip tightening on the teacup. He'd handed the Duke a dozen daggers to use against him just to keep her in this chair.

The thought of the midnight meeting with Vraj and his pack made Dion's skin crawl. He stared at the girl who was promised to another man. He kept the secrets locked behind his teeth.

Dion squeezed his eyes shut. The sun was too bright. Or maybe it was her.

Ruby slid another cake onto his plate. "Thank you," she said, her voice steady. "For coming back every day".

...

"Next time... could you raid the library for me?".

"The Cruel Prince's Obsession?".

Ruby's arms broke out in goosebumps. She dropped her gaze to the tablecloth.

Dion's lips twitched. A ghost of a grin. "Fine".

The afternoon sun hit the cobblestones. Ruby spotted a crown of gold blonde hair. Angelina.

Their fingers locked. Tears shimmered in the emerald and brown depths.

A shadow loomed. A man in a tattered black cloak staggered toward them, his skin the color of wet bone. He hissed a string of broken words. A silver blade caught the light from beneath his sleeve.

Ruby's pupils shrank. She slammed her shoulder into Angelina, throwing the Princess back.

A spray of crimson hit the air. Everything turned red.

Her knees hit the dirt. She lunged forward, her fingers clawing at the assassin's boots. Angelina's scream was a distant, muffled echo.

The man let out a guttural howl as the guards descended. He hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Ruby's fingers loosened. Her eyelids fell. Darkness rushed in.