LUCIAN'S P.O.V.
The hall reeked of sage, burnt herbs, and something metallic that tickled my senses uncomfortably. At five in the morning, three hours into this madness, Serena laid out the ritual ingredients with a precision that only added to the tension in the room. Every eye in the hall—alphas, betas, high priests, high priestesses, and their mages—was fixed on her as she placed each item with deliberate care. The vampire blood, dark and glistening, was contained in a crystal vial that seemed to pulse faintly, as though it had a heartbeat of its own.
"This," Serena announced, lifting the vial, "was willingly donated by Vera, mate of Adam, a Moonpeak's enforcer."
The room murmured in quiet approval. Vera, one of the rare vampires who had chosen to live in my Pack, was nothing like the savages Adrian commanded. Still, even with her kindness, the blood she provided— containing her venom—carried an edge, a reminder of the primal power vampires possessed.
