Maika stood at the edge of the shore, the sun draping her in gold as the waves licked the sand at her feet. Her thoughts drifted like the tide—lost, endless, and aching. A breeze whispered through her long raven hair, and for a moment, she closed her eyes and breathed it in. Solitude had become her companion here. A prison cloaked in paradise.
From the shadows beyond the trees, amber eyes watched her with a hunger that had nothing to do with blood or flesh.
Carl stood perfectly still, concealed by the lush foliage of the hidden island. The sight of her stole the breath from his lungs.
Even now… even after everything…
She was breathtaking.
Her porcelain skin shimmered under the sun's gentle caress, and her lips, slightly parted, seemed to call his name without sound. She didn't know who she was. Not truly. Not anymore. But to Carl, she would always be the woman who shattered his world and made it whole in the same breath.
Maika.
His vampire.
His moon.
His ruin.
He should've turned back. Should've stayed in the shadows like he always did. Watching. Guarding. Keeping her safe from a distance. But this time, he hadn't come alone.
"Daddy… who's that lady?" a small voice asked, tugging at his coat.
Carl looked down to find his son, Caveen, peering through the leaves with wide, curious eyes. There was a strange glimmer in them—recognition.
"A friend," Carl said, his voice rougher than he intended.
Caveen tilted his head and sniffed the air.
"She smells nice," he murmured, dreamy. "Like vanilla… and roses."
Carl's lips twitched, a bittersweet smile curving. "Yeah," he murmured. "She always did."
His gaze drifted back to Maika. There was a hope buried in his chest, fragile as glass. Maybe… just maybe, Caveen could awaken something. A memory. A heartbeat.
"Go on," Carl said gently. "Say hello. I'll be nearby."
Caveen beamed and darted toward the beach, small footprints imprinting the sand behind him. Carl turned and slipped away, heart pounding like a war drum in his chest.
---
Maika sensed him before she saw him.
Not Carl.
Something smaller. Softer. Innocent.
She turned—and her breath caught.
A boy. No older than three. Dark curls. Sky-blue eyes. A smile so warm it could melt the coldest night.
"Hi!" he chirped, standing a few steps from her. "My dad says you're his friend. Can I be your friend too? I'm Caveen!"
He held out his hand, bold and unafraid.
Maika stared. Something deep inside her shifted. Her chest ached—not with pain, but with a hollow echo that longed to be filled.
She slowly reached for his hand. The moment their skin touched, a shock of electricity surged through her. Images—fragmented, blurred—flashed in her mind. Laughter. A cradle. A lullaby sung through tears. And a man with amber eyes whispering her name like a vow.
She gasped, stumbling.
Caveen's brows knit with concern. "Are you okay, Lady Maika?"
"Y-Yes," she whispered, disoriented. "I just… felt something. I'm alright now."
He grinned. "Good! You're pretty. You look like a queen."
Maika chuckled, her heart fluttering. "You're quite the charmer, young man."
Before long, they were seated together under the gazebo. He asked for stories. She told him one. Then two. Then five. Time melted like sugar in tea.
By the time the sun began to dip behind the horizon, Caveen was curled in her lap, eyes heavy.
"Maika?"
"Yes?"
"Why does your scent make me feel safe?" he mumbled, voice soft with sleep. "Like… like I never wanna leave."
Maika stiffened.
"You can smell me?" she asked.
He nodded, yawned. "Vanilla and roses. It's the best scent in the world."
Her gaze narrowed. His features… his aura. The more she looked, the more she saw something hidden beneath the surface. Something familiar. But before she could ask more, Caveen was asleep, his cheek pressed to her thigh.
She stroked his hair, marveling at the strange warmth blooming in her chest. A comfort she hadn't felt in years.
Then—a throat cleared behind her.
Maika looked up.
Carl stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. The fading sun cast his silhouette in gold.
"I hope he wasn't too much trouble," he said softly.
Maika shook her head, her voice tender. "He's perfect. Like a little star that wandered into my life."
Carl hesitated, then said, "He's not usually this… open. He keeps his distance. Even from family. But with you… it's like he's known you forever."
Their eyes locked. Silence crackled between them.
There it was again—that pull. That invisible thread that tied them together, even after time, memory, and bloodlines tried to cut it.
Maika tore her gaze away. "He said I smell like vanilla and roses. Is that… normal for a child his age? To have such a strong sense of smell?"
Carl's jaw tensed.
"In rare cases," he said slowly. "Certain… traits awaken early. Depending on lineage."
He looked away, guilt flickering in his eyes.
"Let me put him to bed. You should rest too."
Maika nodded, lips parted with unspoken questions. She followed them back to the villa, heart pounding, thoughts spiraling.
-----
She couldn't sleep.
The moon spilled silver light across the marble floor as Maika stared at the ceiling, her mind turning like a storm.
Caveen.
He was no ordinary child.
Her senses didn't lie. Carl smelled like a pure lycan. But Caveen… there was something else woven into his scent. Something darker. Something… hers?
She touched her own chest, fingers curling as the truth teased the edges of her mind.
There's something Carl's not telling me.
Something that could change everything.
---
Far from the island, deep within the crimson halls of the vampire kingdom, Lord Valus sat alone.
His chamber, once filled with music and light, now groaned under silence and sorrow.
Maika was gone.
His daughter. His pride.
All his efforts had yielded nothing—no trace, no sign. It was as if she had vanished from existence.
Until—
KNOCK. KNOCK.
A sharp rap at the window.
Valus turned. A raven—feathers black as midnight—perched on the ledge. Around its leg, a scroll, sealed in blood-red wax.
He opened the window. The bird cawed and fluttered off.
With trembling fingers, he unraveled the parchment.
One line.
A whisper from the abyss.
"She lives. Come find her… if you dare."
Valus's eyes gleamed with fury and hope.
"Maika…" he murmured, voice shaking. "You're alive."
But the message wasn't just a reassurance.
It was a challenge.
And someone—somewhere—was waiting.