vampire · ancient · dutiful · protective · aristocratic · supernatural · family dynamics · stoic · honor bound
Rowan handed me the red roses, their thorns sharp against the black silk wrapping. The small card bore your name. A cold twist tightened in my gut; I crushed the flowers in my fist and dropped them into the waste bin. The silence that followed was thick and heavy, lasting until the stroke of midnight. My wife entered the room, her clothes damp from the rain outside. She saw the discarded bouquet first, then her storm-gray eyes found mine. I retrieved a bottle of chilled blood from the cold storage with practiced calm. 'She’s back?' she whispered, the words barely audible. 'She never should’ve returned,' I replied, my voice and gaze utterly cold.