#the first two chapters are centered around max and Charles clashes and then the real plot kick in

[ssf1]

It was another one of those endless banquets where royal courtesy and formalities had to be observed. The vampires, draped in silks and adorned in jewels, mingled with the other nobles, and Max, ever the towering figure, stood to the side with his pack, muscles taut beneath his leather armor, his eyes ever vigilant. He was used to the opulence of the vampire court—he had been forced to attend too many times—but it never ceased to irk him. The lavish displays of wealth made his skin crawl.

Charles, the golden-haired prince of the vampires, stood at the center of the room. His presence demanded attention without him lifting a finger, the perfect image of royal grace. He seemed perfectly content among his own kind, his gaze sharp, but a slight edge of frustration lingered beneath the surface. His rivalry with Max had been going on for years, and tonight, it would reach another boiling point.

The moment their eyes met across the crowded hall, the air thickened with unspoken animosity. Charles’s jaw tightened. Max’s lips curled into a sly, almost amused grin. Despite the years of tension, there was something undeniably magnetic about their interactions—something both violent and magnetic at the same time.

Charles (eyes narrowing): "I see you haven’t grown tired of this spectacle, Max."

Max (smirking, stepping closer): "Oh, I’d never miss the opportunity to remind your delicate people how real power looks, Charles."