Daniil knew he’d really messed up this time. It wasn’t because his father, Lucien, had been shouting for two hours straight, or because Dante was looking at him like he deserved to be strangled. No, it wasn’t that. It was the feeling in his chest the pressure that made it hard to breathe.

"You almost had two people die at that party! Do you realize how serious that is?! How catastrophic it would be for the Dmitrov name?!" Lucien roared.

Of course. The name. Nothing was more important than the damn family name.

He was one of them — or so he thought.

Daniil pretended to listen. The truth was, he was so high on drugs that his brain could barely remember to breathe and not piss himself at the same time. He felt like he was on fire, like the photocopier he'd once set ablaze while apprenticing under Lucien.

They’d accused him of that. How dare they? Okay, it was true but still, they shouldn’t have blamed him without evidence. He’d demanded an investigation, and when the security footage showed it was Daniil, he just smiled. He loved pissing his father off.

But this time was different. This time, he’d crossed an unthinkable red line.

"You brought humans to that party. You gave out drugs, the vampires lost control, and people nearly died!" Lucien shouted.

Yes. The humans. Daniil actually liked humans they were fun, even if they died far too easily.

He had just wanted a party where both species could mingle. Vampires usually kept their distance from humans. So he’d invited guys and girls, hoping the music, alcohol, and drugs would ease the tension.

He still remembered DJing when a couple of vampires started biting the humans. Chaos broke out. The poor humans tried to escape, but the blood... The scent of blood sent everything into a frenzy.

Daniil and his friends barely had time to call the authorities and throw themselves into the mess to protect the humans.

And then he saw her. Her.

A vampire was dragging her by the hair toward the balcony, pinning her against the railing and sinking his teeth into the perfect curve of her neck.

Daniil saw red.

He tackled the attacker. In the scuffle, the poor human girl fell over the railing — but Daniil jumped in time. The landing wasn’t gentle, but the impact was enough to knock her unconscious.

"Do you have any idea how much money it's costing to cover your stupidity? The press are circling like vultures! I'm doing damage control and Alexander is overwhelmed trying to shut down the rumors!" Lucien bellowed.

"How is she?" Daniil asked suddenly.

Even though he loved stirring chaos just to get his father's attention, he couldn’t stop thinking about the human girl her fear, her eyes, how she clung to him during the fall.

His father blinked, confused. "Who are you talking about?" Lucien asked.

"The human he saved," Dante said flatly.

Yes. Her.

"How is she?" Daniil asked again.

"In the hospital," Dante replied in a neutral tone. "You squeezed her so hard you broke a rib, but she’s alive. So she can be grateful for that."

Dante’s voice made Daniil’s head throb.

"Can I see her?" Daniil asked.

Lucien kept yelling and yelling, but Daniil tuned him out. He looked only at his brother Dante, eyes pleading.

"Fine," Dante agreed.

The smell of antiseptic burned his throat. Daniil was nervous — utterly fucked.

He’d run his fingers through his hair a thousand times, adjusted his piercings, straightened his clothes, his necklaces, his bracelets... and he was holding a ridiculous bouquet of red roses.

Fifty. He knew because he’d counted them several times while the florist girl wrapped the bouquet.

Fifty roses to say: “Hey, remember me? You almost died at my party, but I saved you. Would you go on a date with me?”

It sounded pathetic. But he was desperate.

He stood outside the room, mentally rehearsing what he was going to say. It would be quick, direct hand over the bouquet, flash one of his charming smiles, and ask her out.

Simple. Easy. And in two minutes, she’d be in his pocket.

But the moment he stepped inside, his mind went blank for the first time in his life.

He saw her there, lying in the hospital bed, and every single neuron in his brain went on vacation, leaving him alone holding the massive bouquet of roses.

"Uh... Uh... Flowers... for you," he stammered like a caveman.

Perfect, genius. Now she thinks I’m an idiot, Daniil thought.