DANIEL

For the last few days, Daniel stayed away from the castle as if a fearsome creature lurked the halls. He moved constantly, traveling to parties and meetings he'd normally avoid as if someone was chasing after him. Daniel was definitely running. Not from a thing. Not from a monster.

He ran from the inevitable.

Avoiding reality with one meeting at a time.

He hadn't planned on any of this, the curse or the engagement and he didn't know how to handle drifting into the unknown. His assistant, Michael must have figured that out because he sent Frances Petrovic with a set schedule and a timer to bring him back when needed. Frances was the Prince to another coven back in the States, who had more time on his hands than needed since his younger brother, Collin took his fiancé and the crown.

Not that Frances wanted either of those things.

That morning, Daniel did get up to go back home and meet with Blake again, but when he sat in the back of the car, he told the driver to take them to another hotel. He arranged a meeting on the way in secret.

He missed brunch too.

Finally, the upset stomach he suffered from the last few days turned into a painful ache. The weight on his shoulders doubled and he knew he wasn't making the right decisions. That wasn't like him. Daniel didn't know this guy. He didn't like this guy at all, which was more than a little aggravating.

A phone call from his mother finally put him in the car to take him home. She basically said if he ever wanted to speak to her again, he'd come home that very second.

Daniel avoided reporters by sneaking through the kitchens. Taking one step outside into the hall, he stiffened, and double checked his pockets. He forgot one of his cell phones in the car. He called after Frances, "Wait, Frances. I need to go back-"

Slowly, Frances turned around like it physically pained him. Everything about Frances read like he just rolled out of bed the morning after a long night of partying and wild sex with his dark tussled hair and bedroom eyes. Even his voice sounded rough and low, "Daniel Bellerose, don't make me embarrass you in front of all these people and drag you up those stairs."

"I forgot my phone."

"You have your phone!" He slammed his hands with painted black nails on his narrow hips. He wore half a suit, the actual blazer and pants, but he wore a black shirt and let the top buttons stay unbuttoned. He reminded me of a tired black cat, rolling out of a sunspot on the floor.

"My other phone."

"You know..." Frances squinted. "Every time you say that, you sound like a douche bag and that's coming from me."

"Leave me alone," Daniel sighed. He trudged past Frances, forcing his legs down the marble hall and towards the stairs. The pair of their dress shoes echoed and bounced through the emptiness. "I'm stressed out."

"You'll be fine. How do you think I feel? I'm officially the last single guy in my friend group. It's pathetic. I'm always the third wheel."

"How did you possibly make this about you? And don't you have a matchmaker friend?"

"Yeah, but I can't let her help me or I'll have to undead myself. Besides," Frances rolled his eyes and pushed through the double doors to the stairs.

The boys went up the first flight, covered in a red and gold runner. We passed portrait after portrait of Daniel's family, his distant relatives and his ancestors. They all watched him. They judged him.

Daniel loosened his tie.

Frances insisted. "You're set now, Daniel Bellerose. You've been set up with a Winslow. That's old magic. Old money. And I've met Damien and Link, they're hot as hell. If only a little bit of those genetics slipped to that Blake guy, at least you'll have something good to look at for the rest of our dark eternity."

"No, it's different." Daniel shook his head. "Damien and Link have always looked like that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Blake looked like a newborn deer. Gangly and awkward and I just remember him crying all the time-"

"You didn't ask for a picture? That would've been my first and number one request."

"I didn't think about it, Frances. I haven't been really thinking clearly at all. My mind's blank." Daniel sighed again, feeling incredibly exhausted from these two flights. No, it wasn't the stairs. It was the last three days. It was this conversation.

A pinging noise jumped out of France's pocket. He whipped out his phone and groaned. "Michael's texting me again. He's gonna throw me out the closest window. But how am I supposed to wrangle you? I don't even have my own life together."

Daniel snapped his fingers into the shape of a gun. "Michael. Date Michael."

"What?" Frances stopped at the top of the stairs. "I can't. For obvious reasons."

Daniel stopped too. "What reasons? I can feel the tension."

"Yeah, the kind of tension between a murderer and their victim. Michael's married, dude."

"No, he's not." Daniel's brows narrowed. He couldn't connect what Frances was saying to his reality. Not a single word made sense. He'd know if Michael was married. Wouldn't he? It would've come up by now, after years of working together.

"Yeah, how do you not know that? His husband is your head chef?"

"You're pulling my leg."

"They're mates. He's a werewolf. Are you fucking with me?"

"No, you're definitely fucking with me."

Daniel decided to walk away. He couldn't handle anymore surprises or he might just explode. He was only a foot from the sitting room, the room the family usually used as a waiting room before they spoke to the press, a makeshift green room, when Daniel's phone vibrated. A wave of relief washed over him. Yes, another reason to stall.

He answered immediately, turning away from the door. "Hello? This is Daniel Bellerose." It was a member of Daniel's future council and when the council member asked if Daniel was busy, he said, "Not at all."

He walked deeper into the hall, towards the window that looked out into the snow-covered mountains. Anything to get away from that sitting room door. Frances groaned, "Daniel. Come on. We're already late."

#

BLAKE

Blake reached for the handle, but the door already opened to reveal a tall man in a slinky black suit and pointy shoes. He jumped when he saw Blake as if he was the one that was supposed to be shocked. The man did a double take from Blake to behind his shoulder.

"I'm looking for Daniel," Blake said, his patience as thin as wax paper. "Where is he?"

"Oh wow," the man grinned a lopsided smile. His eyes darkened and just the velvet nature of his voice prickled Blake's skin. Anyone could tell he was a vampire, turning on the charm. He leaned against the frame, casting Blake in his shadow. "I'll be your Daniel."

Blake narrowed his eyes, so annoyed, it was almost laughable. "Are you sure you want to be my Daniel? Because the Daniel I know is going to get a stake through his chest."

"Actually, you know what? I'm Frances," the guy raised his hands and took a step out of Blake's way. He pointed down the hall. "He's over there- but he's on a phone call right now."

"I don't care." Blake shoved past and spotted Daniel in front of a window. His chest tightened, almost in disbelief they're actually in the same room. Blake took a deep breath, refusing to be swayed out of his anger just because Daniel was tall and handsome and with broad shoulders. Asshole.

Blake grumbled, trudging down the hall with clenched fists. "Why does everybody care about these stupid insignificant things? We're risking magic and life for this thing." He walked right behind Daniel and tapped his shoulder. "Daniel. Hey, Daniel."

Daniel didn't even grace Blake with a glance. Instead, Daniel raised a finger at him, "One moment."

Blake's mouth dropped as his face caught on fire. He couldn't believe it. He had never been angrier in his entire life. Feeling steam pour out of his ears, Blake stomped back into the sitting room, nearly running Frances over. He grabbed the nearest seat cushion and Frances had to jump out of his way again. The lights in the hall flickered as Blake walked back to the wall that was Daniel's back. With all his frustration and his anger and everything he had been pent up, Blake walloped Daniel in the back of the head with the pillow. Twice.

"DANNY!"

#

DANIEL

Something contacted the back of Daniel's head. It didn't hurt. It wasn't even painful or even that strong, like a snowflake landing on the tip of his nose. The surprise of it made Daniel jump and lurched forward. He dropped his phone, which hit the window and smacked into the floor.

"What the hell-" Daniel said as he snapped his head around.

His mouth dropped.

Standing there and dropping a pillow to the floor was someone Daniel both recognized and didn't recognize at all. The eyes were the same, the light violet eyes every member of the Winslow family adorned. His were large and droopy, framed by thick eyelashes and gray bags. This person, this man was cut from marble, dusted by the fresh powdery snow outside. He had perfect dark curls and thick brows to match.

If only all these elegant features weren't aimed at him like a sharpened knife.

This beautiful, angry person went red in the face as they lashed out at Daniel with enough venom to make Daniel mortal again. He shouted, "Danny, you're such an asshole! Everybody kept telling me that you were so mature now, that you've changed, but it's a load of crap!" He threw his arms out while Daniel looked over his face again and again and again. He even conferred with Frances, cowering by the door.

Was this Blake?

No way.

"You're still the same punk kid! Who shows up late to their own engagement announcement? Who doesn't even come to some dumb luncheon to meet their fiancé? I traveled across the world to move into this cold ass castle where I'm completely alone and you can't even show up on time? I can't be the only one who makes an effort."

Blake Winslow.

With a huff, Blake reached for his finger and twisted something off. He chucked it right at Daniel and nailed him square in the forehead. Daniel whirled back with a curse.

Blake snapped. "Do the press conference yourself. I'm out of here."

"Wait-" Daniel begged as Blake turned from him. He felt like he was having an out of body experience. He suddenly remembered the last time he saw Blake Winslow. He had just told Link that he was the worst brother in the world and was storming off. He stayed in his room the rest of the trip. Some things didn't change, Daniel guessed.

Blake stopped and faced him again, making the bottom of Daniel's stomach fall out.

Oh. Maybe things did change.

"I'll marry you Daniel Bellerose," Blake stated. "I'll stay in Sagewick and I'll save our families, but I'm not going to let you push me around."

He took the last word again, snatching it right from underneath Daniel and it was like his body slammed into the ground.

He stormed right up to Frances, who seemed suddenly delighted by the attention. Frances stepped into the hallway and fixed his hair. "Hey," Blake said to him. "Do you know your way around here? Specifically, somewhere to get drunk?"

"Why yes," Frances smiled, and Daniel could see his fangs from here. Daniel crossed his arms and glared at Frances, trying to send death threats just by his eyes. Frances did notice the warnings. Frances loved every second of this and he just smiled wider, offering his hand. "I do. My name is Frances Petrovic, fellow prince of the night but not engaged to you."

"Perfect." Blake smiled back. He walked towards the staircase with Frances' hand on the small of his back, leading him there. Frances turned long enough to flip Daniel the middle finger, which Daniel returned with his own. That asshole.

Daniel felt like he just got ran over by an eighteen-wheeler.

He glanced down, where a glint caught his eye. Bending down, Daniel plucked a ring he recognized from the floor. His family's engagement ring. After several generations of Bellerose men and women exchanging this ring out of love and partnership, Daniel's fiancé chucks it at his head. And he deserved it. What was he thinking?

Blake was angry, of course, but underneath that, Daniel could see the fear and the hurt. All alone in this cold castle. Daniel cursed. He didn't know what to do or how to make it all up to Blake. He had never been in this type of situation before.

"There you are!" Michael shouted as he appeared from the sitting room. He raised his hands to the ceiling. "Where's Blake? What happened to Frances? What's going on?" He didn't wait for the answer to any of these questions. He just walked right up to Daniel, grabbed him and dragged him to the press conference. The engagement ring stayed clutched in his hands the entire time.

Blake Winslow.

#

Author's Note

I'm back baby! I've missed you guys and I've definitely missed writing this story~ And we've finally got to see from Daniel again! And they've met! AH! It was so much fun to write, you guys have no idea.