"What is it?" Father asked, his voice edged with concern as he sensed the seriousness in Mother's tone.

"When Cael was wounded on his shoulder, I noticed something peculiar," she began, her eyes filled with care as they focused on me. "At that moment, I was so shaken that I couldn't fully grasp the oddity, but now I can."

"What oddity?" Father asked, voicing the very question that echoed in my own mind and, judging by her expression, in Elara's as well.

"The blood that flowed from his shoulder wasn't red—it was silver," she said, her words hanging heavily in the air.

I watched as Father's eyes narrowed, his face betraying disbelief. Though I couldn't see Elara's reaction, I knew it must have mirrored the shock he was feeling.

"Why is that odd, Mother?" I asked, curiosity mingling with the tension in the room.

"It's odd, my love, because that would mean that only heart blood flows through your body, filling all your veins," she explained softly. It wasn't the time to mention that I had already noticed this strange phenomenon earlier.

"But why is that such a problem?" I pressed.

"Because, for other nocturnals—even us royals, like your mother, your sister, and myself—heart blood only flows through the veins directly connected to the heart," Father began to explain. "The rest of our veins are filled with red blood, the blood we drink from humans or other sources."

Mother continued, "A nocturnal's lifelong goal is to have more heart blood flowing through their veins, as it defines how much moon essence they can store, how long they can use their powers, and how intense those powers can be."

"And the further from the heart, the harder it is to fill those veins with heart blood," Elara added, nodding knowingly.

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"So having heart blood in every vein, especially after your first feeding ceremony, is unheard of," Father said gravely. "Not just in our clan, but across all the Houses, as far as we know."

This new information made my head spin. "Isn't that a good thing, then?" I asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"In a way, yes," Mother responded thoughtfully. "It means you can channel large amounts of moon essence, but it also spells danger. If anyone were to find out, you could become a target."

Father added, "The power a nocturnal awakens is directly tied to the amount of heart blood, its purity, and how well one integrates with their beast. You've almost reached the peak in all three. Your awakening could be unlike anything we've seen, but it will also demand immense effort."

Elara chimed in, her voice filled with understanding. "That explains how you matched the speed of an awakened from the House of Noctarian. They're known for their speed and mastery of shadows, yet despite that, you kept up with him. His heart blood couldn't have been as pure as yours."

Father, rising to his feet, seemed to accept the reality of the situation. "Well, it is what it is. We'll deal with what comes next as it unfolds. It's not something we can control."

He adjusted his coat before turning to leave. "Now, I have matters to attend to," he said.

"Rest, my children. I'll return shortly. And don't you dare pull another stunt like that." mother said. Trying to sound stern, but It was hard to take her serious while rubbing my thorbbing length against her thighs . Then she stood and left the room, her presence lingering in the air.

I lay there, exhaustion weighing me down, but I couldn't ignore the frustration building within. I didn't even notice when Elara moved closer to me, her soft hand brushing against my shoulder.

"Cael..." she whispered, her voice shy and tentative. "You wouldn't mind letting me have a taste of your heart blood, would you?" Her face flushed as she spoke, her eyes bright with both innocence and curiosity. "Don't get me wrong... I just want to experience it. Even Mother praised its purity."

Her words sent a rush of heat through my body, and my already heightened senses responded immediately. Blood pulsed through me, filling every inch of my being especially the already throbbing member between my legs with an intense, primal hunger. The sight of her innocent, red-cheeked face only fed the twisted ideas swirling in my mind.

I could feel the beast within me rising once more, its hunger now aligned with my own. We were no longer separate; in this moment of lust at-least, we were one.