| This interlude story takes place between The Numen Chronicles | Volume Five: Ascendant and The Numen Chronicles | Volume Six: Icarus |

As a deadly bounty hunter closes in and betrayal festers within the Atheson coven, Vampire Lord Alucard must uncover the truth before war erupts. But with his heat rising and forgotten memories awakening, desire may prove just as dangerous as the enemy at the Sanctum gates.

***

Peace is fragile. Desire is dangerous. And the full moon is coming.

Now Lords of Eimwood, Alucard and Zalith have forged a fragile treaty with the elusive Yrudyen Elves, securing a vital alliance to protect the city. But peace is short-lived. Queen Syllia warns of the Orrivain Elves, led by the zealot Calitharion, who believe the land belongs to elves alone and that all others must die.

While Zalith works to defend their new home, Alucard travels to Atheson to strengthen the vampire coven, only to find something far worse. Vampires are being hunted, and all signs point to the Silver Claw, a ruthless bounty hunter with a taste for vampire blood.

As tensions rise and the full moon nears, something else begins to unravel them. Alucard's heat begins clouding judgement and weakening resolve. The craving between them becomes unbearable, and for Alucard, it's laced with fragmented memories of a forgotten past. As desire deepens, so does the danger of losing control...and himself.

✙ MxM Erotic Romance ✙ Dark Fantasy ✙ Gothic Ruin ✙ Soap Opera/Slice of Life ✙

❖ For the full guide on Alucard's dialogue accent, head to www.numenverse.com ❖

(CW: explicit sexual content, dark fantasy themes, and mature subject matter)

**[Interlude Stories are separate plotlines that follow the main characters outside the central arc, branching off from a mentioned event in the main volumes. These stories are important to read, as they reveal key aspects of the main characters that directly impact the core narrative]**