BOUND BY MIDNIGHT

Katherine's POV

The scent of crushed petals fills the air as I press my hands into the cold earth, picking up the flowers that have fallen from my basket. My fingers are stiff from the morning chill, but I ignore it.

I have to keep going.

This is my life.

Selling flowers in a kingdom ruled by creatures who see me as nothing more than a fragile, disposable human. A kingdom where power means everything, and I have none.

I glance up at the sky—the sun is hidden behind thick gray clouds, barely lighting the streets of the poorest sector of the clan. The buildings here are old, crumbling, and covered in vines. A place forgotten by the powerful. A place where only the weak struggle to survive.

And I am the weakest of them all.

The wind howls through the narrow streets, biting at my skin. I wrap my thin shawl tighter around my shoulders, though it does little against the cold. My dress, once a soft cream color, is now faded and patched in too many places to count.

I look at the basket of flowers in my arms, the last hope I have for today. My family's only chance at food.

Taking a deep breath, I force my aching legs to move, stepping onto the main road.

This part of the clan is different. Brighter. Richer. It belongs to the vampires—the wealthy, the powerful, the untouchable. Their mansions line the streets, towering above the poor sector like silent gods looking down on their worshippers.

They walk past me in elegant cloaks and silk gowns, their pale skin glowing under the dim light. Their sharp, red eyes flick toward me briefly, filled with either boredom or disdain.

I force myself to speak, even as my throat tightens with nerves.

"Flowers for sale! Fresh flowers! Please, just a few coins!"

Most ignore me. Some wrinkle their noses in disgust, stepping away as if my presence alone taints the air they breathe. They hate humans. To them, I am dirt beneath their feet.

But I still try. Because I have to.

I stop in front of a well-dressed woman with dark, flowing hair. She wears a fine coat lined with fur, her gloved hands adjusting the large ruby necklace around her throat.

"Beautiful flowers, my lady," I say quickly, lowering my gaze in respect. "They would look lovely in your home."

She pauses, her red eyes flicking toward the basket. For a brief moment, hope rises in my chest. Maybe today will be different. Maybe she will—

"Do I look like someone who needs filth like this?" she sneers.

She knocks the basket aside with a flick of her wrist, sending the flowers tumbling onto the dirty street.

My stomach clenches.

I drop to my knees, gathering the delicate petals with trembling hands. These flowers are all I have.

I hear laughter—sharp, cruel, and familiar.

"Look, it's the little human beggar again," a voice sneers.

I freeze. Not them. Not today.

Slowly, I lift my head.

Evelyn and her friends.

Vampire girls—beautiful, rich, and dangerous. They stand in a perfect line, dressed in fine dark gowns that shimmer even in the dull light. They don't need to work, don't need to struggle. Everything is handed to them simply because they are born into power.

Evelyn steps forward, her black curls cascading over her shoulders like silk. Her blood-red lips curl into a smirk as she looks down at me, her sharp nails tapping against her gold bracelet.

"Still selling those pathetic little flowers?" she taunts. "How desperate. Tell me, Katherine, do you even make enough to buy food? Or do you eat the dirt like the rats in your home?"

The girls around her laugh, their voices like the ringing of a bell—sweet, yet dripping with malice.

I say nothing. I refuse to give her the satisfaction.

But my silence only makes it worse.

"You should be grateful we even let your kind live here," Evelyn continues, tilting her head. "The king could wipe out all the humans in this clan if he wanted. And yet, he allows creatures like you to pollute the streets."

She crouches in front of me, her cold, pale fingers gripping my chin tightly. Her nails dig into my skin.

"Maybe I should remind you of your place."

With a flick of her wrist, she knocks my basket from my hands.

The flowers scatter across the street—delicate petals crushed beneath her expensive boots.

I freeze. My throat tightens.

"Oops," she says, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "You should be more careful."

A lump forms in my throat, but I refuse to cry. I won't break. Not in front of them.

I bend down, gathering the broken flowers with trembling hands. Even if they are ruined, maybe someone will still buy them.

But deep down, I know the truth.

No one will.

Not when there are perfectly unspoiled flowers in the richer parts of the clan.

The laughter of Evelyn and her friends fades as they walk away, whispering about how pathetic I am.

The humiliation burns. But I don't stop.

I keep picking up what's left, brushing dirt from the petals. I don't have the luxury of giving up.

Because tonight, when I return home, my mother will ask me if we have enough to buy bread. My siblings will look at me with hope in their eyes, waiting for me to say, "Yes, we will eat tonight."

And no matter what, I have to find a way to make that true.

Even if it means swallowing my pride.

Even if it means walking these streets again tomorrow, knowing I will be met with the same cruelty.

Even if it means fighting for survival in a world where I was never meant to exist.

Because in this kingdom of monsters, I am just a fragile human.

But I am still breathing.

And I will keep breathing.

No matter what it takes.