Aster was not supposed to survive her first night.
Born with a failing heart and no miracle left to save her, she lives only because her desperate mother called into the darkness—and something answered. Years later, Aster knows only pieces of that night: a strange mark near her heart, an aunt who refuses to discuss the past, and the unsettling certainty that something has followed her since childhood.
His name is Valerius.
To everyone else, Vale is exactly what Aster has been warned about: a demon with red eyes, forbidden power, and no place among humans. To her, he is the mysterious protector who appears when danger gets too close, watches from a distance, and disappears whenever she tries to understand why he cares.
Aster should stay away.
Instead, every meeting draws them closer.
As affection turns into a love her family fears, the secret surrounding Aster’s survival becomes impossible to ignore. Her life is tied to Vale in a way neither distance nor obedience can undo, and the mark over her heart is more than proof of an old bargain.
It is a promise with a price.
Aster has spent her entire life believing fate was decided before she could choose.
Now she must discover whether loving the demon bound to her heart will finally give her a choice—or cost them both the future they were never meant to have.