A TALE OF TWILIGHT: The Dawn Of The Dark Ages

MATT GARRETT believes he is a uniquely gifted human bodyguard, haunted by the unsolved murder of his human parents. He accepts a lucrative, unsettling job from the reclusive billionaire ARNE ANTON: protect his daughter, YVONNE, at their remote castle. Matt’s abilities—preternatural agility, rapid healing, and a scent-masking balm—make him perfect for the job, but he is baffled by Arne’s deference toward a mere “human.” YVONNE ARNE, a pureblood vampire princess, is furious at her father for assigning a bodyguard, viewing MATT as an insult and a prison warden. Their relationship begins in hostile, charged tension. After a suspicious car accident that kills their driver, Matt’s doubts grow, while Yvonne is unnerved by his calm prowess and the inexplicable fear he triggers in her. As Arne subtly engineers scenarios that force Yvonne and Matt into close proximity, a fraught, forbidden attraction ignites between them. During an attack by rogue werewolves, Matt is severely injured but heals visibly under moonlight—a fact Yvonne cannot ignore. Driven by suspicion, she investigates her late mother Valerie’s hidden journals and uncovers fragments of an ancient prophecy: the Trident of Asmodius, an artifact that can shatter the barrier between worlds and bring about a permanent dark age, can only be awakened by the union of a vampire pureblood and the last descendant of the lost Harkma werewolf tribe. Horrified, Yvonne pieces together the full truth from her mother’s final entries: Arne, power-starved and obsessed, once tried to force Valerie to bear a child with a Harkma descendant he had under his control. She refused, believing it would doom the world. Arne had her killed and orchestrated the murder of Matt’s human parents to hide and control the Harkma heir—Matt himself. Now, Arne is manipulating his daughter and her bodyguard to fulfill the prophecy he couldn’t with his wife. Confronted with this revelation, Matt’s world shatters. The memories of his parents’ death now feature a shadowy figure with Arne’s storm-gray eyes. He and Yvonne forge a fragile alliance, no longer guardian and charge, but partners targeted by the same monster. Their rebellion triggers Arne’s endgame. He corners them at a hidden supernatural gathering and publicly reveals the prophecy, demanding Yvonne choose: willingly unite with Matt to unlock the Trident and rule the new world at his side, or watch Matt be executed. Cornered and under a full moon, Matt’s latent Harkma heritage finally erupts in a terrifying first transformation into a powerful, winged werewolf. A climactic battle ensues. Yvonne and Matt fight not to defeat the centuries-old Ventrue king—an impossible task—but to sabotage the ritual. Using Matt’s raw, newfound power and Yvonne’s vampire speed, they cause a cavern collapse, seemingly burying the Trident and escaping with their lives. In the aftermath, Arne survives, his plan delayed but his ambition undimmed. Matt, now fully aware of his monstrous heritage, must learn to control it. Yvonne is a traitor to her own kind. As outcasts and lovers, they go into hiding, their bond forged in betrayal and blood. They vow to stay one step ahead of the king, protect the world from the Trident, and unravel the remaining mysteries of their past. The game has changed, but the war for the world’s fate has just begun.