Conversations died down. Heads turned.
One by one, the triplets gave a reluctant nod, turned around, and walked out.
I froze. Caught.
I didn’t want to. I didn’t feel like celebrating. But I forced a smile, nodding.
He wasn’t pretending to look elsewhere like the others. He wasn’t trying to charm me from across the room.
Slowly, purposefully, Lord Frederick approached. He didn’t rush. Didn’t smile. His presence alone parted the people before him without a single word.
The Beta smirked faintly. “That’s the thing about vampires. They stop aging after a certain point. He’s well over three hundred.”
So I let it go. For now.
Straight at me.
When I was little, vampires were the monsters in bedtime stories. Creatures of the dark. Enemies of werewolves. I still remembered those stories clearly-wolves and vampires at war, blood spilled for centuries.
Lord Frederick was the only one who hadn’t come to me.
I had just confirmed that I was related to the triplets… that our families were sworn enemies… and somehow, impossibly, they were my second chance mates.
They all introduced themselves-some with charm, others with flattery. Their titles varied, but they all had one thing in common:
Unable to hold back my curiosity, I blurted, “Who is that man?” I asked the Beta in front of me while my eyes flicked back to the vampire’s direction. This time, he wasn’t looking at me.
“He’s Lord Frederick,” the Beta responded. “A vampire lord. One of the oldest.
I gave a small, polite laugh. “It’s a little overwhelming, to be honest.”
The lady’s smile widened. “I’m not,” she replied, her voice light, almost playful. “It’s written all over your face.”
My lips parted in surprise.
“I didn’t catch your name,” I said, trying to steer the conversation away from Lord Frederick and the strange chaos he’d left in my chest.
“Well, Nina,” I said calmly, “I wasn’t falling. I was just… surprised. That’s all.”
I suddenly felt like all the air had been sucked from the room.
Olivia’s POV
He studied me for a moment longer, then said, “I hope, Lady Olivia, that one of these days… I might have the honor of taking you out. For dinner, perhaps.”
“Nina,” she offered with a small curtsy. “I’m from the Southern Crescent Court. My mother’s a Seer… which means I’ve grown up reading people.”
His cool fingers curled gently around mine, lifting my hand to his lips. And when they brushed against my skin…
But something deep inside told me-there wouldn’t be much rest in the days ahead. Goddess, if I could just disappear from this place for a little while…
The moment he reached where I stood, the woman I had been speaking to instantly lowered her gaze and gave a graceful bow.
He was beautiful in the kind of way that made you forget how to breathe.
My eyes widened even more as I blinked at the space around me. “Woah…?”
I stared at him.
A deep, mesmerizing green-vibrant and ancient all at once. They weren’t just beautiful. They were haunting. Like they’d seen too much, known too much…
I forced a polite smile. “Lord Frederick.”
All I wanted-was to be in my room.
Then, I opened my eyes-and gasped.
I rubbed my temples and let out a shaky breath.
“Mmhmm,” she hummed, clearly not convinced. “He has that effect. Lord Frederick doesn’t show interest in many people. When he does, it’s… noticeable.”
“It’s one of your gifts,” she explained.
I looked at her again. “Why are you telling me all this?”
Goddess, his eyes.
Just like that, it was only the two of us.
“I really need a nap.”
Not with questions swirling in my head.
“Love at first sight?” I flinched when I heard a woman’s voice behind me. I turned to see a brown-skinned young lady smiling warmly at me. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of… we all fall for him at first sight.”
Just for a moment.
The air around me changed. It felt strange, like the way heat dances above hot pavement. I heard a soft whooshing sound, like wind mixed with whispers. My skin tingled, and something inside me tugged, like an old part of me was waking up.
A strange flutter bloomed in my chest.
We just stared at each other.
And Goddess help me… he was right.
His face was striking. Sharp cheekbones, a strong jawline, and lips that looked like they rarely smiled-but when they did, it probably made kingdoms fall.
I didn’t understand why I was reacting this way.
Waiting.
My wolf spoke with a hint of excitement I hadn’t heard in her in a while. “Your teleportation ability… it’s finally activated.”
Watching.
He smiled faintly. “Your great-grandmother, Hailee. She was remarkable. Strong. Fearless. And unforgettable.” 2
I stood there, watching Nina disappear into the crowd. The air around me suddenly felt heavier.
He nodded. “I did.”
I closed my eyes.
Yet here he was, talking about my great-grandmother like he had seen her just yesterday.
I wasn’t sure what to say. I wasn’t even sure what I felt.
And yet I still felt him-like a lingering presence in the air, brushing against my skin. Suddenly, everything about me felt even more… unknown.
“Not just the women,” she said with a little wink. “But yes. He’s charming. Mysterious. Dangerous. And ancient enough to have stories that could fill a hundred libraries That kind of aura? It’s impossible not to feel something.”
I glanced toward the spot where he’d vanished into the crowd, but he was gone now.
I let him take it.
I couldn’t tear my eyes off him… I kept watching him as he moved further away.
And then… it happened.
I crossed my arms, trying to hide how warm my cheeks were getting. “And do all the women here… fall for him?”
His eyes never left mine as he reached for my hand-slowly, deliberately-as though giving me a chance to pull away.
She had warm brown skin, glowing under the chandelier light, and her eyes sparkled with something between amusement and empathy. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek braid, and she wore a soft lilac gown that shimmered when she moved. She didn’t look much older than me.
His aura was suffocating.
Like he carried the weight of centuries in his silence.
Dangerous… yet almost impossibly perfect.
Finally, after what felt like forever, he spoke.
Teleportation?
I didn’t want to be here anymore.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.