Fated to the Vampire Prince

Chapter 1

The grand ballroom was alive with laughter and the rustling of silk, but Claire couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. Her sister, Seraphina, had pulled her aside moments before, her expression tight with worry.

"I have to go," Claire said, her voice firm, though uncertainty swirled beneath her words.

Seraphina, ever the protector, stepped into Claire’s path, blocking her exit. "Why are you acting so weird? You can't start freaking out now. You vowed—"

Claire silenced her with a sharp wave of her hand. She didn’t have time for explanations or second thoughts. "Shh!" she hissed. "I can't explain what just happened, but he spoke inside my head and invited me to the balcony."

Seraphina's mouth dropped open in shock. "He spoke inside your head?"

"Yes!" Claire snapped, frustration bubbling over. "I think it must be some kind of interview." Her sister’s eyes widened, a mix of awe and concern in her gaze.

"Just stay here and wait for me, okay?" Claire added, trying to steady her breathing.

Seraphina gave a small nod, but Claire could see the doubt in her eyes. "You can do this, Claire. Just be confident."

Claire gave her a half-smile, but it was thin, almost forced. "Thanks, Sera."

Her little sister, a witch born with the purest Light magic, was everything that Claire wasn’t. Sera was strong, fearless, and already prepared to take over their coven when their mother stepped down. Claire, on the other hand, had always felt like a shadow. Born with a different kind of power—one that was darker, quieter—she could never bring herself to fully trust the very world she was born into. And the vampire prince, Bastien Allard, embodied all the darkness she’d spent her life avoiding. But if she wanted to uncover his secrets, she had to play the part. Pretend.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her posture and adjusted the hem of her black lace dress. She strode toward the door, her movements deliberate, though every instinct screamed for her to run.

As she approached, the vampire prince stood waiting by the door, a silent figure bathed in the flickering candlelight of the ballroom. His crimson eyes locked onto hers, sharp and calculating, as he opened the door for her with an elegant gesture. She paused at the threshold, meeting his gaze for a beat longer than necessary, before dipping her chin in silent acknowledgment and stepping through into the cool night air.

The chill of the wind kissed her exposed skin as she walked toward the stone railing that overlooked the famous hanging gardens of Chateau Corbin. By daylight, they would have been beautiful—lush and wild—but now, in the eerie moonlight, they looked like a forest of nightmares, tangled and foreboding, with gargoyles perched atop the buttresses like silent, watching predators.

She didn’t hear his footsteps behind her, but she felt him—his presence. It was like a heavy, suffocating fog, closing in around her. Claire’s heart raced, but she forced herself to stay calm. This was part of the plan, the role she had to play.

Turning around, she faced him. Bastien stood in the moonlight, his figure as commanding as a king’s, his vampire beauty something both terrifying and alluring. The moon seemed to focus solely on him, casting an otherworldly glow across his features. His dark hair framed his pale face like a crown, and his eyes, those predatory crimson eyes, held a kind of ancient knowledge.

"You came," his voice was like a whisper of silk, dangerous and sweet. "I wasn't sure you would."

Claire swallowed hard, trying to ignore the nervous tremor in her chest. "I’m here."

"You’re not afraid?" His gaze swept over her, sharp and calculating, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

She didn’t want to tell him the truth—that every fiber of her being screamed at her to run. Instead, she stood tall, pushing her fear down, and forced a smile. "Afraid of you? No."

His lips curled into a sly smile, but it was a smile that made her heart race. "You are different. Most are so eager to please, to fawn for the privilege of my attention. You... You intrigue me, Claire."Claire could feel the weight of his gaze on her, like he was peeling her apart, searching for the cracks. He would find them. He always did. But she had to stay focused. She had to stay in control.

"I’m not here to please you," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos in her chest. "I’m here for something else."

Bastien’s eyebrow arched. "And what, pray tell, would that be?"

Her heart pounded, and she fought the urge to back away. "I’m here to learn your secrets."

For a moment, he was silent, studying her with an intensity that made her feel exposed. Then, he took a step closer, his presence like a storm rolling in, impossible to ignore.

"Then, Claire, you may just be the most interesting human I’ve ever met," he murmured.

And in that moment, she realized that nothing would ever be the same again

As the seconds passed, the space between them seemed to shrink, the cool night air suddenly charged with an electricity that Claire couldn’t ignore. Bastien’s gaze never left hers, those blood-red eyes boring into her with an intensity that felt almost physical.

She could feel the pull, an invisible thread connecting them, drawing her closer despite every instinct telling her to retreat. But she couldn’t move. Her feet were rooted to the stone beneath her, and her breath, shallow and unsteady, betrayed her calm exterior.

"You’re so much stronger than you let on," Bastien’s voice was softer now, almost like a caress, as though he had found something in her he hadn’t expected. His presence enveloped her, the faint scent of something dark and intoxicating—like winter and rain—surrounding them both.

Claire swallowed, trying to steady herself. She was here on a mission, but the way he looked at her, the way his eyes seemed to see through her, made her feel n***d. Vulnerable. It was a feeling she hated, but she couldn’t escape it.

"Maybe I am," she said, her voice a little breathless. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but the words slipped past her lips before she could stop them.

Bastien’s lips curled upward in the faintest of smiles. He stepped forward, closing the space between them completely, until there was nothing but the faintest breath of air separating their bodies.

"Do you know," he said, his voice low and velvety, "how dangerous it is to walk so close to me? Humans like you… they aren’t supposed to be this close to a vampire prince."

His words sent a shiver through her, and for a moment, Claire felt dizzy—partly from the strange, magnetic pull he exuded and partly from the raw edge of danger lacing his words. She could feel his heat, the way his body radiated with a power that was unlike anything she had ever known.

"I’m not afraid," she whispered, though part of her knew that wasn’t entirely true. She was afraid—terrified, in fact—but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing it. She had to keep her mask in place.His words sent a shiver through her, and for a moment, Claire felt dizzy—partly from the strange, magnetic pull he exuded and partly from the raw edge of danger lacing his words. She could feel his heat, the way his body radiated with a power that was unlike anything she had ever known.

"I’m not afraid," she whispered, though part of her knew that wasn’t entirely true. She was afraid—terrified, in fact—but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing it. She had to keep her mask in place.

Bastien’s eyes flickered with something darker, something she couldn’t quite place. He reached out, and for a heart-stopping second, Claire thought he might touch her. But instead, he gently brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, the touch lingering longer than it should have. It was a soft, intimate gesture, yet it sent an icy tingle down her spine.

"You should be," he murmured, his voice now barely above a whisper. "You stand on the edge of something far more dangerous than you realize. But then again… maybe that’s what makes you so intriguing."

His fingers traced the delicate curve of her jaw, his touch light, almost teasing. Claire’s breath caught in her throat, and her body responded before her mind could catch up, leaning ever so slightly into his touch, like a flower drawn toward the sun despite knowing it would wilt in the heat.

Her mind screamed at her to pull away. To remember the mission. To use him, not let herself fall into whatever trap he was setting. But every word he spoke, every glance, every breath he took, pulled her deeper into something she wasn’t prepared for.

Bastien leaned in closer, his lips hovering just inches from her ear. Claire could feel the coolness of his breath against her skin, sending a wave of goosebumps across her arms.

"Tell me, Claire," he murmured, his voice like velvet against her ear. "Do you feel the same pull I do? Or is it just me… drawn to you like a moth to a flame?Bastien leaned in closer, his lips hovering just inches from her ear. Claire could feel the coolness of his breath against her skin, sending a wave of goosebumps across her arms.

"Tell me, Claire," he murmured, his voice like velvet against her ear. "Do you feel the same pull I do? Or is it just me… drawn to you like a moth to a flame?"

Her pulse quickened, her heart racing in a way that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the way he made her feel. She shouldn’t feel this way. She should be strong, focused, in control. But everything about him, about this moment, was a temptation too powerful to ignore.

"I…" Claire began, her voice faltering as the words lodged in her throat. The cool night air didn’t feel so cool anymore, the breeze heavy with something darker, more dangerous.

Bastien’s lips were mere inches from hers now. He wasn’t rushing, taking his time, savoring the moment. His fingers brushed lightly against her collarbone, the touch gentle but possessive, sending a jolt of heat through her veins.

"You feel it, don’t you?" His voice was almost a whisper, dark and predatory, yet there was something soft in it too—a mix of hunger and fascination that she couldn’t escape.

Claire’s mind screamed at her to step back. To walk away from the brink of this madness. But her body—her heart—betrayed her. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t tear herself from the trap he had laid so effortlessly.

"You shouldn’t…" she began, but her words trailed off as his lips hovered near hers, his breath mingling with hers, his proximity too intoxicating to resist. She knew he was playing with her, testing her limits, pushing her to a place she wasn’t ready to go.

And yet, when his lips finally brushed against hers—barely a whisper of contact—it was like the world shifted. She felt it deep in her soul, an electric spark that set every nerve in her body alight.

This wasn’t just a meeting of fates. This was something far more dangerous. Something she wasn’t sure she could survive.

Bastien pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, his eyes And yet, when his lips finally brushed against hers—barely a whisper of contact—it was like the world shifted. She felt it deep in her soul, an electric spark that set every nerve in her body alight.

This wasn’t just a meeting of fates. This was something far more dangerous. Something she wasn’t sure she could survive.

Bastien pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, his eyes dark and intense, full of something she couldn’t name—desire, sure, but also something more. Something ancient.

"This is only the beginning, Claire," he whispered. "The darkness calls to you, and soon, you won’t be able to escape it." And yet, when his lips finally brushed against hers—barely a whisper of contact—it was like the world shifted. She felt it deep in her soul, an electric spark that set every nerve in her body alight.

This wasn’t just a meeting of fates. This was something far more dangerous. Something she wasn’t sure she could survive.

Bastien pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, his eyes dark and intense, full of something she couldn’t name—desire, sure, but also something more. Something ancient.

"This is only the beginning, Claire," he whispered. "The darkness calls to you, anBastien stepped closer, closing the final inches between them, until she could feel the heat radiating off his body. His fingers slid to her wrist, gently lifting her hand to his chest. The coolness of his skin against hers sent a jolt through her, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

"Do you feel it?" he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. "The way our hearts are beating in sync, even though they shouldn’t be? You are drawn to me, Claire. You can’t fight it."

Her heart thundered in her chest, and for a moment, she felt as though she might drown in the intensity of his presence. She wanted to fight it—wanted to tell him she wasn’t like the other humans who fawned over him, that she had a mission, that she wasn’t here for whatever he was offering. But those words caught in her throat as his lips ghosted across her jaw, trailing down to her neck, where her pulse throbbed, fast and frantic.

"Stop," Claire whispered, though it lacked conviction. "I can’t…"

Bastien’s lips curled into a knowing smile, and he tilted her chin up so their eyes met again. His gaze was dark, almost predatory, but there was something else in it—something softer, more dangerous in its intimacy.

"Why fight it?" he asked, his voice a silk-soaked command. "You and I are fated, Claire. You can feel it too, can’t you? The pull between us. This… connection."

Her breath hitched, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. She should pull away, step back, remind herself of who she was, of what she had to do. But in that moment, with him so close, with his scent, his voice, his touch all consuming her senses—she didn’t want to. She couldn’t.

"You’re playing a dangerous game," she said softly, even though a part of her knew the danger wasn’t just his. It was hers too. "This isn’t what I came for."

His eyes glinted with amusement, and he pressed closer, his lips brushing against her ear once more. "What did you come for, Claire? Did you really think you could walk into my domain and not feel the consequences? The darkness will pull you in, whether you like it or not."

She was shaking now, not with fear but with a desperate need to push him away, to escape the suffocating intimacy that seemed to be enveloping them. But she couldn't. She didn’t want to.

Bastien’s hand slid to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair as he tilted her head back, exposing her throat to him. The gesture was possessive, powerful, and it made her blood run cold and hot all at once.

"You know, I could end this right now," he whispered, his breath hot against her skin, "but I think I want to see how far you’re willing to go first. How far you’ll let me take you."

Her eyes fluttered shut, her mind clouded with the dangerous allure of his words, of his presence, of everything he was. She didn’t want to admit it, but a part of her did want to know how far he would push her, how far she could go before she lost herself completely to him. She was terrified, but she was also drawn to him—compelled by something she couldn’t control.

Bastien’s lips were a breath away from her skin when he stopped, pulling back just slightly, as if sensing her hesitation. He studied her, his eyes dark with a mixture of amusement and something deeper. "What are you afraid of, Claire? You think you can resist this? Resist me?"

"I’m not afraid of you," she said again, but this time, her voice was quieter, almost uncertain.

He smiled, and it was a smile that sent a thrill down her spine—a mixture of victory and challenge. "We’ll see, won’t we?"

Before she could respond, he kissed her—gently at first, as though testing the waters, but then with an urgency that took her breath away. It was a kiss full of everything she had tried to deny: desire, temptation, darkness. His lips claimed hers, pulling her deeper into him, and for a moment, she let herself go. Let herself drown in him.

But even as she kissed him back, her mind screamed for her to remember. To fight. To stay strong.

The darkness was calling. And she was already too far in to turn back now.