VAMPIRE’s QUEEN

Break The Mate Bond

"Why the hell are you all looking at me like I've said something horrible?" I asked, shoving a forkful of food into my mouth. The tension in the room was suffocating, but I was trying to act like it was no big deal.

“Servants, get the hell out of the dining room!" my mother suddenly shouted. The servants, who had been quietly standing by the walls, scurried out, clearly sensing the storm brewing.

The door closed behind them, leaving just my family and me. My mother was staring at me, her eyes sharp like a hawk's.

“What do you mean you have found your mate?" she demanded, her voice tense, her eyebrows raised.

“And who is she?" my father added, his tone more curious than angry, yet. I turned my gaze to Theodore, who seemed eager to chime in, too.

"You want to ask something, Theodore, or do you just plan to sit there gawking at me?" I snapped, feeling the frustration building up. Theodore grinned sheepishly but said nothing. I rolled my eyes.

“Why are you all throwing questions at me?

It's not like I've done something wrong."

“Answer what I'm asking you, Xavier," my mother insisted, her voice like ice.

“Is it true, what you're saying?"

"Yes, it's true, Mother," I said, keeping my tone flat and calm.

“I have found my mate. And Father, to answer your question about who she is, I found her in college." There was a moment of silence before my mother jumped in.

"So, which rank is she? What high position does her family hold?" I rolled my eyes again. That's always the problem with her.

She only cared about status, about having someone powerful and important as my mate and future queen of the vampires. But I didn't want any of that.

"My mate is a human," I said coldly, meeting her gaze.

“Not a vampire, and not from any high authority."

The room went still, as if I'd just dropped a bomb. My father's eyes widened, and my mother's face twisted in shock.

“What the hell do you mean by 'human'? Tell me you're joking, Xavier," my father finally said, his voice low and dangerous.

“No, I'm not joking, Father," I replied, my tone steady.

“I felt the mate bond when I first saw her at the college, and she's a human." My mother's face turned red with anger.

“What the hell is wrong with your son, William?" she shouted at my father.

“First, he gets himself involved in the human world, and now he's claiming a filthy human as his mate?"

My father glared at me, his hands clenched into fists, but I felt a surge of anger rising within me as well. They were talking about my mate like she was some kind of disease. My chest tightened, and I fought to keep my voice calm.

“You have to reject that filthy human," my mother continued, her voice rising.

“We don't want everyone in the whole realm to know that their soon-to-be queen is a mere human. Humans are our source of blood, nothing more. You're going to reject her and claim Jennifer as your mate and queen."

That was it. The anger inside me exploded. I felt my vampire side take over, my vision sharpening, my fangs slightly extending.

“No!" I yelled, my voice echoing in the room.

“I will never reject her! She's my other half, my mate. And if you dare say anything more about her, I'll forget that you're my mother, and you will regret the consequences!"

There was a stunned silence. My mother's face was a mix of shock and rage. Theodore, however, spoke up, trying to mediate.

“Mother, can't you understand? It's not up to us to decide who's going to be our mate. If one day I also have a human mate, will you say such things to me? You should understand Xavier, or things will get worse for him."

"Shut your mouth, Theodore! Don't speak between us!" My mother scolded him, glaring.

"Enough, all of you!" my father roared, slamming his hand on the table as he stood up.

“Xavier, does that human know that she's bound to you?" I took a breath, trying to calm myself.

“No, she doesn't know about any of it. And she doesn't know me either. We've only met twice, just passing by." My father was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he nodded, his expression hardening.

"I'm giving you time until the coronation. Claim and mark that human as your mate. Turn her into one of us. Teach her our ways and how to live like us. Then she'll rule as the queen." I felt a wave of relief mixed with disbelief. I hadn't expected him to agree. My father might be strict and serious about the kingdom, but he would never neglect his children's happiness. Unlike my mother, who only ever thought about power and status.

"What are you even saying, William? Are you in your right senses?" my mother shouted, her face red with fury.

“A human will rule over us? Are you kidding? That's never happened before!"

"That's enough, Elizabeth," my father said firmly.

“I know what's best for my children. It's rare to have a human mate, but since she's Xavier's mate, we must respect that. Once Xavier turns her, she won't be human anymore. Now, that's the end of the discussion. It's up to you, Xavier, how you're going to tame your human mate." With that, my father left the room, my mother following behind him, still fuming.

Theodore clapped a hand on my shoulder, grinning.

“Congratulations, Xavier. I'm happy for you." He patted my back and then dashed out of the dining room.

So, that's it. My human mate. I thought about her, my heartbeat quickening. The thought of making her mine sent a thrill through me. I smirked to myself. I'm coming for you, my little human.

EVELYN’s POV

"God damn it, Hailey! Revive me!" I yelled at her as my player got killed by enemies on the screen. My heart was pounding with frustration.

"Ugh, sorry!" Hailey mumbled, biting her lip, clearly feeling guilty for not saving me in time. It was the weekend, and Hailey and Amelia were over at my house. We had decided to unwind a little and play PUBG since Grandma was already fast asleep. To make it even better, we grabbed some drinks, thinking it'd be a fun night.

“You're such a noob, Hailey," Amelia teased, putting her phone down with a dramatic sigh.

"That's it! I'm never playing with you two again," I huffed, annoyed.

"I was rank-pushing, and you didn't even bother to revive me!"

"Come on, Eve, it's just a game," Hailey chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, shut up," I said while showing her my middle finger. The irritation quickly faded; I could never stay mad at them for long.

“Okay, enough about the game," Amelia cut in, leaning forward with an excited look on her face.

“Are you ready for the competition next week?"

“Yeah, I'm ready," I replied, shrugging.

“But I don't think we're going to win. I mean, I'm not exactly good at acting."

“Don't worry," Amelia reassured me.

“We're not good either. We're just doing it for fun! And hey, remember, you have to kiss Matthew at the end of the play, where Romeo kisses Juliet." She smirked playfully.

"Oh, shut up," I rolled my eyes at her.

"I know I have to kiss him, and that's not a big deal for me. It's not like it's my first kiss. But the thing is," Hailey chimed in,

"Matthew has a crush on you. He likes you. So, that kiss is going to be pretty special for him.

“I know, but..." I started to explain, but Hailey interrupted me.

“Don't you feel anything for him? I mean, he's the golden boy of the college, handsome, charming, and caring. Girls drool over him! But he's all about you, Evelyn. What else do you want?"

“That's not the problem," I said firmly.

"You both know I don't have time for relationships. I have too many tasks and responsibilities to deal with, rather than adding a boyfriend to the mix."

"I know," Hailey sighed,

“but Evelyn, you should try to balance your life. I mean, seriously, you're the only virgin left in this group. Time to grow up, girl.

"Okay, Grandma!" I shot back sarcastically, rolling my eyes again.

“Stop worrying about my s*x life." Amelia burst out laughing, nearly spilling her drink.

“You two are hopeless," she said, still giggling.

“But hey, Eve, Hailey has a point. You don't have to marry the guy, just maybe have a little fun."I do have fun!" I protested.

"Just... It's not that kind of fun." We all laughed, and the tension eased. We decided to switch up the mood a bit.

I got up and grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen, tossing them onto the coffee table. Amelia pulled out a deck of cards, and we decided to play a few rounds of poker.

"I still can't believe you're doing that play," Hailey said as she shuffled the cards.

“Me neither," I admitted.

"But I need the extra credit, and it's better than writing a paper on Shakespeare."

“And you get to kiss Matthew," Amelia teased again.

"Ugh, can we drop the kiss already?" I groaned.

"Let's focus on the game. I'm not losing any more tonight!"

We played a few rounds, laughing and making jokes. Hailey kept getting terrible hands and losing, while Amelia kept bluffing her way to victory. The night went on, and the more we laughed, the more relaxed I felt. The stress from school, the two jobs, and the endless to-do list started to fade away, just for a while. At some point, we switched to a new game...truth or dare. It was a classic, but with the three of us, it always turned into chaos. Amelia dared Hailey to chug her drink, and Hailey dared me to prank call Matthew.

I rolled my eyes but played along, dialing his number and putting on my best deep voice, pretending to be a pizza delivery guy. We all burst out laughing when he started asking about toppings.

"Okay, okay, my turn," I said, catching my breath from laughing.

“Truth or dare, Amelia?"

"Dare," she said confidently, a mischievous grin on her face.

"I dare you to... go outside and howl like a wolf," I said, trying to keep a straight face. Amelia didn't even hesitate. She jumped up, ran to the door, and opened it wide. The night was quiet and still, but she threw her head back and let out the most ridiculous howl I'd ever heard. We were all in stitches by the time she came back inside, We continued our silly games, told stories, and shared secrets.

Hours passed, and before we knew it, the clock was showing 3 a.m. Our eyelids grew heavy, and the energy in the room slowed down. I felt warm and content, surrounded by my best friends.

“Hey," Hailey murmured sleepily,

"Promise me you won't overthink this Matthew thing. Just do what feels right." I nodded, yawning.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise." Amelia was already curled up on the couch, half-asleep.

"Night, you two," she mumbled.

“Night," I replied, grabbing a blanket and tossing it over her.

We all settled down, and soon, the room was quiet except for the soft sound of our breathing. As I lay there, I felt a small smile on my face. Despite all the chaos, moments like this made everything worth it.

Just a night with my friends, a break from reality, and a little bit of fun. As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but think about what next week would bring about the competition, about Matthew, and about everything else in my crazy, busy life. But for now, I was content.