VAMPIRE’s QUEEN

I Have Found My Mate

Standing outside the classroom, I leaned against the wall, trying to distract myself from the boredom of my punishment. Just then, Mathew emerged from the doorway with a cheeky grin on his face.

“Eve, are you enjoying your punishment?" he asked, clearly amused by my situation. I shot him a look.

“What are you doing out here? The class isn't over yet." He shrugged nonchalantly.

“I told the professor I had to use the bathroom urgently. But really, I wanted to talk to you about something." I raised an eyebrow, curious.

“And what do you want to talk about?" Mathew's face lit up with excitement.

“Well, there's going to be a competition in our college, where students can participate in different plays, speech competitions, debates, and more."

"Oh wow! Mathew, come on, we should participate in the debate competition!" I exclaimed, clapping my hands in excitement. He grinned mischievously.

"Nah, I was thinking more about the Romeo and Juliet play. I'll be your Romeo, and you'll be my Juliet." I chuckled, shaking my head.

"You're seriously bad at flirting, Mathew." He pouted dramatically.

“Come on, Eve, it'll be fun!

Jason, Hailey, and Amelia are also participating in some play." I sighed.

“Mathew, you know how bad I am at acting.

"Come on, Eve, nothing will go wrong.

It's just a play. Who cares if we win or not?" he insisted. I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but smile at his persistence.

“Okay, fine, we'll participate.

Now, go back inside before the professor realizes you've been gone too long." Mathew grinned widely.

“See you later, Eve!" he called out as he slipped back into the classroom. The rest of the day at college was spent laughing and chatting with my friends, Hailey, Amelia, Jason, and, of course, Mathew. We moved from class to class, sharing jokes, teasing each other, and trying to pay attention to our professors.

It was a pretty typical day, and time flew by faster than I expected. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the auditorium for our first play practice. Mathew was already there, waiting with a dramatic bow.

“Ah, Juliet, my love," he greeted in an exaggerated tone, making me roll my eyes.

“Stop it, Mathew," I laughed, pushing him playfully.

"You're going to make me regret this already." He just grinned, looking utterly pleased with himself.

“You know you love it," he teased.

We started practising the lines, trying to get into character. Mathew's face was so serious as he tried to act like Romeo, but I could see the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"But, soft! What light through the window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun," he declared, putting his hand over his heart dramatically. I couldn't help but laugh.

“You sound more like you're auditioning for a soap opera, Mathew." He chuckled, not missing a beat.

"Hey, I'm just getting into character. Now, it's your turn." I took a deep breath and tried to sound as serious as I could.

“O Romeo, Romeo! Where are you, my Romeo?" I said, but it came out a bit more like a question than a declaration of love. Mathew snorted.

“Wow, Eve, that was...convincing," he teased.

I threw a paper ball at him, laughing.

“Shut up, Mathew. I'm trying here!" He winked.

"Don't worry, Juliet. I'll make a great Romeo. We'll even have to kiss at the end of the play, you know." I burst out laughing, almost doubling over.

“Kiss? In your dreams, Mathew. I'm not kissing you, even if it's for a play." He put his hand on his chest, pretending to be wounded.

“You wound me, my lady." I smirked.

"Oh, get over yourself. Let's just get through this practice without embarrassing ourselves, okay?" We continued rehearsing, with Mathew delivering his lines with over-the-top passion and me trying my best not to giggle every time he looked at me with those exaggerated, lovesick eyes. It was fun, and I had to admit, his playful nature made the whole thing less awkward and more enjoyable. After a while, Hailey and Jason joined us, and we all started joking around, turning the practice into a bit of a comedy show.

Mathew kept making silly faces every time he had to say something romantic, and I couldn't help but laugh.

“Okay, okay, let's try to be serious now," I said, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes.

Mathew leaned closer, a grin on his face.

“Serious, huh? So, Juliet, would you finally consider that kiss?" I laughed again, shaking my head.

“Not a chance, Romeo. But nice try." As we wrapped up the practice, I felt a sense of warmth. It was fun, and Mathew, with his silly charm, made the day lighter and more entertaining. We might not win the competition, but at least we'd have a good time trying.

XAVIER’s POV

As I entered my side of the wing, a loud announcement blared over the speakers.

"Announcement, all students must come to the main hall." The principal's voice echoed throughout the building. I frowned. What now?

Why are they calling everyone? Just as I was wondering, Liam and Sebastian entered the wing, looking eager.

“Dude, you're back. Now, let's go to the main hall," Liam said, patting my shoulder. I nodded, and we made our way down the corridor toward the hall. The main hall was packed with vampires, students, teachers, and staff members.

The atmosphere was filled with anticipation. As we entered, one of the teachers approached me, bowing slightly

. "Prince Xavier, your seat is in the front row."

Of course. Perks of being a prince. I made my way to the front with Liam and Sebastian close behind.

As I sat down, Liam turned to me with a curious look.

“Xavier, you don't look in a good mood. Did you have your drink?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I let out a sigh.

“Nah, some s**t happened." Sebastian leaned in closer.

“What happened?" I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my voice steady.

"That human girl. I met her again. Ever since she came into my life, I can't control myself. My vampire side isn't at ease." My tone was filled with frustration.

"Dude, we told you, she's your mate. You better accept it. Otherwise, it'll only get worse," Sebastian replied, trying to sound logical.

"f**k off, Seb. This whole thing is messing with my head. You know, today, I even tried to get her out of my mind by kissing Jennifer, but even then, that human girl wasn't leaving my thoughts." Liam snickered.

"That duke's daughter? Dude, you're seriously messed up." Sebastian, looking more serious, added,

“Your vampire side will cause you too much trouble if you don't accept her as your mate." Liam jumped in with his suggestion.

“But if you really want to end all this, you can reject her. Drink her blood, kill her, and then choose your mate from one of our kind. You know what our ancestors said about rejecting our mates.

“A cold shiver ran down my spine at his words. My heart sank. I knew what our ancestors had taught us, that to reject a mate, you must drive a dagger into their heart to break the bond.

But as I thought about doing that to her, my heartbeat quickened with pain. I couldn't even imagine it. She was my other half, my mate. But the whole situation was messed up. I needed to think.

Before I could dwell too deeply on it, the principal's voice filled the hall. "Respected staff and students, I hope you all are having a good time. The purpose of this announcement is to inform you that the annual competition in our college is happening soon. You can participate in plays, dramas, speeches, debates, and many more activities. It will take place next week in the East Wing. All humans and vampires are welcome to participate and attend the events. But remember, do not get too involved with the humans, and do not even think about feeding on them. If you are caught doing so, you will be removed from the college premises, and strict actions will be taken by Prince Xavier and King William. You are now dismissed."

I mentally rolled my eyes. Just great. Another set of restrictions to deal with. Liam leaned over. "So, what do you think we should participate in?"

“Nothing," I replied, standing up.

“We'll just visit to keep an eye on all the vampires." I left the hall and made my way back to class, my mind still racing with thoughts of that girl. I needed to get a grip. I couldn't let this distract me any longer.

The day dragged on with classes, lectures, and the usual duties of being a prince. I sat through each lecture with Liam and Sebastian beside me, but my mind kept wandering. I barely heard what the professors were saying. My thoughts kept drifting back to her, her voice, her eyes, the way she stood up to me.

Liam noticed my distraction and nudged me.

"You okay, man?" I nodded, though I didn't feel okay at all.

“Just thinking," I muttered. Sebastian smirked.

"About that human girl, huh? You dont even know her name" I shot him a glare, but he just chuckled.

“Relax, Xavier. You'll figure it out."

Classes finally ended, and it was time to head home. I felt a wave of relief. I needed space to think, to figure out what to do about this situation that was tearing me apart from the inside. As we walked out of the building, Liam turned to me. "So, what's the plan for tonight?" I shrugged.

"I need to think. I'm heading home." They both nodded, understanding that I needed some time.

"See you tomorrow," Sebastian called as I turned to leave. I walked toward my car, the weight of everything pressing down on me. My heart felt heavy, my mind conflicted. I had to figure out what to do about her and soon.

NEXT DAY

It was finally the weekend. After getting up, I went through my usual morning routine: a cold shower to wake myself up, a quick shave, and then straight to the gym attached to my room. I had every piece of equipment I could need, treadmills, weights, and punching bags. I spent an hour working out, letting the adrenaline burn through me, pushing myself harder and harder. My parents didn't approve of how much I was getting involved in human habits, like this gym obsession, but I needed something to keep myself focused, something to stop my mind from spinning out of control.

Soon, I'd be king, and then I could change everything, make my own rules. But for now, I had to keep myself on track. Once I finished, I threw on a shirt and headed downstairs. The smell of breakfast greeted me as I approached the dining room. I stepped in to find my family already seated at the long table.

My mother, Queen Elizabeth, sat at one end. My father, King William, sat at the head, his expression serious, as usual, looking over some documents. Theodore, my younger brother, was there too, his eyes already lit with mischief as he stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth.

"Ah, Xavier," my mother said, looking up as I entered.

"Finally decided to join us." I smirked.

“Morning, Mother. Father." I gave them both a nod and slid into my seat. Theodore grinned at me, his blue eyes sparkling.

He was always too cheerful for his own good. "Big brother," he teased,

“I thought you were going to spend the entire morning in that gym of yours." I rolled my eyes. "You know I need to stay in shape, Theo." My father put down his papers and looked at me, his expression stern.

“Xavier, you are a prince, soon to be king. You don't need to waste your time with human habits." I clenched my jaw but kept my voice calm.

"I'm just preparing myself, Father. Strength matters, no matter what." He didn't reply, but his eyes narrowed slightly, and I could tell he wasn't convinced.

The table was laid out with a variety of food, fresh fruit, bread, and a jug filled with blood, dark and thick, right in the centre.

My mother poured herself a glass and took a sip. I reached for the blood, pouring myself a glass as well.

“How are things at the college?" my mother asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

“Fine," I replied shortly, taking a sip.

“Same as usual."Are you making sure the humans are kept in check?" my father added, his voice low, commanding.

“Of course," I answered, trying not to let any annoyance slip into my tone.

“Everything is under control." There was a brief silence. Theodore, always the playful one, looked at me with a grin.

"So, any new stories from the human side of things? Must be interesting dealing with them every day." I shot him a warning look, but he just laughed.

“Always teasing," I muttered, shaking my head. My mother smiled slightly.

"Your brother's just curious. We all are. You're spending a lot of time among them." I hesitated for a moment, glancing around at my family. This was it. It's time to break the news. I took a deep breath, setting my glass down, and leaned back in my chair.

“I wanted to tell you all something," I began slowly. My mother's eyes widened slightly, my father's expression grew more serious, and even Theodore seemed to sense that I was about to say something important.

"I have found my mate," I said, letting the words hang in the air. There was a moment of stunned silence around the table. My mother's face was frozen, my father's jaw dropped, and Theodore's grin faded into a look of surprise.

I didn't say anything else, just watched their reactions, feeling the tension build in the room, knowing that this was just the beginning of a very complicated conversation.