The grand ballroom of Draven Estate glowed under crystal chandeliers, but the atmosphere had turned electric with tension.
Midnight had barely struck when the heavy oak doors swung open and the Volkov emissary strode in, flanked by two silent bodyguards.
He was tall and lean, with silver-blond hair slicked back and eyes the color of frozen steel.
Lord Nikolai Volkov moved like a blade, elegant, deadly, and radiating barely contained challenge.
Viktor stood at the center of the room, Selene at his side.
Her crimson gown clung to every curve, the high slit revealing a flash of thigh with each step.
The fresh bite mark on the soft swell of her breast was hidden beneath the fabric, but she could still feel the pleasant throb where Viktor had fed from her on the terrace.
His seed still lingered warm and slick between her legs, a secret reminder of how thoroughly he had claimed her under the moonlight.
“Lord Volkov,” Viktor greeted, voice smooth as black silk but edged with steel.
You arrive unannounced.
Bold, even for you.
Nikolai’s gaze swept over Selene, lingering on the curve of her neck and the way Viktor’s hand rested possessively at her waist.
A cold smile curved his lips.
I come with a message from my clan, King Draven.
Your sudden obsession with a mortal has… unsettled the balance.
A human queen?
A former virgin plucked from a nightclub?
The old bloodlines whisper that you’ve grown weak.
Distracted by warm cunt instead of ruling with iron.
Selene stiffened, heat flooding her cheeks.
But Viktor only chuckled, low and dangerous, his fingers tightening on her hip.
He pulled her closer, sliding his hand down to cup her ass through the silk in full view of the emissary.
“Careful, Nikolai,” Viktor warned softly.
You speak of my mate.
Her blood sings to me in ways your cold veins could never understand.
She is no distraction, she is power.
Nikolai’s eyes narrowed.
Prove it.
The clans demand a demonstration of strength.
A blood duel at the next full moon.
Or surrender territory along the northern border as tribute.
The council members gathered around the edges of the ballroom murmured.
Selene felt Viktor’s body tense beside her, ancient power radiating from him like a storm about to break.
Before he could respond, she stepped forward, lifting her chin.
Her voice rang clear and steady despite the nervous flutter in her stomach.
I am no mere mortal anymore, she said, meeting Nikolai’s icy stare.
Your king took my virginity and marked me as his.
My blood now flows with his.
If your clan doubts his strength, then you doubt the bond that makes him stronger than ever.
Nikolai laughed, a sharp, mocking sound.
Pretty words from a pretty toy.
But can you bleed for him?
Can you take what a true queen must endure?.
Viktor’s eyes flashed crimson.
In one fluid motion he pulled Selene against his chest, tilting her head to expose the faint silver marks on her throat.
She already has.
And she will again, tonight, while you crawl back to your masters with my refusal.
The air crackled with tension.
Nikolai’s bodyguards shifted, hands twitching toward hidden weapons, but Viktor’s presence alone held them in check.
Darius Vale appeared at Viktor’s left, silver-streaked hair gleaming, his stance promising swift violence if needed.
“Leave,” Viktor commanded, voice dropping to a lethal purr.
Tell the Volkovs that any move against my mate or my borders will be met with fire and blood.
The Draven line does not bow.
Nikolai bowed mockingly, but his eyes burned with hatred as they fixed on Selene one last time.
Enjoy your new toy while you can, Draven.
Mortals break so easily.
The emissary and his guards withdrew, the doors closing behind them with a heavy thud.
The moment they were gone, Viktor turned to Selene, cupping her face with both hands.
You were magnificent, he growled, pride and hunger blazing in his gaze.
Standing beside me like a true queen.
Before she could reply, he claimed her mouth in a fierce, possessive kiss, tongue stroking deep.
His hands roamed her body, squeezing her breasts through the silk, then sliding down to grip her ass and pull her hard against the growing bulge in his trousers.
Viktor backed her against a marble pillar, the cool stone pressing into her back.
He yanked the high slit of her gown open wider, exposing her soaked panties.
Seeing you defy him made me so fucking hard, he rasped, dropping to his knees once more.
He tore the delicate lace aside and buried his face between her thighs, licking her with long, greedy strokes.
Selene moaned, fingers tangling in his dark hair as his tongue fucked into her slick heat, tasting the mixture of her arousal and his earlier release.
He sucked her clit hard, two thick fingers plunging inside her, curling against that perfect spot.
Selene came within minutes, crying out as her walls clenched around his fingers, fresh juices flooding his mouth.
Viktor rose, spinning her around and bending her over the pillar.
He freed his thick cock and thrust into her in one brutal stroke, burying himself balls-deep.
Selene screamed in pleasure, the angle letting him hit even deeper.
“Mine,” he snarled, hips snapping forward in a punishing rhythm.
My queen.
My mate.
No one will take you from me.
He fucked her hard against the pillar, one hand reaching around to rub her clit while the other pinned her wrists above her head.
The wet slap of skin on skin echoed through the empty ballroom.
Selene came again, harder this time, vision whitening as ecstasy tore through her.
Viktor followed with a deep groan, fangs sinking into her shoulder as he flooded her with pulse after pulse of cool seed.
He drank sparingly, heightening her pleasure until she was shaking and limp in his arms.
Only then did he pull out, turning her gently and kissing her with surprising tenderness.
He licked the new bite closed, then adjusted her gown with careful hands.
The Volkovs will strike soon, he said quietly, forehead resting against hers.
But with you at my side, I am unstoppable.
Tomorrow I’ll begin your training, how to move in our world, how to wield the power of the bond.
And tonight… I’ll take you to my private chambers and worship every inch of you until you forget there was ever a world outside these walls.
Selene leaned into him, heart racing, body deliciously used.
She had come to the estate as a runaway virgin.
Now she stood as the claimed mate of the vampire king, defying rivals and coming apart under his touch in the heart of his power.
She was terrified.
She was exhilarated.
And she was already falling.