All Chapters of The Vampire King's Mate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

IVORY POVThe silence of my bedroom was finally a good kind of silence.No more frantic page turning and reading like my life depended on it, no more scratching of pens against practice exams, and definitely no more looking over my shoulder for the next scandal.We had passed. Not just passed.... it's safe to say that we had crushed it. I was officially a high school graduate and the world didn't feel like a cage anymore. I have called Gav and told him about it and he was so happy to hear that. He couldn't wait for me to come back to the diner since he has a whole lot of things to tell me.Alicia was currently sprawled across my bed, her legs kicked up against the headboard, scrolling through her phone like it was her full time job. Judging by the way she is currently texting.... She probably is talking to Zeke right now.We were supposed to be having a "girls' night," which usually involved face masks and gossip, but Alicia had that look in her eye. The one that meant she was plottin

IVORY POV"Never mind, Mom. It is probably just some kid wearing those creepy glowing contacts to scare people," I said, trying to laugh it off. My heart was still hammering against my ribs, but I desperately wanted it to be a prank."No, it is not, Ivory. Just get inside like I said," she snapped. Her voice didn't sound like her own....it was deeper, more jagged, like a warning growl."But Mom!""Get inside! And in no condition should you come out tonight. I am going to survey the area.""But Mom, that is dangerous! Shouldn't we just call the police instead?" I stepped toward her, reaching for her arm, but I froze."Just get inside!" she barked and then continued. "You are not allowed to come out of the house on any condition. GO NOW!"In the pale moonlight, I could have sworn her eyes flickered, the color shifting into something wild and golden for a split second. She wasn't just looking at the woods; she was sniffing the air, her nostrils flaring as if she were tracking a scent. I

IVORY POVThe kitchen was a sprawling expanse of stainless steel and white marble, looking more like a set from a cooking show than a home. Before I could even find my footing, Daniel reached out. His hands found my waist, and with a strength that always caught me off guard, he carefully guided me to the center island and gently lifted me up, seating me right on the kitchen counter.I immediately panicked, my heart thudding against my ribs like a trapped bird. Being at eye level with him was dangerous; those deep blue eyes were peering right into mine, and his closeness was literally making me lose my senses."What are you doing?" I squeaked, my hands bracing against the cold marble."Relax, Ma belle," he murmured, his voice a low vibration that I felt in my bones. He reached behind me, grabbing something from a hook. "I just wanted to help you put on your apron. We wouldn't want your gorgeous dress stained, would we?"I cleared my throat, praying for my words to come out eloquent an

IVORY POVThe morning sun filtered through my curtains, stinging my eyes and pulling me out of a heavy, dreamless sleep. My hand instinctively reached for the empty space beside me before I remembered I was in my own room, not the sprawling, silk-covered bed at the Connor mansion. I groaned as I rolled over, feeling a sharp twinge in my lower back and a dull ache in my thighs.My phone buzzed on the nightstand a string of notifications that made my heart do a little somersault.𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝑴𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆?𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒔.𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒆? 𝑰 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆.I bit my lip, a heat creeping up my neck that had nothing to do with the morning sun. I typed back a quick, “I’m perfectly fine, stop worrying,” but I wa

IVORY POV"What? Mom, you cannot be serious? He is literally my boyfriend!" My voice cracked as I shouted over the sound of the engine. The golden glow of the prom was fading, replaced by the harsh, clinical orange of the streetlights."What do you mean 'stay away from him'? You might as well tell us to break up!""Ivory, you have to listen to me! Just do as I say and everything will be fine," she snapped, her eyes fixed on the road, her knuckles white."Even when you are wrong? Even when you speak like you’re slowly losing your mind?" I felt the sting of hot tears. I couldn't wrap my head around it. "I can’t believe you are saying this after you treated Daniel like your literal favorite son! You beamed at him! You trusted him!"The argument didn't stop. It raged all the way to our front door....a bitter, ugly back-and-forth that felt like tearing a seam. I was desperate to defend the boy who had just crowned me his queen, and she was desperate to lock me in a cage built of ghost sto