All Chapters of When Monsters Mate: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Lydia’s POV I knew I shouldn’t have come. From the moment I stepped out of the car and saw the gates of House Morvain glowing under a bleeding moon, I knew this would be a night worth regretting. But I came anyway. Draped in black velvet, a strapless wrap dress with corset lining at the back, my pale breast pushed forward almost touching my neck, my lips stained red and resentment dripping off every step of my silver stilettos, I entered the Founders Ball like a ghost re-entering the ruins of her own grave. The estate had been cleaned up since my last visit. Too cleaned. Like they were trying to scrub off the blood history with lemon polish and gold chandeliers. Still, nothing could mask the air thick with old magic and older grudges. The ballroom shimmered in decadence. Chandeliers floated without chains. Musicians played harps made of bone and string. The marble floor was carved with the crest of every ruling vampire house a warning more than decoration. And then there were th

Lydia’s POVTwo days later.I don’t go looking for him.At least, that’s what I tell myself.I tell myself I’m out here because another body was found; drained, mauled, unburied, the kind of kill that makes both our kinds look bad. I tell myself it’s duty. A means to survive, a means to maintain reputation.I tell myself a lot of things I don’t believe anymore.The truth? I haven’t slept.Not really.Not since the dream came back.That boy. That nickname. That bracelet on my wrist like a brand I can’t remove. My mind’s a mess, a tangle of memories that don’t make sense, instincts I can’t explain, and a name I taste like a prayer I never meant to say:Leonidas.The alley is narrow, the kind that stinks of piss, spoiled beer, and secrets nobody meant to leave behind. Dark walls, cracked bricks, broken glass. The dull shimmer of blood pooling near a dumpster.The body’s still intact..Not human but a Vampire.Young and sloppy.Whoever did this didn’t care about hiding it. Or maybe they

Leonidas The vampire came in wearing centuries like silk. Lord Darian Morvain didn’t knock. He moved like a man who didn’t know how to be refused, flanked by two pale guards cloaked in bone-white, the fabric heavy with tradition and arrogance. They weren’t there to protect him, not really. Their silence was just another part of the show. A message: I don’t need a weapon when I am one. He stepped into my war room like he owned the air in it. I didn’t rise. Didn’t offer him a drink. Didn’t even pretend to be pleased. “Lord Morvain ,” I said, voice flat and steady. “To what do I owe the intrusion?” He smiled; thin, polished, false. The kind of smile used by men who never meant it. “Leonidas,” he greeted, his voice all velvet and steel edges, worn smooth by years of commanding people too afraid to say no. “I thought it was time we had a... civil conversation.” “I wasn’t aware we were at war,” I replied, folding one hand over the other. “Not yet,” he said softly, stepping fur

Lydia I have heard nothing from my father for two weeks. Not a letter. Not a summons. Not even a courier with one of his vague, half-coded instructions. And somehow, the silence feels louder than anything he’s ever said. Every time my phone buzzes, I think it’s him. Every knock at the door has me leaping to my feet before logic can pull me back down. But it’s never him. Just bills. Routine notices. Council dispatches. Rina doesn’t ask, but I see it in her eyes. The way she glances at me over her mug of tea. The way she lingers a second too long when she says goodbye. She knows I’m spiraling, but she also knows I won’t talk until I’m ready. And I’m not. Because I don’t know what to say. My father is hiding something. I can feel it in my bones. And if I’m being honest... I think Leonidas is part of it. His name sits behind my teeth more often than I like to admit. The feel of his presence, his voice, the weight of his gaze; it lingers like smoke on fabric. No new kills have

Leonidas “How did the meeting go?” Kaela asked, catching me at the entrance like a shadow with too many questions. I brushed past her without slowing. “Fine,” I snarled. “So… not fine, then,” Cassian murmured behind me. I pushed into my office, both of them trailing hot on my heels like wolves who couldn’t take a hint. “I’m also guessing she didn’t take it well, judging by the way you look like you could tear everyone limb from limb,” Kaela observed, planting herself beside Cass in front of my desk. Her tone was light, but her eyes tracked me carefully. I said nothing. Just stood there, trying to steady my breathing before I shattered something. It had taken everything in me to walk away from Lydia after seeing her like that—her scent still burning through my senses like wildfire, her fury and heartbreak still echoing in my head. She infuriated me. Agitated me like no one else could. But gods... I’d never wanted someone more in my life. What her father did, throwing her