All Chapters of Owned by the Vampire Heir: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I hid in the dark hallway, clutching the stale piece of bread I’d stolen this morning, while the other kids at the orphanage cheered over their brand-new clothes.I hadn’t eaten in three days. Mr. Cliff, the orphanage director, had piled endless chores on me and forbade me from touching a single bite until everything was done. He hated my bronze skin and honey-gold eyes, claiming the only value I had was to work myself to the bone for this place.But I was starving. Literally starving.My belly released a low growl. My hand instantly splayed across my abdomen to stifle the noise while my free one gripped the piece of bread.Just as I lifted the buttery goodness to my lips, I only got a taste before the crack of a whip echoed through the air, and the fiery burn followed suit.I released an agonizing cry, my knees hitting the wooden floorboards with a thwack. The flesh along my back was already torn open and raw from the countless slices this whip had produced before, so the stinging se

The man led me gently by the leash across the bridge, the guards allowing us to enter without further questions. It was odd the way they dipped their chins as we passed, covered in armor from head to toe, but it was even stranger when the man led us around the side of the castle rather than enter through the front, where the other guests awaited inside.It was forbidden to ask nobility questions, so I kept my mouth shut as I admired the ancient building before me. This castle was centuries old, belonging to the oldest known vampire family. The older the family, the higher their rank and power. Vampires of nobility were less reliant on blood and could remain in the sunlight completely unbothered, as the power running through their veins was stronger than most.The man opened a side door that creaked on its hinges, dust fanning around us as he pulled me through. To the right, a small room awaited us. It was a simple sitting room with two velvet couches, an ornate rug, and vases with ros

I’ve never seen Mr. Cliff so petrified.His face was ghastly when he dared to lift his face to meet my new master’s, his pupils blown and stretched wide as he watched Dorian’s hand land on my shoulder.“I-I was bringing her to her buyer!” he stammered. “General Valin was interested, and due to his rank, I was only following orders.”Dorian dipped his chin to look at me, a portion of brown seeping back into his eyes. “Did you tell him about our meeting in the trailer?”I nodded slowly. “I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t let me finish. He said no one would have an interest in me who outranked the General.”“Is that so?” Dorian stepped towards Mr. Cliff, who trembled beneath his scrutiny. “Why wouldn’t he let you finish, my pet?”Mr. Cliff’s mouth dropped open in shock just as a wave of whispers and gasps overcame the crowd of vampires behind us. The prince had never taken a liking to a prospect before, so this was sure to break headlines throughout the city.“He smacked me,” I replied

My body trembled in Dorian’s arms, the foreign feeling taking over every sense I had. Dorian’s chest didn’t rise or fall. It was cold with no heartbeat that I could detect, yet I’d never felt more comforted.It wasn’t a high bar to surpass, considering the last time I was held like this was when I was six in my mother’s arms, but it still felt nice.Dorian held a fork to my mouth with a juicy piece of steak. The scent overpowered the metallic from his glass, and my stomach rumbled so loudly that my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.I couldn’t resist the bite of food, moaning around the fork when the fatty goodness hit my tongue. It’d been so long since I’d eaten anything nourishing. It had me craving more, so I didn’t object when he continued to raise the fork to my mouth until I’d eaten the entire ribeye.Jenkins entered the room a few minutes later, his eyes growing wide at the sight of me on Dorian’s lap. His mouth turned into a frown, failing to conceal his disapproval when he as

A loud crash woke me from sleep.I rubbed my eyes, holding my teddy bear close to my chest when my mother entered the room with wide eyes. She padded quickly across the floorboards and gripped me by the shoulders. “I need you to get in your closet,” she whispered urgently. “I mean it, Aria. Don’t come out until I say so.”My chin wobbled, but I listened to Mommy’s instructions, crawling to the farthest corner behind the hangers of clothes.“Good girl,” she whispered with tears shining in her eyes. “I love you, my dearest Aria. I’ll be back soon.”My body trembled, my fingers gripped tightly around my teddy bear when more thuds echoed from below. I brought my knees to my chest, holding my breath until I heard Mommy scream.She told me to stay in the closet, but her screams made me stumble into my room on wobbly knees, inching cautiously towards my bedroom door.I stepped into the hallway, listening for other sounds, but Mommy’s screams had stopped.The stairs creaked beneath my weight,