Nouvelles Independence Vampire & Romans

Clarence, the Vampire Prince, fell for me the moment he laid eyes on me. And I fell for him just as hard, just as hopelessly. I accepted his Embrace. The whole dark world knew he loved me more than life itself. He branded the rune of our blood bond directly over his heart. That lasted five centuries. Then I got the video from his new blood doll—a human stripper named Seraphina. She was sprawled naked in his lap, fresh bite marks dotting her throat. Using her own blood, she’d painted a crude sigil right beside the sacred rune meant only for me. And my mate had let her. “Clarence says my young blood is the only thing that makes him feel alive anymore,” she purred. “He says you’re a dead fish in bed, darling Molly. Time for the new generation to take over.” I didn't bother to reply. My fingers were steady as I contacted an ancient witch. “I need a glamour,” I said, my voice even and low. “A perfect human shell. One that will hide everything—my scent, my trail. All of it.”

The night before graduation, Cassian Nightborne, heir to the Blood Throne I had loved for years, finally asked me to be his girlfriend. My three other childhood friends—Dante, Julian, and Adrian, cheered as confetti burst around us. Then Cassian placed four Ravenwood applications in front of me. “Come with us to the Ravenwood, Avery. Once we get there, I’ll make my blood vow to you.” I didn’t hesitate to sign the Ravenwood application, even though the academy was five thousand miles away, deep in human territory. I thought the five of us were going together—until the acceptance letters came. “Four fake applications. That’s all it took to get Avery to Ravenwood.” “Once she’s gone, Mira can finally have her place.” “Cassian’s the one making the real sacrifice. He has to keep dating Avery until she leaves.” The truth was, they couldn’t bear to send Mira, who had only recently returned to her royal vampire family, into the human world. I was strong enough to survive Ravenwood, so they decided I should go instead. And while they sent me away, all four of them chose to go to Nocturne with Mira. They thought I’d cry, throw a fit, and forgive them eventually. What they didn’t know was that I had signed a classified five-year research program at Ravenwood. The moment I left Blood Thorn, my blood signature would vanish from the Blood Registry, and no bloodstone could trace me. By the time they realized I wasn’t coming back, they could search heaven and earth and still never find me. I was leaving them behind for good.

As I was about to leave The Crimson Curtain, my brother Corvus's elite vampire club, a woman who claimed to be the manager stopped me. "Ma'am, you just helped yourself to a priceless vial of Elder's Blood. You have to pay." I looked at the unfamiliar face, sensing the weak blood of a lesser vampire. She must be a fledgling, I thought, new to the club and unaware of who I was. "Your boss approved it," I said flatly. "Take it up with him." But the woman just sneered at me. "Plenty of women try to get close to our boss. If every one of you took what you wanted, how would we stay in business?" She shoved a copy of the club rules at me. Anyone who takes Elder's Blood without permission pays with three times the amount in heart's blood. Or they don't leave. Vampire guards started to close in, some even drawing silver blades, ready to take me down. I laughed, a cold, sharp sound. I couldn't believe Corvus's club had such an insane rule. "I am the Lord of House Volkov. Corvus's own sister. If he needs compensation, he can come to me himself." But her mockery only sharpened. "You look like some low-born stray. Claiming ties to a noble house? Pathetic. Hand over the heart's blood. Now." My patience snapped. I sent a message to the family elders through our bloodline. "Tell Corvus to either make this woman disappear forever, or I'm taking back ownership of this club. All of it."

I was the hopeless romantic of a powerful vampire dynasty. My grandparents controlled a vast share of the world's wealth. My parents had politicians and world leaders wrapped around their fingers. My eight older brothers ruled a global tech empire, while my seven older sisters dominated the artificial intelligence industry. And me? As the youngest in the family, I had only one real interest. Falling in love. This time, I'd set my sights on the hottest guy on campus, Hunter Grant. He was tall, handsome, and looked exceptionally well-fed. In other words, exactly our vampire family's type. This year, our family was hosting its annual vegetarian banquet, and for once, members were allowed to bring a human date. I excitedly handed Hunter an invitation. But instead of accepting it, he turned around and gave it to the campus beauty, Serena Jenkins. “The only person I'm bringing is Serena.” Serena accepted the invitation with a radiant smile. “Thanks, Nora. I'll make sure to dress up for it.” My smile vanished. I reached out to take the invitation back. “That invitation requires a special mark to be validated. You can't just hand it to anyone.” Hunter slapped my hand away. “Give me a break. If you can go, why can't Serena? “At an exclusive event like that, if you're the one going, you'll only embarrass our school.” Everyone around us burst out laughing, mocking me for not knowing my place. I was so angry I actually laughed. They were seriously fighting over an invitation to a vampire family banquet? Fine. After an entire vegetarian feast, I supposed it wouldn't hurt to add a little meat to the menu.

My blood-bonded mate lied to me. He said our bond—a bond of centuries—was fading. It was all for his new lover, Josie. He wanted to let her play princess. He denied me my rightful place. I was walking down a hall lined with ancient tapestries when I heard Josie’s voice, sweet and laced with venom. “Darling, if you make me your princess, just for a little while, can you taste me every night? But… won’t that old relic Lydia get suspicious? Your bond has lasted three centuries, after all.” “What can she do? She can’t leave this castle, and she needs my blood to survive.” Milton’s voice dripped with contempt. “That fool, Lydia. I told her the bond was fading, and she actually believed our connection was broken. Even if she knew the truth, she’d just hand over the Eternal Chalice without a fight and go back to being a quiet little Dreamweaver. You’re the only princess in my heart, my little wildcat.” I froze. And I let him believe his lie was safe. Then, a pain sharp enough to kill a mortal ripped through my soul. The bond shattered. I turned and melted into the shadows. Let them think their little play is flawless. They’ll soon find out what this “fool” is truly capable of.

I’m about to enter a blood bond with another vampire lord. But my partner of a century, Kaelan, has no idea. He’s too busy getting cozy with his new human assistant, Sylvia. They spend entire nights in his office, under the guise of “researching synthetic blood.” He even turned our centennial anniversary into her birthday party. In front of everyone, Kaelan presented her with a Black Forest cake decorated with Silver Bells. They laughed, smearing frosting on each other. They forgot the flowers are a deadly poison to me. My power shattered. Agony ripped through me as shadows lashed out, uncontrollable. My family’s guards had to drag my convulsing body away. And while I recovered alone in the cold, dark vault, Kaelan was still at the party, bathing in the cheers for him and Sylvia. The blood in my veins turned to ice. A century of love and hope burned to ash. In that moment, I agreed to my family's arrangement. Without hesitation. A union with the lord of the Obsidian Throne—a vampire they say is power incarnate.

The night I came of age, the vampire prince Damon couldn’t wait to drag me to his bed. He took me with a desperate, wild hunger that lasted all night long. My body ached, but my heart was full. I’d been his blood servant for ten years. I thought he was finally ready to give me the Embrace, to make me his forever. But after, as he held me and talked on the phone with my foster brother, I heard Marcus ask him in Latin, “So, Master, how did my little sister taste? You know how many men would kill to be in your place? They all think she's a goddess.” Damon's lips curled. “Not bad. A little green. Not nearly wild enough for my tastes.” Marcus laughed. “Well, she's been hopelessly devoted to you since she was a kid. Never even dated.” Then Damon’s voice lowered. “Don't tell Serena about Elena. I have to marry a noble vampire like her in the end, and I don't want her upset.” “A little human like Elena… she's just good for practice.” But Damon didn't know I'd secretly learned Latin just to feel worthy of him. Hearing that, I didn't say a word. I just quietly changed my college application from the University of New Orleans to my dream school, University of Oxford.