Chapter 17: Talks
1996 Words
IVY’S POV
The moment I stepped into Hart Manor, I knew Jade was going to sniff it out of me.
I barely got three steps inside before I saw her standing at the base of the stairs, one hand on her hip, the other holding a wine glass with some glowing blue liquid in it. Her eyes narrowed the second she saw me.
She didn’t say a word. Just raised a brow.
Damien leaned casually near the bar behind her with a smug grin that screamed *I know everything*.
I tried to breeze past her.
She blocked me.
Jade was waiting for me near the stairs, sipping something glowing out of a wine glass. “You look like you just got devoured.”
“Ivy Quinn,” she said with mock seriousness, “you look like you were just emotionally wrecked, spiritually aligned, and physically *devoured*.”
“Jade.”
“I want details,” she said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me straight toward the east wing like I was being arrested for being too damn kissed. “Now.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
She raised a brow. “Your lips are swollen. Your hair is wrecked. You’re flushed. Don’t play dumb.”
Damien passed behind her, grinning. “Did our Alpha finally grow some fangs?”
“Don’t start,” I said, pushing past them.
Raymond just smirked and walked right by, completely unaffected. Show-off.
Jade followed me into the hall. “So… how was it?”
I turned slightly. “Hot.”
She squealed. “I *knew* the mating mark looked better now!”
“Shut up,” I mumbled, cheeks warm.
She grabbed my arm. “So, are we calling you Luna now or do I get to keep calling you Drama Queen?”
I rolled my eyes. “Let’s stick with Ivy for now.”
But deep down, I wasn’t resisting the title as much as I used to.
Because maybe… just maybe… I was ready to be something more than what I thought I was.
I didn’t resist.
Because the truth was… I needed to tell her. I was buzzing. Heart still racing. Skin still tingling. Lips still—
God, the way he kissed me.
The second we reached her room, she shoved me onto the plush velvet couch, slammed the door shut, and stood in front of me like a lawyer in court.
“Talk,” she ordered.
I sat back, hands still tingling. “He kissed me.”
Her eyes went wide. “Raymond kissed you?”
“No—*I* kissed him back”
She shrieked like someone just handed her front-row tickets to the supernatural Oscars. “I *knew* it! Oh my god, did you finally give in to the mating pull?”
“Jade,” I groaned, covering my face, “it was insane. One second I was threatening to reject him just to feel in control, and the next… he pulls over, turns to me, says—*don’t you dare reject me*—and before I could clap back, he *kissed me*.”
“Yesss,” Jade whispered, fists clenched in triumph. “Go Alpha Vamp, go!”
“I climbed onto his lap.”
“You—wait, *you*—?”
“Yeah. My brain left the chat. Like, completely shut down. And all I could think about was how *right* it felt.”
Jade dropped onto the couch beside me, gaping. “Oh my god, Vee. You got marked and melted. That is elite-level imprinting chaos.”
I laughed, breathless. “He made me forget I was me. Like… Ivy Quinn who overthinks everything, carries the weight of the world, co-owns VeeJay’s Group, and still triple-checks her door lock every night? Yeah, she took a backseat.”
“Girl,” Jade said, eyes shining, “that’s what a soul-bond kiss *is* supposed to do.”
“I mean, I knew the bond was there,” I said, cheeks flushing. “But I didn’t *feel* it until that kiss. It’s like… my heart stopped holding its breath.”
She clutched her chest. “That’s so grossly romantic, I love it.”
“I didn’t even realize how much I wanted him until he pulled away,” I whispered. “I almost dragged him back into the seat.”
Jade whooped. “Our Luna’s got claws!”
“Stop calling me that.”
“You *are* that, babe. Whether you’re ready or not. But I get it—you’ve had like, ten revelations in forty-eight hours. And now you’ve got your Alpha’s scent basically branded into your bloodstream.”
I nodded, laughing into my hands. “God, Jade. What am I even doing?”
“Living,” she said simply. “Feeling. Loving.”
I glanced sideways at her. “He told me I couldn’t reject him.”
“Well, you *can’t*.”
“I know that. But hearing it… made something settle inside me. Like I didn’t even realize how much I wanted to be *wanted*.”
Jade leaned over, hugging me tight. “You deserve to be loved like that. Fully. Fiercely. No hesitation.”
I melted into her arms.
“Also,” she said, pulling back, “I want details. How good was the kiss on a scale of one to *actual astral projection*?”
I giggled. “Okay… so imagine your soul gets lit on fire, but the fire feels like the exact temperature of home.”
“Holy crap.”
“And then he touched my waist and slid his hand up my back and kissed me like he already knew all the broken pieces and loved them anyway.”
“Okay, stop before I imprint on *him*.”
“He kissed me like I was his.”
“Vee…” Her voice softened. “You *are*.”
I looked down at my hands, still trying to ground myself.
“I didn’t mean to give in so fast.”
“Babe, there’s no *giving in* here. This is fate-level magic. You two were marked by the gods or the moon or whatever chaotic ancient power tied you together. You weren’t supposed to resist—you were supposed to find each other.”
I blinked back sudden tears. “It’s just… so *real* now.”
“I know.” She reached out, squeezing my hand. “And I’m so proud of you.”
I met her gaze. “Even if I’m supposed to lead a pack, and I’m terrified I’ll screw it all up?”
“You led your entire senior class like a queen. You co-founded a damn company while juggling school, You *never* screw up. You adapt.”
I pulled her into another hug. “You always say the right things.”
“Because I *mean* them.”
Then Jade sat back, grinning again.
“Okay but real question… when are you kissing him *again*?”
I smirked. “Whenever I stop shaking.”
“Good,” she said, stretching. “Because if there’s one thing this war-torn world needs, it’s hot makeout sessions between fated mates.”
“Agreed.”
We laughed again. And for the first time in days, it felt like maybe—just maybe—I wasn’t drowning anymore.
Because even if the world burned tomorrow…
Raymond would kiss me like I was the last thing worth saving.
And Jade would be there beside me, fanning the flames and hyping me up.
And honestly?
That was enough.
---
We sat in silence for a moment, just breathing, holding onto each other like the world could wait a little while.
We pulled back from our hug, and I knew I couldn’t delay it any longer.
The kiss, the bond, the prophecy… they were all pieces of a bigger, darker truth. And Jade—my best friend, my sister in every way that mattered—deserved to know it.
There was no easy way to say what I was about to say. But I had to try.
“Jade,” I said softly, eyes locked with hers. “There’s something I need to tell you. About… us.”
She blinked, her teasing expression fading. “That sounded heavy. Please tell me I’m not dying.”
I gave a weak smile. “No. Nothing like that. But… it’s big.”
I stood up and began to pace, heart thumping. Jade watched me with growing concern, setting her glass aside and sitting upright.
A thought came, she is actually my cousin. I need to tell her tonight, so she can sleep over it.
“There something you should know, J” I began.
She pulled out of the hug. “Don't tell me, you two did something....”
“No, it's not about Us, it's about you and I” I felt so scared, couldn't place what her reaction would be like.
“You seem pretty serious, chill out, Vee”
she said laughing nervously.
“Promise you would not be mad” I said.
“Well, my Mom woke up today...”
“Vee, that's great news” Jade squealing and pulling me into a tight hug. I hugged her for some time.
I stood up and kept pacing.
“My mom… she told me something while we were at the hospital.”
Jade straightened. “Is she okay?”
“She’s… getting better. But she finally told me the truth. About my birth. About yours.”
Jade tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”
I turned to face her fully. “Jade, you and I… we weren’t just born on the same day by coincidence. We weren’t just best friends by chance. Our moms—they’re sisters. Twin sisters.”
The silence that followed was thick and absolute.
Jade stared at me, frozen.
“My mom and your mom,” I continued, “they were born into a supernatural bloodline. Silvana Roe was our great-grandmother—White Witch, married to Edward Lavis, the greatest Alpha Vamp in history.”
Jade’s lips parted slightly. “That’s… what?”
“I’m not finished,” I said, voice gentler now. “When they found out they were both having daughters… there was a lot of pressure their dad didn’t want more than one child. And so… your mom left. Gave you up to protect you. She didn’t want you dragged into the politics. She… disappeared.”
Jade stood up slowly. “Are you saying… my mom might still be alive?”
I nodded. “There’s a chance. A good one. My mom didn’t speak like she was gone. More like… hiding.”
Jade was silent.
“Jade,” I said carefully, “you’re part of this. And if Diego’s plan really involves the blood of three—me, Raymond, and someone from our shared bloodline—then that third person…”
Her voice cracked. “Is me.”
I nodded.
“I’m not… just human.”
“No,” I said quietly. “You’re not. Not entirely. Just like me.”
She took a shaky breath and turned away, arms wrapped around herself.
“I should’ve known,” she whispered. “The way I feel around you sometimes. The pull. The strange instincts. The way I always heal faster than normal. I just thought… I don’t know, that it was luck. Or adrenaline.”
I stepped closer, placing a hand on her arm. “You weren’t supposed to know. It was meant to protect you. But Diego doesn’t care about protecting anyone.”
She turned back to me, eyes wide and scared. “Ivy… I don’t know what I am.”
“You’re *you*,” I said fiercely. “You’re the girl who protected me when I cried in fifth grade, who kept all our secrets, who built a company with me from scratch. No matter what your blood says, Jade West is real. Brave. Loyal.”
She laughed softly through the tension.
- Writer
