Mate
1454 Words
Ivanna remained standing in the middle of the room long after the door had closed behind Giveon.
Her hands slowly rose to her lips.
A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
He had kissed her.
And not just a simple kiss.
There had been hunger in it.
A kind of hunger she had never experienced before, one that had left her heart pounding wildly against her chest and her thoughts completely scattered.
She touched her lips again, almost as though she could still feel him there.
Then her fingers slowly travelled down to her neck.
Her smile disappeared.
His fangs.
They had grown right before her eyes.
Ivanna swallowed.
Was he going to bite her?
The thought sent a shiver through her body.
That had been the first time she had seen him like that. She had always known Giveon was different. Everyone had made sure she understood that much. He was a halfbreed, something that existed between two worlds.
But she had foolishly assumed that being half human meant he wouldn't possess the darker qualities of vampires.
Apparently, she had been wrong.
Her eyes drifted toward the adjoining chamber.
Was he alright?
Had he been able to control himself?
And more importantly...
Would she ever truly be ready for all the secrets Giveon seemed to carry?
Every time she thought she had finally begun to understand him, another mystery appeared.
Ivanna took a deep breath.
She couldn't simply sit there wondering.
If something was wrong with him, she wanted to know.
She walked toward the adjoining chamber and raised her hand.
Knock.
She waited.
“Giveon?”
Nothing.
She frowned.
She knocked again, louder this time.
“Giveon?”
Still nothing.
She raised her hand to knock a third time, but before her knuckles could touch the wood, the door suddenly opened.
Ivanna froze.
Giveon stood before her.
Half naked.
His hair was slightly damp, droplets of water still glistening against his skin from his bath. A towel was wrapped securely around his waist, leaving his broad chest exposed.
Ivanna's eyes widened.
For several seconds, she simply stared.
Then she quickly lifted her gaze to his face.
Giveon noticed.
Of course he did.
His lips twitched slightly.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No.”
Her answer came far too quickly.
He raised an eyebrow.
Ivanna cleared her throat.
“I came to check on you.”
That wiped the amusement from his face.
“Why?”
“You weren't answering.”
Giveon studied her carefully.
She wasn't trembling.
She wasn't backing away.
There was no fear in her eyes.
Only concern.
“I'm fine,” he finally said.
Ivanna hesitated.
“Your... fangs.”
His expression became unreadable.
“It was a vampire thing.”
“A vampire thing?”
“Yes.”
She frowned.
“That doesn't explain anything.”
Giveon stared at her for a moment before stepping aside.
“Come in.”
Ivanna entered.
He closed the door behind her and walked toward the chairs near the fireplace.
“Sit.”
She obeyed.
Giveon remained standing for a moment before finally sitting across from her.
Ivanna looked at him expectantly.
“So?”
“So what?”
“You said it was a vampire thing.”
Giveon sighed.
“There are certain instincts vampires possess.”
“Like growing fangs?”
“Among other things.”
Ivanna's fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.
“What other things?”
Giveon looked at her for a long moment.
Then he spoke.
“Mates.”
Ivanna blinked.
“Mates?”
“Yes.”
“Like... husband and wife?”
“Something deeper.”
He leaned back.
“Vampires can have mates. A person they're bonded to. Someone they are connected to for life.”
Ivanna listened intently.
“The bond isn't simply emotional,” he continued. “It is physical, instinctive, almost impossible to break. Mates protect each other. They can sense each other's emotions. Their instincts become intertwined.”
Ivanna's eyes widened slightly.
“And the fangs?”
Giveon looked away.
“Sometimes the bond awakens certain instincts.”
“What kind?”
His gaze returned to hers.
“The desire to mark your mate.”
Ivanna's heart skipped.
“Mark?”
Giveon nodded.
“A vampire marks their mate so that the bond becomes permanent. Once the mark is given, they belong to each other for eternity.”
The room suddenly felt warmer.
Ivanna stared at him.
“And you think...”
She stopped.
Giveon's eyes remained on hers.
She swallowed.
“Do you think I'm your mate?”
Silence.
Giveon didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Because the truth was, he didn't know.
He had spent his entire life knowing what a vampire's mate bond was supposed to feel like. He had heard stories. He had witnessed the bond between his own parents.
But never had he heard of a vampire being bonded to a human.
Except for his father.
And his mother.
His parents had been the exception that had changed everything.
And now...
Could history truly be repeating itself?
Ivanna lowered her gaze when he didn't respond.
“I see.”
Giveon immediately noticed the disappointment in her voice.
“Ivanna—”
“I don't know what to think anymore.”
She sighed.
“I thought I was beginning to understand you.”
“You don't have to understand everything tonight.”
She looked up.
“Do you?”
Giveon paused.
“No.”
For the first time, Ivanna saw uncertainty in his eyes.
That frightened her more than his fangs ever could.
Before either of them could say anything else—
Knock. Knock.
They both turned toward the door.
“Elvis,” Giveon called.
The door opened slightly.
“My lord. My lady. Dinner is ready.”
Ivanna looked at Giveon.
Then back at Elvis.
“I'd rather eat here.”
Elvis looked surprised.
“But—”
“Please.”
Giveon watched her quietly.
After a moment, Elvis bowed.
“As you wish, my lady.”
He disappeared.
Not long after, dinner was brought into the chamber.
The two of them sat together at the table.
For a while, neither spoke about what had happened.
Then Ivanna began talking.
She told him about her childhood.
About the little things she used to do.
The games she played.
The trouble she used to get into.
The people she grew up around.
And before long, she was talking so animatedly that she barely noticed the amused expression spreading across Giveon's face.
“You're laughing at me,” she accused.
“I'm not.”
“You are.”
“I was simply thinking.”
“About?”
“How you manage to talk so much.”
Ivanna gasped.
“I do not talk too much!”
Giveon smiled.
It was small.
But genuine.
Ivanna stared at him.
She realized she had rarely seen him smile like that.
And for some reason, seeing it made her chest feel strangely warm.
Giveon watched her continue speaking, occasionally interrupting with a question.
He found himself wishing the moment would never end.
No council.
No war.
No enemies.
No secrets.
Just this.
A quiet evening with his wife.
Peace.
He wanted more of it.
He wanted days like this to become ordinary.
But somewhere else in the castle, something far darker was unfolding.
James sat at the long council table with Caleb beside him.
The two brothers had been discussing matters concerning the kingdom when both suddenly fell silent.
Caleb's head lifted.
“Do you feel that?”
James's expression hardened.
“Yes.”
A strange pressure had filled the room.
The candles flickered.
The temperature dropped.
Then came three slow knocks at the enormous wooden doors.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
James stood.
“Who is there?”
The doors slowly opened.
A woman stepped through.
Long black robes swept across the floor behind her.
Her dark hair fell around her shoulders, and her violet eyes seemed to glow beneath the dim candlelight.
Caleb immediately recognized her.
His face paled.
“Jazelle.”
The Witch Queen smiled.
“I see you've missed me.”
James's eyes narrowed.
“You should not be here.”
“I know.”
She stepped farther into the room.
“But I didn't come because I was invited.”
Her gaze shifted toward the upper floors of the castle.
“I came because something has awakened.”
James's expression changed.
“What?”
Jazelle looked directly at him.
“The bond.”
Caleb slowly stood.
“What bond?”
The Witch Queen's smile disappeared.
“The bond between your brother...”
Her eyes glowed faintly.
“...and his human wife.”
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