In the world of vampires, noble titles were a privilege reserved exclusively for pure-blood families. Historically, there were five noble, pure-blood vampire families, but the annihilation of the Vexleys had reduced their number to four. A family could retain its noble title as long as at least one pure-blooded member remained alive. For the Thornes, this legacy rested on the shoulders of three surviving members: King Alaric, Princess Selene—both pure-bloods—and Prince Varen, a half-blood who bore more human traits than vampire ones.
After the assassination of the former Lord Protector and Lady Protector, the once-prominent Kessler family was left with just two members: Hadrian and his sister, Penrose. Meanwhile, the other noble families, the Patels and the Ashcrofts, harbored varying amb
