Rise of the vampire queen

Truth be told

Dana’s P.O.V.

After I got back to my room, it took some time for my heart to beat at a normal pace. The way those three had looked at me, the way I felt when Jayden held my hand. I had not experienced something as intense, ever. But nevertheless, it all felt normal, and like this was meant to happen. I looked down at my hand, the tingles a mere memory. I told myself I could still feel them, and when I looked outside my window, I saw the last of Jayden walking away. Everything in me screamed for him to come back, and I had to sit down. What was happening?

As I sat on the bed, I remembered I had actually brought my mother’s journal to the forest, the one she had left for me after she died. My father said that I shouldn’t have it because I was a tedious little brat, but he didn’t want to keep it, so I got it for my 16th birthday.

It was my only present, because his wife had him convinced that he didn’t have to celebrate me, when I wasn’t even his own. The loving father had slowly disappeared from right after my 10th birthday, and was now completely gone.

I wasn’t even sure if he knew I had been gone most of the day, but did I really care? I opened the journal, something I had yet to do, but the meeting with the three handsome vampires urge me to read it.

My darling girl.

I write this journal hoping you one day will understand why we took you in, where you come from and why we had to keep you safe! Always know that your father and I love you very much, even though I know he might have changed when you read this. I am truly sorry that I possibly am not around when you get this journal. I am also sorry for all the suffering and pain you have gone through in your brief life, but I promise that even if I can’t be there in person, I will always be in your heart.

I am writing this journal to you because you need some information about yourself, who you truly are, where you come from, why you were adopted and why it is crucial that you keep your origin a secret for the time being.

Because you will be in danger and have been in danger from the day you were born, but it will increase after your 16th birthday. And my darling girl, if someone will overcome all this information and turn it into something good, it is you!

I will start with where you are from. As you already know, your father and I adopted you as a baby. I served your biological mother as a lady’s maid, and she was the kindest woman I ever met. One day, she traveled on vacation alone, and when she came back home, she was heartbroken.

She told me she had found her soulmate, and they had spent her vacation together even though they knew they had to go back to their spouses. So, after the time together, they had rejected each other in mutual understanding. Your mother and father were both vampires, and they made you with all the love in the world! Never doubt that, even for a second!

A month later, your mother found out she was pregnant with you. She knew it could not be for her husband, because they had tried for so long and not been able to conceive. They had just adopted Storm and Sami, who were just little innocent children at the time.

They needed an heir, and adoption was the only way. Your mother was both so happy and scared. She kept the pregnancy a secret, and only told me, her fated mate and a midwife, who was sworn into secrecy. Her mate Kostov was happy as well, but like your mother, he had his own wife and family. Neither could not bring you in and put you in danger from jealous siblings or spouses.

Both your biological parents are high born pure blood vampires, and that makes you very powerful and a target for people who want to use that power.

You were born with both your parents present, and they loved you from the moment you were born. But sweetheart, you were born under a blood moon, and I know that does not hold any meaning to you, but it means that the vampire goddess Ophelia blessed you.

This gives you the power to stay in the sun, without it ever hurting you, whereas common vampires need a sun ring to stay out for more than a couple of hours. And when you were born, there were lights swirling around you and we could all feel your vampire aura, which is very rare indeed.

Your father and I brought you up like a normal human girl, and this was the best way for you to stay safe even though some of your powers has always been present - like how no one could ever lie to you or how you could always feel whenever either me or your father was sad, etc.

This is but just a fraction of what I believe you’ll be able to when you come of age - which is your 16th birthday. From this day, your powers will fully awaken, and your inner vampire will surface. You will be faster, stronger, hear better, and see better. But you will have to keep your emotions under control, because everything will be felt 10-fold. I’m sorry I couldn’t prepare you for this earlier, but as time went on. You seemed happy, and I kept telling myself we still had time.

You will remember when we moved, I’m sure, but there is something more about that you need to know. We moved from England, where you were born, and to another realm. Yes, I said realm. We live in Deam Mundi, which means Goddess World, because the four Goddesses made this world. And we moved through a portal, taking us from the human world to Deam Mundi.

As for mates. Remember the bedtime stories of one’s soulmate? And the one of the prince and princess who were together but their love were destined to be forbidden? Yes, dear girl, they were about your birth parents. Every vampire has a soulmate, and you do too!

This is very similar to how other supernaturals find their mates, because the moon goddess, blood moon goddess and Wicca goddess decided it was easier to pair up mates if it worked the same way with them all.

Humans being the exception but will still sometimes be able to find their own mate. He will come along someday and promise me to wait for him! He will treat you like the queen you are, or I will come and raise hell upon him! (I know you are smiling now, but I am dead serious). Sweet girl, always hold love, forgiveness and joy in your heart! Trust in it, in yourself and in your powers. Someday it will be alright!

- Love your mother, Milan

I sat there staring at the journal, my thoughts in a turmoil. I was a vampire? Me? There had to be a mistake somewhere. I couldn’t be a vampire, or could I? As I sat there on my bed, brooding over the information overload presented by my adopted mother, I heard the voice I hated the most in the world.

“Dana, dinner is ready and if you are not down here in 30 seconds, there will be nothing for you!” I rolled my eyes, stood up, and went downstairs. There was a little plate on the counter, with a bottle of water, and I took it and sat down at the table. My so-called father was there eating, and as was his wife. They were having steak with massed potatoes, green beans wrapped in bacon and gravy. I looked down at my toast with tomato, cheese and ham and my water. I rolled my eyes internally and eat my food.

Afterwards, I took my plate to the washer and was making my way to the stairs when my father wanted a word with me. We went to his office, and I sat opposite him.

“Dana, I want you to pack up your things, and be ready to leave in 2 hours.” I look at him confused, and I was sure he didn’t say I was leaving here? Where would I go, and with whom?

“Why would I be leaving? This is my home. Or are you actually throwing me out?” My father gave me a look of disgust, and I knew he was in fact throwing me out! I was infuriated, and the feeling was so strong that I had the urge to shake him until I got the loving man he used to be back! I took a few deep breaths and just shook my head. “She has a good grip on you to make you throw your only daughter out.” I said and then made up to leave. Before I could reach the door, he spoke.

“Corine is not the reason you have to leave. This decision is mine, and mine alone. I have, of course, spoken to her about it, but ultimately, I have come to this conclusion. I should have done this years ago, when Milan died. But I swore to her and her friend Ophelia to keep you here until your 16th birthday. And so, I have. I know what you are, and I am not putting myself or Corine in any danger. So, you will go pack, and leave in 2 hours.” The definite tone in his voice took me aback,

but I would not let him see how much he had hurt me. I just threw open the door and stormed up to my room.

Jayden’s P.O.V

A rush of anger, sadness, and determination overtook me as I was having dinner with my family after the ball had ended.

I knew these emotions were not my own, so they could only be connected to one other person - my mate! I stood abruptly, excused myself after a look at both Storm and Max, who also stood and silently followed me outside.

Once there, I started running towards where my mate was.

“Are you going to tell us why we just upped and left dinner like that?” Max asked, but I was so focused on finding Dana that I just kept running. When we reached her cottage, I went for her bedroom window, but she was not there.

I jumped down to the guys and quickly explained why I had to come. They both nodded, but we all knew something was off - a human needs the vampire mates mark before the bond between them was solidified enough for feelings to be felt by your partner.

But with vampire mates, they could feel each other’s emotions before the marking, especially if they were both highborn. This was becoming quite a mystery.

I was shaken from my thoughts when a course of rage so great, it should belong to a vampire coming of age ran through my body? Why were my mate’s feelings so intense? Could she really be like me? We suddenly heard voices, and I heard how that bastard spoke to my beautiful woman.

How dared he make her out to be a monster? She was so far from that; she was an angle. When we heard the door open and Dana storming off, I mind-linked Storm to stay here and listen in on the father, while Max and I would go look after Dana.

He nodded, and we went to her bedroom once again. This time she was there, and she didn’t look as surprised to see us as one would think.

“Jayden, Max. What are you guys doing here, and why are you entering my bedroom through the window? We have doors, ya know?” She said the last part with a small smile and a glint in her eyes. No, she was definitively not surprised to see us. Had she heard us coming? I was getting more and more confused, but it had to wait as my mate clearly needed comforting.

“Well, we didn’t think your father would let us in, and we wanted to visit you. See how you were holding up?” Dana looks at me from under those long caramel lashes and smiled again - what I would give to see her smile like that all the time.

I would give her the world. She just needed to ask!

“Uhm, well, where is Storm? He is not with you?” I could tell how she evaded my question of how she was doing, and I didn’t know how to say that he was spying on her father.

“Well, the fact is that we came here, and you weren’t in your bedroom. When we went outside again, we heard you speaking to your father. Storm stayed there to make sure they would not come up here.” Max explained, and I shot him a ‘shut up dude’ kinda a look. But he shrugged and smiled at Dana. I couldn’t help or stop the low growl from coming forward, and Max immediately backed down and bowed his head. I sighed. We both knew he meant nothing by it, but I was very possessive of my mate already, and all my vampire senses were going crazy.

Max sensed the change in my mood and looked up. Dana just observed us with raised eyebrows.

“How is he going to tell you if anyone is coming when he is not with you?” She looked so innocent, and I could sense that she really wanted to know. Max again went and opened his big mouth - why couldn’t he just shut up?

“Well, you already know we are vampires. We can mind-link, you know, talk to each other in our heads, and then give information without others knowing. We can mind-link all, because we are royals, but the common vampire would only be able to mind-link with his or her clan. This is all very similar to how werewolves function. They can also mind-link, find mates and lives in their own clans called a pack.” When Max was done explaining, he had not only reviled that we could talk with our minds but also the existing of werewolves.

‘Dude, seriously, are you trying to scare her to death? You just told her about werewolves, for goodness sake.’ Max looked at me and shrugged again.

I was going to kill him one day! Best friend or not, he needed to know when to shut up! I looked at my beautiful mate and almost expected her to throw us out, and tell us to stay away forever, or call us nuts and then tell us to stay away. I certainly did not expect what she did!

Storm’s P.O.V

When Jay and Max went to see if Dana was okay, I stayed behind to make sure her so-called father didn’t get the need to check on her progress. I was in my own thoughts of what we had overheard before, and almost didn’t notice when a woman came into the room. She was small, even for humans, maybe 4.9”, with mud brown hair and kind of looked like a monkey. I chuckled to myself at that thought and would have been ashamed if it didn’t fit so well.

“Brandon, are you having second thoughts on this?” she asked the man. He shook his head, but didn’t look up at her.

“Good, because you know we will get a fortune when she is handed over. A pure blood vampire who does not know who she is. She will be such a good pet to them, and they can feed of off her, and not need human blood for ages.” Her words took me aback. Was Dana really a pure blood?

But why didn’t she know, and why had Jay thought her to be human earlier? My ears peaked when she spoke again.

“You know, I still can’t believe that Lady Kristy had a daughter, and you were the one to raise her. You have had a golden goose under your nose and didn’t know. I’m so glad we read that journal.” Was this Lady Kristy who I thought it was, and if so, was Dana my sister? I felt more and more disgusted with every word that woman spoke, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

“Corine, you know I made a promise to Milan and Ophelia two years ago, right before she died. You are sure they will not harm her?” The woman snorted.

“Why would we worry if they harmed her or not? If we didn’t keep her intake of food to a bare minimum, her powers would have grown by now, and you know what a danger she would be.” The man nodded once again and then looked up with a smile. I was livid, but more so I needed to know if they had told the truth, so I tried to mind-link Dana.

’Dana, can you hear me?’ Silence. I tried again, and almost jumped when a small female voice rang out inside of my head.

’Who is this?’ She sounded so confused, but also intrigued. I chuckled a little before I answered the one who I was fairly certain was my little sister.

’It’s Storm. We are mind-linking, and this confirms that you are in fact a vampire and of royal blood, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to mind-link so easily.’ Unless we really are family, I thought to myself.

’I overheard some things down here, and I wondered if they were true, and you being able to hear and respond to me

confirms everything.’

Dana’s P.O.V

Max had just told me that werewolves existed, and that they can all talk to each other telepathically. This was so weird, but somehow it also made sense in a way.

I had this feeling coming from deep within that told me that Max was telling the truth - I had always been able to tell who was lying or not. Was this one of my powers, as my adopted mother had claimed?

I would think about it later. I smiled at Max and nodded.

“In a weird way, this makes sense, and I can tell you are telling me the truth. But why would you come here?” This still didn’t quite sit with me, because I knew Jayden was holding something back. I shot a look at him. He smelled even better now than he had done in the forest, like rich milk chocolate and fresh strawberries.

This sounded so weird in my head, and before I could stop myself, I asked them.

“Why do you guys smell different? Like Max, you smell like honey and crisp apples and Jayden...” I trailed off, blushing so deep, his smell was the sweetest and made my knees go weak and my body feel calm.

“Well, Jayden, you smell like rich milk chocolate and fresh strawberries.” I looked down but shot my head up when the guys started laughing.

“Baby, we smell different, because we are different. You don’t smell the same to Max as you do to me.” Jayden called me baby? Why did he do that, and why did I feel like a girl with a major crush suddenly? “What do you mean, I smell different to you two? And did you just call me baby?” Max and Jayden shared a look and Max answered my questions.

“You smell like vanilla and citrus to me and Storm, but to Jayden, you also smell like that, but the vanilla is more prominent and sweeter.” He conveniently did not answer my question about being called baby.

I continued packing my clothes and was going to get my toiletries when I suddenly felt a presence inside my head, and then heard a voice. As I shut the toilet door, and stood staring in the mirror, I wondered if this really did happen or was I going bonkers? I heard the voice again, and closed my eyes, because something felt familiar and warm about the voice.

’Who is this? ‘ I asked. It took maybe all of 10 seconds, and suddenly Storm’s voice rang clear as day in my head, and I could tell he was happy I could hear him.

’It’s Storm. We are mind-linking, and this confirms that you are in fact a vampire, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to mind-link so easily.’ He answered, his voice sounding happy and curious at the same time.

’I overheard some things down here, and I wondered if they were true, and you being able to hear and respond to me confirms everything.’ He then cut the link, but I could still tell with accuracy where he was. This was so weird.

When I returned to my room, all the guys were there, and I could tell by their looks that Storm had told them about our little mind conversation.

I put my toiletries in my duffel bag, and had all my books, old laptop, notebooks and my mother’s journal in my old bag pack. I took my pillow and put it with my things.

The guys silently watched me, and I think they were talking over mind-link. I found the little stash of money I had saved, and was all ready to run away, because there was no way they were giving me away to some stranger.

“Guys, I appreciate you stopped by, but I got to get going now.” I looked down at my old watch, and saw there were 30 minutes left, and I had to get a good head start.

“Where are you going to go?” Storm asked. I looked at them all. They felt so at home for me, but I got to take care of myself, because no one else cared.

“I don’t know yet, but I got to get out of here. And right now, I will probably just sleep in the forest, or find shelter in a nearby cottage or something like that.” Jayden looked horrified, and he shook his head!

“Nah uh, you are coming home with us!” And with that he grabbed my duffel bag and pillow, while Max took my bag pack. Storm gave me a million-dollar smile.

“Welcome to the family Dana”