The Vampire Lord's Human Mate

In the streets of New Avenue, on a snowy day with no sunlight, a man ran through the crowd, his face a mask of worry and panic. He pushed his way through numerous bodies at a rapid pace, as if he were rushing toward something important.

Or maybe even running away from someone.

His body was drenched in cold sweat and his hands were shaking badly even though he tried clenching them into fists. He shook his head vehemently, as if trying to shake off his fear, and continued to run as fast as he could, bumping into several people along the way.

‘I found it. I found it!’ he thought to himself frantically, quickly shoving away a man who was blocking his path. ‘I found it, Josie. We can expose them now. We have the evidence we need. We can go to the Ivanovs and tell them the truth. Tomorrow is—’

Suddenly, the man bumped into someone as he ran. He tried to push his way through, but surprisingly, the person wouldn’t budge.

When he looked up, he saw a woman. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair that fell in waves below her shoulders and clear, lime-green eyes that seemed to pierce right through him.

For some reason, her eyes gave him a sudden sense of unease.

He stiffened immediately. Could it be, that she was…?

No, it couldn’t be. He couldn’t sense anything unusual about her…

Pursing his lips, the man narrowed his eyes at her, as though trying to intimidate her with his gaze. “Please get out of my way. I have somewhere urgent to go to,” he said icily.

The woman, however, remained unfazed. She just stood there, staring at him, with those piercing green eyes that seemed to probe into his soul.

The man was growing anxious by the minute. He tried to sideline her, but to his surprise, she blocked his way.

“Excuse me,” she said, and her voice was surprisingly soft and gentle, flowing like honey. “Would you please guide me to the Town Square? I am a foreigner to this city, and I’m afraid I’ve gotten a little lost around here.”

The man gritted his teeth. “I’m sorry, but I have urgent business to attend to. I apologize again, young lady, but you have to ask someone else for help.”

He walked past her briskly.

However, just a few seconds later, her voice, still sticky and sweet, drifted into his ears again.

“Where do you think you’re going, Mr. Lambert?”

The man’s blood instantly turned into ice.

How did she know his—?!

Suddenly, he felt hands grab both sides of his head from behind. No matter how hard he tried to move away, those hands held him in place with a surprisingly strong grip. Panic immediately filled the man’s heart and his mind began to race.

Vampire.

She was a vampire.

The man’s mouth opened to let out a shrill scream.

‘Wait. No, not a vampire. A halfblo—!’

But the scream never escaped his lips.

The hands moved quickly, and in one swift, powerful motion, the man felt his neck break.

As darkness fell, it was the last thing he ever saw.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the streets on that cloudy, snowy day, Lambert’s head rolled across the ground, his headless body spilling blood on the snow-covered road.

***

“It happened again, my lord.”

Mikhail Ivanov lifted his head from the newspaper he was reading and raised an eyebrow at the man who had just spoken.

“There’s been another human killing,” the man said solemnly. “This time, it was one of the Guards who did it.”

“How many humans have died these past few months from a vampire attack on our side?”

“Exactly 16 of them, sire.”

Mikhail fell silent, but his expression remained stony. He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest.

“Erik,” he suddenly said.

“Yes, my lord?” the man, Erik, responded.

“You still think you aren’t responsible for this?”

Erik was stunned for a moment. “Sire, that’s impossible. I’ve been training those vampires myself for months. A thorough background check was—”

“New members are the most likely to betray a company, Erik. Don’t tell me you are too naive to admit that?” Mikhail arched an elegant eyebrow at him. “Your last chance has been used up. Question them. If they refuse to confess, then eliminate them.”

Erik looked alarmed. “Sire! They’re—”

“I have been gracious enough to give your trainees the benefit of the doubt, but I’m afraid my generous side ends here today.” Mikhail’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Interrogate them and give me satisfactory information, or I will kill them myself. Including you.”

At that moment, the limousine stopped at a familiar street.

New Avenue.

Mikhail waited until the chauffeur opened the door for him, and then he gracefully exited the car.

Erik remained frozen in his seat.

Two vampires — or rather Mikhail’s two personal guards, Josef and Sarim — went to his side and escorted Mikhail to their destination.

“I don’t trust him,” Josef remarked. He was a tall, stocky man with silver-white hair and small green eyes. He and his partner, Sarim, wore black, formal clothing.

Sarim, on the other hand, was a slender man who resembled a snake in appearance. He had dark-gray hair neatly combed at the sides and yellow, predatory eyes that seemed to shine brightly in the darkness.

Mikhail, on the other hand, was silent.

The three of them walked through the night, fearing no one and not caring how conspicuous or inconspicuous they might appear.

There was no one in the city of Azallea who didn’t know Mikhail Ivanov’s name. In fact, no one in the entire country of Dekraine dared to go against him.

After all, Mikhail Ivanov was one of the three most powerful vampires in the world, known as the Elites.

He had light silver hair with black streaks. It was slightly disheveled, giving him a slightly younger appearance. His eyes were a clear shade of red, a testament to his power.

Normal vampires had different eye colors, but whenever they used their powers, their eyes would turn red.

The elite vampires were another story. From the moment they unleashed the full extent of their powers, their eyes would turn permanently red.

Although Mikhail had not been a vampire for as long as the Ancients, he was one of the most feared vampires in the world. He was turned at the age of 28, and his youthful appearance remained the same for another hundred years.

It was rumored among the humans that he had volunteered to be turned, and that the vampire who turned him was his longtime lover. There was also a rumor that he had been forcibly turned and now held a grudge against the world, especially those he didn’t trust.

Mikhail was known for his ruthlessness when it came to dealing with the supernaturals. He would eliminate those who disobeyed his orders or disobeyed him in a cruel or gruesome manner. He was also notorious for not caring about the human race and their problems or issues, treating them only as sources of blood whenever he needed them.

He did his job of protecting humans from other vampires and supernaturals, but that was all.

Some admired him for his cruelty and power. Some were disgusted by the way he did things.

Some even said that he was completely heartless.

A vampire didn’t have a heart, but their race wasn’t all black and white. Some vampires retained their humanity, even bits of it, but some lost it completely.

Like Mikhail Ivanov.

With the number of rogue vampires increasing every month, both the Human and Supernatural Councils were on edge. The humans were horrified by the recent killings while more and more vampires were being resented and hunted down. The Vampire Hunters Association was also beginning to make its move, taking over the protection of the entire city.

The city was currently in chaos, and everyone was full of mistrust.

“Have you gotten in contact with Sye?” Mikhail asked quietly.

Josef shook his head. “We have been trying to contact her for days now. It’s like she’s gone off the grid.”

“It’s either she betrayed us, or she has been burned to a crisp,” Sarim remarked.

Josef frowned. “I doubt someone as strong as Sye would be beaten that easily. She would not betray us like that, either.”

“Sye is a walking time bomb,” Sarim said calmly. “She is unpredictable, and—”

“Wait.”

Josef and Sarim stopped in their tracks at Mikhail’s command. Suddenly, Mikhail’s eyes narrowed and he scanned his surroundings carefully. His red eyes shone brightly in the darkness for a brief moment.

“Do you smell that?” Mikhail asked.

“Smell what?” Josef closed his eyes and sniffed the air. “I smell alcohol and perfume. Nothing else.”

“I cannot smell anything else as well,” Sarim said.

It wasn’t snowing at the moment, and the winter season was coming to an end. Some parts of the ground were covered with snow, and the temperature was below normal.

It was a good thing that vampires couldn’t feel the heat or the cold.

But there was something else in the air. Something thick and familiar.

Mikhail sent them both a glance. “You two cannot smell the blood?”

Josef and Sarim looked at each other in confusion.

“My lord, there’s no scent of blood anywhere,” Josef said, puzzled.

Mikhail’s eyes narrowed.

Josef and Sarim were two of his most trusted warriors. They were always open with him and could sense things quickly, sometimes as fast as he could.

But the expressions on their faces seemed genuine.

There was something strange about this particular scent of blood, and Mikhail was determined to find out what it was.

“Move forward,” he commanded, and Josef and Sarim nodded, immediately going into a defensive stance.

As they walked on, Mikhail noticed that the smell of blood grew stronger. It drifted into his nostrils like a tantalizing mist, clouding his mind and spreading to every part of his body. It was an irresistible smell, something that made his breath catch in his throat.

It was as if the scent was seducing him, urging him to come closer and closer.

It could be a trap.

Mikhail’s eyes narrowed as he walked faster, causing Josef and Sarim to quickly follow from behind. Their eyes glowed a bright red as claws slowly protruded from their fingers.

As Mikhail rounded the corner where the smell grew stronger, Josef and Sarim stopped, their eyes widening. Their fangs began to elongate.

“Human blood,” Josef said heavily.

“A human is bleeding out,” Sarim said quietly. “The cold might be slowing down the blood, but it’s unmistakable at this point. It’s a bit fresh, too.”

The smell of human blood was irresistible to vampires, especially when they were hungry.

Suddenly, Mikhail stopped in his tracks and turned towards them, his red eyes glowing dangerously.

“Do not touch this one,” he warned. “It’s mine.”

At their master’s command, Josef and Sarim calmed down and let their fangs shrink until their teeth returned to normal size.

If there was anything they valued most, it was their lives. Second to that was their stubborn loyalty to Mikhail.

A century ago, Josef had been an orphan who had been forcibly turned into a vampire. Sarim, on the other hand, was someone who voluntarily became a vampire to save himself from danger.

If it weren’t for Mikhail, who saved them from the brink of death, they would never have lived to this day.

Hunger was trivial; after all, there were several other sources of blood they could use. They could afford to wait a little longer.

When Mikhail told them that he would claim this human, they would obey.

With a nod, Josef and Sarim followed Mikhail as he walked in the direction of the delicious smell.

A minute or two later, Mikhail finally reached the end of the farthest alley.

And saw a woman.

She was beautiful, with long, silky brown hair and a slender figure. She was panting heavily, and her hands were covered in blood.

She was clutching her shoulder, which was the part of her body that was bleeding. She was also shivering, presumably from the cold.

Her white shirt was soaked red, and she was barefoot, with wounds all over her ankles and feet.

It appeared that she had been stabbed and that she had fought back, which was probably the reason for the bruises on her arm and the side of her face.

He wondered, even though she looked messy and battered right now, why she still looked so breathtaking.

Mikhail stood before her, feeling foreign emotions rise in his chest. He had never felt this way before.

And he had never smelled blood this delicious.

He imagined reaching out with his fingers to cradle the side of her face, tilting her head to the side so he could lower his lips to the skin of her neck. He’d let his fangs grow, and then he’d bite through, letting her blood seep into his mouth. He would drink from her continuously, the pleasure spreading through his body as her blood coursed through his veins.

He had no heart; it was just a lifeless organ, but at that moment it was as if he could feel it beating hard against his chest with excitement.

The irresistible smell of her blood. This unnatural heat. This dizziness. These unexpected fantasies dancing in his head.

This woman was special. There was no doubt about it.

Was she possibly what they called his ‘mate’?

A human?

Mikhail’s lips curved into a smirk.

After more than a century, he finally found her.

Mikhail crouched down to get a better look at the woman. She had not said a word since his arrival, but he knew she sensed him. After all, he didn’t bother to hide the sound of his footsteps. Even though he had no shadow, he was close enough for her to register his proximity.

She did not look at him and simply closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate. It was no secret that humans both feared and resented vampires. Normal humans who were not hunters were helpless against vampires, and even the vampire hunters would have no chance against Mikhail, who was one of the most powerful supernaturals in the world.

“She’s bleeding out, sire,” Sarim remarked tonelessly. “It’s better to drink from her blood while she’s still alive.”

Josef nodded in agreement. “Blood tastes better when it’s fresh.”

Mikhail smiled. It was not a kind smile.

Rather, a malicious one.

“I will do nothing of the sort,” he said.

“Sire?” Josef and Sarim turned to Mikhail with a hint of astonishment on their faces.

Mikhail didn’t answer their puzzled inquiries and instead knelt down before the human, reaching out to grasp her chin. He lifted up her head, but she still refused to open her eyes.

“Look at me,” Mikhail commanded.

The woman’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she stubbornly kept her eyes closed.

“I will not ask you again,” Mikhail said, narrowing his eyes. “Look at me, human. Or you will face the consequences of disobeying me.”

After a few moments, the woman seemed to give up and opened her eyes, leaving Mikhail mesmerized by the sight.

The woman’s beauty was highlighted even more as she stared at him almost defiantly. With her brown hair, heart-shaped face, and stunning hazel eyes, she looked so out of place in this dark, dirty alley with blood all over her face and body. Her lips were plump and red, and her skin was pale and smooth, so alluring that Mikhail had to fight the urge to sink his fangs into her.

Mikhail had never had a problem with controlling his lust for blood. As an elite vampire, he was much more self-disciplined and able to control himself when it came to blood. Not like the rogue vampires who would salivate and go crazy at the mere smell of blood. Those vampires were either cold-blooded serial killers with no regard for supernatural rules, or they were untamed by their own thirst.

But for Mikhail, this was probably the first time in a hundred years that he could barely control himself in front of a human.

Despite his calm voice and menacing gaze, his fingers trembled slightly, and his fangs slowly began to extend.

It took every ounce of self-control Mikhail had to keep himself from doing something he might regret.

If this woman’s blood was so delicious that it overwhelmed him, it meant that she was indeed his human mate, the one he had been curious about for more than a century. The idea took shape in his mind, and every second he spent with her now only helped to solidify it.

She was the first human to ever make him feel that way. His instincts practically told him to claim her and take everything he wanted.

No doubt, it would be foolish of him to drain her of her delicious blood and kill her right here and now. The mate bond would punish him if he ever did that.

He had never kept a human before, but this one might prove her worth.