Melody had always trusted her instincts.

So when her father announced that he was investigating the mysterious disappearances surrounding Blackwood Forest, a sense of dread settled deep inside her chest.

Her father was a journalist known for chasing dangerous stories. For months, rumors had spread throughout the nearby towns. People who entered Blackwood Forest never returned. Search teams found no bodies, no clues, and no explanation.

It was as if the forest itself swallowed them whole.

Determined to uncover the truth, her father packed his camera, notebook, and flashlight and set out for the forest.

Melody refused to let him go alone.

“Dad, please,” she begged. “Something that about this place feels wrong.”

Despite his protests, she followed him into the woods.

At first, everything seemed normal.

The towering trees stretched endlessly toward the sky while sunlight filtered through the branches. Her father took photographs and notes as they ventured deeper into the forest.

But as evening approached, the atmosphere changed.

The air grew colder.

The sounds of birds and insects disappeared.

An eerie silence settled over the woods.

Then they realized they were lost.

No matter which direction they turned, the path they had followed had vanished.

A chill crawled down Melody’s spine.

Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the darkness.

Her heart nearly stopped.

“Dad…” she whispered.

Another growl answered.

Then another.

Slowly, five enormous wolves emerged from the shadows.

Their crimson eyes glowed like burning embers.

These weren’t ordinary wolves.

They were Lycans—supernatural creatures capable of shifting between wolf and human forms. Blackwood Forest belonged to their pack, and they could immediately smell the presence of outsiders.

Foreigners.

Intruders.

Enemies.

The wolves bared their fangs.

Then they attacked.

“RUN!” her father shouted.

The largest wolf lunged toward Melody while the others surrounded her father.

Before she could react, her father shoved her out of harm’s way.

She crashed into a thick tree branch.

Pain exploded through her head.

The world spun violently.

As darkness consumed her vision, the last thing she saw was her father fighting desperately against the wolves.

Then everything went black.

⸻

Far away, beneath the silver glow of the moon, another predator roamed the forest.

Alexander.

The Vampire King.

Feared throughout the supernatural world for his ruthless strength and unmatched power.

For centuries, Alexander had waited for the one person destined to be his mate.

Yet he had never found her.

Every noble vampire woman in the kingdom desired him. Among them was Princess Rosie, one of the most powerful vampires alive. Since neither Alexander nor Rosie had found their fated mates, many believed they would eventually marry.

Even Alexander’s father had grown impatient.

“If you do not find your mate before the final Blood Moon Festival,” the king had warned, “you will marry Rosie.”

Alexander had no intention of accepting.

He would wait for his true mate.

Or remain alone forever.

That night, he and his Beta were hunting through Blackwood Forest.

Suddenly, Alexander froze.

A scent.

Sweet.

Intoxicating.

Unlike anything he had ever encountered.

Every instinct inside him erupted at once.

His crimson eyes flashed.

“My mate.”

Before his Beta could respond, Alexander vanished.

He raced through the forest at supernatural speed, following the irresistible scent.

Moments later, he burst into a clearing.

What he saw made his blood boil.

Five wolves were closing in on an unconscious girl.

Without hesitation, Alexander attacked.

His speed was terrifying.

The wolves barely had time to react before he sent them flying across the clearing.

The creatures retreated instantly, recognizing the Vampire King.

Alexander ignored them.

His attention was entirely fixed on the girl lying motionless on the forest floor.

Long ginger hair framed her pale face.

Even unconscious, she was breathtaking.

He knelt beside her.

The moment his fingers brushed her cheek, a powerful bond surged through him.

Electric.

Unbreakable.

Fated.

His heart pounded.

She was his.

His mate.

After centuries of waiting, he had finally found her.

Carefully, he lifted her into his arms.

Nearby lay an injured human man.

One glance was enough for Alexander to realize who he was.

Her father.

“Take him,” Alexander ordered his Beta.

Without another word, they sped toward the vampire kingdom.

⸻

The entire palace erupted into chaos the moment Alexander arrived.

“Bring every physician!”

His voice thundered through the halls.

“If anything happens to her, none of you will be spared.”

Servants and healers rushed to obey.

News spread quickly throughout the kingdom.

The feared Vampire King had returned carrying a human girl.

A human girl he called his mate.

For hours, Alexander refused to leave her side.

He sat beside her bed, holding her hand while the healers worked.

He couldn’t stop staring at her.

After all this time.

After all these years.

She was finally here.

Then, at last, her eyelids fluttered open.

Slowly, Melody woke.

The first thing she saw was a breathtakingly handsome man with golden hair and piercing crimson eyes.

He was staring at her as though she were the most precious thing in existence.

The stranger smiled softly.

And for the first time in centuries, Alexander’s cold heart felt alive.

Melody’s head throbbed.

She blinked up at the stranger standing beside her bed.

Golden hair. Crimson eyes that seemed to glow in the candlelight. Far too striking to be normal.

“You’re awake.”

His voice was low and rough, as though he rarely used it.

“How do you feel?”

Melody pushed herself upright.

Instant regret.

The room spun violently, and she swayed.

Strong hands caught her before she could fall.

Silk sheets. A carved wooden canopy overhead. Heavy velvet curtains. This was definitely not the forest floor.

“Where am I?” she whispered. “Where’s my dad?”

“Safe,” the stranger answered immediately. “He’s being treated. He’ll recover.”

His hand lingered near her shoulder before he quickly withdrew it, as though touching her was forbidden.

Melody narrowed her eyes.

The way he moved was strange. Too fast.

And the room…

It was unnaturally silent.

No ticking clocks.

No voices beyond the walls.

Not even the sound of breathing.

“Did you carry me out of the forest?” she asked. “Because the wolves—”

“The threat has been dealt with.”

The answer came too quickly.

Something about him felt wrong.

Not dangerous wrong.

Impossible wrong.

A nervous laugh escaped her.

“Okay, this is insane. One minute I’m being chased through the woods, and the next I’m waking up in what looks like a medieval castle with a guy who belongs in a Renaissance painting.”

He tilted his head.

“Castle?”

“Yeah. Castle.” She gestured around the room. “Tapestries. Candles instead of electricity. No outlets. This place looks exactly like something out of one of my fantasy novels.”

The word fantasy froze him.

For the briefest moment, shock flashed across his face.

“You read stories,” he said carefully. “Stories about creatures like me?”

Melody frowned.

“Creatures like you?”

The words settled heavily between them.

Her gaze drifted downward.

His chest wasn’t moving.

She had been talking for over a minute.

He hadn’t taken a single breath.

A chill slithered down her spine.

“Okay…” she said slowly. “You’re being weird. You’re not blinking. You’re not breathing. And why is it so cold in here?”

The stranger closed his eyes.

For a moment, he looked exhausted.

Like a man carrying the weight of centuries.

“I didn’t want you to be afraid,” he said quietly.

Then he met her gaze.

“But I can’t keep lying to you.”

The candle flames flickered.

The silence stretched.

Finally, he spoke.

“I’m not human, Melody.”

Her heart skipped.

“What?”

His crimson eyes darkened.

“I’m a vampire.”

The room seemed to tilt.

Melody stared at him.

At the unnaturally pale skin.

The motionless chest.

The eyes that looked far older than they should.

Every logical part of her mind screamed that this was impossible.

Vampires weren’t real.

Monsters weren’t real.

This had to be a concussion.

A dream.

A hallucination.

“You’re joking,” she whispered.

Alexander didn’t laugh.

Didn’t smile.

Didn’t even blink.

He simply watched her with those ancient crimson eyes.

And somehow, that was worse.

The truth settled over her like ice.

All those novels she’d hidden beneath her blankets.

All those stories she’d devoured late at night.

All those impossible fantasies she’d secretly wished were real.

They were real.

And one of them was sitting beside her bed.

Watching her.

Protecting her.

Calling her his mate.

They were real.

And one of them was sitting beside her bed.

Watching her.

Protecting her.

Calling her his mate.

For several seconds, silence filled the room.

Alexander braced himself.

Fear.

Screaming.

Panic.

Those were the reactions he expected.

Perhaps she’d demand to leave.

Perhaps she’d call him a monster.

Perhaps she’d never look at him the same way again.

Instead—

Melody’s eyes lit up.

Actually lit up.

“WAIT!”

Alexander blinked.

“What?”

She grabbed his arm.

“What did you just say?”

His stomach dropped.

“I said… I’m a vampire.”

“No, no, not that part!”

Alexander stared.

“What?”

“The mate part!”

She practically bounced on the bed despite her injuries.

“You said mate!”

Alexander’s mind completely stalled.

“Yes…”

“Oh my gosh!”

Melody slapped both hands over her mouth.

Then she pointed dramatically at him.

“I HAVE READ WAY TOO MANY NOVELS FOR THIS!”

Alexander frowned.

“Novels?”

“Vampire novels! Werewolf novels! Fantasy novels! All of them!”

She leaned closer, eyes sparkling.

“So basically you’re saying I’m your soulmate, right?”

Alexander froze.

“Well… in a sense, yes.”

Her jaw dropped.

“SO YOU’RE MY FUTURE HUSBAND?!”

The room went silent.

Alexander stared at her.

Melody stared right back.

Then she squealed.

“Oh my gosh, this is AMAZING!”

Alexander was certain he had heard her wrong.

“You’re… not afraid?”

“Afraid?” she repeated. “Why would I be afraid?”

Alexander gestured helplessly at himself.

“I’m a vampire.”

“You’re also ridiculously handsome.”

“…”

“And you saved my life.”

“…”

“And my dad’s life.”

“…”

“And you’re apparently my soulmate.”

“…”

Melody suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

Alexander nearly stopped functioning.

“You aren’t gonna change your mind, right?” she asked suspiciously.

“Change my mind about what?”

“About the soulmate thing!”

His eyebrows rose.

“Melody—”

“Because if we’re destined to be together, I need to know now.”

Alexander could only stare.

She looked completely serious.

Then she grinned.

“Hehe. We should get married.”

Alexander’s entire brain shut down.

“Married?”

“Yeah!”

“Now?”

“Maybe not right now.”

He almost sighed in relief.

Then she continued.

“I should probably meet your family first.”

Alexander nearly choked.

“My family?”

“Obviously!”

She counted on her fingers.

“We’ll need invitations.”

“Invitations?”

“A wedding venue.”

Alexander looked like he was experiencing physical pain.

“A venue…”

“And a cake.”

“Cake?”

“A giant one.”

Alexander had faced bloodthirsty monsters.

Assassins.

Ancient enemies.

Entire armies.

None of them had prepared him for this.

Melody suddenly leaned against his shoulder.

Comfortably.

Like she’d known him forever.

The contact made him freeze solid.

“You really aren’t scared?” he asked quietly.

For the first time, her excitement softened.

She looked up at him.

“No.”

His chest tightened.

“Why?”

Melody smiled.

“Because monsters don’t carry injured girls through forests.”

Alexander said nothing.

“Monsters don’t save fathers and daughters.”

Still nothing.

“And monsters don’t look at someone the way you’re looking at me right now.”

Alexander’s crimson eyes widened.

Melody’s smile grew.

“So no.”

She rested her head against him.

“I’m not scared.”

For the first time in centuries, Alexander felt something dangerously close to happiness.

And judging by the huge grin on Melody’s face…

She was already planning their wedding.