Chapter 140-Mate?

Chapter 140: 140-Mate?

Luan grabbed Kayden by the wrist and dragged him toward the whiteblood’s room. He was furious.

Kayden, on the other hand, was having a completely different experience. Only moments ago, his heart had been aching after seeing Luan so close to Addessa. The sight had left a bitter emptiness in his chest.

Now, however, Luan was holding him possessively and dragging him away as though Kayden belonged to him.

For a hopelessly lovesick vampire like Kayden, that was enough to make his wounded heart soar. He barely paid attention to where they were going. His mind had already wandered somewhere far more pleasant.

What if they were lovers? What if Luan wasn’t dragging him away because he was angry, but because he wanted to take him somewhere private for a date?

Kayden’s lips curled into a dreamy smile. What kind of date would Luan plan? Would he be the romantic type? Would he prepare a candlelit dinner beneath the moonlight?

Or would he prefer something simple, like walking through the city together while secretly holding hands?

And what kind of blood would Luan order for them? Blackblood or Whiteblood? Perhaps blueblood, since Luan himself was a blueblood.

Kayden’s imagination ran wild. Would Luan be a gentle lover? His cheeks warmed slightly. Or would he be the harsh type?

The thought made his heart flutter. He glanced down at the hand wrapped around his wrist, even that small touch felt precious.

Luan’s palm was warm against his skin, and every place their skin touched sent a strange little thrill through him.

He was being dragged away, scolded and should have been worried but instead, his lovesick mind had already decided this was the closest thing heaven had ever given him.

Unfortunately, his happiness lasted only until they reached the whiteblood’s room.

Luan shoved him inside. The door slammed shut behind them.

A second later, Luan locked it and activated the privacy barrier around the room, sealing their conversation from every vampire in the mansion.

Kayden’s dreamy expression finally faded. "Why did you..."

"Oh, shut it, Kayden!"

Kayden froze. The venom in Luan’s voice caught him completely off guard. He stared at him, confused.

What had he done? Why was Luan looking at him as though he had committed some unforgivable crime?

"Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve done, you despicable person."

Kayden’s expression slowly changed. The lovesick fool disappeared and in his place stood the son of the Grand Duke. A pure whiteblood whose status was second only to the royal princess.

He might have loved Luan secretly for years, but that did not give Luan the right to disrespect him.

Kayden straightened his posture, pushed down every trace of hurt, and allowed the familiar mask of aristocratic indifference to settle over his face. It was a mask he had worn for so long that it had practically become a second skin.

"Don’t speak to me so rudely, Luan."

"Why shouldn’t I?" Luan’s eyes burned with anger. "When you lower yourself to doing despicable things, you should be prepared to be confronted about them."

Kayden’s brows furrowed. "What did I do?"

"You are an insult to vampires everywhere," Luan spat the words out with disgust. "I feel ashamed to even know someone like you. Just knowing you makes me wish I had been born human!"

The words struck Kayden harder than any physical blow could have. His chest tightened and for a moment, he could only stare.

He searched Luan’s face desperately, hoping to find some indication that the words had been spoken in anger. He searched for anything, a flicker of regret and a hint of hesitation. Something that would tell him Luan hadn’t truly meant them.

But there was nothing, only those cold, bitter blue eyes looked back at him. Kayden’s heart cracked.

He bit the inside of his cheek and swallowed the pain before it could reach his expression but Luan wasn’t finished.

He stepped forward, grabbed Kayden by the collar, and pulled him closer. "Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you’re a whiteblood?" Luan growled. "Do you think your status makes you untouchable?"

"You..." Kayden’s fingers tightened at his sides. "You still haven’t told me what I did."

"You know exactly what you’ve done!"

Luan gritted his teeth. His hands trembled as he fought against the urge to strike him. Every time he thought about what he believed Kayden had done, rage flooded through him.

The image flashed through his mind again. Someone wrapped up like a gift, bound and presented as though they were nothing more than an object. Luan’s stomach twisted. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Even the criminals in the Dark Forest aren’t as evil as you," his voice was filled with disgust. "You’re disgusting."

Kayden felt as though he had been struck a thousand times. Those words hurt more than any wound because they were coming from Luan.

The vampire he had secretly loved for so long. The one person whose approval he had never dared to ask for because he had been terrified that even revealing his feelings would destroy whatever relationship they had and now that same vampire looked at him as though he were the most despicable creature alive.

Something inside Kayden finally broke. He shoved Luan away. "Since you think so little of me..." His voice was cold. Too cold. "...then let’s stay away from each other from now on."

Luan glared at him.

Kayden met his gaze. Those eyes stabbed straight through him. His heart was screaming, begging him to take back his words, to explain himself, to stay. But his pride refused to let him remain where he was unwanted.

"I’m leaving."

He turned toward the door and then paused. The next words were almost impossible to say. "From now on..." His throat tightened. "...let’s stay away from each other."

He opened the door and left. The moment he stepped outside, Kayden vanished.

His whiteblood abilities propelled him forward with frightening speed. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the outskirts of Felor Village.

One town and then another. Less than five minutes later, he was deep inside a secluded forest far from the mansion and even farther from Luan. Only then did he stop.

The mask shattered. Kayden stumbled beneath a large tree and sank down against its trunk.His shoulders trembled and the tears he had been holding back finally escaped.

He covered his face with one hand and cried silently at first and then he cried harder. He cried for the words Luan had spoken.

For the years he had spent loving someone who apparently despised him. For the confession he would probably never make and most of all, for the fact that he had just walked away from the person his heart had chosen.

Eventually, Kayden wiped his face and tried to calm himself. He had barely settled beneath the tree when he heard footsteps.

His eyes snapped open. Someone was approaching. Fast. Far too fast. Kayden immediately became alert.

The presence moved through the forest with astonishing speed, closing the distance between them in seconds.

Kayden barely had time to stand before a figure appeared in front of him. The stranger grabbed him and pinned him against the ground.

"Hello, mate."

Kayden’s breath caught. He looked up through tear-filled eyes and froze.

The vampire hovering above him was breathtaking. He had long black hair, with one side intricately braided while the other fell freely around his face.

His white eyes were mesmerizing. His features were sharp and exceptionally handsome: handsome enough that Kayden almost wondered if the stranger could rival him and his physique... Well, Kayden’s tear-clouded mind somehow found enough room to notice that too.

Mate? His thoughts came to a complete stop. He stared at the stranger. Then, because his brain apparently refused to function normally even during emotional crises, another thought surfaced.

Between us... who would be the top and who would be the bottom?

Kayden immediately shook his head. What am I even thinking?! He slapped the stranger’s hand away.

"Who are you calling your mat..."

He stopped mid-sentence. A strange sensation suddenly surged through his entire body.

A spark... A zing that was powerful and impossible to ignore. It was an invisible connection that seemed to wrap itself around his soul.

Kayden’s eyes widened. He could feel it, the strings of fate. The unmistakable bond tying his soul to the vampire standing before him. His heart gave a violent beat.

’Mate!’

His breath caught as the realization dawned on him. ’He’s my zing?’

The stranger smiled. "I’m Vaki," his white eyes softened as he looked down at Kayden. "Nice to meet you, mate."