Chapter 5
"KAELA ANDERSON!"
Kaela shot upright in her chair, her heart pounding violently in her chest. For a second she looked around in confusion, trying to remember where she was.
The classroom slowly came back into focus.
Rows of students.
Notebooks.
The whiteboard.
And Miss Jacklyn standing at the front of the room, arms crossed tightly, clearly irritated.
Every single student in the lecture hall was staring at her.
Heat rushed to Kaela's face.
"I...I'm sorry, ma'am," she stammered quickly, sitting up straight.
Miss Jacklyn sighed, clearly unimpressed.
"This is the very first week of the semester, Miss Anderson," she said sharply. "And already you are sleeping in my class?"
Kaela lowered her eyes in embarrassment.
"It won't happen again."
Miss Jacklyn studied her for a moment before shaking her head.
"You are one of the best students in this department," she continued. "Don't start the semester lagging behind."
"Yes, ma'am."
The professor gave her one last look before turning back to the board.
"Pay attention."
The class resumed, but Kaela could feel the curious stares from several students around her. She avoided eye contact with everyone and focused on copying the notes on the board.
But her thoughts were far from the lecture.
They kept drifting back to the dream.
To Ryker.
Her fingers tightened around her pen.
What is happening to me…?
The moment the class ended, Lila and Jade pounced on her.
"What was THAT?" Jade demanded the second they stepped out of the lecture hall.
"You fell asleep!" Lila added. "You never fall asleep in class."
Kaela rubbed her temple tiredly.
"I said I'm fine."
Jade folded her arms.
"No. You're not."
Lila nodded in agreement.
"You've been acting weird since this morning."
Kaela hesitated.
Her heart pounded again.
She couldn't exactly tell them everything.
But the pressure in their eyes made it impossible to ignore them.
"Fine," she said finally.
Both girls leaned closer immediately.
"I'll tell you what happened."
Jade's eyes widened.
"Right now?"
Kaela shook her head.
"No."
She slung her bag over her shoulder.
"When we get to the dorm."
"Dorm?" Lila said excitedly.
"Oh right!" Jade gasped. "We're checking in today!"
Kaela nodded.
"Exactly. So you'll hear everything tonight."
Her friends exchanged curious looks but finally agreed.
"Deal," Jade said.
Just as they began walking down the campus path.
"Kaela!"
She turned.
Edwin jogged toward them with an easy smile.
Kaela's expression softened slightly.
"Edwin."
He slowed to a stop in front of her.
"First time seeing you since the holidays," he said warmly.
Before she could react, he pulled her into a brief hug.
Kaela hugged him back politely before gently pulling away.
Edwin had always been friendly.
Maybe a little too friendly.
"How was your break?" he asked.
"It was… quiet," she replied.
His eyes lingered on her for a moment, studying her face.
"I missed you," he said casually.
Jade and Lila immediately exchanged teasing looks behind Kaela.
Kaela ignored them.
Edwin rubbed the back of his neck.
"So… I was wondering."
He hesitated.
"Do you maybe want to hang out later? Catch up?"
Kaela opened her mouth to refuse.
That had always been her response.
But then another thought crossed her mind.
Maybe spending time with Edwin would distract her.
Distract her from Ryker.
From the dream.
From everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
"Sure," she said.
Edwin blinked in surprise.
"You… will?"
Kaela nodded.
"Why not."
A bright smile spread across his face.
"Great."
"I'll text you later," he said.
"Okay."
After a few more quick goodbyes, Edwin headed off toward the opposite side of campus.
Lila immediately grabbed Kaela's arm.
"Oh my God."
"You said yes!" Jade added dramatically.
Kaela rolled her eyes.
"Relax."
"We're just hanging out."
"Sure," Jade said suspiciously.
Meanwhile Lila checked her phone.
"I have one more class," she groaned.
Jade sighed.
"Lucky you."
"Come on," Jade said to Kaela. "Let's get food."
The two of them headed toward the campus café while Lila disappeared toward another lecture building.
Across campus, Edwin walked slowly down the stone pathway, hands in his pockets.
At first, his mind was on Kaela.
Her smile.
Her voice.
The way she had finally agreed to hang out with him later.
But the moment he had hugged her earlier… something had felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Edwin stopped walking.
His expression slowly darkened.
Because when he held her—
He smelled it.
A scent.
Faint.
But unmistakable.
Vampire.
Not just any vampire.
Royal blood.
His jaw tightened.
"The von Fregstenberg scent…" he muttered under his breath.
And Edwin knew that scent well.
Because it was his family's bloodline.
Which meant only one thing.
Kaela had been marked.
His chest tightened with anger.
Edwin had spent so much time getting close to her. Waiting patiently. Hoping that one day she would see him the way he saw her.
He planned to claim her.
To mark her himself.
But someone had beaten him to it.
And worse…
That someone belonged to his own family.
His mind raced through every male member of the royal line currently living in the human world.
One by one, he ruled them out.
"They all have mates already," he muttered.
Which left only one possibility.
Edwin froze.
His eyes widened slightly as realization struck him.
"No…"
The name formed slowly in his mind.
"My uncle."
Nox von Fregstenberg.
A powerful member of the royal vampire family.
But that made no sense.
Nox wasn't supposed to be anywhere near this city.
So how could his scent be all over Kaela?
Edwin's expression hardened.
"There's only one way to find out."
He turned toward the empty academic building nearby and slipped inside.
Moments later he entered a quiet, unused classroom and locked the door behind him.
The room fell silent.
Edwin closed his eyes.
Ancient royal vampire energy stirred within him.
Dark power rippled through the air.
"If it really is you, Uncle…"
His voice dropped.
"Then we're going to have a problem."
The air around him shimmered.
Then suddenly
He vanished.
Leaving the human world behind.
And returning to the Vampire Kingdom.