Vampire Queen and Her Four Mates

Elena felt a chill in her heart.

It was clear now: Damon was playing a well-known game, the kind where the cat chases the mouse. The price of her entanglement was a net so carefully woven that it would pull her in deeper, making her fall completely for him.

Standing in the kitchen, Damon glanced upward, a fleeting moment of doubt passing through his mind.

Had he seen disappointment and sorrow in Elena's eyes just now? Was it because of him? Was it because of what he had just done?

In truth, he didn't even know why he kissed her. Maybe it was simply because she kept avoiding him. He didn't like the way she kept pushing him away, as though only through such intimate contact could he suppress the strange discomfort rising within him.

What was wrong with him?

Was he really like those lovesick teenagers, wanting a romance?

Absurd.

Later that night, Damon sat alone at the dining table, stirring his soup with force, almost snapping the spoon in half.

The next day, Damon slept in for half an hour and rushed out in a hurry.

Before he left, he tossed a violet-colored, low-cut pleated skirt at Elena.

"For you. Don't vampires usually like wearing these kinds of clothes?"

Elena gave him a look of disdain.

"That's so last century. Your fashion sense really needs work. Nowadays, we like anything that's trendy—like flowers, plants, trees, and even insects and birds."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "So, your idea of fashion is like a botanical garden? No Jurassic Park vibe?"

His face, perfect and chiseled, was a rare sight of amusement as he teased her.

Elena's face darkened, and she stopped responding to him. A saying from humans came to her mind: "If you don't speak, you won't get into trouble."

Damon checked his watch, then asked, "By the way, what were you doing in my garden earlier?"

He hadn't forgotten seeing Elena standing there, walking through the garden. She wasn't the type to just go out and enjoy the sun for no reason.

"I was just pulling weeds. See you later." Elena flashed a gentle smile, waving the skirt in her hand, and walked away.

Pulling weeds? Damon didn't think much of it, instead focusing on his drive to the university.

Meanwhile, in the garden, Elena was anything but calm.

"Damon, you want to play a game with me? You're not equipped for it."

As a noble and pure-blooded member of Vampire Clan, Elena had never been rejected by anyone. She was Lord Vesper Elena, after all, and she always avenged any wrongs done to her.

With a fierce step, she crushed a Fluffy plant underfoot.

One by one, every Fluffy plant in the garden was destroyed under her heel.

Damon arrived at Windy City University just after curfew. The gatekeeper was diligent, refusing to let him in and blocking both Damon and his car.

Caroline, carrying breakfast, approached from the side door. She paused when she saw Damon's car and smiled before whispering something to the gatekeeper. The old man grumbled, clearly reluctant, before allowing Damon through.

As Damon passed Caroline, he rolled down the window.

"Thanks."

Caroline's eyes brightened, and with a sweet smile, she asked, "Mr. Gilbert, I'm headed in that direction too. Could you give me a ride?"

"Sure."

Damon nodded and unlocked the car door.

Although it was only a five-minute walk from the gate to the office building, he didn't have a reason to refuse Caroline since she had helped him.

To his surprise, Caroline didn't sit in the back but slid into the front passenger seat, the faint scent of her perfume filling the car.

As she fastened her seatbelt, she sneaked a glance at Damon, her face slightly flushed.

The morning sunlight filtered through the window, casting a soft glow on his cold, handsome features. It made him look a little warmer, almost approachable.

Caroline couldn't help but think: "Mr. Gilbert really is handsome."

Her voice softened, shyly saying, "I told David you're my boyfriend. I've been feeling unwell lately and asked you to help me buy some things, so I'm a bit late."

Damon remained silent, offering no response to her words. He kept his focus on the road, wondering how to navigate the conversation.

When they arrived at the office building, Caroline got out of the car with a cheerful wave.

"Mr. Gilbert, I'll head up now. Be careful parking."

"Mm." Damon responded briefly, then drove off.

Caroline didn't turn away until his car had completely disappeared from view. She then entered the building with a content smile.

Today, she had chosen to wear a peach-pink office skirt suit, paired with a white silk blouse. She looked elegant and poised, hoping this softer, professional look would appeal to Damon.

Later that morning, Damon had no classes, so he brewed a cup of plum tea and sat in his office, preparing his teaching outline for the afternoon.

Around nine o'clock, the department head came in with some good news: the public lecture from two days ago had been a great success, and the school leadership was very pleased. In addition, his recent written exam results had impressed them, making him eligible for a promotion.

This meant that from next semester, Damon would be promoted from lecturer to associate professor and would take on a special research project related to the school's history.

The official notification would come within a month, but the promotion was practically guaranteed.

Caroline, hearing this, immediately came to congratulate him.

"Mr. Gilbert, congratulations on becoming the youngest associate professor at Windy City University!"

"Thank you." Damon's expression remained calm, his response as restrained as ever.

For him, this promotion was just a small increase in salary—from eight thousand to ten thousand, which was nothing compared to the far more pressing issue of Zia's health.

Thinking of Zia, a pang of guilt and regret filled him.

If he hadn't insisted on investigating that matter, Zia wouldn't have been in that car accident and would still be conscious today. Mason, too, wouldn't have blamed him for it, and the two of them might not be at odds.

They had all grown up together—Zia, Mason, Soren, and him.

Now, one lay in the hospital, another was running the second-largest family in Windy City, and the third had disappeared without a trace, rumored to have gone abroad.

And Damon? He was the only one left to walk alone in the dark.

Caroline noticed Damon lost in thought, seemingly ignoring her, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. But she wasn't one to give up easily on an opportunity for a date. Tentatively, she ventured, "Mr. Gilbert, how about we have dinner together tonight?"

Damon blinked, momentarily pulled from his reverie. "Hmm?"

Caroline, afraid he might refuse, quickly added, "Today's my birthday, so I was thinking of inviting everyone for dinner. You'll come, right?"

"Hmm."

Damon didn't particularly want to refuse. It wasn't a big deal—after all, other teachers would be there too. His social circle wasn't large, so occasionally fulfilling a social obligation wasn't too burdensome.

"Then, you'll pick me up after work? The restaurant's a bit far." Caroline blushed slightly as she spoke, quickly gathering her things and leaving.

"…"

In his office, the air was filled with the soothing scent of tea as Damon took a sip of his plum tea. He hadn't expected to buy Caroline a gift.

What do you get a woman for her birthday? It had been a long time since he'd bought a gift for anyone.

Wait—he had just given Elena a violet-colored dress.

But Elena didn't count.

She was just a vampire. A cunning, arrogant, and defiant leader of the Vampire Clan.

During lunch break, Damon drove to Shan Global Mall to pick out a gift for Caroline.

He had asked his department head for advice, and the standard answer had been: clothes, perfume, or jewelry—any of the three.

To Damon, his relationship with Caroline was purely professional. So, he made his way to the women's fashion section on the third floor, intending to pick out a suitable dress for her.

"Sir, are you picking out clothes for your girlfriend?" the saleswoman greeted him enthusiastically.

"No. She's a colleague." Damon replied curtly.

"A colleague can always become a girlfriend, you know? How about this summer collection?" The saleswoman smiled, thinking she was being clever.

Damon took the orange dress in his hands, but before he could really examine it, Elena's disgusted expression from this morning flashed in his mind. He couldn't help but smile faintly.

What had she said about his taste?

"Your fashion sense is terrible?"

Seeing Damon hold the dress without buying, the saleswoman thought he didn't like it and quickly suggested, "Would you like to see some other styles?"

"No, just this one. She's about 165 cm, slim build. Pick a size that fits." Damon took out his credit card and handed it over. He didn't like to waste time on such things.

"May I ask her measurements?" The saleswoman, clearly trying to be thorough, inquired.

Damon frowned slightly, irritated. "Do I really need to know?"

Of course, he hadn't been spying on Caroline's figure, except for the occasional glimpse. Like that night, when Elena's bed sheets had unexpectedly slipped off…

The saleswoman quickly dropped the subject and completed the transaction, handing him the wrapped dress.

"Thank you, sir. Please come again."

Damon took the shopping bag, paused at the door, and turned back with a glimmer in his eyes. "I think I'll buy another one."

The saleswoman's eyes lit up, delighted to be serving such a handsome, wealthy man. "What kind of style are you looking for?"

Damon paused, thinking for a moment, then answered casually, "The best."

"You mean, no budget limit?" she asked with a smile, sensing her good fortune.

"Yes. No budget." Damon's lips curled into a subtle smile.

Last night, that woman had been angry, hadn't she? Maybe buying her a dress would make her happy.

Though he wasn't skilled in this kind of thing, he had never done it before in his life.

"Certainly, sir. Please follow me." The saleswoman led him toward the exclusive custom boutique on the fourth floor.

As they walked, the saleswoman hesitated, then asked again, "May I ask her height?"

"170 cm." Damon answered without missing a beat.

"Waist size?"

"One meter nine." The slender curve of Elena's waist was something he knew all too well.

"And… bust size?" The saleswoman hesitated, unsure if this was too personal, but curious.

Damon froze for a moment. He didn't know how to measure a woman's bust size.

But then, his mind involuntarily recalled that night—the image of Elena was etched so clearly in his memory. He could still picture her with vivid clarity, her form seared into his mind.

Meanwhile, on the eighth floor of Shan Global Mall, the food court was bustling with activity.

Elysia was carrying two blood-red cocktails, walking toward a secluded corner of the cafe, where Elena was already sitting, half-reclined on the sofa. Elena looked languid, yawning as she lazily stretched.

She hadn't been able to sleep the night before. Because of him.

That cold, indifferent man. The emptiness in his eyes had kept her awake all night.

She knew what the humans called it: longing.

It frustrated her. How could she, of all people, let a man affect her this way?

Elysia placed the cocktails on the table and, as usual, they both sniffed the aroma before retrieving blood bags from their bags, enjoying them like wine.

After a few sips, Elena suddenly put the blood bag down, her appetite vanishing. "Elysia, I think I'm really starting to like him. Not as a prey, but… I want to give him The Embrace."

"The Embrace?" Elysia almost jumped up from her seat. "Are you joking? Don't forget, he's a vampire hunter!"

In the world of the Vampire Clan, The Embrace was a sacred act: the exchange of blood between a vampire and a human, transforming the human into a vampire. After a bite, the vampire would give the human their blood to drink, then kill them immediately. This would turn the human into a vampire, granting them eternal life—immortal as long as they didn't die.

Elena reached into her bag and tossed a handkerchief at Elysia, her dark eyes narrowing slightly, an almost ethereal gleam in them. "Surprised? It's not like there haven't been precedents."