At that thought the doors opened once again, in came the woman that clouded her thoughts, wearing a beautiful floor gown dress.

Luanna was following close behind her. "Morning" Luanna smiled.

Eli grabbed his knife ready "oh you won't be needing that" Solenne announced.

"Put it down" Aerilyn urged him.

The two vampires sat down at the table, Solenne came to Aeirlyn's side making her nervous, the closer the vampire Queen got the more her heart beat increased.

"Good morning" Solenne smiled at the girl.

It was quite awkward now the vampires were sat there too.

Evelyn as ballsy as she was decided to break the silence. "This is too awkward for my liking, Lyn is too scared that you are going to punish her for running away and Eli needs a tour to help him settle in"

Luanna just laughed "you are funny, I think we will get along quite alright" she held a glass of blood up to her lips.

"I can punish her if that is what she is into" Solenne smirked. Aerilyn nearly spat her drink out as she turned to the vampire. Evelyn was merely guessing, she didn't actually know that the tension was something entirely else, not out of fearing a punishment.

Eli on the other hand was struggling with everything.

"How can you just sit here like this, pretending this is okay Lyn, when they have killed our family" Eli spat.

Aerilyn was alarmed, this conversation could have been in private but he couldn't stop himself.

Solenne sat up straight, she was sure she had not killed the girls family, she would have smelt Aerilyn's scent straight away and known if that was the case.

"I can assure you I didn't kill your parents" Solenne wanted the girl to know it wasn't her.

"Not you, your guards and your parents" Solenne frowned and looked at Luanna.

"That is very unusual, our guards are under orders to capture not kill" Luanna spoke carefully.

"Please Eli, we can talk about this later" Aerilyn pleaded with him.

"She's brainwashing you sister, I can't stand by and let it happen, you use to hate their kind as much as me" he carried on.

Solenne's anger was beginning to bubble and Aerilyn could sense it.

"We hold records about every human we have ever brought in, if you'd like we can look for them" Solenne offered.

Before Eli could speak, Aerilyn cut in and said yes thank you.

"Was breakfast okay?" Solenne asked, beginning to simmer down as Aerilyn held Solenne's hands and traced circles on them soothingly.

"It was better than okay" the girl smiled and Ev agreed.

"So who is the boyfriend then Ev? Is he one of the servants here or stable boy for that matter? When can I meet him?" Ev sunk into herself, which caused Aerilyn to frown.

"What is it?" Aerilyn asked.

"He's not human is he" Eli figured it out, groaning, not another one.

Ev shook her head embarrassed.

"It's okay Ev, I mean it must be hard, how did that happen?" Aerilyn questioned.

"We're mates" she admitted.

"Oh well umm" the girl didn't know what to say, Aerilyn guesses that her friend didn't really get a say in the matter from what she had heard about it, mate's were final, you only got one in the supernatural world.

"Where does he work?" Aerilyn was curious.

"He's actually an influential Lord who was visiting from a village nearby, Lord Canera" Luanna spoke for the girl who couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Maybe I'll get a mate next, seeing as everyone else has one" Eli muttered too loudly.

Solenne wanted to crush his head by this point.

"Actually, her majesty and Nilsa don't have one either and well I'm not a vampire so I don't get to have one" Aerilyn mumbled the last part to herself.

They all looked at her in disbelief with their mouths dropped.

Aerilyn felt the pain radiating off the Queen but couldn't figure out why.

"Oh you humans do make me laugh" Luanna giggled.

"It would be best to keep Evelyn and her mate a secret for now, it will not go down well in either of our communities" Solenne indicated.

Aerilyn had more questions. "And you accept it even in your position?" she asked Solenne.

Solenne hummed softly, "I would be a hypocrite if I did not accept it, this is something that has gone on since the beginning of our kind, you cannot fight the mate bond anymore than you could fight death" what she meant was that there was no escaping it, Aerilyn nodded curiously, urging Solenne to carry on.

"Then why isn't it accepted?" Aerilyn asked. Solenne smiled sadly, "unfortunately, our cultures have clouded our thinking and our wars have blinded us with hatred" there was just silence after that, the words cut deeply for all of them.

After they had finished eating they all went to another room where they could sit and talk, Luanna was trying to coax Eli out of his shell, whilst Solenne couldn't take her eyes off of Aerilyn, the bond was only becoming stronger.

Aerilyn could feel the Queen's gaze on her but brushed it off as her blood.

"Honestly I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this a secret, they are killing me here" Ev whispered to Eli and Luanna.

"I just cannot wrap my head around it" Eli shook his head. As children they had grown up with their parents, but one night they were found and taken away, the only reason the two siblings stayed alive was because their parents hid them some how.

"Would you like me to explain?" Luanna asked.

Solenne and Aerilyn were looking at each other, not listening to the conversation. "Did you need more blood?" Aerilyn asked.

Solenne was sat on the same sofa next to her.

"No" the Queen said curtly.

"Then why are you staring at me" Aerilyn was self conscious.

"Oh pet, you are far more breathtaking than you know" Solenne lifted a hand up to push a stray hair behind her cheek, causing Aerilyn to blush.

Eli nodded at Luanna, but they were careful to speak quietly, he had to try and understand what was happening to his sister. "The mate bond only happens once, once we find them and accept them, we feel everything they feel. It's been this way since the beginning, to lose our mate would be to consume us, we would die most likely. It is the strongest and most important bond for vampires, we would do anything for them" Luanna carried on explaining to Eli.

"But Evelyn hated vampires as much as Aerilyn did, yet she's realised very quickly" he questioned.

"Yes, but it was under different circumstances, I didn't hate them as much as I thought I did, plus I've had more experience in that department than Aerilyn has, she hasn't even had her first kiss" Evelyn admitted.

"She can't just tell her upfront, it has to happen naturally, her majesty doesn't want it forced or any pressure on Aerilyn" Luanna smiled as she looked over at the pair, she was so happy for her best friend, she knew how much it meant to her.

At first Luanna thought there was something wrong with the bond, but clearly Aerilyn was inexperienced and Solenne hadn't been very forthcoming. "Well when is she going to realise and what does this mean for our species?" he inquired. What they did not know was that during the time Eli had spent at the resistance camp he had become brainwashed into thinking every single vampire breathing was a problem but he was very good at playing it down about how much he hated them.

He was flying under their radar. "not now, we will speak about it another time, lets just enjoy the time we have together" Eli got up and walked over to Aerilyn who was sat very closely to the Queen, he held her hand up to the girl. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to take your pet for a walk" Solenne grimaced at the implication of the word and how it was used. Solenne went to stand up but Eli held his hand up.

"Alone" Eli wanted to speak to Aerilyn without anyone there, even Evelyn.

Aerilyn looked to Solenne as if she was still a prisoner which killed the Queen that little bit more inside but she wasn't going to show it. "as long as this walk doesn't include jumping over any walls, a guard can go with you too" Solenne spoke sarcastically but with a hint of seriousness.

At that Aerilyn stood up and had Eli help hold her up, she was still injured but the blood had helped somewhat, she just needed to support her weight a little bit on her brother. "will you be okay Ev? We wont be long" Aerilyn didn't like to leave her bestfriend out but she knew she was in capable hands.

Evelyn nodded smiling at them "a room full of vampires, what more could I want, I'll see you in a bit" she ushered them off.

They had agreed only one guard would go with them and he kept his distance to not intrude on their conversation. Making their way to the beautiful gardens they sat down on a bench amongst the blooming flowers. "it's okay Eli, we are alone you can speak" Aerilyn assured her brother.

"I've missed you" he admitted as he played with the hem of his shirt.

Aerilyn had noticed his hair had grown a little longer and his freckles had appeared, he looked stronger and more mature, as if since she last saw him he had grown up and matured a lot. "I've missed you too, is Saryn okay?"

Eli nodded "yes he didn't come to fight but he's fine. This is all a lot to take in you know, I just can't trust them" she knew what "them" he had meant.

Aerilyn looked around her at the beauty of the garden, the bright colours, the buzzing of the insects, she truly felt like she could relax for the first time. "I know, I felt the same when I first arrived, but Solenne has shown me nothing but kindness and they aren't like the rest of them" and that was true.

Eli didn't believe her, somehow the two had managed to grow apart in their time away from each other, they didn't see eye to eye anymore, Eli thought his sister was weak for giving in and accepting the vampires. "I can't stay here Lyn, I have to go back and I would rather you went with me, you aren't a prisoner anymore she said that herself, you are free" he carried on.

Aerilyn interrupted him "you have been here one night, you haven't even tried" things were getting heated.

Standing up, he paced back and forth, "I don't need to try, I know what they are, what they do to us, that Queen has you wrapped around her fingers and you don't even realise it. You need to grow up, this isn't a fairy tale, it will end badly for you if you stay here. She will get what she wants from you then you will be toast" he warned.

In the window of the castle, Ev, Luanna, Nilsa and Solenne stood trying to listen but truly only Solenne could hear what was being said as her hearing was the strongest. "come on, tell us what is being said" Ev whined.

Solenne let out a sigh. "He hates our kind and wants to leave and take her with him" Queen Solenne for the first time was scared, she didn't want Aerilyn to leave, she could force her to stay but that would do no good and it had to be her choice.

"Maybe Luanna could just go and happen to touch him, you know figure out what is going on, that would sort it all out for us, great plan, am I right" Evelyn joked, it's not that she didn't side with her fellow humans but she was now in a compromised situation and she loved her mate. They all turned and looked at her giving her a look to tell her to shut up.

Solenne was immediately in a bad mood and so she walked off alone, she felt sad. The cold emotionless monster was feeling way too many emotions.

Aerilyn couldn't believe what he was saying to her, "we barely just made it out alive, why can't you just stay for a few days and see that it's not so bad and then we can talk. I can't go anywhere like this and they would never accept me back at the resistance even if I wanted to go" Aerilyn struggled to stand up but with the emotions she was feeling, she managed too.

Walking over to Aerilyn, Eli took her hand and looked her in the eyes reassuringly "trust me, you will be accepted, we have family there, an Aunt. We can all be together..as family, but the longer you stay here, the more likely she will not let you leave" that was a lot to process, the human girls jaw dropped.

She had heard that she had family out there, but she presumed they must have died. "Who is she?" Aerilyn was apprehensive but curious.

Eli paced in deep thought about whether to tell her but decided against it " I can't discuss that, you will have to come and meet her, its too dangerous for me to reveal information"

"So she's someone important...lets go back inside, I need to go and rest" Aerilyn decided it would be best to not push him on the topic. They made their way back inside, Aerilyn went back to her room to get some rest. By time dinner came around, there had been no sign of the Queen as she made her way down to dinner. Evelyn had come by to say she was heading back to the place she shared with her mate and said she would bring him back the next night for dinner, to introduce them all.

At the table was Eli, Luanna, Richard and Prince Matheus, Nilsa had gone to see her family for a couple of nights. It was a rather tense atmosphere amongst them, Eli had no care to get to know the vampires, he didn't even want to be there. "So Eli, what do you like to do?" Richard tried to make conversation and be the bigger well vampire.

Eli frowned at the question, as he moved food around on his plate that he felt bad for eating knowing what the others in the resistance were having to eat. "Well, when there isn't a war, I like to go fishing with my friends and spend time with Aerilyn" he kept his answer short, not giving any information away, he was very wary.

Truthfully, he just wanted to be settled with his own kind just like when they were growing up, before it all happened. Richard smiled, trying to be warm and friendly but all of their intuitions told them that he was not interested and did not like them, he was only here for his sister.

"do you think we would be allowed to look for our parents names tomorrow?" Eli asked, this was vital information. Matheus and Luanna had been in deep conversation but that had stopped as they listened in on the conversation. Prince Matheus chimed in "you will be the first humans to ever look at it, but I'm sure you will be allowed to no doubt" Prince Matheus and Eli were similar, they both cared about the preservation of their species and were not very fond of the others.

Aerilyn smiled warmingly "yes we can ask her Majesty, where is she?" the girl missed her prescience and it was noticeable, she felt irritable herself. Luanna covered for her bestfriend "she is resting, she will be here in the morning for breakfast, she also has to prepare for any more attacks now that there will be a new alpha" a new alpha and ceremony which could take a few days meant it was not long until things could turn south very quickly, if the wolves want revenge and then there was the resistance, so all in all a lot to think about.

Dinner finished rather quickly and they retreated back to their rooms, all except Aerilyn, she didn't believe that the Queen was resting, from what she had learnt, resting is not what she did. As she stumbled past her room and round the corner she stood outside Solenne's room not knowing what to do.

She decided to go through with it and knocked on the door but there was no response, deciding she would pay for the consequences later Aerilyn opened the door slightly and peeked in, but could not see any sign of the Queen.

She stepped in and closed the door behind her, before proceeding forward, the room was quite a mess this time, things were flung everywhere. "Solenne" Aerilyn called out for her, but it didn't look like she was here. She made her way through the large room towards the balcony where she could see a distant figure alone hunched over as the curtains lightly blew.

Solenne didn't move, she was hoping Aerilyn would just leave but knowing the stubborn girl that was not going to happen.

Aerilyn stepped out onto the balcony and tripped over the step, Solenne swiftly turned around and caught her in her arms but didn't say anything, she just looked at the girl. Aerilyn looked back at Solenne, she felt hypnotized by those eyes as they were so close together, she could feel Solenne's breath hit her face, she did not know what possessed her to do so but she did not care in that moment, she leant up and allowed their lips to meet for the first time.

Solenne's eyes went wide with shock, she was willingly kissing her, Aerilyn fault like she was in a state of euphoria. Her arms wrapped around Solenne's neck as Solenne had her hands on Aerilyn's waist, keeping her steady, they were pressed together, the only thing keeping them apart was their clothes.

It felt like her lips fit with her own perfectly and she was glad she gave her her first kiss even if it meant nothing to the vampire Queen.

However, the kiss was not deepened as Aerilyn was unsure if Solenne even liked her like that and not long ago she was telling her she was not into girls, which was totally wrong.

Aerilyn broke the kiss before Solenne could respond, she had been taken by surprise, Aerilyn pulled away from the hand that was around the her waist, she figured she would be punished for kissing the Queen, she was a nobody, she didn't even have royal blood. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me" Aerilyn stepped back and turned around attempting to flee but was caught by a hand grabbing her wrist turning her back around and stopping her.

Solenne pulled Aerilyn into her embrace and kissed her, each exploring the other as this time their kiss deepened. Solenne who was normally rather dominant, was careful with the human girl, not wanting to hurt Aerilyn or ruin her first kiss for her, she had to be gentle, but nevertheless still passionate.