Chapter 1 The ball she was never invited to

Emily’s POV

Everyone at Blackthorn University thinks I’m a nobody.

What they don’t know is that I’m Emily Vintage, the second and youngest daughter of the Vintage family. My family is one of the most prestigious vampire families in Blackthorn, England. However, unlike my sister, Evelyn, I’m expected to live a quiet, simple life away from high society.

Evelyn, on the other hand, is our parents’ precious daughter. They believe she’s the key to building stronger relationships with other elite families, strengthening their political connections, and earning the king’s favour.

Meanwhile, the rebellious and stubborn daughter of the family has no future in high society.

Lovely, isn’t it?

The only person who knows who I truly am, apart from what happened to me when I was sixteen, is my best friend, Penelope Ashford. But I call her Penny.

She’s more extroverted and crazier than I am, which is honestly saying something.

“Emily!”

My mother burst into my room, a frown forming on her face the moment her eyes landed on me.

I quickly sat up on my bed.

“Ye… yes, Mother?” I stammered, lowering my eyes.

It wasn’t as though I was completely terrified of her. I simply valued my peace, and arguing with that woman was one of the fastest ways to lose it.

She paused before speaking.

“We’ll be leaving for the ball in an hour, and I expect you to remain in this house until we return. Everything must go well tonight, especially for Evelyn.”

Of course. Everything was always about that slut.

I hadn’t planned on attending the ball anyway, but that didn’t mean I didn’t wish I could go.

“Yes, Mother.”

“If you disobey me and decide to attend that ball, I’ll make you regret it.” She gritted her teeth.

Her eyes swept across my room.

“I don’t want that rebellious brat coming here while we’re away.”

Anger began crawling beneath my skin.

Over my dead body would Penny stop coming here. She had said she had a surprise for me, and I was dying to know what it was.

Mother gave me one last warning look before walking out of the room.

What a fake bitch.

I reached for the glass of water on my bedside table, intending to take a sip, but accidentally crushed it in my hand.

Urghhh! Not again.

I stared at the shattered pieces in my palm.

Seriously, when was I going to get a grip on this ridiculous strength whenever I was pissed?

Ring. Ring.

My phone rang, and Penny’s name flashed across the screen.

I quickly rolled over on my queen-sized bed and lay on my stomach. A bright smile spread across my face as I answered the call and pressed the phone against my ear.

“WASSUP, BITCH!!!!” Her voice boomed through the phone.

I immediately pulled it away from my ear, wincing.

Was she trying to burst my eardrums?

I brought the phone back to my ear and frowned.

“What is your problem?” I scowled, feeling a slight headache building.

“Wellll…” She dragged out the word dramatically. “My problem is King Caesar Hamilton.”

She squealed like a little girl who had just spotted her celebrity crush.

King Caesar Hamilton. The supernatural ruler of Britain. The monstrous man who ruled over both werewolves and vampires.

Caesar’s mother was a werewolf, while his father was a vampire. He was the only one among his siblings to inherit both genes, making him the first and only hybrid to ever exist.

At least, that was what I knew.

He was a brutal monster who killed without mercy or hesitation, sparing only a select few, especially his siblings. His parents had died decades ago while protecting the kingdom and their subjects from hunters and witches.

I respected the former king and queen greatly, but their evil son was the complete opposite of everything they stood for.

I could never fall for that monster.

“What does that maniac have to do with you acting like a lunatic?” I asked, rolling my eyes. His name alone did absolutely nothing for me.

“Oh, please, cut him some slack, Emily.” Annoyance crept into her voice. “He has duties to perform as king. What do you expect him to do? Release all those hunters and starve himself? We were never saints to begin with, Em. We’re vampires too, and we have to kill and feed to survive.”

I sighed.

I understood that he needed blood to survive. That wasn’t my problem.

My problem is the way he handles everything.

A king was supposed to be a role model to his people, but Caesar Hamilton? He was a terrible influence on everyone.

And no amount of handsome cheekbones could change my mind.

“Anyway, I’m not interested in discussing his monstrosity anymore.” Penny’s voice suddenly turned dreamy. “I’m here to talk about nature’s most powerful and handsome man attending tonight’s ball.”

I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my own brain.

I’d heard the rumours. Apparently, he was the finest piece of artwork ever created, and one look at him could make a woman forget her own name.

How tragic.

That might have worked on me if I didn’t already have the most amazing boyfriend in the world.

“So, I’ve decided we’re going to the ball!” she announced.

My mouth fell open.

“Excuse me?”

I heard her sigh deeply over the phone. I could practically picture her pinching the bridge of her nose and questioning every decision that had led her to become friends with me.

“You, Emily Vintage, are going to that ball whether you like it or not.”

“Well… my parents said—” I began explaining.

“Fuck whatever your parents said!” she snapped, cutting me off. “You’re going to that ball, and that’s final.”

Penny had never liked my parents, and her temper certainly didn’t help matters.

“But—”

“No buts! I’m coming to get you right now, and you’d better find yourself a nice ball gown before I get there.”

Then she ended the call before I could say another word.

Isn’t she just wonderful?

I grumbled as I reluctantly sat up on my bed. It wasn’t the thought of going to the ball that annoyed me. It was the fact that I now had to find a gown to wear when I had absolutely no idea where to start.

“Urghhh, she can be such a pain in the ass,” I muttered into the quiet room.

I glanced around my bedroom, and a small smile crept onto my face.

My bedroom was huge, with cream-coloured walls and gold detailing that gave it an elegant appearance. My bed stood in the middle of the room, with a huge mirror stretching across the wall behind it.

Beside the tall glass doors leading to the balcony sat my mini couch. It was my favourite place to read without being disturbed, and behind it was a small library filled with books I’d collected over the years.

My bedroom was my sanctuary. It made me feel more at home than my actual family ever could.

I walked towards the balcony and looked outside. The evening sky had already painted the estate in beautiful shades of orange and pink.

“So beautiful,” I murmured.

I stepped away from the balcony and headed into my dressing room, a bright smile returning to my face.

Like I said, my parents didn’t treat me terribly all the time. They simply didn’t acknowledge me.

My dressing room was probably one of the prettiest rooms in the entire house. My clothes were separated into different sections because, apparently, having too few clothes was a problem my family refused to let me experience.

Not that I was complaining about the clothes. I had standards, after all.

I walked towards the window and gazed outside.

Even after living here for years, I still couldn’t get used to how beautiful Blackthorn looked from up here.

Buzz. Buzz.

My phone vibrated in the back pocket of my trousers.

I pulled it out and stared at the screen, my eyes widening.

Penny: Bitch, come and open your balcony door before I break it down.

Shit.

I hadn’t expected her to arrive so quickly, especially when her house was forty minutes away from our family estate.

Did I forget to mention that she was a vampire too?

Well, that explained how she got here so fast.

Fuck. She was going to burst my eardrums with her nagging.

I turned around and hurried out of my dressing room, only to find myself face-to-face with her emerald-green eyes.

She was staring at me with pure disappointment.

Penny wore her signature black jeans, a tank top, a leather jacket, and black combat boots. She was gorgeous, with black wavy hair tied into a ponytail and a strong, athletic figure.

Unlike me, she preferred darker colours. I was the girl who loved bright shades and had a slim but curvy figure.

At five-foot-three, I was considerably shorter than her five-foot-eight frame. That was understandable, considering she came from a respected family of warriors.

It was also the main reason my parents allowed me to be friends with her. Her family’s reputation benefited them, even if they couldn’t stand her nonchalant personality.

I walked over to the balcony door and opened it wider, allowing her to come in.

“Heyyy, bestie!” I greeted her with an awkward smile as she stepped into my room. “You’re early.”

She sat on my bed and turned to face me while I did my absolute best to avoid her gaze.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t snap your neck,” she said, scowling as she crossed her arms.

“It’s ridiculously painful, and I wasn’t expecting you to get here so quickly,” I reasoned.

She rolled her eyes and stood up.

“Well, I called you twenty minutes ago. It’s only normal that I’d be here by now.” She eyed me, pursing her lips.

Damn. I hadn’t realised I could spend that much time admiring my room.

“Hehe.” I nervously scratched the back of my neck.

“How many times do I have to tell you that you cannot miss this ball? It’s the annual supernatural ball, for Christ’s sake! And it’s the least you deserve, especially since your foolish parents had never let you go.”

She pointed towards my dressing room.

“Now, get your fine ass in there and pick something hot!”

I obediently walked back into my dressing room, with Penny following close behind.

“I have absolutely no idea what to wear, Pen,” I sighed in frustration.

When I turned around to look at her, she was already staring at me as though she wanted to bury me six feet underground.

“What did I do now?” I asked.

She scoffed and pushed past me.

I swear, this girl was a real pain in the ass.

She marched towards the ball-gown section and pulled out one of my dresses.

It was a beautiful white gown covered in sparkles, with a fitted bodice and a full, flowing skirt made of multiple layers of netting that shimmered beneath the light. The off-shoulder neckline was decorated with crystal-like flowers, giving the entire gown a magical appearance.

“How the hell can you tell me you have nothing to wear?” she demanded, glaring at me.

“That’s why I have you, bestie.” I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

She sneered.

“You’re unbelievable.”

Then she rolled her eyes and held the gown out to me.

“Put this on.”

I collected the dress from her and quickly pulled off my joggers and top, leaving me in my undergarments.

I took out my hoop skirt, pulled it over my head, settled it around my waist, and tied the rope tightly at the back. Penny helped me into the gown and adjusted it before tightening the corset laces.

I felt as though my lungs were being caged.

Now I was starting to regret agreeing to attend the ball.

When she finished, I looked down at my chest.

Good Lord. My boobs looked like they were about to spill out of the gown.

“Aren’t you dressing up?” I asked, studying my reflection in the mirror.

“You know my family doesn’t do dress-up, and neither do I. Besides, I’m already dressed as your knight in shining armour.” She grinned.

“Hahaha. Very funny,” I replied sarcastically, reaching for a few pieces of jewellery.

This might be the first and last ball I ever attended.

Penny handed me a pair of transparent, sparkling fairy heels decorated with crystals. She helped me with my hair and makeup before giving me a silver butterfly mask to wear.

When I finally stood in front of the mirror, I gasped.

I looked unrecognisable.

And very pretty.

My deep-blue eyes stood out against my features, while my wavy blonde hair fell freely around my shoulders. A small decorative pin held part of it in place, keeping the strands away from my face.

For once, I actually looked like someone who belonged at a royal ball.

“You’re a true beauty, Emily,” Penny said, her voice suddenly sincere. “Your parents are too blind to realise that the most wonderful gift they could ever ask for is you.”

I turned towards her and smiled before taking her hands in mine.

“Thanks, Penny. You’re more than enough family for me.”

Her expression softened for a moment before she glanced at her wristwatch.

“Well, then, we should get going. The ball starts at nine, and we’re already twenty six minutes late.”

I wanted to arrive fashionably late, even though my parents and Evelyn had left for the ball ages ago. I’d heard their footsteps and the sound of their car driving away when they departed.

Vampire hearing was one of the most amazing advantages of being a vampire.

“The guards are sti—” I began.

“Give me a minute,” Penny interrupted.

Before I could ask what she meant, she walked out onto the balcony and jumped down.

I swear, she couldn’t act like a normal person for even five minutes.

I was almost certain she was going to knock the guards unconscious or snap their necks. Knowing Penny, both options were entirely possible.

Still, I was happy to have her as my best friend. She always went all out for me, even when it meant breaking a few rules, or several bones.

I just hoped attending this ball would be worth all the trouble.

Although there was a strange feeling deep in my chest that something about tonight was just... different.