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Chapter 71:
Huling Na-update:
2025-02-20 21:15:01
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Mated To Valentine Chapter 72:
The night air is cool against my skin as we step outside, the gravel crunching beneath our feet. The mansion looms behind us, its tall, elegant structure casting long shadows under the moonlight. The car waits just beyond the treeline, sleek and black, a stark contrast against the eerie glow of the forest.Achilles lets out a dramatic sigh as he stretches. “Well, that was a nice dinner. Mara didn't poison us, and Valentine didn’t stab me with a fork. I’d call that a win.”Valentine shoots him an unimpressed look as he unlocks the car. “There’s always next time.”I smirk, sliding into the passenger seat while Achilles flops into the back. Valentine starts the car, but before he can pull off, I turn to him.“I want to visit my mom’s grave first.”His fingers tighten on the wheel, his gaze flicking to me, unreadable as always. Achilles, on the other hand, leans forward in his seat.“Wait. Like… literally or figuratively?”I arch a brow. “Literally.”His expression shifts, the usual l
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-20Mated To Valentine Chapter 73:
Valentine clings to me like I’m the only thing tethering him to this world. His skin is still damp, his breath warm against my neck as his fingers trace lazy patterns down my arm. His body is pressed against mine, the weight of him grounding me. The sheets are tangled around us, but neither of us makes a move to fix them.His lips brush against my ear, his voice hushed and rough. “You know I can’t sleep.”I smile, stretching slightly beneath him. “Of course, you can’t sleep. To you, the sun is up.”He lets out a low chuckle, his fingers tightening on my waist. His mouth finds my collarbone, pressing a slow, lingering kiss there. I shiver.He shifts, resting his chin on my shoulder as we both glance at the clock on the nightstand. 11:56 PM.I sigh. "Almost midnight. We should go into town."His grip on me tightens. “You really think that’s a good idea? With everything going on? The Ascendants, the council, the bounty hunters—”I cut him off. “You think too much.” I turn in his arms,
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-20Mated To Valentine Chapter 74:
I can’t breathe.The weight of Finn’s lifeless body presses down on my soul like a vice. My mind replays the image over and over again—his vacant eyes, the burn on his chest, the cruel words carved into his skin. Fucking weak.It’s my fault.The thought coils inside me, festering.No one speaks as Valentine pulls Finn down from the tree. His movements are slow, methodical—almost too careful, like he's afraid Finn might shatter in his hands. Achilles helps him lower the body onto the ground. I stand there, frozen, my hands curled into useless fists at my sides."We take him back," Valentine says. His voice is hoarse, strained. He doesn’t look at me. "We bury him at the estate."Achilles doesn’t argue. Neither do I.We move like ghosts, carrying Finn’s body to the car parked just at the outskirts of town, placing him gently in the trunk like he’s sleeping.But he’s not.He never will be again.I sit in the backseat as we drive, my knees pulled to my chest, my breath shallow. The night
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-20Mated To Valentine Chapter 75:
The silence in the estate is thick and heavy, wrapping around us like a suffocating shroud as we step back inside. Death does these things. I've been around it's claws too much to know what it does. It makes everything darker. It makes everything empty. And Finn...The weight of his death presses down on all of us, but the second the door shuts behind us, Mara’s voice slices through the stillness."You need to turn yourself in, North."My heart lurches. I know she's scared. No one sees death in the face and stares right back. Even if you've lived for hundreds of years, death is still death. It's still scary.Achilles exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Mara—""No." She takes a step forward, her eyes burning with conviction. "You know I’m right. She’s the reason Finn is dead. She’s the reason the Ascendants won’t stop. This won’t end until she surrenders."I flinch, but Achilles moves before I can even process the sting of her words."Drop it already," he snaps, steppi
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-20Mated To Valentine Chapter 76:
The mansion in the woods feels different when we return.It isn’t just the cold or the shadows stretching longer than usual. It’s something else—something heavier. It’s the weight of death, the presence of grief, the suffocating silence that none of us know how to fill.I should be used to this by now. Loss. Pain. Emptiness.But Finn’s absence still clings to me like a second skin.Achilles hasn’t cracked a joke since we left Valentine’s estate. He walks beside me, his usual easy stride replaced by something slower, something more burdened. Valentine leads the way, his face unreadable. Out of the three of us, he seems the most composed, but I can feel the grief rolling off him too, controlled but present.None of us speak.I keep replaying Mara’s words in my head. "You need to turn yourself in."I know she was grieving. I know she was angry.But the look in her eyes—like I was something to be sacrificed—burns into my mind like a wound that won’t close.We reach the main hall, stopp
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21Mated To Valentine Chapter 77:
The dining room feels too big this morning.The long wooden table stretches between us, its polished surface gleaming under the bright chandelier light. The cold air bites at my skin, but I barely notice. My hands curl around the edge of my chair, fingers digging into the wood.I should be eating. I should be focused.But all I can see is Finn.His body in the woods.The Ascendants' mark burned into his flesh.The words they carved into his skin— Fucking weak.My stomach churns.I hear voices, but they feel distant, muffled, like I’m underwater."Okay, I think we can all agree this is a fantastic way to start the day," Achilles drawls, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Gather ‘round, folks, let’s solve the mystery of who sold North out while enjoying a hearty breakfast of—" He pauses, glancing at the untouched plates. "—nothing. Because no one’s eating. Again."I stare blankly at the table."North."A hand touches mine. Warm. Steady. Valentine.I blink, finally meeting his gaze. His eye
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21Mated To Valentine Chapter 78: Valentine's POV
The tinted windows offer a distorted view of the world outside, shielding me from the sun. The mansion stands untouched, a fortress of wealth and power, but none of it matters. The weight pressing against my chest hasn’t lifted in weeks. Two months. It’s been two months since we found Finn. Since we dragged his lifeless body out of the woods, his skin marked with the Ascendants’ symbol. Fucking weak—they had carved those words into him as if he were nothing. As if he had never mattered. But he did matter. To North. To me. To Mara. To Achilles. To everyone on the fucking estate. Finn wasn’t just a gardener. He was a scared, half-starved teenager when I found him, barely able to stand on his own. I took him in, gave him a place here, protected him. Or at least, I thought I had. The council’s ultimatum looms over me. "Three months." My mother’s voice rings through my head, sharp and clipped as she reminds me that time is running out. Two have passed. One remai
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21Mated To Valentine Chapter 79:
The pages of the magazine blur together. I’m staring at them, but I’m not really seeing them. Achilles keeps flipping through, pointing out models, commenting on their outfits, but his voice is distant.It’s been two months.Two months since we lost Finn.I press my fingers against my temple. The ache behind my eyes never really goes away these days."Alright, fine," Achilles says dramatically, snapping the magazine shut. "I give up. You’re officially broken. I mean, you didn’t even blink when I compared this model’s pose to a constipated flamingo."I blink at him. "What?""Exactly my point!" He waves a hand in exasperation. "Normally, you’d at least snort at my genius. But no. Now you’re just staring at the pages like some sad Victorian ghost."I shake my head, a small sigh escaping me. "Achilles, I’m tired.""You’re always tired." He tosses the magazine onto the coffee table. "That’s why I’m taking matters into my own hands."I arch a brow. "What does that mean?"He leans in, eyes
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21
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Mated To Valentine Chapter 130: Achilles' POV
The clock on the wall reads 3:07 AM when the door creaks open.I stir, blinking against the dim glow of the fireplace as heavy boots echo across the marble floors.Then I see him.And my drowsiness vanishes.Valentine strides in like something out of a gothic fever dream, long coat dusted with grime, moonlight trailing him through the open doorway. But it’s not his dramatic entrance that has me bolting upright.It’s the girl in his arms.I stare.Her body is limp, her head resting against his chest. Her ridiculously long black hair spills past his knees, trailing like a shadow. Her lips are slightly parted, her skin almost translucent beneath the chandelier’s glow.Oh, this is rich.I exhale sharply, pressing a hand over my heart in mock horror.“Val,” I gasp. “Have you resorted to kidnapping?”His glare is immediate.I continue anyway.“Is this where we are now? You get a little lonely, and instead of asking me to take you out, you—what? Pluck the prettiest girl off the streets an
Mated To Valentine Chapter 129: Valentine's POV (A hundred years later)
A century. A mere blink in my existence, yet it feels like an eternity when spent with him. He. He, the chaos incarnate, the walking, talking embodiment of every headache I've ever endured. Achilles. Even now, a hundred years on, he manages to fill the mansion with his incessant chatter, his ridiculous schemes, his… his presence. Tonight, I seek a reprieve. A hunt.The moon hangs heavy, a silver coin in the velvet sky. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, a familiar aroma that usually soothes me. Tonight, it merely serves as a backdrop to my frustration. I stalk through the shadows of the old cemetery, my senses heightened, searching for the telltale signs of wild vampires. They’re a nuisance, these feral creatures, a stain on our kind.Then, I smell it. Something sweet. Caramel, with a delicate hint of lavender. A human scent, but unlike any I've encountered before. It draws me in, a strange, compelling pull.I move silently, a shadow among shado
Mated To Valentine Chapter 128: Achilles POV
If I had a coin for every time someone looked at me like I was an inconvenience, I’d probably own a nice pair of boots by now.Valentine’s mother, however, doesn’t just look at me like I’m an inconvenience—she looks at me like I’m a cockroach she’s too disgusted to crush.And I have to say, that’s not new.She says nothing when we run into each other in the halls, just gives me a long, cold stare before turning the other way and ignoring my existence entirely. But I can feel her disapproval dripping off her in waves. The king is no different—silent, unreadable, always watching me with mild curiosity, like I’m some street cat Valentine dragged in from the gutter.(Which, to be fair, is accurate. But still.)I keep my mouth shut, keep my hands to myself, but the longer I sit there in that stifling palace, the more I realize I hate it. I hate the way their presence makes Valentine tense, hate the way his mother’s sharp words cut him down without effort.So when he grabs my wrist later
Mated To Valentine Chapter 127: Valentine's POV
Achilles is a menace.A charming, loud, dramatic menace.And somehow, against all logic and reason, I am enjoying myself.I’ve spent nearly three centuries in this world, drifting through time with the same predictable routine. Nothing ever surprises me. But Achilles—Achilles is unpredictable. A whirlwind of sarcasm and chaos wrapped in a too-thin frame, wearing my clothes as if he owns them.And now, I am taking him into the city.Paris at night is a sight to behold—cobblestone streets glistening under the glow of gas lamps, the murmur of voices spilling from cafés and carriages rolling down the avenues. The scent of warm bread lingers in the air, mixing with the ever-present perfume of the Seine.Achilles stretches his arms above his head as we step onto the street. “Ah, freedom! I can already smell the possibilities.”I give him a dry look. “That would be fresh bread, not possibilities.”He waves a hand. “Same thing.”We walk, side by side, and I notice he’s still too thin. The
Mated To Valentine Chapter 126: Achilles POV
I should’ve seen it coming.The ridiculous wealth. The manor that looks like something out of an ancient royal painting. The way people around here bow slightly when they see him, as if he’s made of something more than the rest of us.Of course, Valentine isn’t just an important vampire. He’s a prince.The prince of all vampires.I pause mid-step in the corridor, my brain struggling to process this absurd fact. I mean, I knew he was high up the vampire ladder—no one lives in a place this extravagant without some serious power backing them—but the son of the king and queen? This is their manor?I’m staying under the same roof as the vampire king and queen?I run a hand down my face. Holy shit.And yet, despite all this, my senses don’t go haywire. I always assumed that if I ever stood in the presence of powerful supernaturals, my body would react—some primal, deep-rooted fear kicking in. But right now, all I feel is…Well. Mild panic. But that’s normal.I shake off the thoughts and
Mated To Valentine Chapter 125: Valentine's POV
The moment we step into the manor, I hear Achilles’ heart pick up its pace.He’s overwhelmed.It’s evident in the way his wide, dark eyes dart around, struggling to take everything in—the marble floors polished to a mirror shine, the chandeliers dripping with golden light, the tapestries lining the hallways like relics of another time.He hasn’t lived like this before. That much is clear.I don’t acknowledge his awe. Instead, I lead him down the grand hall, past the looming portraits of my ancestors who watch us with unblinking eyes. The silence between us stretches, but I don’t break it. Not yet.We arrive at the dining hall. A long, gleaming mahogany table stretches nearly the entire length of the room, fit for a feast that no one ever has.Achilles lingers at the doorway.“Sit,” I tell him.He hesitates before obeying, perching stiffly on one of the velvet chairs like he’s ready to flee at any second.I turn to one of the maids, who bows instantly. “Something hefty,” I instruct, g
Mated To Valentine Chapter 124: Achilles POV
Pain blossoms across my ribs as another kick lands. The crowd jeers, their shouts merging into an incomprehensible storm of voices. Blood trickles down the side of my face, the warm sting mixing with the bitter cold of the Parisian night.I try to move, but a boot presses against my shoulder, pinning me down."Filthy thief," someone spits.I close my eyes. This is it. This is how it ends. Torn apart in the streets like a rat. I don't even have the strength to shift to save my own life.The hunters—standing just beyond the mob—watch with unnerving patience, hands resting on their weapons. They’re waiting for the right moment. The moment I’m too weak to fight back.Then, a voice. Smooth, deep, unhurried.“Enough.”The weight lifts off my shoulder. The kicks stop. The crowd shifts uneasily, murmurs rising like rustling leaves.I open my eyes.A man stands there, tall and composed, golden-blond hair neatly arranged, his fine black coat barely disturbed by the night breeze. There’s some
Mated To Valentine Chapter 123: Valentine's POV
The gas lamps outside the cabaret flicker weakly, their orange glow barely cutting through the thick fog that clings to the streets of Paris.Inside, the air is heavy with the scent of cheap perfume, spilled wine, and the faint, metallic tang of blood.The orchestra plays a frenzied waltz, the violins screeching like banshees, while couples spin across the floor in a chaotic blur of silk and sweat.I sit in a shadowed corner, a glass of absinthe in my hand, the green liquid swirling like liquid poison.Across from me, a young woman—Marie, she said her name was—chatters incessantly.Her voice is high-pitched, grating, and she’s been going on about her village, her family, her dreams of becoming a singer.I smile, though my patience wears thin.“Do you come here often, monsieur?” she asks, leaning forward, her décolletage on full display.Her French is tinged with a provincial accent, marking her as new to the city.I tilt my head, letting my lips curl into a dangerous smile. “Only when
Mated To Valentine Chapter 122: Achilles POV
I stand frozen, the heat of the flames licking at my skin even from this distance. The crackling of the fire is deafening, but it’s the silence in my chest that terrifies me. My mother’s voice echoes in my head, sharp and desperate: “Run, Achilles! Run and don’t look back!”I can still smell the acrid smoke, the burning wood, the charred remains of my childhood. Half of it is gone now, reduced to ash and embers. The other half stands like a hollow shell, a monument to everything I’ve lost.My legs move before I can think, carrying me away from the only home I’ve ever known. Greece. My mother’s coven. The demon. They’re all chasing me now, and I don’t know where to go. All I know is that I can’t stay here. My heart pounds in my chest, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I stumble through the dark streets. I don’t even know where I’m going. Just away. Away from the flames. Away from the coven. Away from the demon that haunts my nightmares.Away...that leads me to Paris.The stree
