The One Night Stand Turns Out To Be My Professor

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Jenny’s POV

I had always imagined the vampire realm as something grand, magical even. Maybe a mix between some ancient gothic castle and a supernatural paradise. But as I stepped through the portal with Jacob, Ian, Sophia, and Lyanna by my side, I couldn’t help but feel… underwhelmed.

It wasn’t terrible, sure, but it wasn’t the breathtaking spectacle I had built up in my head. Dark, gloomy, and cold, the place looked like a knockoff medieval village with way too much stone and far too little color. If vampires were supposed to be these all-powerful, ageless beings, you’d think they’d have upgraded their décor a bit by now. I mean, come on, hadn’t they ever heard of modern architecture? Or at least a pop of color?

“This is it?” I muttered under my breath, side-eyeing Jacob, who clearly heard me.

His lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything. Just squeezed my hand a little tighter.

“Welcome to the vampire realm,” Lyanna said, her tone flat as she gestured ahead. “It’s not about aesthetics here, Jenny. Function over form.”

“Oh, clearly.” I couldn’t stop the sarcasm from slipping out. “Because who needs light or warmth, right?”

Jacob stifled a laugh, but his eyes softened with that look, the one that said he was trying to keep me calm. I appreciated the effort, but it was going to take more than hand-squeezing and sympathetic glances to keep me from completely losing it.

We walked quietly to the castle and entered it without any hassle. The guards were bowing and greeting Ian and Jacob. We walked down the quiet hallway, my heart beating too loud.

I was already on edge, and the moment I saw the Council room ahead, the massive, wooden doors closed, I felt my stomach twist into knots. This was it. I was about to be paraded in front of a bunch of ancient, judgmental vampires, and if they didn’t like what they saw, who knew what they’d do? I didn’t care what Jacob had promised me. I still wasn’t convinced these vampires weren’t capable of something… final.

The moment we stepped into the Council chamber, I felt the weight of a thousand eyes on me. The room was huge, cold, and as dark as I expected, with stone pillars and dim lights casting long, eerie shadows across the walls. Seated at a long, raised table were the Council members—each of them older than dirt, judging by their haggard faces and stern expressions.

Jacob and Ian led the way, with Lyanna standing close by. I lingered behind Sophia, trying to blend into the background. Not that it would work. I was the whole reason for this little trip, after all.

“Jacob. Ian.” One of the Council members, an old woman with sharp features and cruel eyes, spoke first. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. “And this… must be the human.”

Ah. Straight to the insults. Nice.

“Jenny,” I said, stepping forward despite my instincts telling me to hide. “The name’s Jenny. And I’m one of you.”

Her eyes flicked over me like I was something stuck to her shoe. “So, this is the human girl who has caused such a… disturbance.”

A disturbance? Seriously? I bit my tongue to stop myself from blurting out something I’d regret. The last thing I needed was to piss off a room full of powerful vampires on my first day here. I eyed them. It seemed like they were so focused on ignoring the fact that I was now one of them.

But then she sneered, and I couldn’t help it. “Well, it’s nice to see all of you ancient relics in one place. Are you going to ask me questions, or are we just going to stare at each other like this is some kind of awkward family dinner?”