Elara Ward thought monsters belonged in storybooks. That fate was just a word. That her life would be ordinary. She was wrong. When her best friend drags her to an extravagant midnight ball, Elara believes it's just another elite social event-she has no idea the gathering is meant for one purpose: To present supernatural maidens to the Vampire King so he can find his fated mate. Humans are forbidden. She's not supposed to be there. But destiny doesn't care. The moment King Kael Draven sees her-wide-eyed, human, and completely unaware of the danger around her-something impossible happens. A burning crimson mark ignites on her skin the instant he touches her. His mate. His queen. A human. The court erupts in whispers. Power shifts. Centuries of tradition fracture. The bond between them grows with every stolen glance, every heated argument, every moment his control slips and desire breaks through. But loving a king born of darkness comes with a cost... Jealous nobles lurk behind silk masks. Ancient laws are broken by her very presence. And someone in Kael's inner circle would kill to keep a human from wearing the crown. She never believed in destiny- until the Vampire King marked her as his.