His Discarded Queen
Description
Tessa has spent years as the ignored wife of Lord Soren Ravencrest, dismissed as a powerless foundling without bloodline or worth. When he publicly announces his intention to take a second blood-bonded wife-the beautiful and powerful Lady Diana-Tessa's humiliation is complete. Cast aside by the man who once promised her protection, mocked by vampire nobility who never saw her as worthy, Tessa faces a choice: accept her fate as the discarded first wife, or destroy everything that binds her and risk losing herself in the process. But what House Ravencrest doesn't know is that the powerless girl they underestimated has a secret even she doesn't fully understand-one that could make her the most dangerous vampire alive.
Chapter 1
Oct 23, 2025
[Tessa’s POV]
All these years of marriage, and I can't remember the last time Soren looked at me like I mattered.
I stand alone on the balcony while the Grand Assembly sparkles below. I used to believe things would get better. That love might actually be enough.
I was wrong about a lot of things.
Below me, vampire nobility mingles and schemes. Somewhere in that glittering crowd is my husband, and I don't need to see him to know he's not looking for me.
I wrap my arms around myself, the thin fabric of my dress doing little against the chill.
All these years as Lady Ravencrest, and still the politics of these gatherings exhaust me. The constant maneuvering, the hidden meanings in every smile—it's a game I've never quite learned to play.
Through the glass, I watch my husband move through the crowd like a dark star, drawing everyone into his orbit. Soren Ravencrest, Lord of House Ravencrest, with his midnight hair and cruel, beautiful face.
Even from here, I can feel the pull of him, the blood bond that ties us together humming beneath my skin like a constant reminder of what I don't deserve.
"I simply cannot fathom it." Lady Sylvia's voice drifts up from the balcony below mine, sharp and clear. "A foundling without bloodline, without power, without even the ability to properly influence a human servant. How did my poor brother end up bound to such a powerless creature?"
Laughter follows—the practiced, musical laughter of vampire ladies who have never known shame.
"Perhaps it was a moment of weakness," another voice suggests with mock sympathy. "You know how young vampires can be impulsive about romance."
"So many years of weakness seems rather excessive, don't you think?" Sylvia replies, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "Especially when she can barely command respect from our kind, let alone contribute anything meaningful to House Ravencrest."
More laughter. More agreement. Each word is a blade between my ribs, precise and practiced.
They know I can hear them. They want me to hear them.
I should go inside. I should face them with my head high, prove them wrong somehow. But my legs won't move, and there's a tightness in my chest that makes breathing difficult.
How do you prove yourself to people who have already decided you're worthless?
The grand clock chimes the hour, and I know I can't hide out here forever. The Assembly is mandatory, and my absence will only give them more ammunition.
With shaking hands, I smooth down my dress—simple dove gray where everyone else wears jewel tones and black—and step through the doorway into the brilliance of the ballroom.
The effect is immediate and devastating.
Conversations stop mid-sentence. Heads turn. The whispers start like a wave spreading across water, and I feel every eye on me as I descend the curved staircase.
My face burns, but I keep my chin level, keep walking even as my heart hammers against my ribs.
Invisible. Just be invisible.
But I've never been good at that either.
Lady Sylvia now watches me from her position near the center of the room, her crimson lips curved in a satisfied smile. Beside her, the Dowager Countess Sabrina—Soren's mother—raises a single eyebrow.
Her expression makes it clear exactly how far beneath their standards I fall.
I make my way toward the edge of the room, seeking a quiet corner, but my eyes betray me. They find my husband Soren automatically, pulled by the bond that won't let me forget him even for a moment.
He's not alone.
Standing beside him, radiant in a gown of deep sapphire that makes her pale skin luminous, is the most beautiful vampire I've ever seen. Lady Diana Delacroix of House Shadowmere.
Even her name sounds powerful, outstanding and unique.
Everything I'm not.
Soren laughs at something she says, his hand resting intimately on her lower back. The touch sends a spike of pain through our bond, but he doesn't even flinch. Doesn't even feel it.
Or maybe he just doesn't care anymore.
I press my palm against my chest, willing the ache to subside.
"My lords and ladies." Soren's voice rings out across the ballroom, commanding instant attention.
The orchestra falls silent. Every vampire in the room turns toward him as my husband raises his glass, Lady Diana gliding closer to his side.
"Thank you all for gathering tonight to celebrate this seasonal court," Soren continues, his dark eyes scanning the crowd. They skip right over me without acknowledgment. "House Ravencrest has always prioritized the strength and unity of our kind, and tonight, I am honored to announce a new chapter in that legacy."
I assume he's talking about some new political alliance, some trade agreement with another house. These announcements are common at the seasonal courts—part of the endless chess game of vampire politics.
"Lady Diana Delacroix and I have come to an understanding." Soren's hand finds hers, their fingers intertwining. "For the strategic unity of our houses and the strengthening of Ravencrest's position in the Elder Council, I am formally declaring my intention to take a second blood-bonded wife."
The world stops. The words don't make sense at first.
Second blood-bonded wife. Second.
As if I'm simply the first in a collection, easily added to. As if our bond with him is nothing more than a stepping stone to something better.
Around me, the nobles murmur their approval, but their voices sound distant, muffled, like I'm underwater.
Lady Sylvia's smile is triumphant. The Dowager Countess nods her regal approval. And Lady Diana… Lady Diana looks at me for the first time, her violet eyes full of pity that somehow feels worse than contempt.
I search for Soren's face in the crowd of admirers already pressing forward with congratulations. As if he can feel my desperation through our bond, his eyes finally find mine across the marble expanse of the ballroom.
For one heartbeat, we simply look at each other.
His expression is cold, distant, final—the look you give someone you've already left behind. There's no apology in those dark eyes, no regret.
Just a decisive ending, delivered in front of everyone I've ever tried to prove myself to.
The applause starts, spreading like wildfire through the Assembly. Vampires clap and cheer, celebrating this "wise political alliance," this "perfect match," this "strengthening of House Ravencrest."
The sound thunders in my ears, drowning out my heartbeat, drowning out everything except the brutal truth crystallizing in my chest.
My marriage is over. Whatever I thought I had, whatever I believed we might still become—it's done.
And Soren has done it all without even speaking my name.
His Discarded Queen
30 Chapters
30
Contents
Save
Passion Exclusive
My Passion
Copyright © 2026 Passion
XOLY LIMITED, 400 S. 4th Street, Suite 500, Las Vegas, NV 89101