Emory King Kane is flying up the stairs, and I am going as quickly as I can to keep up with him. Normally, I think of myself as pretty fast, but clearly I am either too tired after the adrenaline rush has worn off, or he is even faster than me. Not that it would surprise me that a vampire is faste
I shake my head, returning to the hallway. “Oh, uh… because… you’re the king,” I stammer. “It’s not polite to walk next to you.” He snickers and shakes his head. “How about right behind me instead of so far away I have to keep pausing to make sure you haven’t gotten lost? Or stolen?” His voice is
I can’t help but giggle slightly. He most definitely does not. But I am still at a loss. “This room is for me?” I ask him. “I mean, I’m a feeder. Not a guest.” “You are the daughter of an Alpha,” he reminds me. “A princess for all intents and purposes, and it won’t do for someone of your stature to
Emory I take a bath, soaking in notes of rose and lavender, letting my muscles relax as much as they will after the hellacious day I’ve had. King Kane had suggested taking a nap, and that does seem like a good idea, but I know I won’t be able to sleep. My mind keeps puzzling over everything that’s
I’m not used to walking in heels, so I try the black pumps out a bit before I decide I’ve got enough balance and coordination to fake it. If I take a wrong step, I’ll go tumbling down, though. I am not overly confident. With a final spritz of rosewater, I am ready to go, just as there’s a resoundin
“That’s Queen Agatha,” Rainer whispers. “None of the rest of these people are important.” He bows to the queen, and I do the same. She nods in response, but he doesn’t take me over to meet her, and I’m glad. Instead, he leads me to the other end of the table, and I suddenly realize I’m about to cau
Emory“Who the fuck invited a mangy dog to our dinner party?”Princess Opal’s words hang in the air as the rest of the room goes silent. It’s as if the rest of the guests are all waiting for me to respond to the loud, offensive statement, including Rainer, though I believe he’s just as taken aback b
I’ve never been squeamish, but having seen the state of the feeders’ dungeon first hand, and thinking about how much blood had to have been harvested to feed this many people an entire goblet full… it makes me have to look away slightly.The servant behind me stands with his hand on top of the silve
LexRainer moves quickly, shielding Kane with his body. The sword slices into the dark fabric of his shirt and leaves a large cut on his shoulder. He hisses from the pain and pushes Opal away with his other arm, nearly knocking her off her feet. Blood drips down from the sword, onto the carpet.Opal
EmoryWith the Nightstones all refusing to leave Nightfall until Lydia is woken up from her magically-induced coma, I decide to hold the meeting with all the Alphas at Alpha Gerald’s home. His home is a fortress, and he has the room to accommodate all the Alphas and their entourages. I’ll also get t
Rainer“You son of a bitch, you did it,” I say, still reeling with how Kane has managed to convince the vampire monarchs to agree to his insane plan.“Hey. That’s my mother you’re talking about.” Kane is smiling so I know he doesn’t really take offense. “I’m surprised I got them to agree, too. I tho
KaneI don’t know how much King Myenas is looking into Lydia’s death. I know people have to be talking about seeing Lex flee Carmine Falls with a witch who throws fireballs at guards. Having the meeting with all the vampire monarchs at Scarlett Thunder is a way to deflect that this whole thing isn’t
LexI’m not looking forward to having guests again after Cole’s birthday party. It hasn’t been that long, and the expense troubles me. The royal coffers are still low on funds, but I couldn’t refuse my brother when he asked me if I could host the meeting between the vampire monarchs. I'm surprised K
KaneAs Lex is leaving to go back to Scarlett Thunder, I tell him about the plan to end King Myenas’s feeder trafficking operation by replacing it with my own more humane system. My brother looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. Saying it out loud to another person makes me realize how unhinged the pla
LexNow that Lydia Nightstone is back with her pack, I’m going to head back to Scarlett Thunder. Cole and I have been away for too long, and I have a lot of work to tackle. I’m not looking forward to the paperwork, but that’s part of running a kingdom. There’s always an endless amount of paperwork.
“I need to end the business with the feeders. It’s how he has allies. He provides them a steady blood supply without going through the trouble with the shifter packs. If I can cut off his blood supply, his allies will not stick around,” I explain.If there is anything I know about the vampire royals
KaneRainer’s successful rescue of Lydia should have meant that the whole mess is over. I’d been expecting King Myenas to inform me about Lydia’s supposed death, but instead, he continues to act like nothing has changed. He talks like the deal is still on-going despite the fact he has no leverage on