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
I am taking a sip of water when the question is asked, so I have to swallow before I can say, “Yes, Prince Jacob. That is correct.” Although, at the moment, I’m not sure I want to claim Bernard as my father.“And how, exactly, did you come to be here?” he continues. “Not at the dining table. I know
Kane If I open my mouth to reprimand Opal right now, a rivulet of curses will be released into the world the likes of which no one has heard before. I have already tried politely, asking her to stop verbally assaulting Emory. When that didn’t work, I ordered her with a mind message, one she clearly
Quietly, she says, “I do.” “But you have different mothers?” It’s more of a statement than a question when Jacob asks. I wonder why he suddenly knows so much about Moonraker pack. He never took any interest in them when we were actively waging war against them. I was on the battlefield nearly every
Lex, who has been unusually quiet for him, also has an completely placid look on his face I can’t quite understand, but I won’t create more problems by asking him why he’s so happy. Instead, I excuse myself from the table, ready to end this catastrophe of a dinner. *** Emory I don’t make it too
Emory The question lingers in the air between us as I stare into King Kane’s eyes, trying to figure out why he’s followed me to my bedroom. It doesn’t make any sense. Isn’t he expected to still be at dinner with the rest of his guests? If anyone from dinner were to follow me, I would’ve assumed it
“Do you need anything before I go?” he asks, his voice just above a whisper. My first instinct is to shake my head no. I don’t want to be a bother. But then, I remember there is one thing I need. I can’t ask him, though. He’s the king. He sees that I’m not being completely honest with him before m
Is it Opal? Is that why he hasn’t put his mouth on me? Is he afraid that he will do more than feed from me if his lips touch my skin? I have no way of knowing, and I cannot ask, but the strength of his arm around me, of being pressed against him, allows me to feel safe for the first time since bef
WillowI never like it when Rainer comes home injured. The gashes Opal left on him have healed by the time I see him, so there’s no reason to drag him to the clinic to get checked over by Dr. Martin. He tells me that Lex is in worse shape and is being treated by the doctor at Scarlett Thunder. Opal
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