My Life as a Chosen One for the Vampire Prince

I spotted him across the ballroom and couldn't look away.

His golden hair was carelessly pushed to one side like he'd just finished running his fingers through it. And he wore a smirk that looked like he'd just awoken from a very good dream.

But I didn't think anything Prince Bastien of House Allard did was careless, and he certainly didn't dream.

He was a vampire. Just like all of the princes who ruled the Conquered Territories. And tonight, I was supposed to be impressing him to win the job as his next sanguine partner- the person he'd exclusively feed from for the next year.

I was repulsed by the mere idea of getting close to him, but I had no other choice. This was my fate. And if I failed...

Suppressing a shudder, I touched the side of my neck, just above the lace choker Mama bid me to wear. The vein in my neck throbbed. Keenly aware of all the reasons I had to be afraid of a vampire.

Blackness crowded the edges of my vision, and I couldn't stop a queasy feeling from churning in my stomach. I stared at the floorboards, trying to slow my breathing.

Just thinking about the word blood made me lightheaded, which was something I'd tried for years to overcome with no success. Now, I had no idea how I was going to convince a vampire prince that I was the one he was searching for.

What if he wanted to take a sample of the offerings before he made a decision, and I swooned at his feet?

That would put an end to my mission pretty damn quick.

My sister snapped open a paper fan and waved it in my direction. The cool air chilled my skin but did nothing to quell my nerves.

"Don't look," Seraphina muttered, "but you know who is staring right at you." I glanced up to find Prince Bastien's cold gaze cutting through the pack of hopefuls crowded around him, his soft blue eyes fixed on me.

The eyes of a killer.

Everything inside me stuck breath, my thoughts, and, I swear, even my heart skipped a beat. He was painfully, hauntingly beautiful, and like all predators, he intended to lull me into a false sense of security. But a pretty package couldn't hide the monster he truly was.

I wetted my lips, tasting the lipstick I wasn't accustomed to wearing and praying to Diana that I hadn't smudged it. The longer he stared at me, the more time seemed to slow. The people around me fading. Dulling. Blurring into the background. The chamber music and conversation fell to a low buzz. I shook my head to clear it, but that didn't help. It was like I was underwater, and the only thing I wanted to swim toward was him.

A disgusting concept.

"Enchanté, my dear," said a silky voice that was so close, I swore it was whispered in my ear. I looked around for who'd done it, but no one was nearby.

When a musical laugh hummed in my ear, my attention snapped back to the vampire. It couldn't be...but by Diana's light...it was.

"I'd like to speak more privately on the balcony. Away from these prying eyes. Over there." The prince pointed to my left, and my gaze followed his finger to a set of ornate doors. "Will you join me?"

Against all odds, I must've done something right. I'd caught his attention. I struggled to find words and managed to reply, "Is this for m-my interview?" His lips didn't move, but I heard his reply just the same. "Yes and no."

The bubble of hope expanding in my chest popped. What did that mean? I had to secure this job as his sanguine partner. I'd made a sacred vow to my coven, and even though I had no concept of what I was getting myself into, the fact remained. I might be a witch without magick. Good for nothing but tending the gardens and feeding the crows.

But I needed to become a spy. I had to be different than the girl I'd been if there was any hope of avenging Gran and the countless others who'd died at the hands of dark magick because the vampires had failed to maintain the balance of good and evil.

The vampire prince broke eye contact, and my senses screamed back to life. The music. The chatter. My sister was beside me. It all returned so fast that I was dizzy all over again.

"I told you not to look," my little sister said through her teeth. She fluttered the fan faster, blowing the fine hairs framing my face so they caught in my fake eyelashes.

"Telling someone not to look is literally daring them to do it," I bit back, tearing the fan from her hand.

"And stop waving this thing in my face." I untangled a lock of silver lilac hair from my lashes only to find Prince Bastien chuckling like he'd heard our whispered conversation from across the hall. I swallowed hard. If he could speak to me from across the room and distort the noises of the ball, then surely, he could hear everything. It's a good thing to know for someone who wishes to deceive a vampire. Clasping his hands behind his back, the vampire strolled toward the set of ebony-stained doors he'd pointed to, casually shrugging off the questions of those around him.

Before he reached the doors, he glanced back at me and gave a little wave, beckoning me forward. The look on his cherubic face was playful, but I was wary. I didn't want to follow him. I was scared of what might happen. But at the exact same time, it was all I wanted to do. There was no room for fear.

"I have to go," I told my sister. I took one step forward, and Seraphina stepped into my path, hands on her hips. She looked so different without her white hair, which she had charmed to match my lilac hue as a disguise before arriving.

"Why are you acting so weird? You can't start freaking out now. You vowed-"

"Shh!" I said, shutting her up before she could say something that would give us away. I opened the fan and held it between us. Blocking our faces from the vampire.

"I can't explain what just happened, but he spoke inside my head and invited me to the balcony."

"He spoke inside your head?" she repeated.

I let out an exasperated huff. "Yes! I think it must be for some kind of interview." Her bow-shaped lips parted. Clearly, she was just as surprised as I was.

"Just stay here and wait for me, okay?" My sister nodded.

"You can do this, Claire. I know you can. Just be confident." I offered her a wry smile that she didn't return.

"Thanks, Sera." My little sister was everything I wasn't.

A witch born with the magick of the Light in her veins. Trained to hunt the sources of dark magick on earth and destroy them. She'd take over our coven when Mama stepped aside. I wanted to protect her from the dark witches. The same ones our vampire monarchs never held accountable for murdering innocent Witches of the Light.

I hated Prince Bastien Allard and his brothers for what they were and what they failed to do. But if I wanted to learn his secrets, I had to pretend that I was entranced with him. Like all these other soft humans fawning for the right to be his pincushion. Straightening my spine and rolling my shoulders back, I strode across the ballroom with slow, deliberate strides, trying not to trip over the hem of the black lace dress.

At my approach, the vampire opened one of the doors and held it open for me. I paused at the threshold for a second, long enough to meet his curious gaze, before dipping my chin and stepping out into the cool night air. The wind kissed the exposed skin on my cheeks and arms, and I resisted the urge to wrap myself in a hug as I walked to the stone railing that overlooked Chateau Corbin's famous hanging gardens. They were surely beautiful in the light of day, but now, in the dark, the bushes and trees looked as monstrous as the gargoyles sitting atop the buttresses.

I didn't hear approaching steps, but I could feel him standing behind me. It was as unsettling as walking in a graveyard at night. If the gravestones were also bloodthirsty vampires. On the weeklong voyage to the capital, I devoured every scroll Mama had packed on the vampires but didn't learn much. Rumors are more than facts. I'd never seen one up close, much less been interviewed by one, but I imagined that a vampire prince would want someone soft and sweet to feed from.

Unfortunately, I'd never been good at either of those things, preferring plants and books to people. But, I supposed there was a first time for everything. Steeling my nerves and fighting against every reflex in my body screaming at me to run, I turned around, coming face to face with Bastien. The moon was a spotlight on him, bathing him in an eerie glow. What I knew about him I didn't like, but what I didn't know held my curiosity.

"My lord," I said, dipping into a curtsey. When I lifted my chin, I found him contemplating with a strange look.

"I make you uneasy," the vampire said. It wasn't a question. And he wasn't wrong. He did make me uneasy. Everything from his devastating beauty to his stillness to the fact that he could talk to me without moving his lips from across a ballroom gave me pause.

Instead of trying to lie, I stayed silent. After a long moment, he asked, "Why are you here?"

There was no accusation in his tone, but still, I had the unnerving suspicion that he knew exactly why I was there, which unnerved me even more. Again, I didn't lie.

I told him the only truth I had.

"I came," I said, finding my voice, "for you."

And to find the location of the last remaining demonic relics so my family can destroy them. His gaze dipped to my neck, and I wondered if he could hear the blood in my veins or the sound of my heart beating faster.

"I see," he said. A flitter of confusion passed across his face before his hands came to rest on the head of his cane. Had I said something wrong? I silently prayed to the moon goddess for help because I couldn't mess this up. He had to choose me. I just didn't know how to do that. I'd never even spoken to a man who wasn't in our coven before.

"If I make you so uneasy, girl, how will you endure a year around me? Spending every waking moment in my presence or under my watch? How will you follow me into battle?" I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My desperation rose, and I touched the rough lace around my neck.

Mama's choker reminded me of what was at stake. Bastien smirked, like the arrogant vampire he was, and I broke eye contact.

"Anyone who meets you is uneasy, my lord," I murmured.

"If I wasn't uneasy, you would have reason to be suspicious." He considered my words for a moment. As he did, he shifted slightly, allowing a thick shaft of moonlight to illuminate his chest. My gaze snagged on a pulsing red light coming from a stone he wore on a gold chain around his neck. It was barely visible from underneath his shirt. But once I'd seen it, I couldn't look away.

Collecting my courage, I stepped forward. The vampire didn't move as I lifted my hand to the pulsing light. But before I could touch it, he grabbed my wrist, twisting it until I yelped.

"What are you doing?"

"Your necklace," I stuttered out.

"It-it's pulsing."

"What?" He released me and pulled the stone from under his shirt to see exactly what I'd seen. The glow of the stone beating like a heart. What did that mean? The vampire tucked the gem back inside his shirt and positioned the knife strapped to his chest over it.

Hiding the glow.

When he looked back at me, his eyes were a chilly blue.

"This, you and I, will not work." He tapped his cane against the ground as if to accentuate his point. My throat was thick with desperation, and I shook my head.

"Please, my lord. Prince Bastien. It would work. It would." What was I going to do? I couldn't lose this job. I had to convince him I was a worthy partner. I tried to reach out to him, like the soft, dutiful girl I was pretending to be, but he backed away.

"Do not seek out an audience with me again," he said, voice now a harsh timbre.

"No!" I cried out, but my plea fell on deaf ears. I blinked, and he was gone. I stared blankly at the open door, trying to order my thoughts. I'd failed. He hadn't selected me. The tingle of magick burned against my lips, and a whole new kind of terror took hold of my heart. I'd promised my family I'd get this job or die trying. The lace choker around my throat tightened as the conditions of the vow I'd made to my coven were fulfilled. The lace turned to barbs piercing my skin. The pain was all-consuming. I reached for the stone railing to steady myself, even though nothing inside me felt steady.

Especially when something warm and wet rolled down my neck and landed in a splatter beside my hand. I sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of red.

Blood.

The spell was ready to claim my life.

‎Mourir (verb) to die

‎The world around me spun like a top. A sheen of sweat coated my skin, leaving me trembling from more than just the chilly air.

‎I thought the spell on the lace choker would provide a quick death, but apparently, Mama hadn't granted me that kindness.

‎I was going to die at Chateau Corbin, on some Diana-forsaken balcony. Miles away from my family home, where my spirit could be at peace and roam the family graveyard.

‎Tears streamed down my cheeks as I gripped the railing harder. I had so many regrets. Most about my failings as a sister and a daughter, but at least Seraphina wouldn't see me like this.

‎A sharp sound sounded behind me, like a cane against stone.

‎Slowly, I turned to find Bastien Allard mere inches away. Staring at me with those cool blue eyes of his.

‎He was back. Why? Was it the smell of my blood? Had it drawn him to me like a vulture?

‎The vampire made it clear that he never wanted to see me again.

‎Despite that assertion, he was here. And if he were here, maybe I could save myself. Hope bloomed inside of me once again.

‎"What's happening to you?" the prince asked.

‎I might be losing my grip on reality, but I swore I heard a note of concern in his voice.

‎If vampires showed any concern at all.

‎Before I could answer, he grabbed my chin in his cold hand and tilted my head to the side, examining my neck, which caused the searing pain to spread.

‎"Stop! You're hurting me!" I managed to grit out, and he immediately released me.

‎I touched my neck, willing the pain to calm like my sisters could, but it wouldn't. I wasn't a witch. I was just a girl who was bleeding in front of a vampire. Thinking about the blood and my impending death made me dizzy all over again, and I stumbled right into his hard chest.

‎Faster than I thought possible, the vampire prince steadied my shoulder and extracted a dagger from the holster strapped to his chest. Long, skilled fingers slid the cold blade against the thin skin covering my throat.

‎The steel tip came to rest beneath the choker.

‎I gasped when I realized what he was going to do. He meant to cut it off, which wouldn't work. It would only make the pain worse. This wasn't just a scrap of lace, but a magickal object.

‎My eyes went feral.

‎"No!" I said as loudly as I could, and I paid for it with more pain.

‎Everything inside of me hurt. I feared losing my balance again, but the vampire prince's grip on my shoulder kept me upright. His hand stilled, holding the blade against my throat, and his gaze returned to mine.

‎Absently, I wondered if he was the last thing I'd ever see. The last person who would ever hold me.

‎No. I had to fight through the dizziness and the pain. Sera believed in me. Sera was counting ‎on me.

‎I'd live if I could convince him to take me as his sanguine partner.

‎"Why don't you taste it, my lord?" I strained to say around the pain in my throat. "See if you set me aside too hastily."

‎The vampire scoffed as if to say he didn't ‎make rash decisions. But slowly, he did as I asked. Lifting the blade to his parted lips, he dragged it across his tongue, licking the tip. Tasting my flavor like the dagger was coated with raspberry syrup.

‎All the while, his attention never drifted from my face.

‎When he removed the dagger from between ‎his lips, a red stain was left behind, causing another wave of dizziness. He fitted his arm around my waist, pressing my chest against his and holding me upright.

‎Live. Live. Live, my heartbeat sang with each pulse.

‎I fought through the haze. Trying to remain present through the pain and the nausea. "Am I to your liking, my lord?"

‎I hated how desperate I sounded. How I was relying on this creature I despised to save my life.

‎His brows pinched together, and he shoved the blade back in its holster. I waited for what ‎he might say, barely able to breathe as red ‎tears leaked down the front of my dress and onto the fabric of his shirt.

‎"Your blood is tainted with magick," he said ‎in a raspy growl. "This necklace is cursed. Did you know that?"

‎He'd pieced together that magick was at play.

‎Did that mean he was suspicious of me? I couldn't be sure.

‎All I knew was that he sounded...angry.

‎I didn't dare answer.

‎"How foolish could you be?" the vampire ‎continued. His voice was dark, and his expression irritated. "Magick isn't something to meddle with."

‎As if he cared. It's not like vampires cared ‎if humans got tangled up in magick, even ‎though it was their promise as our rulers to keep the balance of power.

‎"Please," I pleaded, knowing this was my last chance. "Say you'll take me."

‎The request didn't soften him. No. It pushed him from irritated to irate.

‎Before me, I watched the prince transform ‎from a beautiful man into a creature. The shadows around his eyes darkened, and his incisors lengthened into sharp points that peeked out from beneath his top lip.

‎The monster awakening.

‎Fear sharpened all my senses, and I struggled ‎to escape his grip, but Bastien's hold on me ‎was absolute. His fists were like manacles around my arms.

‎"Who are you?" he demanded.

‎Before I could think of a response, the door to ‎the balcony was thrown open, and the High ‎Prince of the Conquered Territories loomed behind us.

‎Prince Marius's seat was Chateau Corbin, and ‎he was rumored to be the most fearsome of our vampire overlords.

‎And now I was alone with two vampires.

‎Like Bastien, he was in his monstrous state.

‎His eyes were coal black and shadowed, and his fangs were bared.

‎Bastien released his crushing hold on me, and ‎I fell to my knees. Weak from the pain and sick with fear. I scraped my palms catching myself on the rough stone floor, and I didn't dare look at them.

‎I crawled away, needing to put space between myself and the two brothers, who looked like they wanted to tear each other apart.

‎"I know you don't want to be here, Bastien, but how dare you feed from a girl without a contract? In the middle of your sanguination ball?" He pointed a long finger at me. "You know what the consequences are!"

‎Of course. He'd tasted my blood. Vampires weren't allowed to do that.

‎"I have done no such thing," Bastien snapped back. Turning to glare at me with murder in his eyes. "This girl is bewitched-"

‎I wasn't technically bewitched, but I didn't think revealing that would help.

‎Instead, I said a silent prayer to Diana to protect me. If they knew I was sent from the Proctor Family as a spy, I'd be thankful the collar would kill me before they tortured me into providing them information.

‎"Don't test me, brother," Marius cut in, ‎silencing Bastien. "The proof is in front of me. Her blood is on your lips, and the law dictates death for a vampire who feeds without contract."

‎Death? No. If Bastien died, I would too. And this would all be for naught.

‎"I know the law. And I did not break it," Bastien refuted. "I tasted her blood to confirm ‎the presence of magick."

‎Marius snarled at his brother. "I don't have time for your excuses. I've quelled the outrage of the nobility by announcing that you have chosen her as your next sanguine partner and that this was a mutually agreed upon taste testing."

‎The magickal barbs retracted, relieving me of the worst of the pain, and I couldn't believe my luck.

‎Finally, I'd done something right. I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile.

‎As if he could sense my joy, Bastien glared at me, where I sat huddled on the cold stone.

‎"I refuse to take this woman as my sanguine partner." He spread his arms wide as if in invitation. "Go ahead and extract your justice. I'll gladly accept death over suffering her presence in my castle for a year."

‎The smile on my lips wilted. He'd rather die than be around me?

‎The old wounds his statement poked at hurt more than the fresh punctures on my neck.

‎Something must be seriously wrong with me if I could be born without magick and if a murderous vampire would rather die than be around me for a year.

‎I didn't belong anywhere. Not truly.

‎"Stop being dramatic," Marius said dismissively. The shadows around his eyes receded along with his fangs, and a serious look replaced his more threatening one. "I need you in the West, expanding our territory, or here at court, ruling beside me, if you ever see fit to track down your mate."

‎He playfully slapped the side of Bastien's cheek, and the vampire snarled.

‎"I am a warrior, not a politician. And to me, being locked inside this castle is a fate worse than death," Prince Bastien retorted. The courage of his conviction sent a wave of adrenaline through me. "As I already said, I will not take that woman as my sanguine partner. If those are the terms, then you'll have to kill me."

‎I couldn't believe the nerve of this ‎self-righteous vampire.

‎It must be nice to have had such a long, full life that he could throw it away over something this trivial. But my life was still on the line, and I very much wanted to live.

‎I contemplated the vampires, unsure of what to do next.

‎They were a portrait in opposites. Marius, ‎with his short black curls and deeply tanned skin, and Bastien, with his chin-length blonde hair and blue eyes.

‎One was built for parties and courtly appearances, the other for war.

‎Despite their disgusting vampiric nature, they were captivating creatures. Especially Bastien.

‎Against all sense, there was something about him that held my attention. Something I couldn't quite understand, but felt stirring in ‎my belly.

‎Marius moved in front of Bastien, blocking him from my view, and made his way over to where I was cowering on the floor. Slowly, he reached out and offered me his hand.

‎"Come, poppet," Marius prompted.

‎I swallowed hard, trying to beat back the fear ‎as I glanced at his long, spindly fingers before clasping his hand. He helped me to my feet and, stroking my hand like I was a pet, then turned to Bastien.

‎I didn't know what was going on, and I had ‎little hope that the High Prince would make a just decision. But the barbs of the choker were still at bay, which meant I was safe for the moment.

‎Prince Marius cast a look at his brother. "If you choose to obstinately ignore my offer to spare your life, then I will make sure the girl you are rejecting is well cared for. In your castle. As is her right as a sanguine partner." The knot of tension inside of me loosened, and ‎I let out a relieved breath.

‎Justice from a vampire. Finally.

‎"You cannot be serious!" Bastien interjected, stepping forward to glower at me.

"Something is amiss. That necklace of hers is magickal and the source of all this mess."

‎I moved closer to Prince Marius, who draped ‎a protective arm around my shoulders. He'd clearly taken my side.

‎I was leery of what Bastien might do. With his ‎lips and his teeth and his hands and that cane.

‎He was dangerous. A killer. And I had no means to defend myself.

‎"I am very serious," Marius said casually. "If the girl bought a magickal necklace to bleed for you, then all the better. She is willing to do whatever it takes to secure this job."

‎The vampire set his cold hand on the side of ‎my flushed face, speaking softly and low. "We love a willing and dedicated sanguine partner, don't we? Someone desperate to gift us with what we so badly need."

‎I hid my disgust behind a demure smile. This vampire thought me soft and sweet, like a ripe grape, ready to be juiced. He was completely unafraid of me.

‎But he should be very afraid of what a sweet ‎grape like me could learn. Of the things I could ‎whisper to my family. And of the vengeance we planned to take on their beloved dark witches.

‎His ego would be his undoing. These vampires ‎thought everyone was thankful to serve them as our overlords. It made them careless, which was exactly what Mama had taught me. Bastien growled like an animal about to strike.

‎The sound caused a chill to race down my spine.

‎I watched him step into a shard of moonlight, and the glow of Diana's light cascaded over his features. How could the moon goddess, the source of light magick, smile on him at a time ‎like this?

‎Even in his anger, the man was so strikingly handsome that it stole my breath. Terrifying and alluring at the same time.

‎"I don't trust her," said Bastien, striking his cane on the ground. "You can't force me to accept this arrangement."

‎Bastien's glare tingled on my skin, and briefly, I hoped Marius would execute him now and spare me.

‎With Marius promising me care in Bastien's castle, I didn't need Bastien alive to discover the whereabouts of the demonic relics. In fact, if he died, it came with the added benefit of not having to endure the feedings.

‎The puncture wounds the choker left behind throbbed with pain. I could only imagine vampire fangs would be much worse.

‎My hand trembled as it floated to my neck. The memory of the death I narrowly escaped is fresh in my mind. Bastien tracked the ‎movement, his pale blue eyes following like a hunter stalking his prey.

‎My gaze drifted down to the deep red stain on his chest. A reminder of the moment he'd pulled me close. Of the way he'd held me against him, attempting to save me.

‎No, he hadn't come to save me. He'd come to cover his ass.

‎A smirk crested Marius's lips before his hand fell from my face, and he turned to his brother.

‎"You're right. I can't. If you want to die for your crime to appease all the courtiers waiting in the ballroom, then fine. I'll cut off your head. But the girl will live in your castle and drink your wine and live handsomely while your bones rot away in a mausoleum."

‎My jaw dropped, and it took everything in my power to keep my lips pressed together. Marius was just as manipulative as I was, I realized. He didn't want to kill Bastien. Even now.

‎Bastien ran a frustrated hand through his golden hair, mussing it. "I will not allow it."

‎The High Prince merely shrugged. "If you're dead, you won't have a choice."

‎He clapped a hand on Bastien's shoulder. Imploring. "I need you to fight our battles. I need territory. And you are the only one who can give it to me." He shook Bastien once. "Stop being dramatic and do what you've pledged to do."

‎A moment passed. Wind howled through the trees. The torches hanging beside the balcony doors flickered.

‎I didn't want Bastien anywhere near me. I hoped he opted for death. It would mean one less vampire to worry about.

‎But as I thought the words, something inside me balked at the idea. Which made no sense.

‎I waited. Still as a corpse.

‎The creases around Bastien's eyes relaxed, and his shoulders slumped. He'd resigned himself to his fate.

‎But what would that fate be?

‎The blade, or me?

‎

‎This woman had no idea who she was or what she was asking me to do. And neither did Marius. Thankfully.

‎Death would be the easier option, but my brother was right. It was my responsibility to lead the army and push our lands westward.

‎Even if I had to overcome the problem that she presented.

‎A year would go by in a blink, and if I kept her at arm's distance, as much as it would pain me, I could get through this and move on with my life.

‎The pull of a mate bond couldn't be as strong as my free will.

‎I forced myself not to look at her when I said, "Fine. I'll do it."

‎"Splendid," Marius replied with a clap of his hands. "Now, take..." he twirled his finger in the air, "what is your name, dear?"

‎"Claire. Claire Donadieu."

‎Hearing the sound of her name was like magick. There was no other way to describe it. Forever, my attention would be attuned to the sound of it. My senses sharpened whenever it was spoken.

‎My desire to protect her was absolute until the day she died.

‎I closed my eyes and drew in a steadying breath. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be fated to anyone. I should be able to choose my mate, not have her selected for me by some mystical force.

‎Had I known when I saw her across the ballroom that the intense need to speak with her was the pull of a mate bond, I would've run instead of giving the bloodstone time to recognize our connection.

‎When I opened my eyes, I found Marius dabbing the dried blood from Claire's neck with a damp towel. Cleaning the worst of the mess that choker had made. He tossed the rag on the floor and captured her hand in his, holding it as he escorted her to where I stood.

‎I had to swallow a growl at the sight of him touching her. Even though I loved my brother well, a vision of tearing his arm from the socket and beating him with it flitted through my mind.

‎My fingers tensed, and adrenaline coursed through my limbs.

‎I had to keep this new protective desire in check. If Marius discovered the truth, Claire was my mate-I'd be forced to give up my campaign in the West and made to live here in the capital. Pandering to courtiers and listening to petty disputes.

‎Which was the last thing I wanted.

‎My brother offered me Claire's hand with a grin. I merely glared at him.

‎Marius sighed in frustration and rolled his eyes. "Bastien, it's time to take Miss Donadieu to the dais, claim her as tradition demands, and put this whole mess behind us."

‎Claim her. Yes. That's exactly what I wanted ‎to do. To claim her as mine. To make us one body. One breath. The pull was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. It was as strong as gravity holding my feet to the ground.

‎Fight, damn you. Fight back. I was stronger than some base desire. I knew nothing about this girl, and what I did know, I was suspicious of.

‎I could do this. I just needed to remind myself of what was at stake.

‎Her deep brown eyes met mine, wide and big ‎as a fawn's, and the bond between us opened wider. I could feel her heart beating in my chest, and I could smell her fear of me as keenly as I could smell the apples ripening on the trees in the orchard below.

‎She was afraid of what came next.

‎My instinct was to offer words of comfort. To take her in my arms and tell her everything would be okay. An instinct that I had to fight against with all my willpower.

‎Chest tight, I slowly lifted my hand to hers and waited for Marius to place her hand in mine. Not trusting myself.

‎When he did, and the heat of her skin warmed my cold flesh, a pop of something that felt like magick snapped between us. A little jolt of heat that made my stomach jump.

‎I tried to look unaffected, because I knew Marius was watching me. Studying my reaction. He was suspicious of my intense opposition to the woman. I could tell.

‎But Marius wasn't the one I was worried about at the moment.

‎Claire was grimacing at the place our bare ‎skin touched like my flesh had just burned her, and I wondered if she had felt it too. The snap of magick between us.

‎If the stories were true, she should be able to ‎feel the pull of our bond. And I hoped in this case, the stories were wrong. Or that because her blood was tainted with magick, she was temporarily immune to it.

‎My attention shifted down to her throat, and the black lace choker coated in drying blood. I used the sight to fuel my anger. I was in this situation because she so unwisely dabbled in magick.

‎As casually as I could, I placed my free hand behind my back, falling back on the courtesies ‎Marius expected of me. "Shall we give the people what they want, Miss Donadieu?" "Oh, we're going now?" she asked, her voice ‎wobbling. "You're going to claim me r-right away?"

‎I narrowed my eyes. "That's how this works.

‎I drink from you and they all clap. That's what you want, isn't it? For me to drink your blood?"

‎Say no. Say you want to run away.

‎The scent of her fear intensified. My need to comfort her became almost unbearable.

‎Instead, I instructed myself to focus on how angry I was.

‎I needed to remember how this woman had disrupted the trajectory of my life. She complicated everything. All the promises I made to help liberate people west of my land.

‎She had thrown the fate of so many others into jeopardy just by breathing.

‎If I let my guard down for one minute, for one second, everything I'd worked to build could come crashing down.

‎I hated her for who she was and for ruining what little peace I'd found.

‎To my surprise, focusing on anger seemed to ‎work. It cleared my mind. If I could only stay angry, I could survive this.

‎"Yes, that's what I want," Claire finally said, even though the scent of her fear was omnipresent. The fragrance clinging to my clothes and sticking to my tongue. "Okay, I'm ready."

‎Of course, she couldn't have made things easy.

‎"Follow my lead."

‎The attendants opened both balcony doors for ‎us, revealing a massive crowd. Drinks in hand. Glasses raised. Marius strode forward, making his announcement of the imminent joining between Claire and I.me

‎"Oh wow," Claire muttered under her breath when everyone cheered. "Are they all waiting for us?"

‎I shifted my gaze to her face, hoping to watch her squirm under the pressure, but instead was captivated by the way moonlight illuminated her lavender hair with an iridescent glow.

‎It was breathtaking. And I momentarily lost the ability to speak. The world could've been burning, and I wouldn't have noticed.

‎"Yes. We are the entertainment."

‎"That's really intimidating," she said, still staring at the crowd.

‎Meanwhile, I was staring at her. At the way the light caught her hair.

‎"Yes," I said, the words dripping from my lips, "it's all very intimidating."

‎Somehow, I forced myself to tear my focus from her and carry out my duties despite everything in me screaming to claim her mouth as mine. To seal the bond between us with a kiss.

‎Step by step, I led us to the raised dais at the front of the ballroom where the rest of my brothers and their sanguine partners stood waiting. Tibitha, the woman I'd been feeding from for the last year stood off to the side next to my second in command, Natalia. Unsurprisingly, she looked miffed that I hadn't told her I selected someone.

‎Claire's hand trembled as I guided her up the stone steps, and my anger wavered.

‎"Are you alright?" I whispered.

‎She nodded once. "Perfectly fine."

‎She wasn't, but I couldn't let that thought ‎consume me.

‎No part of me wanted to cause her physical pain, and I wondered if it was why it was against vampire law to take a mate as a sanguine partner.

‎But I didn't have a choice. I'd have to force ‎myself to drink from Claire in front of an audience because my only other options were death or admitting the truth to Marius, which would destroy everything.

‎The violins played while my brother joined us on the dais. I bowed to him, and Claire, following my lead, curtsied.

‎I tried not to take notice when the swell of her breasts strained against the black lace bodice of her gown as she did.

‎"As all good matches begin, so does the one between my brother, Prince Bastien of House Allard, Lord of Chateau Rose, and Miss Claire Donadieu. With a first bite." He canted his head to the side and grinned coyly. "Or rather, a second, in this case."

‎Soft chuckles sounded from the crowd. Claire's cheeks flushed, and I felt the thrum ‎of her heart beating faster against my chest. Pulsing from the bloodstone I wore on a thin chain around my neck.

‎Ignoring the pull of our bond, I did what tradition demanded and spun Claire in a slow circle before pulling her into my arms. I eased her back into a dip so low that her silver lilac hair brushed the red carpet.

‎I lowered my lips to the soft flesh just below her earlobe, waiting for the change to happen.

‎For my demonic bloodlust to be triggered.

‎For my incisors to drop and my eyes to blacken.

‎But...nothing was happening.

‎