Blood Huntress (Ruled by Blood Book 1)

by Izzy Shows

  Another emergency session. Another day, another murder.

  That wasn’t the only thing tying me up in knots right now. Nina was driving me absolutely insane, and yet at the same time providing me with a grounding force with which to think.

  She challenged me in ways I’d never expected but deeply appreciated.

  She also drove me wild with desire that I couldn’t act on because of the promise I’d made to her. I wouldn’t break it, not as long as I lived, but dear God did I wish she’d come to me and give me the permission I so dearly needed.

  Every movement she made only made me want her more. Every look she sent me, partially hidden by her thick lashes, was like a bolt of energy sent straight through me.

  I didn’t know what to do with her, which was why, at the moment, I wasn’t doing anything.

  Other than my job.

  God above, I needed to focus. A Council session was no time to be thinking about Nina.

  “My Lord?”

  I glanced up at the waiting Councilman, who had clearly just finished speaking. I’d missed whatever he’d said.

  “Perhaps our King has too much on his mind to deal with this matter,” Isaiah said, his voice a gentle murmur, but his accusation was a knife that cut through the room.

  I was reminded of what Nina had said the night before: that we shouldn’t waste so much time dancing around one another, talking in circles, trying to decipher what the other meant to say.

  Our sessions would pass much faster if we behaved in the way that Nina saw the world. And yet, I knew that was never to be. It might be something I wished for now, but that was all it would ever be.

  “I assure you, nothing is more important than securing the safety of my people,” I said softly.

  “Not your little pet?” Isaiah asked.

  Ah. At last, we were getting to the point.

  “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “Come now, My Lord.” He smiled slyly. “It’s no secret that you haven’t yet enthralled the young woman. Perhaps this is what’s distracting you from the matter at hand, the matter that is of utmost importance.”

  “If I’m distracted, it’s only because I’m attempting to determine the identity of our killer. This, I promise you.” Liar. “Nothing is more important to me.”

  Another lie.

  When had Nina become so important? I couldn’t tell.

  The session went on, everyone giving voice to their concerns, but no one else accused me outright of not doing my job. There were veiled comments, but that was all they were. No one but Isaiah dared to be so outspoken, and that was because he was the youngest on the Council. He had a lot to learn about the ways of our world. If we had been talking about any other issue, I would have corrected him.

  Now wasn’t the time for that.

  The session concluded, and everyone filed out of the room. Once they were gone, I bit out a curse.

  Alone, I could admit that I had no idea how I was going to end this.

  For the first time in my life, I wished that I’d found my mate. That I had someone I could confide in, could trust implicitly, instead of being surrounded by people playing political games.

  Just one person I could bare my soul to and find some solace in.

  I stalked from the room and made my way to my mother’s chambers. She was the closest I could get to a confidant. Even she played games, I could at least tell her more than I could anyone else.

  She opened the door to my knock, a pleasant smile on her face.

  “Darling! Do come in,” she said, stepping to one side to allow me entrance to the room.

  As soon as I was inside and the door was shut, her face fell.

  “Oh, sweetheart.” She wrapped her arms around me, and I allowed myself the boyish reaction of finding comfort in my mother’s arms.

  How I yearned for the days when all I’d had to worry about was whether or not my mother was upset with me.

  Simpler times.

  She stepped back, and I took a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs. She sat on another, beside me.

  She shook her head. “I’m so very worried for you, darling.”

  I tried for a confident smile. “I have everything under control, Mother.”

  “But you don’t! You have no mate, no heir, and now these killings. And what if whoever it is comes after you next?”

  Leave it to my mother to be more concerned about my lack of a mate than anything else.

  I would never tell her that I’d just been thinking about wanting a mate. She’d never let me hear the end of it, and she’d start planning the balls at which I’d meet eligible women.

  We had no time for that.

  The Council would have my head if I distracted everyone like that.

  Actually, they probably wouldn’t. A distraction of that nature would help to soothe the nerves of my people and allow them a feeling of normality. Not to mention that everyone would be overjoyed to have a Queen. And with a mate would come an heir, a secure line.

  They’d have less to worry about.

  So, no, I didn’t think the Council would have a problem with that.

  Which was exactly why I needed to keep those thoughts to myself. While they might be pleased, I didn’t dare waste my time that way when I needed to catch a killer.

  “No one’s going to come after me,” I said.

  “But if they do, what are we all to do then?” She shook her head. “You need a mate, Grayson. God forbid anything should happen to you. I don’t know what I’d do with myself, but...”

  But if I died without an heir, the entire vampire line would end.

  Maybe I was being selfish, but I couldn’t handle all of that right now. Having a mate would help me, but trying to find one now would not.

  “We’ve been over this, Mother. Now is not the time.”

  “And why not?”

  “Because I have more important matters to attend to.”

  “What could possibly be more important than securing the lives of your people?” she snapped, frowning fiercely at me.

  She had me there. The safety of my people was paramount, and my having an heir did rank a tad higher than a few murders. Not to me, but to others.

  It wasn’t like I could force a mating, though. That was out of my hands entirely.

  “Mother, you know how I feel about this.”

  “But do you understand how everyone else feels? Every day that goes by, we all feel the stress a little more. This is your duty. If things had gone the way they were supposed to, you would have mated before you took the throne, but alas, that didn’t happen.”

  I grimaced. No, it hadn’t. And that again was my fault. I’d rebuked my mother again and again when she’d brought it up while I was young, and now there wasn’t time for it.

  Not that I was overly eager for it to happen.

  Yes, having a mate would mean having a confidant, but it would also mean stronger restrictions on my freedom. There would be no more late-night runs through the city.

  No more nights with Alex, laughing in carefree abandon.

  Everything would become about her, about my mate.

  Everyone said it was because your mate was the most important thing in your life, but I didn’t see how your priorities could shift so suddenly after meeting someone.

  It wasn’t in my nature; of that I was certain.

  No, I didn’t want a mate. Not really. I just wanted to be myself.

  “Darling...” My mother took in a deep breath. “Have you considered the alternative, if you don’t take a mate?”

  I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  There was real concern in her eyes. “I know you’re doing everything you can to keep everyone safe, but we both know that isn’t how the Council sees it. We both know that they’re...that they want to...”

  She couldn’t say it.

  “They want to be rid of me,” I said, finishing the sentence for her.

  She grimaced. “That. While you can�
��t ever be removed as King, they can take control. You wouldn’t really be in charge anymore. They would force you to take a mate, to produce an heir to continue the line. You would be nothing more than...than...”

  A prize bull, used for breeding then tossed aside.

  I’d be nothing, if that were to happen.

  They would take Nina from me.

  The ferocity that swept through me at that thought terrified me. That I might care more about that than the loss of my throne...

  No, no, that couldn’t be. I squashed the thought and the feelings that came with it with an iron fist.

  “I won’t let that happen,” I swore. “Never.”

  She reached out and clasped my hand. “I don’t want to see that happen, son. I want what’s best for you—and what’s best for you is to take a mate as soon as you can.”

  I dropped her hand and stood up, shaking my head. “Why don’t we sort this situation out first, then we can revisit this conversation?”

  She smiled tightly, and I knew this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

  “All right, dear.”

  This hadn’t been the comforting conversation I’d come for.

  22

  Nina

  Sitting in the suite was doing me no good at all.

  All I could think about was that confusing interaction with Grayson. It kept going round and round in my head, and I needed to do something to get rid of it.

  Without a thought as to where I was headed, I left the suite.

  Walking would be good enough to get my blood moving. It would give me at least something to do.

  I tried not to think too much, but my mind kept straying back to him. To the way he’d looked at me, as if I was something precious.

  I’d never been precious to anyone except my abuelita. She’d loved me so much, but that obviously wasn’t the same. Everyone thinks their granddaughter is precious, especially when she’s six.

  Grayson looked at me as if I was his treasure, when I was so used to being a weapon of war.

  Not for the first time, I felt a pang of regret that he didn’t know who or what I really was. If he ever found out, he’d never be able to reconcile the two thoughts.

  I couldn’t be a treasure and a weapon at the same time.

  Besides, he’d hate me.

  That was so obvious…

  As lost in my thoughts as I was, I almost didn’t notice the group of six vampires headed my way. At the last minute, I tried to skirt to the side. They hadn’t seemed to notice me, either, but one of them knocked into me regardless.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” I said immediately, keeping my head down. I was starting to get the hang of this ‘demure’ thing.

  “No, no, I’m sorry,” the only woman in the group said, laughing. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  “Why would you?” one of the men snorted. “Everyone moves out of their way for you.”

  “And the poor girl did try,” she said.

  I looked up at her to find her staring inquisitively at me.

  “What’s your name, dear?”

  “Nina, ma’am.”

  “I’m Liliana. Nina, you said?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh. You must be the King’s little pet, then.” She beamed, clearly proud of herself for making the connection.

  I forced a smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

  I didn’t like being referred to as a pet, but it was clear that this woman outranked the rest of the vampires present, and beyond a shadow of a doubt she outranked me.

  It would be best if I didn’t aggravate her.

  “You could give us an interesting take on our current conversation.”

  “She could?” another of the men asked in a rather affronted tone.

  “Of course!”

  I tried not to let my apprehension show. “What conversation?”

  “We were discussing the position of thralls in the court. Since you’re are a thrall, and the thrall of the King, you can see why your perspective would be interesting.”

  If I hadn’t been uncomfortable before, I was definitely uncomfortable now.

  I wanted to excuse myself and go back to the suite where it was relatively safe, but I knew I couldn’t bow out of the conversation now that I’d been invited in.

  Besides, this was clearly unprecedented. The other vampires looked rather uncertain whether or not they should be speaking with me, and even Alex had said that he never talked to thralls.

  This Liliana woman had to be rather eccentric if she’d made such a decision, and she was clearly important enough that the others would defer to her.

  “Well, what do you think, Nina?” she prodded me.

  I realized she’d been waiting for me to speak this entire time.

  “Ah, right.” I looked down at the floor. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I think thralls are an integral part of the court’s ecosystem, and they deserve more respect. Things wouldn’t go on as smoothly as they do without the thralls, and it’s important to recognize that.”

  One of the men scoffed, the same one who’d been surprised when Liliana invited me into the conversation.

  “Oh, don’t mind Aaron. He’s just a stuffy old Councilman.”

  My nerves hit me then. Speaking with the nobility was one thing, but openly discussing politics with someone who was actually on the Council? That felt like a recipe for disaster. Especially when I considered my position.

  I was Grayson’s thrall. In many ways, I represented him. I could get him into a lot of trouble, I realized with a sinking feeling.

  “It doesn’t make sense to me,” Aaron said. “Thralls are little more than servants, if that. They’re just a food source, don’t you agree?”

  He was looking right at me, clearly expecting me to defer to him.

  Instead, I lifted an eyebrow. “Well, wouldn’t you agree that vampires have already recognized thralls as an intelligent species, given that you’ve developed a method of consent-based feeding?”

  He frowned. “Yes...”

  I smiled broadly at him. “Now that we’ve established that, we can all agree that an intelligent species deserves the same basic rights as any other—and respect should be one of those rights.”

  Aaron’s lips twitched. I got the distinct impression that he wanted to smile, but his pride wouldn’t allow it.

  Had I won him over? I hoped so. I didn’t want him to think poorly of Grayson because of what I’d said, but I felt that having a thrall who could hold her own in a political conversation was a pretty good reflection of Grayson.

  Right?

  “I do appreciate your candor, Nina,” Liliana said. “I was quite right—’your perspective was so enlightening. Now, I’m sorry, but we must be on our way.”

  “Of course,” I said. I dipped into a low curtsy and then moved out of the way.

  I hid a grin, looking down at the floor as I walked away.

  I felt rather accomplished after that conversation.

  Hopefully, I hadn’t messed up.

  23

  Nina

  A genuine smile graced my features as I looked at the other thralls. We were in the bathing area, though no one was actually bathing. We were all dressed, sitting at the edge of the giant pool that served as a communal tub, with our feet in the water.

  It was a relaxing atmosphere, one that I would never have thought I’d be a part of.

  The thralls were actually kind to me now. They talked to me.

  Weeks had gone by since my first hunt within the walls of the castle, and with each day I’d grown a little closer to the other women. Learning about them, finding out what they liked, what they were passionate about.

  I actually liked them. For who they were, for the company they provided.

  I’d never had friends before, but I was starting to think I might actually have some now.

  “You’re never going to believe what Byron said the other night,” Charity said, interrupting the quiet.

  Pleas
ant silence, not the kind brought about by the fear of speaking your mind, or by that awkward feeling when you don’t entirely know the people you’re with.

  “What?” I was the first to ask, with a big grin on my face.

  “Oh, I really shouldn’t say.” She giggled, ducking her head to hide an impish grin.

  “Don’t you dare do that! You tell us right now.”

  “Well, it was more of an ask than a tell, really.” She lifted her head to look at us again.

  “Soooooo?”

  She bit her lip. “He asked me to dress up like one of the vampires.”

  “A specific vampire?”

  She bobbed her head, grinning fiercely now.

  “Who!” Alyssa demanded, leaning forward.

  “I can’t tell, I really can’t!” Charity started to giggle, and then everyone else joined in.

  The girlish laughter echoed off the bath chamber walls.

  I’d never felt so at peace.

  And then abruptly everyone stopped laughing, and it was just me for a moment. I swallowed my laughter, looking around to see what had stopped everyone else.

  Grayson was standing in the doorway.

  I paled. What was he doing here? This was a place where only the thralls came.

  No one else had ever come here.

  His face was an empty mask, with no emotion to be found, but his piercing eyes were trained on me. My body responded immediately, parts of me hollowing that I’d only become aware of since I saw Grayson that first night on the rooftop.

  What was wrong with me?

  “Would you accompany me, Nina?” he asked.

  That earned me some pointed looks from the other thralls—those who dared, anyway.

  He asked me, he didn’t command me. I knew that was a bone of contention with the other thralls, but they seemed to forgive me for it now.

  I stood without responding and padded over to him.

  He offered me his arm, and I looped mine through it. He led me from the room, and silence followed us.

  Neither of us spoke, but as soon as we were alone in the hallway, his demeanor changed. He was agitated. Every step he took, every inhale spoke of an aggravation I couldn’t figure out.