by Bianca Cole
17
Vladimir
“Why the fuck are you summoning me to a meeting?” I ask as I walk into the meeting room in my castle.
My mood has been good for over a week, spending it with the beauty now locked behind my bedroom door. When I got the summons, it angered me. Something isn’t right, and I’m not taking any chances with Rosie.
I call the meetings, always. If Alastair were still here, this never would have happened.
Javid meets my gaze across the room, a faint smile on his lips. That bastard is up to something.
I glance around the room, noticing there are way more vampires here than usual. My rage increases when I notice a couple of them are vampires that have been banned from stepping into my castle ever again. I snap, rushing for them. “What the fuck are they doing here?” I boom, making the table shake with the intensity.
Javid steps in between us, holding his hands up. “They have a right to come to this meeting, Vlad. It’s a contestation to the throne.”
I narrow my eyes at him, grabbing him by the collar. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me that on the summons?” I growl, wanting to rip his head off his scrawny little neck.
He swallows hard. “I’m sorry it was the instruction I was given.”
I let go of him, knowing he has no backbone whatsoever. The coup wasn’t planned by Javid.
Cristian and Florin can’t be serious about contesting me for the throne. They are way too weak. Neither of them could give me a run for my money in a fair fight. I can eat them for fucking breakfast.
“You two intend to challenge me?” I ask grinning.
They both shake their heads, and someone clears their throat behind me. I turn around as Boian steps out of the shadows. “No, I do.”
Bastard.
I stare at the man who used to be my brother. A man who I could trust with my life, and now he wants to stand against me. If there is any vampire that could defeat me, it’s him. “Boian, don’t tell me you are still bent out of shape because I had to stop you two hundred fucking years ago?” I ask, searching his eyes.
“This has nothing to do with that, Vlad.” He steps closer. “Rumors spread like fucking diseases. You of all people should know that.” He nods to a man by the door, and he slams it shut, setting me on edge. “The vampires will not accept a human queen. She must die, and so must you.”
Rage pounds through my veins, as I glare at Javid. He’s supposed to be my advisor, but something tells me I have him to thank for this.
Who else would have spread the rumors about Rosie?
Alastair would have never let something like this happen while he was alive. Grief clutches at my heart as I think about his lifeless face, decapitated and lying at the side of the road.
“That’s a big fucking mistake, Boian.”
He laughs. “No, you’ve made a mistake by falling for a human.” He shakes his head. “Seems like you’ve grown sloppy. I thought you always kept your distance from your blood givers.”
I clench my fists and race for the door, pounding through the wood. It splinters, but as I try to go again, I’m pulled back by five fucking vampires. “Let go of me,” I growl. The need to get to Rosie is driving me.
They are going to take her.
I manage to slip one of the men and rip his head from his shoulders. The four other guys let go of me, jumping away like the cowards they are.
“Cowards, don’t let him go,” Boian shouts as I power through the splintered door, smashing it to pieces. I head out of the door and sprint for my room.
As I make it to the bottom of the stairs, I’m halted by excruciating pain in my head. I hold a hand to it, groaning as I fall to my knees, struggling to stand. I glance up the stairs to see Lilith using her magic to detain me. “Not so fast, Vlad.
I shake my head. “Lilith, not you too.” It feels like my heart has been ripped from my chest. All of my closest allies have turned on me because I care for a human, and my best friend is dead.
There’s a reason I always kept my distance from my blood givers—a reason I always selected men. I always knew emotion would be my downfall, but this isn’t how I expected things to play out at all.
“Yes, Vlad. You’ve lost your ruthlessness ever since you met that human.” She steps closer. “I admired you for it, but your emotion is weakness, and I won’t stand by a vampire who loves a human.”
I growl, barring my fangs. “Bullshit. I’m not weak.”
She laughs. “Love makes anyone weak, Vlad.” She shrugs. “It’s nothing personal, but if you have something to lose, you give the enemy something to take.”
My heart skips a beat as I see a vampire appear with Rosie at the top of the stairs. She’s bound and gagged, making the rage inside of me increase tenfold. I force myself to block out the pain of Lilith’s attack, standing against the strain of her power weighing down on me.
Lilith’s eyes widen as I sprint up the stairs, knocking her out the way.
I knock out the vampire holding Rosie, grabbing her. My rage eases a little the moment she’s in my arms.
Something snapped inside of me the moment I saw that guard holding Rosie. I’m driven with a single need to protect the woman in my arms, but a vampire can’t resist the witch’s powers, particularly one as strong as Lilith. Somehow, I did resist her magic, which should be impossible—weak my ass.
I sprint back to my bedroom, setting Rosie down and then barricading the door with everything and anything I can find.
“Vlad, what is happening?” Rosie asks.
I shake my head. “A coup. I need to get you to safety.”
She glances around. “That might be a bit difficult since we’re stuck in a room on the top floor of a fucking castle.”
I smirk at her and walk toward the bookcase on the right-hand wall. I pull down the book that opens the secret passageway out of my room. “A vampire that has lived as long as I have learned to design a castle with secret exits that only he knows.” I wink at her and then hold my hand out.
She grabs her coat off the bed, wrapping it around her, before taking my hand.
A horrendous crash echoes outside the door, startling me into action. I pull Rosie through quickly, flipping the switch, so it closes behind us.
Rosie opens her mouth, but I hold a hand over it and shake my head. She nods, lacing her hand with mine as we slowly move down the stone staircase. Vampire hearing is good, and we can’t make a sound. If they find out where we are before we reach the exit, we’re both dead.
“What the fuck? Where are they?” Boian shouts, his voice is carrying down the secret corridor behind us. “Search everywhere.”
I speed up, forcing Rosie to run quicker than most humans are used to. It’s only once she tugs on my hand that I realize she can’t hack it.
She shakes her head, trying to catch her breath.
I lift her into my arms and continue the sprint to the dungeon. That’s where this path goes, and then from there, we can take the tunnels into Nottingham.
It was only a matter of time until someone caught on to the fact Rosie is important to me and used it against me. I must admit. I didn’t expect a week with Rosie to culminate in this. Maybe I’ve been more obvious than I thought. The past week has been a whirlwind with Rosie, and I wasn’t exactly careful.
Boian has cause to want me dead. I betrayed him two hundred years ago because he had got out of hand with his massacring of humans. We had been worried he was going to reveal us to the humans with his antics. I don’t think he has ever forgiven me for it.
The coup is his attempt at payback.
“Where are we going?” Rosie whispers as I head down an underground corridor away from my home toward the city.
“Nottingham. I have a place where we can lay low.”
She swallows hard. “Won’t they follow us?”
I shake my head. “They won’t be able to.” I pull a cord as we step into the corridor, and it releases a barrage of rocks in the path, making it impo
ssible for them to follow.
“They want to challenge my rein, and they can, once I’ve got you to safety.”
Her eyes widen. “No, it’s too dangerous. They’ll kill you.” I smile at her, but I’m not convinced they won’t. “They can’t beat me, baby girl, don’t worry about it.” I kiss her lips and then move into a sprint toward my home in Nottingham. No one else knows about the penthouse, and I know she’ll be safe there.
Rosie might be right. They aren’t playing by the rules when it comes to the contestation of the right to rule. It was nothing short of an assassination attempt. My once allies would have murdered Rosie in front of my eyes before slaughtering held back by Lilith’s magic.
Cowards.
Two can play at that game. It looks like we might have to accept Aiden’s invitation to his stupid party after all. In three days, he is holding a ball for the council at his castle.
I need some allies if I’m going to stop them from toppling my rule, and Flynn’s plans hinge on me remaining in power.
It’s a long shot, but it’s the best I’ve got. I need to secure my position to ensure nothing happens to Rosie. She will be my queen, whether my people like it or not.
18
Rosie
I rest under the spray of the warm water, waiting for Vlad to return. He had to leave on an important matter, but I hate being away from him. After the attempted coup two days ago, I’ve been shaken.
We’ve been together the entire time, hiding in this stunning penthouse. Vlad is certain it’s safe since he’s the only person who knows about it.
The sound of the front door opening sends my heart racing.
I suddenly feel the urge to greet him naked, straight out of the shower. It will drive him wild. I smile to myself as I shut off the taps, and step out, still dripping. Vlad has his back turned to me as I walk into the living room. “Hello, sir,” I say, my voice teasing.
Vlad turns around, and I almost jump out of my skin when I see another man standing behind him. His gaze darkens. “Rosie, cover up now,” he growls, glancing at the man.
He smirks. “Oh, don’t be a prude, Vlad.” He tilts his head. “I don’t mind a show.”
Heat pulses through me as I cross my arms over my chest, hiding as best I can. I’m so horrified that I can hardly bring myself to move.
Vlad moves at lightning speed, carrying me back into the bathroom. He pins me against the wall, fingers wrapped around my throat. “What the hell were you thinking?” His eyes are full of dangerous rage.
I lick my bottom lip. “I didn’t know you were bringing someone else here.” “You said you are the only person who knows about this place.” I shake my head. “Considering what happened at the castle, I didn’t expect you to bring anyone else here.” I bite my bottom lip. “I missed you and wanted to show you how much.”
He growls, moving his lips closer to mine. “Get dressed, before I do something we’ll both regret.”
Disappointment twists my stomach, even though there’s some man outside.
“I’ll make sure I punish you thoroughly later.” His fingers leave my throat, and he leaves me to dress.
I get dressed into my loungewear, before heading back out to find out what is going on. Vlad and this other man are chatting in hushed tones, and both fall silent when they see me.
“Rosie, come and meet Alaric. He’s a warlock.”
I raise a brow. “A warlock?” I ask.
Vlad nods. “Yes, come and greet him.” The heat of his gaze is a warning.
I step forward. “Nice to meet you.” I hold my hand out to him. “And, sorry about before.”
His lips quirk into a smirk. “Don’t be sorry. I won’t complain about the view.”
Vlad growls, drawing Alaric’s attention to him.
“I think it’s Vlad you should apologize to by the sounds of it.”
Vlad narrows his eyes, and grabs my hand, leading me toward the sofa. “We’re going to go on a trip.”
“A trip?” I ask.
He nods. “Yes, to America.”
I freeze. “What?”
His brow furrows. “Aiden Jeremiah has invited me to a council party.” He scrubs a hand across the back of his neck. “I’m part of a council designed to bring all species together. Flynn, the fae king, put it together, and it consists of spokespeople from all species, including Rhys Verne.”
Panic coils through me, and I shake my head. “I can’t return to America.” I pull my hand away from him. “I’m sorry I’ll have to stay here.”
Vlad growls softly. “It’s out of the question. I don’t know what you are scared of in America, but believe me, I’ll protect you from anything.”
I look into his eyes, knowing how true that is. He abandoned his castle to save me. He’d give up anything to keep me safe, but an entire country of wolf shifters against Vlad seems like an uneven match.
I’m still wanted by Elias’s back and, in turn, all wolf shifters in North America. The way they are interlinked means they work together to hunt down people who have crossed them. No matter what Elias says, they want me dead.
I bite my bottom lip, not wanting to bring up the subjects revolving around the reason I don’t want to go back in front of a stranger. I’m not even sure I should tell Vlad. His possessive side might snap when I tell him what Neil tried to do. Even though he’s dead, I wouldn’t put it past him to go after the entire pack.
“You will be safe with Vlad, that’s I’m sure of, sweetheart,” Alaric says.
I narrow my eyes at his use of the nickname. “Name is Rosie.”
He laughs, clapping Vlad’s shoulder. “She’s got some fire, hasn’t she?”
Vlad grits his teeth. “Yes, let’s get this over with.” He glares at Alaric. “You will attend the ball tonight at Aiden’s castle too. They’ve offered us all a place to stay the night before we return tomorrow.”
Alaric nods. “Can’t wait. I love parties.”
Vlad stands, pulling me to my feet. His hand remains tight around mine, and I’m surprised when Alaric takes my other hand.
“Is this your first time?” he asks, as I gaze at our entwined hands, noticing Vlad is also holding Alaric’s hand.
“First time for what?”
He smiles. “Brace yourself, Rosie. It can be a bumpy ride.” Suddenly, magic coils around us, consuming the three of us entirely.
It feels like I’m spinning around at breakneck speed, all I can feel is Vlad’s hard, firm grip on my hand. I focus on it, allowing it to ground me. As long as he is by my side, everything will turn out fine.
We touch down outside a vast castle surrounded by huge mountain peaks. It’s down in a valley and utterly beautiful as the sun starts to set, painting the land in a mix of pink and orange.
“Wow, this place is amazing,” I say, staring up at it.
Vlad sets his hand on my waist and nods to Alaric to carry on. “You go ahead. I need to speak to Rosie alone.”
I glance up at him, wondering what he’s going to speak to me about. Once Alaric has disappeared into the distance, he returns his attention to me.
“We are going to have to follow some strict rules there.”
I raise a brow. “What kind of rules?”
He grips my hand. “You will address me as sir, and not speak unless spoken to.”
My eyes narrow. “What?”
“You will act obedient and subservient in public, as I can’t have my reputation as the brutal vampire king ruined amongst these people.”
I set my hands on my hips. “So, I’m your queen, but only when there’s no one else around?”
He sighs heavily, running his fingers through his cropped hair. “Rosie, please work with me on this. I only recently joined the council, and I don’t know if I can trust them.” Vlad tries to kiss me, but I move my mouth, so he kisses my cheek.
“Fine, but I’m not happy about it.” I go to move past him, but he stops me.
“Rosie, you need to walk a step behind me.”
I hate agreeing to his terms, and now this is just getting ridiculous. “Are you fucking serious?” I shake my head. “I thought this council was about bringing the species together, not degrading humans.”
He rolls his eyes. “Okay, you can walk by my side, but not in front of me. Do you understand?”
I grit my teeth and nod, walking in sync with him by his side. It’s not in my nature to blindly obey orders, but somehow I can’t find it in myself to disobey him, no matter how much I want to.
We head up the steps into the grand castle, and a young man greets us. “Vladimir, isn’t it?” He asks.
Vlad grunts, nodding his head.
“Follow me, sir. We have two rooms made up for your party.” He meets my gaze and then glances back at Vlad, clearly concerned that a human is staying with the vampires.
I smile at him in an attempt to put him at ease.
He clears his throat when he notices Vlad glaring at him, and leads the way up the grand staircase to the second floor.
“This is the larger of the two rooms,” he says, turning to Vlad. “The other is just two doors down.” He nods left down the corridor.
Vlad sets his hand across my back and nods. “We’ll take this room.” He glances at Alaric. “You take the other and don’t be a nuisance tonight.
Alaric laughs. “Wouldn’t dream of it, mate.”
He walks off toward his room and disappears.
“Is there anything else I can get you, sir?” He asks.
Vlad shakes his head.
The man glances at me. “Anything you need, miss?”
I smile at him. “No, I’ll be fine, thank you. What’s your name?”
Vlad tenses beside me, and I remember him telling me not to speak to anyone.
He smiles back, relaxing slightly. “Jonathan, miss. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, and you can call me Rosie.”
Vlad growls softly by my side, tightening his grip on my hip.
Jonathan glances at him warily, before nodding. “I will do, Rosie. Enjoy your evening.