by Anna Santos
With a shrug, Jade scanned the club for a safe place to stay out of sight while her friend went to flirt and try to find a sexy vampire willing to adopt her. She chose the darkest corner, away from the crowd of dancing bodies and humans desperate for some attention. The scariest of the supporters had a picture of one of the vampires—Seth—on their chest like some kind of treasure. Of course, he was gorgeous and famous. Of course, they would only pick the dazzling undead to be the main attraction in the show. There was no point in choosing ugly and old-looking vampires. It wouldn't sell, and people wouldn't line up to be chosen.
The show had seven vampires, each one known for being a singer, an actor, or just a famous socialite. Seth was the most famous of them all because he had once been the lead singer in some boy band. She wasn't sure anymore which because it's been awhile since he was famous for his vocals. Now he was well-known for doing low-budget movies and for being a hot vamp. He was going by the name of ‘Seth’ for the last few decades, with his perfect curly hair and deep blue eyes.
Since Jade wasn't remotely interested in being turned or a vampire pet, she didn't need to worry about looking pretty when she got dressed to come here. She was just fine in her pink tank top and her blue pair of skinny jeans. Actually, the last thing she wanted was to catch the attention of one of these men. After the selection, she could go back home and resume her quiet existence.
Jade massaged her temples with all the screaming and colorful lights. Meanwhile, Jenna was nowhere to be found. She was probably making out with one of those creepy cold bloodsuckers. The thought made her cringe. The whole idea of exchanging saliva with a being that drank blood was all but appealing.
Someone cleared their throat behind her. "Excuse me."
It was a man's voice, and it scared the crap out of her.
Startled, she jumped and held her hands to her chest while her heart raced and almost beat out of her chest. She thought she was all alone and safe from danger. So, how could someone be there? There was a wall behind her!
"You are in my way," the man said as Jade turned around and saw an open door behind the guy.
She could have sworn the door wasn't there before. Her vision narrowed on the guy in front of her. Her face was just in front of his chest—a rather sculptured and interesting chest. He was wearing a black cotton sweater that molded his ripped torso perfectly. He even smelled nice, probably because of some ridiculously expensive men's cologne.
"So"—the guy sighed with impatience—"are you moving?"
Jade blushed for acting so silly and standing like a statue in front of him. Finding her voice, she apologized, only to lose her voice again when she perceived his serious face—his heavenly, gorgeous, and breathless face with a stunning pair of piercing blue eyes. Her mouth went dry and her palms perspired as she moved to one side to let him pass. Then she noticed his messily styled, shiny, raven hair, making him appear even sexier. He might be gorgeous but he was also rude and grumpy.
He didn't even give her a second glance or thank her.
"Annoying human groupies," he growled between his teeth and moved forward, leaving behind a trail of woody, herbal, and fruity notes caressing the air she was breathing.
Because of his words, she instantly understood what he was. Her fascination quickly dissipated. There it was: the arrogance and the rudeness. He could be attractive, but he was an asshole. He was probably late to find some blonde chick so he could have his late night snack. She chased away her urge to gag.
Jade didn't have time to make any more assumptions because a cute little teen girl with golden locks came out from the same hidden entrance. She was pretty, but had a really odd taste in clothes. The girl looked like a cartoon character straight out of a manga in her short, black Victorian doll dress and a magician’s hate. Lace gloved covered her hands, completing the outfit. However, unlike Mr. Rude from earlier, she shot Jade a smile and winked with a happy giggle.
The door closed with a swift movement and all that was left was the wall. It had to be a secret passage of some sort.
Jade sighed deeply. She had no peace there. She couldn’t even be safe in some faraway corner without a vampire showing up and creeping her out! She leaned back and took out her phone, distracting herself. Despite her efforts to keep a low profile, some guys came up to her, asking her to dance or offering her drinks. She refused everything, more interested in knowing when Jenna would show up so they could leave. Sometimes, she browsed the crowd, looking for her best friend. However, she knew that she had to wait for the selection to end for Jenna to want to leave this place.
"Hi," a male voice said, trying to get her attention.
Without taking her eyes off the game she was playing on her phone, she replied loud enough for him to hear, “I’m not interested.”
"I just need you to move so I can go inside," he said, making Jade raise her eyes from her screen and look at him.
It was the same rude vamp again. For a few seconds, it was hard for her to move her gaze away from his. She had seen him around, not very far from the place he had crawled out of. He had been talking with people in the VIP area. He didn't seem to want to be there. It was something that they had in common, but it didn't make him less of a jerk. The proof was in the way he was now staring at her as if she was an inconvenience.
"I'm not even near the door," she muttered, looking sideways to a couple that was obstructing his secret door.
"The panel to open the door is behind you," he explained, moving forward to reach for it. Jade retreated, panicked by the closeness.
"Personal space," she complained and tried to evade the touch of his arm. The last thing she wanted was to be touched by a bloodsucking monster.
"Why do you smell so good?" he whispered close to her ear, sending unwelcome shivers down her spine. Listening to such words from a vampire wasn’t on her bucket list. She could feel his presence and she was sure that there was no panel behind her because she didn't hear the door opening.
"What's your name?" he asked, backing away.
"Again," she said, picking up the courage to face him. "I'm not interested. Now could you move so I can leave?"
He narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth. Jade gulped, unsure if he was going to do something to hurt her. Vampires were unpredictable, and she had just wounded his enormous ego—she was sure of it.
Seconds later, he touched his ear and smirked like a sexy demon. "We'll talk later, Jade. Don't go too far."
Her blood fled from her face once her name left his mouth. He touched his phone and the door opened. The people around them moved so he could enter, and Jade ran from where she was to look for Jenna.
Half an hour later, she was still feeling uncomfortable with the fact that a vampire knew her name and had shown an interest in her. Meanwhile, Jenna was nowhere to be found and the amount of people inside that place was making Jade feel claustrophobic.
Suddenly, a loud squealing sound of a mic made everybody shut up for a while. It was time for the show. Young women and men would be picked and taken by their new vampire masters. The host—a vampire man—would go to the stage area and read out names or point at the crowd. Some screaming and hysterical members of the audience would be thrilled to become a vampire’s snack and have a shot at convincing one to turn them. Nothing new about that scenario.
It was a clever idea. She had to give them credit, to the vampires, not the humans. They didn't need to hunt for food. Food walked straight through their front door and begged them to be eaten. They even profited with the money people paid to get in and the revenue from the show that was broadcasted live to the entire country every Sunday night. Only in sponsorship, the reality show earned a crazy amount of money, making it one of the most popular and seen programs in the world! Crazy, right?
Jade always got sick when thinking about it. At least, deaths by vampire attacks were diminishing and the vampire population was under control because it was rare for them to actually turn someone. They just used the show a
s bait to make people donate their bodies and their blood willingly with a smile on their lips for a vague promise of immortality.
As expected, after a lot of talking and the drama with vampires saying goodbye to the older pets, the show’s host began to pair new humans, by calling their names, with the vampires who were waiting on stage. It was normally the same vampires every week, and every week they left with someone new.
When the chosen girls were brought to the stage, they hugged each other like best friends and screamed and jumped like they had just won the Miss Universe Pageant.
This night was a complete waste of time. Jade had better things to do. She didn't even watch this show on TV! How did she get convinced by Jenna to come here? Right, Jenna had promised to take Stevie to school for a whole month. At least, it was almost over and she could go home.
"And now, the sponsor of this party will pick one of you to spend an entire week with him and maybe turn you into his beloved. You heard me right! His beloved! Our famous bachelor is looking for a companion for an eternity! You can be the lucky one," the show’s host happily informed, pointing a finger at the crowd and making girls release shrieks of excitement.
More propaganda and more empty promises of some new vampire added to the team. Jade stared at the stage, impatient, almost becoming deaf with the screams and shouts the girls were producing so the eligible vampire bachelor would pick them.
"Did you hear that?" Jenna mysteriously appeared next to Jade, gripping her arm tightly while jumping in her tiny sexy red dress and making her hair bounce up and down together with her boobs. Jenna was pretty and blonde, maybe she would get picked and would stop getting Jade into trouble and inside parties like this one. But then Jade would miss her best friend!
"We can still be picked!" Jenna said enthusiastically, and Jade stared at her with a grumpy face.
"I'm not blonde and I don't want to be picked. I'm here against my will."
"Oh, stop being such an old lady and have fun!"
Jade was going to answer her, but something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. On the stage, a tall, black-haired vampire stepped forward and with his blue, piercing eyes and stared coldly at the crowd. Jade's heart almost stopped in her chest when she recognized him as the one who tried to seduce her and scared her senseless by knowing her name. If he was the sponsor of the party that meant the nightclub was his and that was why he had a secret doorway in the wall.
Something inside her stomach clenched at the idea that he was going to be part of that freak show.
Jade had no idea she was staring fixedly at him until Jenna talked into her ear. "He's hot, isn't he? This is so exciting!"
Jenna shook Jade, making her dizzy.
"I really want to go back home," she mumbled, noticing how his arrival had made everybody go quiet, waiting for him to speak.
Meanwhile, on the stage, the vampire looked intimidating. He was really serious, manipulating the suspense of who was going to be his victim. His eyes scanned the crowd, once, twice. Many girls were holding their breaths while Jade tried to free her arm from Jenna's hold. She was hurting her.
"This is stupid! I'm leaving," Jade said between her teeth and pushed Jenna away.
She was about to leave when she heard a creepy and authoritative voice say, "You!"
The vampire had picked his new prey. She couldn’t care less about who the poor bastard was. She just sighed, bit her nail, and stared at Jenna.
"Can we go now?"
However, Jenna was really quiet and serious as if in shock. When Jade looked at the silent crowd, a bunch of people were staring at them both. It was not just her impression, they were really staring at them.
"Me?" Jenna asked, suddenly shy. She was clearly looking at and talking to the vampire.
Her breath caught in her throat as she became static. She was losing her best friend to a vampire! What horrors would she experience in his company?
"No!" The vampire's answer sounded like a lightning bolt hitting the ground. "You," he said with a renewed strong and powerful voice, which made Jenna stare at Jade, and Jade stare at the stage, noticing his finger pointing in her direction.
Was he choosing her? No way! He had to be kidding. Was that a sick joke?
"Come again?" Jade asked, swallowing hard and feeling the ground disappearing under her feet.
"And here you have it folks, the girl has been chosen," the host said, sharing the good news with the rest.
Everybody cheered around them. The music started playing again, and Jade's ability to breathe was suspended while she was staring at the vampire in horror.
"Go get her!" the vampire ordered, and the spotlights of the cameras followed the two big, strong men in expensive, grey, Italian suits. They were probably his bodyguards.
"But I'm not even a cute blonde!" Jade complained, not believing in what was happening to her. She didn't have any time to think about it because the duo held her up by the arms and took her to their master.
More About The Author
Anna Santos is a Bestselling Author in Paranormal Romance.
Anna always keeps her readers on their toes with her adrenaline-fueled adventures, suspense-filled cliffhangers, and romantic scenes.
When she isn't writing, Anna is considering plot twists for her next novel or delving into the world of her favorite authors. She loves superheroes, and she’s a geek at heart. She grew up watching Star Wars and plotting a way to become a Ninja. She has a fascination for Chinese Kung Fu movies and cherry blossom flowers.
She also enjoys writing poetry, watching a good movie, and spending time with her husband and family.
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CONTENTS
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Chapter One—AND THE QUEST FOR THE TRUTH BEGINS
Chapter Two—LOOKING FOR JESSIE
Chapter Three—TRACKING DOWN MYRA
Chapter Four—ALPHA DEREK
Chapter Five—INSIDE HIS DREAMS
Chapter SIx—DEALS, POTIONS, AND BABIES
Chapter Seven—VARIABLES
Chapter Eight—PUNISHMENT
Chapter Nine—POTIONS, TRACKERS, AND TRICKS
Chapter TEN—THE REAL PLAN
Chapter Eleven—TRAPPED
Chapter Twelve—TRACKING
Chapter Thirteen—TWISTED
Chapter Fourteen—THE FACE TO FACE
Chapter Fifteen—OBSESSION
Chapter Sixteen—INFILTRATION
Chapter Seventeen—THE RITUAL
Chapter Eighteen—INVASION
Chapter Nineteen—RESCUE TEAM
Chapter Twenty—BREAD CRUMBS
Chapter Twenty-One—BETRAYAL
Chapter Twenty-Two—THE EXPLOSION
Chapter Twenty-Three—NEW BEGINNINGS
Chapter Twenty-Four—BONDING
EPILOGUE—KARMA
COMING SOON—SHATTERED
PREVIEW—HIS BELOVED
More About The Author
CONTENTS