Dark Prince: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 1)

by Michelle Hercules

  “He started it.” The scrawniest of the bunch points at me.

  Are you fucking kidding me?

  Derek tries to level me with a glare but fails. Unlike the jackasses running away with their tails in between their legs, I’m not afraid of him.

  “Lucca Della Morte. Back for less than twenty-four hours and already looking for trouble.”

  “It will take me more than a day to get used to this new reality,” I reply through clenched teeth.

  “I guess you haven’t spoken to the king yet.” Derek reaches for the glass of whiskey his bartender set for him on the counter.

  “No.”

  “I don’t think you should be socializing with your peers until you have had time to adjust.” He takes a sip of his drink.

  “Those assholes are not my peers,” I grit out.

  “They are now.” Derek switches his attention to my right shoulder. “Including the one who sent you to early hibernation.”

  Boone. The vampire’s bane wound I sustained weakened me to the point that I had to hibernate before I was due. Fuck. If I cross paths with him, there’s no truce or punishment that can keep me from ripping his heart out.

  “We’ll see about that.” I begin to turn, but Derek grabs my arm.

  “Lucca, I’m not kidding. You can’t put your need for revenge above everything else. You’ve been sleeping for too long. You don’t know what’s at stake.”

  A low growl comes from deep in my throat. In an instant, Derek lets go of me and takes a step back.

  “The next time you touch me, you’ll lose a limb,” I warn.

  Seething, I whirl around. Derek doesn’t know how close he was to tasting my wrath.

  A barely clad human, drunk out of her mind, throws herself in my arms. Without a thought, I wrap my arm around her waist and sink my teeth hard into the soft skin of her neck. She whimpers as I feed without finesse or care. She’ll have a massive bruise tomorrow. When I hear her heartbeat slow to alarming levels, I pull back and toss her aside.

  She staggers on her high heels, but I don’t wait to see if she remains standing or not. I’m too angry to care about the fate of blood whores.

  “Lucca, where are you going?” Saxon keeps in stride with me.

  “I don’t know. I can’t be here.”

  Then, I hear it—the sound of her scream. The little thief. My prey. She didn’t run away as fast as she should have, and now, someone else has gotten her.

  Not for long.

  5

  Vivienne

  Oh my God. Oh my God.

  I can’t run out of that VIP room fast enough. My heart is racing at breakneck speed, and my pulse is pounding in my ears. I should have never trusted that damn dragon-shifter. He said vampire’s bane would work on a Blueblood. He clearly lied. The poison’s effect didn’t even last a minute.

  My vision is blurry, thanks to the tears forming in my eyes, so I can’t see shit besides the shapes of moving bodies. I push people out of my way while I fight the panic attack that’s just around the corner. I can’t have one here, surrounded by the enemy.

  Thanks to a miracle, Lucca let me go, but he might change his mind.

  My breathing is coming out in bursts by the time I finally spot the exit. I make a beeline for it, but strong hands grab my arms and pull me into a dark corner.

  “There, there, little lamb. Where are you going in such a hurry?” a vampire reeking of decay whispers close to my face.

  What the hell? Lucca didn’t smell like this guy. His scent was surprisingly intoxicating. Not this male. He stinks of death.

  “Let me go!” I try to break free from his grasp.

  He laughs. “Oh, are you going to put up a fight? Even better. I like when my snack struggles. It makes their blood taste so much sweeter.”

  His nails dig into my arms, drawing blood. I scream from the top of my lungs, hoping someone here will care to intervene. Roughly, he turns me around, pushing me against the wall, and then he covers my mouth as he presses his body against mine. I scream and fight while terror grips my insides. This is just like the horrible night six years ago.

  I hear nothing now besides the monster’s evil laughter as he cups my breast. The vampire my mother sold me to also wanted more than to drink my blood. Bile pools in my mouth, but I don’t think puking all over this vampire will deter him.

  His fangs graze my neck while his hand is now under my skirt. I’m dizzy, and I can’t feel my legs anymore. If I pass out, it will make things easier for him. I can’t go down without a fight. I stop trying to push him away; instead, I try to find something in my vicinity that I can use. When my fingers brush an empty glass on top of a table, I summon all the strength I have left to crash the object against the bloodsucker’s skull.

  He releases me at once, clutching the side of his head. When he pulls his hand from the wound, it reveals blood coming out of a gash. He stares at his bloody fingers for a second before he turns his red eyes at me. “You filthy blood whore. You’ll pay for this.”

  He raises his clawed hand, ready to strike, when someone shoves him to the side. It takes me a moment to recognize my savior.

  It’s Lucca.

  He’s standing not too far from me, menacing, glorious, deadly. I should flee, but my legs won’t obey the command. His eyes are also glowing red, but he’s not aiming his fury at me this time. He’s staring at the awful vampire who is now staggering back to his feet.

  “Boone,” Lucca says, his tone dripping with hatred.

  “Lucca. Long time no see.” He straightens his jacket as if he were talking with someone of no consequence.

  “If you’re smart, you’ll leave right this second,” the female Blueblood with Lucca says.

  Boone laughs. “Leave? Why? I just got here, and you interrupted my fun.” He glances in my direction, licking his lips.

  Lucca takes a step forward, aggression rolling out in waves from him. His intention is clear. Two Bluebloods are about to come to blows, and I’m standing here, like an idiot. Another vampire joins Lucca; it’s the friend who prevented my escape earlier.

  “It’s four against one, Boone. Don’t be fucking stupid. Get out of here. We can’t kill you, but we can kick your ass.”

  Finally, I snap out of my paralysis. When Lucca gets rid of Boone, he’s going to come after me. There’s no way he has forgotten what I did to him. I take a step to the side, slowly slinking away from the scene even though I want to see Boone pay for what he tried to do to me. But not at the cost of my life.

  My heart is still drumming away in my chest, and even when I finally make it outside the club, it doesn’t calm down. There’s a line of people waiting to get in, mostly stupid humans who are more than happy to be vampire snack.

  Dumbasses.

  I stride away from the place, hoping to find a cab. It’s not until a block later that I sense someone is following me. Fuck. I increase my pace but don’t look back. I wish I had brought my phone, so I could call an Uber. But I was too terrified to bring a purse or anything that could be traced back to me. I didn’t even bring my ID.

  Suddenly, I can’t hear my stalker anymore. I finally dare to look over my shoulder, finding no one behind me. What the hell? Did I imagine being followed? Still confused, I turn a corner, colliding with a massive body made of steel.

  I open my mouth to yell, but the stranger waves his hand in front of my face, and the fear disappears.

  “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  He’s tall, way over six feet, and broad-shouldered. His hair and close-cropped beard are gray, but his eyes are dark red, almost black.

  Shit, another vampire. Why are they all over me when there are dozens of willing humans back in the club?

  “What do you want?”

  “A word.”

  “Okay,” I reply calmly.

  He must have put me in a trance of some sort. I never knew vampires could thrall humans. The knowledge should make me more terrified, but I’m still as cool as a
cucumber.

  “Did you get the necklace?”

  Ah fuck. This guy works for Larsson.

  “No. The vampire’s bane didn’t work. It wasn’t my fault. Please don’t hurt my brother.”

  Vivi, you almost died, you’re standing in front of a vampire who’s messing with your head, and you’re begging for Rikkon’s life? How stupid are you?

  “I’m here to give you another chance to get close to Lucca Della Morte. Now that he’s awake, he must enroll at Bloodstone Institute. You’ll also join.”

  A bubble of panic breaks through the vampire’s spell. “That’s a training school for vampires. I can’t go there.”

  “No, you can’t go as a human. That’s obvious. Lucca will tear you to shreds if he sees you again.”

  I swallow the Texas-sized lump in my throat. “You’re not going to turn me, are you? I don’t want to become a bloodsucker.” My voice rises to a shrill, echoing in the empty street.

  “I’m not going to turn you. You’re going to pretend to be one of us.”

  “How?”

  “Drink this.” He hands over a glass vial with a dark liquid inside.

  “What is it?” I shake the container, sloshing the substance that looks a lot like blood.

  “A witch’s potion that will make you look and smell like a vampire.”

  My eyes widen. “Will I get fangs?”

  “Yes. But it will be all an illusion. You won’t need to drink blood, and you can still walk in the sun.”

  I curl my fingers tighter around the small container. “How long does it last?”

  “I was told a month, but that can vary. I’d err on the side of caution and not take more than three weeks to complete your task.”

  Staring at the witch’s potion, I can’t believe I’m seriously considering this.

  “What if I refuse?” I ask. “Will Larsson really kill my brother?”

  “Can’t say, but he’s definitely coming after you.”

  “Whatever for? I didn’t do anything to him.”

  “You did. You failed to steal Lucca’s necklace tonight. And dragons never forget.”

  “So, my only two options are death by dragon or death by vampire. Great.”

  “Don’t be so pessimistic. If you do everything right, no one has to die.”

  I open my mouth to offer a retort, but he goes up in black smoke and vanishes into the night.

  6

  Vivienne

  I’m still on edge when I finally make it back to the trailer park. Therefore, when I see a shadowy figure sitting on my front steps, my first instinct is to flee.

  “Vivi?” Karl calls my name.

  Pressing a hand over my chest, I walk over. “Damn it, Karl. You scared me to death. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to check on you. I felt like a douche for letting you go into Ember Emporium alone. I was worried.”

  “As you can see, I’m in one piece.” I lift a potted plant next to the steps and fish out my keys.

  “You know that’s not a very smart hiding place, right?” He stands up, letting me get to the door.

  “I know.”

  “Where’s your brother?”

  “Still detained by Larsson.”

  “And?” Karl presses.

  “And nothing. Larsson wanted money to let Rikkon go free. I told him I didn’t have any. Now, Rikkon has to work for the dragon kingpin until his debt is paid.”

  Wow, I can’t believe I lied like that without blinking. But Karl is watching me through slits. I’m not sure if he bought my story. I look away first, unable to withstand his probing stare.

  Once inside, I turn around. Karl has his hands in his pockets, but he doesn’t make a motion to follow me in. There’s obvious tension between us now, and I put it there.

  “Is Cheryl still mad at me?” I ask to change the subject. I don’t want Karl to keep asking me about Rikkon.

  “Yes, but she’ll get over it.”

  “And you?”

  He doesn’t answer for a couple of beats, and his silence says it all. There’s a new tightness in my chest that has nothing to do with fear of what I must do. Karl, Cheryl, and Vaughn are like family, and the idea that I’m going to lose them because of one of my brother’s mistakes kills me.

  “I’m not mad at you, Vivi. I’m disappointed.”

  I laugh without humor. “That’s almost worse.”

  “Not at you,” he amends. “At life in general.”

  “I see. Well, I’m disappointed too. I was looking forward to the Battle of the Bands despite what Cheryl said about me using my brother as an excuse.”

  “I know you were.” He takes a deep breath, glancing at the sky for a second. “I didn’t only come here to check on you.”

  “Oh?”

  He meets my stare again with pained eyes. “We’ve decided to take a break from Nocturnal.”

  And just like that, my only glimmer of hope is crushed under the moonlight. “Because of me?”

  Shaking his head, he stares at the yellowed grass on the ground. “No. Not because of you. Something unexpected came up, and I won’t have time to practice or perform for a while.”

  It’s clear that Karl doesn’t want to share what that something is. I don’t push. He’s entitled to his secrets, just like I’m entitled to mine.

  “Will I still see you?” I ask in a small voice. I don’t even know if I’ll survive my sting at Bloodstone Institute.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe not for a while.”

  I nod once, swallowing hard. As sad as I am to lose his company, this couldn’t have happened at a better time. Now, I don’t have to explain my absence.

  “I’d better get going. It’s late,” he says.

  He turns to leave, but I can’t let him go like that. I run to him, jumping into his arms. He crushes me into a bear hug while I press my face against his chest.

  “I’ll miss you,” I say.

  He kisses the top of my head. “I’ll miss you too, Vivi.” We pull away after a moment, and then he pushes a strand of my hair to the side. “Take care, little sis.”

  My eyes fill with tears. Karl has always been my brother of the heart, but I didn’t know he felt the same way about me. When he walks away and disappears into the night, my tears fall freely down my cheeks.

  “Take care, big brother.”

  A thick black envelope is waiting for me on my steps the next morning. There’s no sender’s address, only my name written with silver ink and in cursive. Apprehension drips down my spine as the feeling of doom hangs over my head. I close the door quickly, forgetting already where I was going to go a minute ago.

  Like a coward, I set the envelope on my kitchen counter and stare at it, almost afraid it’s going to turn into some nightmarish creature. After a minute of being paralyzed by fear, I finally dare to open the damn thing. Inside is a brochure featuring an imposing gothic building on the front. The name Bloodstone Institute is written in silver lettering just underneath the school’s insignia.

  I begin to hyperventilate in an instant. This is really happening. I didn’t imagine going to Havoc last night and almost getting chowed by two Blueblood vampires. Shaking, I pull up a chair and practically collapse on the seat. I need a good minute to be able to breathe right again.

  The envelope contains more than just the brochure. There’s also a welcome letter inside. Shit. I’m not only enrolled as a student, but I’m also going in using my own name. Not that Salem is a big city, but using an alias would have been preferable. Nocturnal isn’t a popular band by any stretch of the imagination, but we’ve played in several local bars. I’m sure vampires were in attendance.

  This is bad. This is really bad.

  My phone rings, loud and obnoxious. It’s Rikkon’s ringtone again. I pull my hair back, yanking at the strands. Does the dragon kingpin know already about my epic fail? Duh, of course he does. If I had succeeded in stealing from Lucca, I’d be banging on his door, demanding my brother’s release.
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  “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I reach for the damn phone. “Hello?”

  “Where’s my necklace?” Larsson barks.

  “I didn’t get it.”

  There’s a long pause before he replies, “I hope you understand what your failure means to your brother.”

  My brother. It’s thanks to him that I’m in this colossal mess. Guilt and anger wrestle for dominance inside of my chest. I think anger is winning now.

  “I do. But you said vampire’s bane would work on Lucca, and it didn’t. I almost got killed.”

  “Not my problem. You have twenty-four hours to get me what I want, or I’ll start to chop off little bits of your brother and feed it to the dogs.”

  I close my eyes, pinching my nose to avoid getting all teared up again. Rikkon, you stupid son of a bitch. If I manage to get you out of this mess, I’m going to kill you myself.

  “I’m going to need more than that,” I reply.

  “You seem to be under the mis—”

  “Do you want your goddamn prize or not!” I snap, not caring that I’m yelling at a dangerous supernatural criminal.

  There’s no immediate reply, and for a second, I believe Larsson is giving orders to his lackeys to come kill me.

  “You’re lucky that I want that necklace,” he replies in a voice that’s cold and tight. “How much time do you need?”

  “Three weeks.”

  “That’s a long time, and I’m not a very patient dragon.”

  “Lucca already knows I’m after his jewelry. I have to be stealthy now.”

  “Fine. And how do you plan on getting close to him since you fucked up so royally?”

  I grind my teeth. If I fucked up, it was thanks to his half-baked plan. I keep the angry retort to myself though.

  “Let me worry about that. Just please don’t hurt my brother in the meantime. I’ll get your damn necklace.”

  “You’d better deliver this time, girlie. I don’t usually hand out second chances. Don’t squander it.”