by Sadie Moss
Seduced by Blood
The Vampires’ Fae #2
Sadie Moss
Copyright © 2018 by Sadie Moss
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or had, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Contents
1. Willow
2. Willow
3. Sol
4. Willow
5. Malcolm
6. Willow
7. Willow
8. Malcolm
9. Willow
10. Willow
11. Willow
12. Willow
13. Sol
14. Willow
15. Willow
16. Willow
17. Jerrett
18. Willow
19. Willow
20. Willow
21. Sol
22. Willow
23. Willow
24. Malcolm
25. Willow
Message to the Reader
Acknowledgments
About the Author
1
Willow
Never let it be said that vampires don’t treat their guests well.
Since Malcolm, Jerrett, Sol, and I had accompanied King Carrick back to the Penumbra nearly a week ago, I had wanted for nothing.
Incredible food was served nightly on shining silver and gold platters. The large mahogany wardrobe in the guest room I’d been given was stocked with beautiful dresses made of soft, luxurious fabric. And the room itself was like something out of a fairytale—albeit one of the original Grimm ones, darker and more ominous than the sterilized Disney versions.
The entire castle was like that, actually. Beautiful, but terrifying at the same time, made of gray stone with turrets and towers rising in jagged spikes toward the sky. Hundreds of vampires lived in the massive castle. The inside was like a maze, and if I had ever actually been allowed to wander the halls by myself, I would’ve gotten lost immediately.
That was, of course, a big fat if.
Since we arrived, I’d only left the opulent guest room a few times to attend lavish dinners in the main hall—and only when the king demanded it. Each time, I’d been escorted by all three of the vampire brothers, who closed ranks around me as though they were protecting a precious jewel.
Anytime we weren’t required to make an appearance, meals were served in my room, making me feel even more like a guest in an extremely fancy, somewhat creepy hotel. My three protectors joined me when they could, though it was less often than I would’ve liked. I’d grown strangely attached to our ‘family dinners’ back at their house in New York, and even though it wasn’t quite the same here, I still relished those little bits of time with them.
Especially because the rest of the time, I was reduced to my current activity of staring out the window at the wild landscape around the castle like a princess locked in a tower.
I leaned against the window frame, inhaling the earthy night air. The light blue dress I wore didn’t quite keep the chill at bay, and my skin prickled with goose bumps, my nipples hardening under the soft fabric. Apparently, vampires didn’t believe in underwear. Despite the well-stocked wardrobe in my room, I hadn’t found a single bra or pair of panties anywhere.
Nice and subtle, guys. I think I get the hint.
I rolled my eyes, although a thread of unease wormed through my belly. I sincerely doubted the lack of underclothes was a decision the brothers had made. When I’d been a guest in their large house in Manhattan, there’d been plenty of underthings in the dresser drawers, as well as clothes that matched my usual style—tank tops, loose fitting tees, jeans, and leggings.
Here, there were only dresses.
The subtle misogyny was annoying, but since the alternative was to walk around nude, I accepted the dresses without complaint.
The goose bumps faded as I rubbed my hands quickly over my arms, not ready to concede defeat to the cold yet. If I closed up the window, I’d begin to truly feel like a prisoner in this room.
Outside, moonlight shone on the thick forest that stretched as far as I could see, and an owl hooted in the darkness.
The Penumbra was a huge swath of land hidden from human eyes deep in the Maine wilderness. Some kind of major spell had been cast over the place to block out sunlight. The days were only slightly brighter than the nights here, and vampires could step outside at any hour and be safe from the burning rays of the sun. It was probably a bit like living in Alaska in the winter. Although the lack of light took some getting used to, it was nice to not be confined indoors by fear of the sun.
An undignified snort escaped my lips. Nope. Instead, I’m confined indoors by three overprotective, too-sexy-for-my-own-good vampires.
The journey here had been like a dream. We’d shadow run for hours, swept along with the king and his entourage. I’d been dying to question Malcolm about what was happening, where we were going… and most importantly, why he’d never bothered to mention that he was the son of the vampire king of North America. It wasn’t an accidental omission, I was sure of that. But why hadn’t he wanted me to know? And what else was he keeping from me?
Aside from our occasional meals together, there had been few opportunities to question Malcolm, or any of the men, since we’d arrived at the vampire court. They’d been kept busy in meetings with the king and his guards, or occasionally hunting deer in the surrounding forests for fresh blood since there were no hospitals to steal blood bags from. And I’d been kept hidden away in this room like a dirty little secret.
I didn’t know why the brothers wanted to keep me away from the other vampires here, but I was certain that was their aim. Was it because of my fae blood, whatever that meant?
Were they ashamed of me?
Worried about me?
Maybe a little bit of both.
I sighed, slipping off the window ledge but leaving the shutters open.
Killing time alone in this room brought back memories of the week I’d spent locked up in my studio apartment after the brothers turned me. There was one important difference, however—this suite had a massive, ornate tub in the bathroom, so wide and deep it was practically a swimming pool. It made my small, leaky bathtub back home look like a joke.
Baths were an excellent way to pass the time, and as long as I was trapped here, I’d decided I might as well enjoy the few luxuries I was allowed.
I padded softly to the adjoining bathroom and flung open the shutters on the small window before twisting the knobs on the tub. The water that poured from the spout was warm and smelled lightly of lavender. I wasn’t sure how that was accomplished, but it was amazing.
My room was on the fourth floor, high enough up that no one could see through the window from the nearby castle grounds, so I slipped off my dress without hesitation and slipped into the enormous tub.
A small moan of contentment escaped my lips as the warm water enveloped me, the lavender scent filling my heightened senses.
Hell yeah. This is almost worth becoming a vampire for.
The absentminded thought soured my stomach, and I frowned.
; No. That wasn’t exactly true. I was still learning what being a vampire meant, but I was positive there was more to it—both good and bad—than great baths.
The first vampires I ever met were the three who turned me. Malcolm, Jerrett, and Sol.
In the time I’d spent living with them, it had been easy to forget there were hundreds of other vampires in the world—and that not all vampires saw things the way the brothers did. The three hunters had taken a vow to protect humans and supernaturals from magical threats, which was how they’d stumbled upon me in the first place.
Idly, I traced the network of scars across my skin that’d been left by the shade who attacked me. They were faint, nothing more than thin white lines that could hardly be seen in certain lights, but they served as a reminder of the attack that had nearly killed me.
They became more visible as the steaming water heated my skin, and I chewed my lip as I examined them. The shade had carved these into my flesh for a reason. What had it been trying to accomplish? What did those women I’d seen in the woods have to do with this?
I’d mentioned them to Sol just after we arrived at the castle—so much had happened so quickly at the old church, I hadn’t had a chance to tell anyone what I’d seen in the woods.
His brows had furrowed, his sightless green eyes growing thoughtful, but he hadn’t had any answers for me about who they were.
Those strange twins weren’t like the shades though, that was for certain. They looked alive, or at least not undead like the shadow creatures. And though the women’s pale faces and small frames had been delicate and fragile-looking, they had radiated power.
We need to get back to the hunt. Figure out who those weird sisters are and what they want.
Impatience beat at my chest, and I let out a sigh, sliding deeper into the tub. The water blocked out the sounds around me as my head slipped under the surface. My auburn hair floated above me like a cloud, and I reveled in the moment of peace.
A few weeks ago, my most pressing desires had been to save up money to one day open my own bakery, and to get the buzzer fixed on my apartment door. Now, I was antsy as hell to resume hunting two strange women and the undead, shadowy creatures they controlled.
Yup. My life was officially bonkers.
Along with a slower heart rate, my newly vampiric body could apparently go longer without oxygen. I stayed underwater for over a minute before my lungs began to ache, anxious to inhale.
But before I rose to the surface, a muffled sound met my ears. Quickly, I popped my head out of the water, blinking the droplets out of my eyelashes and cocking my head.
The sound came again, louder and clearer this time.
A knock.
Tingles and warmth flooded my belly as if I’d just downed several shots of whiskey. I tried to tell myself my excitement was just because a visit from the brothers meant I might be able to get out of this room for a while. But my body and heart knew the truth—the feelings ricocheting through me had nothing to do with leaving this room, and everything to do with the powerful, protective, and dangerous men who had completely hijacked my thoughts since the first night I met them.
“Coming!” I called loudly.
I surged out of the tub, shedding water as I hurried to a large wooden shelf on the stone wall. Plush towels covered the shelf—a quiet human girl who never spoke to me replaced them every day—and I grabbed one and wrapped it around my hair.
A third knock sounded, more forceful this time.
I swallowed. Oh, no.
The guys usually didn’t knock this loud. Had something happened? Maybe there had been another shade attack. I was nearly certain the ones we killed at the church weren’t the only ones out there.
“Coming! I’m coming!”
Not bothering to towel off completely, I grabbed the blue dress off the floor and shimmied it back on. It clung to my damp skin, but I barely noticed that, my mind already running through disaster scenarios.
Would we have to leave tonight?
Shit, would they let me come with them on the hunt again? I’d disobeyed a direct order from Malcolm during the fight at the church, and it was mostly luck that my recklessness hadn’t gotten me killed.
But they had to let me come. They couldn’t abandon me at the vampire court all by myself. Could they?
That thought had me racing for the door, as if they might grow tired of waiting and leave without me if I didn’t move fast enough.
“What is it?” I wrenched the door open. “Did something ha—”
I broke off.
A vampire stood on the other side of the door.
But it wasn’t one of the brothers.
2
Willow
“Carrick!” I blurted, then snapped my jaw shut. “King Carrick. I mean, uh… your highness.”
I had no idea how to address the towering, imposing man, and I had a sudden sinking feeling my life might depend on getting it right.
But the king smiled broadly, his strong features lifting as his full lips exposed long, sharp canines. “Just Carrick is fine, my dear. I don’t obsess over all those old courtly rituals like some other vampire kings do. My court isn’t as formal as all that, though I do honor and uphold our most important traditions.”
His voice dropped on the last words. I could sense a threat hanging behind them, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Oh. All right. Carrick, then.” I gave him a weak smile. “Can I help you? Um, Malcolm isn’t here. He might be in his room.”
The three brothers had been given rooms near mine. I’d thought Malcolm, at least, might have actual quarters waiting for him in the castle, given that he was the king’s son. But apparently, they’d all been away from the Penumbra for so long that upon their return, they were treated as guests just like I was. Although part of me was relieved to have been given my own space, another part of me was secretly disappointed that I hadn’t had to share a room with the brothers.
For safety.
Yeah, for safety. Keep telling yourself that, Willow.
The king chuckled, wrenching my thoughts away from the other, much less practical reasons I wanted to share a room with the three men.
“He isn’t. Neither are his friends Sol and Jerrett. But that’s all right, my dear. I wasn’t looking for him. I was looking for you. May I come in?”
My stomach tightened with nerves. Could he come in?
Was this one of the myths about vampires that was actually based in truth? That they couldn’t enter a residence without an express invitation? But even if that were the case, would I really be able to keep him out? He technically owned the entire castle. This room wasn’t mine. It was his.
Deciding not to risk invoking his ire, I stepped back, opening the door wider and gesturing him inside.
“Of course. Come in.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly very aware of the way my dress stuck to my damp skin. The fabric had become semi-translucent where it had soaked up water droplets, and my nipples were peaked from the chilly air after the warm bath. I felt awkward and exposed.
And I couldn’t help but think Carrick’s casual mention that Malcolm and his blood-brothers weren’t in their rooms had been purposeful. He wanted me to know my protectors weren’t nearby. The two of us were well and truly alone.
The king swept inside my bedroom with a nod and a smile. He wore thick boots, finely tailored pants, and a dark shirt made of expensive-looking fabric. He’d been wearing a cloak the first time I met him, but now the only thing that would’ve distinguished him from a handsome older businessman on the streets of New York was the thin gold crown that encircled his head.
It was surprisingly understated for a man who seemed to put so much stock in opulence and luxury. But then again, he didn’t need much to designate his status—power and dominance oozed from his pores, spreading out to fill the large guest room until the space seemed to shrink. Unconsciously, I stepped back a few feet, leaning against the closed door.
“I’m glad to see you’re making yourself at home, Willow.” Carrick strode slowly around the room as he spoke, hands clasped behind his back. “This is your true home, you know. Many vampire clans have settled across North America, and I’m glad to see my people flourishing. But they are always welcome here. All my people are.”
“Thank you,” I murmured softly, though a twinge of concern tightened my stomach.
Jesus. Did he expect me to stay here? Would I have to, or would Malcolm, Jerrett, and Sol take me with them when they left? They wouldn’t have to stay, would they?
Carrick continued his measured perusal of my room, poking around like my nosy aunt Elaine used to do every time she came to visit Ohio when I was a teenager. It was just as annoying when the vampire king did it, but I didn’t think I could get away with kicking him out, slamming the door, and blasting Nirvana. Elaine hadn’t reacted well to that at all, and she didn’t have super speed or razor sharp fangs.
So I just stood against the door, wishing I could grab a sweater or something to pull on over my damp dress.
Carrick passed by the bathroom door, inhaling the lingering scent of lavender from the still-warm bath. He seemed to savor the scent for a moment before shooting me a glance from beneath his heavy eyelashes. They were the same as Malcolm’s, thick and long. But somehow, the same features that made Malcolm so damn beautiful looked out of place on his father, as though Carrick’s insides were much uglier than his outward appearance.