Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 52247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
He looks as beautiful as ever. Unworldly. A god come to earth. A legendary king come back to life. “I love you, too. I loved you from the first night.”
His breath blows my hair about my shoulders. He embraces me, his lips finding my ear. “That’s a relief.”
I laugh into his hug. “Did you think I wouldn’t forgive you for giving me life?”
He pulls away. “It comes with a price. Pet,”--he cups my chin, all seriousness--“I have condemned you to a life in darkness. You will never see the sun.”
I lean forward and twine my arms around him, needing to feel him. “I do not need the sun,” I tell him with all honesty. “You are all the light I need.”
Epilogue
Club Toxic pulses with the music of the nightclub above. Below, the dungeon is crowded with vampires, all of Lucius’ sired gathered at his command.
I apply lipstick carefully, blot once, apply again, until my lips are as red as the liquid of my drink. At least, I think they are. When I look in the mirror, I can’t see a thing.
The hair raises on my neck a second before Lucius breathes in my ear.
“Nervous?” A firm hand squeezes my shoulder before sliding to loosely collar my neck.
“No.” I keep looking at the mirror, even though I see nothing but the reflection of the room. I don’t know why I even bother. Force of habit, I guess.
“Good girl.” In the mirror, my glass rises in midair, lifted by an unseen hand. I take it, obediently.
“You look like a goddess.” He dips close. “Maybe tonight I’ll fuck a goddess in the ass.”
I sputter and almost spill my drink.
“Careful.” He steadies my hand. “You’re too thin as it is.”
“How much do I have to drink?”
“I will let you feed from the vein tonight,” he promises and I shudder. That’s the difference between him and other vampires, he explained. The new vampire is weak, dependent, requiring a balance of care and slow weaning into independence.
“Xavier tried to make vampires, but they either fought him and he killed them, or he mind wiped them and they didn’t survive because they were too weak.
“That’s why your sired survive?”
“Yes.”
“So I’ll survive?” I joked.
He didn’t laugh. “You will do more than survive. You will thrive.”
His fingers tip the glass and I let him help pour the blood down my throat. I’ll do more than thrive. Already, my body is stronger, my reflexes faster than any vampires. I blur with ease. When we race on the mountain trails, I easily beat him, my shifter strength combining with the vampire abilities to create a new creature. I am unstoppable. The sired will soon outpace her sire. I am the most powerful predator on earth.
And totally in love.
“Ready?” He takes my glass from me.
“As I’ll ever be.”
He offers his arm.
“You don’t want me to crawl?” I joke as I take it.
“Only if you choose. But not before them. Never before them. They will see you as an equal.”
“They are not my equal.”
His lips twitch. “No. But let them find that out the hard way.”
“It will be my pleasure.”
We step out of his office, into the light.
The crowds part as we glide past. There are plenty of curious glances. Plenty of hostile ones. I still smell like a shifter, a wolf. Another ability I have--controlling my scent. Only the most astute will sense that I am something more.
Lucius seats himself on the throne. I take my place at his side.
“Welcome, children. My dear sired.” The crowd quiets as Lucius surveys them. He’s not smiling, but I can tell he wants to. There’s a touch of cruelty in the corner of his mouth. “You might be wondering why I called you all here. As you know, I attended an auction a month ago. I got a little carried away.” A few vampires titter nervously, and Lucius gives an indulgent smile.
“This evening we celebrate a truly joyous occasion. I have a spectacle ready, the likes of which you’ve never seen.”
I blank my face as the vampires eye me. They expect their King to show off his new submissive, and put me through my paces in front of them.
They’re in for a hell of a surprise.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Selene.” Lucius holds out a hand and I place mine in his. “Your new queen.”
Lucius
I survey my sired. Shocked, surly, they’re murmuring to each other, reaffirming alliances. One wrong word and they’ll rise against me.
“Sire,” Theophilus steps forward. “Surely you don’t mean to marry a shifter. As lovely as she is, she’s hardly an equal—”
“I disagree.”
Theophilus rocks back on his heels. He spreads his hands as if to say “I tried.” The dissenting murmurs grow louder.
I raise my voice. “The shifter auctions are over. Anyone participating will be killed, except, of course, the shifter victims. They will be freed and paid retribution sum. It will come out of the coffers of any vampire who purchased.”