TWO HOURS LATER AND after a phone call made to his assistant back at the castle, Viktor was ready to go home. The club scene bored him. He’d only been able to avoid Jezebel for so long before she dug her talons into him and forced him into an overly sensual dance with far too much physical contact. But that had been as far as he would go. As soon as the song ended, he crept away into one of the private vampire rooms in the back.

As Murdo was a tourist city, supernaturals had to keep their identities a secret. Places like the club accomplished this by creating VIP rooms for their patrons with special affinities. Viktor didn’t exactly agree with the activities that went on in these rooms, but it was a safe haven to hide from the cameras and Jezebel. At least, that was, until they found him.

“There you are, brother!” Leo clapped his hands together, his cheeks shiny and red. He had his arm draped around a giggling blonde woman in a black corset — obviously one of the club staff members. Beside him, Joy and Jezebel trotted into the VIP room.

“Leo...” Viktor greeted him with a less-than-enthusiastic nod. He was sitting on a round padded bench with a knee-high glass table. Empty cocktail glasses littered the surface.

His brother plopped down beside him, pulling the giggling woman with him. “I’ve got a special surprise for you. Meet Laurie. She’s a blood-letter.”

His eyes narrowed and he clenched his jaw. “Not interested.”

“Come on, bro.” Leo prodded him in the side. “Lighten up. You’re on vacation. And the ladies want a special treat. I picked Laurie especially for you. Isn’t she pretty?”

Laurie giggled, hiding her mouth with a gloved hand. 

“Not happening.” Viktor crossed his arms and looked away.

At that moment, Stasia came through the door, ushering a displeased looking Cate with her. A camera crew followed them and they all lit up when they spotted the party sitting in the darkness.

“I want to do a few shots of you all together,” Stasia explained, practically pushing Cate down on the bench next to Viktor.

He scooted over to give her room and avoid physical contact. Any closer, and he was afraid he’d become a teenaged boy again, losing his head to other physical urges. Why did she have that effect on him?

“Can I talk to you first?” Cate asked, looking at Stasia with desperation in her eyes.

She bent forward, her soft blouse brushing against Viktor’s hand. The other women had changed into club attire for the evening. Cate was the only one still wearing the casual outfit from earlier in the day. It made him appreciate her all the more. She didn’t seem as bent on impressing him or the public, unlike his other suitors.

“In a minute.” Stasia motioned with her hands. “Scoot in closer to Vik. I want to get you all.”

He didn’t miss her quiet groan of frustration. Still, she conceded and moved in just the tiniest bit.

Stasia looked through the camera and smiled at them, her curly hair bouncing on her head. “You guys look great together. I can’t wait to air this episode. This is going to make my career.”

Viktor rolled his eyes. It might make her career, but she definitely owed him. Big time.

❖

Cate wasn’t sure how to get Stasia to give her a moment of her time. She’d finally found her on the crowded dance floor, getting candid shots of the dancers. The music had been too loud to speak, so she’d followed her into a side room where they’d found the rest of the party.

“Oh, good, a vamps room,” Stasia had breathed, motioning for her crew to follow her. “That’ll make for some good shots to end the night. Let’s wrap up in here.”

She wasn’t sure what a vamps room meant. Maybe it was the new trend of smoking, like vaping, only more hardcore. Or, a place that served a mean exotic cup of coffee. She could only hope.

There had been a large burly man guarding the entrance. It didn’t seem like he was even going to let her come in until Stasia grabbed Cate’s hand and told him she was okay, she had a ring. Maybe this simple piece of jewelry was much more than Cate knew. Like an all-access VIP backstage ticket. It only added to the mystery of the woman from the airport bathroom. 

Cate had allowed herself to be shoved onto the bench beside the sulking Prince Viktor. She’d even moved in a little closer to him for Stasia’s shot. But she had just about had it with this mess. It was spiraling out of control. She needed to talk to Stasia and set her straight. No more miss nice guy.

A woman with dazzling white teeth carried a tray overloaded with blood-red cocktails to the table. Leo shoved a drink into everyone’s hands. He wore a smile so big that it looked like it was going to crack his cheeks. Someone had obviously already had too much to drink. She took her cocktail and held it on her lap as the others took sips and moaned in pleasure.

“Alright, people,” Stasia yelled over the buzz of the room. She pressed her lips together, not able to hide her own excitement. “Let’s end this first date on a bang, shall we? One more shot, and it’s a wrap.”

Cate shifted in her seat. She felt more like punching out one of the cameras than smiling for it. Still, she didn’t want to ruin Stasia’s show. She’d been so nice to her.

“Don’t feel like drinking?” Viktor asked, absentmindedly swirling the contents of his own drink in his right hand.

“Not tonight.” She placed hers back on the table and turned to him. If she couldn’t get Stasia to listen to her, she’d settle for Viktor. Maybe he would understand the whole debacle. He had seemed so open during their turn around the dance floor. “This has all been one big mistake. I don’t think I even know how to explain...”

All of a sudden, her eyes grew to the size of sand dollars. She’d caught sight of their three companions at the other end of the bench. A young blonde woman sat between them, lazying back, the skin of her neck exposed. She wore a dreamy smile on her painted face, fire-engine red lipstick on her mouth.

Joy held one of the woman’s wrists, while Leo held the other. Jezebel hovered near her head, as if trying to sniff her hair. Cate watched them grow closer, despite the little flit of innate terror that flared up inside her gut. Something about this just didn’t feel right. Her feet twitched, ready to propel her away. A true fight or flight kind of moment.

Jezebel opened her mouth wide and fangs that Cate had never noticed before glistened in the neon lights of the room. She lowered her head and chomped firmly into the blonde’s neck, clamping on tight. Leo and Joy followed suit, sinking their fangs into her wrists. Trails of blood dribbled down the woman’s pale skin as she wriggled in pleasure.

Cate found herself squeezing Viktor’s arm, her knuckles white. Her whole body shook. “Are you seeing this?”

They continued to drink from the woman as the cameras rolled. Waitresses passes by with their trays, clubbers spoke in hushed tones in the nearby booths. No one seemed to notice. No one cared. It was as if the world had gone mad.

He followed her gaze and gave a disgusted groan. Tearing his eyes away, he sipped at his drink and growled. “It’s barbaric. Vampires haven’t had to drink from a human supplier in half a century. There are blood banks for this kind of thing. I’m not sure why anyone would want to go back to the medieval times. I lived through them. They weren’t all that great.”

Her heart raced as she fixed him with a stare. “Medieval times?”

“Yes, well, it was easier to hide back then. No cameras, no Internet conspiracies, no handy instructions on how to kill a vampire. Just a man and his sword. I’ll admit that part was nice.”

Blood began to gather in splotches across her chest. She hid her shaking hands in her lap and took a shuddering breath. “You’re an ancient...vampire?”

He grimaced and ran a hand through his black hair. “I’m not a fan of the word ancient. Makes me sound like I should be falling apart. I turned seven hundred and three last year. It wasn’t much to celebrate.”

Her eyes flitted to the trio again. They’d released their victim and were in the process of daintily wiping up the spilled blood off her skin. A scream caught in Cate’s throat.

This wasn’t possible. She was surrounded by blood-thirsty monsters. If she didn’t get out of here soon, they’d eat her alive. Maybe even turn her into a vampire.

That’s what these creatures did in the movies, wasn’t it? Savagely kill and take whoever they wanted. It wouldn’t happen to her. She wouldn’t allow it.

“Ex...excuse me,” she muttered, jumping to her feet.

In the process, her knee knocked over a drink on the table. Its red contents splashed on the clear surface and she realized for the first time what everyone had been drinking — blood. The sight made her feel faint.

“I’ve just got to...” Glancing out the door, she bit the side of her cheek and tasted her own metallic blood. It was a harsh reminder of her current danger. “I’ve got to go freshen up. I’ll be right back.”

No one had ever moved so fast to be away from the prince. He sipped at his drink and watched her go, until she disappeared from sight.