I thought I wouldn’t panic, but the moment the vamps jumped us, my heart went through my throat and I realized I was so, so wrong.

I was not prepared for this.

The vamps took their first victims and I wanted to scream. People should be shrieking, they should be running, but they were too dazed, too high on whatever was in our drinks to do anything other than stand there and wait to be turned into a meal.

I had to act as such, too. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to slow my racing heart.

My eyes snapped open when Judy huffed. A vampire had grabbed her. I should have let him do it; I should have let him kill her right then.

The vamp bit her neck. Judy moaned and became a limp mass in his arms.

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let them take her like that.

Abandoning all reason, I kicked the vampire in the hip, hard enough to get his attention, to make him release his mouth from her skin. He stared at me, fangs bared, and dropped Judy on the floor like a discarded soda can. Then, he came for me.

I stood my ground as the brooch, now tucked inside my cleavage, warmed enough to hurt my skin.

The vampire halted a foot from me and scrunched his nose. “What the hell?” He took a step back. “Your blood smells … spoiled.”

I ignored his comment and knelt beside my friend. “Judy.” I brushed her hair from her face and lifted her head. “Wake up, Judy.” She moaned in response. “Shit.” With the little strength I had, I hooked my arms around her shoulders and hauled her up. “Please, help me,” I said to her, but I knew, she was too high on the elixir and the bite to carry her own weight.

Around us, the vamps feasted—drinking their victims’ blood and feeling up their bodies. Nausea revolved in my stomach, and it was all I could do not to throw up.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon, most of the guests were pushed aside on the floor. And, in one corner, a few satisfied vamps rounded up humans—the blood slaves they were saving for later.

“Come on,” I groaned at Judy, trying to pass her arm around my shoulders so it wouldn’t be too hard to keep her upright. “We gotta go.” I jerked my chin toward the cattle-like humans.

As I turned, hauling Judy with me, another vampire appeared right in front of me. “Hm, what do we have here?” He leaned closer, and like the other one, scrunched his nose at me. “What is wrong with you?” He sniffed once more, and probably catching the blood on her neck, his eyes landed on Judy. “She smells nice.”

He reached for her.

Without thinking, I kicked him square in the chest, sending him back a couple of steps.

The vampire snarled at me, ready to rip my throat out.

Shit.

Then, another vampire—a prince—appeared out of nowhere between Judy and me and the enraged vamp. I felt like I was in a daze as a second prince showed up, and they discussed our fate. I wanted to butt in and say something, but what? My thundering heart and sweaty palms didn’t help. I had to slip away and go to the corner with the other humans who would be kept alive.

I inhaled deeply, ready to sprint, if I had to.

Until the prince looked over his shoulder at me. The moment his harsh green eyes met mine, I froze.

The prince—Drake, that was what they had called him—returned his gaze to the other two vampires. “Yes, I’m claiming them.” He pointed at Judy and me, then said in a louder, steadier voice, “I lay claim on these two girls. They are mine.”

What did he mean, we were his?

That filled me with frustration, and questions, but with the number of vampires closing in on us with their shiny, sharp fangs out, those questions would have to wait. At least this vamp, this prince, had his fangs hidden, and he was the only one who didn’t seem smeared by blood and didn’t have his clothes rumpled from tangling with the humans.

In my arms, Judy moaned again, still riding the high.

The other prince let out a hollow chuckle. “Typical. Prince Drake taking on the peasants.”

Drake took a step back and stood by my side. “Do you have a problem with it, Prince Alex?”

Alex sported a sly grin. “Oh no, not at all.”

After a showdown of testosterone, Drake turned to me. “Give me your friend.” Even if he weren’t a vampire, his height, the width of his shoulders, and the sheer power in his voice would have intimidated me. I only held Judy tighter. “If you want to live, I suggest you hand me your friend and come with me.”

His green eyes looked so bright, so deep—too human. No, not human. This man was not human. I had to keep in mind that none of them were human. However, it didn’t seem like my first plan would work. The cattle-like humans were on the other side of the room, and I knew, I knew the moment I stepped away from this prince, the others would be all over me. Perhaps they wouldn’t want to drink my blood, but they could kill me with a snap of their fingers, and they could take Judy.

I didn’t have many options here.

“Okay,” I muttered, loosening my grip around Judy. Drake scooped her up as if she were nothing more than a ragged doll.

Next, he took my hand and curled it around his elbow. “Stay with me,” he said with a bark. An order.

With Judy secured in his arms, Drake guided me across the ballroom, toward the staircase. He glanced up, to the side of the balcony, where a gorgeous woman with black hair and dark skin and an elegant burgundy robe stood, watching us with a tight smile on her lips.

The oracle.

I averted my eyes.

“W-where are you taking us?” I asked, afraid of his answer. For all I knew, he could simply take us both to another room, lock us in there, and feed on us.

“To safety.” He glanced at me again. “I’m Drake. What’s your name?”

I paused for a moment, wondering if I should tell him. I couldn’t find any reason not to. “Thea.”

He looked down to his arms. “And hers?”

“Judy.” One vampire made a pass at me. Drake noticed and turned toward him, ready to strike or defend, I didn’t know. But the moment the vampire smelled me, he snarled and retreated. Without wasting a second, Drake tugged at my arm, and we resumed marching across the ballroom. Wasn’t he curious about why the others couldn’t get close to me? I was curious as to why he could. “That other … vampire,” I paused, trying to pass surprise and incredibility when pronouncing the word as if I hadn’t known until tonight vampires were real. “That vampire back there, he said my blood smelled spoiled to him. Isn’t it the same with you?”

He halted at the base of the staircase and glanced at me again. “No. Your scent is …” He sucked in a sharp breath, and then shook his head once. “Your blood smells fine. Just fine.”

That was a surprise.

I opened my mouth to ask more—I had to understand how he was getting around it—but I swallowed a gasp instead.

The ballroom went dark.

My heart stopped for a moment, and a chill went down my spine as screams and loud bangs and rapid movement filled my ears. Drake’s arm tensed under my hand. Something like a growl came from him. He moved forward, but my foot caught on the stair, and I fell on my knees. This time, I couldn’t contain the yelp that ripped out from my chest.

I was in a dark room full of vampires.

Tears of despair and fear burned behind my eyelids. I was blind here, but the vampires weren’t, not completely. They couldn’t see as well as if the lights were still on, but they could make out a few silhouettes and masses.

Fingering my surroundings, I stood and reached for Drake. Only to find an empty space where he had been a moment ago.

“D-drake?” I called quietly, afraid that someone else, another vampire, would hear me. Who was I kidding? I could whisper, and they all would hear it.

A heartbeat passed. “I’m here,” Drake said, taking my hand in his. He tugged me close to him. “Just … stay quiet.”

I wanted to ask him what was happening, but the likelihood that he would answer me was low. Besides, I was afraid of the answer.

The lights flickered on.

I gasped in relief, and then I gasped in horror.

Along the perimeter of the room, half a dozen vampires were pinned to the walls by thick swords pierced through their shoulders, and thick wooden staves were driven through their chests.

My hands flew to my mouth.

Beside me, Drake sucked in a sharp breath. I followed his line of sight, and atop the stairs, I saw a seventh vampire nailed to the wall.

Drake rasped, “Lord Reynard.”