Forbidden Blood Sample
Chapter One
SHE COULD ALREADY tell it was going to be one of those nights.
Vampire Princess Anaya Kensington suppressed a groan, instead sighing heavily. The bachelorette party behind her was drunk and loud. Their impatience was rudely on display as they pushed her toward the doors of the new nightclub. Their obnoxious presence was the last thing she needed.
Naya wanted to turn around and flee. She hadn’t even gone inside, and already, she was full of apathy from just being there. But she remained in line, knowing her best friend was waiting for her inside. It didn’t really matter if she stayed or left because she didn’t have anywhere to go or anyplace she wanted to be. Even the thought of going home held no appeal.
Finally, it was her turn to enter. She was grateful at least to escape the group of drunken, giggly females. Their ridiculous excitement over the bride’s upcoming wedding only made her feel alienated because of her own impending future. Breaking away, she spotted her friend as she stopped inside the doors of the huge space and glanced around.
Pulse had become one of the hottest spots for entertainment in the Minneapolis-St. Paul night scene since opening a month ago, but this was Naya’s first time at the club. The dance floor appeared full, and the booths lining the wall were occupied. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and having a great time.
Part of her envied their carefree attitudes. She angled her neck from side to side, trying to relieve the deep ache, but nothing could remove the weight on her shoulders. Watching everyone made her realize how tired she was of feeling alone. She was restless. Humans didn’t know how fortunate they were.
Fingers snapped in her face, jarring her from her thoughts.
“Earth to Naya,” Kenzie, her best friend and human, said over the music.
Naya looked at her friend and tried to give her a sincere smile.
Naya had only agreed to come to make her friend happy. Hitting the clubs, mingling with humans, and pretending to be ordinary for the night were her stress relievers—usually. Lately though, her nights out had ended up being a disappointment because she would leave as tense as when she’d arrived.
“Naya?”
Naya raised her brows.
Kenzie pursed her thin lips and clenched her hands into fists. “Why don’t you tell your parents they can shove this arranged marriage—betrothal or whatever you call it—up their asses?”
Naya shook her head. “You know I can’t do that.”
Kenzie’s chestnut eyes narrowed, but after a moment, she huffed and her shoulders relaxed. Her gaze softened. “I wish you would.” She laughed, a small smirk crossing her lips, and she wiggled her eyebrows. “At least I was able to lure you to the wrong side of the river tonight.”
Naya returned her smile, this one more genuine.
Most of Minneapolis and St. Paul were separated by the Mississippi River, but one section of Minneapolis lay on both banks. Pulse had been built on both sides of the border. Kenzie didn’t approve of vampire rules, including the one where all vampires were required to live on the St. Paul side, and she savored the knowledge that she had convinced Naya to come to a place with a Minneapolis address.
“Let’s get a drink.” Kenzie grabbed Naya’s hand, forcing her to follow as they headed for the nearest bartender.
The back bar was decorated with etched glass and lights to showcase the club’s selection of alcohol. Above it was a balcony with more private seating. They walked closer to the counter, and Naya hesitated, feeling eyes on her. Without a doubt, she knew someone was up there, watching her.
Amazingly, for the first time since she’d learned of her future, she felt something awaken deep inside. Her heart pounded with what could only be exhilaration. She hadn’t felt something like that for so long, and she almost didn’t recognize the emotion.
She absentmindedly shook off Kenzie’s hand and stopped to scan the terrace upstairs. Engrossed with finding her admirer, her concentration was broken at the sound of glass shattering and the aroma of blood floating through the air, drawing her attention in the opposite direction. She turned to see a tray on the floor and a waitress holding her hand. The blood smelled coppery and lacked the sweetness of vampire blood, indicating she was human. Naya didn’t really expect to find another vampire in the human nightclub on this side of the river, so she quickly looked back up to the balcony.
Holding her breath in anticipation, she yearned to find her mysterious watcher. Despite the dim lighting, Naya could easily see through the darkness with her vampire vision. Everyone was busy drinking, talking, listening, or flirting with others. No one even spared her a glance. She exhaled with a sigh, her shoulders slumping. Maybe she had imagined it all. The new feeling inside her was gone in an instant, leaving her more depressed than when the night had started.
Kenzie gave her a nudge and studied her as the bartender brought their drinks. Naya didn’t want to admit out loud that she believed someone had been eyeing her, so she feigned innocence and stepped away from the demanding crowd. Kenzie followed and tilted her head toward a couple of guys standing by the dance floor. Naya waved to let her know to go alone and looked on as Kenzie walked up to the men she’d probably never met before. Naya smiled wistfully and watched as her friend flirted. Kenzie was a free spirit and her exact opposite in some ways.
As the future vampire queen, Naya only had responsibilities to look forward to. She wished she could meet a nice male of her choice, fall in love, and have children like any other twenty-something woman. Instead, she would mate with the male her parents would soon choose for her. Her mating would be devoid of passion, and any children she bore would be out of duty, not love. She loved and respected her parents, but they were looking for a future king, not a future mate.
Kenzie laughed at something the guys had said, and the two men smiled at each other like they’d won a prize. Her blonde hair was piled on top of her head in an attempt to make her five-foot-four stature appear taller. She didn’t realize most guys liked her short height. She wore a blue miniskirt with a silver halter top that hit mid-torso, showing off her lean, almost boyish, build. Kenzie put her hand on one man’s arm while she spoke in the other’s ear. She had their full attention.
After searching the room, Naya sat down at a table that had just become empty. She wished at times she could be more like Kenzie with all her self-confidence and courage. If Kenzie found a guy desirable, she would take him home. Naya always went home alone. Promiscuity wasn’t exactly her style, but she still had the urge to be with someone sometimes.
Maybe that’s what I need, she thought. After all, she wasn’t a kept woman yet. Then she guffawed. Like that would ever happen. She didn’t have the guts.
Suddenly, Naya’s instincts perked, and she felt a burning sensation prickling at her back. Her spine straightened in response. It was him—her watcher. It had to be. She wanted it to be. Heat warmed her from the inside.
She relaxed, adopting a nonchalant pose, in hopes that no one around would notice her senses were now on alert. For some reason, she didn’t want anyone to know. She wanted the moment to be private—well, as private as it could be in a crowded club. This time, she was determined to catch him in the act. At that moment, she wanted to know what he looked like more than anything. Heart pounding with the promise of seeing him, she threw back the rest of her drink, giving her an excuse to turn and head to the bar for a refill.
The instant she turned, the burning faded to a tingling until it was altogether gone. His gaze left her as if had known her plan before she even moved.
Crap. How did he know?
She wasn’t close to the balcony, so while her heightened vision gave her a clear view, there was no way his human vision should be able detect the tension in her body. Disappointed again, she snatched up her empty glass and headed to get another drink.
Maybe she would join Kenzie on the dance floor after that. Although nothing had excited her so far tonight—except for her secretive admirer who, by the looks of it, was going to remain a secret—she should at least attempt to have fun. The least she could do was not drag Kenzie down with her. She glanced back for a second to check on her friend. Kenzie was too busy to even realize she’d left.
As Naya moved closer, she found a small opening near the corner of the bar. When she reached the counter, it was obvious as to why the space had been empty. Next to her sat a disheveled man perched on a stool. He stank of alcohol and smelled like he was about a week overdue for a shower. He ogled her, making her uncomfortable, but people were swarming the bar around her, so she was unable to put the space she wanted between herself and the dirty drunk.
However, she was sick of people forcing her to do things she didn’t want to do, whether it was consciously or subconsciously on their part. She was going to get a drink, head to the floor, and dance until she started to have fun, even if it killed her. She would not let anyone ruin her plans.
“Hey, baby,” he said as he scooted closer, looking her up and down and almost falling over in the process. Apparently, his intoxicated state wasn’t going to stop him because he next slurred, “You’re hot,” as he swayed into her personal bubble.
She’d had to hold her breath when he spoke since his teeth hadn’t met a toothbrush in some time.
Naya faced forward and ignored him, hoping he would get the hint. While situations like this didn’t happen often, she had learned that silence was sometimes the best policy.
He leaned in closer. “I said, hey, baby.”
This time, she gave him a stern look. “Sir, I am not your baby.” She turned away, praying the straightforward approach would work.
“Wanna come home with me tonight? We can grab a six-pack of beer and fuck.”
She gasped. “No!” Gross.
“What? You don’t like beer?” He laughed at his joke and extended his hand to touch her.
She jerked her arm away and lifted her chin with confidence. “I’m here with someone.”
If only it were true.
He called her bluff. “I don’t see anyone with you. Why are you playing hard to get, dollface?”
She groaned. Why won’t he go away?
She took a small step back, irritated that she had to be the one to leave, when she sensed a presence behind her. Even though she couldn’t see the person, she knew immediately that he was big, male, and powerful. But she wasn’t afraid. In fact, a calm sense of relief came over her, and she instinctively recognized he was the one who had been watching her. The deep feelings he’d first stirred in her now flared to life. Anticipation, excitement, arousal, and exhilaration fused into one. Her head was spinning as her nostrils flared, and the lonely place between her legs blazed to life.
From the mirror behind the bar, she caught a glimpse of a virile male before he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, engulfing her body with his own. He kissed her neck and lingered there as if he had the right.
She tilted her head and let him.
“Hey, baby. Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you,” his deep voice said loud enough for the other man to hear. He nipped her ear and whispered, “Play along.”
Her senses were overwhelmed, and it took Naya a second to follow his direction.
She turned to face him, and her actions faltered for a moment as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He was absolutely gorgeous. He stood tall and large, at least six inches over her five-foot-ten frame, with thick black hair that fell below his ears. His sapphire eyes glistened with heat. He stole her breath and set her already hot insides on fire. The fullness of his lips made them almost womanly, except nothing on his chiseled face could ever be mistaken for feminine. His tight black T-shirt revealed broad shoulders and muscular definition—the kind that came from physical labor rather than working out—in his chest and stomach that tapered down to his hips.
Before she could fully contemplate her actions, she went one step further with the ploy and muttered the words, “Sorry, I didn’t realize you couldn’t find me,” and then she kissed him.
It was just a peck, but it was enough to catch his scent. He smelled amazing. She initially thought his rich aroma was cologne, but then she licked her lips, noting that he tasted the same way he smelled. Delicious, like spiced cloves.
She briefly wondered what his blood would taste like. Would it be just as enticing? She groaned at the thought and reminded herself that it was forbidden to drink from humans.
Vampire blood was the only blood strong enough to sustain them, and for the first time, she found herself disappointed by that fact. She was due to feed. Maybe that was why she found this male so tempting. Yet, the waitress who had cut her hand earlier aroused nothing in her, so what—
“Hey, I saw her first,” the drunk muttered, interrupting her thoughts.
Too intoxicated to see this male must have outweighed him by eighty pounds, he displayed a complete lack of fear for his safety. The guy ignored all indications that they wanted him to leave. Her fictitious date stiffened around her, and his mouth tightened into a flat line. Determination shone brightly in his eyes.
The male planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth and then took their pseudo-relationship to the next level. When his tongue licked the seam of her lips, she opened and let him in. He consumed her mouth with his slick, hot kiss, turning her on and causing her core to clench.
This was a male marking his territory.
He cupped the back of her neck in one hand, and his other arm tightened around her hips to gather her closer until his attention-grabbing arousal pressed into her. He rubbed back and forth, and immediately, she wanted him to ease the ache he was causing between her legs. She’d never felt so empty before.
When he left her mouth, she whimpered from the lack of his warmth and taste. She opened her eyes to see why he’d stopped when he moved to kiss her jaw. She felt him kiss his way down her neck and onto her chest. His hands moved up her hips to her shoulders. He linked his thumbs under her dress straps and glided them halfway down her biceps, exposing the upper swells of her breasts.
For a second, she worried that he would continue to uncover her, and her buzz of arousal faded slightly. But he simply paused to drink in her cleavage, and when his eyes flicked to hers, the look on his face stopped her breath. He could strip her bare, and she wouldn’t care.
He smirked as if he knew her thoughts, and she moaned. His eyes bore into hers as he kissed the top of one breast and then the other. Thinking he was done, he shocked her when his warm tongue dipped under her dress and stroked the tip of her nipple. Just a fleeting caress, but it was enough for her to suck in a breath as she closed her eyes. No one had ever been this brazen with her before.
She met his gaze, expecting him to be wearing a satisfied smile. Instead his stare blazed with intensity. Simply knowing he was as affected as she was made her feel like the sexiest woman in the club.
He broke eye contact and brought her dress straps back onto her shoulders before pulling her close, his mouth once again on hers.
Her eyes drifted shut. She’d never experienced anything this carnal in her life, and she reached for him, weaving her fingers through his hair and holding on to him, as she shivered from the power of his touch.
He gently ended their kiss, and despite the loud club she heard him mutter, “Jesus,” under his breath.
She gradually opened her eyes and glanced around. Her senses jumbled, she barely noticed that the drunk had finally received the message and left.
She turned her head back to the male and slowly looked up into his face.
“Hey there, I’m Vaughn,” he said when their eyes met.
“Naya.”
The corners of his mouth tipped down as he brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Are you okay? Did that guy scare you?”
She wondered if he was really asking if he had scared her.
She shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said with a smile. “In fact, I’m more than fine.”
His gaze heated as he looked down at her body. “God, I want you,” he muttered more to himself than to her. He probably didn’t think she heard him, and if he knew she had, he’d most likely worry that he’d offended her. Instead, his words had a stimulating effect. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and her blood was rushing through her body. Something about Vaughn made him seem much more than human. Upon first impression, she’d thought he wasn’t human, but she knew he wasn’t a vampire, so that made him the most magnificent human she’d ever met.