I wake up slowly, each sense awakening one by one.

The smell of coffee hits my nose first, followed by a deep breath of Carver’s dark chocolate and male scent. I sigh happily, snuggling back into his embrace. Reina’s banging pots and pans around downstairs, and the shower is running in her room. Row must be using it. My body feels warm, like I spent the last few hours tanning at the beach. I choke out a laugh at my own thoughts. Vampire at the beach. That would be fucking hilarious.

Carver wakes up at my laugh and rubs his hand down my side, his hand gripping my ass in a squeeze as he kisses the back of my neck. “Morning, ma belle.” The scratchy timbre of his voice tickles my spine and I shiver against him.

“Morning.” I look over my shoulder at him. His blonde hair is a mess and partially covering his face. I push it back and stare into his eyes.

He meets my gaze unabashedly. “What is it?”

I smile. “Nothing. I’m just happy.”

“Bon, my belle. Are you hungry?” He raises a brow.

I swallow hard but the thirst that has been ever present since my change is like a dull thrum rather than a monsoon at the moment. “For coffee and food? Yes.” I press a kiss to his neck. “For your blood, not right now.” I push back from our embrace and take the throw blanket with me, heading to the bathroom. “I’m jumping in the shower quickly, sounds like Row is out now.”

Carver rolls onto his back, his arms behind his head, and the pose is purely masculine. If my stomach wasn’t grumbling for food, I’d climb back into that bed with him and lick him all over.

“I like watching your emotions play across your face, Aura.” Carver chuckles and I blush.

“I didn’t realize it was that apparent.”

“It is to me.” He smirks. “Go take a shower and we’ll feed your caffeine addiction.”

I take a lightning speed shower, thankful for my new-found quickness. I step out of the shower, Carver whizzing in past me, and throw on some clothes. Less than five minutes later, we’re ready to head downstairs. We walk down hand in hand, and the small gesture warms my chest.

“Good morning, bitches!” Reina shouts out, blinking innocently at us over the rim of her coffee cup.

“Morning to you too, sunshine.” I laugh, grabbing my own cup of coffee and taking that first sip of liquid nirvana. “What’s on the agenda today?” I glance at Carver with a raised brow.

“We need to discuss what you must become, who we want to align with, and start your training so you can defeat Queen Morana.”

Reina holds up a hand, “Wait. I thought you and Queen Bitch were like an item.”

“I thought you loved her. She’s your sire.” I twist my lips. I can’t imagine that evil bitch being tied to me in anyway.

“Non. You misunderstand what I had to do to keep her trust and ensure your upper hand.” Reina and I stay silent, waiting for him to continue. “If she even suspects I am not her loyal servant, she’d rain hell down on our heads.” Carver heaves a sigh. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time.”

“I can only imagine.” I’ve been a vampire for like a minute and I want her gone. I can’t imagine decades of dealing with her. I’d have offed myself.

Carver crosses the room, and presses his palm to my cheek. “We must find your third consort and search out the other two Drias. This will be key to the end of Morana’s reign.”

I press a kiss into the center of his hand. “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

Before he can answer me a knock sounds at the front door. Row and Carver tense, sharing skeptic glances with each other.

“You expecting company, love?” Row asks Reina.

“Nope. You?” Reina asks me.

“Not that I know of.”

Carver steps forward and Row trails behind him. Reina and I peer around the corner, watching as they approach the door. It’s like a scene out of a movie. Only if someone shoots through the door it would just annoy them rather than kill them. Carver pulls the door open and Lucian stands there, his hand up as if he was about to knock again.

“Is something wrong?” He looks past Carver to me and I shake my head.

“No. We just didn’t know you were coming over.” I smile at him. “Come on in. We’ve got coffee ready.” I turn and head for the cabinet, ignoring the loaded look Reina sends my way. Yeah, I know things with Lucian are about as complicated as rocket science.

The men shuffle into the kitchen, their low voices providing a low background noise to the larger room as I muddy through my thoughts, lost about how I feel about Carver, Lucian, and whoever else is coming my way.

“Here you are.” I hand Lucian his cup, and he’s overly careful to avoid my touch. I try not to let the sharp pain in my chest show on my face, but his grimace tells me I failed.

“Thanks.” He watches me for another second before turning and putting as much distance as he can between us. He asks Row a question and I look to Reina. She frowns before mouthing ‘talk to him,’ and I rub at my temples.

“Hey guys? Can I have a moment alone with Lucian?” I look to Carver to see his reaction and he doesn’t seem upset. Only accepting and supportive with a nod.

“Oui. We will give you the room.”

They file out and I square my shoulders, giving myself a mental pep talk before facing Lucian full on. “I think we need to talk.”

“Yes, we do.” He sighs before closing the distance between us, sitting at the counter so only two feet of granite separate us. “You have to understand that this is a shock for me. It is not the life I was expecting.”

“I wasn’t expecting it either…” I point out, trying to be patient with him but at the same time, peeved that he’s acting like a bear with a sliver of wood in his paw.

“I have a fiancé.”

I rear back in shock, the pain of losing him to someone else a sharp ache I wasn’t expecting to feel. “I’m not quite sure what to say here… I’m sorry doesn’t seem to cover it.” I shrug helplessly. “I don’t want to take you away from her. I never set out for this to happen.”

“Don’t be sorry. I don’t love her.” Lucian runs his hands through his hair, his movements agitated.

“Then why are you engaged to her?” I frown, not sure where he’s going with this.

“It’s complicated, sweetheart.”

“Well you’ve got me all to yourself so now’s the time for an explanation.” I huff out the words, exasperated that it’s so hard to get information from him.

“I don’t love her but our marriage protects people. It literally saves their lives. If I walk away from it, I risk losing those I love.”

“Oh.” Guilt washes through me and I feel horrid for my frustration with him.

Lucian steps around the corner, closing the gap between us and cups my face between his hands. “Please do not think that I do not feel this pull between us. I do. And it is not easy to keep my distance from you Aura.”

The tension in my body eases at his touch and I lean into him, resting my hands on his broad chest. I can feel his heart pounding under my palm and I sigh with the knowledge that my touch affects him as much as his does me. “So, what do we do? I won’t be the reason those you love die.”

“I can’t let them down. This decision was made a long time ago.” Lucian rubs his thumb against my lip, watching his own actions.

“I can’t let the Kresova suffer under Morana’s rule either though. I’m not sure what to do here. I can’t make you stay, but I don’t want you to leave, Lucian.”

My words seem to hit him like a slap to the face because he steps back, dropping his hands from my face, his expression shuttering. “I’m sorry, Aura.”

Before I can ask him what he’s sorry for, he turns on his heel and strides through the house, the only sound of his departure the slamming of the door.

I rush to the front window, pushing the curtain out of my way and watching as Lucian walks away from me. A hand rests on my hip and I know it’s Carver. I don’t turn from watching Lucian as he gets into his car and it roars to life though.

“He’s got a fiancé.” I say the words, my breath fogging up the window in front of me.

“I know.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, betrayal swimming in my heart that he would let me put my heart on the line to be crushed like this.

“It wasn’t my story to tell.”

“What if he doesn’t come back? What then? You said I’m weak without him. I can’t do this without the three of you.”

“He’ll be back, ma belle.” He drops a kiss to the back of my head, and we watch as Lucian speeds off.

I lean in to Carver, the first of three men I’m destined for—that’s are destined for me—and hope he’s right.