I stood at my window, watching the night sky. I held myself still so I could listen. But if the werewolves were out there, I couldn’t hear them.
One week had passed since Rhys had taken his pack and fled the North.
One week since Balkyn West, Gwyneth’s older brother, had come to the castle and told us of the rebels’ plans to crush the royals.
One week since Abigor’s heart had exploded.
One week since I’d learned that werewolf blood made vampires vomit.
One week since Rose’s human life had ended and she’d become a vampire.
Oh, and one week since Austin, the vampire prince of the North, had declared himself to me…and I’d declared myself to him. There’d been quite a lot going on!
Something on the grounds caught my eye. A flash of pale ringlets streaked across the lawn. Eve. She was with another young woman. When her companion turned, I caught a glimpse of her profile. Rose. They were finally taking Rose out on the grounds! She had to be feeling better. Perhaps she was able to test her new powers.
“There, there, Beast. I’ll be right back.” I knelt down and peered at the furry brown gnome who was happily nestled on his bed beneath the table. I scratched his head. “I’m just going to check on Rose.”
Beast panted, his tongue lolling. I took this to mean he understood and approved. With his blessing, I hustled from my room and down the stairs. I’d almost made it to the doors when a familiar voice stopped me.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Austin came forward from the shadows. He crossed his arms against his powerful chest and lounged against the wall. His stance was casual. I knew he was anything but.
“I saw Eve and Rose out on the grounds. I wanted to check on them.”
Austin blinked at me. “D’you think that’s wise—going to see a freshly minted vampire who’s craving human blood?”
I shrugged, feigning casualness. “It’s not like she’s forgotten who I am. I doubt she’ll try to make me her first meal.”
The prince arched his eyebrows. “Blake, we’ve all warned you. I have, Eve has, and Robert has. It’s not safe for you to be around her yet.”
“I just want to see my friend!” I put my hands on my hips. “Everyone else has checked on her. I’m the only one who hasn’t been able to welcome her to her new life. And I owe her an apology, I might remind you.”
The vampire Abigor had mortally wounded Rose. He’d lured her into the dungeon and drained her after tricking me into going down there. I hadn’t set him free, and Rose had paid the price for that.
“You were set up and kidnapped by the werewolves,” Austin reminded me. “You did nothing to hurt Rose, and you never would. She knows that. And I assure you, she also knows that you’re anxious to see her.”
“Then let me see her!”
“It’s not a good idea.” The prince came closer, his large muscled form looking splendid encased in black-leather body armor.
But I would not be comforted. “I’m tired of all these rules,” I said, ignoring his muscles.
Austin laughed and shook his head. “Of course you are. I’d expect nothing less from you. But you being around Rose would put her in a bad position. I know you don’t want that for your friend.”
I frowned. “If I were a vampire, this wouldn’t be an issue.”
“We’ve talked about this.” He moved next to me.
Although I still wasn’t comforted, my heart rate did kick up a bit. I sighed. “Yes, yes, I know. You wouldn’t change a hair on my perfect human head.”
Austin laughed again. “I meant it as a compliment, my lady. The greatest I could give. I can see I have some work to do.”
“It’s not funny. I just want to be with everyone else and not treated like breakable china.”
Austin held his arm out for me. Knowing I would lose the fight to go out to the grounds, I accepted it.
“I promise you,” he said, “as soon as Rose is strong enough, you will be able to see her. I will take you to her myself.”
“You mean you’ll guard me from her yourself.”
Austin grinned. “Only a week since we’ve been official, yet, my dear, you know me so well already.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
“Now, how about I get my favorite human a snack Then I will escort you to your room, my lady, and tuck you in.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You mean lock me in.”
Austin’s unusual amber-and-hazel eyes sparkled. “That too.”
We headed to the kitchen, and I muttered a string of complaints while he pretended not to hear. Still, I was slightly appeased when I spied the counter. The staff had prepared a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.
Austin plated an enormous slice for me and watched me intently while I ate. “Is it quite good?”
I nodded, my foul mood eclipsed by the fantastic dessert. “Can you try some?”
The prince shook his head. “It’d make me sick, I think. It would be like if you decided to eat grass. Just because a cow can do it doesn’t mean you could.”
I put down my fork. “Are you calling me a cow, Your Highness?”
Austin’s big shoulders shook with laughter. “No, my lady. But I expect I’m going to be in trouble just the same.”
“You might want to look for a different metaphor.”
The prince nodded. “Got it.”
I scraped the frosting around on my plate. “Back to Rose and what we were talking about. I don’t want to be limited is all. I want to be able to do everything you can do. With what the rebels are planning, I’m afraid I’m going to be left behind. I don’t want to be a damsel in distress, pacing the castle while you’re all out fighting.”
The prince took my hand. “You will never be a damsel in distress. That’s an outdated notion. Even when you were held captive in the woods, you were strong.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Eve had to rescue me, if you remember.”
“Yes, but you stayed alive long enough for that to happen. Not an easy feat when you’re surrounded by a pack of starving werewolves and a bloodthirsty outlaw vampire.”
“Well…thank you.” I shrugged, though deep down, I was pleased by the compliment. “But imagine what I could do if I had immortality on my side.”
Austin squeezed my hand. “I don’t want to imagine it. I want you to be safe, and I want you to be you. On that note, let’s get you to bed. I know a certain someone who gets grumpy without her proper beauty sleep.”
As promised, Austin tucked me in and locked my door. But as soon as he’d gone, I leapt out of bed and went to the window. I didn’t see anything for a long time. When I’d just about given up, I caught another flash of Eve’s pale hair in the moonlight. They were coming back inside the palace. I wanted, more than anything, to fly back down the stairs so that I could see Rose. But Austin was right—she was a new vampire, not yet in control of her power. I didn’t want to make things difficult for her.
I waited until I heard Eve’s light footsteps in the hall, then I cracked my door open. “Psst!”
Eve jumped. “Blake, stop! Who made you hall monitor?”
I grabbed her by the sleeve and pulled her inside.
My friend crossed her arms against her chest and sighed. Her blond curls were swept back from her face, and her bright-aqua eyes, which burned with a supernatural luminescence since she’d been turned, were trained on me. “Well, get on with it, then. Why’re you up in the middle of the night?”
“I saw you outside with Rose. How is she?”
Eve’s face softened. “She’s good. She’s confused as all get out, but she’s good.”
I climbed back on my bed and motioned for Eve to sit with me. “Why is she confused?”
Eve sank down, picking some leaves from her trousers. “She doesn’t remember anything that happened after Abigor attacked her. It’s like she keeps forgetting she’s a vampire now, so her new senses keep startling her.” Eve shrugged. “It’s very common. Same thing happened to me.”
“What does she say it feels like? What sort of new senses?”
Eve blinked at me. “Are you asking because you’re going to start bugging us to change you again? Because His Highness said no, as in absolutely not.”
I shook my head. “I just want to know what she’s going through. I feel terrible that I still can’t speak to her, which is why I accosted you. Tell me everything.”
“I’ll tell you three things, and then you must go to bed,” Eve said. “We’ve a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” She had agreed to teach me some combat moves, and we were meeting with Balkyn, Austin, and his intelligence team to discuss what our next move should be.
“It’s a deal.” I smiled at her.
She arched an eyebrow. “I’m not getting anything out of this, am I?”
“I can have Austin arrange a special sparring match for you.”
Eve nodded. “Done. I’ll tell you the first three things I noticed when I became a vampire. First, I could see everything much more clearly. Even in the dark, I could make out a shadow. Everything looked sharper. Second, my hearing was incredibly improved. It was as though, in my human life, I’d only been making out about fifty percent of the noise around me. Now I hear much more, and if I concentrate, I can isolate specific areas to tune in on. It’s quite amazing, although a bit jarring at first. Rose needs to adjust to both of these new skills.”
“And what’s the third?”
Eve blinked at me. “You can smell human blood. And it’s the best thing you’ve ever smelled, more mouth-watering that any juicy steak or cherry tart that you might crave as a human. The smell of blood is overwhelming, as is your desire for it.”
“Does it…” I cleared my throat. “Does the donated blood smell as good?”
“No. Unfortunately, it does not. The donated blood smells like the cheap plastic bags it’s kept in. You smell like heaven.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my bed. “So how do you keep yourself from…you know?”
Eve shrugged. “I know you can’t resist a rib eye, but I’ve a bit more self-control than that. Really, for me it’s just knowing that I’m doing the right thing by drinking donated blood. It’s a choice.”
“But Rose isn’t capable of making that choice yet.”
“That’s exactly right.” Eve rose to go. “Rose’s instincts are brand-new, and they are overwhelming. Her urges are dominating her. It’s her survival instinct. It’s not that she means anyone harm—she is just literally not in control of herself yet. So stay away from her, Blake.”
I nodded. If Austin hadn’t convinced me, Eve had. “You have my word.”
“I’d better.” Eve straightened her tunic. “We’ve enough problems to deal with at the moment.”
“Did you hear something?”
“No, but I thought I caught a scent just now in the woods.”
I hopped out of bed. “The werewolves?”
“No, the humans.” Eve grimaced. “At this point, I’m not sure who’s worse.”