Page 10 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
I took the glass, holding it to my lips. “Are you always this cheerful, or is it just with me?”
I drank deeply despite the pain in my throat. The vampire watched me as I did. He held his answer until the glass was empty.
“What you see is what you get. If you want to back out now, I’ll understand.”
Oh no.He wasn’t getting rid of me that easily.
“I’m not backing out.”
“Of course you aren’t.” He refilled my glass, then glared at me until I took another sip, tracking the movement with his head canted to one side. “Consent is essential to this process, and if the feedings make you ill…”
“I need this job, just like you need me. I can handle it.”
Bastien leaned down so that our noses were mere inches apart. Fear crowded into my senses, but I pushed it back. Iwasn’t going to let him intimidate me. “I donotneed you. Make no mistake.”
I held his gaze, not giving an inch. He was lying. He did need me. We’d sealed our pact, and now he had no choice but to keep me. He might not like me or trust me, nor I him, but we needed each other. Just for very different reasons.
“Claire!” someone screamed off in the distance.
I sat up straight, my attention turning to the door. No one knew my name except Sera. The muffled sounds of struggle had me on my feet despite the lingering nausea.
“Get your hands off me!” Grunts. “Claire!” the voice screamed again. “Claire! Where are you?”
Chapter 5
Retrouver
CLAIRE
My heart leapt into my throat at the sight of a female vampire clutching my little sister by the root of her hair.
“Look what I found snooping around,” the vampire said teasingly. She wore her dark brown hair in a braid that coiled down her shoulder like a snake. Her blouse was ivory satin inlaid with pearl buttons and detailed with gold appliqué. Most surprising, however, were her trousers—perfectly tailored to her long, lithe body.
She was beautiful. The only thing amiss was the red welt on her cheek. Sera grunted as the vampire dragged her inside the room.
An angry scream tore from my throat. “Let her go!”
Before I could think better of it, I snatched a candelabra from a nearby table and ran toward the woman, intent on doing as much damage as I could, but I was stopped by Bastien.
He caught me around the waist and pulled me back against his chest. “Not so fast, Miss Donadieu.” Heplucked the weapon out of my grip, then set it back on the table. “This is my niece, Lady Natalia. She’s my second-in-command,” he explained. His lips moving against my ear. Voice low. “You’d do well not to attack her again. Especially when I’m not around to stop you. Understand?”
I tried to squirm out of his grip, but he only held me tighter. “Stop.” At the command, I froze, my skin heating despite his coldness. “I’m assuming you know this woman,” he asked.
“Yes. Of course. She-she’s myeverything,” I said, tears burning in my eyes as Natalia dragged Seraphina across the carpet. “Stop hurting her!”
Natalia snorted. Her red lips quirked in a frown. Her tiny nose crinkled in disgust. “Doesmy everythinghave a name? Something you call her in polite company.”
“If only there were polite company around.”
I bit my lip. I shouldn’t have said that. Mama would be disappointed. I was supposed to be acting soft and sweet. Docile, even, to earn their trust. That was the point of the mission. But it was hard to act sweet around these vampires, especially when one of them had a fistful of my sister’s hair, and the other was intent on hating me.
“Watch your tongue,Miss,” Natalia said, giving a sharp tug on Sera’s hair that made her yelp.
“Stop!” I cried. Desperate to do whatever it took to get her to let her go. “Her name is Sera Donadieu. She’s my little sister.”
Natalia paused, canting her head to one side. “A Donadieu? From the Nightfall Convent?”
We both nodded. Sera wincing as she did. Seeding the lie. Since I couldn’t bring my own parentage scroll to the Sanguination Ball without giving our plot away, I had to forge one. The most uncomplicated identity to assume was that of agirl without parents.Donadieuwas the surname given to the orphans of Nightfall, the land south and west of the capital. The convent not far from Prideaux Hill. The orphans housed at the convent were those of dead soldiers, more often than not. Victims of the vampire’s relentless pursuit of territory.
