Willing (The Un #1)

8. Chloe

Eight

Chloe

I’m unable to get my racing heartbeat under control as I stare at the vampire standing in my living room.

He found me.

He finally found me.

I’m so terrified, so freaking petrified, I can’t move. I can’t think.

I can’t even breathe.

Dressed in a dark suit with the jacket unbuttoned and opened, the vampire stands in the middle of my living room like he owns the place. His posture completely at ease.

Hands tucked into his pockets, he stares back at me, blue eyes glimmering with amusement.

Charity makes a throaty sound of disgust. “Ew, Chloe. Stop staring at him like you’ve never seen a man before. It’s embarrassing.”

The vampire slightly tips his blond head back and chuckles while invisible spiders crawl down my spine.

Man?

Does she not know what he is?

He’s a creature. A monster. An evil abomination without a heartbeat…

And she invited him into our home.

Shit.

After another minute passes with me standing frozen in place, unmoving, Charity says, “Seriously, Chloe! You’re so annoying. Go hide in your room or something.”

Eyes never leaving me, the vampire chuckles again as if he finds this entire situation hilarious. “Why don’t you introduce us?”

Charity scoffs at the idea.

At once, all traces of amusement vanish from the vampire’s face.

Finally tearing his eyes away from mine, he turns to Charity and says, “I said introduce us .”

The command wasn’t targeted at me, but I can feel the pull of it, regardless.

Charity wobbles a bit at first, either in resistance or confusion, but ultimately obeys. “Nikolaos… this is my… roommate Chloe. Chloe, this is Nikolaos. We met at that little coffee shop on the corner.”

Turning his attention back to me, Nikolaos smiles and says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chloe.”

I can’t say the same, even if I had the breath.

“So rude,” Charity remarks when I remain silent.

“It’s quite alright,” Nikolaos says, his smile growing. “ Come here , Chloe.”

Again, I feel the pull of the command somewhere deep inside me, even more intense now that it’s directed at me.

But my first instinct is to resist.

One of the few benefits of being cursed is that I’m almost completely immune to the charm vampires use to beguile humans.

I can sense the command and even feel the unnatural tug behind it, but I don’t have to give in.

As long as I have the mental strength and fortitude, I can fight the compulsion.

On the other hand, it’s also one of the easiest ways for a vampire to discover what I am.

If I fight and fail to obey, Nikolaos will immediately know I’m cursed.

If he doesn’t know already, that is.

Torn, I consider giving into my first instinct to run and survive.

Given all the strange stuff happening to me tonight, there’s a chance I could get away. Especially if Nikolaos isn’t prepared or expecting my speed.

But where would I run to? There’s nowhere to go.

I could run around the streets all night…

But another vampire might find me.

And what about Charity? Do I just leave her here at his mercy?

I can’t leave her. Even if it’s the smartest thing to do for myself. Even if she’s the biggest, stupidest bitch I’ve ever known for bringing him here.

She’s still an innocent person who doesn’t deserve to die.

Mentally cursing my luck, my fate, this vampire, and this night, I grip my bag tighter and let myself submit to the command.

My feet carry me forward, my reluctance thankfully keeping my steps slow and not unnaturally fast.

Once I’m within a couple of feet, I let myself come to a stop in front of Nikolaos.

Blond head slightly tipping to the side, his smile sharpens, and he runs his gaze all over me, inspecting me as if I’m an object he’s considering purchasing.

Heart still racing, it takes all of my self-control to keep myself from bolting the second he moves forward and closes what little distance there is between us.

Sniffing the air, Nikolaos slowly circles around me.

“What are you doing?” Charity asks, sounding both confused and creeped out.

Up until now, I’ve been too afraid to take my eyes off Nikolaos for a single second. Terrified I’d blink and he’d strike.

But with him behind me, I can finally spare a glance in Charity’s direction.

Seated on the couch with her legs crossed, she watches us with her nose wrinkled and her brow pinched.

“ Sit there, be quiet, and look pretty , Charity,” Nikolaos commands.

The change that comes over Charity is almost instantaneous. Her features smooth out and a smile stretches across her lips.

Eyes glazing over with a heated expression, she lowers her lashes seductively at Nikolaos.

“Good girl,” Nikolaos purrs, and comes to stand in front of me again.

My stomach clenches hard and bile rises in my throat.

Seeing the way he’s treating Charity as if she’s some kind of puppet, some kind of toy to play with makes me want to puke all over his expensive black shoes.

God help me , I silently pray. Help me get us both out of this alive.

Nikolaos suddenly steps into me, and it happens so fast I don’t have time to react. One blink, he’s at least a foot in front of me, and the next he’s pushed right up against my breasts.

A small gasp escapes my lips as he presses a hand against my back to hold me in place.

His face presses up against my neck.

“Interesting…” he murmurs, his nose sniffing up and down my throat.

Every nerve in my body frays and my muscles tighten, fighting the almost unbearable need to flee.

To freaking run for my life.

Having him at my throat is the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever endured in my life.

Period.

I’d rather suffer a million sacraments, back-to-back, than have a vampire sniffing around my neck.

It’s literally feels like I’ve stuck my head into the mouth of a lion, and at any second he could strike and end my existence.

I’d be drained or bled out before I could say the words Saint Benedict .

Leaning back and lifting his head, Nikolaos peers deep into my eyes.

Searching for something…

And it finally dawns on me that his eyes are blue. A bright almost neon blue and not the blazing green that scorched me in my dream.

He’s not my shadow stalker.

He’s just some other bloodsucker that happened to end up in my house.

Gaze darkening with pleasure, Nikolaos reaches up and swipes his thumb across my cheek. Smearing the tears I’ve unintentionally released into my skin.

“Unbutton your shirt,” Nikolaos says, watching my reaction closely.

Too closely.

Like a cat watching a mouse it’s about to pounce on.

He definitely suspects something, I fear. But what? Can he smell me, the real me, beneath the cinnamon oil?

“Chloe,” he draws out, “I said unbutton your shirt.”

My fingers almost jump up to do his bidding before I realize I didn’t feel a tug to obey.

It wasn’t a command.

He’s testing me.

Why, though, is still up in the air.

Either he wants to see how far I’ll go out of pure fear… or he suspects I’m cursed and faking my reactions.

Trembling, I decide the best thing I can do, the only thing I can do for now, is continue to fake it until I find an opening to either hurt him or escape him.

Shaking my head in refusal, I try to pull away.

“Ah,” he sighs with a touch of amusement as his arm tightens and his palm presses harder into my spine. “You devout Order girls are so predictable.”

Jerking me into him, his lips pull up into a wicked grin. “Your extreme modesty… Your virginal ignorance…”

Sliding his hand down my cheek, the tips of his cool fingers drag down my neck and land on the top of my blouse.

When I try to jerk away again, my hands dropping my bag and coming up to push at his chest, he commands, “ Don’t fight me, Chloe.”

Feeling the tug to obey, I have no choice but to still and let him do whatever he wants to do to me.

He chuckles as my arms fall down to my sides, limp, then says, “And let’s not forget your weak attempts to protect your innocence…”

Fingers moving incredibly slow, he takes his time unbuttoning the top buttons of my blouse.

His eyes hungrily devour my reaction. “It’s truly lovely, and I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it.”

Once he has my blouse unbuttoned down to my breasts, he stops and carefully spreads the fabric. Exposing my cleavage.

Mind racing as fast as my heartbeat, I try to come up with a plan to stop this.

Unfortunately, killing or hurting a vampire is easier said than done.

Unlike the old folktales, a wooden stake to the heart won’t do it. Nor will a silver bullet. Weapons will hurt them and slow them down, but only temporarily.

Even the sun only tires and weakens them.

The only way to truly kill a vampire is to cut off their head, and good luck pulling that off unless they’re severely exhausted or incapacitated.

Vampires are incredibly fast and strong. Even with the changes happening to me, I don’t think I can take him.

It will literally take a miracle to get both Charity and me out of this in one piece.

Reaching into my spread blouse, Nikolaos hooks his finger on the chain of my necklace and smirks as he lifts the small cross I wear. “So common among you girls, it’s practically a cliché.”

He yanks on the chain causing a link to snap and the cross to fall into his palm.

Glancing down at the cross, he says, “Cheap and plain…”

Closing his fingers around the cross, his eyes flick back up to me. “But it will go great in my collection, regardless.”

I feel that one word—collection—sinks into me like a pair of psychic fangs. Filling me with dread.

How many crosses does he have?

How many girls in the Order have had the misfortune of encountering him?

Does he hunt us? Is that why he’s here?

Without warning, my head spins, and it feels like time slipped away from me again as my back is slammed hard against a wall.

It happened so quick it takes me a few breaths to realize Nikolaos must have moved us across the room.

“Your pulse hasn’t slowed once since you’ve set eyes on me,” he says with open suspicion.

The accusation only causes my heart to beat harder and faster.

Bracing his arm against the wall, his face lowers until he’s nearly kissing me. “Combined with your scent… it’s maddening.”

Pushing my head against the wall, I try to shrink away from him, but there’s nowhere to go unless I find a way to go through him.

His eyes narrow. “You know what I am now, yes. But you’ve known the entire time.”

Dreading the conclusion he’s reaching, I can only stare at him, hoping he won’t completely figure it out.

Lifting a brow in expectation, Nikolaos asks, “How?”

I can’t reveal that I know he’s a vampire because he doesn’t have a heartbeat. There’s no way a human would know it by simply looking at him. I don’t even know why I can tell, and I can’t think of a logical or believable way to explain it.

Growing impatient, he commands, “ How , Chloe?”

Sensing the tug to obey, I know I must answer him.

There is no other choice.

Blurting out the first thing that pops into my head, I say, “You’re very pale.”

He pulls back a little and repeats incredulously, “I’m very pale?”

Continuing to fake it until it gets me killed, I nod my head slowly and say innocently, “Yes. You’re very pale. So pale, you’re practically glowing.”

Nikolaos’s eyes widen and his disbelief borders on shock.

Then he tips his head back and laughs. “Oh, that’s a good one…”

His laughter stops abruptly and his face appears in front of my face so quickly it’s obvious he’s trying to catch me by surprise. “ What’s the real reason , Chloe?”

I jump a little, unnerved by his unnatural speed, and exclaim, “You’re very pale!”

Nikolaos slowly shakes his head. “Do you want to try again?”

My stomach drops to my feet. I have no other answer to give him…

“You’re very pale...” I whisper, withering under his intense stare. “And you’re dressed very nice.”

Annoyance flashes in his eyes. Eyes that seemingly don’t blink as they bore into me.

Then those unblinking eyes drop to my chest.

“Very well.” Nikolaos sighs, resigned. “If you insist on playing this game, I suppose I have no choice but to—”

Loud, banging knocks on the front door cut him off.

For a heartbeat, more annoyance flashes in his eyes at the interruption. Then Nikolaos shakes his head and pushes away from the wall.

Grabbing me roughly by the hand, he tugs me toward the front door, forcing me to follow him.

Blowing out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, I stumble behind him for a couple of steps before I realize this is it.

This is my chance to save us.

If I’m quick and strong enough, I can put an end to this.

I let Nikolaos drag me to the door, pretending I can’t quite keep up with his long strides, while I work on slowly and carefully sliding my hand out of his grip.

He doesn’t seem to notice until we reach the door and he’s pulling it open.

Glancing back at me, his hand tightens around mine before he jerks me into him.

I have a split-second to decide whether I should continue with my plan and put myself at risk or abandon it.

Knowing it could very well cause my death but feeling I have no other choice if I want to save Charity, I use the momentum of his yank to throw myself at him.

Caught by surprise, Nikolaos grunts and stumbles across the threshold.

“I revoke your invitation!” I cry out as I crash into him, his arms coming around me as if to catch me.

“Fuck!” I hear him growl next to my ear.

Then I’m promptly slammed up next to the door with his hand squeezing around my throat.

His face a mask of animalistic rage, Nikolaos bares his fangs and snaps them in front of my face.

Seeing evil, true evil in the contortions of his features, my life flashes in front of my eyes.

Vampires are the spawns of Hell. The Devil’s creations. Walking abominations that masquerade as men.

I’ve always known this, yet seeing is truly believing…

Convinced I’m about to be torn to pieces, I screw my eyes shut, silently pray for strength, and focus on not humiliating myself by letting go of my bladder in these last seconds.

“Nikolaos… I don’t know what the fuck is going on… but for some reason I’d like you to stop…” a deep, male voice says from somewhere close by.

“Goddammit,” Nikolaos rasps, his breath hitting my nose.

Flinching at the touch and expecting a bite, I try to lean back, but once again, there’s nowhere to go.

“Nikolaos, I’m serious,” the stranger warns. “I don’t know why but if you don’t stop I’m going to fight you.”

I sense Nikolaos pulling away, but I don’t dare open my eyes to watch him.

“I know, Knox,” Nikolaos growls before he clears his throat. “Trust me, I fucking know. I want to kick my own ass for what I’ve done.”

There’s a long stretch of silence and my head begins to spin from the lack of oxygen.

“What the fuck?” the stranger chuckles in disbelief.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Nikolaos sighs then his hand relaxes, his fingers loosening enough for me to gasp in a breath.

I consider screaming but quickly decide against it. No help will come. If anything, it would probably attract more vampires.

“Where did you find her? Is she marked? She fucking reeks of cinnamon,” the stranger asks, and I sense someone moving closer.

“Back off,” Nikolaos snaps, and I finally gather up enough courage to peek my eyes open.

A man… no, a vampire with long, black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, dressed in a dark suit like Nikolaos, throws his hands up in the air and slowly backs away from us. “Sorry. I just wanted to get a better sniff.”

I watch Nikolaos squeeze his eyes shut like he’s in pain. “It’s okay, Knox, it’s just…”

Voice trailing off, Nikolaos opens his eyes and looks at me. His gaze full of confusion and accusation. As if I’ve done something…

“Just what?” Knox asks, looking at me as well.

Nikolaos shakes his head. “Again, I don’t fucking know.”

Knox nods as if he understands, his eyes never leaving me. “What do you know?”

Meeting his eyes to check the color, I see that they’re blue like Nikolaos’s and the not the green of my nightmare phantom.

So that makes two vampires I’ve happened to stumble upon. Great.

Rolling his shoulders as if he’s trying to work out some tension, Nikolaos says, “I found her here, and she obviously belongs to the Order. I’m unsure if she’s marked, though I suspect she might be. I was just about to check when you arrived.”

Knox smirks and throws his hands up again. “Sorry. You told me to get here as soon as possible so I got here as soon as possible.”

Nikolaos sighs and nods his head.

“Speaking of which,” Knox prompts when Nikolaos falls into thoughtful silence. “Why the rush? Because of her?”

Blinking as if he’s pulling himself out of thought, Nikolaos finally looks away from me. “No. Fuck. I almost forgot. I received word an hour ago that we’re about to have visitors from out of state. Asher and his coven are on their way.”

Knox frowns, and I try my best not to squirm. Uncomfortable with the way Knox continues to stare at me like he can’t take his eyes off me while he talks to Nikolaos.

“Word got out that quickly?”

“Yes, it appears we have a weak link. One I will quickly remedy,” Nikolaos says, and frowns as well while eyeing Knox with suspicion.

“What?” Knox asks, noticing the frown directed at him. “It’s not me. You know I’d never fucking—”

“It’s not that,” Nikolaos nearly hisses, showing a bit of fang. “I know you’re not the leak.”

Knox’s brows knit in confusion. “Then what?”

Nikolaos closes his eyes again before he grits out slowly, like it kills him to speak the words, “Stop. Looking. At. Her.”

“Seriously?” Knox says, appearing stunned.

Wincing, Nikolaos confirms, “Seriously.”

Speechless, Knox finally drags his gaze from me and purposely looks away. Focusing his attention on something down the street.

Relaxing his grip around my throat even more, Nikolaos’s posture slumps and he lets out yet another sigh. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Knox says, shifting from foot to foot in impatience or discomfort. “Are you ready to get out of here?”

“Yes,” Nikolaos says eagerly, and a spark of hope sizzles to life inside me.

If Nikolaos removes his hand from my throat, I might be able to catch him by surprise again. If I time it right and I’m fast enough, there’s a real possibility I could make it inside my house, where he can no longer get to me…

Relaxing even more, Nikolaos begins to do exactly as I hoped. Pulling his hand away from my throat before seemingly thinking better of it.

“I almost forgot,” he says ominously, staring into my eyes like he can read my thoughts. “Charity, come to the front door .”

The spark of hope inside me flickers and dims but doesn’t completely extinguish. There’s still a possibility that he’s bluffing. That he’s only trying to scare me.

A possibility that she’s too far away to hear him…

“Charity?” Knox asks, still purposely avoiding looking in my direction.

“The other Order girl,” Nikolaos answers.

Knox perks up with interest. “Is she like this one?”

“No, thankfully not.” Nikolaos smirks at me.

“Oh,” Knox says with disappointment then I see him look toward the front door.

I know it before Nikolaos confirms it, but my hope still lingers for a futile second before fizzling into dread.

“That’s a good girl,” Nikolaos purrs over my shoulder, and I want to burst into tears. “ Come out here, close the door, and follow that man with the black hair to the car .”

I hear the click of the door then Charity appears in the corner of my eye. Doing exactly as she was told, she walks up to Knox, her stride oddly robotic.

Nikolaos’s hand tightens around my throat, pulling my attention back to him. “If you try to run from me, I’ll kill her. Do you understand?”

Eyes stinging, I drop my chin a fraction to show him I understand.

Lips stretching into a grin, he purrs, “Good girl.”

Stomach roiling with fear and heart heavy with despair, I have no choice but to follow him when he releases my throat and grabs my hand.

I failed .

The thought, the heaviness of it, weighs on me with every step.

God gave me the chance I prayed for, and I messed it up.

Now Charity will probably suffer the consequences.

No doubt I’ll suffer, too.

I’ve always been doomed, though. I’ve been fighting this destiny for years, but deep inside I’ve always known my life would probably end like this.

At a vampire’s mercy.

But Charity, she’s not cursed…

If I had been smarter, if I had succeeded, she’d have an entire normal life ahead of her.

Not now.

Now, because of my failure, she’s doomed to suffer the same fate as me.

“ Get in the car, sit down, and be quiet , Charity,” Nikolaos commands when Knox opens the back door of a black limousine idling on the street.

Still moving stiffly, Charity climbs into the limo without complaint.

Knox glances back in my direction, his eyes meeting mine for a fraction of a second, before he ducks down and enters the car.

Hand squeezing mine tighter, Nikolaos tugs me over to the door and nudges me inside with a firm palm to my spine.

Sliding in right behind me as I scoot across the seat, Nikolaos forces me up against the other door then shuts the door behind him.

The instant the door shuts, the limo pulls away from the curb.

It takes a second for the full gravity of my new situation to settle over me, but once it does, my heart races out of control. My pulse trying to reach warp speed.

The seats in the back of the limo are shaped like an L. The two seats Nikolaos and I sit on face the front, and the other seats, the ones Charity and Knox are sitting on, face the right side. With Nikolaos to my right and Knox seated sideways at my left, I’m literally trapped between two vampires.

They’re so close, I can smell the competing scents of their different colognes and aftershaves.

Compared to standard cars, the limo’s interior is probably considered spacious and luxurious. There’s more than enough room for a man to stretch his legs out while he has a drink from the minibar or watches the small flat-screen TV.

The leather seats themselves are wider than standard seats, almost twice as wide, leaving plenty of space for each passenger to relax comfortably.

But to me, it’s suffocatingly claustrophobic.

The curved walls are closing in on me, leaving no space to breathe. Pushing the vampires closer and closer…

I can feel their presence, their auras, scratching at my skin.

“Can you calm her down?” Knox asks, shifting uneasily in his seat. “Her heartbeat is driving me fucking crazy.”

“Perhaps.” Nikolaos frowns then turns toward me. “ Calm down , Chloe.”

Again, at first, I want to resist the command. To fight it.

But I’m so desperate for relief, to be free of the crushing anxiety, just so I can think clearly for a minute, I allow myself to give in.

Like a wave of warm water washing over me, a strange sense of calm spreads through my body. My heartbeat slows and my limbs feel so heavy I start to sink into the seat until I’m nearly reclining.

I’m so relaxed now, so at ease, it doesn’t even disturb me that both vampires are staring hard at me. Their eyes gleaming, reflecting the dim interior lights, as they watch my every little movement.

Snakes… they’re both like snakes … I think to myself. Snakes watching the prey they’re about to swallow whole .

“Interesting,” Nikolaos says, his frown deepening.

Knox shakes his head slowly in disbelief. “If she was marked that wouldn’t have worked…”

“I know.”

“Then what the fuck? Is she a decoy? A fucking Trojan Horse? Did the Order find some way to confuse us? This doesn’t make any sense. Whenever we try to command the other she tells us to go fuck ourselves.”

Moving closer to me, Nikolaos reaches out and grabs a thick chunk of my hair as if he expects me to flinch or jerk away from him. When I don’t react, he pauses, becoming so still it’s as if he’s frozen in time.

I’m very aware that I should be freaked out. I’m also very aware that it might have been stupid of me to embrace his command. But it felt like I had no other choice. My heart was racing so hard it was about to burst out of my chest.

And there’s nothing I can do in the car. There’s no way I can make it out the door stuck between them.

Even if I could, I couldn’t leave Charity behind.

Nikolaos said he’d kill her, and I believe him.

The best thing to do, the prudent thing, is to calmly observe them and absorb information until I can figure out another plan.

Maybe if I pray hard enough and beg forgiveness, God will give me another chance…

“But this one,” Knox goes on, becoming more agitated, “she sets off every one of my fucking instincts. Every single one . And she follows commands? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Blinking, Nikolaos brings the section of my hair up to his nose and inhales, causing his nostrils to flare.

“How likely do you think it is the Order would have two Marked in one city?” Knox asks.

“Not at all likely,” Nikolaos answers with a scowl and rubs my hair thoughtfully between his fingers. “It’s been decades since they’ve made such a stupid mistake.”

Knox nods his head. “Exactly. Then that would mean this one isn’t marked…”

“Not necessarily,” Nikolaos says slowly and drops my hair. Watching the blonde strands fall one by one from his pale fingers.

Knox leans closer, his gaze and full attention fixating on me. “You think she’s marked? You think she’s faking her reactions?”

Noticing Knox’s sudden interest in me, Nikolaos flashes his fangs in warning.

Instead of backing off or looking away this time, Knox scoots closer and bares his fangs in return.

The two vampires glare at each other with murderous intentions. Each looking as if they’re ready to tear out the other’s throat.

Stuck between the two of them, my heart wants to take off again. Panic threatens to squeeze my ribs and smother my breath, but I fight it back.

If I don’t remain calm they’ll know for sure I’ve been faking it the whole time. As it is, there seems to be some doubt about what I am. Doubt that plays to my advantage.

Time ticks by slowly, ever so slowly. With me counting every steady heartbeat. Praying I don’t slip up and give myself away.

Then suddenly the tension shatters.

Knox rears back while cursing, “Fuck!”

Keeping his attention fully trained on Knox, Nikolaos reaches over and grabs me, pulling me into his lap. Much like a little kid grabbing a toy so another can’t play with it.

Everything inside me wants to recoil at the contact. To shrivel up and shrink away from the touch of his cool, hard body against my body.

It’s unnatural and revolting.

Wrapping an arm around me, Nikolaos traps me tight to his chest.

Resisting the urge, the need to squirm away from him, I focus hard on remaining completely still.

Seemingly calming now that he has me close, Nikolaos lets out a long breath.

As if he even needs the oxygen.

Knox shakes his head hard like he’s trying to mentally dislodge something. “I don’t know what the fuck just came over me.”

“I do,” Nikolaos says calmly, “it’s her.”

Knox rolls his eyes and his voice drips with sarcasm. “Yeah, well… no shit, Sherlock. Of course it’s her. She must be fucking marked. The Order fucked up somehow, or they’re running out of—”

“I don’t believe she’s marked,” Nikolaos says, interrupting him.

Knox looks at Nikolaos as if he’s suddenly gone mad. “If she’s not marked then why are we both ready to kick each other’s asses to claim her? She fucking pulls at me, Nikolaos. Pulls at me so hard, I’m barely resisting it.”

“I don’t believe she’s marked yet ,” Nikolaos clarifies. “But I believe she’ll manifest soon.”

Knox scoffs at first, but his expression quickly becomes thoughtful. “That would explain a great deal,” he finally agrees.

“Indeed,” Nikolaos says, and I feel his arm tighten around me. “It explains everything.”

Knox’s eyes drift toward me before he catches himself and jerks them away. “So… you managed to catch yourself a Marked before anyone else has discovered her. You’ve one-upped the fucking Order…”

The limo begins to slow then comes to a complete stop.

Looking hard at Nikolaos, Knox asks, “What do you plan to do with her?”

Nikolaos smiles a wicked smile that shakes the very foundations of my soul. “I plan to keep her.”

Knox scowls. “But what if she shows and she’s not yours?”

Nikolaos lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “Finders, keepers.”

“I can guarantee you that will not go over well,” Knox says with a hint of a growl.

“I don’t give a fuck.” Nikolaos reaches out with his free arm to open the door. “Whoever doesn’t like it can go fuck themselves.”

“Nikolaos…” Knox says, pleading, but Nikolaos ignores him as he focuses on nudging me out of the car.

Unwilling to completely release me, Nikolaos unwraps his arm from around me but keeps a firm grip on my hand as he guides me out the door.

Once my feet hit the pavement, the desire to run for my life nearly gets the best of me.

I’m so disturbed, so alarmed by what Nikolaos just said, I want to scream and flee in terror.

Nothing the Order taught me prepared me for this scenario. In fact, most of what the Order taught me says this shouldn’t even be possible.

Only my shadow stalker is a danger to my eternal soul. Other vampires might kill me, yes, but none of them should want to keep me as if I’m some kind of pet.

“Dammit, Nikolaos,” Knox grumbles as he climbs out the car. “Would you listen to reason for a minute? What you want to do is insane.”

Straightening to his full height, Nikolaos pulls on my hand, bringing me closer.

“Is it, Knox?” Nikolaos asks with a smirk. “Is it, really?”

Not giving Knox a chance to answer, Nikolaos tugs me forward, walking me to the building directly in front of us.

Four stories high and made of dark stone, the building would be completely nondescript and unremarkable if there wasn’t a long line of humans standing behind red velvet ropes, waiting to enter.

There’s no sign, glowing or otherwise. No lights, and no indication at all that the building is special.

But I instantly know what it is.

Looking at the long line of humans dressed their best in the hope that their effort will gain them entrance, I know it’s a vampire den.

Though I’ve never been inside one before, I’ve been told they’re places of hedonism and debauchery. Places where vampires don’t have to hunt or work to score their next meal.

Their meal comes to them.

“Yes,” Knox nearly shouts as he catches up to us, “it is. It’s stupid fucking madness. Every vampire for miles around will try to challenge you for her when word gets out.”

Nikolaos gives Knox a bored look. “And?”

“And?” Knox sputters. “And?!”

Nikolaos rolls his eyes as he leads me past the long line stretching down the block, ignoring the calls and attempts to get his attention.

Getting ahold of himself, Knox reaches out and grabs Nikolaos’s arm, forcing him to a stop just in front of the big, beefy vampire standing guard at the entrance. “What if she’s not yours? What will you do when her fated shows up?”

Nikolaos looks down at Knox’s restraining hand then back up to his face. “What do you think I’ll do?” he asks as he jerks his arm free of Knox’s grip. “I’ll kill him.”

“You’re mad,” Knox says in disbelief. “Fucking mad.”

Nikolaos grins without any shame. Grins as if he’s taking pleasure in Knox’s reaction. “Yes, I think we’ve already established that.”

Determined to enter the den, Nikolaos tugs me forward again. Leaving Knox standing in stunned silence.

The big, beefy vampire bouncer jumps to attention and opens the door without a word, keeping his gaze cast downward in submission.

Nikolaos takes one step over the threshold with me a mere step behind him before he comes to a sudden stop.

Glancing over his shoulder at Knox, he says, “Oh, I almost forgot. I left my other toy in the car. Fetch her for me before you come in.”

Then he grips my hand tighter and leads me into pure darkness.