Shifters’ Fated Summer (Alpha Season #1)

Chapter 1 Venom

Venom

Vampire venom felt like spinning weightlessly through the clouds I remembered from my childhood. My body ceased to exist, and I drifted. The aches and pains were gone. The musty smell of unwashed bodies, stale air, and molding food vanished. It was bliss.

In less than two months, I would turn twenty and all the rules and limits would fall away.

I would never again return to the dingy, dark dorms the blood donors lived in.

No more pining for my patron. No more pain as I waited for the next time he could visit me.

I would be strong enough to never leave his side.

A few more weeks.

But until then, I was stuck in this pisshole twenty-two hours of the day.

The girl in the bed beside mine whimpered and turned over in her sleep.

I ignored her, focusing on my knitting. Gingerly, my fingers counted the stitches my eyes could not make out in the darkness.

Candles flickered by the entrance, but their meager light died before making it to our dank corner of the cold, concrete space.

Less than two months, and I would be elevated from my duties as a blood donor to the honored status as a vampire prince’s mate. My heart sped at the thought, breaking my concentration.

A tremor ran down my arms, and I dropped the stitch. “Fuck,” I hissed. I needed my patron. It had been too long, and my body cried out for him, my limbs shaky and my stomach churning. Even my skin felt clammy.

Surely, Evrin would be here any minute. I had to hold out a bit longer. There were no windows in the den, obviously, and the only clock I knew of was the pocket watch Evrin kept on him, but after seven years, my sense of time was impeccable.

Any minute now.

Giving up, I tossed the knitting into the drawer of my side table. The plastic knitting needles clicked against the hairbrush Evrin gave me last year for my birthday.

My back protested as I straightened, leaning forward in anticipation.

Evrin was the sole sunshine of my glum existence.

I needed him to survive this hell hole. He was my salvation, my protector, and my escape.

Without Evrin, the other vampires would feed from me as they wished and every day I would risk being drained.

I refused to glance across the walkway to Stella with her dark bruises under her eyes and sickly pale skin. She was younger than me, and I hoped soon she would catch the eye of a vampire who would claim her as his own and become her patron.

The door swished open. A tall, lean figure was silhouetted in the hallway light. My heart leapt, and I slung my bare feet over the side, shoving off my bed to rush to him.

Evrin’s graceful frame sauntered forward, closing the distance between us. Unable to wait, I threw myself into his cool, solid chest. He wrapped his arms around me, soothing my frayed nerves with his touch.

“Come, my heart, we have a lot to talk about.” He gave that crooked grin that made my heart flip.

Evrin was heartbreakingly handsome with a loose charcoal shirt billowing open to reveal a smooth torso, gleaming a pale ivory in the candlelight. His sleeves were rolled up like the romance heroes in the stack of old books that the BDs passed around in the long hours while our patrons slept.

My own personal hero.

“Yes, please!”

I took Evrin’s open hand, threading our fingers together. He was slightly chilly like he had been outdoors recently. No matter, he would soon be the same temperature as me. We wove through the sea of single beds, most of them empty, and burst into the hallway.

A hulking guard with long, black hair in hundreds of tiny braids watched us as my patron led me down the passage and through a maze of twists and turns through the underground complex. The stone walls crumbled if I ran my fingers along them, but I clung tight to my vampire.

Evrin’s rooms were my favorite place, and I couldn’t wait to call them my own.

The first time he showed them to me, he asked me to be his intended mate once I turned the age of majority, twenty.

That was three years ago. Three long years of dreaming of the beautiful space that would be my home once my vampire claimed me.

His fingers tightened on mine, and I clenched my jaw, smothering a squeak. I was too delicate for him, but he could fix me, make me like him.

The heavy, ornate door scraped as he opened it, ushering me into another world. The dingy, dirty donor spaces of the den were replaced with a sea of dark wood and rich fabrics.

An ancient metal chandelier swayed over our heads, scattering pools of warm light over the intricate wallpaper depicting a lush countryside landscape.

His rooms looked to be hundreds of years old, though I knew he was only thirty or so.

But as the son of the Vampire Queen, he was elegant and experienced beyond his years.

My heart rate picked up as I stared at my vampire, tracing the stylish sweep of copper hair over his pale face, down to vivid green eyes staring back. Even as he smirked, his pupils dilated, narrowing like a snake’s. With his supernatural senses, he could smell the blood under my skin.

Yes, it’s for you.

“My heart,” he said, “I have learned there will be a blood moon a few days after your birthday. It will be a blessing on our mating.”

“It’s fated, then!” I replied, my free hand coming up to cover my parted lips. It felt like the best of luck, and if our mating was truly blessed, nothing could stop it.

“Yes, but I want to ensure you are ready,” he said, his voice dropping. “We must increase your donations, so on the blood moon, you will be ready to become my mate.”

A shiver worked down my spine. “More feedings?”

His hand stroked down my throat.

“I’m ready,” I said, my voice turning husky. “I would become your mate today if I could.”

His smirk widened as he stepped closer, looking down at me with such affection in his eyes, my heart flipped in my chest. The blush heating my cheeks must have smelled delicious, because he stooped, his nose nudging my temple. I tilted my head, enticing him.

“It’s no coincidence that your birthday falls two days before a blood moon,” he whispered.

“I’m the mate of the next vampire king.” My words were almost silent, careful to keep them between us and away from prying ears on the other side of the door.

He was the youngest of the queen’s sons, but with the blood moon’s blessing, clearly, he had the rightful claim. I knew my vampire was powerful. His brothers couldn’t compete.

Evrin brushed his thumb over my jaw, slowly stroking lower, over my pulse. Every cool touch sent icy sparks through my skin.

“My clever, delicious mate,” he crooned, stirring heat low in my belly. “You need more venom so you are ready to receive my blood.”

“Yes, my prince.” His hold on my throat tightened when I swallowed. “I want that. I want you.” I said the words I knew he loved, and he answered with a pleased growl that rumbled from his chest. It was almost a purr.

He guided me back until my calves bumped into his bed. With one hand at my neck and the other at my waist, he lowered me.

My pulse pounded and my skin sensitized, anticipating his touch and teeth. I couldn’t look away from his mesmerizing pupils even if I wanted to. He had me entirely in his thrall.

“I can’t wait to make you my mate forever.” Evrin loomed over me, head tilted like the predator he was. I was his willing, compliant prey.

His lips parted, revealing four extended teeth like needles. I wanted those fangs embedded in my skin, filling my blood with his sweet venom.

“Please,” I whispered, turning my head to bare my neck.

Pale pinprick scars covered my wrists, the crook of my elbow, even my thighs, but Evrin reserved my neck for special occasions. From the way he ran his tongue over his fangs, he considered this moment worthy.

Cool breath ghosted over my skin as he lowered himself. His nose brushed my jaw, and his lips trailed over the skin, flushed with anticipation. He loved when I blushed, and my stomach curled in pleasure when I pleased him.

Finally, the familiar pain pierced the delicate skin of my neck. Hot blood seeped from my vein to his suctioning lips.

Tension coiled in my muscles, waiting for him to release his venom and wash away the sting. It was a long moment as he let me earn my reward.

My pain was sweet to him, and I was happy to give him everything, but he was a benevolent patron. Just as the pain made my eyes roll back in my head and my lungs seize up, he released his venom.

Pure bliss pumped into my bloodstream. Every muscle relaxed as I was wrapped in a glowing cloud.

It was more venom than I was used to. It flooded my veins, sending me soaring. I’d never been this high before, and I felt like I was tumbling end over end.

Faintly, I was aware of Evrin’s body pressing into mine, grinding his hips into my parted thighs. He could do anything he wanted to me, and I wouldn’t care for at least a few hours. I was his to use.

His lips released me, replaced with his tongue, now warm with the heat of my body. Each touch was ecstasy.

“You are so delicious, my heart. So precious to me,” Evrin said between sensuous licks. I moaned, sinking deeper into the softness of his feather bed, the strength of his touch. His hands slid my ratty dress up my thighs, his nails scratching into my skin.

A distant banging edged my consciousness. Maybe one of Evrin’s brothers was enjoying his mate against the wall. Shouts joined the noise.

Vaguely, I realized the shouts were not ones of passion, but ones of anger. It didn’t matter; Evrin would protect me. I belonged to him.

My vampire prince lifted off me, and I weakly raised a hand in protest. I didn’t want him to leave. I wanted more.

The door smashed against the wall, and Evrin shouted words that blurred in my mind.

Strangers rushed into the room, surrounding us. They wore black clothing with many layers and buckles. The light glinted off the metal. Tactical gear.

It felt like walking through sludge to push myself up, but adrenaline cleared some of the venom, bringing the room into sharper focus.

Evrin bared his teeth at the intruders, and they advanced as a unit.

“Stop!” I cried, shoving to my feet and lurching toward Evrin. The venom spun the room around me as I moved, my feet tangling.

Hands grabbed my upper arms. They were hot, blazing, burning my skin. My vision swam as I blinked up at a flash of black hair and bronzed skin. Black lines swirled over his nape and licked at his jaw like someone had drawn all over him.

“You have a coloring page on your body,” I rasped.

A deep chuckle cradled my soul, twisting my gut. This man sounded like sin. “Time to go, wildcat.”

Those scalding hands lifted me, and my arms flopped over my chest. He cradled me against him, and the change of position sent my head spinning.

“Stay right there, leech,” a feminine voice snarled, advancing on Evrin.

“You filthy dogs,” my vampire hissed, and I twisted in the stranger’s arms, seeing two more dark figures advancing toward Evrin. With all of my remaining strength, I thrashed.

“Don’t touch him!” I screamed, throwing my head back into the man holding me. Stars exploded across my vision as the back of my head connected with the heavy gear over his chest.

The man’s hold tightened, and my legs flailed, kicking out wildly.

My captor staggered forward, and my heel connected with the nearest figure. He grunted, doubling over. Blond hair peeked from under his helmet.

“Fuck!” he growled. “Get her under control!”

In the chaos, Evrin slipped away, disappearing through one of the doors that connected to his family’s private living spaces.

“Don’t follow him! We don’t know where that leads and there are too many blood slaves to leave the team unguarded,” the blond man commanded. “Back to the dorms.”

Red flushed his golden cheeks as he glowered at me. Brown eyes flared gold, and my heart stuttered. The message was very clear - he would like to murder me. Terror choked me, and I felt the pain and remaining venom taking hold.

“Let me go,” I whispered, fading away.

The tattooed man slid his other hand under my thighs, lifting me as my body relaxed. “We’re rescuing you.”

“I don’t want you to!” I cried with all the energy I could muster.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said, and I wanted to believe him - anything to ease the sense of dread overtaking me. Finally, my terror eased in darkness.

“Blood moon,” I mumbled before passing out.