The Vampyr Duology

Chapter 1

Devareaux’s POV

I was born into the high blood born status. My father and mother were both high blood borns, as were my grandparents, and so on. There were those few occasions in society where a high blood born would match with a mid blood born.

I had not yet wanted to find my blood wife because I had been living the free life as an aristocratic vampyr.

I had hoped that maybe Quinn would have been my blood bride.

I was still waiting to find out though. I had been tasting once a week for the past six months, and I had still not found my blood partner.

Quinn was mid blood born, but was able to socialize within the high blood born society due to her father’s work.

Quinn’s father, Dominick Delacourt, was a suit who worked with both mid blood borns and high blood borns in his business.

He was as affluent as a mid blood born could be.

The only exception to that rule was a man named Onyx Trudeau.

Onyx was a low blood born who had worked his way up somehow into a mid blood born ranking.

He had been excellent in business and was even on the threshold of reaching the status of a high blood born.

It was historic. And scandalous all at the same time.

I had yet to meet the man, but he was legendary, for both good and bad reasons alike.

Quinn and I had a dalliance a year or two ago. She had moved on to another high blood born, and I had continued my own dalliances among the high blood born single women and even a few mid blood borns.

I was in the middle of my tastings when I smelled it.

One of the vials of blood was stronger than the others.

The provider had been handing me samples along the way, but once I got the whiff of that fragrance, I needed it.

Now! My teeth were starting to extend which meant they were reacting to one of the blood types.

I pushed the providers hand away a bit aggressively, and unintentionally, making him gasp.

“Not that one!” It came out harsher than intended, but something was taking over me with that smell.

The provider appeared afraid, which seemed odd. I could smell my partner’s blood.

The provider, a mid blood born with shaggy black hair, and a slim build and paler than usual skin, looked petrified.

With shaking hands, he put the vial in his hand back and grabbed another one. But as it came closer, I almost gagged.

“No!” I roared out. “Not that one either!”

The provider almost stumbled back as he placed the next vial on the table with the previous one. He grabbed a third one, getting me agitated, until he started to move it towards me and I could smell that intoxicating smell.

Usually during a tasting, you dabbed the tip of the finger with the vial and tasted it from there.

Instead, with this one, I reached out and snatched it aggressively from the provider’s hand and drank all of what was in the vial.

It wasn’t a lot, but it was much more than just a dab. And it tasted gloriously delectable!

My blood bride! She tasted mouth-wateringly delicious. I could feel my teeth still extended, while a hum ran through my body from my tongue down my throat, to my neck and all throughout my body. I needed more.

I opened my eyes, noticing the taster staring at me in shock.

My voice growled out, “Find me my blood bride. Immediately!”

The taster nodded his head vigorously, and turned heading out of the tasting room. He was not gone long, though it felt like a century, when he returned, looking confused.

“Ummmm…….Mr. Hautbois…...there seems to be a mix-up, perhaps.”

I roared at him, as he stumbled back. “This vial is of my blood bride! Now give me her name!”

The provider stuttered, “Y-y-yess….sssiiirrr……..it….is…….mmmisssss…...Odessa…...Stronghold…...sssiirr.” He looked petrified.

I felt a settling in my body as I said her name over and over in my mind. Odessa. Odessa. Odessa. It became a calming chant.

“I want to meet my bride immediately.”

The provider could tell I meant business as he bowed slightly. “Yyyess….sssiiirr. Right away, sssir.”

He left a folder in front of me and left to contact my bride.

I sat with her taste in my mouth, savoring it. After some time, I reached for the folder with the information about my bride. I was smiling arrogantly that I had found her and she tasted like life, like destiny.

My smile began to falter as I flipped through the information in the folder of my blood bride.

This cannot be? My chest tightened, my stomach clenched, and my head started to throb.

Odessa Stronghold was a low born.

This isn’t possible! High blood borns and low blood borns never match!