The vampire closed the distance between them. Victoria’s hand slipped into Aden’s, squeezed, and then she moved beside him.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Dmitri leaned down for a kiss but she turned her head. His irritated gaze flicked to Aden. “I see you failed to heed my warning.”

“Father commanded his appearance, remember?”

And she had craved it. He would not allow himself to believe anything else. She wanted Aden, not Dmitri.

“I do,” the vampire said. “Which is why I thought you’d be interested in the night’s entertainment. Come.” He waved his hand and moved off, expecting them to follow.

They did, up the stairs and inside the house. Aden soon found himself standing in a foyer, surrounded by more wealth than he’d dreamed possible. A shiny white bench that looked as if it was made from Mrs. Reeves’s pearl necklace, Chinese wall decorations of gold and silver, and glass chests filled with colorful vases.

Victoria pulled him along, so he was only given the barest of glimpses. Mary Ann was just as stunned as he was, cranking her neck to gaze at the spacious entryway until the last possible second.

They didn’t climb the spiral staircase, but actually walked straight through the seemingly deserted house to the back door, French doubles that opened before Dmitri could touch them. Suddenly the scent of blood hung in the air, thick and metallic. Chattering voices drifted to his ears, but the words were spoken so quickly they reminded him of crickets chirping.

Dmitri stopped, not exiting the terrace. Twinkling lights were suspended from the trees—trees that flourished with bloodred roses. There was a large silver circle in the center of the yard, flat as the ground but cut into some kind of maze. No one stood upon it.

People were scattered throughout the immaculate lawn. Most of the women wore black robes and most of the men wore black shirts and pants. They drank from chalices, and swayed to a beat of sultry music whisping on the breeze. Those scantily dressed in white were clearly human. They offered their necks, arms, legs, whatever, whenever a vampire gestured them over.

Their eyes were glazed, their motions eager, as if they couldn’t wait to be bitten. Oh, yes. Blood-slaves.

“My apologies that there isn’t time for our two happy couples to dance,” Dmitri said, drawing Aden’s attention. “There’s too much to do, you see.”

“Where are my sisters?” Victoria demanded.

“I’ve had them confined to their rooms.”

She stiffened. “You can’t do that.”

“I can and did.” He didn’t give her time to respond. “So—is it?—Aden, what do you think of the hors d’oeuvres?” He pointed to the two tables at each side of the yard.

Aden followed the direction of his fingers and sucked in a breath. On one table lay Ozzie. He was clad in jeans but shirtless. He was also bound, motionless, gaze fixed straight ahead. Dead, Aden realized numbly. On the other table was Tucker, again shirtless with his jeans and bound, but still fighting and thrashing as a vampire drank from his wrist. He was gagged yet clearly screaming for help, his eyes bulging from strain. Unconcerned, the vampire continued slurping at him.

Mary Ann noticed, too, and gasped in horror. “What are you doing to him? Stop. Stop!” She tried to race forward but Riley retained a firm grip on her, his face grim.

Aden stepped forward, but Dmitri turned out to be his guard, holding out his arm, preventing him from moving a single inch. “The only way to remove a meal is to provide another. Would you like to offer your services, human?”

“How dare you.” Victoria’s fangs were bared and sharp, her eyes glowing pools of hatred. “You’ll pay for this. I’ll make sure of it. My father will not be amused.”

Dmitri whipped around, his own eyes glowing. “No, you’ll thank me for it, my little princess, for I have punished the enemies of your human friend. Doesn’t that make you happy?”

She raised her chin. “And after the party? What did you plan to do with the bodies? Call the human police and blame Aden, have him arrested? Out of my reach?”

“That is just an added bonus.”

“You disgusting piece of—”

Scowling, Dmitri slammed a fist into his upraised palm. “Do not speak to me so. I am your husband and I—”

“You aren’t my husband yet,” she shouted. The voices below them tapered to quiet. Heads turned. Attention fixed on them. “And if I have my way, you never will be.”

She wasn’t taking any crap; Aden wouldn’t, either. “You have no idea what you’ve done, Dmitri,” he said flatly. Julian couldn’t control his ability to raise the dead, which meant Ozzie wouldn’t stay dead much longer.

Even as the thought filled him, Ozzie sat up, dull eyes blinking, tongue flicking out hungrily.

“Oh, thank God. That boy is still alive,” Mary Ann cried, clearly relieved. “We have to save him.”

“It’s too late,” Aden told her, still without emotion. He couldn’t let himself feel. Not now. Not with what he was about to do. “He’s dead, even if he doesn’t look it. And there can be no saving him. Dmitri made sure of that.”

TWENTY-FIVE

ADEN WITHDREW HIS DAGGERS, pushed past Dmitri and stalked into the midst of the party. Victoria stayed with him every step of the way, head held high. That strengthened him. She could have been embarrassed to be seen with a human, but wasn’t. She’d even told her fiancé to get lost. A fiancé who trailed just a few steps behind them.

The rest of the vampires reached for Aden, attempting to touch him in some way, perhaps feeling the tug of his energy. He brushed them aside.

The closer he came to Ozzie, the more Ozzie strained against the ties that bound him, hungry for human flesh. Black saliva soon coated the gag in his mouth and dripped from the corners of his lips. Aden knew Mary Ann was watching him, wanting him to free the boy, the innocent human, but he couldn’t. He could only raise his dagger and strike.

Ozzie’s body jerked as the head detached, then stilled.

Mary Ann gasped in horror.

The vampires around him laughed.

What did Victoria think?

“Like I said, my father will punish you for this,” she told Dmitri with quiet fury. At least she wasn’t running from Aden.

Dmitri grinned. “I wouldn’t be too sure. You’ll find that many things have changed this day, princess.”

His amusement gave her pause, destroyed some of her confidence. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

Aden might have disliked Ozzie, but he wouldn’t have wished such an end for him. For anyone. Even Tucker. He had a feeling Mary Ann felt the same way, despite Tucker’s treachery. But that’s exactly what would happen if this night continued as it had begun.

“First things first,” Dmitri said, moving beside Aden. Aden felt the heat of him, but it didn’t energize him as Victoria’s did. “Your human has to be dealt with. I warned him. Free a meal and become one himself. Guards,” he called, eyes narrowing, humor fading. “Restrain the princess so that I may take care of our guest.”

Several male vampires stepped forward, but stopped when Aden raised his now-dripping blades, placing the tip at Dmitri’s throat. He knew it would not damage the vampire, not there, but a single shift of his wrist and he could nail Dmitri in his vulnerable eye.

“Touch her and this one will die by my hand.”

“And my teeth,” Riley added. He was rushing forward, Mary Ann behind him, not stopping until he reached Victoria. “The princess is mine to protect and I will let no harm befall her. Even at the hands of her betrothed.”

He left his brothers behind to protect your friends at the house and Mary Ann’s father, Elijah said. He is alone. And this, my boy, is the end I always feared for you, the evil you cannot escape. You alone will be forced to fight the monster beside you.

You can’t let yourself be killed tonight, Caleb said. You have a meeting with the witches to attend.

“I’m not going to die. Not like this.” That, at least, he knew. He still lacked those three scars on his side. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t soon be praying for death.

“Your confidence is misplaced, human,” was the angered reply from Dmitri.

Hate to say this, but I think we’re screwed, bros, Julian said. We may not die, but we’ll probably wish we had.

They were on the same page, at least.

Eve would have reassured him of his success, he thought suddenly and wanted to howl. Thankfully, the guards had not moved again. The other vampires were watching intently, even smiling, perhaps thinking this was just another of the night’s entertainments.

“My father—” Victoria began, but Dmitri stopped her with a laugh.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” He splayed his arms and turned. “Allow me to remedy my oversight. Everyone, if I could have your attention, please.” All eyes shifted to him. “Welcome, friends, to this magnificent occasion. I’m sure you’re wondering where the guest of honor is. Alas, though I hesitate to cast a pall on this splendid gala, I have tragic news to impart. You all know how weak Vlad has been since his premature awakening.”

No, Aden thought, sensing what was coming. No, no, no.

A tremor rocked Victoria.

“You all know that even weakened as he was, he was still a formidable soldier. Stronger, still, than most of us. Well, most of you. But not,” he said, pinning Victoria with a dark stare, “me.”

She shifted from one foot to the other, looking like the lost princess she was meant to be in that velvet costume. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying his decision to allow your human scum to live was wrong. I’m saying he should have had better control of you, for he who cannot control his own daughter has no business reigning over an entire race of vampires. I’m saying…he’s dead. Dead by my hand this very morning.” His tone reeked of satisfaction as murmurs and cries filled the enclosure. Above the sounds, though, was a whimper from Victoria.