Prologue
“Science has proven that a human can die of a broken heart, also known as stress cardiomyopathy. I think I could be the first human to witness the phenomena happening to a member of the supernatural race. Unfortunately, I probably have a snowball's chance in hell of living long enough myself to see him actually die.” ~Willis
The body hitthe ground with a thud, joining the others in the blood-drenched cemetery Cain had created in the Area 51 compound’s cafeteria. Why the cafeteria? Well, he wasn’t a complete animal. He did at least eat his meals at a table like a civilized person.
Cain stepped over several bodies and took a seat, looking out over the carnage. Perhaps he’d gone a little overboard. The place did sort of resemble a messy toddler’s room after they had thrown a fit.Oh well.Cain didn’t need these fools anymore. They were nothing more than juice boxes taking up space. Most were human scientists that served no purpose, hybrids that hadgone mad, or weak vampires that weren’t worthy of the gift. He’d killed them all indiscriminately. The only ones remaining were some supernaturals tasked with guarding the compound, Willis, and Sam, the vampire lawyer.
“Sam,” Cain muttered. “What a dumb name for a vampire.” Cain decided the man would have to die simply on principle. No respectable vampire could be named Sam. Cain had originally planned to use the man when dealing with the human government, but what did that matter now?
Cain thought back to the last phone call he’d received from the ever-pleasant Colonel Mark Douglas.
“What the hell is going on in that nightmare you call a lab?” Douglas’s rage practically reached through the phone. “You didn’t think we’d monitor you? We’ve got satellites and drones all over the place. Do you know what we’re seeing, Cain?”
“I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” Cain said dryly. “What’s the point of asking?”
Colonel Douglas ignored his words and continued his rant. “You’ve got vampires running around like wild boar, killing humans without discretion. We’ve got governors from surrounding states calling, wanting to know if there are multiple serial killers or some sort of virus that’s turning people into psychopaths. What the hell are we supposed to tell them, Cain?”
“Tell them there’s a plague of hungry vampires on the loose, and the human population has become an all-you-can-eat buffet.”
“You have exactly twelve hours to get your monsters under control,” Douglas threatened.
Cain couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you hear yourself, Colonel?” he spat the man’s title. “What did you think would happen when you made a deal with the King of Monsters? Did you really think you could control us? Controlme? You’re a fool, just like the rest of the human race.”
The Colonel started cursing Cain, and there were a bunch of other words and threats, but Cain’s attention had been averted to the vampire walking toward him. If he was surprised at the littered dead bodies, he didn’t show it.
Cain let Douglas continue his rant while he lifted his brow at the newcomer.
“I’ve got news that I think will interest you.”
Cain thought his name was Constantine, but he couldn’t remember for sure. They all ran together. He nodded for Constan-whoever to get on with it.
“There’s rumor of a sprite who can open portals and travel through them as fast as the fae can flash. As luck would have it, I wound up in the same tavern as her, and we had a chat. She would like an audience with you.”
Cain didn’t respond. Douglas was still going off at the mouth through the phone. Constantine continued speaking.
“She mentioned that one of her specialties was returning lost things.” The vampire wisely didn’t mention Alice as Cain’s so-called ‘lost thing.’
There was no way this female sprite could possibly get Alice back for him. Or at least he wasn’t about to allow himself to hope such a thing was possible. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t intrigued.
“Colonel Douglas.” Cain returned his attention to the phone. “I am unconcerned about what you want or what you attempt to do. You made a deal with a supernatural being more powerful than you and the government you represent. It is only a matter of time before we overthrow you and take control. By all means, give it your best shot.” He ended the phone call and then addressed the vamp. “Contact information?”
Constantine held out a piece of paper. “Her number.”
Cain took it and motioned for the vampire to take his leave. “Go, have your fill. The humans and any supernatural who gets in your way are fair game.”
An excited gleam filled the male’s eyes as he turned and headed from the room.
That had been at least six hours ago. The hunger in Cain had grown to a frenzy, and he knew he had to satiate it before he allowed himself out in public. During that time, he’d contemplated whether he should even bother calling the sprite. Simply put, he didn’t give a shit anymore. Why should he? He’d lived all this time thinking that dominating the humans, controlling the other supernaturals, and being king of a vast domain would be enough.Until Alice.
For a brief moment in time, Cain had been blessed with a taste of the sweetest ambrosia. He’d experienced the look of adoration in a woman’s eyes—eyes that at the time only saw him. It didn’t matter that Alice had left him. He knew she’d felt the emotions between them. Her mate would have to live with that knowledge for the rest of their lives. The only thing that took her from him was the damn supernatural bond, which Cain had no chance against. Nothing trumped a mate bond between wolves, especially a gypsy healer and her mate. The only way he’d have been able to keep Alice was if her mate had been killed before they met. Even if he’d kept Alice for years, decades, Cain would have had to have kept her completely secluded to stop the chance of her meeting her true mate.Impossible.
But like trying to hold smoke, she slipped from his grasp. She was gone. He’d thought his ambition to rule with the hybrids would be enough to overcome the feelings he had for Alice. Every day was harder than the one before. Her blood had satiated his hunger. But now the hunger had returned even stronger than before. And after drinking from the first human in the compound, Cain had lost control. Willis had barricadedhimself in his lab. Sam had made himself scarce. But neither would live much longer.
Cain pulled the piece of paper from his pocket and set it on the table. Blood lingering on his fingers smeared on the paper, leaving a red streak. Cain picked up his phone and dialed the number. He paused, his thumb hovering over the call button on the screen. He considered the reasons he had for contacting this, no doubt, psychotic sprite. His muddled brain could only come up with one—Alice. The vamp breathed a heavy sigh.Why the hell not?
He hit the button and put the phone to his ear.
“Hello?” The woman’s voice was smooth and young sounding, though Cain knew she was probably quite old.
