Belladonna sipped a hot apple cider as she examined the remaining treats on the counter. Between her homemade goods, the expert décor, and the production of their house, the neighborhood families were already salivating over what she might do next year. Normally the high praise, the thrill of the trick-or-treaters, the increased magic Halloween brought her, and the sweetness of the left-over snacks left her blissfully hazy, but instead, she kept watching the clock. Vlad still hadn’t returned. She hadn’t heard from him or Bartholomew, and as she finished her drink surrounded by her cats, she contemplated calling her mother. With all this unrest, maybe Rowena’s contacts could offer some insights.
Ding-Dong.
The doorbell interrupted her thoughts, and she glanced up at the clock. It was a little late for trick-or-treaters, but her Halloween display had been a smash hit. Perhaps some adults were coming back to see the scary side after putting their children to bed, or maybe it was older teens choosing to gather candy rather than get into trouble. Either way, she was thankful for the distraction.
“Happy Hallo—” Her smile froze when she saw the horde of vampires waiting at the door for her. She didn’t recognize a single face in the crowd, and the wicked expressionspainted on their youthful faces electrocuted her heart with pure fear.
Belladonna’s fingers instinctively curled, readying to cast a protection spell on the front entrance, but her magic slammed against the wards, unable to escape her body. Panic consumed her at the realization that she was powerless in this home, and she grabbed the door, trying to slam it shut in the intruders’ faces. She just needed to get the guards. Vlad’s men would protect her.
“No, no, witch.” The frontmost vampire caught the door, and his strength ripped it free of her grasp. “We’re here to trick-or-treat… actually, more like we’re here to trick while you’re the treat.”
Belladonna spun around, gracefully leaped out of her heels, and raced down the hallway. “Help!” she shouted, desperately searching for the guards. They had been here just seconds ago. “Help me, please!”
Two older vampires lunged out of the kitchen, their mouths stuffed with leftover treats, and when the taller one registered the horde of young vampires chasing her, he seized her by the arm and yanked her behind them.
“We have a breach on the main floor,” he shouted into his radio, and then he shoved her deeper into the mansion as the intruders gained on them. “Get upstairs and lock yourself in Vlad’s room. We’ll hold them off.”
“No!” Belladonna shrieked. “They’ll kill you. Come with me.”
“And Vlad will kill us if we let anything happen to you. Now run!”
The older vampires whirled around and bared their fangs, readying for the fight, and Belladonna darted down a side hallway, aiming for the back staircase. Tears pricked her eyes, but she didn’t slow. Without her magic, she couldn’t help the guards. Her only hope was to reach herhusband’s laptop and call her mother. Rowena would save her.
“Belladonna, here!” another guard called, beckoning her to follow him, and she bolted toward the man. “What’s going on?”
“A group of hostile vampires broke in,” she gasped, thankful she’d found help. “I need to get upstairs.”
“Okay, this way.” He seized her arm and led her through the house. They arrived at the back stairwell undetected, and together they scrambled up the steps. They made it to the top in record time, and Belladonna raced into Vlad’s personal office. Her fingers hit the keyboard, waking the screen up, and she clicked on the secure phone app when a prick stung her neck.
“What the…?” She stumbled backward, grabbing her stinging skin, and she stared at the vampire with horrified understanding. He smirked at her, all traces of the concerned guard gone as he strode for her with malicious intent.
“What are you doing?” Belladonna slurred as the drug raced through her bloodstream. Panic pulsed in her chest at the familiar feeling. It was the same narcotic from the club. Wards were currently flowing through her veins, ensuring she wouldn’t be able to perform magic, and judging by the intensity, the vampires had upped the dosage. “Vlad will kill you for this.”
“Vlad’s obsession with your tight young body has blinded him,” the vampire snarled. “He’s ruining our legacy. It was bad enough that he signed a peace treaty with the coven, but then marrying you and bringing you into this home? No witch has set foot inside this fortress in thousands of years, and suddenly he marries you. Not only are you running around free to do whatever the fuck you want, but he welcomed your mother onto the property. Vlad is no longer capable of leading us.” He grabbed her by the waist andhoisted her over his shoulder. Belladonna tried to fight him, but her limbs refused to obey. Her vision blurred, and her magic suffocated within her.
“My mom will kill you for this,” she could barely speak as he carried her downstairs to the waiting horde, and although her vision was blurry, she didn’t need clear sight to recognize blood on the tile. These intruders had killed the older vampires, and the image of such powerful creatures dead on the floor made her cry. If two ancient vampires weren’t strong enough to fight, she had no hope of surviving the night.
“No, she won’t,” the traitor said as he carried her out the door. “But she will die for you.”
But Belladonna didn’t hear him. She’d passed out.
Belladonna’s eyes felt like they’d been glued shut. Her head throbbed, and her magic was suffocating within her soul. Every cell in her body ached, and she didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious. She didn’t know where she was or if Vlad was alive. All she knew was she was chained to a chair with a rough burlap sack over her head. It seemed the vampires learned from their mistakes at the club. They’d gotten rid of her husband first and upped the drug’s dosage, leaving her alone and on the verge of death.
The sound of footsteps grew closer, and a hand ripped the bag off her head. The sudden light was painful, but her fear was worse. Belladonna understood the gravity of her situation. She wasn’t walking away from this.
She blinked her sluggish eyes, forcing herself to focus. Panic wouldn’t help her, and while she realized this was her end, she would not exit this life easily. As Rowena’s heir, she’d survived harsh training, and while this might be herdeath, she would greet it with a bravery they would talk about for generations to come.
“Glad to see you finally joined us,” a familiar voice said, and Belladonna froze, horror washing over her.
“Gabriel?” she croaked. “What are you doing?” She scanned her surroundings. The room was too dark for her to make out where she was, but Gabriel and the horde of vampires surrounding her were painfully clear. “What’s going on?”
Her ex ignored her as he dragged a folding chair across the floor to sit before her.
“Gabriel, is this about your dad?” she pushed, her ex-fiancé’s presence changing everything. “Because there’s nothing else to say. I cared for you, but I had no choice but to marry your father. Then when I begged you to help me escape, you spat in my face. So why are you still punishing me? Why are you so angry when I know you can scent it on me? You know I’m not your mate. I never was, and whether or not Vlad loves me in return, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m his, and not just legally. I’m his mate, and when other men smell a man’s true partner, they instantly lose feelings for her, so I don’t understand why you?—”
“Oh my god, you really thought I was in love with you?” Gabriel’s cruel tone felt as if he’d ripped a layer of skin off her. “Wow, you’re naïve. Can you guys believe this?” He twisted toward the vampires guarding them. “She really thought I loved a witch?”
The vampires laughed, mocking her with their overdone theatrics, and while she wanted to withdraw from the taunts, she forced herself to sit unaffected.
