The harsh clip of his words feel like a literal stab to the heart. I clutch my chest and bite back a scream.
“I don’t—” Is all I can manage through the excruciating pain.
What the fuck is a mate bond?
I have no time to process anything before the laughter dies down and the pain in my chest is replaced by a deep, unsettling pit in my stomach. Something bad is about to happen and my only hope of survival is staring back at me with utter revulsion.
“Is it over?” I whisper.
He brings his finger up to his lips, motioning for me to keep quiet. I nod. Then he holds out a hand for me to take, his pale skin stark against the dark leather. After a moment of hesitation, I take it. Unmistakable heat scorches my palm as he hauls me to my feet.
If I want to get through this alive, I have to trust him. My eyes stay fixed on the circus ring, just like the rest of the crowd. I focus only on the firm ground beneath my feet. I run through the details of my plan in my head; just because he’s supposedly “my mate” doesn’t mean I can’t still go through with it.
I replace fear with determination. I will get through these trials and find my mother’s killer, even if it means I die in the process. At least I now know someone here has my back, even if it’s against his own wishes.
My chest aches at the thought.
Why do I crave his approval?
I fight the urge to crane my neck and look for the other awoken spectators. I don’t see any sudden movement out of the corner of my eye, so I can only guess they’ve chosen to pretend, same as me. Either that or… they were eaten.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention as I watch the “clowns” take their positions around the edge of the ring. They turn their backs to us in unison. It reminds me of the military drills I went through at the police academy.
The mysterious vampire’s hand leaves mine. A cold emptiness replaces the heat of our touch. I turn to ask for his name, only to find he’s left me on my own.
The lights dim.
The next performance begins.
6
Danni
As the strange manwho claims to be my mate takes center stage, captivating the audience’s attention like royalty, an odd sense of gratification grows within me. Each sensual movement of his body charges the atmosphere inside the tent as we all wait for him to speak. He commands the room effortlessly, and a gentle hum deep inside my bones swells with pride.
He certainly isn’t what I expected a vampire to look or act like. The one I watched murder my mother had a twisted, grotesque face with low-set eyebrows and sharp gleaming teeth protruding from its mouth. The gorgeous man at the center of the ring is nothing like the creature that haunts my dreams. In fact, none of the other vampires here are. They’re all ethereally beautiful in the most devastating way. Each carries themself with a bloodthirsty superiority. The stranger locks eyes with me for a split second. My breath catches as my world narrows downto a singular intoxicating shade of red. The spell between us is broken when his deep, husky voice booms throughout the tent.
“We hope you’ve enjoyed the show so far. I can smell how excited you all are for the next act. While you were all entranced, my assistants scoured the room for the perfect candidates to help us with the rest of our show.” His voice drips with regal stoicness, a stark contrast to the informal tone he used with me. This man clearly wears many faces. My stomach tightens at the thought of getting to know the real man behind the mask.
Damn it, Danni. Focus.
“But don’t worry: if you’re not chosen, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to impress The Five. The majority of you will still have a crucial role to play in our world. You will have the privilege of becoming the literal vein of our community by feeding our elite race.”
My blood chills to hear the words coming from his mouth. I see right through his beautiful illusion.
This is so wrong.
The cost of having your dreams come true is to become a human blood bank.
My anxiety peaks. I’ve no choice in the matter: I have to complete the training. I don’t have a plan on how I can save the hundreds of people in here, but I’ll worry about that later. Right now, I need to go with my gut and put my trust in him if I’m going to make it through.
I study the rest of the vampires. Not a single one of them even vaguely resembles the bloodsucker who killed my mother. Maybe that one is hiding somewhere else—yet another reason for me to keep going.
“Now, for those of you who have been chosen to become a Familiar, Celeste here—” He gestures to blondie, who stands too close to him for my liking. “She will bring you to me.”
He clasps his hands together, and all at once, a dull chatter fills the tent. At least the crowd isn’t all brain-dead now.
Blondie leaves the ring so fast I miss it. She approaches random people in the crowd and gestures for them to head into the ring. Her face is emotionless, eyes fixed on the center of the ring where he still stands. My blood rages with an odd jealousy; when her eyes snap to mine, I can’t help the glare I give her. I almost lose my nerve, however, when she takes long, graceful strides towards me. No, fuck that. I won’t give her the satisfaction of coming over and telling me I was chosen to take part in the training. I’m still in control. With bated breath, I make my own way to the stage, trying my best to ignore the flutters erupting in my stomach as I get closer to him.
