And he’s coming straight for me.
“No—no, stay back!” I stammer, but he doesn’t stop.
His hand closes around my wrists, strong and unyielding. Effortlessly, he pulls my arms away from my body. I twist and fight, but it’s like struggling against a giant oak tree. He doesn’t even break a sweat.
“Do not attempt to hide your beauty from me,” he rumbles. His voice is deep and rich—almost hypnotic. “No, no, my lovely one—you are more beautiful than I ever dreamed.”
His pale gray eyes roam over me slowly, deliberately, as though memorizing every inch of me. I can feel the heat crawling across my skin—a blush burning me from scalp to toes. This is my worst nightmare—a big, handsome man staring at me while I stand naked and helpless, unable to cover myself.
“Look, I don’t know who you are,” I babble, desperate to fill the silence. “But I’m sure you can see this is all a mistake. I mean, I can’t be the woman you wanted to bring over from the, uh, the Human Realm. You’ve got the wrong girl!”
His brows draw together in a faint frown.
“What makes you think a mistake has been made, lovely one?”
“I mean, look at me.” I nod down my body, though the motion only makes me more aware of my nakedness. “I’m definitely not the kind of girl a demon lord from another realm sends someone to fetch.”
“A demon lord?” His mouth hardens and his eyes flash briefly red. I get the feeling I’ve offended him somehow. He lets go of my wrists and straightens, his massive presence somehow even more imposing. “What has Whistler been saying about me?”
“Nothing, my Lord!” Whistler protests quickly. “Just that you sent for her and you’re the Boss around here—that’s all.”
“Well, be that as it may, I am no demon.” He spits the word like an insult.
“Well what…what are you then?” I somehow manage to get out.
He draws himself up to his full, towering height.
“I am Lucian Draxos—Don of the Crimson Syndicate and Lord of the Thirstborn.” His voice rumbles through me, vibrating my whole body.
Uh…what? I stare up at him, dumbfounded. “Lord of the who?”
Lucian doesn’t answer me in words. Instead, he bares his teeth. And I see them…
Fangs. Long, curving, needle-sharp, fangs, glinting white in the crimson light.
My stomach plummets. How the hell did I miss that before? Maybe because I was too busy trying not to hyperventilate over the fact that his shoulders are literally twice the width of my own.
He steps closer, and I take a shaky step back, stumbling clumsily over the edge of an expensive Persian rug. I barely keep my footing and stay upright.
“I am no demon spawn,” he says again, his voice like a thunderclap. “I am Thirstborn. What you humans call a ‘Vampire.’ And you, my lovely one, are meant to be my Queen.”
“Wait—what?” I exclaim. “You can’t know that! You don’t even know me!”
“Oh, but I do.” A cruel smile appears on his sensuous lips. “I have been watching you for months to be certain you were the one for me.”
“What—so you’ve been spying on me? Did you bug my apartment or what?” I ask in a shaky voice, almost too shocked to be offended. Why would someone who looks like him be trying to sneak a peek through my windows…or however he was watching me?
“Spying on you?” Lucian raises one eyebrow thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t call it spying exactly. Though I confess I watched you more than I should—I wanted to drink in your beauty. But I was simply making certain you were the one for me—the Abundant Queen I was seeking. I even sent Whistler to get a sample of your blood to be sure you were the one the prophecy foretold.”
I take another step back.
“Wait, you’re the one who had me drug-tested? Do you know how stressful that was? I thought my manager was going to fire me on the spot!”
His handsome face darkens.
“Yes, I have seen the disrespectful way he treats you. I will have him killed for you, if you like.”
“Killed? You’re asking if I want Mr. Philbens killed?” My head is reeling. I can’t even take in what he’s saying right now!
