Then I step into the cabin.
Nothing happens.
It’s silent.
Eerie.
Cold.
Brow furrowing, I move deeper inside. There’s a small den to the right, the bookshelves drawing me forward as I read over the unfamiliar titles. “Definitely a different world,” I muse, studying the alphabetized novels. “Hmm.”
There are no electronics in here. Just a notepad. Some pens. An unlit candle. And a letter knife.
I consider grabbing the last item but decide that would just be foolish. I’m not even sure if Strigoi can die.
Well, that’s not true. Ciprian said that his kind are capable of dying. However, he didn’t tell me how to kill one.
So.
I’ll just… keep wandering.
I find a small living area next, the stairs that head up to the second floor, and a tiny kitchen with a dining nook.
Peering out the back door, I wonder if maybe I’ve missed the owner. Or if?—
“Fresh blood?” a deep voice asks from behind me, the sound of wings fluttering causing my heart to skip a beat.
I turn slowly to find a tall man—aStrigoi—with broad shoulders. A perfectly chiseled jaw. Too handsome a face.
Just like Ciprian.
He even has a red tail.
Though, his dark hair is longer. Unkempt. And his irises are pure crimson. Crazed.
I stare at him. Then frown. He’s the spitting image of my Strigoi King.
Which can only mean one thing.
“You must be Ciprian’s father.”
The man—who was prowling toward me—pauses and cants his head. “Ciprian?”
“Your son,” I say, holding his gaze. “My intended mate.”
He blinks a few times. “Intended mate?”
“Yes.”
“You’re… a candidate?”
“Yes,” I repeat. “The only one.” I utter that part with a hint of possession that I don’t bother to hide. Ciprian doesn’t need any other candidates. He has me. And I?—
My back hits the wall harshly, causing the air to leave my lungs as I suddenly find myself pinned by Ciprian’s father. His nose is against my throat, his chest rumbling with a growl that renders me temporarily speechless.
It’s so different from the rumbles I’m used to from Ciprian. Those make me feel weak. Aroused.Willing to supplicate.
But this growl just makes me want tofight.
