This kiss broke me and put me back together in the same moment.
This kiss was epic.
I’m kissing a vampire, I thought wildly as he pulled my bottom lip into his mouth and sucked it.
A sudden knock at the door had us both going still. With a groan, Luka pushed himself off of me and looked down at me with a satisfied gaze as I scrambled to sit up, wipe my lips, and smooth my hair.
Holy crap, I just kissed Luka Drake!
He opened the door and Isabelle was standing before us, glossy black hair braided over one shoulder. There was a folded letter in her hands with a red wax seal to clasp it. It was like one of those old-time letters you would see in a movie.
“It’s arrived.” Her voice held fear and trembling, and I sat up straighter.
Luka took the letter from his cousin, peered over his shoulder casually at me, and then tore it open. His face scanned the page and I tried to interpret his features in order to glean any information from him.
“I’ve been chosen,” Luka said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Izzy nodded, looking partly relieved and partly horrified. After a moment of them standing there staring at each other awkwardly, she rushed forward and pulled him into a hug.
I lowered my gaze, feeling weird for intruding on their obviously serious moment. When she pulled back, she looked at me. “Is she on board? You’ll need a constant feeder if you have any hope to survive.”
Survive? Constant feeder?
Luka looked over at me. “I haven’t asked her yet. I’ve been meaning to.”
“Ask me what?” I stood.
Izzy gave him a nod and then left the room and closed the door. Luka pinched the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache.
“Remember how I said I needed to talk to you about something last night? I’ve been summoned to Vampire City by the elders to compete for my rightful place as king.”
“Oh. I mean, that’s what you wanted, right?” Demi had said that she needed him to become king to stop the werewolves and vampires from going to war again.
He nodded, then thought better of it and shook his head. “I mean yes, I want things to change, but I don’t relish the idea of spending the rest of my life tied up in meetings and bureaucracy.”
“You said compete,” I reminded him, wondering what kind of competition this would be.
He dipped his chin. “I knew this letter would be coming, I wanted to talk to you about this sooner, but you had your own problems to worry about.”
Yeah, like my entire life being a lie.
“What’s the competition, Luka? Why would you need a constant feeder?” I stepped closer and his body reacted, tightening and coiling as if luring me in.
“The ten strongest heirs have been chosen to battle to the death for the crown. If I’m the last one standing, I get it.”
I involuntarily leaned my ear forward as if I didn’t hear him right. “Luka … a battle to the death with nine other vampires?”
A slow and devastatingly sexy grin pulled at his lips. “Yes. It’s a good thing I’m a wicked fighter who just spent a lot of time in prison literally kicking asses every day.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, if you could win by the size of your ego, I think they would crown you right now.”
He chuckled. “So you’ll help me? I mean normally … I’d have a handful of feeders there, but since I can only feed from you…” He chewed his lip nervously and I swallowed.
“This will be in Vampire City? For how long?” Because I had plans to start my own hunter society…
He nodded. “The whole process can take up to a month.”
“A month!” I shouted.
