“Are you okay?” Reve didn’t look at me as he scanned the room, as he always did.
He was lucky. He would get to choose his wife and future queen. I’d like to see Father try to force him to marry someone against his will. The mere thought almost made me laugh despite my situation.
Me? I couldn’t do anything to protect myself from being bartered away like a prized mare. I had no leverage, no power, and nothing to bargain with.
I could run away. The thought slipped into my mind so naturally it was as if it had always been waiting there. I could vanish into the night, leave behind the gilded cage and all its expectations. For the first time that day, my restless fingers stilled as the possibility took root.
“Would you be okay if you were forced to marry someone you didn’t know? What if he’s an asshole and bad in bed?” I crossed my arms, not caring if my mother saw my posture.
Reve let out a soft groan and looked at me. “I don’t want to hear about that kind of stuff from my little sister. I’m sure everything will be fine. The northern vampires are well-respected, and Val seems like a good enough guy.”
His reassurances did nothing for the nerves coiling in my belly. Tonight, I would meet Val for the first time. There was no date set for when I would have to marry him, but it would be soon.
Maybe I could make him hate me so much that he’d reject me. I could be vulgar and inappropriate, insult his family lineage, or question his political relevance. I would do anything to make myself so utterly repulsive that he’d march straight out of the castle.
Or maybe I’d give him such a lousy blow job that he’d demand a different bride. How hard could it be to do itbadly? I could use too much teeth, gag dramatically, or simply look bored throughout the entire performance.
The mental image of me deliberately butchering such an intimate act made a hysterical giggle bubble up in my throat. How ridiculous that I was plotting sexual sabotage rather than facing the simple truth: I was powerless.
I looked down at my black dress and smoothed my hands over the lace fabric. I hated dresses, but they were a necessary evil for princesses. Pants were unbecoming of a lady—not my words, but my mother’s.
“A vampire, though? Has Father lost his mind? They’ve been after power for centuries. What if marrying me is some kind of coup?”
As a servant passed by with a tray of drinks, I grabbed one from it and drank it before my brother could stop me. It was discussed at breakfast that, under no circumstances, was I allowed to drink. When I had too much, I got a little out of control.
All it took was one night of drinking too much and dancing on a table with my skirt lifted to get me banned from drinking at parties. I couldn’t help that I hated parties and needed a drink or eight to make it through the night.
Reve plucked the empty glass out of my hands and frowned. “That’s the only one you’re getting.”
“You try being told you have to marry a vampire.” I shuddered, and my fingers itched to reach out and take another glass as another servant walked by. “He’s going to bite me and shit. What am I supposed to do about that?”
Reve grunted and took a sip of his champagne. He didn’t have drinking restrictions because he never danced on tables. “You’ll deal with it. If he hurts you, let me know, and I’ll kick his ass.”
I appreciated that my brother was fiercely protective of me, but he wasn’t protective when it mattered most. Thatbecame painfully clear when Val and his father entered the ballroom.
The second they set foot inside, the air in the room changed with a rolling tension. There were already vampires in attendance, but these vampires were ruthless. Not the in-your-face ruthlessness of the southern vampires, but a quiet kind that always made you wonder what they were up to.
My heart nearly leapt into my throat. Reve chuckled and elbowed me in the side. “He’s headed this way.”
I really wanted to run and hide. Maybe no one would notice if I ducked under a table and stayed there for the rest of the night.
I’d only heard a little about Val during dinner conversations. Mostly that he was gorgeous, with eyes too blue for a vampire. If he was so easy on the eyes, why did he need to be married off? Did he have a third nipple? A small dick?
The people around us seemed to part to let him through. Before I knew it, the tall, handsome vampire was standing directly in front of me. His eyes sparkled with amusement as they roamed my body from head to toe. He stopped briefly on my breasts before meeting my eyes.
“Samara.” He offered me his hand with a smile. I hesitated as I noticed his smooth skin and well-manicured nails.
My hands had calluses from holding my carving knife. Maybe that would be enough for this entire arrangement to be stopped.
I placed my hand in his, and he brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles gently. Tingles ran up my arm and then straight down my spine to pool in my core. My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn’t speak.
Damn it.
Something had to be wrong below the belt. My eyes traveled south, took in the bulge in his pants, and then snappedback to his eyes. They were sparkling with a knowing glint that made the butterflies in my stomach swirl.
It was awkward, standing there staring at him with wide eyes. I probably looked like a deer about to be taken down by a hunter. It was the “oh shit” moment when it realized it was fucked.
My brother sensed my unease and sudden inability to form words and held out his hand to Val. They shook in that way two alpha males do, squeezing each other’s hands a little too tightly.
