*VICKY*I stepped out of the cab onto the busy sidewalks of Newtons City just in front of the Kingsland Hotel and took a long, deep breath. I had no idea why Leon couldn't just accept my resignation. But then again, I had no idea why I came.What was I hoping for? I didn't want our bond—and even if I did, Leon was not the type I could get close to. However, my body didn't seem to care, and before I could register it, I was already standing in front of his office door, knocking. I could already smell his Blood Perfume through my nose plugs. Thank god I took a tranquillizer already."Come in."My body tensed at his voice. Fucked. I was utterly fucked. I opened the office door and was greeted instantly by Leon's smell. I tried to ignore it, but it was so blissful…I just wanted to breathe it in all day. His eyes lifted from the paper he was reading as I entered; I swore I saw a small flicker of light in them. "Vicky, please. Sit."He gestured to the chair across from him, and I

*VICKY*I slowly moved forward from behind the bin and watched as a slow smile appeared on his face. Once I stopped, he walked off the roof's ledge and softly landed right in front of me. He then removed the hat and in the sunlight, revealed his pale face. His cheekbones were very prominent, and there wasn't a single strand of hair on his head. His eyes were a deep golden yellow—the sign of a superior Kindred. I know because I had the same colored eyes.From his appearance, I could tell he wasn't much older than I was when I turned. Forever twenty, but from his display of confidence, he was well over 600 years old. With Blood Hunters, this was very common. In the era of war and famine, many people chose to join the Predators and become a Blood Hunter to survive. This was before the Kindred law and before it was illegal to turn a human against their will. It was all about getting to the next day—and what better way to ensure that then to become immortal and more powerful?"Who

*VICKY*200 years ago…As the moonlight shone through the window into my bedroom, I awoke to find myself next to Jacob, shrouded in the warmth of his skin. I had never felt more at home. For more than a month, the two of us had been glued together, immersed in the erotic pleasures of the harem. I still attended council meetings and make executive decisions, but in my time away, I left all the government affairs to Baden.I cared about the throne and my people—it was the reason I usurped it. But once Jacob was found, it was as if everything else didn't matter anymore. The politics, the wars…nothing else mattered but the man lying beside me, entirely healthy and alive. As my mate, his physical fitness had improved tremendously, especially in bed. We could even make love for one night and two days without stopping. I couldn't fathom anything more perfect. I trailed my fingers up and down his arm, gently waking him. He roused and stretched, his eyes fluttering open from a restful sl

*VICKY*The rest of the party went off without a hitch. So much so, even Osip eventually made a grand re-entrance, telling everyone that it was just a slight misunderstanding and she didn't mean anything she said. Honestly, after a while, I forgot that I was intermingling with people way out of my league—until someone screamed over wine spilt by a server on their new luxury heels. I hadn't heard of so many brands listed off at once since I was CEO. I watched the guests communicate with each other as Leon stood beside me, talking to an elderly-looking couple who had approached us. Suddenly, my head began to swirl, and I began to see doubles of the guests in the room. I couldn't focus and immediately knew what I needed.Thank god I had stashed some in my coat pocket in the kitchen. I excused myself from the conversation Leon had been having and headed toward the kitchen, weaving around the tables and reaching for the tranquiliser.I looked around the empty space to make sure that

*VICKY*Moonlight scattered in the maze. Coupled with the strange and quiet atmosphere around me, it made the originally magnificent and peaceful garden look sinister and terrifying. I searched the ground for anything to use to defend myself, but any time I tried to reach for something, a large foot came crashing down on my arm, prompting an immediate scream.The scent. It was stronger than ever. This was him—the Blood Hunter."Oh, Victoria. How nice to finally see you again after all these years."Victoria. This name had become so strange to me as time passed. The recollection and memories tied to it made my blood recoil. I didn't want to think of who she was—I vowed never to think of her again. Yet, here I was, pressed into the stone, being forced to come face-to-face with my previous life.And to this man in front of me, it was probably the most glorious day of his life. He bent down to grab a knife from his waistband and revealed it to me up close and personal. The moonlight lit up