*Ainslee*The metallic taste I’ve been smelling for days hits my tastebuds as I press my lips against Prince Rafe’s. His mouth is warm and soft, even if I can taste a bit of what he had for dinner, which isn’t exactly appealing, but it doesn’t stop me from holding my mouth to his. He is stunned. I can feel it in the tension in his face. At first, he is unyielding, probably wanting to pull away from me. But I am persistent and continue to keep my mouth on his for so long, eventually, he gives in.And then he is kissing me back. Tentatively at first, like he is also leery of tasting my meat mouth. When his hand slides up my cheek and around the back of my had to hold me in place, my heart surges in my chest, and an ache begins to form low in my belly. His lips release mine for a moment, but then we both go back in for a second kiss, one with a bit more fire in it, and then my mouth falls open, and his tongue slips between my lips.We continue to kiss for several seconds before I have to

*Ainslee*Rafe has just told me I am leverage in his impending war. All I can say is, “How romantic.” I roll my eyes.The prince chuckles but doesn’t jump to change what he’s just said. “We think they finally saw an opportunity to pass you along and get you off their hands by sending you here, but then, there’s a good chance they thought they could get you back from the feeders’ quarters if they needed you by winning the trust of one of my advisors.”My fork clanks against my plate for the second time in two days. “Kris.” It’s not a question.He nods. “We don’t think that Kris knowingly did anything other than accept their word as to what was going on. He tends to see things in a similar light as the Blacks, so it just follows that he’d take their side.”I want to tell him he needs to be careful. I never have trusted that man. But it seems like Rafe already knows Kris is shady, so I save it.“At any rate, they served you up to me on a silver platter, and now here you are, my political

*Rafe*Standing at the foot of a bed next to Jerim, we look at one of the feeders who has suddenly become very ill. Like the others that have died recently, this one has severe body aches, can’t keep anything down, and is pale with a high fever.“I’ve tried all of the treatment options I’m aware or,” my friend whispers, “but I just don’t know what to do. Nothing seems to help, and none of it makes sense.”The patient appears to be sleeping. Either that or she is simply unconscious at this point from the illness or the treatment. She’s a forty-five year-old-female shifter who has been in our care for over twenty years since she was gathered during one of the cullings from her village of Graysummit.I’m not sure what to say or do because Jerim is the best doctor I’ve ever known. He lists all of the medications he’s tried and shakes his head as he says, “None of it is helping.”“Have you been able to improve the conditions of any of the shifters who suddenly have these symptoms?” I ask h

*Rafe*After leaving the feeders’ quarters, I head upstairs toward Ainslee’s room, but I don’t make it that far. I’m about one staircase away from her floor when I see Riley coming at me. I wonder if she’s demanded the staff let her know when they see me coming. They all hate her, so they wouldn’t do it unless they had no choice. If she didn’t treat them like shit, perhaps they’d be more accommodating.“Oh, Rafey, there you are.” She has tears in her eyes, but the streaks on her cheeks look like she’s simply wiped some of her makeup off. Like most things about Riley, it all seems fake.And I fucking hate it when she calls me Rafey.“Riley.” I let out a sigh, and we both pause on the landing. “What the hell happened?”She reaches for me, placing a hand on my chest and leaning her head toward my neck. I want to step aside, but she’s already got me in a grip, and there are people around. I recall the fact that her father wants me to marry her. I see no reason to shatter his illusion at t

*Rafe*Exiting Ainslee’s room, I am tempted to reach out and take her hand. I want to show her that I care for her because I know she is having trouble trusting me, and I can’t blame her. Kissing her, feeling her body on mine, the scent of her, all of that has left me wanting more. I could’ve consumed her right then and there—not in the sense one usually means when speaking of vampires, but I could’ve claimed her for my own.Other species seem to think that vampires have both an insatiable lust for blood and a craving for sex. Both of those sentiments are generally false. We need blood to survive and usually drink it daily, sometimes several times a day, the way that other species eat food. But we don’t go crazy when we smell it or feel the overwhelming urge to sink our teeth into someone simply because they smell good. At least, I don’t.I think the same can be said for sex. Like other species, there are a variety of levels of need amongst out kind as well. Some of us have a high sex