The Lord Who Mistaken for a Stray
As I was about to leave The Crimson Curtain, my brother Corvus's elite vampire club, a woman who claimed to be the manager stopped me.
"Ma'am, you just helped yourself to a priceless vial of Elder's Blood. You have to pay."
I looked at the unfamiliar face, sensing the weak blood of a lesser vampire.
She must be a fledgling, I thought, new to the club and unaware of who I was. "Your boss approved it," I said flatly. "Take it up with him."
But the woman just sneered at me. "Plenty of women try to get close to our boss. If every one of you took what you wanted, how would we stay in business?"
She shoved a copy of the club rules at me.
Anyone who takes Elder's Blood without permission pays with three times the amount in heart's blood. Or they don't leave.
Vampire guards started to close in, some even drawing silver blades, ready to take me down.
I laughed, a cold, sharp sound. I couldn't believe Corvus's club had such an insane rule.
"I am the Lord of House Volkov. Corvus's own sister. If he needs compensation, he can come to me himself."
But her mockery only sharpened. "You look like some low-born stray. Claiming ties to a noble house? Pathetic. Hand over the heart's blood. Now."
My patience snapped. I sent a message to the family elders through our bloodline.
"Tell Corvus to either make this woman disappear forever, or I'm taking back ownership of this club. All of it."