The Blood Ledger Novels & Stories

But as I entered, she straightened, her sharp eyes flicking toward me. “We need to talk,” she murmured, voice low, as the others filed out. Within moments, the chamber emptied, save for Marrow, Renly at the door, and me. Marrow motioned me closer. She slid a small leather ledger across the table. The cover was plain and worn, with a faint sigil burned into the corner — the crescent fang of the Nightfang mercenaries. “What is this?” I asked softly. Marrow’s mouth tightened. “A ledger. Payments. Coded drops to mercenary bands we thought disbanded years ago.”

His face paled and flushed in quick succession as he hurriedly said, "Lana, let me explain. I have nothing to do with her. I—" "Whether or not you have anything to do with her, it has nothing to do with me. Gentlemen, I'll take my leave." I shook off Zach's hand and turned toward the banquet hall. Zach's footsteps followed leisurely behind me, his pace calm and unhurried, like he was strolling through a garden. The truth of the evening was clear. Edgar, the patriarch, was in failing health, and everyone could see it. Officially, the event was a birthday celebration. In reality, it was the public passing of the torch.

Something I didn’t like. I reached for it, but Roman’s hand shot out, stopping me. “Don’t touch it.” “Why not?” “Because that,” he said slowly, “is a blood ledger. A record of every kill, every betrayal… and every debt. Written in the blood of the victim.” My skin crawled. “So whose debts are in there?” Roman’s gaze locked on mine. “Yours. Your mother’s. And your uncle’s.” The room went still. My hands curled into fists at my sides. “Then we finally have proof.”

“I just find it odd that they haven’t come to the Academy yet. But that might only be a matter of time. So take this as your warning—be careful.” I nod quickly. “Understood.” She studies me for another second before going on. “And the reason I jumped to that theory so fast is because young Mr. Ledger was injured during the Summit. His blood was everywhere. If someone managed to get a sample of it to the SOHH…” My stomach turns. “You mean… his dad?”

“I’m going to kill you.” My shifting sent Joey and Anna into a spiral. “A white wolf. She’s a white wolf…” As expected from an Alpha, Joey was quick to snap back to reality. He gave Anna a nudge and shouted, “Run!” Joey put himself between us to cover Anna’s escape. There was no way I would let them get away with it. Blood must be paid with blood. I was right on Anna’s tail all the way to the street. Even on the broad street, she managed to lose herself in the heavy traffic.

“I have to get back to the hospital. They’ll try again. They’ll kill Dante.” Raven stopped and peeled off her mask. Scars crossed her face; her eyes looked ancient and tired. “June Avery, right? The girl the billionaire left behind?” June winced. “Yeah. But I’m more than that. I’m the only one who knows the truth.” “Truth doesn’t put food on the table down here,” Raven said, grinning. “But information is gold. You want to save your man? You need the Black Ledger. It’s a book with every bribe the Vancents ever paid. Your father’s name is in it.”

My hands were cold, and I stared at the screen again. “It is not his empire,” I said. "This is his bloodline." Footsteps resounded outside the room. The door opened. Dino stood with an unreadable expression. "You found something," he said. I swung around and looked at him a-throbbing. "Yes," I replied. His eyes sharpened. "What did you find, Drina?" I turned back and looked at the screen, and then at the man whose name had plagued all corners of my life. "A ghost," I said. "And it belongs to your family."

"I insure him!" The Red Ledger erupted in a pillar of crimson light. It wasn't digital; it was raw, ancient, and grounded. The blood on the page created a feedback loop that the Heir’s "Recalibration" couldn't handle. It was an analog virus, a debt so personal it couldn't be calculated. Selene screamed—a sound of a thousand voices suddenly being silenced. The black ink on her skin began to boil, turning into a fine, dark mist that was sucked back toward the elevator shaft.

Not about mates or broken trust or images which invaded my mind and thoughts. This is about blood. My blood. My father’s name has been dragged through dirt by people who wore his house like a costume. His legacy didn’t die with him, it was stolen without remorse. And I’m done waiting for someone else to help me reclaim it. If the Black Ledger is here, and my instinct which dares to scream that it’s here is right, then all this ends tonight. I need the ledger. I regained my confidence and resolve. When I find the Ledger and finally present it to the Council, it won’t be as someone’s mate. Not as a Rogue’s shadow. Not as a broken girl running from scandal.

It lingered. Heavy. Deliberate. Like a man who existed not just in flesh—but in consequence. I paced the length of my room, slow, measured steps against the marble floor, my thoughts threading and unthreading themselves with every turn. A lawyer. But not just a lawyer. A man who *writes in blood*. Because what I had seen in those ledgers— Those were not mere contracts. They were something else. Something binding. Something ancient. Something that had reached into my life long before I ever realized I was being watched… or worse—