The Replacement: A Culling of Blood and Magic Read online

  So, one choice really.

  Submitting to his silent request, she followed as he led her to a dark circular booth in the back, perfectly concealed from prying eyes, yet still offering a great vantage point of the entire club.

  After sliding into the booth, Emery sat as far back from the vampire as humanly possible. He flagged down a waitress. “Do you want anything?”

  Refusing to acknowledge him, Emery spoke for herself, “Whiskey ginger please. Make it a double.”

  The waitress nodded and leaned over the table toward the handsome vampire, showing off her ample cleavage. “And for you?”

  Emery rolled her eyes at the woman’s display. Did she have no sense of self-preservation? He was good-looking, but also deadly.

  “I’ll have the same. Thank you, Cindy.” The waitress tipped her head and sashayed her way to the bar.

  Emery sat quietly, glaring daggers. She needed to determine his motives and how she could eventually get away from him once she found out his connection to her sister.

  She had one card she could play, but doubted it would help. He stared back at her, silently watching her every move while giving nothing away.

  Finally, the silence was too much. “Are you going to tell me who you are and why I’m here? More importantly, how did you know my sister?”

  “I’m waiting for my brother, lest I say something he wouldn’t approve of.”

  “So, you’re his lackey? Can’t handle the situation yourself?” She pushed him, knowing it was a bad idea, but not able to hold her tongue.

  “I could handle you nine different ways right now. Eight of which you would love.” He purred his words, giving her body the shock it needed to come alive. The vampire looked her up and down. “You know what? I changed my mind. You’d like all nine.” He gave her a wink and a devilish smile before licking his tongue over a single fang.

  Emery shuddered at the timbre of his promise and involuntarily covered her neck. What was his angle? One minute he was cold and distant, the next an asshole, and the next he said things that would make any ordinary girl’s panties drop.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She unbuckled the watch on her wrist and showed him the mark. “I belong to your prince as a member of his culling, and I’m sure you don’t want him finding out about your not so innocent innuendos.”

  “Do you now?” He leaned over the table, his breath fanning over her wrist as he spoke low and slow. “What if I told you my little brother doesn’t mind sharing his women?”

  “You expect me to believe you’re the prince’s brother? That doesn’t even make sense. If he’s your younger brother that would make you the crown prince.”

  Cindy arrived back at the table and placed the drinks down. Emery instantly grabbed hers and tossed it back like she’d done all night.

  The vampire bore holes in her skull from across the table and slowly tipped his glass back, finishing it in a single swig.

  “You know what? I’m already having a shit last night of freedom. I don’t have time for this bullshit.”

  Emery slid out of the booth and did something she should never do in front of a predator. She gave him her back and attempted to run out of the bar. But before she could take three steps, she ran headfirst into the same brick wall of a chest. The air was knocked from her lungs, and his hands firmly gripped her arms. “Sit down, Emery. Now.”

  “No.”

  “I won’t tell you again. You will sit, and you will wait for my brother. I will not be responsible for fucking this up.”

  “Too late,” she mumbled under her breath before she registered what he’d said. “Wait, he’s here?”

  “Yes, sweetheart, he’s here.”

  “Why would he be here, in a low-down club, when he’s the crown prince of vampires?”

  “Why wouldn’t he be here? He owns this low-down club.”

  Of course, he did.

  Fate was a motherfucker.

  Emery slid into the booth and stared at her clasped hands on the table, her heart pounding in her chest. All she wanted was a night out before her life as she knew it ended but even that was too much to ask.

  A shadow caught her eye coming to a halt at the edge of their table. It was much too large to be Cindy returning to flirt and show off her breasts. Emery inhaled a shaky breath, attempting to find her confidence, and looked up to see who’d joined them.

  Her jaw hit the floor the same moment her stomach dropped.

  The gorgeous man, who poured his soul out on stage, stood before her, but he no longer radiated carefree artistry. Instead, his jaw was tight, and he looked ready to murder someone.

  “What’s she doing here, Malcolm?”

  So, douche canoe had a name.

  “Relax, August, she stumbled here of her own volition.”

  August? As in Prince August? No. There was no way the gorgeous man was the prince. The vampire whose heart she was supposed to try to win. Fate was not this cruel.

  “Really? Of all the bars in Chicago, she just happened to pick mine?” Annoyance flashed across August's handsome features.

  Malcolm sipped his drink. “You have a little something on your lip, brother. Are you sated or should I find you something else to eat before you join us?”

  August’s tongue darted out to taste the trickle of blood on his full bottom lip, before reaching up to wipe it away. The action would have been downright sexy if he was any other man, and it wasn’t the evidence of his latest victim. Emery’s heart raced, as she was smacked once again by the reality of what these men were.

  Her eyes searched the club for his victim, but she found nothing out of the ordinary.

  The bar patrons carried on, unaware of the monster that drew them in. Hell, even she was torn between her predisposition to hate him for what he was and the urge to jump his bones. An ordinary human didn’t stand a chance against the prince.

  She shook her head, attempting to rid the memory of his smooth voice. It didn’t matter the prince was sex personified, or that he called to her soul like a deadly siren, or that she very much wanted to get to know him on an intimate level. She couldn’t forget what he was or that her sister was killed in his family’s care. He was the reason she’d been pulled from her life to fulfill some archaic version of The Bachelor.

  “I’m fine,” August ground out. “What have you told her?”

  “Nothing. I only took her captive until you were finished so we could discuss our plans for her.”

  Plans? If they thought she was going to play a part in some nefarious plan, they were greatly mistaken. She had her own agenda, consisting of getting in and out of the castle with her life and gaining some clarity on Sloane’s death.

  The prince turned, looking her over with a glacial gaze. “I’m Prince August, but away from the castle, just call me August.” He extended his hand out to her adorned by a beautiful ring that could have paid her mortgage for a year.

  She cocked a brow. “Am I supposed to kiss it?”

  August chuckled, sounding almost animalistic. “If you’d like. Although, I think a handshake is customary in the twenty-first century.”

  Emery rolled her eyes and hesitantly placed her hand in his, immediately regretting it. A buzzing sounded in her ears. Where the prince’s hand met hers, a jolt of electricity erupted, catapulting its way straight to her heart. Her eyes widened, as her skin began to hum, vibrating from the inside out. She jerked her hand from his and yelped. “What the fuck did you just do to me?”

  The prince masked any shock he may have experienced with a furrowed brow. “You have a mouth on you. That will need to be sorted before you go anywhere near the other women of my culling.” August slid into the booth next to her, and Emery flinched. “As for what just happened,” he shrugged, “static electricity.”

  She’d never felt static electricity like that. Like her body had been jump started from within. She slid farther away, ensuring they didn’t touch again, even though her body protested the action.
r />   Ignoring her clear objection to their proximity, August turned so his leg nearly touched hers. “So, you’re the twin?”

  She took a sip from her glass and allowed sarcasm to flow. “You’re an observant one.”

  “Did Malcolm inform you of what we need of you?”

  “No, your asshole brother thought to taunt me with his ability to talk in circles while we waited for you. He also informed me you like to share your women. I should let you know up front, I’ve never shared what’s mine.”

  August growled, at the same time Malcolm spit out his drink with a cough. Served them right. If they wanted to be jackasses, she could be too.

  “It’s a good thing I’m not yours then, because I do believe in sharing. You, though, are mine. That mark on your wrist matches mine. It binds you to me until I decide otherwise. That means if I want to share you, I can do so at will.”

  Emery tensed at his words. Like hell she belonged to him. She belonged to no one.

  “Would you like that, little one?”

  She turned and faced him, not scared to lock eyes and challenge him. He wasn’t her prince. “I’m. Not. Yours.”

  “We’ll see.” The bastard smiled and turned away. “I’d like to speak privately with Emery. Would you mind getting me a drink from the bar?”

  “Oooh, bring me one too, Malcolm.”

  Malcolm hesitated, eyes locked on her, but she didn’t have the faintest idea of what he was trying to silently say. He’d been all over the map for their entire conversation. Slowly, he got up and made his way to the bar, leaving Emery with August as a pit settled in her stomach.

  When Malcolm was out of eyesight August spun on her, pressing her against the back of the booth. With his face hovering above hers, and his voice deadly smooth, his eyes dilated as he attempted to compel her. “What are you?”

  Could he know what she was based on a single touch? Maybe it was a royal vampire trait. But Malcolm hadn’t reacted, so that didn’t make sense. She stared into the depths of August’s oceanic eyes, but he gave away nothing.

  Just like his brother.

  Emery crafted her reply carefully, while simultaneously trying to keep her heartbeat steady. Malcolm’s advice from earlier played in her mind, and despite the fact he was a jerk, she didn’t want August to know about her witch blood. At least not until she knew his motives.

  “I’m just a woman, forced to be in your culling like my sister before me.”

  “Why are you here tonight at my club?” He ignored her jab like it was his job.

  She formulated her answer as close to the truth as she could. “I love jazz, and it’s my last night of freedom.”

  August’s gaze left hers momentarily, noting Malcolm’s return. Seemingly happy with her answers, he ordered her to forget their conversation moments before his brother slid back into the booth.

  Malcolm looked between them, slowly setting their drinks down. “Is she going to do it?”

  “She doesn’t have a choice,” August stated, taking a long sip of his drink.

  Emery shook her head, subtly pretending to come out of her compelled state. “Wait, I don’t have a choice about what?”

  “The culling. Your sister’s death was untimely and has put my family between a rock and a hard place. Lucky for us, someone else in your family’s line could take her place. That said, you’ll be attending the culling not as yourself.”

  Who the hell would I be then?

  She cocked her head at the prince in confusion. She knew she didn’t have a choice. The damn mark on her wrist that matched his wouldn’t even allow her to consider going AWOL.

  “You will become Sloane.”

  Nothing could have prepared her for the words that came from his mouth.

  Emery signaled Cindy to bring her another round. Maybe she should have asked for two. All she knew was she needed way more alcohol for the rest of their conversation.

  Chapter Three

  Boom. Boom. Boom.

  Emery rolled over in bed, reaching for a spare pillow and holding it over her face. She didn’t know where the sound was coming from, just that she wanted it to stop. Her mouth was as dry as the Sahara, and she had an overwhelming need to pee.

  Boom. Boom. Boom.

  Shoving the pillow off her face, Emery finally opened her eyes, taking in the delicate cream wallpaper of a hotel suite and the sunlight peeking through a slit in a heavy curtain from a giant corner window. She was thrilled they hadn't been left wide open the night before because she doubted her hangover would appreciate the bright light. She didn’t remember getting back to the hotel, but she was there. And alive. Which was all that mattered after a night with vampires.

  Without a word of welcome, the door clicked and swung open. She sat up and covered her bare legs as Prince August entered the room without warning.

  “Good morning, Emery.” He smirked as he looked over her disheveled appearance. “You look like hell.”

  Still in shock by the fact he’d barged into her room without her allowing him in, Emery answered him with a raspy voice. “I feel like hell. Also, how did you get in my room?”

  “I’m a vampire, Emery.” As if that was answer enough. “As to why I’m here, I assume you don’t remember us making plans after we got back to the room last night.”

  “Bold of you to assume I remember anything about last night.” The sensation of the soft, white sheets on her bare skin sent a mortifying shock to her senses. If she couldn’t remember the night before, and they’d been in her hotel suite, then… “Wait, did we? I mean, you know?”

  “God no, Emery. You were far too drunk, and I like coherent women in my bed, not sloppy ones.”

  Ouch. It more than likely wasn’t much of a stretch, but his comment made her feel like the gross mess she was. It was a good thing they hadn’t done the deed the night before. She’d like to remember her first time, and as it stood, she couldn’t remember a damn thing after her talk with the brothers in the booth.

  “No. I tucked you and Copper into bed and left.” The prince tossed her the water bottle he walked in with and stepped over to the window. “Who names their stuffed pet dragon Copper? Also, what grown adult has a stuffed animal?”

  Emery ignored his condescending words and grabbed the ratty stuffed dragon, hugging it close. Copper was the one thing she had left from her mother. She’d gotten one each for Sloane and her on their second birthday. He’d been the constant in her life when she needed someone to hug after Sloane left. Ada hadn’t believed in cuddling, but Copper never protested.

  August pulled the darkened shades open, and to her horror, let in the overbearing sunlight. She felt as though she was the vampire afraid of light as her hangover strangled her senses.

  “Wait, you can stand the sunlight?”

  “I’m a created vampire, only turned vampires have a sensitivity to the sun. Now, I ordered you breakfast. Get cleaned up so we can talk.”

  She had no idea the difference between created and turned vampires, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was lessening the pounding in her head.

  She snagged the bottle and took a long chug, ignoring his implication she needed to hurry. Once the bottle was empty, she wiped her mouth and smiled at the uptight man who now had his arms crossed, as if to scold her for taking her sweet time. She was taking her time for a reason. She was nearly naked under the sheets, wearing only a camisole and lacy boy-cut panties. The last thing she wanted was the crown prince of vampires to see her in her underwear before a much needed shower. But he was about to because he wasn’t looking away.

  “Well?” He gestured to the bathroom and raised his brows at her. “Get a move on.”

  In a manic attempt at bravery, Emery dropped Copper and threw off the covers. Exposing her bare legs, she hopped over to her duffle bag. If she was going to be half naked in front of him, she would at least be confident about it. As she bent over, the prince’s eyes roamed over her body. He didn’t even pretend not to look at her ass
. She couldn’t fault him, though. She had a great ass. And she gave it a wiggle to see if he’d squirm.

  Turned out, vampires were like any other man, in love with the female form.

  “Like what you see, Your Majesty?”

  Color flooded his cheeks, and he cleared his throat. “It’s Your Highness, and yes. I find I quite like your ass.” There was a hint of an accent in his voice, but it was faint and hard to pinpoint its origin. The British Isles, if she had to guess.

  Emery gasped, covering her mouth. “Oh my, the prince has a mouth on him. Maybe we’ll get along after all. Especially if you aren’t as stiff and uptight as your clothes make you seem. A three-piece suit on a Wednesday morning? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  August grinned and cocked an eyebrow. “You’d be surprised what I can do in a suit.”

  The prince was behind her before she could blink. In one swift motion, he pulled her ass against him and righted her against his rock solid chest. Her breathing labored and fear took hold. Fear...and something else entirely. Her body hummed as she leaned into him.

  She ground her ass against his groin, feeling the evidence of just how much she affected him growing in his expensive suit pants. She was glad she had no intention of becoming this man’s bride because she would likely be torn in two.

  August shuddered against her, gripping her hips to halt her movement. His punishing hands held her in place.

  “That smart mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble.” He moved his hands from her hips and raked his fingers down her arm, eliciting a shiver over hypersensitive flesh. “And I can think of plenty of ways to silence these lips should it become a problem.” He pushed against her back, entwining his fingers with hers. With little effort, he brought her hands above her head and spun her around.

  She looked up into his hungry eyes. If they told a story in that moment, it would end with him devouring her.

  Literally.

  He leaned in, and Emery retreated until her back hit the wall. She was trapped between drywall and the most delicious vampire she’d ever seen. Which, to that day, only numbered at two.