Drop Dead Single: Vampire Romance (A Monstrana Paranormal Romance Book 1)

by Lacy Andersen

  “Cate?”

  She looked up to see Prince Viktor standing at the door. His hair no longer had the polished look of a regal prince. It was swept wildly to one side and he’d undone the top few buttons of his tux. A deadly pallor had settled on his face and grief made his jaw tremble. It seemed like he was looking right through her, his eyes wide and unseeing. Stasia and Miranda excused themselves quietly and headed down the hall.

  “I’m so sorry.” Cate took a step toward him. He retreated at the same time, holding up a hand. She paused, hurt erupting inside her. All she wanted to do was comfort him. Why couldn’t he see that?

  “Can we talk?” he asked, nodding his head in the direction of the rest of the royal rooms.

  She shook her head eagerly. They had much to talk about, but most of all, she wanted to get him alone. Tell him it was all going to be okay. She’d been through the grief phases recently enough that it all seemed fresh to her. She could help him process. Help him through it.

  He led her to a bedroom not far away. It was similar to her room in most ways, but bigger and definitely more lived in. There was a Rembrandt painting on the wall and a stack of books on the nightstand. She realized that it must be his personal room. The space he’d occupied for centuries. She’d wondered what it would be like to come here with him, under much different circumstances.

  “I’m here for you,” she said as soon as he closed the doors behind him. Clasping her hands in front of her stomach, she resisted the urge to reach out to him. “I can help you. However you want to grieve, I’ll be here.”

  A deep scowl crossed his face and he went to stand beside the four-poster bed. “Grieve? There’s no time to grieve. My grandfather has just perished, making me King of Monstrana. There’s too much that has to be accomplished. Matters of state. Foreign trade deals. Suppressing the publicity nightmare of this hair-brained reality show.”

  Cate gulped. If he wasn’t going to take time to grieve, all this would come crashing down on him at some point. He needed to breathe. Take a moment. Let the dust settle.

  “I know there’s a lot to do,” she said in a low voice. No need to anger him. “But you can afford a period of mourning. The whole country will need it.”

  “You have no clue what this country needs,” he snapped, his eyes flashing and his fangs bared. “You’re not one of us and you never will be.”

  She took an involuntary step backwards and found herself almost sitting on his roll-top desk. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I know grief and...”

  He cut her off. “Well, I know it’s time for me to start acting like a King. And the antics of tonight are proof that I’ve been behaving no better than a child. Shameless.”

  Tears sprung unbidden to her eyes. Was he talking about them? What about everything they’d confessed to each other this evening? Did it mean nothing?

  “You don’t mean that,” she whispered, narrowing her eyes at him. “You’re grieving. Anger is part of the process. Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

  ❖

  Regret. There was so much he regretted about his long lifetime. Watching his mother die, not being able to save his father, and now — allowing his grandfather to fade in front of him. What had he been doing all this time? Oh, that’s right. He’d been swept into the drama of a reality TV show. His grandfather was dying and all he could worry about was his pathetic dating life.

  Cate bit her bottom lip as he stared at her across the room. She looked as lovely as ever, his mother’s necklace clasped around her delicate throat. The dreams they’d just been dreaming together that night were ashes now, scattered in the wind.

  Viktor’s face crumpled. “Don’t you understand? Everything has changed. What we were feeling just hours ago means nothing compared to the expectations of my country. I have to lead them.”

  Cate pulled back as if she’d been stung. “I mean nothing to you?”

  He pounded his fist on the wall, scraping the skin off the side of his hand. She wasn’t understanding him. “No, that’s not what I meant. But I have responsibilities now. My grandfather is dead. Gone. I don’t get to live in a fairy tale anymore.”

  She nodded her head slowly, tears welling up in her eyes. He wanted to take her into his arms and wipe them away, but the events of tonight had him standing as stiff as a Greek statue.

  “I’m sorry that he’s gone,” she said with a trembling voice.

  “Me, too.” He dropped his chin and closed his eyes briefly.

  Closing the space between them, she made a move to touch him, but he shrunk away. He couldn’t be near her. One little touch and his resolve would crumble away like the ashes of a vampire in the sun. He had to be strong. End this for the both of them.

  He wouldn’t be responsible for putting her life in danger. Not now, not ever again. Seeing her so fragile in Jezebel’s grasp tonight had snapped something inside of him. Made him see sense. The vampire life wasn’t safe. Sure, they had immortality and strength, but that alone made them a target.

  As a human, Cate would most likely never know that kind of danger. She’d go back home to America and live out a normal, safe, little life. Forget all about him. As much as he ached to rush across the room and hold her close, wiping the tears from her eyes, he wouldn’t let himself. She deserved better.

  The truth of the matter was that now that his grandfather was dead, he had to take a vampire bride as his Queen. There was no way around the law. No time to consider. His country needed him. And he couldn’t ask that of her. He’d made a vow to himself tonight that he’d never put her in harm’s way again. This was the price he’d pay.

  “You should return to your suite,” he said, trying to avoid her eyes. “The first flight out of Monstrana leaves at eleven tomorrow morning. I’ll make sure you have a ticket.”

  He couldn’t help glancing at her as silence fell between them. What he saw put a dagger through his heart. Her face had paled and pain swam in her eyes. She was gripping the back of a chair, her knuckles white. Her cheeks hollowed as she pursed her lips.

  “You want me to leave?” Her voice was thick with tears.

  Sorrow pulled his mouth into a deep frown. Still, he managed to keep it together by brushing off the front of his suit casually and eyeing the carpet. “It’s for the best.”

  His courage was crumbling fast. He needed to end this now. He needed her to leave, or he’d rush across the room and kiss every inch of her, never letting go. She was seconds from danger. She just didn’t know it.

  “Fine.” Cate stalked past him, swinging open the door. Pausing just outside, she looked down at her shoulder and a shuddering breath went through her. “I hope things work out for you, Viktor. I really do.”

  And then she was gone, leaving him to sink into the nearest chair and cradle his head in his hands.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  THE SUN’S RAYS HAD begun to reach across the Bering Sea and into his bedroom by the time Viktor decided he’d had enough. He’d spent all night trying to get his thoughts straight, to decide what steps needed to be taken for the security of the kingdom. Despite his grandfather’s death, all he could think of was Cate and how she was only a few hundred feet away from him at that moment. He couldn’t stop thinking of her luscious red lips last night or the sound of her laughter at the ceremony. He could still feel her fingers intertwined with his, the heat of her skin racing across his cold skin.

  Worst of all, he couldn’t stop thinking about the way her face had crumpled when he’d broken her heart.

  He sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. This was enough torture. He needed a change of scene. His office would put him in the right frame of mind. All business. And it was further away from the bedroom suites. All the distance he needed until Cate could get out of the country.

  Strolling into the darkened office, he made a straight line toward his desk. Neat stacks of papers were waiting for him. He dropped himself into his chair and sighed, thankful for the familiarity. Letting his gaze trail
slowly toward his grandfather’s desk across the room, he jumped when he saw a small figure sitting in the chair.

  “Babushka,” he cried, leaping to his feet and crossing the room. He kneeled down at her feet and took her cold hand in his. “What are you doing here? You should be resting.”

  “I wanted to feel him near,” she said, turning her blue eyes to him. She wore silky blue pajamas with a fluffy white robe. It was the first time he’d seen her out of her regal clothes. “This was the place that drew me.”

  He squeezed her hand in his as his heart constricted. His grandparents’ love had been quite unconventional, according to modern times. Betrothed as children, the first time they met was on their wedding day. It was a custom for their tribes and especially important for the future leaders. They’d learned to love each other over the years, especially after the change. He didn’t know how his grandmother would go on without her husband.

  “I feel him here, too,” he said, looking around the room. Signs of his grandfather were everywhere. From the unkempt piles of paperwork on his desk, to the scuffs in the floor beneath his chair, to his favorite Count Basie record laying lifeless on the player. He was there. They just had to take him all in.

  They sat there for several minutes in silence. The sun began to stream in the windows, announcing the arrival of the new day. Viktor swallowed hard and tried not to think about the fact that the rising sun also meant Cate would be leaving any minute now. It was as if he could sense her, still on the island. He longed to go to her and take it all back. Sweep her into his arms. But soon, she’d leave and that connection would be broken. His only hope was that it wouldn’t break him, too.

  “Your grandfather loved you boys dearly,” Queen Anna finally said, patting his hand.

  He looked up at her and a small smile tugged at his lips. “I know.”

  “He was so worried about you,” she said with a small smile. “Never about Leo, though. That young man could surf through a tidal wave and come through unscathed. But you, he was always afraid that you took life too seriously. That you threw yourself into your work too much.”

  Viktor’s throat tightened. He huffed and looked up at her. “That’s ridiculous. I take my responsibilities seriously, that’s all.”

  She raised one eyebrow and gave him one of her famous piercing stares. “There’s a significant difference between acting responsible and building an impenetrable wall around your heart. But last night’s ceremony washed away those worries for your grandfather. He was so happy to see that you’d found your match.”

  His mouth fell open and his eyes widened. “But Jezebel...”

  “Lady Jezebel was a snake,” Queen Anna hissed. “I should’ve known by the reputation of her father, but I was willing to give her a chance. What she did was unforgivable. Her family will be receiving a very scathing letter from me, to be sure.”

  He gripped her hand tighter, laughing at the thought of the effect Queen Anna’s letter would have in an age where letters were practically extinct. Better to send a horrible Yelp review on the Internet.

  “But Cate is human,” he said, biting the inside of his cheek. He’d been so sure she would be angry about the deception.

  His grandmother waved her hand dismissively. “Weren’t we all once? I’m not sure how she snuck through my vetting program, but results are results. All King Borwin and I wanted was to see you happily matched before you took the throne. I’m sure your grandfather died content in the fact that he got to see you two together. Of course, I knew the moment you both entered our suite. You were made for each other.”

  It felt like someone had wrapped a thick rope around his chest and squeezed until there was no air left in his lungs. He’d been mistaken about his grandparents’ reaction. But that didn’t change a thing. He wasn’t going to risk Cate’s life just to ask her to be with him. Not again.

  “Where is the young lady?” Queen Anna asked, leaning forward in the chair, her eyes regaining some of their old spark. “I’d like some time to get to know her myself.”

  He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. No use dragging out the inevitable. She’d find out sooner or later.

  “She’s going home today,” he confessed. “I sent her away.”

  “You did what?” Her spine stiffened and she fixed him with a glare that made him want to melt into the floor. “Viktor Romanov, tell me you did no such thing.”

  “I had to,” he sputtered. He could feel his ears turning red. “You saw what happened at the ceremony. What happened to my father and so many others of our kind. I won’t put her in harm’s way again. Life as a vampire is too risky.”

  Her lips disappeared into a thin line as she studied him. “Have you spoken to the young woman about your fears?”

  He ducked his head, avoiding her eyes. “No...”

  “I’m surprised at you, grandson,” she said stiffly, drawing his gaze back to hers. “This was not a decision for you to make alone. You do not get to choose her future for her.”

  “But I...”

  She cut him off with the wave of her hand. “Does she love you?”

  He snapped his mouth shut and with a grim smile, nodded his head.

  “And do you love her?”

  Closing his eyes against the rush of emotions, he nodded again. He loved her more than he ever thought it possible for an undead heart to love another being.

  “Then that is all that matters.” She leaned forward, taking his chin in her hand like she used to do when he was a boy. “Viky, life is filled with risk and loss. For humans and supernatural creatures alike. If you go through life avoiding intimacy with another being, you might as well be dead already. Life isn’t worth cutting yourself off from the pain. It’s about finding the moments of true happiness in between the loss. That’s what makes our lives so precious.”

  He swallowed hard, the wheels in his head turning a million miles an hour. Never had he thought he’d get such a lecture from his grandmother. He’d always considered her to be so stiff and noble, a perfect example of what vampire royalty ought to be. But the words coming out of her mouth resembled the words of his brother and the conversation they’d had only last night.

  Had he made a huge mistake in pushing Cate away? By telling himself that he was protecting her, was he excusing himself from the risk of any more pain? The pit in his stomach told him his Babushka was all too right. He’d behaved like a cad of the worst variety.

  “Go to her, Viky,” his grandmother said, patting his hand once more. “Tell her how you feel. Don’t leave anything out this time.”

  He jumped to his feet and kissed her on the cheek. There was no time to lose. He had to find Cate before she got on that plane. Skidding down the hall, he ran as fast as his vampire power would allow, startling a handful of staff beginning their morning rounds. His breathless apology went unanswered as he sped up the stairs and down the royal hall. It wasn’t until he got to Cate’s door did he slow down to a speed more human-like.

  “Cate?” He pounded softly on her door, although he wished for nothing more than to break it down. He could easily shatter it into a million splinters if he didn’t get control of himself. “Cate? Are you there?”

  There was no answer. Tired of waiting, he tried the door handle. Unlocked. Rushing in, he did a double take around the room. Empty. It was as if she’d never been there at all.

  A small blue box lay on the dresser. He walked over to it and snapped it open to see his mother’s pearl necklace, placed lovingly back into its velvety bed. The sight of it broke him. He sat down on the bed, staring at the jewelry as if it were a goodbye letter written specially for him.

  “Are you looking for Cate?” Stasia came wandering through the door, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail and a giant mug of coffee in her hand. She wore flannel pajamas and a white camisole. “If so, she left last night.”

  “Last night?” His face went white and he stared wide-eyed at her. “Where’d she go? Her flight doesn’t leave for another hou
r.”

  “Her friend Miranda was with her. I think they were going to crash at her place,” she said with a shrug and a disapproving smirk. “You know, you really messed that one up, Vik. I’m saying this as your best friend — she was the one.”

  “I know.” He combed his hands through his hair and scowled. “I messed up, big time. But I need to talk to her before she leaves. Tell her how I feel and that I’m sorry.”

  “Really?” A smile cracked her cheeks. “Prince Viktor apologize? I never thought I’d see the day.”

  He sent her a withering glare and set the necklace on the nightstand. “Come along if you must, then. But I’m headed to the airport.”

  “Oh, goody,” Stasia squealed, bouncing from foot to foot. She threw back her head and downed the cup of steaming Joe before wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. “I do love a romantic ending.”

  Viktor wasn’t so sure this would be the ending she was hoping for, but he liked her optimism. He needed all the good-will he could afford. Something told him that it was going to take a bit more than groveling to win Cate back.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  CATE DRAGGED HER BAG out of the trunk of Miranda’s new Prius and plopped it on the ground. Shielding her eyes, she looked up at the Monstrana airport, the wide sliding doors greeting her this morning.

  “Are you sure you have to go?” Miranda rounded the car and gave her a sorrowful look. “You can stay with me for a few more days. I’ve stocked up on the Ben & Jerry’s.”

  “No, it’s for the best.” She yanked on the extendable luggage handle and wheeled it onto the sidewalk. “Once I get back to Nebraska, I’ll forget all about this place. Life will go back to normal.”

  “You won’t forget about me, though?” Miranda’s eyes grew big and wide. She clenched her jaw, as if trying not to cry.

  “Of course not, silly.” Cate batted her on her shoulder and then pulled her into a tight hug. “I could never forget you. You have to call me all the time. I want to know everything about your new life.”