by Ginna Moran
“Lovely Gwen, I do hope you’re prepared for the life I have planned for you,” he says, attempting to capture me with his gaze. “Unlike my brothers, who’ll be dominated by…regional affairs, I’ll now have all the time in the world to shower you with everything you could ever want and desire.”
My heart slides into my stomach at his certainty. “I’m not going to match with you.” I keep my voice low to stop it from hitching.
He smiles like I’ve said the silliest thing. “You don’t sound so sure.”
“Corona, leave her alone,” Bronx warns. His chest presses into my back as he looks at Corona from over my shoulder.
“Relax, brother. I’m only trying to prepare Gwen for what is to come.” He squeezes my fingers to stop me from yanking my hand away. “You can’t honestly think that you’re a better match for her. You might know her on a physical level, but there is more to this ravishing woman than what teases me from under her dress. I learned quite a lot about her from her brother. They are alike, you know. I did match with him after all. If applying to match with Gwen wasn’t so expensive, I’d have considered matching with her instead.”
I can’t stop my face from reacting. His words stab inside me at the mention of Kyler and what he could possibly know about me.
Again, I try to pull my hand from him. “You’re wrong. I’m nothing like my brother.”
Corona’s eyes flash silver. “Maybe now, but not before. Not when you originally entered the Blood Match Program. And I believe it’s fate that Viorica decided to use your original test.”
Ohmyfuck.
Shoving my hand against his chest, I manage to push him away and break free of his hold. Panic grips me, stealing my breath away. I swing my attention across the room until I find Viorica in the same seat, watching me like everyone else does.
I rush toward her. “Ms. Vaduva! Ms. Vaduva, please. I have to retake the test.”
She licks her lips, flicking her gaze behind me. “I’m sorry, Ms. Royale. I already told you that—”
Something dark comes over me, and I rush the vampire. Growls and hisses rip through the air, setting off my fear instincts like crazy. Glass shatters behind me, and a thud booms as a body hits a wall.
Viorica raises her hand to stop her daughters from intervening. I drop to my knees in front of her, bowing my head. I never thought I’d bow down to a vampire in my life, but I can’t think of any other way to get around this. If she uses my original test to pick who gets my contract, I’m afraid Corona’s right, and I’ll end up with him. I can’t let that happen. Not even for a minute. It would destroy my guys. They might not show it, but they’re as nervous as I am. They have the same fears I do. We’re all afraid that I won’t match with them.
“Please, I’m begging you.” I blink the tears from my eyes, my desperation getting the best of me. “Please.”
A strong hand locks on the back of my dress and hoists me to my feet. Without having to look, I know it’s Corona.
“My apologies, Ms. Vaduva—”
The world flies out from under me, and I spin through the air. Bronx roars as he lands on top of Corona, the sight of Corona lifting me off my feet setting him off. Mikkalo catches me, whirling me away from the fight that breaks out between Corona and Bronx.
“Stop immediately or you’ll be disqualified,” Viorica says. Her sharp voice freezes me to the core and also stops Bronx and Corona in their tracks.
“I insist you do disqualify Bronx,” Corona says, flashing his fangs.
“You son of a—”
I don’t have time to think things through, my body taking over under the wave of fury crashing over me. I shove against Mikkalo’s chest and launch off him at Corona. I catch Corona off guard, colliding into his back. The two of us hit the floor, but he manages to roll over to pin me beneath him. We skid across the tiles, and I jab my hand against his face to keep his fangs from getting near me.
“Don’t you dare fucking bite her!” Jameson yells, his form blurring as he rushes toward us.
I manage to grab the front of Corona’s dress shirt in one hand. With my other, I jam my fingers hard enough into his chest to impale him. He freezes, his eyes widening and his body stiffening on top of mine.
I scowl at him, digging my hand deeper into his chest. His blood pools against my palm, and he attempts to scramble off of me, but I don’t let him go. I can’t. He set off my very dhampir nature and my body is fully set on seeing this through. I want nothing more than to rip his heart out and taste his bitter blood one last time as I snuff his miserable life out and get the vengeance for my brother that I deserve.
Bronx and Mikkalo stand above me, ready to drag Corona off. They hesitate, probably noticing my eyes. Everett kneels on one side of me, and Jameson takes the other. The four of them keep everyone in the lobby away.
“It would be in your best interest to let me go,” Corona whispers, his breath sending a shiver through me. “If you do not, your secret will be discovered. No donor is capable of ripping out a vampire’s heart. You will be caged.”
I squeeze harder, feeling his skin give a bit under the pressure of my hand. “I don’t care.”
“Gwen, please,” Everett says softly. “Even if they don’t discover what you are—what you plan to do? It’s punishable by death. We can’t lose you.”
His pleas are enough to snap some sense into me. I take a breath and ease my hand from Corona’s chest without pulling his heart free. His life for mine isn’t worth it. Not only would I jeopardize myself, but I’d also risk my guys’ lives too. They’d never allow anyone to sentence me to such a fate. They’d fight and die by my side. I know they would. Their expressions prove it.
Corona smiles a cocky grin and pushes to his feet, leaving me on the floor. He buttons up his black jacket to hide the punctures my fingers made in his shirt and then returns to his seat next to the other former Andersons.
Viorica sighs and stands, sauntering across the room toward us. I expect her to yell at me or something, but she doesn’t glance our way as she strolls to the reception area where a man sits behind the counter and types on a digital keyboard.
“How much longer, Mr. Erikson?” she asks, her voice rising in annoyance.
Mr. Erikson turns his computer screen in her direction. “The doctor is entering her health stats now.”
She nods and returns to her seat.
It takes Everett pulling me off the floor to realize my body decided just to plant itself in the middle of the lobby. He quickly wipes my bloody hand the best he can on his jacket. Mikkalo and Jameson close in on me, obscuring the other vampires’ view of me. Bronx leads the way, heading toward the last few seats left in the crowded lobby.
“Mr. Thompson?” the receptionist calls, and I turn to peer behind me.
A guy my age casually strolls toward the counter with his hands hidden in his pockets. He makes eye contact with me and smiles. I try not to let my confusion scrunch my face. It takes me a moment to realize that the lobby isn’t crowded because of me. Some of the vampires must be waiting for their Blood Match results.
Everett tugs my hand until I pull my attention from the guy. I sit on Everett’s lap, doing my best to ignore Corona’s blatant stare as he watches my every movement from only a few feet away.
“Because donors scarcely volunteer for the program in this region, the Vaduvas only bring in applicants once or twice a month,” he murmurs into my ear.
“Congratulations, Mr. Thompson. You’ve Blood Matched eighty-four percent to Mr. Vegas of Grand Valley.”
I glance at the screen on the wall that displays all of the donor’s stats along with a picture of a beautifully handsome vampire that suddenly appears at the counter. Mr. Vegas signs the paperwork and disappears with his new blood source without so much as a word. It happens so fast that I wonder if the donor even gets a chance to say goodbye to his family.
“Ms. Royale, your results are in,” Mr. Erikson says, waving his hand to me.
Hesitating,
I remain on Everett’s lap, my nerves getting the best of me. Bronx stands and offers his hand out. Dread flows over me in an icy stream. I can’t do this. I can’t find out my fate, not with the possibility that I’ll end up in Corona’s grasp.
The second I’m on my feet, I flick my attention around the lobby, looking for the nearest exit. If I run, my guys will follow. I won’t give them a choice but to run away with me. They’ll understand why.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly shuffle my feet in the direction of the counter. As long as I make it past the Vaduvas, I can reach the door. I doubt they’d chase me. I keep my eyes locked on the floor, counting each tile until I reach ten and inch just past the Vaduvas’ circle of chairs.
I bolt for it. Pushing as fast as I can on my feet, I race toward the exit. Bronx groans from behind me, but he doesn’t call my name.
A security guard materializes in front of the door and blocks my way. I pull my arm back to swing into a punch strong enough to knock the guy back, but a cool hand locks on my fist. Bronx tugs me away and wraps his muscular arms around my shoulders, turning me toward the reception desk.
“You always have to be a pain in my balls, don’t you, dandelion?” he says loud enough that the whole room can hear.
Jameson chuckles. “She wouldn’t be Gwen if she wasn’t.”
“Everyone’s going to think you don’t want to match with us with the way you attempted to escape.” Bronx stops pushing me when we reach the counter.
I glare at him. “I wasn’t trying to escape. I need to use the bathroom. I thought it was there.”
“You must have to really go with the way you ran,” Everett muses, joining me and Bronx.
Scrunching my nose at him, I say, “I do.”
“Then let’s hurry and get this over with,” Jameson says.
He and Mikkalo get behind us, creating a semi-circle around me. The former Andersons have the nerve to get close, standing a couple of feet away to also get a clear view of the giant screen on the wall behind the receptionist.
“Are you excited, Ms. Royale?” Mr. Erikson asks, smiling at me. He clicks a few of his digital keys. “I just love a good Blood Matching, knowing that two perfect pairs come together.”
I thunk my elbows on the counter and lean in. “No, I’m not. I don’t believe this dumb test can pair me with my supposed perfect match. I’ve already found them through fate, time, and a lot of special attention.”
My guys all smile at me, and then Bronx wags his finger at the guy and says, “Please proceed so we can get on with our night.”
Mr. Erikson smiles and nods, tapping a few more keys. He leans in a bit toward his screen, his soft features suddenly hardening. He swallows audibly as he looks over what I assume are my results.
“Well?” I ask. “Are you going to show me?”
The man’s heartbeat picks up speed, making me nervous as hell. “Just a moment, Ms. Royale. Something went wrong, and I’m trying to figure out if this is an error on my part.”
Viorica materializes behind the man, startling him. She holds his chair in place so that he doesn’t roll back into her. He points out a few things on the computer, his face twisting even more into a frown. Viorica flicks her gaze to me, her eyebrows lowering. She runs a hand through her gorgeous red hair and shakes her head.
“What is it, Viorica?” Bronx asks. “Did she equally match with more than one of us?”
“Huh? Something like that is possible?” My voice rises in anticipation. I never even thought of the possibility, but I’d be ecstatic if that happened...unless it was with Corona.
“Possible but not probable. It has only happened once.” The soft voice comes from behind me, and I twist to look at Sammy.
“And also why Zaire had eliminated the option of allowing more than one coven member to apply at a time,” Bronx says.
I bob my head. I knew that. It was one of the reasons my guys were pissed off at him, because he chose to apply to Blood Match with me, which disallowed the rest of them from doing so.
“So, what are the results?” Everett asks, inching his way toward the end of the counter. He looks ready to risk going around to peer at the computer himself.
Jameson does, standing next to Viorica to read over the screen. His whole face scrunches, a dozen indecipherable emotions crossing his expression. He pales, his knuckles turning white as he grips the back of Mr. Erikson’s chair. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was about to be sick.
“Fuck, it’s one of them, isn’t it?” I ask, my heart crashing about my chest, ready to expel itself to save me from discovering that my future with my guys is over. My stubbornness to retake the questionnaire might have ruined everything.
“Just fucking tell us already,” Bronx says, his hand tightening around my waist. He’s preparing to run with me. I can feel it in my bones. He won’t accept the results if my contract doesn’t transfer to him or his brothers.
With a shaking hand, the receptionist taps his keyboard, lighting up the wall in front of us. The same ugly-ass picture from my original matching pops into view. I cringe, my insides churning, my whole body wanting nothing more than to give out on me.
A bunch of stats appears on the screen, and I clutch onto Mikkalo’s hand, knowing that my match will pop on screen next.
But it doesn’t.
In big, bright, flashing letters, the screen announces that I’ve been disqualified.
I don’t have a Blood Match.
Chapter 20
Disqualified
EVERY VAMPIRE IN THE ROOM gathers around the counter to stare at the glaring disqualification sign plastered across my picture. I don’t know whether I should be thrilled or freaked the hell out that this happened. What does getting disqualified even mean? Since I’m a convicted criminal, will my guys have no choice but to send me to auction like they had intended to do with my brothers? Could they just buy me then?
I hate the thought of being treated like property.
“So, will someone tell me why I’ve been disqualified and what that means?” I finally ask, breaking the tense, eerie silence overtaking the room.
Viorica glances toward Everett. “To be able to Blood Match, you must be in optimal health.”
I blink a few times, fear gripping my chest. I hadn’t considered the possibility that maybe my dhampir mutation showed in my blood work. This is bad. Really fucking bad. The board will want to run tests. They’ll want to cage me.
“Gwen is in optimal health,” Everett says. He pushes through the Vaduva sisters and strolls around the counter to get a better look at the computer. “I give her regular health checks, monitor her blood donations, dietary habits, fitness. She’s healthier than most humans who enter the Blood Match Program.”
“Well, it’s obvious you’ve missed something, Mr. Royale. What, exactly? You tell me. I’m not a practitioner. I don’t know what this means.” Viorica points at the computer screen, her mouth tightening.
“She did faint,” Sammy says, speaking up from beside her sisters. “Maybe she’s caught a virus.”
“As long as it’s not something serious, she can go through the process again,” Heidi adds. “We’ve allowed it before. It’ll take, what, like two to three weeks?” She looks at Everett, and I wonder if she’s the health keeper among the Vaduva Coven.
Everett rubs his jaw and swallows. He glances from the screen to me and back to the screen. I can’t tell if it’s something bad or something fucking awful, but whatever it is, Everett doesn’t want to tell anyone.
He clears his throat. “Because the status of Gwen’s health is sensitive, as her health keeper, I’m requesting privacy to inform her.”
Corona releases a growl. “Blood Matches don’t get privacy. Just tell us how long until we can do this again?”
Everett snarls at him, lunging to jump over the counter. Viorica grabs Everett’s shirt and drags him back, spinning him toward the wall. The two of them flash their fangs at each other until Everett composes himself.
He tightens his jaw and says, “Please, Viorica. This isn’t something to be taken lightly. Allow me to inform Gwen in private or only in front of people she’s comfortable with.”
Viorica relaxes her shoulders and nods. “I’ll allow it, but I insist that I must be present.”
Everett darts his eyes from Viorica to look at me before each of his brothers. “I suppose that will be okay.”
Viorica turns towards me. “Ms. Royale, please follow me to my office. You may allow anyone you like to join us.” Turning to the crowd, she adds, “As for the rest of you, please excuse yourselves. You will be contacted when and if Gwen’s contract gets transferred. You will not be needed since we have your applications.
Corona slaps his hand on the counter. “I demand to be present. This involves my coven.”
His coven? Yeah-fucking-right.
Viorica shoves Corona into the wall so fast that it takes me a second to realize she’s moved from her spot by the receptionist. Lifting him off his feet, she scowls at him, looking ready to treat him like a donor and bite his neck.
“Must I remind you that Bronx is your coven leader? And as for Ms. Royale’s results? It will only be your business if you match with her. Until then, leave. You will respect your superior’s request. Do you understand?”
“Thank God,” I whisper to myself. I never thought I’d actually like another vampire outside of my guys, but I have to respect Viorica.
Corona disappears, and his former coven mates follow. The Vaduva sisters leave next, and I find myself strolling behind Viorica toward the elevator as Bronx tugs me along. My brain can’t stop thinking about the results, and I kind of wish Everett had just shared them. The anticipation turns my stomach upside down.
“Are you allowing everyone present into the room?” Viorica asks, meeting my gaze.
I look at my guys. “Yes, they’re the only ones I’m comfortable with.”
Viorica allows us into her office, decorated like some antique back-world library I’ve seen in a few movies. Floral printed chairs rest in a cluster around a circular table with a painted vase full of blooming lilies in the center. A golden chandelier hangs in the center of the room, casting soft light over the plush rugs. Dozens of bookshelves display old books that look more decorative than anything. A huge, dark wooden desk with a modern chair takes up one of the far walls along with a floral sofa.
