Making my way to the kitchen, my fury has become as dire and prominent as my thirst. An agitated vampire is a bad thing. A thirsty vampire is a you-better-hold-on-to-your-heart kind of thing.

A livid vampire?

Even vampires better hold onto their hearts and heads because those things are very likely to get torn from their bodies.

Ripping into the first blood bag I find in the fridge with my fangs, crimson spills out all over me as I suck the contents down in three seconds flat. I toss the empty bag, uncaring that blood is splattered around me. I tear into another one, glistening thick burgundy sloshing out from the jagged puncture my sharpened teeth cut into the blood bag. I am in no mood to suckle at this thing like it is a bottle. I need to be bathed in red before the red behind my eyes leads to me doing something stupid.

I down two more blood bags and grab three more for the fridge to take with me. I'm so damn thirsty, and I can't tell if that's because I'm angry or because I know Kinley will be in my room waiting for me.

A trail of empty blood bags gets left in my wake as I drink them all before I make it to my chambers. The sustenance I've ingested is doing little to stop the icy-frost of ire from taking over me.

The heavy doors to my bedroom quarters smack against the walls when I push them open with too much force. I need to hunt, but I can't leave Kinley. It is a good thing I can place an order with Harvest 57 because I'm in need of something much warmer than two-day-old cold blood packs.

Kinley comes scrambling out of my closet when she hears my loud entrance. I leave her for a couple of minutes and she's already snooping through my things. The way her chest sounds like its got a hummingbird trapped inside it lets me know she thinks she's in trouble or that she was up to no good.

It's only when her hands come up over her gaped mouth that I look down. My clothes are soaked in blood. I take a step in Kinley's direction and, apparently, it is one too many.

Kinley darts from the opening of my closet to the bathroom, slamming the door shut before the click of the lock sounds. I can hear her feet against the tile as she paces, muttering oh god, oh god, oh god.

I can see how my appearance might be upsetting to a human. However, Kinley ran to the one place I need to be able to go in order to wash up...again. I think that makes three times in one day. That may be a record.

The door handle to the bathroom breaks with a single twist of my wrist. Kinley whirls around to face me right as I open the door. Her sea-green eyes scan every red-covered inch of me for a second time.

"Don't come any closer!" She lunges for the sink, grabbing hold of the only thing she sees. She retreats with my toothbrush in hand, positioning it as if it were one of her pencils.

Her gaze bounces all over the place, trying to locate anything she can use against me because the bristle tipped hard plastic isn't instilling a lot of confidence in her.

"Are you going to try to wash my back with that?" I grin, the level of anger in me melting at the sight of her treating my toothbrush as a stake.

"I said don't come any closer." Kinley moves backward as I push forward. She keeps moving back till she hits the opposite wall.

Her eyes shut and she turns her face when I breach the perimeter she views as a safe distance causing her hair to pool over her shoulder. She's pressing herself so tightly to the wall if she doesn't watch it, she may become a permanent fixture.

She cautiously peeks through her hair and long lashes when she hears the sound of running water.

"Come, human. I can't remember a time when I had someone to wash my back." My statement, coupled with the unfastening of my jeans, pushes Kinley's mind to its breaking point. Her body goes ramrod straight and the color once again drains from her complexion.

Is the thought of seeing an unclothed vampire really so terrible?

She doesn't get a chance to voice the protest that is so plainly written all over her features as her empty stomach lets loose a loud and upset grumble.

Kinley grabs hold of her stomach like she thinks I may rip it out from her because it dared to make a sound in my presence.

Hearing the growl of hunger reminds me of what she looked like the day I met her and how much thinner she is now. This stress I've been putting her under is too much for her mortal body to handle.

Why do humans have to be so darn fragile?

"Go lay down, human. Once I get cleaned up, I will see to it your empty belly gets filled."

Kinley doesn't need me to offer her a way out twice. She keeps her head down and walks straight out of the bathroom.

I take a long, decompressing shower after placing an order with Harvest 57 with special instructions for them to pick up food for Kinley as well. By the time I am out and dressed, there is a popup message on my phone from Harvest saying my order is ten minutes out.

When I enter into my room, I find Kinley lying on the chaise lounge as if it were an open casket. I can't help but laugh, which causes her to bolt up and her heart to practically leap from her chest.

Kinley's attention moves from me to the soft knock at my door. Her eyes grow wide and I bet her throat goes dry as well.

"Come in," I say, aware Kalista is the one at the door. She bathes in rose water daily to keep her skin looking as vibrant and new as the day she was born.

Royals.

Kalista cautiously enters, her gaze immediately falling onto Kinley who has placed herself on the other side of the chaise lounge.

I don't think a chair is going to protect you, Kinley. I, however, will if I must.

I can't chance the princess having an allergic reaction or whatever the hell it is I experienced at that gas station. Knowing my luck, the side effects of Kinley's potent blood may be powerful enough to kill a fledgling.

As much as not dealing with this brat princess appeals to me, I cannot let Arianna's trade be for nothing. She gave her life for her only offspring. I will make sure her sacrifice is not wasted. At least, I'll try my best not to behead the princess when that's all I've thought about doing since her arrival here. I find her high-pitched whiny voice most irritating.

Before I can ask what she came here for, Kalista throws herself at my feet.

"I am begging you to accept me. I'll do whatever it takes, Tristan. I can't be paired off to a Norvak, for the sake of my heart and the future of our kind."

"Get up." My lips curl in disgust as I yank the princess to her feet. "You are a Vondarrie, you do not bow to anyone and you most certainly do not throw yourself at someone's feet."

I know my tone is much too harsh but, if I am to be paired to Kalista in the end, she will conduct herself in a manner that is befitting her station. I much prefer the overindulged princess act to a groveling one. Humans grovel, not vampires.

"Does that mean you—"

"No, it means I will consider everything. In six months, I'll make my decision."

"H57 just pulled up," Dorian yells at us to let us know our dinner has arrived.

"Stay here, human," I order, wheeling Kalista out the door with me.

Dorian steps to the side when he sees me, the Harvest 57 driver wearing the usual all-black attire with an H57 ball cap sitting low over his eyes.

"Were you able to get everything?" I ask. Dorian already has our food in hand.

"Yes, one order of chicken club tacos with an iced tea and a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. It's not every day we get asked to bring such an eclectic variety." He grins, referring to the 25 liters of blood I also ordered along with something very special.

"How fresh?" I grab Kinley's food from him and the box he is extending to me.

"Still beating fresh as always."

I tip the driver with three gold pieces. "Thank you for bringing everything I asked for."

"It is our pleasure, Mr. Darkos." The driver tips his hat and heads back to the blacked out limo that awaits him where there will be a human with a heart that is missing.

I set Kinley's food down and open the box that contains the thing I most need to sink my teeth into. The heart in the box is ticking in time like it still has a warm home in a human's chest. Harvest 57 always delivers. I smirk before biting into my delectable treat.

There is nothing that beats the sensation of sinking my fangs into the warm, still beating organ that is in my hands. After I drain every precious bit of liquid it houses, I drop the heart in Sabrina's hand.

"Prepare that for the princess along with her dinner tonight. She needs to get used to the taste of heart as she will have to consume one during her Awakening."

I grab Kinley's food and two flasks filled with fresh, warm blood from the case Dorian is holding. "Tomorrow our house meirru will arrive so feel free to drink your fill tonight, for soon there will be a constant warm blood supply readily available."

I'm buzzing from my feast, my mood much improved as the finest nourishment a vampire can have is running through my veins.

Kinley's head pokes up from her hiding place behind the chaise lounge when I enter. She looks behind me, and I could almost swear there is some relief that washes over her when she sees I am alone.

"Your food has arrived." I hold the bag out, having every intention of making her come to me to retrieve it.

Kinley treads carefully over to me, afraid I may be trying to trick her. She doesn't take the bag I'm extending to her. Instead, she opens it and peeks inside. Her dull eyes light up with hunger though she'd never admit it. She takes the bag from me, mutters a thank you and scrambles away to the spot she is claiming as her space in my room.

I sit down in the chair opposite her, setting one flask of blood on the chair table beside me. Kinley looks at the titanium flask, lettuce spilling from her taco as she bites into it. She chews slowly watching me as I watch her. I unscrew the lid to my dinner and take a long sip. Kinley swallows hard, waiting to see if a velvet red trickle is going to dribble down my face.

When that doesn't happen, she takes another bite of her taco and continues to eye me skeptically. It's an interesting experience dining with a human this way. Here I am having dinner with one when I just devoured the heart of another.

By the time Kinley finishes her two tacos and is reaching in the bag for the third, I have moved on to the second flask. She places the taco she pulls out of the bag beside her and looks into the bag. Her brow scrunches, her gaze flicking to me as she retrieves the clear container containing a slice of chocolate cake.

"I thought it'd help fatten you up." I grin, knowing how she will take my statement.

She forces the lump I caused to form down with a hard swallow.

"Relax, human. I don't mean so that I can eat you."

"But you will...one day, I mean, after you figure out what is wrong with me." She fiddles with the container in her lap.

I set my flask down and walk over to her, grabbing the container of cake from her.

"I won't ever again feed on you, nor will I let the others." I open the container, grab the fork that is still in the bag, and cut into the seven-layer chocolate fudge cake.

Kinley looks at the forkful of cake I place near her lips. Her gaze lifts from the cake to me—uncertainty, fear, and distrust in her eyes. She opens her mouth barely enough to fit the sizable bite I pre-cut for her and leans forward.

Her teeth scrape the plastic fork as she pulls back, cupping her face as a trace amount of frosting smears onto the left corner of her mouth. I cut a smaller piece this next time.

This continues, my cutting the cake and her eating the bite I hold out for her until Kinley holds up her hand. She's had her fill of the rich chocolaty treat and can stomach no more.

I close the container of what remains of the half eaten slice of cake and hand Kinley the raspberry tea I ordered for her to wash it down. I restrain the smirk that wants to form on my face as she unknowingly sips down valerian and dream shade laced tea. There is no way I am going to get this human to sleep without the help of a herbal cocktail.

The enhanced brew works fast as Kinley's eyes get weighted as she continues to sip on her tea as she watches me move about, opening the drawers to the dresser in my room. I select a cotton shirt that will have to do as suitable sleep attire until her things arrive tomorrow.

"You can wear this."

Kinley sways, knocking over the drink she placed on the floor beside her when she stands to accept the shirt I'm offering. She looks down at the split tea. "You put something in it, didn't you?"

"I didn't. H57 did because I asked them to."

"I should have known better." Kinley's legs fail her. She falls back down onto the chaise. Her woozy movements a sign she's a minute or two away from being knocked unconscious.

"What's happening to me?" Her words slur as I take off her shirt. She's too far under the intoxication of the drug to care that I am helping her out of her clothes and into one of my shirts that will swallow her as if it were a nightgown.

"You are about to go night night. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Maya," she whispers before she becomes a limp bag of bones and flesh in my arms as I carry her to my bed.

"Yes, Maya is arriving tomorrow." I pull back the covers and lay her down.

"Don't bite her, she's all that I have..." Kinley's mumble fades out, her eyes closing as the herbs take hold.

"You should be more worried about me not biting you than your friend," I whisper to her sleeping form while I pull the covers up over her.

I forgo bleeding myself to expel Kinley's blood from my system. My thirst has been too intense this evening for me to chance the hunger that will follow. I'll have to wait out the effects that linger. The overabundance of blood has helped, but not as much as I would have liked.

"Argh!" I clench onto my head as searing heat blazes behind my eyes so hot it feels like my eyes are melting and leaking down into my skull.

Stumbling my way into the bathroom, I summon every ounce of strength I possess while gripping onto the counter and will my burning eyes open.

The blue in my irises has been taken over by a black as endless as the darkest of nights. The ebony webs out, feeding my veins as it spreads down from my eyes and neck and into my arms and chest. It's normal for the whites of my eyes to turn, but I've never seen a vampire who has lost the color of their irises completely.

I don't recognize the beast staring back at me, but he recognizes me as he smirks. "Apud eam in sanguine Ego resurgemus."

Reaching out, I touch the mirror, no longer certain I am not dreaming or suffering from hallucinations.

"I rise in her blood," I repeat the phrase the beast spoke.

Glass shatters, the mirror breaking from the slightest touch. With it, my world goes dark once more and I join Kinley in the realm of dreams where mine are filled with a darkness that chokes out the sun as rivers run red with blood and ash falls from the sky like ebony snow.