Page 30 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

Evan snorted and they burst into giggles. Cinder wound herself around their legs, mewing for breakfast.

Dani checked her pockets. “Did they bring my phone?”

“It’s by the door.”

She went to retrieve it. Probably it would take hours or maybe even days for the money to be deposited into her account, but once it did, they could buy good, nourishing food.

“Are you all right?” Evan picked up the cat, expression growing serious. She flicked a glance in Ava’s direction and lowered her voice. “Did he hurt you? Try to touch you?”

“He didn’t touch me, not like that.” She thought back to how terrified she’d been at the auction house as the vampires closed in around her. And then remembered the snow falling down outside as Alex took her wrist, his words of quiet reassurance somehow convincing her he wouldn’t harm her.

I swear to you, I shall touch you nowhere but your wrist, and only then if you give your consent.

“When he brought you back, you were out cold.” Evan shook her head. “Any of them could have—”

She glanced at Ava, biting back whatever she’d been about to say.

Ava sighed. “You treat me like I’m a little kid. You both forget how quickly you had to grow up when you were my age.”

Dani opened her mouth, saved from having to answer by a soft rap at the door.

“That’s probably Sera.” Evan frowned through the peephole, then cautiously cracked the door.

“This is the Girard place?” A delivery man dropped a box atop a stack of several more. “Sign here, please, and I’ll bring the rest up from the truck.”

“Sign for what?” Evan turned to Dani. “Did you order something?”

“There wasn’t time. The money hasn’t come through yet. I just checked the bank.” Dani hurried over. “What is this?”

“It’s been paid for, by order of the crown. Which one of you is Daniela Girard?”

“I am.” Fingers trembling, she signed the delivery receipt and together, they dragged the boxes into the front room.

“It’s food,” Ava squealed in delight. “Oh, look. This one is orange juice. Can I have some?”

“Only a tiny glass. That will send your blood sugar through the roof.” Evan snatched it, then began pulling more parcels from the boxes and refrigerated bags. “There’s chicken. Sacks of rice. Dani, what’s in yours?”

“This one looks like heating oil and canned vegetables.” She dug into a second box, heart thrumming wildly in her chest at the thought of Alexander sending such a costly gift. “Potatoes and powdered milk in this one.”

“Any insulin?”

They checked all the boxes, including the last three the delivery courier brought up. But while the last crate contained soap, cat food (Cinder had definitely been wooed at this point) and other household necessities, there was no insulin.

“Maybe he couldn’t find it?” Dani was unable to keep the disappointment from her voice. “There have been shortages for months now.”

“He’s the crown prince,” Evan said pointedly. “If he can’t pull strings to get a single vial of insulin, how is anyone supposed to find it?”

“Yes, he—” She hesitated, realizing her slip. “Zander said as much the other day. That he suspected Cavalieri would try to force the palace into agreeing to a political alliance by withholding production of critical medicines.”

Evan studied her with narrowed eyes.

Dani looked away. She knew she should tell her sister that Zander was Alex, but given the way she’d reacted to Zander sending a simple text to ask if she was okay, confessing at this point was only asking for an epic-level Evan rant. The last time her sister had gone off on one of her tirades, they hadn’t found the cat for two days, and at the moment, the headache pounding behind her eyes was making her want to shrivel into a dark corner and hide.

Prince Alexander was choosing a bride in less than a month, a bride who wouldn’t be her. She doubted he would be returning to the legal aid center after the wedding at all. Surely the alliance with the Cavalieris would require all of his time? Her case would be reassigned to someone else. There was no reason Evan needed to know when it would only cause a fight.

Dani felt a brief, quiet pang in her chest, but quickly dismissed it.

She’d known from the start that Alex could never be hers, not as Zander, and certainly not as the prince. She’d done what she’d set out to do by going to the auction house. There would be money in their accounts, and now they had enough nourishing food to last for months if they were careful. She and Evan had always managed to find insulin before. They would find another vial before the month was up.