Page 32 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

“It had to cost a fortune,” Evan grumbled, poking through the layers of tissue, and lifting out a black coat. Dani could see she was preparing to refuse the gift, until she saw the faux-fur hood and A-line skirt. The effect gave the tailoring a gothic edge that was so completely Evan she felt sure Serafina had offered a hand in picking it out.

“Oh, I love it!” Ava squealed in delight when she pulled her white wool coat from the box. It was just a little big, with room for her to grow into it, and had a little fur-trimmed muff to match.

A second box held new winter boots for all of them, warm blankets, soft wool mittens and matching scarves, and even a bed for the cat.

Ava twirled in a circle, holding her new coat to her chest. “Are you going to marry the prince, Dani?”

The question shocked her out of the daze she’d found herself in, staring at their living room covered in gifts.

“No, Ava,” she said, slowly shaking her head. “That’s not how it works.”

“But Prince Alexander was so nice. He sent food, and all of this other stuff. He’s nothing like how he acts on TV.”

Dani and Evan exchanged a look.

“Prince Alexander is going to marry a vampire,” Dani said gently. “Someone from the aristocracy. Probably Lara Cavalieri.”

“Loveless political matings are the norm,” added Evan. “It’s what cooled off the conflict with the fae and has helped drive the werewolves back for the past thirty years.”

“But he sent you all this stuff. Why would he do that if he didn’t want to court you?”

“And that was very generous,” Dani said carefully. “We can make this food stretch all winter if we’re careful. But Alexander is still a vampire and I’m still a human. The laws haven’t changed.”

“You called him Alexander.” Ava’s chin quivered stubbornly. “You do like him. And he could turn you.”

Dani’s heart ached for her. Of course when Alex had shown up on their doorstep, looking all dashing, when all the gifts had started to arrive, why wouldn’t her little sister have begun to hope?

“The royals don’t get to choose who they marry,” Evan said again, stowing the last bag of rice in the cupboard. “Their matings always serve some strategic political purpose.”

“The king married a commoner,” Ava insisted. “The queen was his sanguine before he turned her.”

“And that’s part of the reason he outlawed human-vampire matings. She never recovered from the change. It eventually killed her.” Dani crossed the room, hugging her sister tightly. “You’re very sweet to want the best for me. I’m fine. I promise. Now, you need to eat breakfast, check your blood sugar and get ready for school. If I don’t leave for the factory soon, I’ll be late.”

After taking the fastest shower of her life, she dressed in plain trousers and the long-sleeved uniform shirt that was required on the distribution center floor.

Before she could stop herself, she took a picture of Cinder curled in her new cat bed by the hearth.

Dani: I can’t thank you enough, both for what you did for me last night, and also for making sure I got home safely.

Dani: Cinder says she cannot decide which she prefers more, this bed, or the box it came in.

Immediately, three dots appeared.

Alex: I always wanted a cat. There are swans on the royal grounds, but they’re rather mean.

Dani: You’ve never had a pet?

Alex: I realized from a young age how dangerous attachments could be, that anything I showed affection for could be injured or taken away as punishment for my lack of compliance.

Alex: And now you see why my brother says I should never be allowed to text before I’ve had at least three cups of coffee.

Dani: Cinder can be quite a diva and rarely graces us with pictures, but I’m sure she wouldn’t object to being your virtual cat.

A second later, a cat emoji appeared.

Alex: And you’re welcome, by the way. It was my pleasure to be able to do something nice for you all.

She’d just started to tap out a response when her vision went blurry. Blinking, Dani shook her head, frowning down at the screen. It cleared slightly, but not enough to read their message exchange. She swore under her breath, hoping she wasn’t getting a migraine right at the start of her shift. Pocketing her phone, she hurried into the other room where Ava was getting her books for school.