Page 73 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

“I’d like to examine hers as well, if possible.”

“Is that really necessary?” Alex said. “You’ve examined mine.”

“I can only imagine how fierce the need to guard her must feel right now, Alexander,” Finneas said softly. “Especially here when you’re outside your own territory. But you know I cannot lie. Daniela will come to no harm at my hand.”

“It’ll be okay.” Stepping around Alexander, Dani pushed up the sleeve of her hoodie and extended her wrist.

Finneas traced the mating mark, nodding thoughtfully. Beside her, Alex stiffened. The fae king dropped her wrist.

“So, can you do it?” Sera asked. “Break the binding?”

Ignoring her, Finneas addressed Dani. “Marks like this are very rare. Most people never find the one they are fated to.” His pale eyes, somewhere between blue and gray, held hers. “Are you sure you want it erased?”

No, she wanted to scream. I don’t want any of this.

But how could she keep this connection to Alexander, knowing that if it were to be discovered, she would be taken away in the night just like Micah had been, exiled to shifter territory? And not just her. Any decision to keep Alex meant choosing a death sentence for Evan and Ava.

“I’m sure,” she whispered, the lie like gravel in her throat.

“Very well, then.” He nodded to Killian, who disappeared down a hallway. “If you choose to proceed with this path, there is an herbal draught I can give you. It will need to be taken once a day, and then in one week’s time, you can return and I’ll be able to dissolve the bond.”

“Thank you.” Alex gripped her fingers so hard they hurt.

“I’ll need a precise list of the herbs they’ll be dosed with so I can monitor for any interactions,” Sera said.

“Of course.”

“And if I find that you’ve manipulated them in any way—”

“Oh, Serafina, how I’ve missed our little chats.” Finneas laughed softly. “How many women could so delicately manage to insinuate that I’m trying to turn the future vampire king into my plaything while groveling on her knees, begging me for a favor?”

Sera’s eyes flashed silver. Slowly, she approached the fae king until they stood inches apart. “I hope that pathetic little fantasy is very, very vivid in your twisted head as you jerk off to images of me at night. Because that is all it will ever be.”

“You think about me jerking off?” Finneas tilted his head. “That’s an interesting development.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Sera’s ponytail trembled. Dani couldn’t help but notice she was breathing faster than usual, and… were her fangs elongated?

Someone needed to break this up before they had an inter-kingdom incident.

Dani cleared her throat. “Will the draught cause any side effects?”

Finneas turned away from Sera, seeming to refocus. “You may feel heightened emotions. For the bond to be broken, it will have to be torn open first. That can feel uncomfortable. And it will get progressively worse every day you take it. Some people find they are unable to continue once they start.”

Alex squeezed her hand. “There… isn’t another path forward, not one where Dani and her sisters won’t be put in harm’s way. We’ll manage. Thank you.”

He nodded. “Very well.”

“The resistance needs your support,” Sera said quietly. “The oligarchs are threatening to cut off all medical supplies to our human population.”

“That is for your sector to work out—”

“And by work out, you mean the fae are fine staying neutral when most of the food you grow goes to supply the wolf shifters, and you ration what you give our sector, knowing the oligarchs take most of it for themselves anyway.”

“It was determined that when we provided more food, which we did for a time, it was not making it to the populations that most needed it, but in fact was being taken by the corrupt individuals who control your sector and used to further exploit your workers, widening the gap between your ruling class and those who flee your sectors for our border on a daily basis.”

“You left us to starve. And you don’t seem to care that more people die every day.” Sera glared up at him. “How can you be so cruel?”

“You’re very young, Serafina,” Finneas said quietly. “We don’t consider it our place to insert ourselves into conflicts that don’t concern us, nor to monitor a society’s internal politics. The fae are a very old race. We’ve seen many human civilizations rise and fall. Vampiric society is experiencing similar growing pains at the moment as you seek to define what sort of values you want to uphold. In this matter, you will have to make your own way.”