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Prologue
Axis Headquarters—Aetas
Stories were plentiful for our kind. The origins of how we came to be had been speculated on for as long as I could remember. It was once said that we were demons, reborn into this realm to corrupt the souls of weak mortals. To seduce the good and the noble. We’d change their path and take over not only the dark realms of existence, but spread our evil to walk amongst the living.
The debate was never-ending and not worth the time to think about. There was no evidence, nor would there ever be of our birth. Love, hate---kindness and cruelty. We, vampires, had it all. Our actions were our own and the way I chose to rule would never be altered by fear of a higher power. God, the devil, neither existed that I was aware of. To me, I was both, and I challenged a power so great to stand against me. I controlled the fate of not only our kind, but of the world. I let them live or die—no one else. Me. It was all because of me. I was the ultimate ruler, the perfect balance. I was not pure of heart, nor was I opposed to the torturing of souls.
“It is no secret why I gather you here tonight. One of our own is missing. A vampire of blood so powerful that his newborn status makes it imperative that he is returned to me as soon as possible. The threat he poses could change this world forever.”
I stepped from my throne in the cathedral, scanning over the hundreds of eyes who stared up at me. Amongst the front, were what remained of my members. Behind them in rows on each side of the aisle, the rulers of our kind.
My hand rose, and with it, the door to the holding chamber opened. Footsteps of the enforcers pounded against the silent room in a steady cadence. Whimpering and cries immediately echoed along the walls as they pulled Margo and Gina into the opened space. They tugged at the heavy shackles that kept their hands restrained behind their backs. In sliding motions, their feet fought to gain footing against the marble floors.
Whispering began to buzz throughout the room as they were carried down the aisle.
“Please. Pl-ease.” Margo’s eyes searched the crowd as both of the men on her side drug her closer. “He’s going to kill us all. You know I speak the truth. Please!” Her voice got louder as she neared. When her head jerked to a stop, her eyes flared. “Princess Tessalyn! Please, I beg of you!”
A large hand settled on the Black Princess’s shoulder while she tightened her jaw repeatedly. She was here to bear witness to the sentencing of my former allies, as they all were. It still didn’t stop Marko, her mate, from feeling Tessalyn’s internal need to do something at the call for help.
“Our leader’s intentions are not honorable,” Margo said, louder. “Dehlia saw it before her death! She saw Aetas leading us into a war we cannot win! Do not bring the vampire they call Hunter back to Headquarters. Do not give Aetas the tool that will destroy us! Kill the newborn! Kill Hunter!”
I collected the energy around Margo with my mind, jerking her out of the enforcers’ arms to slide the ten feet that remained between us. Before she could gasp through the shock of what I’d done, I spun her around to face the room.
“Betray me if you must,” I warned everyone, loudly. “But know that if you do, your fate will rest in my hands. I assure you that’s not a place you want to be.” I tore her head free of her body in one hard tug, lifting it for all to see. The flat band representing her status still rested on her forehead and blood dripped to the floor as I held tightly to her hair. My eyes stopped first on Marko Delacroix, and then the Black Princess, Tessalyn Delacroix. Tessalyn stood along the aisle on second row and Marko held rank beside her.
“Status, bloodline, none of that will save you if you cross my path. The new Black Prince, Hunter Moretti, will be returned to me. Anyone who tries to stop that by attempting to harm him will feel my wrath.”
I tossed Margo’s head off to the side and Gina’s cries were growing as she thrashed her shoulders back and forth in an attempt to break free. She was thrust in my direction at my nod and I spun her, wrapping one of my arms around her waist to make her face the crowd. I moved my lips in next to her ear while I went back to Princess Tesslyn’s narrowed eyes. I couldn’t deny my want of her. It ran just as deep as my desire to destroy her because of her love for Marko. They had something I never allowed myself and I couldn’t stand that she was being wasted on him. The taste I’d experienced of their passion while Tessa was staying here still stuck with me. It haunted me. For the first time since I had put my plan in motion, I began to question the path I had picked.
As I kept the connection, anger sunk its hooks deeper. I wanted to push into her mind. To be able to whisper to Gina and have Tessalyn hear me as if I were speaking directly to her. It was impossible with her wearing my old crown. The protection I cloaked myself in against this very thing had carried over and now even I couldn’t break through. Tessalyn would be protected against any gift thrown her way and I doubted she even knew it.
“Do you admit that when you closed my creation out into the sunlight that you were aware of who he was?”
Gina’s shoulders sunk in and I awaited her pleas of forgiveness.
“Yes, Aetas.”
“You knew I made him and that he was Hunter Moretti?”
She swallowed hard, her breathing picking up pace. “I did,” she said, shakily.
“Are you also aware that he held the former Black Prince’s blood within his veins?”
Gina grew still, only for a sob to cause her body to shake. She knew what I was implying.
“I did, Master.”
“So you admit to betraying your own kind and trying to murder royalty?”
“He’s an abomination,” Gina exclaimed, loudly. “He’s going to end up killing us all, just like you are with your choice. There’s only one who is meant to lead! Princess!” The call for Tessalyn was the only plea that came from Gina. It drove my hands up to snap Gina’s neck. I twisted, giving one last forceful jerk to put an end to her life. The warmth coating my hands had me snarling.
I dropped Gina’s decapitated body and my glare met Tessalyn’s head-on. She was angry, ready to fight just as much as I was. But the timing wasn’t right, and my fight wasn’t with her. War. It was coming. Not only to the humans, but first, with ourselves.
Chapter 1
Marko
“Let’s get the fuck out of here before I do something I shouldn’t.”
My claws were descending the more I watched Aetas focus on Tessa. His hate toward her was obvious and it only seemed to be growing. It left me on guard—in a protective mode so strong that it was almost impossible for me not to act on.
“Yes,” Tessa breathed out. “I want to leave. I wish we wouldn’t have had to come in the first place.”
Her fingers wrapped along my lower bicep and she stepped into the aisle, giving me room to move around her. People were already departing. They appeared just as impatient as we were to escape the presence of our leader. But they didn’t have reason to fear him in the moment. Tessa and I on the hand, did.
I moved around her, leading us toward the exit at a brisk walk. Stares were being cast our way. They pushed against me heavily from all sides and I ignored the need to see who was looking.
“Princess Tessalyn Delacroix!”
Aetas’ booming voice had my jaw and fists clenching. I came to a stop, regardless that I didn’t want to. Slowly, we turned around. Tessa’s grip on my arm was so tight that it had my pulse slamming into my chest. Rarely did she get anxious anymore. Feeling the nervousness from her now pulled out the mate in me, causing him to crash into me wildly while he begged to be set free.
“Marie warned me about this. He’ll want to seek council.”
My eyes cut over to her, regardless that we were communicating mentally. “You didn’t tell me that. He’s been denying you for weeks.”
Aetas stood at the beginning of the aisle, closer than his previous place by the throne. He still appeared angry, yet there was an underlining of anxiousness. Almost as if he couldn’t keep in one place. He didn’t want her to leave. That was clear.
“Why now?”
“I’m not sure ex
actly.” Tessa tugged on my arm and I began to lead her back to him. The closer we got, the deeper Aetas’ breathing became. Warmth swirled in core, my powers surging as we neared.
I brought us to a stop a few feet away and we both bowed our heads as custom.
“I want my crown back.” The bitterness that fell from his lips accompanied with the volume had the vampires closest to us pausing to look over. Tessa’s head slowly rose and her arm dropped from me as she stood taller.
