Claire must deceive a vampire prince while resisting her desire for him.
Season 1 of Fated Series
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Nothing in my life has ever been easy. Including the mission my family has sent me on.
My sister and I have traveled to the vampire stronghold to...
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Mourir (verb) to die
The world around me spun like a top. A sheen of sweat coated my skin, leaving me trembling from more than just the chilly air.
I thought the spell on the lace choker would provide a quick death, but apparently, Mama hadn't granted me that kindness.
I was going to die at Chateau Corbin, on some Diana-forsaken balcony. Miles away from my family home where my spirit could be at peace and roam the family graveyard.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I gripped the railing harder. I had so many regrets. Most about my failings as a sister and a daughter, but at least Seraphina wouldn't see me like this.
A sharp sound sounded behind me, like a cane against stone.
Slowly, I turned to find Bastien Allard mere inches away. Staring at me with those cool blue eyes of his.
He was back. Why? Was it the smell of my blood? Had it drawn him to me like a vulture?
The vampire made it clear that he never wanted to see me again.
Despite that assertion, he was here. And if he was here, maybe I could save myself. Hope bloomed inside of me once again.
"What's happening to you?" the prince asked.
I might be losing my grip on reality, but I swore I heard a note of concern in his voice.
If vampires showed any concern at all.
Before I could answer, he grabbed my chin in his cold hand and tilted my head to the side, examining my neck, which caused the searing pain to spread.
"Stop! You're hurting me!" I managed to grit out, and he immediately released me.
I touched my neck, willing the pain to calm like my sisters could, but it wouldn't. I wasn't a witch. I was just a girl who was bleeding in front of a vampire. Thinking about the blood and my impending death made me dizzy all over again, and I stumbled right into his hard chest.
Faster than I thought possible, the vampire prince steadied my shoulder and extracted a dagger from the holster strapped to his chest. Long, skilled fingers slid the cold blade against the thin skin covering my throat.
The steel tip came to rest beneath the choker.
I gasped when I realized what he was going to do. He meant to cut it off, which wouldn't work. It would only make the pain worse. This wasn't just a scrap of lace, but a magickal object.
My eyes went feral.
"No!" I said as loud as I could, and I paid for it with more pain.
Everything inside of me hurt. I feared losing my balance again, but the vampire prince's grip on my shoulder kept me upright. His hand stilled, holding the blade against my throat, and his gaze returned to mine.
