Bone and Blood Volume I

There's no place in vampire hierarchy for failed prince Torani. Raised to start the next nest, now his only purpose is to predict the final rank of rising grubs. As he struggles to find his role in a society bound by instinct, electro-chemical manipulation, and fear of failing the queen, he steps further out of line. Courting one of the knights? Unacceptable. Claiming a rising royal as his own? Treasonous. But as the decaying nest caves in on itself, he'll do anything to keep his chosen family safe. Even it means allying himself with the princess that rejected him.

A two-volume story. Set at the end of the roaring 20s in Colorado Springs. Built on my take on Vampires, inspired by social insects, and Necromancers, inspired by.... how to make being a necromancer as unfun as possible. Volume I focuses almost entirely on the vampires. Volume II refocuses on what the necromancers do with the vampires once they meet.

Volume 1 is ~91K words and 42 chapters.

Maturity Rating primarily for occasional strong language. There's some gore here and there, but it's largely treated as matter-of-fact, not over-the-top. Vampires eat people and necromancers engage in dismemberment. What can you do?