Angelo was a younger vampire and biracial, African American on her father’s side, but in most ways she was a kindred spirit and very like Byron in her tastes and her love of fashion, although Angelo was more relaxed in her dress sense. Not today, though—today, she wore a dinner suit and looked extremely sharp as she danced Sera around the room.

“Sera, keep out of trouble,” Byron said as the couple danced beside them.

“As always—anyway, I have my lovely cousin to look after me,” Sera said.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Angelo?” Amelia asked.

“I sure am, Principessa. It’s so much fun being with all the family again,” Angelo said.

Byron smiled. “It’ll be your turn next.”

Angelo gave an exaggerated shiver. “God, I hope not. There are too many beautiful women out there to narrow it down to one.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Sera agreed.

Byron looked back to Amelia and deep into her eyes, “You might think that, but one day love will strike and never let go.”

Chapter Two

Victorija Dred let the human she was feeding on drop to the floor. It had been a waste of time. The blood she had gotten hadn’t even touched the hunger she had. Nothing had touched it since leaving Britain.

In the months that passed since she killed her grandmother, her conscience and her hunger hadn’t given her any peace. She’d retreated to her bedroom for the last few months. Victorija wanted solitude to torture herself with the memories of what she’d done.

Victorija never expected to feel this way about the Grand Duchess. She had always relished the idea of ending the Debrek matriarch, but when the time came, Lucia touched her and gave Victorija back memories she had repressed. Memories of being a child, being with her grandmother and her cousins, before her father had been banished from the Debrek clan for breaking their most sacred rule. Consent.

The memories of the little girl that she had been, happy and carefree, running around the Debrek estate, playing with her grandmother, chipped away at the ice inside her.

“Principe?” It was the voice of her Duca, Drasas, who stood in her doorway.

Victorija turned without making eye contact and walked over some bodies to get to her castle window. “What is it, Drasas?”

“I wondered if you could find the time to come and cast an eye over the new recruits I’ve been training.”

“I’m sure you can handle it, Drasas,” Victoria said without turning back from the window.

“Well, I can, but I just wanted you to see them. Our vampires are bringing home newly turned humans every day. We’ll soon have the numbers to take on the Debreks and pay them back for what they have done to us and to take over their immense clan. You would be unstoppable with the Debrek clan under your boot.”

“I’ll leave it in your capable hands, Duca. I wish to rest for the moment,” Victorija said.

“You haven’t been downstairs for weeks, Victorija. Your vampires need your leadership.”