The feel-good chemicals from Byron’s bite made her even more ready to come. Amelia’s sex grasped the strap-on inside her, and her body started to shake. It felt like it was going to be too much—the feeling was overwhelming.

“Byron, it’s too much. I can’t—”

Byron dropped the rope and wrapped her arms around Amelia’s middle, allowing Amelia to put her hands over Byron’s. She felt safe, protected, and her orgasm started to tip over the edge.

“Oh God, oh God,” Amelia repeated in a desperate plea.

Byron thrust faster and faster until she lost control and pulled her teeth from Amelia’s neck.

“Fuck,” Byron shouted. Byron collapsed over Amelia’s back, breathing heavily. “God, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Amelia reached her hand into Byron’s hair and pulled her into a kiss and tasted her own blood. She then pulled back and smiled. “More, Principe.”

* * *

Drasas walked down the castle steps and out into the stable block at the back of the castle. She needed some air and to think. The Dreds’ human estate workers and stable boys immediately put their heads down when they realized the Duca was there, and that gave Drasas a thrill. She wanted people to fear and tremble before her, the way they did when Victorija was around.

She walked up to one of the stable doors, and the horse neighed in distress and kicked the door. She hissed at it in return.

“Useless animals.”

But the horses were safe and well maintained for Victorija. If there was only one thing in life Victorija took happiness in, it was her horses. Drasas didn’t know why she cared for the filthy beasts, but everyone knew you would meet your end by the Principe’s hands unless the horses were better taken care of than anything else on the Dred estate.

Leo, the vampire next in the chain of command, approached her. “Duca, how is the Principe?”

Drasas sighed. “I’m not sure. There’s definitely something not right. She hasn’t left her room in nearly a month.”

“The blood hunger? Is it any better?” Leo asked.

Drasas shook her head. “No, it’s worse. She’s requested only vampires feed her from now on. Something happened to her in Britain, when she killed her grandmother. It left her—” Drasas wanted to say weak, but it was too dangerous to even say those words out loud. If her words got back to her Principe… “Changed. We need to get to the bottom of this, Leo. Our numbers have never been greater, and the Debreks never more distracted—and weaker, now that the Grand Duchess is dead. We need to strike them. The Debrek clan is our—Victorija’s—birthright.”

“The Principe is a born vampire. The most powerful vampire you can be. What could affect her so badly?” Leo asked.

“I don’t know, but we must find out.”

Drasas knew she would have already struck the Debreks by now. If only she had Victorija’s powers. Victorija was her mentor and she had always revered her, but since the Grand Duchess had reduced her to tears, and Drasas had found her in a ditch running from the Debrek vampires, Drasas had lost a bit of respect for her.