CHAPTER EIGHTEEN | Present Time

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Present Time

SOFIA TAPPED THE SCREEN harder.

“Damn thing. It keeps locking up,” she mumbled, clicking the power button on the side of her tablet. “Okay, let’s forget that. How are things going today?”

Anna sat on the sofa opposite Sofia with her legs tucked under her. She looked like she should have been on a college campus in California or maybe Florida, with all that long curly hair and those brilliant blue eyes.

Beauty aside, you’d never know she’d suffered such trauma. At first glance.

While Anna’s skin glowed with vampire youth, and her freshly styled hair looked carefree, when you looked closer, you could see the pain in the depths of her eyes. They were, after all, the windows to the soul.

Sofia knew because she could see it in her own reflection still, some days.

While she had the most amazing mate in Lance De Luca, who was patient, loving, protective, and the most understanding male any sufferer of sexual abuse could want, the path to healing was her own.

And it would be so for Anna. If she would begin to face what had happened.

God, she could understand why the pretty blonde wouldn’t want to.

Sofia had witnessed the labs Anna had been held in. It had been one of the most gut-wrenching and terrifying moments of her life. Inside the cold, sterile room, vampires had been laid out on metal beds, conscious while being experimented on by humans. One had stared at her with pleading eyes, unable to move, speak, or help itself.

And she had been just as useless.

She had been undercover as a spy for the Moretti royal family when Stefano Russo had invited her to tour the facility. Had she attempted to free them, he would have simply overpowered her. So she had been left with only one choice: to act as if she were part of the rebellion still and go along with the tour.

Sofia had excused herself to go to the bathroom at one point and vomited.

Anna had been one of the thirty-seven vampires taken from their lives and experimented on in those labs. Now it was Sofia’s job to help them. To guide them to a place where they could live and thrive once more.

“I’m good,” Anna replied. “Oh, and before we get started, I fed the fish today, just in case someone else does it. I’m super worried they’re going to get fat if we overfeed them, so we should create like a roster or something.”

When they’d built the rehabilitation center, Sofia had insisted they bring in some pets. It was no secret they were wonderful for healing, so inside they had three goldfish, a very fluffy cat called Morris, a canary, and a hamster.

“Also, did you know that fish commit hurry curry?” Anna added.

“Hurry curry?” Sofia asked, pulling her brows together.

“Yes, you know...” Anna grinned, slicing her finger across her throat.

“Really?” Sofia’s eyes widened. “I’ve never had fish.”

“Well, it’s not like they find a knife and slit their...you know. But apparently, they jump out of the fish tank,” Anna explained, then her eyes darted around the room.

Sofia watched her. This was how their sessions went. Anna was now looking for another distraction. Another mindless topic to discuss.

Anything but talking about her experience.

“Sounds like the fish became intolerant of their life in a bowl,” Sofia said.

Anna’s eyes darted to hers. “ Sì , perhaps.”

“Have you spoken to your family this week?” Sofia asked, and Anna shook her head. “Did you want to invite them here for another visit?”

The families had visited a few times.

“No. Mamma is working long hours. Papà ...well, he is struggling with what happened. You know...” Anna waved her hand in front of her. “I don’t want to make it harder for them.”

Sofia leaned forward an inch. “Where do you fall in all of this?”

Anna looked at her, bunching her forehead. “Me?”

“Yes. You, cara, ” Sofia confirmed, using the endearment because God knew the poor child deserved it. She was a darling. The sweetest little soul Sofia had met. She always worried about others, even in the face of what she had endured.

“Oh, no, I am fine. It’s nice being here.” Anna’s eyes clouded over, then suddenly widened. “It’s okay if I stay here a bit longer, isn’t it?”

“ Sì , Anna. For as long as you need.” Sofia leaned back in her chair and tilted her head. “We discussed going for a wander around the castle. Are you still interested in doing that today?”

Anna immediately brightened. “Oh yes.”

Sofia nodded, pleased with the response, though it wasn’t necessarily a sign of progress. An opportunity to see inside one of the Moretti castles wasn’t offered to very many vampires, so this was a big deal.

Sofia’s job was to guide Anna in her healing journey. The fact she didn’t want to go home was concerning. If Anna continued on this path of pleasing everyone else and not facing her own pain, she would never find a way out of her inner hell. If home wasn’t a safe or nurturing place for her to heal, then it was right for Anna to stay at the rehabilitation center.

Sofia knew the king would never put an end date on their care.

She tapped the tablet, and it finally unfroze.

“Let me update my notes, and then we’ll head out.”

“Awesome! I’m going to change,” Anna exclaimed, jumping up. “Are there any rules or a dress code?”

Sofia smirked. “No, but there are a lot of unmated warriors out there who need to remain focused on their job, so keep that in mind.”

Anna blushed, smiled, and left to change.

Sofia’s smirk faded.

She really hoped she could help this bright soul. When they had first recovered them from the labs, Anna had been unconscious. It had taken them a few hours to bring her back. Initially, she’d gone into a state of shock, violently shaking like the others, but Anna’s had worn off quickly. They had thought this was a good sign, but rather than talk about what had happened, Anna evaded any discussion about her experience.

The team had recognized it for what it was: avoidance.

It was a tactic often used by victims to avoid facing the reality of what had happened to them. Some even went so far as to make up an entirely different reality for themselves, which sounded fantastic; if only it were that easy. Unfortunately, it was surface level stuff. Underneath, in one’s subconscious, the pain still existed, and the suffering remained. Just at a deeper level.

Initially, the team had let her be. If it helped Anna settle into her new surroundings and learn to trust them, they were okay with it. Except, while the others had begun to heal and make progress, Anna had kept her safety net in place.

Now it was time to stretch her.

If Anna wouldn’t go home, a place where sufferers were often triggered, then venturing out into the castle was a good next option.

Sofia had organized a walk around the castle and planned to “bump” into Willow and Brianna, who would just so happen to be having dinner in the Great Hall. Her friendship with the two females had been blossoming since she’d mated Lance, but it was the relationship she had with the queen she valued most. Kate was an incredible female: inspirational, kind, and strong. They had both led a lonely life before meeting their males, and it had connected them.

Sofia texted Bri to let her know they’d meet them in about an hour.

Coolio, see you soon! the reply came, and she smiled.

Next, she messaged Ben, who was meeting her after she finished work today. She had no idea what to expect from the Moretti security when her brother showed up, and Lance had said nothing more other than to expect Craig to make his presence known.

Great.

Ben replied, see you at ten , so Sofia slipped her phone into her back pocket and put her focus back on Anna.

This was important. She’d worry about the males in her life later.

Speaking of males, Sofia strongly suspected once the single males in the castle caught sight of Anna, there would be great interest. With her small frame, beach blonde waves, blue eyes which gave even the queen’s stunning sapphires a run for her money, and perfect set of double Ds, there was no way she’d go unnoticed.

And there were some damn hot males roaming the halls of this castle. She may be a mated female, but she was not blind. Because that was the only way you’d miss all the abs, pecs, broad chests, sultry smirks, and solid thighs wherever you looked.

Not that they dared smirk at her.

Lance was a senior member of the Moretti army, so as his mate, no male would be stupid enough to look at her in that way. Not to mention, there was no infidelity in the vampire race. Once you met your mate, there was no one else. Humans wrote romance stories about this sort of thing. Vampires lived it.

Eventually.

It could just take hundreds of years until you met the one.

Some vampires had relationships of sorts. Not fake mates like Stefano had been attempting—damn psychopath—but from time to time, vampires became regular lovers. She’d heard of vamps even moving in together. It was done knowing they would each meet their mates one day and step aside when it happened. It wasn’t the same as with humans. You never fell in love with someone other than your mate. Of course, you enjoyed their company, cared for them, but there would be no broken hearts in this instance.

Sofia could see the benefits. Vampires were more promiscuous than humans, so if you found someone compatible sexually, why not live together.

She’d never been free to do anything like that. Suppressed by her family, Sofia hadn’t been completely inexperienced when she met Lance, but now, she couldn’t keep her hands off her male.

Lance didn’t seem to mind at all.

For someone like Anna, who was looking for anything to help her avoid facing her pain, these were the things Sofia would be cautious of. Sex, drugs, gambling—they were all tools for victims to use as distractions. A relationship of any kind was out of the question for Anna while she was healing. She needed time. She needed care. She needed protection.

Sofia wasn’t letting any of the males near Anna until she was ready.

ANNA’S EYES DARTED around the walls and up into the ceilings of the enormous Moretti castle. She couldn’t believe she was here.

Sure, she’d lived there for months, but they’d designed the space inside the rehabilitation center so it felt like you were in any other building. Boring old white walls and ceilings. She definitely did not feel like she was in a castle.

Now she did, and it was awesome!

She felt like she’d stepped back in time. Centuries-old paintings hung on the walls, and there were statues and antique rugs wherever she looked. Even cool, embellished black M s on the carpet, staircases, above doorways, and other spots caught her eye.

The Morettis.

She’d met the king, and he seemed nice.

The modern things mixed with the old were so awesome. Anna spotted a digital screen on one wall sharing important messages with the staff working in the castle. Apparently, tonight’s meal in the Great Hall would be chicken cacciatore.

Good to know , she smirked.

What surprised her the most was how many vampires there were everywhere. Some in uniforms like hotel housekeeping; others suited like corporate people. Then ( holy hotness! ) there were soldiers in the iconic black Moretti uniform.

Her eyes followed a group of five males walking past. The view from behind was just as delicious as the front. Those pants really knew how to show off a rear end.

Hot damn.

“Anna,” Sofia interrupted her thoughts, snapping her attention back to their tour.

“Hmm? Oh, yes.” Attempting to hide the grin caused by one of the males turning and winking at her, she commented, “Do you think there are any jobs available here?”

Sofia slowed down and tilted her head at her. “You want to go back to work already?”

Hells yes , if that was the type of eye candy she got to look at every day.

“Sure. I have to get on with my life, right?” She shrugged.

“No. You can take all the time you need. King Moretti has committed to provide as much resources as you all need for your recuperation.”

Inwardly, she snorted.

There was no getting over what had happened to them. In any case, it had been five seconds of experience compared to the long life she would have. No point in dwelling. Anna just wished they would all stop fussing about it. She was trying her best to show them all she was fine.

Fine.

Just fucking finnneeee!

“He’s so nice. I like the king,” Anna said, moving the conversation along. “It would be an honor to work here, you know. And serve him. So, if you hear about any jobs, could you let me know?”

Sofia stared at her for a long moment before nodding.

“ Sì. I will. Perhaps we can find a few things for you to do,” she added.

“That would be great.” Anna smiled.

She knew she wasn’t a prisoner in the castle. If she wanted to, she could leave at any point. They had all been very clear with her and all the other guests about that. Some of them had already left, and Anna knew at some point she would need to move on.

Going home, though? No way.

She loved her parents, but they just didn’t deal well with the messy stuff, meaning emotions. Anna understood why, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t angry about it. She really wanted to run into their arms and have them envelop her with all the love and safety she needed. But she knew they never would. They had nothing to give. Not since her twin sister had died, and they’d blamed themselves. Because the truth was, it had been their fault.

So, no, she wasn’t going home.

They continued their walk around the castle for the next forty-five minutes, until her body began to ache, as it was prone to do these days. Anna wrapped her arms around her middle, and Sofia spotted it. She didn’t miss a thing, and Anna was grateful because it meant she didn’t have to talk about...it.

Sofia slowed. “Are you hungry?”

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed, nodding. “Sure, I can eat something.”

She followed Sofia into what had to be the Great Hall, as it was filled with tables of all shapes and sizes where people were dining. Chicken cacciatore , she smiled to herself. She could smell it.

Sofia waved out to a table of—wait, was that Princess Willow?

Holy...smokes!

“Come, Anna. Meet some of my friends.”

“Your fr...?”

No. Way.

Anna had seen many of the royals at the vigil they held for those who hadn’t survived...it. She was literally fangirling right now. The princess was sitting with a stunning female who had the most gorgeous red hair, and they were laughing.

“Sofia, hi!” the princess called out. She had an American accent, which surprised Anna. “Please, join us.”

“Anna, this is Willow Moretti,” Sofia introduced, and Anna curtsied, as was appropriate.

Willow waved her off and pointed to a seat opposite her. “Please, sit, sit. This is my bestie, Brianna.”

“Hi, Anna.” Brianna grinned. “Welcome to crazy town.”

Anna giggled. “Hi.”

Sofia ordered for them both, and the server placed drinks in front of them.

“Did you enjoy the tour?” Willow asked, continuing to eat her chicken.

Anna nodded as she drank.

“This place is incredible. It’s so huge,” she gushed. “I mean, obviously, it looks big from the outside, but how do you find your way around?”

Brianna grinned and leaned forward. “Don’t tell my mate, but I just ask any of the pretty-looking soldiers on duty. They’re always willing to help.”

Willow frowned and nudged her with her arm. “You’ll get them in trouble, Bri. I’m surprised they even talk to you.” As Brianna shrugged, Willow glanced across the table to explain. “She’s mated to Craig, the commander of the king’s army.”

Holy shit.

Anna’s eyes widened. That male was well known to be huge and dangerous.

“The commander?”

Brianna smiled at her so brightly she nearly set the world on fire. Wow . One day, Anna wanted to be in love like that.

“He’s—”

“Huge. Big. Scary. Yeah, yeah. I know. He’s actually a teddy bear,” Brianna said.

“He’s really not,” Willow mumbled.

Anna smiled at the two females as they continued eating their meal and bantering back and forth. They were so cool.

For a royal, Willow was very relaxed and friendly. In fact, every single Moretti she had met had been warm and kind to her. The queen she saw regularly in the rehab center, and the king had attended the vigil and visited the center once or twice. But she had never shared a meal with a royal before, so this was turning out to be the best day of her life.

She looked over at Sofia and grinned. The vampire smiled back warmly, but she could see the constant look of concern in her eyes. Anna appreciated her protection, but yeah, she just wanted to move on with her life. And some days, Sofia just reminded her of it.

It , which shall not be discussed.

“He’s definitely not a teddy bear, but I hope he’s in a good mood today,” Sofia said with a slight grimace.

Brianna looked up. “Why, what’s going on?”

“Ben is visiting tonight. Lance wanted to play bodyguard, but I said no. The compromise, for want of a better word, is that Craig will be making an appearance.”

“God.” Willow groaned.

“Yeah.” Sofia nodded.

Anna looked from female to female. “Who’s Ben? Your former inmate boyfriend or something?”

All of them burst into laughter. Anna grinned.

“No, Ben is my brother,” Sofia explained, still laughing. “But...well, one day when you’re mated, you’ll understand. Trust me, it’s a wonder we can pee unprotected.”

“True that,” Willow agreed.

“Stop. Brayden is not that bad,” Brianna said.

Willow glanced quickly over her shoulder where, standing near the wall, looking relaxed but alert, two large males in black Moretti uniforms stood. She raised a brow. “Sure, okay.”

Anna stared at the security for a moment.

“Are they, like, the secret service or something?”

“Yup. ’Cause I’m a princess now, so apparently, everyone wants to kill me.” She rolled her eyes.

“Willow!”

“Okay, fine, so a few bad vamps did try to kill us—”

“Ah, I think we should probably change the subject,” Sofia interrupted sharply. “How’s the queen doing today?”

Willow paled and looked at Anna. “Oh, shit. Fuck. Sorry.”

Anna looked away. It hadn’t bothered her at all. Because she didn’t think about IT.

Discussions continued around her about the queen who was heavily pregnant while Anna’s mind wandered. She hated that they’d changed the subject because of her.

“It’s okay,” Anna suddenly burst out without thinking. They all stared at her. “It’s okay. I’m okay, so you can say whatever you want.”

The two females quickly looked at Sofia for guidance. It was awkward as fuck, and Anna immediately regretted it. She picked up her glass and tried to imagine she was somewhere else. Making a fool of herself in front of the princess was such an idiot thing to do.

Ugh.

Suddenly, a phone beeped.

Sofia cursed as she picked up her phone and stared at the screen.

“Damn. I didn’t realize the time.” She looked at Anna and chewed her lip. “My brother is here. Umm, what are we going to do...”

“I can walk Anna back to the rehab center if you want?” Brianna offered.

Anna stiffened, which Sofia noticed immediately.

Why had she reacted? She liked these females.

She looked at Sofia and gave her a small smile. She felt safe with her, and clearly wasn’t as ready to step out into the big wide world as she had thought she was. Her heart sunk a little.

“No, it’s fine,” Sofia replied, taking charge, and Anna relaxed. “We have to go past the main entrance on the way, so I’ll sign him in and then take her back.”

Anna sent Brianna a small smile of apology.

“Hey, no problem.” Brianna waved her off like it was no big deal.

Anna appreciated her casual brush off, but deep down, she was disappointed in herself. She hated that it had impacted her life.

“It was sooo nice to meet you both,” Anna said, standing when Sofia did.

“Thanks, you guys,” Sofia spoke, giving them a grateful smile, and then they walked out of the Great Hall.

Anna had to walk fast to keep up with the usually calm vampire; she seemed stressed. Then she remembered the conversation about her brother arriving.

“So sorry about this, Anna. It’s so unprofessional of me,” Sofia began. “I’ll just sign Ben in, and he can wait in the foyer while I take you back. Are you okay with that?”

Anna scurried along beside her. “Of course. It’s fine. Thank you for taking me around and introducing me to Willow. She’s so pretty. And I love Brianna. Wow, her hair. It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, yes,” Sofia agreed distractedly, smiling briefly.

She’d never seen the female so flustered.

As they made their way back though the corridors toward the main doors of the castle, vampires scuttled out of the way, barely giving them a second look. Well, except for one hot, uniform-clad—

“Anna!” Sofia said sharply, shaking her head. “It’s best if...”

“What?”

Sofia shook her head again.

Anna frowned. It was as if the female didn’t want her noticing the males. Why?

“Hi, hi. I’m here,” Sofia called out as they reached the security team at the front door.

Anna could see a large male standing slightly behind four guards, but Sofia’s head blocked Anna’s view.

“Hey, Ben.”

“Sign here, please, Mrs. De Luca.”

Pen hit the paper, and the next minute, a lanyard was handed to the male, who walked through the doors.

Holy shit . Anna froze; all except her mouth, which dropped open.

“Hey, Sofi,” Ben greeted as he pulled Sofia into a bear hug. Over her shoulder, his eyes landed on Anna’s face, and it was like she had been hit with a lightning bolt.

His eyes widened slightly.

Anna felt heat creep along her cheeks and across her décolletage.

And through her veins.

My God , Ben was the most gorgeous male she’d ever laid eyes on.

Compared to the males she’d seen around the castle tonight, he was huge. Not just big; he was cut. Her friends had dated enough gym guys, so she knew the term, and this male’s body was the perfect definition. His muscles weren’t just huge and solid; they were defined in a way most men, and women, could only dream of.

And while his body was totally blush worthy in and of itself, it was the way his piercing eyes had looked at her which had her feeling like this.

Ben stood up and kissed Sofia on the top of her head, then his eyes darted back to Anna.

God, she wished she could stop doing the thing with her hands. Anna plunged them into her back pockets.

No, fuck, don’t do that. Now she was pushing her tits out.

Ben grinned.

My fucking God, he has dimples. Shoot me now.

Her panties were instantly wet.

Anna chewed her lip and wrapped her arms around herself, giving him a small smile. She knew her cheeks were a terrible mix of red blended with peach right now. And. Wanted. To. Die.

“Ah, Ben, this is Anna,” Sofia introduced, her eyes darting between them as she picked up on all the awkwardness.

“Nice to meet you, Anna,” Ben said, reaching out his hand, his eyes never leaving hers.

She unwrapped her arms and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, and he grinned wider. She cleared her throat and smiled at him. “Hey. Hi.”

Her hand reached out, and Ben’s large, strong hand enveloped hers.

A bolt of energy rushed through her, and her smile faded.

BEN TOOK ANNA’S SMALL hand in his, and his entire body lit up. A strong tingle of desire and a more powerful need overwhelmed him.

What the hell?

As her smile disappeared, they stared at each other. He was powerless to look away. How had such a small thing rendered him powerless?

Fucking hell.

Ben understood and recognized the lust. I mean, damn, that body . All that blonde hair and those eyes the color of the Mediterranean Sea; he could imagine her lying on white sand in a bright-red bikini, big sunglasses, and a floppy sun hat. Her reaction to him had been great for his ego, not that it needed any boosting, but it was the secondary reaction within him that was screaming at him.

And he never ignored his intuition.

It had saved his life many times before.

He felt an indescribable need to pull her into his side and fight anyone who even looked at this female. Beyond the beauty of her eyes, deep within, he saw pain. Big fucking pain.

They continued to stand there, her hand in his, him staring at her wanting answers, wanting to...goddamn it...to something. Wrap her in his arms and do all kinds of inappropriate things. No, not those. Well, yes those, but not just those.

He needed to hold her.

Take her.

Protect her.

Kidnapping his sister’s friend was unlikely to get him any bonus points. Plus, he wasn’t here just to see Sofia. He had a job to do. But this female had definitely thrown a spanner in the works.

He let Anna’s hand go and took a small step back.

Sofia coughed.

Ben ran a hand through his hair and angled his body away from Anna. Marginally.

“So, you work with my sister, huh?” he asked, knowing she could hear a mix of American and Italian accent in his voice. He’d been living in America for over seventy years now, so while he still spoke Italian fluently, his accent had changed.

“Ah...working? Sure,” Anna said, looking at Sofia as if she was uncomfortable.

What was going on, he wondered.

“Anna is in a program we’re running,” Sofia answered, waving her hand out all don’t worry about it.

Ben played the game.

“Cool. How’s it going?” he asked, not dropping it.

His sister should know he wasn’t a male who dropped things if they caught his attention. Especially not one with a red flag waving. His instincts were sharp as a fucking knife, and something wasn’t right here. As he watched Anna, he saw her eyes darting around the foyer desperately looking for a distraction.

Very fucking interesting.

Ben glanced at Sofia and narrowed his eyes slightly. She shook her head at him.

“I’ve been brushing up on my royal history,” Anna replied finally as she looked at him again. That gorgeous blush returned.

Damn that blush. Ben wanted to run his fingers over her supple skin even though he didn’t believe a single word that had just left her plump pink lips. He grinned at her instead, which only increased things over in Blushville.

“Okay, so I need to take Anna back to the...err, classroom,” Sofia began. “Can you wait—ugh, God.”

Ben felt the hair on the back of his neck rise in warning before he heard the voice.

“Benjamin Ferrero. Look what we have here.”

Slowly, he turned to face the voice.

“Actually, it’s just Ben.” He grinned at the beast standing a few feet away. “But you can call me Mr. Ferrero if you want to be all formal and fuck.”

“No fucks given here,” Craig replied, planting his own grin in place. The guy should know it was more of a grimace; Ben doubted the guy knew how to smile.

Then the big motherfucker crossed his arms.

Bigger arms than he had, but not as defined. He smiled wider, and they both knew what his grin was about.

“What are you doing here, Ferrero?” the male asked, dropping his awkward stretched lip action.

Ben plunged his hands into his jeans pockets, which was not a smart move; it would delay him if he had to defend himself, though he was mostly sure Craig wasn’t going to make a move on him, not in front of these females or civilians.

The commander had no cause to. He suspected he did, but he was wrong. They were all fucking wrong. They had no idea, and he hoped they never would if he did his job right.

“Just visiting my sister. You?”

Craig shook his head. “Don’t be a fucking asshole.”

“Oh, right, you work here. I forgot.” He smirked, rocking on his feet like he was at a birthday party making small talk.

He heard a little noise behind him.

“Anna, it’s okay. This is Brianna’s mate, Craig,” Sofia said, sounding anxious. “Um, guys...”

“Brianna, huh?” Ben smirked. Looking back, Ben realized it was a fucking stupid move. I mean hello , taunting an enormous, powerful vampire over his mate? Stupid move even for him, but the guy was pissing him off.

Anyway, hindsight was a wonderful thing. Here’s what happened.

The room exploded.

Craig launched himself at Ben as he was pulling his hands out of his pockets. Fuck . He only just grabbed the commander before he got bowled over, and then Lance, his sister’s mate, and two other big fuckers finally arrived to pull Craig off him. That wasn’t a pretty sight in itself: arms and fists flying everywhere; he learned a few new curse words.

Then his world stopped.

A tiny, anguished sound, like an animal being tortured.

Ben turned.

He knew it had come from Anna.

She stood, her body shaking like a goddamn earthquake. Her face was contorted in fear, a quivery sound coming from deep within her. Ben’s eyes darted to Sofia, whose mouth had dropped open. He didn’t wait, he didn’t think, and he didn’t care. Only one thing mattered in that moment. With vampire speed, he moved across the space and pulled Anna to the floor, onto his lap, and cradled her in his arms.

He heard a sound and looked up at the bodies around him. He had no authority in this castle or their world, but he gave zero fucks in that moment. This female needed protection, and frankly, none of them seemed to be taking her needs into consideration. He wanted to wrap her in a ball and lock her away in a tower safe from the world. And if that’s what she needed, he would.

Without permission.

Because a vampire like him didn’t need it. Ever.

And certainly never asked for it.

“Keep the fuck away. All. Of. You.” His voice was as deadly as a male’s could be.

Everyone in the room froze.

“Clear this space, now,” Craig ordered, his own voice a powerful command.

“Hey, Anna. Can you look at me?” Ben asked, his voice low and gentle.

“Jesus,” Craig muttered.

“Goddammit,” Lance cursed simultaneously.

“Anna,” Ben repeated and pushed a lock of her pretty blonde hair off her face.

“Ben, let her go. I need to get her back to the rehabilitation center,” Sofia spoke as she knelt beside him.

What the fuck?

Ben cursed quietly. He bloody knew something was up.

“Rehab? Is that what they call royal history these days?” he growled quietly at his sister.

“Ben, stop!” Sofia cried. “Lance, help me get Anna.”

“Nope,” Lance said, shaking his head. “Let him be.”

Ben continued to run his hand over her forehead and make weird cooing noises he had no idea were in his vocabulary.

Finally, Anna blinked. Her eyes began to focus on him. He watched her take in one, two, three breaths as he rubbed her arm. “Attagirl.”

“Where am I?” she asked.

“History lessons,” Ben answered, smiling down at her. “Apparently.”

VINCENT TURNED THE corner to see the shit show he’d just been informed about. Every single one of the survivors from the rehabilitation center was his goddamn responsibility, so when he’d heard there was an incident involving one of them, he wasn’t waiting on a briefing. He teleported straight there.

“What’s going on?” Vincent boomed.

And yes, thanks for asking, every-fucking-one paid attention.

Willow and Brianna came running in after him.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Brianna cried, dropping to the floor next to Anna.

“Yes,” the female said, taking a handful of the shirt belonging to the male she was sitting on and trying to pull herself up.

As any decent male would, he picked her up and placed her on her feet.

Jesus. Now that the guy was standing up, it was clear he was a big motherfucker. Vincent looked at Craig in question.

Sofia’s brother, Your Majesty , Craig answered telepathically.

The male stared down at Anna and, as if no one else in the room existed, ran a hand over her arm. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, and only then did the male look up and around. Eventually, his eyes landed on him. Because, you know, he was the fucking king.

Vincent raised a brow.

“Fucking told you,” Craig said, crossing his arms.

Brayden stepped up beside him, arms on his hips. Vincent could feel the anger rolling off his brother. “Bow to your goddamn king, Ben Ferrero,” the prince growled.

The male stared between him and the prince, then lowered his head.

“My apologies,” Ben offered, and they all knew he meant not one fucking word. He turned to take in the female again and sent her a smile. A comforting smile. A smile with heat and heart.

Groan.

“Ben is my brother, Your Majesty,” Sofia explained. “He is visiting, and—”

“We had a disagreement,” Craig interjected.

“It has...upset Anna,” Sofia explained. She placed a hand behind the female’s back. “I’m taking her back to the center.”

God, all these fucking voices.

Vincent rubbed his forehead. He could see Anna was stressing the fuck out, and Sofia was trying to help. He glanced around, taking in the situation. Fuck yeah, it would have been intimidating. Huge angry warriors surrounded her, and they were all wound up so tight someone was— had exploded. And that was not good enough.

These survivors, guests, needed protection, harmony, and some fucking consideration, regardless of what size boots you fucking wore.

“Okay, stop,” Vincent ordered. “Craig, move your team out. Brayden, you are with me. Willow, you are supposed to be with the queen. Do. Not. Tell. Her. About. This.”

Willow nodded and took off after mouthing a love you to the prince.

Craig glared at him. Vincent raised a brow back, and the guy looked at Ben.

Vince sighed and stared at the male they’d all told him about. Sofia’s brother. God, he hoped there were no more Ferreros for him to deal with, at least not in this century. The guy was a big-ass motherfucker, cut as fuck, and with an attitude to boot.

What did they want him to do? Put him in time-out?

What Vincent wanted to know was why Craig and Brayden hadn’t recruited the guy yet. They usually did, and they took no shit. He believed they’d pound the attitude out of him in no time, but he wasn’t interfering. That was Brayden’s area of responsibility.

“Sofia, take Anna,” he ordered, then more strongly, “Ben, please join the prince and me. You can meet with your sister once she has finished.”

Sofia nodded and began to lead Anna away. The female stopped, turned, and up on her tippy-toes, placed a quick kiss on Ben’s cheek. They all watched as Ben took her hips in his hands and leaned to whisper something in her ear. Anna nodded and finally left with Sofia.

Ben’s eyes followed her until she disappeared. Then, his body shifted. All of the softness about him vanished. His stance changed; he stood taller, harder, and in a warrior’s stance. Yet, if you didn’t know what to look for, you’d think he was just hanging at the mall, all relaxed and full of bullshit.

The hair on Vincent’s neck rose. He finally saw what Craig and Lance had been talking about.

This was a dangerous male. Deadly.

“Change of plans. Ask Craig to join us,” he said quietly to Brayden, not taking his eyes off Ben.

“What about me?” Brianna asked.

Vincent rolled his eyes. “Go check on the reindeer.”