CHAPTER FIVE

T he next night, Anna tapped away at her screen, taking notes as Brianna, Princess Moretti, King Moretti, and Seraphina talked. This was the first meeting of the new PR team, and the king was giving a clear briefing of what he wanted from them.

While she had briefly met Willow and Brianna a few weeks ago, this was her first time meeting Seraphina. She was the king’s secretary, and he’d told them she would be offering them some support, given how closely they would work with him, but regular access wasn’t always possible.

Anna was trying hard to focus, but after seeing Ben yesterday and the effect he’d had on her, it was damn difficult. Seriously, the male was a walking sex god. All he had to do was smile or wink at her, and she lost all her senses.

Hello, dimples? Oh my God, she had nearly died of embarrassment.

Clearly, he loved the impact he had on her. Ben sure wasn’t shy. But that moment, when the world had gone quiet and all she’d been aware of was him, his eyes, his lips, his huge body, and the way he looked like he wanted to eat her up, well, she knew she was in trouble.

Because she wanted him to lick her from top to bottom.

From the moment he had walked away—and yes, she had turned around and stared at his tight, round ass because holy shitballs, every inch of him was so damn fine—she’d been watching her phone.

Maybe it was broken?

Maybe it wasn’t live yet?

Why hadn’t he called or messaged yet?

Anna checked the clock. Three hundred hours, seven minutes, and thirteen seconds. That’s how long she had been waiting. An eternity! Or at least it felt that long.

She let out a long sigh, and then realized the room had gone silent.

“Is everything okay, Miss Vitale?” the king asked.

“Mm-hmm, yes, fine. Sorry,” she replied, smiling when she caught Brianna’s small grin. “I’m very glad to be here. Thank you for the job.”

“No need to keep thanking me, Anna,” he said, waving her off. “What I’m about to share with you is highly sensitive information. This team has been created to contribute to the protection of our race, so no small task. This is a new space for us.”

Seraphina handed everyone a sheet of paper with an organizational chart and a few other notes printed on.

The king continued. “Brianna, you have been fundamental in controlling the narrative in the social space since our exposure to humans, and we are in need of your skills and expertise.” He then addressed everyone. “For that reason, I have asked Brianna to head up the team. Willow also has experience in this area, but her primary role is as princess, and that cannot be changed.”

“A less glamorous role than one would expect,” Willow murmured.

“That big rock on your finger says otherwise,” Brianna countered, raising a brow.

“Anywayyy...” the king interrupted as Seraphina grinned behind her hand. “Can we please focus?”

Anna’s eyes darted around the room, taking in the interaction, and wasn’t quite sure what to think. It was like they were a bickering family. Brianna caught her expression and smiled warmly at her.

“Ignore them. They love each other, honestly.”

Willow snorted. The king raised one eyebrow, while Brianna ignored them both. Anna held back a giggle.

“So, what will I do?” she finally asked.

“That’s over to Brianna. She’s in charge and will need a lot of assistance,” the king said.

Brianna nodded as she tapped on her own laptop. “Yes. There is a lot to do. The first thing I would usually do is set up a media-monitoring company. Clearly, we cannot do that.”

“Why not?” Anna asked.

“They’ll ask for keywords,” Willow explained. “And providing them with ‘vampires are real’ and ‘vampires exist’ will probably raise some eyebrows and draw exactly the type of attention we’re trying to avoid.”

“Gotcha,” Anna said, nodding. It made total sense. “So how do we get around that?”

“Well, clearly, we cannot spend our time searching for those and a million other search criteria, so we need to create an algorithm,” Brianna replied. “I’ve already been talking to a few of the tech guys, and they’re going to assist us.”

The king dropped his hand on the table as he stood.

“Great stuff. I will leave you all to get started,” he said. “At some point in the near future, you may work with some of the communications teams around the world, such as the one from the White House. We will see how it unfolds. Remember this is all highly sensitive, so no chatter outside this office.”

Anna’s mouth gaped. She knew this was serious, but now it was sinking in.

“Be prepared for anything,” he added.

“Yes, sir, we will. That’s the job of a PR team, and I will ensure we are,” Brianna said.

The king nodded at her and began to walk out. Then he stopped. “Willow, a word, please.”

The princess stood and followed the king out the door. They all watched as it closed behind them.

“So do—” Seraphina began, but Anna had already begun speaking.

“Is she in trouble?” she asked.

Brianna and Seraphina stared at her.

“No,” Brianna replied, glancing at the door with curiosity of her own. “Vincent is her brother-in-law. It’s likely to be royal business. As he said, Willow is a princess first. She actually does take it seriously, but I think she’s been bored.”

When a look of surprise crossed Anna’s face, Brianna explained further. “Willow and I were human before we met Craig and Brayden. We had careers and our lives mapped out. It’s taken some adjustment. Becoming a vampire is huge enough. Imagine suddenly becoming a princess alongside that.”

Anna nodded; she couldn’t even imagine it. Just being in the Moretti castle with the royals was still overwhelming for her. Discovering a new species existed and that you had fallen in love with the prince of that species must have been a total mind fuck.

“Wow. I remember watching their ceremony. I never once stopped to think about how huge it would have been for her. I also didn’t know she was originally human.”

No one had ever mentioned it. Not that it was a huge surprise; vampires mated and turned humans all the time. It was no big deal, even if one of the royals did so.

Brianna closed her laptop and leaned back, smiling. “It was a beautiful event. But yes, an enormous change for my best friend. She’s super independent, so having to answer directly to a king on a daily basis is taking some adjustment. So, they butt heads.”

“Regularly.” Seraphina smirked.

“Oh, dear,” Anna said.

“Just let it go over your head,” Brianna told her, waving her off. “Brayden is a powerful alpha; he’d eat a less dominant female alive, so his brother and mate will just have to figure it out.”

Just as she’d first thought. Royal or not, they were a newly blended family trying to find their feet.

“Still, he’s the king.”

“Hence the problem.” Brianna laughed. “Anyway, let’s get to work. We have a lot to set up and get started on. Anna, talk to the IT guys and get access to all our social accounts, and then create a fake account. Tomorrow, we’ll begin mapping out our strategy and identifying some key messages we want to plant with the fake account.”

“What should I call it?” she asked, taking notes as she spoke.

“Just an everyday name no one would suspect. Populate it with friends and family, pictures of cats, book club, and holiday snaps. Make it look real.”

“Gotcha.”

THE NEXT DAY, ANNA was working away at her desk when her phone pinged.

Her heart leapt into her throat.

She hadn’t given the number away to anyone but the PR team and Sofia.

Lifting the phone, an unknown number appeared. She swiped and opened the message as she glanced across at Timmy and Jordan, who were leaning against the door, surely bored out of their brains.

Hey gorgeous.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. Anna’s body temperature shot up about twenty-five percent, and her heart rate followed suit.

Reply.

No, she should wait. Make him wait.

Just replyyyy.

Anna stared at the screen so intently anyone would think it was about to explode.

Bri called out from her desk across the room. “You okay?”

“Uh-huh, yes, yup,” she replied. “I’m just going to the bathroom.”

Anna slipped her phone into her dress pocket and casually walked out of the office. Every part of her wanted to run, but she was still finding her way around the huge castle and had to slow and turn a few times to reorient herself.

“This way,” Timmy called from behind her, surprising her. Goddamn it, of course she had her security shadows.

Anna pushed through the door and found a cubicle. Pulling out her phone, she noticed another message.

I’m in the stationery room. Two doors down from your office. Meet me.

Who is this? She texted back, grinning to herself.

...

Anna watched the dots appear as he took his time responding. Finally, she felt like she was getting some of her sass back. Being in Ben’s presence made her lose her damn mind.

Someone who bites.

Anna felt heat pool at her core. Holy smokes.

With the phone pressed to her chest, she stepped out of the cubicle and stared at herself in the mirror. She’d hoped she would see Ben again today, so she had dressed in a short yellow dress which flared at the waist. It was modest and appropriate for office work, but the neckline still showed a little cleavage.

Wishing she had put on some lip gloss, Anna fluffed her hair and headed out into the hallway.

Timmy followed.

“I’m just grabbing some files, so why don’t I meet you back in the office,” she said, but he shook his head in reply.

“I’ll wait out here.”

“Seriously, it’s just there,” she insisted, pointing two doors down.

He shrugged. “Orders.”

Anna sighed and muttered fine , then pushed through the door. She froze as the door closed behind her.

Leaning against a filing cabinet several feet away from her stood Ben. He looked even bigger in the small space, and if she hadn’t liked men in uniform before, she definitely would have now. The black Moretti pants and shirt fit him like a glove. With the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his powerful forearms were exposed, and the tension on his buttons hinted at the layers of muscles underneath.

She swallowed.

Sass gone. Dammit.

“Hi, Anna,” Ben said, slowly stalking toward her.

“Are you the new stationery manager?” she asked cheekily. Okay, so she hadn’t completely lost her mind. Then again, he hadn’t touched her yet.

He stopped a foot away from her. “Shall I make a terrible joke about pencils, or would you like me to kiss you instead?”

Oh, fuck.

Ben brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I...”

“Nothing is going to happen unless you want it to,” he said, voice like gravel.

Gulp.

“Do you want my lips on yours, Anna?” Ben asked, and her body burst into flames. She nodded, and slowly, holding her eyes with his, Ben lowered his lips to hers.

The moment they connected, everything changed. What started as a tentative kiss burst to life with a passion and a need neither of them were expecting. She could tell Ben was as surprised as she by his wide eyes.

Ben gripped her hips, pulling her against his large body with a passion she’d never felt before. Her hands landed on his powerful chest, and she let out a little mewl.

They bit and nipped and lapped at each other’s mouths with eager need, and Anna felt Ben’s hand press against the back of her head as she melted further into his thick, solid body.

Anna pressed her fingers into Ben’s chest as she felt his hardness against her stomach. Her hips involuntarily thrust into him, and his other hand curved around her bottom.

Ben released her mouth and drew a few breaths.

“If I slip under your dress, what will I find?” he asked, running his fingers along her thigh.

“Panties,” she answered.

“ Wet panties,” he said. “And a wet pussy with need. Am I right?”

Ben had every reason to be confident, and it turned her on even more knowing he was a male who would take charge and take what he wanted. God, she wished he would take what he wanted.

Right. Damn. Now.

Ben’s fingers moved between her thighs as he lapped at her bottom lip, and she responded hungrily, something nagging in the back of her mind. What did she need to remember?

Condom. Did he have a condom?

No, that wasn’t it.

Knock, knock.

“ How are you doing in there?” Timmy called.

Shit. Yeah, that was it.

Ben pulled back and glanced down at her.

“Good,” she called out, clearing her throat. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“I’m sorry; I have to go,” she told him, breathless. As she went to move out of his arms, Ben held her in place.

“Who are you, Anna?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “And no, I didn’t buy the history student lie you told me the day we met. So, who are you?”

Her eyes darted to the shelves full of notebooks, pens, and folders. She couldn’t tell him who she was. Very few vampires were privy to the top-secret experiments that had been done on her, and the last thing she wanted to do was talk about it. Not with Ben; not with anyone.

She just wished everyone would move on. But as she looked back at Ben, she realized he wasn’t the kind of male who let things go. He was a warrior, and it was in his nature to be curious.

“No one. I’m just a girl.”

“Then why the security?” he pressed. “Are you in danger?”

She shook her head.

Was she? Anna wasn’t sure if she was or wasn’t safe. It was something she was never certain of; always wondering about it in the back of her mind. She felt safe in the castle, and that was all she knew.

When her eyes darted away again, following her mind back to those days she never wanted to think about, Ben caught her chin in his hand. Her eyes flew to his, and she saw in them something that scared her, but she couldn’t look away.

“Anna. Tell me,” he demanded. “Why have I been warned to stay away from you?”

Her eyes flew open. “You have?”

She was surprised, but she shouldn’t have been. The royal family was protective of her and the other survivors. Plus, there were Sofia’s rules about not getting involved with any males. Telling her brother to stay away from her was, in hindsight, inevitable.

While she had been enjoying the nice-looking males around the castle, Anna had never really expected to be in the position she was right now. The chemistry between them was off the charts.

He nodded. “Yes. Very strongly.”

Knock, knock.

“Anna?”

“Coming!” she called out over her shoulder, pulling out of Ben’s arms and grabbing handfuls of stationery.

“I want to see you again,” Ben said. “Tell me where your rooms are, and I will come to you without being seen.”

Oh God. That wasn’t possible.

She couldn’t tell him where she was staying or why.

“It’s difficult.” Anna shook her head.

“If you are in trouble, I can help, Anna.”

“I’m not. It’s just...I don’t have a private room for us to...well, you know.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You’re mated?”

She shook her head again and looked down at the floor.

“No. I am...” Goddamn it, all these questions she just couldn’t answer, and she was a terrible liar. “Sorry, Ben. I have to go.”

Anna pulled open the door and slipped outside.

She was under no illusion that he hadn’t let her go. If Ben had wanted to stop her, he would have.

ANNA CLIMBED INTO BED , exhausted. Despite the way things had ended, desire had been simmering beneath the surface since she’d left Ben.

He’d been right when he’d assumed her panties were wet. She’d been burning for him.

Anna couldn’t count how many males—human or vampire—she’d kissed over the years. Hundreds. And not one of them had made her feel like Ben had today. It wasn’t just his mouth—although God knew he was talented. It had been one of those total body kisses. Every inch of him had been involved as it pressed into and wrapped itself around her. She could only imagine what sex with him would be like.

Anna lowered her hand under the sheets and slipped it between her legs. She had been wet all day. Circling the nub that she’d easily found, her body immediately roared to life. Her nipples hardened, and moisture spread through her fingers. She groaned and turned her head to muffle her sounds. While she had her own room, Anna was still conscious of those in other rooms nearby.

Taking her breast in her other hand, she pinched her nipple and closed her eyes, imagining it was Ben’s teeth. It didn’t take long for her to imagine his intense blue eyes and cheeky smirk. He knew exactly what he did to her body.

Anna arched into her hand as she worked her pussy into a quick orgasm. Even as she found her release, Anna still felt unsatisfied. She knew she had to have him. Just once.

She just had to be careful with all of his questions. She’d just keep the talking to a minimum and focus on what both their bodies craved.

Then they’d both move on.

It’s what vampires did.

And then, Anna would focus on rebuilding her life. She’d find a place in this world she belonged to, and hopefully, soon meet her mate.