1. Valentina

1

VALENTINA

“ V alentina, what do you think?”

My boss’s question pulls my focus from the snow falling outside the meeting room window. Thankfully, I was prepared for this meeting.

Evenia stands at the opposite end of the black burled meeting table, both palms flat on the surface. One forefinger taps quickly on the wood, a sure sign she’s irritated. But, of all the planners on our haven planning team, I truly believe I’m the only one she likes.

I sigh. “Well, I’ve dug deep into every haven assessment we’ve done on Azuro. There’s no good way to expand without getting close to the human town there, which is already planning a large expansion over the next ten years. Nothing nearby is ideal. The expense to try expanding that haven is actually greater than starting from scratch with a new haven. So—” I glance around the room at my coworkers, “—my vote is that we move forward with a second haven, ideally on the southern end of the Italian boot.”

Nobody says a word. Evenia straightens, crossing her arms as she glances around the room at the other six designers on my team.

“Well?” Her question snaps through the room like lightning. I know for a fact at least five of the six are utterly terrified of our leader.

She lets out a displeased-sounding growl. “Does nobody have a single thought on this project?”

Razeri, another vampire, sits up straight and runs one hand through his pitch-black hair. “I agree with Valentina. We’ve poured over the potential plans for Azuro’s expansion, but it will be incredibly expensive and difficult.”

I smirk. Way to say exactly what I just said.

As the rest of the team scrambles to find something new and interesting to share, I look at Evenia, letting my smile widen.

“We need a new haven, Boss.” I know she can hear me down the long table. “And I want to be the one to design it.”

It would be my first full haven project, something for which I’ve been laying the groundwork for a long time. But if I can get this right, I can ask her for a promotion I’ve wanted my whole life: Chief Haven Designer. Technically, she holds that title now, only because she doesn’t trust anyone else to do it.

But I can do it. I’m confident of that.

The room falls silent, my coworkers sitting back in their chairs as Evenia smiles at me. She’s a snake—we all know it. But she’s relentlessly dedicated to the success of the haven system, and so I, too, am relentlessly dedicated to it.

“Done,” Evenia barks.

Razeri startles in his seat.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

“Get out,” Evenia commands.

We all know she’s talking about everybody but me. So, I stay while the other six file out of the dark, elegant meeting room. She doesn’t watch them go, but when we’re alone in the room, she rounds the table and stalks to my side. Black nails thrum against her forearm as she eyes me like a viper.

“I know why you want to take on this project, Valentina,” she says in a simpering, evil tone. “And I also know what’s at stake if you fuck it up.” She brings a black-tipped nail beneath my chin and lifts so I’m forced to stare into narrowed crimson eyes. “So don’t fuck up, my little dove.”

It’s something she’s called me since the one time she saw my shadow wings and discovered they’re on the smaller side for a vampire. Little dove. It’s not a complimentary nickname, but it’s a nickname from the cruelest, harshest, smartest female I know. So, I’ll take it.

“I won’t fail.” I pull my lips into a smile that matches hers. “I’ve never let you down yet, Evenia.”

She removes her nail from my chin and spins on one elegant red-soled heel. “See that you don’t,” she casts over her shoulder as she disappears out of the conference room door.

When she’s gone, I allow myself to slump backward in my seat. I brush my sweaty palms down my black trousers. I prepared like crazy for this meeting, but I’ve been in enough of them with Evenia to know they can easily go sideways. Closing my eyes, I search inward for the bond I share with Pietro, though he’s far.

I can’t feel him; I knew I wouldn’t be able to. It never stops me searching for it, though. I wonder what he is doing right this moment? Probably making coffee with our mate, Alessandro, by his side. They adore coffee.

Our relationship is complicated. Technically, only Pietro and I share the vampiric mate bond. But Alé is just as much a part of our love despite not having that bond. It’s always been the three of us. It’ll always be the three of us.

Smiling, I think about the last time I saw them, when we stole a weekend to enjoy each other before returning to our respective havens. Their dreams and my dreams haven’t aligned…yet. But vampires are some of the longer-lived monsters.

The need to see them grows stronger by the day. My wish to spend time with them becomes nearly painful by the time I pack my bag and head out of Hearth HQ’s elegant black stone offices. Above me, the sky is dark and ominous, but I love it here. So different from the sun-drenched olive fields of Azuro where Pietro, Alé, and I grew up. I love that it snows here all the time, that it’s dark and cold and starkly beautiful. Glancing above Dakar, the inky village built up around headquarters, I admire the jagged black mountain range that soars into an ominous sky.

Opening my mouth to catch snowflakes, I focus on their taste. The weather here is manufactured like every other haven. Snowflakes hit my tongue and dissolve. I drink them down before crossing a black cobblestone street. Heading left, I pass the bookshop and an armory. I stop at the window.

I love the armory. Inside, four gargoyles and a rock troll stand to be fitted for their weapons. The protector academy is just on the other side of the haven, so these will be upcoming graduates. Once they receive official protector status, they’ll be assigned to havens all over the world to keep monsters safe from dark magic…and humanity.

Musing over that, I walk up a few more doors. When I arrive at my destination, Brion, I dip inside with a smile. My friend Ybris sits at the bar with a blood cocktail in one hand. She sips delicately at it, flirting with the bartender. Rolling my eyes, I join her when he turns from us.

Bumping her hip, I laugh and bend toward her ear. “Haven’t you fucked him enough times to stop bothering with the flirting when we come here?”

Crimson eyes flash at me as she tosses her long black braid over her shoulder. “It’s called edging, darling, and he loves it.”

The bartender, a handsome minotaur with gorgeous long horns, blushes to the edges of his pale cheeks. The ring in his nose quivers as he stares at my friend. Oh yes, I think perhaps there’s a little something more there than just sex. But relationships happen on their own time. I know that better than anyone.

Ybris slips a folded piece of paper across the bar toward the minotaur. He takes it, reads it, and runs a hand through his wavy dark hair. Tucking the note into a pocket of his vest, he wheels away from us to help another monster at the far end of the bar.

“Gods, that’s going to be delicious later!” Ybris practically vibrates with excitement.

“Jealous,” I huff as I steal a sip from her drink. “I miss my mates.”

She gives me a sad look, then steals her drink back. “So, go visit.” Her innocent look turns wicked. “Ever is one of our most successful havens. Go do some—” she makes air quotes with one hand, “—research.”

I order a drink as I consider that. Ever’s had its share of challenges lately with thrall attacks and the like. The magical wards that protect monster communities from the outside world are like a homing beacon for monsters turned thrall. But that’s no different from most havens.

Realistically, I should probably travel to a variety of monster cities to see how they do things. Just because we did it one way in Azuro does not mean the new Italian haven needs to function in the same manner.

My drink arrives, but it’s clear the bartender’s focused on my friend. He jerks his head toward the back of the bar, staring at her like he can’t get enough, like the only sustenance he’ll ever need is her. His heated gaze sends a coil of heat through me. I have that.

Far away.

Ybris slips off her stool without looking away from him. He breaks the gaze first, heading toward the far end of the bar where he speaks quietly to the second bartender. The other male nods, grinning at the big minotaur as he claps him on the shoulder. Ybris leaves me behind without a backward glance, disappearing down a dark hallway toward the restrooms.

Damn. We were supposed to catch up on today’s meeting. But I can’t begrudge my friend the sort of dalliance she’s about to have. After slapping a bill on the bar top, I down my drink in a series of quick gulps. Drink devoured, I turn to leave. A dark elf by the door catches my eye, licking his lips suggestively.

Another time, I might take him up on the unspoken offer. For my kind, sex and blood are inextricably intertwined. I’ve taken many lovers in the time I’ve lived at the headquarters haven. It’s natural, almost expected, that I should do so—such is vampire culture. Pietro and Alé are free to do the same, of course, and I hope they have.

Yet something stops me this time…that quiet place in my chest where I should feel my mates. Sighing, I leave the bar, ignoring the dark elf’s sorrowful stare when I pay him no further attention.

Perhaps tonight, my mates are enjoying someone in the quiet, remote little haven of Ever. I hope they’re having fun. I miss them terribly.