Page 25 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

Alex glanced away, sure he would be sick.

He certainly hadn’t looked. In fact, he’d only consented to attend the auction at all because it was the only place Cavalieri would agree to meet tonight to discuss working conditions in his factories, including requiring that the heat be turned on in the winter on the factory floor and mandating breaks every four hours.

For years, his mother had championed reform, fought for better living conditions for the working class and even volunteered in the same legal aid center where Alex quietly worked now. But the king was in the pockets of the oligarchs, who controlled their sector’s fragile economy. They were funding the war against the wolf shifters, a war they were prevailing in only by the barest degree.

He’d been sickened when they’d started parading the girls out, and had silently panicked when Dani’s name had been announced on stage.

“They weren’t my type. Her blood calls to me.” He raised an eyebrow. “Surely you have certain tastes of your own?”

Cavalieri was grinding his teeth so hard, he sounded close to breaking a fang. But Alex knew he wouldn’t challenge him. At least not here, and not so openly.

“Fine.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Have your fun. But end it by the solstice. Don’t forget that you’re proposing to my daughter at the ball.”

Alex said nothing as he stalked away. What had he gotten himself into?

“Besides,” Cavalieri called over one shoulder. “The next one’s younger.”

Outside in the hall, the house madam, Yvonne, hurried towards him. “Your Highness, we’re always honored to have you patronize—”

He held up a hand to stop her. “The dress she wore, was it hers, or one of the ones belonging to the auction house?”

For a second, the madam merely gaped. Quickly, she regained her composure. “I don’t believe I’ve seen that dress before. We update our selection of gowns frequently, however. If there’s something you’d like to see her in, I can have it sent up to the room.”

“That won’t be necessary. Find out if it’s hers. If it is, I expect it to be repaired immediately by a reputable seamstress and delivered to her apartment.”

“Of course, Your Highness. We’ll send it out at once.” Yvonne handed him a keycard. “You’ll be in the atrium suite. I thought you would enjoy it tonight, with the snow falling outside.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.” He glanced up as a figure appeared on the stairs. His sister Serafina looked constantly exhausted these days, but then, moving between safe houses for the past two years would do that to a person.

He nodded to Sera, who turned to follow him down the corridor towards the elevators.

“I gave Dani something else to wear,” she said in a low voice. “She’s a bit shaken up.”

“Well, that’s to be expected given what happened in there.”

The moment they were out of earshot, Serafina rounded on him. “What the hell were you thinking?” she hissed. “You bid on a sanguine?”

Alex checked to make sure they hadn’t been followed. “I didn’t have a choice. I only came here to meet with Cavalieri. Daniela is one of my clients at the center. I couldn’t exactly let her go to him. You know what would have happened.”

Serafina’s expression softened. But just as quickly, she shook her head. “You still have to complete the blood ritual. If you don’t, she’ll be resold.”

“You think I don’t know that?” He lowered his head. “It’s one time. Nothing will happen.”

“This is a mess. She really had no idea who you were?”

“I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth.”

“A little tip about women?” His sister raised an eyebrow. “We don’t like being lied to, even when you think it’s for our own good. In fact, it makes us especially angry.”

Alex sighed. “Noted.”

Sera tucked a strand of auburn hair behind one ear. “Not for nothing, but Mom would have been proud of you in there. That was a fucking stupid thing you did. But also brave.”

“Look at this place,” he said quietly, “Is it any wonder they despise us? The richest men in the sector line up to buy vulnerable young girls as if they’re blood bags, to be sucked dry and discarded. The shifters want to breed them. The fae want free labor for their fields. We keep the human underclass alive solely to be exploited, living under constant threat of war from beyond the walls and terror from within.”

“Mercy is a thing of the past,” Sera said grimly. “Have you talked to Dante in the past few weeks? He’s been pretty upset about something.”

“So what else is new?”