“Yes, well, it was easier to hide back then. No cameras, no Internet conspiracies, no handy instructions on how to kill a vampire. Just a man and his sword. I’ll admit that part was nice.”
Blood began to gather in splotches across her chest. She hid her shaking hands in her lap and took a shuddering breath. “You’re an ancient...vampire?”
He grimaced and ran a hand through his black hair. “I’m not a fan of the word ancient. Makes me sound like I should be falling apart. I turned seven hundred and three last year. It wasn’t much to celebrate.”
Her eyes flitted to the trio again. They’d released their victim and were in the process of daintily wiping up the spilled blood off her skin. A scream caught in Cate’s throat.
This wasn’t possible. She was surrounded by blood-thirsty monsters. If she didn’t get out of here soon, they’d eat her alive. Maybe even turn her into a vampire.
That’s what these creatures did in the movies, wasn’t it? Savagely kill and take whoever they wanted. It wouldn’t happen to her. She wouldn’t allow it.
“Ex...excuse me,” she muttered, jumping to her feet.
In the process, her knee knocked over a drink on the table. Its red contents splashed on the clear surface and she realized for the first time what everyone had been drinking — blood. The sight made her feel faint.
“I’ve just got to...” Glancing out the door, she bit the side of her cheek and tasted her own metallic blood. It was a harsh reminder of her current danger. “I’ve got to go freshen up. I’ll be right back.”
No one had ever moved so fast to be away from the prince. He sipped at his drink and watched her go, until she disappeared from sight.
Chapter Eight
CATE MADE IT EXACTLY ten steps from the room when someone grabbed her from behind. Remembering the self-defense classes she’d taken in college, she spun and chopped the offender on the neck, right on a pressure point. With a warrior cry, she struck out with her left arm, only to punch something soft and squishy.
“Ouch, my boob!” Her friend Miranda stood in front of her, rubbing a hand over her chest with a resentful frown on her face. She hadn’t changed much in the last few months. Still wore her dark hair in a shoulder-length cut and sported a blazer with a pencil skirt. Her tawny skin appeared even darker in the shadows of the club and her purple lipstick glowed. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Thank the stars, it’s you.” Cate grabbed her by the shirt and dragged her into the female restroom just down the hall. Once inside, she clicked the lock behind them and pressed herself against the door. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
“You’re telling me.” Miranda cocked her hip and scowled. “What are you doing here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She held up a finger. “First, you leave me a voice mail that you’ve arrived in Monstrana. Then, you go completely off the grid. Don’t return my calls. I thought you were dead! Next thing I know, I’m turning on the evening news and I see your face blaring across my screen. And that you’re dating the Crown Prince. I wouldn’t have believed it until I got a call from his assistant this evening, telling me you were here.”
Cate shook her head. None of that was important now. She needed to find them an escape.
“It’s all been a mistake,” she said, looking around the room for exits. No windows, no ceiling vents. They were trapped. “But you’ll never believe what happened to me tonight. This is the stuff of nightmares, Miranda. The prince and the others, they’re all vampires! Real life vampires. They were draining a poor girl in there. We’ve got to get out of here. They’ll kill us.”
The fury melted from Miranda’s face. She tilted her head and patted Cate’s shoulder. “Oh, honey...”
“I’m not crazy!” She started looking for a weapon. Anything made of wood. That’s what Buffy used, right? But unfortunately, the entire club seemed to be made of cement and steel. No wood in sight. They must’ve been paranoid vampires.
“No one said you were crazy.” Miranda licked her lips and made a grimace. “But you’re not wrong about the vampires. Or the werewolves. They run this country.”
Freezing in place, Cate blinked hard and tried to understand the words coming out of her best friend’s mouth. “Did you say werewolves?”
“Yeah.” Miranda shrugged and turned to check her hair in the mirror. “Ever since I went through my change last year, I’ve been struggling. Moving to Monstrana was the best decision I ever made. No more hiding. Every full moon and I’m out there with the pack, running through the night. It’s exhilarating. I wish you could experience it.” Something sparkled in her blue eyes. “Oh, and I met someone. I can’t wait to introduce you two.”
Her eyes narrowed at her friend. Surely, she could tell this wasn’t the time for joking. A real life monster was out there. Four, to be exact.
“I can see this is coming as a shock.” Miranda placed a hand on each of her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Take a moment. Let it sink in. What I’m telling you is real. Vampires exist. Werewolves exist. And a whole load of other supernatural creatures you thought were just fairy tales.”
Cate dropped to the floor and squeezed her eyes shut. This was all a dream. Just a dream. She’d wake up any second now, back at home in Nebraska. Her favorite fluffy pink slipper sitting next to the bed. Her unicorn mug waiting by the coffee pot. She’d have a cup and then she’d call Miranda and they’d laugh about it. That was all.
But when she opened her eyes again, they were still in the club bathroom and her ex-roommate was kneeled in front of her. She clasped her hands to her cheeks and tried to focus, feeling over-whelming panic on the edge of her consciousness.
“How?” she asked, eyeing her friend. “And, when?”
They’d grown up together. Shared every detail of their love lives and dreams. She was like a sister. Cate couldn’t imagine that Miranda simply forgot to share a tiny little detail like oh, hey, I’m a werewolf.
“Remember that dog bite I got when I went out for a late night walk last summer?” Miranda sighed and shrugged. “Wasn’t a dog. I turned during the next full moon. Freaked me out. It wasn’t until I found a local pack of werewolves that I figured it all out.”