The door swung open behind him. In stormed Cate, still in her pink bra and panties, her skin glistening from the oil. Her face had transformed into an angry tomato red and she clenched her fists at her sides. She slid to a stop in front of him and pointed her finger at him.
“You...” Her finger shook and her eyes narrowed. It would’ve been a hilarious picture, with her blushed face and oily undergarments, had he not been so furious at her.
“What?” He snarled, flashing his fangs.
She took a sudden step backwards, hitting one of the lockers. Her face didn’t give her away, but he could hear the uptick in her heart rate. She was afraid of him. Good. She needed to be afraid. Not all vampires would treat her kindly. There were plenty just out for themselves, living life as they had centuries before, taking advantage of naive humans.
Taking a steadying breath, she squared up to him, lifting her chin high. Her eyes flashed with anger. Part of him was impressed by her courage. Not many could stand up to a vamp. Not when every one of their human instincts were screaming at them to run.
“Don’t think I won’t tell your grandmother everything,” she said in low, even tone. Her eyebrows raised, as if challenging him, but there was a tremble in her chin.
He stared stupidly at her. She couldn’t be serious. “Tell her what? That you used me?”
“No,” she frowned, lines forming on her forehead. “That you’re phoning in this competition just so that you don’t have to find a mate. That you never were going to take it seriously. That’s right, I overheard your little conversation with Stasia.”
His mouth fell open and his eyes narrowed. Sure, he hadn’t ever intended to take the competition seriously and if he had his way, Duchess Jezebel would already be on a plane ride home. And now that he knew the truth about Cate, there was no way he’d give this competition another serious thought.
But looking at her standing in front of him, shaking with rage, he had no doubt that Cate would follow through on her threat. And if grandmother believed one iota of her story, he’d never hear the end of it. She’d be sending eligible young ladies to him in droves, just to spite him. She might seem like an ancient and genteel queen, but she had her stubborn side. He’d be paying for it for the next millennium.
The only way to appease Babushka was to complete the competition, as agreed. Then, he could go back to his ordinary life. Help his grandfather run the country and cement himself in his bachelor ways. No more thoughts wasted on the ideas of an unsuitable mate. No more dinner conversations about vampire dates. Just peace and quiet.
“Then, let us reach an agreement,” he said, tossing her a spare towel. She wrapped it around her body, her jaw still clenched with anger. “You’re going to finish out the competition, with your ring in place. No one will be any the wiser. And my grandmother will hear none of this.”
He never promised that he’d choose a woman at the final elimination, just that he’d date them. When they all went back to their countries, he would finally regain his sanity.
“Fine, then I want a plane ticket out of here and amnesty for my friend, Miranda,” she said, lifting her chin.
He blinked twice. Of course, her werewolf friend had been in on the deception. She’d probably helped smuggle her into Monstrana and into the castle. It was starting to make sense.
“Fine,” he said begrudgingly, surprised at her low demands. She was probably trying to cut her losses and run. He was a brick wall. She wasn’t getting anything more out of him. Especially not immortality.
Humanity didn’t realize what it cost for a vampire to turn another person. Despite what legend said, vampires still had souls. And turning a human being splintered off a piece of your soul and housed it permanently in their chest. His own father had changed him. He could still feel a part of him inside his head, something he’d forever be grateful for.
But that very fact kept a vampire from going out and changing every person they met on the street. Losing a part of your soul was as painful as childbirth and just as permanent. You didn’t waste it on the unworthy. There was a process.
“We have a deal.” She held out her hand toward him. There was a slight tremble of her fingers as she waited for him.
Without her magical ring, he could finally see the fragility of her human form. She was like a china doll. One fall and she could shatter into pieces. He didn’t remember feeling so frail as a human. Of course, nearly seven hundred years as a vampire tended to make oneself feel invincible. Still, he marveled at the sound of her heart as it supported her entire being.
If he was going to be stuck with her for several more days, he might as well take advantage of their time together to teach a valuable lesson. She thought being a vampire was so great. He’d have to show her exactly what this lifestyle meant. By the time she left Monstrana, she’d forget all about her desire for immortality. She’d run screaming back to her dull little human life, thankful for the mediocre time she had left.
“Deal.” His hand closed around hers. Despite his anger, he still felt a spark fly between them. Immediately, he shoved it to the back of his mind, never to consider again.
A cameraman burst into the locker room. He looked wildly around and then spotted the two of them. With a low curse, he messed with his camera and settled it on his shoulders.
“Tell me I didn’t miss anything good,” he said, the red light blinking.
“Nothing,” Viktor replied through his teeth, turning back for the spa room. “You missed nothing.”
Chapter Fifteen
CATE STOOD BEFORE A giant metal barrel and stared up at it in awe. Her arms were crossed tightly across her abdomen and her hands clasped tight over her ring. The situation with Viktor hadn’t gone as she’d imagined. He hadn’t demanded that she immediately be changed into a vampire. Or, that she be punished for her deception. But instead, he’d appeared shocked and maybe even a bit devastated. That, she hadn’t expected.
Their agreement to finish out the show just so that his grandmother would get off his back was easy enough. She could continue acting for a few more days. Then she’d run as far away as she could from this strange country. Keep her mortality, but no more Prince Viktor.
Part of her mourned the loss.
“The Monstranians are loving this show,” Stasia said, coming up behind her. She’d pulled her curly hair into a thick braid that fell down her shoulder and had a black headset on. “They’re in love with Vik and you ladies. I’ve even heard of some bets on the winner being taken. Want to know who the people think is going to capture his heart?”