Page 16 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

“Yes…a mysterious stranger…. He couldn’t tell who it was, but I think…I think he’s here.”

Augustus glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “What kind of stranger?”

I was shaking so hard could barely get out the words. “The wolf shifter.”

Petar whirled around, his eyes flashing with irritation. “Gianna, you don’t know that for sure. You need to calm down.” His sharp, angry voice struck an ember inside me, igniting a fire that threatened to consume my restraint.

My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging crescents into my palms as I fought to control my rising fury. “How dare you talk to me like that?” I spat, my voice low and dangerous. I leaned toward him, my chin tilted defiantly upward. “I’m a vampire mafia princess and wolves attacked me, almost killing me.” My chest heaved with each breath, heart pounding a furious rhythm against my ribs.

Louise put a hand between us, her presence a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. She gently clasped my trembling hand, her touch cool against my flushed skin. “Goody Magic Academy is warded, Gianna,” she murmured, her voice soft but firm. “Evil can’t penetrate our wards. You’re safe.”

The tension slowly ebbed from my shoulders, my breathing gradually steadying. I gave her a wan smile, hoping she was right. The fire of my anger dimmed to embers, but a lingering unease still coiled in my gut.

Augustus turned down a winding road, and I caught mybreath at the sight before me. There, perched atop a hill, framed by the fiery hues of the setting sun, stood Goody Magic Academy. Its spires and turrets reached toward the heavens, the ancient stones whispering tales of centuries past. The castle was both intimidating and mesmerizing, a fortress steeped in mysterious power.

As we drew closer, I marveled at the details that began to emerge from the shadows. Moss-covered bridges spanned deep moats, their waters glimmering like liquid gold in the fading light. Ivy crept up the weathered walls, its tendrils intertwining with the stone like delicate lacework, adding a touch of vibrant green to the somber gray.

What felt like icy fingers scraped over my skin and I trembled—a tingle of ancient magic that emanated from the very foundations of the castle. It was as if the grounds themselves were alive, pulsing with secrets and untold stories. Maybe the academy really would be able to protect me.

A car engine roared behind us.

“Here comes trouble,” Augustus said grimly as he parked the SUV behind a brick building.

A black Camaro pulled up next to us, and the car door abruptly opened. I found myself gazing into the most mesmerizing pair of eyes I had ever seen. They were a deep, hypnotic shade of blue, like the darkest depths of the ocean, and they seemed to bore right through me, straight into my soul.

The man the eyes belonged to was equally striking, with chiseled features that looked like they could have been carved from marble. His jet-black hair was artfully tousled, framinga face that was all sharp angles and handsome, brooding intensity. He had the kind of bone structure that belonged on a billboard or a movie screen, but there was something dangerous about him too, an aura of barely contained power that made my skin prickle.

He was dressed all in black, from his leather jacket to his boots, and the dark color only served to accentuate his pale, luminous skin.He looks like a fallen angel,I thought—beautiful and terrifying all at once. I felt my breath hitch when he fixed me with his penetrating gaze.

But there was no warmth in those eyes. No hint of welcome or kindness. Instead, they blazed with a kind of hostile intensity that made me want to shrink further into the back seat. The corners of his mouth turned up into a wry smile, and he slammed the car door shut with a force that made me flinch.

“Well, well, well,” he drawled, his voice low and dangerous. “Who do we have here?”

My heart pounded in my chest, and I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead. Shit, was this the mysterious stranger?

And if so, what did he want with me?

Chapter Eleven

Dimitri

Augustus and Petar got out of the car, but Louise and the other woman…doubtless the spoiled mafia princess…remained in the back. I didn’t spare them a glance. My attention was laser-focused on Petar Dragan, the bane of my existence. Dear old dad, the bastard who had made my life a living hell from the moment I drew my first breath.

Not only that, he had beaten and terrorized my younger brother, then threatened to kill him if I didn’t join him and Grayson Allen. Allen had a devious plot to overthrow the king and rule New Orleans. My father was his second-in-command and insisted I join them. If I didn’t, he said he’d torture and hurt my brother. So I did, but only to protect Valentin, the only person in this godforsaken world that I had ever given a damn about.

The memories left a bitter taste in my mouth, and the old anger and resentment rose up inside me like bile, burning my throat. I had stood up to Petar then, had borne the brunt of his wrath to keep Valentin safe. But the cost had been high, and the scars he’d left on my soul were deeper than any physical wound. They were the kind of scars that would never truly heal, the kind that made you want to lash out and watch the world burn.

I narrowed my eyes, a smirk playing on my lips. “If it isn’t the last person, I wanted to see again—Petar Dragan.” I didn’t even try to hide the resentment and hate in my voice. I wanted him to hear it, to feel the depth of my loathing.

Petar stiffened, his jaw clenching. “It’s Dad to you.”

I rolled my eyes and curled my lips in a snarl, a harsh laugh escaping my throat. “Tell me, how did you pull the wool over the vampire mafia king’s eyes?” I drawled.

“He trusts me.” Petar gave me a hard stare, his eyes cold and unyielding. “I’m his sister’s bodyguard.”

I tilted my head, studying him with a predatory gaze. “Is that so? Well, isn’t that just heartwarming?”

Petar nearly tripped over his words, his voice all false sincerity as he tried to convince me he was some kind of Good Samaritan. “Wolf shifters attacked her, and Angelo Santi sent her here to get out of New Orleans while he hunts for them.”

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