Page 142 of Our Sins in Blood (Coven of Sin 1)

“Chill, babe. We’re vampire royalty. We don’t do lines.”

I thought having the whole coven stare as Sterling and I kissed was nerve-wracking, but that was child’s play compared to having every single person in line veer their glare on us as we cut to the front.

Sweat broke out on my back, and I tried to keep my heart rate calm, knowing a lot of these people would possess the ability to sense my nerves.

Corry’s arm tightened around my shoulder, tucking me close against his side. “Hold your head high like the queen you are, Red,” he whispered in my ear. “Imagine all these people—”

“In their underwear?” I finished for him. “I’ve heard that trick on TV, and I don’t think it will work.”

“No, pervert.” He grinned at me, a teasing chuckle tickling the shell of my ear. “Imagine all of them on their knees, bowing before their queen. They’d be shaking in their boots right now if they knew what you were capable of.”

Corry’s words of encouragement were like steel support beams that had me standing a little taller as I emanated newfound confidence.

The bouncer at the door was a muscular man with a strong jawline, amber eyes, and a buzz cut. On the side of his skull was a silver scar reading ‘SC.’ It was a brand.

I was surprised by the ear-to-ear grin that broke out on the bouncer’s face as we approached. “Well, send me to Heaven and call me a saint. It’s the royal youngblood himself. I was hoping you’d sneak out tonight. Those den brothers of yours are going to be making Warehouse history tonight.”

He held out a fist to Corry, who bumped it with his own.

“No need to sneak tonight, Zeke. I got my leash lengthened, all on the condition that our sweet princess here gets to hold it.” Corry’s hand dropped to my ass and gave it a squeeze. I should have been irritated by the possessive gesture, but something about the way the young prince was showing me off had me feeling like a queen. If it were Vincent next to me, I’d feel more like a tool.

Zeke’s brows arched, and there was a cacophony of murmurs from the line behind us. “Princess? No shit? So it’s true. The old king had a little half-blood girl he was hiding away from the rest of us. Well, I’ll be damned.” The vampire’s gaze went to my tiara and made a slow, appraising descent down my body.

Corry’s body went rigid next to mine as the other vampire spent a little too long taking me in, but his smile remained locked in place, never wavering. “That’s right. Zeke, this is Ruby Renada Baxter, daughter of Thomas Knight and blood heir to the throne. Ruby, this is Zeke Stone of the Salem Coven.”

“Salem Coven?” I said. “I thought Salem was known for its witches.”

He shrugged. “They once were, but as you might imagine, the fiasco a few centuries back made their kind a bit uneasy to settle in the area. Now it’s home to the SC. Our numbers may be small, but we’re loyal to the Elders and whoever they deem worthy of the throne.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “Though I hear Boston’s gathering support for some progeny of Thomas Knight that just came out of nowhere. Rumor is he’s gunning for the crown. Not sure how he plans on taking it but keep on your toes there, Princess.”

“Um, thanks. I will.” If someone on our side knew about the shit Eros and I had to physically beat out of that Boston Coven vamp a week ago, news of Dagon Knight’s nefarious campaign for the throne was spreading like wildfire.

“Bleeding hell, is that Deathwish’s scent on you?” Zeke’s nostrils flared. “Didn’t think any woman would be crazy enough to take him as a mate. Hats off to you, Your Highness. If you’ve survived that crazy fuck, maybe you can handle the weight of the crown after all. Though not everyone is going to be thrilled with the idea of him as king.”

At a loss for words, Corry thankfully spoke. “Nothing’s decided yet, so watch what you say, Zeke. Wouldn’t want to spread more rumors. Especially one revolving around Deathwish. He’s known to take tongues who spew shit.” Corry’s smile had all but evaporated, and there was nothing but serious violence brewing in his blue gaze. It was rare seeing the youngblood like this, but fuck me, it was sexy.

Zeke’s brow broke into a cold sweat, and his Adam’s apple bobbed with a swallow. “Right, of course. As much as I’d love to chat, the fight will start soon, so I’ll lay down a few rules for you, Princess, since you’re a first-timer here. All the fighters are sups, but we’ve got humans who come and watch these things, so no feeding. If you get into a fight, do it with your fists, not your fangs, and no mesmerizing people. If anyone pulls any supernatural bullshit, we have to round up the humans and mesmerize them all. We’ve only had it happen once, and the Elders threatened to shut us down. So, for everyone to have fun, please keep your bloodlust suppressed until you get back home to your coven.”

I gave him a nod, and he ushered us through the door.

The Warehouse had to have some kind of soundproofed walls because the ruckus inside was ear-splitting. The seats were stacked out in rows that reached the far perimeter of the space, and almost every single chair was filled with excited onlookers, chatting and shouting their speculations for who’d win.

It was easy to tell the supernaturals apart from the humans, not because of the scent—there were too many clashing smells in here to pick anything apart—but by the way half the room turned to stare the moment Corry and I strode in.

I frowned. “Sterling said not to draw attention to ourselves.”

“Nothing bad is going to happen, babe,” Corry consoled me while scoping out the room, probably for threats. “We might be in BC territory, but The Warehouse is a neutral zone. And tonight, we’re in luck. Tons of vamps loyal to us here, not a Boston or Detroit fuckhead in sight.”

I tried to let Corry’s words ease the growing tension in my belly, but no dice. I was still anxious as fuck.

I needed to find Eros and Vincent so I could put a stop to this whole thing before it started.

“When’s the fight supposed to start?”

Corry glanced at his cell. “Fifteen, twenty minutes tops.”

That was enough time. It had to be. “You get our seats. I’m going to go to the bathroom.”

For a second, Corry looked like he was going to insist on accompanying me. Sterling wouldn’t want him leaving me alone. “I’ll be fast, I promise.” Before he could object, I was off, pushing my way through the crowd toward a sign in the back that read “locker rooms.”

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