When Valentine’s sire is forced to take a mate by his Clan leader, Valentine is reduced to stoking the castle’s furnaces as nothing more than a cindered servant to the new matriarch. With his sire Libertine incarcerated and Valentine forced to wear a cursed collar, there seems no way to escape Belladonna’s hold on them. When a stranger appears, Valentine is surprised by how quickly he trusts the other vampire. He accepts the request to go to the castle of his Clan Lord, the ancient and powerful Hades, to uncover who is working to overthrow him. His reward is freedom for both him and his sire. No one is meant to know who he really is, and Valentine pretends he’s one of Hades’ favorites while in the castle, adopting the name Cinder and playing his Seductive nature to its full. But his world is shaken to its core when Valentine finds himself falling for the enigmatic Cole. As a Seductive, Valentine never imagined he’d want an Alpha Predator as a mate. Worse yet, it may be that Cole could be the very one he’s been sent to uncover. When the battle for dominance begins, where will Valentine’s loyalty lie?

Cinis

“Now then. Costume. It has to be the most wonderful costume of the ball.” Seth paced the furnace floor and Valentine shook his head.


“It’s not fancy dress. But I will need the full regalia and transport.”


“You’re quite correct. We need a dress, shoes, and a coach.” Seth’s eyes glittered. “The biggest, baddestcoach we can find.”


“Don’t you mean a suit? My stepsisters never wear anything even vaguely masculine that I could ste—um, borrow.” Valentine grimaced. He had thought of stealing their clothes but didn’t dare show up wearing clothing that would be recognized. And do I dare wear a dress at all?


“I said what I meant and meant what I said.” Seth scowled at Valentine, then grasped his arms tightly. “Trust me. I know it’s difficult, and I can’t reveal everything just now, but I promise you that you’re on the cusp of the most amazing life change. With the perfect match at your side.”


Chapter 24