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

“First things first. Libertine come forward.” Hades clapped his hands and the crowd parted to reveal Valentine’s sire.


“Father!” Valentine didn’t care how it looked. He flew into his sire’s arms.


Locked in a tight embrace, they spiraled upward to float around the octopi chandeliers, for long minutes oblivious to the world around them, before sinking slowly to the floor. Releasing Valentine, Libertine went down on one knee before Hades.


“Thank you, my Lord. I’m very grateful to you for all you’ve done.”


“Freeing you was just the start, Libertine.” Hades indicated with a single clawed finger for Libertine to rise. “Come with me. There’s a vacant position of clan leader I wish to discuss with you. Seth, ensure a couple of good vintages of wine are brought to us, then join us. I want you close to me. Blade, take care of your mate-to-be.”


Chapter 35