Blood becoming the vampi.., p.1
Blood: Becoming the Vampire Queen, page 1
Blood
Becoming the Vampire Queen
BE Brouillard
Copyright © 2023 BE Brouillard
All rights reserved
Cover design by: Aura
Edited by: Jessica Meigs
Beta Reader: Kelsey G.
b.e.writes@authorbrouillard.com
Blood is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
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About the Author
Other books By BE Brouillard
1
Aurora
He’s beautiful. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed this, but it’s the first time I’ve truly appreciated it. Lord Bartholomew Oberon Bellingham is a freaking knockout.
Not appropriate. Really not appropriate, Aurora!
But who could blame me for noticing it all right now? He’s a work of masculine art, from his chiseled lips to his strong jawline to the thick wave of caramel gold hair that he’s somehow tamed. Much like the rest of him. Barely restrained power. It radiates from him. But it’s those damned eyes that floor me.
They catch mine now, and my breath hitches. They’re gold, too, but there’s a dark band around the irises that gives his stare an intensity that makes me squirm in my seat. He’s aware of me watching, and I see something change in his expression. It’s barely a flicker, though. A searing flash of gold, and then he looks away again.
Pull it together!
I can’t be simpering over this man. Not when there’s so much at stake.
I watch as he rises from his seat and runs those astonishing eyes over the assembled dignitaries. Kings, queens, rulers of kingdoms…everyone goes quiet as they wait for him to speak. He commands the room.
“To the betrothed couple.” His voice is rich and clear, crisply accented with a human inflection that’s intriguing since it’s clear that he’s a vampire. “Wishing them a long and happy marriage. I am delighted to see my dear sister meeting her match at last. May this be a long and joyful union!”
Everyone raises their glasses, and I find myself doing the same. “To a joyful union,” we all echo. I try not to make it too obvious that I’m ogling him, but again, how can I not? Tall, lean, broad-shouldered. The damn man doesn’t seem to have a single flaw. He settles back into his seat, and those eyes meet mine again. I swallow hard and manage a cool smile.
At least, I hope it’s cool. I hope I don’t look like some sort of starstruck adolescent. Because if this thing is going to work, I’m going to have to keep my wits about me.
There’s a murmur of voices from those who are sitting here, and I pull my attention back to what’s going on in the room. Princess Vespyr is on her feet, tall and beautiful. She doesn’t seem to have any trouble with giving cool smiles. Icy aloofness appears to be wired into her. Except now she has her hand on Nightfall’s shoulder, and she’s staring down at him with a look of doting adoration.
What on earth?
I may have been the one to orchestrate this whole betrothal thing, but this is the first time I’ve seen any kind of enthusiasm from the woman. Any kind of emotion at all, to be honest. She’s barely shown a flicker of interest in the man she’s set to marry. Still, it’s to be expected in these situations; they barely know each other. I doubt I’d be thrilled in their situation. But it’s for the best if the vampire princess and our Fae king are to form a union. Who knows how Autumnburn will survive if this marriage doesn’t go ahead? If the vampires and the Fae can’t build an alliance?
Which is why King Nightfall is making me nervous with all his recent behavior.
“I’d like to say a few words.” It takes me a moment to realize Princess Vespyr is speaking, and she goes on now. “When my brother proposed this alliance, I was initially reluctant,” she says with a radiant smile. “But then I came here, and I knew. From the first time I laid eyes on this incredible man, my heart was no longer my own.” Her hand tightens on his shoulder. Nightfall looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here. He really needs to get with the program. “My love…my soul…the king of my heart,” she simpers, “I know that just like our kingdoms will now be joined forever, our spirits will forever be entwined, too.”
Really? King of her heart?
It seems unbelievable, considering how icy she’s been to him.
I glance at Lord Bellingham, who’s watching them carefully. Somehow, I get the feeling that he’s more invested in this union than he’s been letting on. When I’d first spoken to him, I’d gotten the feeling the vampires were doing us a favor by joining our two realms. Now, I’m not so sure.
Could Nightfall be right?
Keep an open mind, Aurora!
I have to remain objective, or else I’m going to be seeing conspiracies where there aren’t any. But it’s hard not to think something is wrong when Vespyr practically drags Nightfall to his feet yet again, and I’m seeing Bellingham staring at him with a steely intensity.
“To our everlasting love. To family. To our kingdoms. And to the rightful heirs to the throne,” Vespyr trills. She’s smiling, but there’s something disconcerting about the way those teeth of hers flash. I look back at Nightfall, who’s not looking at her.
“To everlasting love and our kingdoms,” he mutters. He’s staring down the banqueting table to where a dark-haired woman is sitting, glaring straight ahead of her.
Oh boy.
The human, Gina, has been impossible to ignore through all this. Hardly surprising since she’s carrying the king’s baby. Talk about a fluff-up.
And now she’s on her feet and bolting for the door. Nightfall doesn’t bother sitting down; he’s hot on her heels, rushing out of the banquet hall. The door slams shut behind him, and there’s a heavy silence for several seconds. Steam rises from serving platters. Twinkling light glitters off chandelier crystals. Mouths hang open.
Petal poop!
“My lord!” Vespyr snaps. It looks like her head is about to explode. People are starting to talk among themselves. She composes herself. “Please,” she says to all of us, “do continue dining. I have a small matter to attend to.”
Small matter? Her fiancé just raced out after another woman. One who happens to be carrying his child.
I’d say this is a royal fuck-up.
But Vespyr simply waves a graceful hand at a small cluster of servers nearby. “More wine,” she instructs. As she sweeps away from the table, glasses are being topped up, and the conversation picks up again. There’s no avoiding the topic, though. Nightfall’s little disappearing act is going to be fueling the rumor mill for months.
As Vespyr leaves the room to follow Nightfall, a chair scrapes sharply, and I see Lord Bellingham get up abruptly. His features are pulled into a dark frown. Which still manages to look hot as Hades somehow. Without looking at anyone, he strides away from the table, leaving a bunch of empty seats. People are staring.
Awkward!
“Oh dear,” Grand Father Silverwing sighs from beside me. “This is troubling.”
“Troubling?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “I’d say that’s an understatement, wouldn’t you?”
“I can’t say it’s a surprise, my Lady.” He shrugs, his eyes warm in his furrowed face. I guess he’s right. I sigh, too.
“You know this isn’t going to end well, don’t you?” I say. Another understatement. The vampires are a powerful force. It’s why we arranged this union. If Nightfall screws it up, there’s going to be hell to pay.
Or war.
I rub my forehead, where a headache is starting to build.
“I’d better go after them,” I huff out.
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Silverwing’s warm expression has morphed into one of concern.
“I…um…yes,” I say, because I’m not sure how to explain myself, not sure what to say about this.
I have a secret mission, and I have to stick with the overlord.
Yeah. That’ll go down well.
“I won’t be long,” I say instead. “Don’t finish all the dessert without me!” I wink before pushing back my chair and leaving quickly. I’m sure there are eyes on me now, but I can’t think about it. I slip out of the tall double doors to the banqueting room just in time to see the tail of a heavy brocade coat flap around the corner of the long hallway. I quickly head in that direction, trying to keep my footfalls light. I’m not quite sure what I’m about to run into, but somehow, I sense that discretion is going to be necessary. Still, it feels odd to be tiptoeing like a mouse. I’m royalty, after all. I’m supposed to be regal.
“It’s nothing. A trifling issue,” I hear Vespyr respond. There’s a snort from her brother, who clearly doesn’t believe her.
“A trifling issue?” he scoffs. “The man just shot out of the room like his ass was on fire. What the fuck did you do?”
“Me? Why would this be my fault?”
“You want me to believe all of that happened on a whim? I thought you said you had this thing under control, Vespyr!” His voice is normally a rich rumble, but now it’s dropped an octave into a low growl that has the tiny hairs on the back of my neck shivering up.
Holy Hollyhocks! That should not sound so sexy!
“I had it under control, dammit. I have it under control.” The princess sounds flustered, but somehow, I don’t think she’s intimidated by the overlord. If anything, I think she’s annoyed that our Fae king dared to disobey her orders. Because there’s no doubt in my mind that Nightfall had done exactly that. Until that moment when the human ran out, Vespyr had been trying to call the shots, probably because they had an audience. My king was maintaining appearances while there were others around.
That was never going to work well. Nightfall may be level-headed and the type to consider things cautiously, but he’s nobody’s lapdog.
“If you have it under control – and that’s a big if, from where I’m standing – then you will fix this thing, Vespyr. The risks are too high for us to lose this. You know it.”
“I told you, I can handle it, and I will handle it. Now would you leave me to deal with this?” Vespyr makes an impatient sound, and then there are fast footsteps that quickly fade down the hall. I stand silently for a minute or two, mulling this over.
The risks are too high?
What did he mean by that?
Carefully, I peer past the wall to see where they’ve gone. I’m expecting to be looking down an empty hallway, but I give a squeak of alarm when I find myself staring straight into a pair of glittering gold eyes. A dark eyebrow lifts.
“May I be of assistance, my Lady?” Lord Bellingham asks. His voice has returned to its regular clipped tones. Rich and melodic, with a slight edge to it.
“Oh…no…I’m fine, Lord Bellingham. I…I heard voices and came to investigate.”
“You did?” That eyebrow is still raised. “And you left the banquet to do that?” He takes a step toward me, and I have to restrain myself from shrinking back. He stops in front of me, and I tip my head back to look up into his face.
Petals, he’s tall!
“Is the Lady Vespyr unwell, my Lord?” I change the subject. Kind of.
“She’s just fine,” he responds quickly. Too quickly.
“Are you sure she—?” I stop talking as he steps up even closer. Totally in my personal space now. When I take in a breath, I inhale the scent of him. And, oh lord, he smells good. It’s like standing near the ocean with a breeze on my face. He’s cool and balmy all at the same time. “Um…I…”
Oh, get it together, Aurora. This is not like you at all!
“Yes…?” He cocks his head. There’s amusement flickering in those gold depths now, which is an improvement on the cold fire I’d seen there a moment ago. But still unnerving.
“I’d hoped to have a word with you, actually.” I’m the one rushing through the words this time. But I have to. Before I lose my nerve. Not that losing my nerve is something I often do.
“I’m listening,” he says. It’s not the ocean breeze on my face; it’s his breath, clean and crisp, just like he is.
“Well…with the wedding coming up so soon, I thought it would be a good idea if we sent a Fae contingent to visit Ryacyn. You’ve met our people. It’s only fitting that we should meet yours.” I aim a smile at him. He looks down at my lips and then back to my eyes.
“Fitting?”
“Yes. Appropriate. So we can develop our mutual relations.” I ramp up the charm, hoping my smile is enough to dash away the discomfort I’m feeling.
“And just how do you see our mutual relations…developing?”
I’m sure he’s taunting me now, but that unflappable exterior is so hard to read.
I clear my throat, trying to regain my composure. “Well, I think it’s important that we foster a sense of understanding between our people. Strengthen our ties. And who better to lead that charge than the esteemed Lord Bellingham himself?” I give him a playful wink, hoping to diffuse any tension.
“Ties?” His lips twitch. Oh, he’s definitely teasing me now. “You like ties, do you? I suppose next, you’re going to tell me you enjoy spankings, too?”
I choke. Literally…the sound I make is an actual choke. “Excuse me?”
“I think you heard me.”
I try to keep my breathing steady as I respond, “I meant diplomatic ties, Lord Bellingham. Relations between our people!” My voice rises so high I’m almost squeaking.
“So, no spankings, then?”
Oh, dear lord.
“Of course not! Where would you get such a ridiculous idea?”
“Never hurts to check on these things. Who knows? You might have been lurking around here hoping for exactly that.”
My god, he’s insufferable. But my face is flaming.
“I came to see if I could help in any way,” I blurt. “And since I was here, it seemed prudent to discuss a visit. That’s all. Case closed.”
“Well, now…that’s a pity.” His lip twitches again. “But I think you are right. A diplomatic envoy. Headed by you, I imagine?”
“Yes. Me. And my entourage, of course.” I nod. A lot.
“Good. I will make the necessary arrangements. I’ll be leaving in the morning, so this meeting is…fortuitous.” His eyes drop below my chin to where I’m sure the swell of my breasts are heaving against the green chiffon of my dress.
Breathe…just breathe…
“Thank you,” I tell him. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements.” I’m still nodding.
Stop nodding.
He says nothing for a moment, looking at me as if he’s wondering what my blood might taste like. Which is ridiculous, because there’s no way he’d be doing that.
Would he?
I maintain my composure and try not to fidget. I’m royalty, after all.
He steps back, his eyes glinting with something indefinable, and I finally find my breath again.
“I look forward to helping to establish those ties…Lady Aurora.” My name on his lips sounds more like a caress than a word, and my skin tingles. With a curl of his lips that I’m sure is his version of a smile, he turns and walks off. I’m left reeling for a second.
What just happened?
And what the hell am I getting myself into? I can’t help but wonder what kind of games Lord Bellingham is playing and whether or not I’m willing to play along.
Play with Lord Bellingham…a part of me would jump at the chance. If that was something that was possible for me.
It’s not possible. Don’t even go there.
I stand stupidly for a while until a sound has me looking to my side to where Lily is hovering. She must have seen me leave the hall and decided to come after me. The little Fae’s eyes are huge as she stares up at me.
“My Lady,” she says, “is there any way I can assist?”
I glance at where Bellingham has just disappeared down the hall and then back at my lady-in-waiting.
“Pack our things, Lily. We’re going to Ryacyn.”
2
Bartholomew
“Where did it happen?” I snap. I’m doing my best not to go off the rails as I stare at the pair of messengers in front of me. One is covered in blood. Not his own, but that’s small consolation. I lean back in my seat and survey them coolly. At least, I try to. My blood is boiling.
“The Highlands, Sire,” the bloodstained vampire responds. “Not densely populated in that region, but still…” He shrugs.
I exhale slowly, counting to ten. This is the third incident in as many weeks. If we can’t put a stop to these rogue attacks, it’s going to become impossible to hide what’s going on.
