Moretti Blood Brothers: Volume Two - Books 5-7: The Moretti Blood Brothers, #0.1

By Juliette N Banks

Moretti Blood Brothers Series Volume TWO

Join these gorgeously sexy, powerful alpha vampires as they meet their strong, and sometimes sassy, fated mates, and navigate threats to the race, those they love, and their own inner demons.

 

* A happy ever after in every story! *

The Moretti Blood Brothers is a part paranormal romance, part romantic suspense steamy series which will appeal to anyone who loves fated mates, and military romance with supernatural abilities. And a happy ever after is guaranteed in every book! 

Expect new book boyfriends, cursing, lots of steamy scenes, and a whole bunch of twists and turns. You'll be laughing out loud, then reaching for the tissues. These vampires love big... and some of them can be quite romantic. Even if that means pushing their heroines up against the wall, slamming a kiss on their lips, and then confessing their love.  

Volume Two includes books 5,6 and 7 in the Moretti Blood Brothers series:

• The Vampire Assassin
• The Vampire Awoken
• The Vampire Lover

Grab your copy now and meet these sexy Italian vampires and their mates who will keep you up all night turning those pages!

The Vampire Assassin
Vampire assassin Ben Ferrero risks revealing a centuries-old secret. When he meets Anna his desire to protect her challenges his deep loyalty to those he protects. Anna would rather be distracted by the gorgeous male with dimples that melt panties than face another therapy session, but she learns Ben is far more dangerous than anyone realizes.

The Vampire Awoken
Ancient vampire, Ari Moretti, is stunned at his possessive reaction when he meets Sage and wonders if, after fifteen hundred years, she could be the one. Until he finds out who she is and what she does. Sage soon realizes she's fallen into a dangerous world that shouldn't exist. One she's unwittingly entwined and will need to decide what's more important to get out of. Has Ari finally met his mate after all these centuries, only to find out she's his enemy? Or will Sage let her heart rule her need for scientific answers?

The Vampire Lover
Powerful vampire, Oliver Cambiaghi, has it all. Great career, a very enjoyable sex life with beautiful women (plural!) and loyal friends. Life couldn't be better. Until Piper Roberts shows up with her beautiful blue eyes and sassy demands. Determined to find her missing sister and the dangerous man she's dating, Piper, an investigative reporter, struggles to get answers from his infuriating friend. The fact that he's sexy AF—if you like muscular leather-clad men with tattoos and mussed-up hair, which she doesn't — is a small detail she's trying to stop distracting her. Until she discovers a small little detail about vampires maybe being real. Then things become a little too real. Or is that unreal? Oliver needs Piper out of his dangerous world, and his perfect mate-free life, before her desire for the truth gets her killed. Or he can no longer let her go.


Grab your copy of this paranormal romance box set and continue your steamy journey with the Moretti Blood Brothers vampires. Then, there are even more book boyfriends with tattoos, delicious abs, and enough dimples to keep you blushing for hours!


Moretti Blood Brothers: Volume One - Books 1-4 is out now! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Juliette Banks
• Release date: Feb 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215891438

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Ben kicked off the white sheet, slammed his large thigh back down on the mattress, and let out a long groan. The apartment in Rome was well equipped with daytime shutters, so it wasn’t the daylight keeping him awake. It was a female.

Actually, that was a lie. It was his cock.

Every time he closed his eyes...

Yet another lie.

Here’s the truth. Ben hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Anna since he’d met her yesterday at the Moretti castle while visiting his sister, Sofia De Luca. Which now made it a total of twenty-four hours since he’d been semihard, despite jerking off three times already.

Even his hand had had enough.

To make matters worse, Anna had collapsed, so she hadn’t exactly been throwing come-fuck-me eyes at him, although when they’d first spotted each other, the world had slowed down.

In the moment between greeting his sister and taking Anna’s hand, he’d learned a lot about the curvy blonde. Which sounded arrogant as fuck, but Ben had been trained to be observant.

Very, very observant.

Kicking off the hard cock campaign was a set of long, thick, dark lashes which had momentarily dropped onto her cheeks in a delicate and submissive manner, doing a little flutter as a warm apricot tinge spread across her heart-shaped face. Her eyes had then lifted, connecting with his, and just before she blinked and began wiping her sweaty palms on jeans which clung to her curves, a sensual glint had given her away.

Those blue eyes had become hooded as he made his way over to her. In those few steps, it was as if Ben lived a million years; he saw Anna with her legs wide, her back arched and head flung back in pure arousal while he clutched her thighs. He felt his thumbs press into her skin as he ordered her not to orgasm until he’d finished with her completely. He tasted her on his tongue as he watched her mouth fall open.

Then, shaking off the vision, he’d taken Anna’s hand in his, and it was as if all the pleasure he’d imagined went plowing through their bodies. And he was no fucking poet, but it had struck him like a freight train.

Anna’s mouth had parted, and it had taken everything Ben had not to push her to her knees and plant his cock between her red-tinged lips.

Ben kicked off the rest of the sheet and groaned as his hand grabbed his cock.

Yank. At this rate, he was going to yank it right off.

Ben closed his eyes, imagining Anna kneeling before him. He wasn’t a dom, but he was an alpha, so a powerful woman in the bedroom didn’t excite him as much as a submissive type who opened up her soul and gave herself to him on all levels.

Fuck yes. And he knew if he had a few hours with Anna, that’s exactly what she would do.

He needed all that blonde hair wrapped around his fist.

Stroke, stroke.

Cougars—who weren’t actually cougars because Ben was over one hundred years old—who took control and rode his cock like wild cowgirls were totally okay with him, too. It just wasn’t quite as hot.

Tying a willing participant to a post—or any solid object—and adding a few nipple clips to keep the party going when he was busy downstairs got his cock dripping and ready.

Jesus.

His hand gripped harder as he continued to stroke faster, visualizing Anna removing her bra and watching him clip on some of his favorites to her heavy breasts. Her face. He wasn’t sure she would’ve played like this before, and her trepidation and excitement—though imagined—was causing major swelling in the cock area.

His fat crown pulsed as his body shuddered.

He pulled down the zipper on her jeans and slid his hand inside. She’d be wet, her panties soaked...

That was all he needed.

His body jerked, and with a few more tugs, he came all over his thigh. A-fucking-gain.

After cleaning up, Ben sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hand across his face and head a few times.

Shit. What had he done?

Not the wanking off—that he didn’t care about.

He’d accepted a job from the king. He started tomorrow.

Ben Ferrero, Lieutenant Commander, in training to step up to be a Senior Lieutenant Commander—or SLC, as they were known. Which was a fucking joke, because he had a job. Just one he couldn’t tell anyone about, especially not the Moretti’s.

Craig could probe and push all he fucking liked; he’d never get anything out of him, and he wouldn’t break. They’d never find out anything about him or The Institute. Or the Director.

Ben grinned.

He’d trained and worked at The Institute for seventy years. There was no way he was going to tell them anything. The great oaf could try all he liked; he’d just grin at the guy. He knew how much Craig loved his dimples.

Was he playing with fire?

Yes.

Did he enjoy it?

Well...maybe. Okay, yes. But life had been pretty damn serious recently. It was only because Sofia had been in trouble that Ben had shown his face. If he’d known she was mated to Lance De Luca—one of the SLCs—he would’ve kept his distance. It had happened very recently; otherwise, his intel would have been up to date.

Still, once he’d seen his sister after seventy years apart, he had wanted to see her more, at least while he was in Rome on this assignment. Which was how he’d met Anna. He was visiting Sofia at the Moretti castle, and she’d been with the female.

Why? He didn’t know. Not history fucking lessons, as she’d tried to tell him.

Little minx.

He intended to find out, before or after he fucked her.

Ben was sure it had something to do with Anna collapsing when Craig and the other warriors had confronted him in the foyer. The stress had set her off, and she’d fallen to the floor shaking. Ben had raced across the room like a mother bear, ready to kill anyone who came near her.

Yeah, that had been weird.

All the males had stayed back, which had surprised him.

Anna had reacted to his voice, calming down, before the king ordered Sofia to take her away. But not before he’d had a quick moment to make her a promise, which he fully intended to keep.

Ben ran his hand over his mouth.

The feeling of Anna’s hips under his hands as he whispered into her hair was haunting and delicious.

God, he needed to touch her again.

The king’s offer had been a shock both to him and the commander, who, while he hadn’t turned purple, had reminded Ben of the Grimace from McDonalds.

Okay, so maybe this could be a bit of fun while he completed his actual mission.

The guy needed some healthy competition, and Ben was just the guy for the job. Time to bring the guy down a peg or two.

Ben laughed and climbed back under the sheets.

He’d play along while he found a way to reach Anna again... and eliminate the pending risk to the vampire race; one he knew the king was not aware of, and hopefully, would never need to know about. It was because of the work the Institute did, and its owner, whose identity could not be revealed.

Ari Moretti.

CHAPTER TWO

Two months ago

BEN SAT ON THE EDGE sofa of the central Rome apartment owned by The Institute and stared at his phone.

He didn’t want to make this call, but he’d put it off long enough. He should have made it days ago, but had been hoping to gather more information before he spoke to the Director, who was going to be unhappy.

Ben had never missed a mark before, and this one was important.

They were all important.

The Institute didn’t take on anything that wasn’t, and as Head Assassin, Ben wasn’t accustomed to fucking things up. He wasn’t going to make any excuses, either. He knew what was on the line.

This job was personal. For all of them.

Not that he’d actually fucked up, but things weren’t going as smoothly as he had wanted. Ben ran his hand over his face and stretched out one long denim-clad leg. He cursed under his breath and pushed the call button.

Ben, the deep, powerful voice answered.

Ari Moretti was an ancient vampire. Only a handful of vampires knew he existed and who he was. Ben was honored to be in his trusted circle, but it went deeper than that. Ari was like a father to him.

Ben had a father, but seventy years ago, he had left his family when their alliance with the rebellion had reached a point he could no longer stomach. He hadn’t been able to for many years, and the debates with his parents had become intolerable.

When he’d left Italy and traveled to the United States, his plan had been to make his way to Maine, where the Moretti king resided. What he hadn’t been expecting was to find a Moretti who had branched out on his own, living covertly on the other side of the continent.

It had been a coincidence that they had met. He’d been walking out of a bar and spotted two human males accosting a woman. She had been on her own, and it had irked him. Ben had crossed the street and shoved his boot into the back of the knees of one of the men, wrapping an arm around the other while the first was dropping to the floor.

The female had gasped at him, and he’d simply winked at her and told her to run.

She had.

"Go home and jerk off, boys. If I see you again, you won’t have anything left to play with. Capisce?" he’d snarled at them before walking back across the road to jump on his new motorbike.

Halfway there, he’d sensed a pair of eyes watching him. He knew they belonged to a vampire. Without missing a beat, he’d kept walking and lifted his helmet.

Then the male had appeared in front of him.

"You’re not going to threaten my balls like you did those little fuckers?" the dark voice had said, lined with humor.

Ben had turned and come face-to-face with the ancient vampire, whose power had rolled off him. There had been a strong and calm danger to him. Holding the male’s stare, he’d simply replied, "No. I sensed your balls might be a tad bigger. In any case, you weren’t harming an innocent."

Ari had grinned...and the rest was now history.

Over the past seventy years, they had grown to trust each other as deeply as anyone could without being mates. Ari had shared his greatest secret with Ben and trained him to become his top assassin. He’d been tough on him, and it had made him what he was today.

A lethal killer.

Yet, he was only as good as the intel provided, and right now, they were dealing with a fast-changing situation. Apparently.

I’m going to stay in Rome a little longer, Ben informed. He could all but hear Ari’s frown through his silence. Red light, he added the code word, indicating the need for a private channel.

Hold the line, Ari replied.

Ben had the phone on speaker; he turned the volume down as Ari began to scramble their call. He fucking loved that they had the best technology and toys available to them. They had to—there was no mucking about when you were in the business of killing people.

Covertly.

The scratchy noise subsided, and he upped the sound once more.

Go ahead, Ari said, switching to a video call. Are you compromised?

No.

Then what’s going on?

Our intel was good, Ben started. "To a point. Bob fucking Johnstone is more in bed with the Italian president, Diego Lombardo, than we thought."

Bob was the man responsible for writing to the US president, triggering the exposure of their race to humans. Unsurprisingly, Bob’s name wasn’t really Bob. It was Xander Tomassi.

Xander was a white male, aged thirty-five, six foot one, recessing hairline, and carrying a few excess pounds. He was also wealthy as fuck. They also had proof Xander was responsible for tipping off the global media.

When it had hit the news, the Moretti royal family had gone into hiding, most of the vampire race executing their emergency plans. It was a scenario they’d all planned for centuries. But living it was a whole other experience.

Reading the human comments on social media where they threatened to hunt them down had been sickening, but not surprising. They had all lived among humans long enough to predict how they’d react, and their suspicions had been right.

Thankfully, the quick thinking of the Moretti PR team had quietened the noise online and turned the breaking news into fake news. Long may it last.

While the keyboard warriors had been stopped—for the most part—The Institute had been left with the reality. Deep in the shadows, a darker world was still taking shape, and it was Ben’s job to cut them off at the knees.

So far, things weren’t going quite as planned, and while he was trained to pivot and adjust, he was feeling more off-balance than usual.

Ben had been at The Institute in Seattle, Washington, when news of their existence had first come out. Despite leaving his family over seventy years ago, his thoughts had gone to his parents and sister. He had wanted to know they were okay.

When he’d finally reached out to his connections in Italy, he’d heard Stefano Russo, leader of the vampire rebellion, had abducted his sister. He’d taken the news to Ari and their team of analysts.

Xander, aka Bob, had referred to the rebellion leader in a letter to POTUS which they’d intercepted. That, along with Ben’s additional news, had raised more questions. Then they had learned about the kidnapping of vampires in Rome and a lab where they were being experimented on.

A few hours later, Ari had sent him to Rome.

His job had been clear: evac the vampires from the lab and locate Xander to obtain more information.

It was likely at that point, Ari would give him instructions to eliminate the human. A big call, given Xander Tomassi was a big cheese at one of the largest pharmaceutical organizations in the world.

Through the Russo family, Tomassi had learned about the existence of vampires. What he knew and who he’d told was what they needed to understand. How deep and far did the knowledge of their royal family and the race’s secrets go?

It was important they clean up as much as they could, as quickly as they could.

After investigating more about Tomassi and the pharmaceutical company he worked for, BioZen, they had discovered something shocking. A team of humans had been working on replicating vampire abilities for months from a single subject in one of their laboratories.

The vast conglomerate had offices and labs all over the world, and they had yet to find the poor soul to get him out, but their team was working diligently to find him.

It was on the top of Ben’s list of questions when he got his hands around Xander’s throat.

Motherfucker.

But first things first. With the knowledge of where the lab in Italy was, Ben had gone there first. Unfortunately, he’d been late to the party. The vampires had no longer been there, and the lab had been dismantled.

From what he could gather, the US government had been involved in the clean-up, unaware that the test subjects were vampires. The soldiers had simply broken in, handed the vampires over to the Moretti family, and retrieved the data.

Ben had reported this back to Ari and been instructed to proceed to step two. He’d been well and truly ready to pop a shiny bullet into Xander’s skull after interrogating the asshole. However, things hadn’t worked out quite as planned.

Such was an assassin’s life.

Xander’s residence was scattered with Italy’s finest undercover guns. I couldn’t get near him. Clearly, he has government protection, along with his own personal guys, Ben informed. This is going to take a lot more recon. I may need some more boots on the ground, but not until I know more about what we are dealing with and their security system.

Oliver can head over when you are ready, Ari said, his baritone voice darker than usual. I’m setting up a video conference for you to connect in with the team and see what they can do to assist you while you remain in Italy. This is important, Ben. Take all the time you need. Within reason. We have to stop these humans.

Ben nodded as Ari rubbed his forehead. He knew the ancient vampire was strategizing. He was smart as fuck. But he looked worried.

Lie low. Make it look as if you’re in town visiting your sister after her abduction.

Right. About that.

It was time for some confessions.

Ari tapped on a keyboard somewhere out of sight, so Ben stood and walked to the full-length glass windows which looked across the roofs of Rome.

So, I’ve been in touch with Sofia, Ben started. There were no secrets between him and Ari—at least, not on his end—but learning Stefano Russo had not only abducted his sister but sexually abused her had infuriated him. His blood still boiled knowing he hadn’t been there to protect her and that his asshole of a father had all but sold her out to the psychopath. She’s mated to one of the senior lieutenants in the king’s army, Lance De Luca.

He hated to bring up the Moretti royal family, but this was too close to home for him not to share with the Director. Full transparency was important for trust. Especially in the business they were in.

That’s a good thing, Ben. Sofia will be well taken care of and protected, Ari said, then as the dots connected, he narrowed his eyes. She’s living in the castle.

Ben nodded.

Don’t get too close, Ben.

There were only about a dozen people in the world who knew Ari’s history and secrets, and Ben was one of them. He understood Ari Moretti’s identity needed to be protected, and he had pledged his life to doing so. It was in everyone’s best interest.

His secrets were safe with Ben.

"Remember everything I’ve taught you, Ben. Those vampires are nearly as highly trained as you—they will already know you are different."

Fuck.

Yeah, so, I...um... Ben rubbed the back of his neck, and Ari narrowed his eyes further. I met the commander.

Also known as Craig the fucker.

I have never met him, but I understand he is powerful and smart, Ari said.

Ben couldn’t help himself. He snorted.

Ben. I don’t need to remind you what’s on the line here. Stay away from the royals and their senior team, and get the job done, he ordered.

As Ari’s Head Assassin, it was rare he ever got such a direct order outside of a job’s specs, but Ben knew what was at stake here. As one of the few vampires alive who knew Ari’s history with the Moretti’s, his presence in Italy was a risk.

But the safety of all vampires was at stake here if he didn’t succeed.

Yes, sir, he said, pulling his head out of his ass. He’d been trained better than this, but for some reason, the male pushed his buttons. One last thing. The Moretti’s have captured Stefano Russo.

Yes, we have received the intel, Ari replied, and Ben wasn’t surprised. And his two brothers. Tongues will wag. See what you can find out and where the data from the labs is.

Ben suspected the Moretti’s had it.

Oliver will remain on standby until you are ready for him. Let’s get this job done and get you back to Seattle.

Roger that, Ben responded.

Present time

BEN ZIPPED UP THE JACKET of his Moretti Royal Army uniform and stared at himself in the mirror.

Clearly, he had followed the Director’s advice...poorly.

Well, shit, Ben said, shaking his head and walking out the door.

He had delayed his start date for two weeks so he could sort out some personal stuff, also known as getting some recon work done for The Institute. But now, Ben was ready to get back inside the castle and see one pretty blue-eyed blonde.

The one he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.

Gorgeous Anna.

CHAPTER THREE

Y up, okay, got it, Anna Vitale said. Christ. Anna felt like she had ants in her pants. If only Sofia would stop with all the instructions.

She knew the beautiful woman was just doing her job and cared about her, but it was stifling.

Today was Anna’s first day at her new job. If only she could tell her friends she was working for King Moretti. It was an honour, to say the least.

How she’d come to live in the castle would be a little harder to explain—a story she was not permitted to share even if she could stomach it. The matter was highly confidential. Not that she had been in contact with her friends recently. Heck, she didn’t even have a phone—the thing had been lost when she was kidnapped.

That’s right. She had been kidnapped. By humans.

Something no one thought was possible before now. She was a vampire, much stronger than humans, after all. Though not as strong when compared to the male vampires she was surrounded by at Casa Moretti.

Hell, no. They were warriors.

But she had learned that her mother had assured her friends she was fine, away visiting her non-existent aunty in Mallorca.

I wish. A holiday in Spain sounded like bliss to Anna right now, and if that sexy vampire she’d met a few weeks ago went with her, even better.

My God, he was hot.

Anna’s heart rate sped up as she imagined him in long shorts and a sexy T-shirt, his tattoos,

and muscles on display as they danced long into the tropical hours of the morning.

Ben was one of those males who looked like he’d stepped right out of a Hollywood action movie.

So yes, she’d been fantasizing about him. How could she not? From the moment those dimples had made their appearance, her heart had not stopped fluttering.

Pathetic maybe, but the way Ben had looked at her and his parting whisper after she’d collapsed—and OMG she was so embarrassed about that—had heated her up from the inside out.

Ben.

Just his name made her shiver.

Sofia narrowed her eyes at her.

Shit. One downside of being a vamp—they could hear way more than humans. Including beating hearts.

I’m so excited to get started, Anna attempted to explain.

Sofia stared a moment, then nodded and continued. Your security team will be with you until you return to the rehab center, so if you need me, just ask one of them to call me immediately.

After Anna had collapsed, Sofia had been concerned about how she would react to being away from the rehab center, so they’d compromised and decided she would have a security team with her.

They’re mostly there so you feel safe. Remember, there are no expectations, so if you want to leave at any point, simply excuse yourself, and they’ll bring you home.

Home. It wasn’t really home, though Anna was incredibly grateful to the Moretti royal family for taking her in and caring for her. Especially when her family was, to put it bluntly, useless.

Anna understood more than anyone why they couldn’t offer her the physical or emotional support she required; they’d already lost one child in a traumatic way. But it still hurt. As a child, her sister had climbed onto a railing and fallen four stories. Of course, a vampire would usually survive such a fall with ease; however, when her father had run to the edge of the balcony, he’d been horrified to see his eldest daughter impaled on the spikes of a fence.

Freak accidents could happen to anyone.

Her father had been too slow to stop her mother from witnessing it; however, Anna had been saved the ordeal. But none of them had been saved from the grief of losing Caterina.

Anna’s parents had never forgiven themselves, and nothing was the same after that. Anna felt her parents had died inside, and every day of her life, she had wanted to scream at them and say, Hey I’m still alive and worthy of your love. But she hadn’t, and as the years went by, she adjusted and accepted it as part of her life.

Then she’d been kidnapped by humans doing experiments on vampires.

Anna had been unable to move while they did despicable things to her. She’d wished herself dead many times during that time. She’d even prayed to the human gods for someone to save her.

Eventually, her prayer had been answered.

While she was gone, her parents had thought she was dead. They had panicked. When the royal household had advised them Anna had been recovered from the lab (and been sworn to secrecy on the matter), they had been relieved and happy.

Then, as they all began to understand the type of care and recovery Anna would need, her parents had begun to withdraw. It’d happened slowly over the days and weeks that followed, but eventually, they’d began saying things like, "You know your mother doesn’t have the resilience for this," and "What do we know about healing from this kind of thing? We’re not equipped. Perhaps you should have more professional help."

Anna had sat quietly as Sofia explained to them that she did have the professional help she needed, and that all they had to do was be there for her and make her feel loved and supported. She’d watched the two of them glance at each other, desperate to escape.

In the end, they’d called and told Anna they were leaving to do some traveling for a while. They’d said they deserved a holiday after all they had been through, and now, with all that had happened to her, it had been hard on them. Too much.

She understood, didn’t she?

Anna had stared blankly at the wall and wished them happy travels. Her whole life, she’d put on a happy face and kept the peace. It was always about them, she was beginning to realize, and while she had been able to understand it when Caterina had died, now she was beginning to see things differently.

She needed them. And they had left.

Fury, hurt, and embarrassment filled her. She didn’t tell Sofia. What kind of parents deserted their child after something like this?

Hers.

Had it hampered her recovery? Yes.

Sure, she had a safe roof over her head, and Sofia was an amazing support, but all she wanted was her mother and father to wrap her in their arms and tell her she was safe. Loved. That they would protect her and never let anything like that happen to her again.

But they never, ever would.

Not that anyone could promise her that. Anna had discovered evil existed in the world, and once you’d seen it, you could never unsee it.

Anna wondered if she would ever feel safe again.

Her body might have healed, but inside, she was full of fear and pain. Sofia had been trying to get her to talk about what happened so they could deal with the emotional effects of being a human lab rat, but she didn’t see the point. She didn’t want to relive it. Not for a millisecond. She’d rather forget it and get on with her life.

Sofia had told her it wasn’t that easy; that there would be consequences in burying it. Until the day she’d met Ben, she hadn’t understood.

Overwhelmed by the conflict between him and several other senior Moretti soldiers, Anna’s head had spun. Not in that I’ve had far too many drinks tonight kind of way; instead, the cells in her brain had felt like they were misfiring.

Anna had collapsed.

It’d felt like she was in a blurry tunnel. She’d heard voices calling out to her, but there had only been one voice she’d focused on.

Ben’s.

His voice had felt comforting and...strangely safe.

Even Anna realized how crazy it sounded, given she’d met him minutes before. But when she’d opened her eyes, meeting his, the feeling had only strengthened.

She was well aware of the rich lust flowing between them, but any female knew that came with zero guarantee of safety. Sure, vampire males were more naturally protective than human men, but Anna knew that wasn’t what this was.

Perhaps she was just a damaged girl looking for a knight in shining armour to save her. After what she had been through, it wasn’t unrealistic to want to hide in that fantasy. A big, gorgeous male like Ben had hero written all over him. His dimples just sealed the deal.

In that moment, Anna had let herself melt into his arms. Close up, Ben was even more gorgeous. His body was hard, loaded with muscles, and so deliciously warm. The way he’d looked at her, the way he’d held her, made Anna feel like he would protect her to the death. She felt like the heroine in one of her smut books, and if she hadn’t already been on her ass, Anna knew she would have swooned.

And because it was her fantasy, Ben would have swept in and caught her. Then kissed her. Okay, so she wasn’t quite as confident he would have kissed her, but she really hoped one day he would.

Then the king had begun throwing around orders and instructed Sofia to take Anna back to the center. But not before Ben had grabbed her one last time. He had whispered a husky promise to see her again, which had set a million butterflies loose inside her tummy.

Anna had replayed it in her mind until she’d driven herself crazy.

He likes me.

Don’t be silly. It was just a friendly comment.

He just wants to fuck me.

He felt sorry for me after the fall.

He glanced at my boobs.

I’m too fat. The next time he sees me, he’ll be horrified.

Crash diet coming up.

He grinned at me in that way.

He’s my therapist’s brother. We can’t.

Sofia had been clear any type of distraction wasn’t healthy for her right now. Hello, had she seen her brother?

But it wasn’t just Ben she’d been referring to. It was males in general, along with dating, sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling, blah, blah, blah.

Basically, anything addictive.

Ben was definitely her kind of drug, and one she was already addicted to.

It had been two weeks since she’d met Ben, and Anna had felt like she was going crazy just sitting around the rehabilitation center. She’d spoken to Sofia about it, and they’d agreed she could do some part-time work in the castle.

Anna was both nervous and excited.

When will my phone arrive? she asked, referring to her cell phone request.

Sofia swiped her own device as she hummed a few times. Could be today. Someone from the tech team will drop it off here, or you can pick it up after work.

Anna smiled. The tech guys were fun. She’d flirted with a few of them when they’d ordered it, gaining a frown from Sofia.

Awesomesauce! she exclaimed, doing a twirl. So, how do I look?

Lovely, Sofia said, smiling.

The two of them couldn’t be more different. Sofia was one of those classic-looking Italian women, always beautifully dressed in stylish outfits. Anna, on the other hand, considered her style to be one of creative chaos.

A little like abstract art, although perhaps a little less colorful.

Prior to being taken by the evil monsters, aka human scientists, Anna had worked as a vet nurse and spent most of her time in a pale-blue uniform.

It had taken some negotiation—and some mind control—but she’d secured an excellent job working the night shift in an emergency vet clinic. Her human colleagues appreciated her eagerness to work the hours they had no interest in.

Outside of work, Anna could be found wandering around night markets in a mishmash of outfits that often included one or more of the following: ripped jeans, colorful sneakers, boho-style tops, and leather jackets.

Anna glanced down at her denim overalls, which she wore over a black, tight tank top with pink converse, and mentally shrugged. She didn’t have a corporate wardrobe, but this would be fine for what she was going to be doing.

When Sofia had gone through Anna’s list of skills and she’d mentioned graphic design, Sofia had commented there was an opportunity to help out in the new PR office.

Willow and Brianna, by instruction of the king, were running the new team, and she was now part of it.

Anna was sad she wouldn’t be working with animals anymore, but this wasn’t permanent. She could return to it one day.

Here they are, Sofia said, turning as two males joined them. Both wore black Moretti uniforms with the iconic M embroidered on their left chest. Anna, these are Timmy and Jordan.

Hey, she greeted, pulling her bag onto her shoulder.

Nice to meet you, they both spoke, and she noticed Jordan had a glint in his eyes when he smiled at her.

Sofia noticed. She stared at him until he coughed.

If Anna wishes to return, or if anything happens, you bring her straight back here and alert me, she instructed. Anna wasn’t used to hearing the female be so assertive, but she remembered Sofia had once managed a large group of vampires.

Yes, ma’am. We have clear instructions and have been briefed on the situation, Timmy said. Today, we will both be with you, but afterward, we will take shifts.

Jordan answered some questions which were thrown his way, and Anna was pleased to see he was taking the job seriously. He was cute, but not in the same league as Ben. At least, her body hadn’t reacted the way it had when Ben had smiled at her.

Not even remotely close.

CHAPTER FOUR

Ben pressed his thumb against the scanner and acknowledged the security guys with a quick lift of his chin all, hey, bro.

They returned the greeting with their own slower, suspicious nod. He understood—the last time he’d been here, they had witnessed the conflict between him and Craig.

The commander was a highly respected male in the Royal Army, and with loyalty at the heart of every warrior, challenging their superior made him immediately unpopular. Lucky he wouldn’t be here long enough for it to matter.

And in ten minutes, he would be their superior.

If Ben could turn back time...nah, he’d still have wound Craig up. He just couldn’t help himself.

Was he cocky? Maybe. But could one truly be cocky when they were better trained and could back it up?

Fuck, Ari would beat his ass for this kind of thinking.

But hell, he was. He’d spent seventy years at The Institute being trained and mentored by the best.

Ari Moretti.

There was no one better.

Ben was strong, fast, and deadly. You wouldn’t see him coming; it was why he was Ari’s top assassin.

So why did he run his damn mouth whenever the commander was around? Ari had taught him better than that, but the guy’s sense of superiority irked him.

Ben had to rein it in. He could never challenge the large vampire and show him what he was capable of, so he had to park his fucking ego.

Craig had already eyed his body and warrior stance, not that of an everyday soldier; males like him had something extra. And while Craig had noticed it, questioned it, and could continue doing that, he wouldn’t be getting any damn answers.

Ben was here to do a job.

Well, two jobs.

If it was appropriate to put Anna on his to-do list, which he very much had, he was going to do her all day long as soon as he had the chance.

He smirked as he walked along the hallway to the security office. Just as he went to push the door open, it was ripped out of reach.

You’re here, the rough voice said.

Oh, great, look who it was—the big man himself dressed in his own Moretti onesie.

Ben zipped his lips.

Reporting for duty...Commander, he replied, failing to keep a tone from his voice that was guaranteed to rile the vampire.

Drop your things behind the desk and follow me, Craig instructed. Oh, and Ferrero, leave your fucking smirk behind.

Asshole.

Why? Does it get your panties wet too? He gave the commander his best Colgate whites, then shook his head at himself when Craig just walked away growling, Keep up.

Jesus, why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut around this guy.

Ben’s eyes darted around as Craig led him down the hall to another office. This door required a thumbprint on a scanner, and inside were a handful of desks, computers, and a whole bunch of digital screens on the walls.

He knew exactly where he was. This was the senior operations room.

He’s all yours, Kurt, Craig told him as if it was his turn to take out the trash.

Welcome aboard, Ben, Brayden Moretti said in greeting, standing up from his desk. Ben went to bow at the royal, but he was stopped. No need for any of that here. Inside this office, I’m the captain. He reached out his hand, and they shook.

Thank you, Captain, Ben said.

Sofia sends her hellos, Lance De Luca piped up with about two hundred ounces of reluctance.

He held back a grin and nodded. But fuck, it was hard not to smile. These males were completely unhappy about him being here, except for the prince.

Brayden seemed like a good guy. He was, after all, related to Ari, and Ben could see a very strong resemblance, just as he had with the king. A thing he should not be fucking thinking about.

This is Kurt. Lance, you’ve met. Tom and Marcus, Brayden introduced while Craig slouched in his chair across the room, glaring at him.

More hands were shaken.

Welcome to the team, Tom said. You’ve been living in the States, right?

He nodded, not offering any more information. That’s right.

Which state? Craig asked.

Ben was prepared for the questions. He wasn’t trained as a spy, but being an assassin, he often traveled the world adopting other personas to slip in and out of places. This was different, though. They knew he was Sofia’s brother; they knew his real name, and they had the technology to search for his digital footprint, which they wouldn’t find.

The king would have known all of this before he hired him.

The trick was to tell the truth without telling the truth.

West Coast, he replied.

Not a state, Craig countered.

Just as he was going to congratulate the guy for being a genius, the door opened and a voice bellowed, Ferrero! Welcome aboard.

This time, he did bow, and no one stopped him. Thank you, Your Majesty.

Vincent Moretti glanced around the room. The king was sharp as a tack. He’d been the king of their race for as long as Ben had been alive.

Despite his loyalty to Ari, Vincent was his king, and like those before him, a beloved one. Ben had once made his way to the royal household, though he had never made it. In some ways, it was kind of ironic he found himself working for both Moretti’s and neither of them knew.

Great to have you here, Vincent said. If you can all sort out your trust shit, you’ll be a great asset to the team.

This time, Ben did smirk, dropping his face to hide it. And failing.

Yeah, that isn’t gonna help, son.

Yes, sir.

The king was referring to the meeting during which he’d offered Ben his new position, right after he’d met Anna.

"So, who are you, Ben?" the king had asked.

"Just a vampire visiting his sister, he’d replied. It was the truth. He was visiting Sofia, and he was a vampire. I’ve already told your senior team who I am and what I do."

Which was also true. When he’d visited Sofia at her apartment, her mate and his pals had cornered him and interrogated him for hours. Okay, fine, about an hour.

"And basically, told them nothing," Prince Brayden interjected, standing at the king’s side. He’d heard the two brothers were close, but seeing them together like this just reinforced the rumours. Ben had been trained to assess people, and there was one word he’d use for these two brothers: Impenetrable.

Not in the sexual way.

Craig had entered the meeting and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. His eyes had landed on him and remained there, glaring.

Ben had shrugged. "Nothing much to share. I’ve been touring the States, surfing, training, and just staying out of sight."

"We understand you left the family," Vincent said in question.

He nodded.

"As I told your team, I disagreed repeatedly with my father’s support of the rebellion. Without wanting to sound like a kiss-ass, Your Majesty, I believe the royal structure serves the race well. And you are a great king."

Craig snorted.

Ben shot him a look. He still had energy running through his veins after holding Anna in his arms. He wanted to know she was safe and protected. If not for his trust in his sister, he’d be knocking heads and punching through walls.

They had a stare off for a few more seconds, then the king slammed his fist on the table.

"Alright, you two, knock it off, he growled. Clearly, you’re a warrior, Ben Ferrero, and have your reasons for not telling us who you have been trained by."

Ben stared blankly at the king. It was these questions he would not answer. Ever. If he had to, he would walk, and find another way to see Anna again.

Is that why he was here?

"Do we have any reason to mistrust this male?" he asked the prince and the commander.

"You mean apart from the fact he’s secretive as fuck and has lied?"

Ben spun around. "I have never once lied."

"Then who do you work for?" Craig demanded, leaning forward.

"You think I work for the rebellion? Ben scoffed, not answering the question, raising his brows. I left my fucking family because of those assholes."

"Then I’ll ask you again. Is there any reason we should not trust you?" the king asked.

Ben shook his head. "No, Your Majesty."

Vincent turned to Brayden, the two sharing some words telepathically, no doubt.

"Listen, I just wanted to see my sister. I meant no trouble. If it’s easier, I will visit her outside the castle," Ben offered in an attempt to get the hell out of there. It was too close for comfort, and Ari would be spitting tacks if he could see him right now. He had a job to do, and so far, he wasn’t making a lot of progress.

Every day, the risk of these evil bastards harming vampires on a larger scale than anyone in this room knew was becoming greater.

"How are you with a gun?" Brayden asked, turning to him.

Better than you, he wanted to reply, but as Ari had trained the prince, it was unlikely. "Not bad."

"Sword?" Brayden continued.

Excellent. Along with every other weapon you can think of.

"Well, it’s not 1785, but I can swing one around. Why?"

"I want you on my team," Vincent declared, and Ben’s eyes shot to his hairline.

What the fuck? He hadn’t been expecting that. Not in a million years.

"I’m sorry, what?" Ben asked.

"Come and work on my team, Brayden repeated, backing up the king. When I spot good males, I recruit them. Clearly, you have training—excellent training—and you know how to keep your mouth shut. Two good attributes."

He stared at the prince blankly.

"I found this guy years ago and trusted my gut. Never regretted it," Brayden said, indicating Craig.

"You might in a minute," Craig grunted.

Ben turned to the commander and took in the pained look on his face. God, it was tempting to accept just to make his life miserable.

But that wasn’t why he was considering the shocking offer. Although it was mad, given who and what he was, Ben saw this as an opportunity to get some intel he may not have access to otherwise. And yes, it got him closer to Anna, and he couldn’t say no to that. Despite the price he was going to pay for it.

What he didn’t know was which of those reasons was the biggest driver for his next words.

"When do I start?"

Ben shook his head, returning to the present. We’ll play nicely, I promise.

There are no games in the Royal Army, Ferrero, Craig said. You fuck up; you die.

Do I look like I don’t fucking know what I’m doing? Ben snapped without thinking. Did the guy think he was a newbie?

Shit.

Craig smirked.

Fuck, the guy was prodding him, and he’d just won a round.

Come on, let’s get your induction started, Kurt interrupted, indicating the door. See you all back here for the ops meeting.

Yeah, fuck, the king grunted, rubbing his hand over his mouth. Decision time.

Yep, no more fucking procrastinating, Vince, Brayden said.

I want— Lance began, but the king held up his hand.

I know what you want, De Luca, but let’s wait until the meeting.

The king turned their way, and Kurt nodded before leading Ben out of the room.

What was that about? he asked the senior warrior. Kurt was one of four SLCs—or senior lieutenant commanders—and they were all famous among the females in their race. Pinup boys or some shit. He’d heard about them all his damn life. Apparently, there was Team Kurt, Lance, Marcus, or Tom.

And now his goddamn sister had mated with one of them. He guessed that made her Team Lance.

He cringed.

Kurt gave him a small smile. Your brother-in-law wants Russo’s head. Rightly so, after what happened.

You were there? Ben asked. On the op that got her out?

Yup. Kurt nodded his head as his lips bunched. The fucker deserves to burn—you know, if flames could kill us.

Which they couldn’t.

Ben felt anger rush through him. Anger and regret. If he’d been here, if he’d stayed with the family, perhaps Sofia never would have been hurt by Stefano to start with.

So, what’s with the decision? Is it happening or not?

Kurt shrugged. We’re waiting on the king.

To decide who does it? He figured it was a beheading. That was the law.

When Kurt kept silent, he stopped walking. The vampire turned.

Don’t tell me he’s considering not doing it at all? Ben asked, anger and surprise lacing his words.

The senior soldier placed his hands on his hips. I’m not telling you anything. The king will make his decision, and it will be final. Neither you nor I get to interfere with that.

If he were anyone else, Ben would have agreed with that.

But he wasn’t.

He was an assassin.

If the king wouldn’t execute the male responsible for sexually abusing his sister, twice, then Ben would be quite happy to take on a little side job; except this one wouldn’t be a clean shot. He’d torture the fucker.

Sure. She’s my sister, you know?

Kurt nodded, accepting his reaction. I get it. We all hate the asshole and have our reasons to want to swing that blade. He shrugged. If it were my decision, Lance would be the one. Sofia is his mate.

Ben couldn’t disagree with that. Mates trumped everything in their race.

It must have been sickening to be there. How did he deal? Ben asked. I mean, don’t give me fucking details, but damn, that must have killed him.

Kurt nodded knowingly. Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. They wandered through more halls, Kurt pointing out key areas and security points. We unplugged him from the comms during the op. It was Craig who saw Russo on her. Kurt glanced at him. Lance doesn’t know that. I mean, he probably does, but it’s not dinner conversation. You feel me?

Gotcha. And no, it’s not like I want to discuss my sister being abused over a chicken salad.

Salads? With guns like those? I don’t fucking think so. Kurt laughed.

Ben grinned, not looking at the guy. Sure, I eat salad. Niçoise salad. Eggs are a great protein.

Whatever, dude.

TWO HOURS LATER, KURT had taken him around the castle and introduced him to about three hundred damn vampires. While Ben was trained to retain information, damn if he was going to remember all these names. Although he had the important ones plugged in.

Beside him, Kurt slowed, and his eyes glazed for a moment, an expression all vampires were familiar with. It generally indicated they were speaking telepathically to someone else.

We have to make a quick detour, Kurt finally said.

What’s up? he asked.

The tech team just need a thumbprint, and we’re close, so I volunteered, Kurt answered.

Ben nodded and followed. I’ve noticed very few vamps teleporting around here. I thought it would be more prevalent.

There were very few places on earth which were vampire-only locations, and Ben had always imagined Moretti castles would be a place you could let loose and be all you were. They did at The Institute.

Yeah, it’s a nightmare. There’s over one thousand vampires in this castle alone. There were some accidents about a century ago, so Vincent put guidelines in place, he explained. Some do, but it’s not encouraged unless it’s an emergency.

Interesting.

This won’t take long, Kurt said as he scanned through another door. We’ll set up your security protocol while we’re here. You only had access to the front door.

Good to know how far the trust went.

Sure.

The room they’d entered was large. It looked like any corporate IT department: desk after desk with laptops and desktops scattered around full of vampires with headsets, which he assumed were offering tech support to the royal teams around the world.

Does this team also manage VampNet? Ben asked. VampNet was their own private intranet, available exclusively, obviously, to vampires. It ran on the dark web. No matter where you were in the world, vampires could get their communications from the Moretti royal family. There were also private groups and social spaces for conversation and sharing.

Yup.

A vampire poked his head out of an office and lifted his arm. Kurt.

Kurt spotted him and began walking his way. Feel free to have a look around. I’ll just be a minute.

Ben was about to do just that when he heard a voice. A sweet-as-honey voice. His entire body reacted.

Inside the office Kurt was heading toward, Ben could see the back of her pretty blonde hair. She flicked it over her shoulder and laughed, causing every nerve ending in his body to sit up and pay attention.

Anna.

Kurt must have said something because she turned to answer, and she saw Ben. Their eyes met, and her sweet, rosy lips fell open. His cock turned to stone. Somehow, his feet had begun walking toward her, and now his brain was catching up.

Her face tilted up when he got closer to accommodate his height, and he loved that he towered over her. Right now, all he wanted to do was scoop her up and carry her away. Like a fucking caveman.

Ben’s eyes cast over her body, taking in the sexy-as-fuck denim overalls and tight, low-cut top she wore under it. The damn thing fit snugly across her breasts so perfectly, making his fingers itch to reach under the loose blue denim and cup them in his hands.

He smiled at her, and she blushed.

God, he wanted to see her flushed like that after an orgasm.

Hello again. Ben smirked, loving how much his presence affected her.

Hello, dimples, she greeted, and his smiled widened. Fuck, I mean Ben. Sorry, I have a brain injury. I think.

Her faced turned bright red. Never had an embarrassed, babbling female been so attractive.

Kurt gave them an odd look, then walked around the desk to a machine where he pressed his thumb onto a panel. The tech guy began rambling about stuff, distracting the SLC.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ben turned to Anna. His need to touch her was overwhelming. He blinked, tapping into his decades of training, and told his body to behave.

Damn, but she had a powerful effect on him. This was highly unusual.

He took in the two security males standing nearby who were focused on Anna.

They’re my security, she whispered, almost like it was a secret.

Ben leaned in closer and whispered back, What did you do? Anna giggled, and he wanted to beat his chest like super-fucking-man. Nothing. They’re protecting me.

Ben tilted his head. From?

Her eyes darted away, that same dark look he’d seen when she collapsed back. Hey, you don’t have to say. His hand reached out and landed on her arm, and he saw the two males standing up taller, looking alert.

Interesting.

He removed his hand and gave them a nod of acknowledgement.

Do you work here now? Anna asked. When he nodded, she continued, Which wing do you reside in? Her pretty blush was back.

None. I stay outside the castle. There was no way he could give up the privacy of his apartment. He still had a hit to complete, and...a secret life. In reality, Ben knew he would only be here a few days. A week or two at most.

The tech guy handed Anna her phone and showed her how it worked.

While you’re here, the guy told Ben, We have yours ready to go also, Mr. Ferrero.

His eyes widened. He had no idea they were going to supply him with a phone. He’d have to check it for tracking or other security protocols to ensure it didn’t have anything that would cause an issue. And if he found anything, that would be an issue. Disabling it would create questions.

Kurt nodded at the phone. All our phones have Moretti security loaded. You’ll need to use it for all royal business. You might want to ditch yours.

Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

Thanks, he answered, taking the phone and not committing to anything.

Here’s your number and codes so you don’t forget, but it’s best if you destroy this in twenty-four hours, the tech dude said, handing him and Anna a sheet of paper. Another swipe here, please, Kurt.

As Kurt leaned over to do the job, Ben took his phone, swiped up, and opened the camera. He reached out and took a screenshot of Anna’s phone number.

She looked up at him in surprise. He winked, and she blushed, shaking her head with a grin.

For a moment, the air thickened between them as their smiles faded to desire. For a second, maybe more, their eyes dilated, and that delicious, unspoken lust was there once more. Anna slowly swallowed, and his eyes drifted to her creamy neck. Ben felt his fangs ache and body begin to move closer.

Fuck.

A throat cleared behind them. Her fucking security. Ben straightened.

Let’s go, Kurt prompted.

Ben contemplated knocking every single vamp in the room out so he could press Anna up against the wall and slam his lips on hers. The SLC was probably his only challenge. The guy would give a good fight before going down.

Instead, he winked at her and said a broad farewell to the others in the room.

You know she’s off-limits, right? Kurt asked as the door closed behind them.

Is she? Ben replied lightly, as if it meant nothing. As if his cock wasn’t ready to jump out of his pants and yell, Fuck you, she’s mine.

Yeah, dude. Very fucking much.

Ben liked Kurt. The guy was open, friendly—for an SLC—and up-front. After a few hours together, he was getting used to his straight talk. But that comment? There was no confusion. Which just created more questions in his mind.

Why did a sweet vampire like Anna have two security guards inside a Moretti castle? Why was she working with his sister? And why had they both lied to him about what she was doing there?

Yeah, he had a built-in bullshit detector. He’d been trained to sniff that shit out.

Who the hell was this female? Aside from someone he wanted to sink his cock into. Was she the danger? Or was she in danger?

So many questions. He didn’t like questions; he preferred answers.

Ben had every intention of getting them.

And his lips on hers.

CHAPTER FIVE

The next night, Anna tapped away at her screen, taking notes as Brianna, Princess Moretti, King Moretti, and Seraphina talked. This was the first meeting of the new PR team, and the king was giving a clear briefing of what he wanted from them.

While she had briefly met Willow and Brianna a few weeks ago, this was her first time meeting Seraphina. She was the king’s secretary, and he’d told them she would be offering them some support, given how closely they would work with him, but regular access wasn’t always possible.

Anna was trying hard to focus, but after seeing Ben yesterday and the effect he’d had on her, it was damn difficult. Seriously, the male was a walking sex god. All he had to do was smile or wink at her, and she lost all her senses.

Hello, dimples? Oh my God, she had nearly died of embarrassment.

Clearly, he loved the impact he had on her. Ben sure wasn’t shy. But that moment, when the world had gone quiet and all she’d been aware of was him, his eyes, his lips, his huge body, and the way he looked like he wanted to eat her up, well, she knew she was in trouble.

Because she wanted him to lick her from top to bottom.

From the moment he had walked away—and yes, she had turned around and stared at his tight, round ass because holy shitballs, every inch of him was so damn fine—she’d been watching her phone.

Maybe it was broken?

Maybe it wasn’t live yet?

Why hadn’t he called or messaged yet?

Anna checked the clock. Three hundred hours, seven minutes, and thirteen seconds. That’s how long she had been waiting. An eternity! Or at least it felt that long.

She let out a long sigh, and then realized the room had gone silent.

Is everything okay, Miss Vitale? the king asked.

Mm-hmm, yes, fine. Sorry, she replied, smiling when she caught Brianna’s small grin. I’m very glad to be here. Thank you for the job.

No need to keep thanking me, Anna, he said, waving her off. "What I’m about to share with you is highly sensitive information. This team has been created to contribute to the protection of our race, so no small task. This is a new space