Dark Prince: A Paranormal Vampire Romance: Blood Prince, #1

By Rose Knight

Ruby is a simple human, carefree, with no plans for the future. She lives in the moment, regardless of the consequences her reckless actions bring. At just 17 years old, the world and her future matter little to her and its all about having fun…

 

Athan, however, isn't human. He was, over five hundred years ago. His dark past haunts him more every day and he  fears that it will catch up with him. He refuses to consider humans as anything more than a piece of meat, they are worth nothing to him, not even a minute of his time.

 

Howver, after their two worlds collide, Athan will want to do anything to earn Ruby's trust…

 

Can Ruby break all the walls Athan has built in his long life?

Will Athan's past catch up with him?

No matter how fast, you can never run away from your own past ... but, does that mean you cant  attempt to heal?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rose Knight
• Release date: Aug 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223899037

Book preview

Ruby is a simple human, carefree, with no plans for the future. She lives in the moment, regardless of the consequences her reckless actions bring. At just 17 years old, the world and her future matter little to her and its all about having fun...

Athan, however, isn't human. He was, over five hundred years ago. His dark past haunts him more every day and he  fears that it will catch up with him. He refuses to consider humans as anything more than a piece of meat, they are worth nothing to him, not even a minute of his time.

Howver, after their two worlds collide, Athan will want to do anything to earn Ruby’s trust...

Can Ruby break all the walls Athan has built in his long life?

Will Athan's past catch up with him?

No matter how fast, you can never run away from your own past ... however, does that mean you cant heal?

01 - CLUB, SEX AND ALCOHOL

02 - ATHAN & NIX

03 - A DARK PAST

04 – JEALOUSY

05 – A LONELY KID

06 – A CRYPTIC MESSAGE

07 - BIPOLAR

08 - BLOOD LINK

09 - CAPTIVE

10 - SAVE ME

11 - DECISIONS

12 - I CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU

13 - NIGHTMARES

14 - HARSH

15 - MONSTER

16 - BLOOD BATH

17 - FAR FROM THE END

ATERNATE ENDING Part #1

ATERNATE ENDING Part #2

01 - CLUB, SEX AND ALCOHOL

DAMN IT RUBY, THIS is all your fault Minerva said to her best friend.

Unfortunately, they hadn't been allowed into the bar ... for the second time that night, but still, Ruby wasn't going to give up that easily, she wanted to go out and get drunk, she wantd to hook up with some hot guy, she wnted to have the best night ever and nobody was gonna stop her.

Relax, she tried to calm her down, we still have one more bar, it's only 1am and I promised Nix to see him there. She spoke brokenly since they have been walking through the dark streets since forty minutes ago.

Nix was both girls’ best friend, the three had known each other for more than ten years. Since the moment they first saw each other, they never separated again. They’ve had their big fights, but they would still never get away from each other from too long. Even thinking about not sharing fun moments together would give them chills.

Nix's real name was Phoenix, but he didn't like his name at,  all and every time the girls would ask him why, he just said Because., marking the end of the conversation. None of them made a big deal out of it, what's more, Ruby came up with a nickname for him, and all three loved it.

- How long will it take to get to that club? –Asked her friend exhausted.  She was already afraid of being on those dark streets, it was dim and deserted. It was definitely not the place for two young girls, wearing short skirts and tight and T-shirts, plus the fact that they both were wearing high heels, so it would be difficult for them to run if danger was present.

Ruby didn't respond immediately, she just kept walking for a few more minutes, always steps ahead of her friend, not becauseshe was mad with her or something, but to make sure they're in the right place and that her friend wouldn’t scold her for getting lost.

Five minutes passed, and Minerva was still waiting for an answer from her friend, already tired of waiting, she opened her mouth a little to call her name  but she was interrupted in the middle.

-We arrived. A smile was drawn across her lips. They hadn't even come in and they could already smell the scent of alcohol and sex.

That night was going to be the best of their life, and no one was going to take it from them.

RUBY HAD ALREADY SENT Nix two messages to meet at the club's door. He had told Minerva to come inside and enjoy the moment, and they would meet in an hour. Ruby had hesitated at first, but when she saw how a pretty handsome boy was entering, she completely changed her mind and sneaked in, but not before sending a look to her friend, telling her to check him out.

It wasn't cold at all, but even so Ruby pulled the leather jacket that sheltered her closer to her body. She didn't like that place very much, but what difference did it make? Life was short and every minute was worth risking, as they say Good memories come from bad decisions.

- Why so lonely pretty? Nix's voice echoed through the club entrance. Ruby turned to face him and feigned a frightened face.

- Please! She yelled, Don't kill me, Mysterious stud! -She pretended to faint and fell into Nix's arms, he just laughed and tried to balance with the weight of his friend along with his glass half full of vodka. Ruby took advantage of the moment of distraction of her friend and snatched the glass from his hand, brought it to her full crimson red lips and drank its entire contents and then winced at the burning in her throat.

Nix stared at her for a few seconds, stunned, how could she have drunk all that and not be passed out on the floor?

Ruby stared at him and laughed.

Stop being so obvious, I know you were impressed. Years of experience. - She joked. Let's dance.

And with that, she grabbed Nix's hand and dragged him onto the dance floor.

THE THREE OF THEM WERE already killing it on the dance floor.

Ruby's alcohol was already creeping into her system, she felt slightly dizzy, not to say she felt like she was gonna fall at any moment, and on to of that,  she had an incredible urge to go to the bathroom.

- I’ll go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back! –She shouted.

They both looked at their friend confused, clearly they had not heard what she had said.

As Nix approached Ruby to hear her better, Minerva watched him closely. Nix was very handsome and his body, for a 17-year-old, was incredibly muscular and well toned. He was quite tall, his strong arms could be seen from more than twenty meters away and not to mention his hard abs. His fingers were covered in calluses and cuts, but he said it was from the sports he played, but that didn't make him any less cute, at all.

His dark blonde hair suits his deep amber eyes perfectly. And she couldnt help but to think how sexy he looked with his hair, all sweaty from the dancing, pushed back and sort of messy.  She guessed that surely everyone, including herself, should be the same by now. Her best friend Ruby had her brown wavy hair tousled around her shoulders, from the distance she was standing, she could see they were pretty messy as well. They had already been dancing for two hours straight, in a place where you can barely breathe properly due to all the smoke that made its way through the air. She could only pray that it was just tobacco smoke.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't realize that Nix was trying to talk to her.

- What?! –Minerva's scream reached Nix's ears with an incredible volume. He smiled at her and replied.

- Ruby wants to go to the bathroom but I doubt she will make it if she goes alone! Nix started yelling at Minerva while Ruby amused herself by waving her hands.

- I'll go with her! Stay here, when I come back I want to see you right here! - Nix was very possessive and protective when it came to them, he couldn't help it, they were like his little sisters.

- READY? NIX ASKED RUBY for the tenth time. It was taking too long to just throw up all the alcohol that she had ingested.

Has she fainted? Nix wondered.

He couldn't hold his question for long as he entered the small bathroom, basically knocking the door and there she was, she had literally fallen asleep in the corner, leaning against the wall.

She shook her friend by the shoulders and she woke up on the second try.

- What are you doing?!, YOU BETTER BE CAREFUL I'M A NINJA! Ruby screamed when she felt the pressure on her shoulders.

Her friend could do nothing but laugh. He laughed for a few minutes and looked at her.

- Seriously? A fucking ninja? –He questioned her.

- Shut up, I was under pressure! She gave his friend one of her best smiles. Come on, Minerva must be worried.

IT WAS ALREADY FIVE in the morning and Ruby was exhausted. Nix had run off to find Minerva because she disappeared with an unknown boy, leaving her alone on the dance floor. She waited for him for a few minutes but got tired of being alone for so long, so she had decided to go home.

- Why isn't there a taxi? She murmured to herself. She was already tired of waiting for Nix to show up with Minerva, and now she had to wait for a damn taxi to show up.

Another fifteen minutes of waiting. Angry and determined, she considered walking home. She doubted that she could get there without complications, since the alcohol basically prevented her from thinking well, but dindnt care at this point. Maybe for the same reasons.

-  Fuck it-  She said to herself, and atarted walking trying to do it as straiht as she could.

SHE HAD ALREADY WALKED for about five blocks and she was already lost. Her feet ached from the high heels that were already bothering her. She kicked off her shoes and walked slowly and cautiously.

= I'd rather step on some odd glass or metal and die of tetanus than walk in those shoes for another minute.

- Shit! –She screamed when she felt a glass embedded in her bare skin

–Fuck! This can't get any better, can it?

And just when she thought nothing could get worse ... well it did.

Shee sensed someone else's presence on the deserted street. Sneaking around, she found three men behind her, about twenty yards from her.

She began to walk faster than normal, almost trotting, and noticed that the three men increased their pace, the same as hers or faster.

She realized that she was going to get nowhere if she spent the rest of the night tryingto escape, they would get her one way or another, anyway, she couldn’t run, and she was lost, she could not go to the safety of her home.

She stopped short and turned around.

- What are you waiting for? Come grab me you damn pedophiles! She yelled at the three men and then raised her middle finger, an action that the men liked, since they were much more amused by a girl with personality than a shy one.

They headed towards her, running at full speed, like a cougar chasing a baby antelope.

Ruby closed her eyes, hoping it would all end quickly. Just when she lost hope of her salvation, she heard a car engine speeding toward her location.

She opened her eyes to find an Aston Martin, his favorite brand of cars, but the most expensive at the same time, parked on the sidewalk. A young guy got out of this, he had dark jeans and a dull black tight T-shirt.

You shouldn't have tried to do that, or even consider it, the young man told them dryly, and then gave them a wide smile, showing his perfect white teeth.

Ruby was astonished as a random guy, with about as much muscle and same height as Nix, easily defeated three men with fast and precise movements, as if he was a complete expert at what he was doing.

When he finished his task, he approached the weak and confused girl he had saved.

- What is your name? He asked her relaxedly.

Ruby was surprised to see how his breathing was completely normal. There was no indication that he had undergone such physical movement seconds ago.

Uhh-Ruby, she stammered.

-Well Ruby ... -he started to say- My name is Athan –they looked at each other fixedly, neither wanted to lower their gaze

- Im glad to know you’re okay, I hope we meet again. –

The mysterious guy gave his best smile to the still nervous and scared Ruby,  and headed towards his car.

- Are you going to leave me here alone ?! Ruby yelled at him. She was terrified that men would regain consciousness in the absence of her hero.

Your friend will be here any minute, and you will tell him that some policemen saved you. He got into his car and started at full speed, leaving Ruby alone with only the noise of the echo of his car engine.

Just as Athan predicted, it didn't take long for Nix's car to appear in Ruby's field of vision.

- Where have you been?! Nix got out of the car quickly, looking genuinely worried and desperate, and ran up to his best friend. He patted her on all sides, making sure she wasn't hurt.

The brunette noticed that Nix tensed just when he smelled her, but she guessed it was because of the smell of alcohol that she must have.

Her friend moved a few inches away from her, looked at her doubtfully, and spoke.

- Who have you been with? He whispered trying to make eye contact with the blue-eyed girl. Ruby was looking at the floor. She was in shock. She had never been so afraid in her life, she had never felt so helpless in the face of a situation - Tell me who has been close to you in the last minutes! –Nix turned desperately to her taking her shoulders with more force than necessary.

Her friend tensed for a few seconds from the sudden scream and burst into tears. The young man, sorry for having scared her, hugged her tightly, putting Ruby's head on his neck.

It's over ... It's over ... He repeated for a few minutes until Ruby sat up.

She removed the smudged makeup from her eyes and said in a tone so serious that she was surprised even herself.

–I want you to teach me to defend myself, I will never go through something like this again. Nix nodded, understanding the situation her best friend would get into.

What they did not know was that someone was listening to them and that he had left happily with a remarkable smile on his face when he heard the last words of the human.

She was strong, and he loved that.

02 - ATHAN & NIX

- MY GOD, TELL ME EVERYTHING! Minerva was yelling at Ruby excitedly.

Both friends were in a cafe at the mall, the two were still exhausted due to last night, especially Ruby, but they had to gossip about everything that happened last night.

- I've already told you twice! Ruby complained, although she actually loved telling how Athan saved her from those pervs, but she couldn't help feeling a little scared when she remembered.

- And what was that about Nix's reaction? –

Ruby had also told her what happened with Nix, that is, how he had gone crazy. He smelled her, dragged her to the car and tried to convince her to sleep at his house. It is not that she has never stayed to sleep at his best friend’s place, it is that suddenly, he looked really concerned and very worried. Ruby accepted. But still was very confused about his behavior.

I don't know, she admitted doubtfully. But he didn't look happy at all and when I woke up in the middle of the night, he was awake, thinking, and walking around, like he was really nervous.

Both friends fell silent when they saw their friend enter the cafeteria. He looked cute as always, tousled blonde hair, tight black shirt that highlighted his muscles, along with some black pants. Nix always dressed in dark clothes, and they fit him really well.

Minerva motioned for him to come closer and he did so with a smile on his face.

- Were they talking about me? –He erased the smile from the girls' faces, leaving them surprised– Do you really think I don't realize when they talk about me?

They both nervously laughed loudly, drawing the attention of all the people in the cafeteria.

Minerva looked down in shame, until Ruby spoke.

Yes, Mister Phoenix Hamman. She stuck her tongue out mocking him.

Nix clenched his fists, furious. I was about to respond with some insult until the waitress arrived, with clear intentions to attract his attention.

Good morning, she spoke in a seductive voice. Both friends looked at her confused, it was barely twelve o'clock, it was still early and the waitress was already flirting

- Do you want something to drink? She stared at Nix, implying that the question was going directly to him and not his companions.

Ruby noticed Minerva stiffen. Now a new and great doubt would haunt her head,  did Minerva like Nix? and whats worse... she didn't tell her? That offended her at first, but after she thought about it, she might be ashamed to admit that she liked her best friend, that considered her like his little sister.

Nix looked at the waitress for a few seconds, gave her a big smile that caused her to blush strongly.

– A coffee would be fine