Hunted By The Vampire Prince

By Nikki Grey

A bounty hunter lost in a town of vampires. What could go wrong?

Being the protective older sister was a badge that was imposed upon me.
I didn't choose it.
But Jonas did, every time he would get in trouble.

This time was no different.
He steals from a drug dealer, who wants just one thing: the vampire prince's ring.
And guess who has to go fetch it?

My dark adventure starts at Bluderry, the Academy of the Arcane.
A human can enter this place only as a snack.
Luckily, the gypsies bought me some time to roam around and find what I need.

But when I do find it, I will leave much of myself behind.
My virginity.
My mind.
And most importantly, my heart.

Dare I go back for it, or will the dark prince come for me?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nikki Grey
• Release date: Oct 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223125242

Book preview

Chapter One

Alice

The cream made me invisible, but not in the sense I wanted to be. I feel like every droplet of my sweat that is beading from my forehead is screaming the truth.

She is not one of us!

Get her!

Kill her!

I swallow heavily, trying to banish those thoughts. The gypsies assured me this would work. I paid an arm and a leg for that cream, which will mean the difference between life and death. Literally.

I walk through the hallways of Bluderry, the Academy of the Arcane, the only place in the world where a human enters in just one way: as a snack. That isn’t what I plan on becoming. I keep my head focused straight in front of me, as I pass vampires in small groups, as they’re trying to do the same thing as me, find their way around this hellhole. If I look down, that’ll show my fear, my lack of conviction that I belong here... which I don’t. I am a human in a vampire world, walking on eggshells that might break underneath my feet at any moment.

Even if I stayed in town, without climbing up the mountain here, I would still be surrounded by vampires wherever I turn. In the minds of almost all humans, this town doesn’t even exist. It is not on any map. Almost every human who has ever visited this town, never got to live and tell the tale of it. I’m probably fooling myself that I’ll be the first one. But hope is all I have. Hope and this foolish heart of mine to get me through it.

I stop in the middle of the hallway, feeling the elbowing of those passing me by. I feel my forehead perspiring. I lift my sleeve to wipe it, inhaling deeply. There is a big board in front of me, with names of those attending for the first time this year. The gypsies assured me mine would be there. I lift my gaze to take a look. A potent smell washes over my nostrils. I wonder if it’s the kitchen or the swamp that’s supposed to be somewhere behind the academy.

I turn around, with a disgusted frown on my face. Luckily, I can’t see any swamp things. All I see is young people, like myself. Well, younger. I just have to thank my good genes for making it look like I’m younger than I really am. Otherwise, none of this would work.

Someone from behind me smacks me on the back with an elbow.

Hey! I turn around, annoyed and ready to punch someone in the face, but the moment I see it’s a guy two times my size, my voice dies inside my throat.

What? he growls at me.

My lips part. I could take him on. Maybe. I’ve taken on such big guys before, but it wasn’t easy, although I’ve been a bounty hunter for years now. I exhale slowly, reminding myself that I shouldn’t make waves. Not on my first day here. I have to remain unseen, smaller than a mouse and I need to keep it that way.

I lift my hands at the level of my chest, signaling surrender. I have to keep my cool. My life depends on it.

Nothing, I say, smiling a little too nervously. He doesn’t smile back, and instead just focuses on the board, which is now behind me, probably looking for his name.

I murmur silently to myself that he’s lucky I’m on a mission here. Otherwise, he’d be joining the ranks of other deaths in my little black book.

Attention!

We all suddenly hear a voice that’s coming from the top of the staircase. All eyes are lifted in the direction where the sound is coming from. The sight we behold is magnificent. There is obviously a window right above us, a circular one, which allows moonlight to ooze right down onto the top of the staircase. I have never seen him, but I know who he is. It can only be him. No one else.

A few gasps in the crowd are heard. Faces lean to others, whispering. Everyone is in awe of the vampire who has obviously graced us with his presence. He is wearing a pristine white shirt and black pants. I can’t see his face, but something tells me he’s looking straight at me. In fact, I’m sure that’s how everyone feels right now, as if he’s looking at every single person here, at the same time. It’s impossible, of course, and yet I can’t escape this sensation.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear! He shouts so loudly that it echoes throughout the corridor.

I swallow heavily, feeling my palms becoming clammy with each passing moment.

He who is not every day conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life, he adds a little less theatrically. Then, he does something which makes my blood turn cold.

He points his finger straight at me.

The crowd around me takes a step back, and now I am standing alone in a circle that seems to be created solely for my sake. My fingers start to tremble. I wipe my palms against my jeans, but that does little to make me feel better.

Two thugs appear on either side of me, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me upward into the air, so that I’m not even standing on the ground anymore, but rather I’m being floated in some direction, away from the rest of them.

Where are you taking me!? I shout, demanding to know. Neither of them pays any attention to my demands, and I just keep being taken deeper and deeper into the darkness of the mansion that I knew would be the death of me.

I close my eyes, remembering Jonas. As always, this is all his fault. But I can’t hold it against him. It’s always been just the two of us. Just a brother and sister against the world. I thought it would get easier when we both grew up. Instead, it only became more difficult.

I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him and his stupid habit of getting in trouble. Now, he’s stolen drugs from some guy who said he would forgive the debt under one condition: that his bounty hunter sister gets the ring from the finger of none other than the vampire prince himself. I thought it was a joke at first, and now, here I am, being taken to the gallows most probably, or some other, even worse kind of death. I should have known that the gypsies would screw me over.

When they finally drop me to the ground, I notice it’s one dark room, with a hole in the center of it. I step away from it, not even wanting to look inside.

Where am I? I demand to know again, as if they might reply this time.

Instead, he appears in the doorway, nodding at them. Instantly, they disappear, and we are alone, with only a few torches hanging off the wall to illuminate what appears to be a cell.

What is this? I ask, not wanting to show my fear, but my heart is beating like crazy.

A test, he says, walking around me, with his hands clasped behind his back.

I see him under the torch light. His face is dark, olive colored. His beard is as charcoal black as his hair, and to the side of his neck, I notice a tattoo slithering out of the collar of his shirt. I know the reputation he boasts. I also know that I will not die an easy death. Perhaps the sooner I accept that, the better it’ll be.

Discipline, he starts, still walking around me, like a lion about to devour a gazelle with a broken leg, and strength.

I raise an eyebrow at him. He’s been speaking in philosophical terms all evening, but if I’m going to die, I’d rather it’d be sooner than later. He is just playing with me. I can see it in those dark eyes. But I won’t give him the satisfaction.

I have both, I growl at him.

Surprisingly he grins. We shall see.

At that moment, he walks up to me. He is so close I can almost feel his breath on my face. He is staring me down, and I don’t look away. I will not die a coward’s death, even though I feel my heart is beating all the way down at my heels, with my entire body trembling before this vampire whose reputation is darker than that hole behind me.

We shall see, he repeats, and pushes me with both hands.

I stumble backwards, falling right into the hole. I am shocked to see that I fell on something soft. I can’t see it in the darkness, so I press my palms against it.

A mattress? I murmur to myself, looking up.

He’s bending over the hole, looking down at me.

You have until morning to get out, he tells me. If you don’t, you’re dead.

With those words, he leaves, and I can hear the door slam shut. I widen my eyes, blinking heavily. There is a thick, long pole in the middle of the hole, with a plate like ending right at the top.

You’re joking, I frown. Is he expecting me to climb this?

I walk over to the side of the hole. It’s as smooth as porcelain. So, there is no way I will be climbing out that way. I notice something blinking right next to the pole. I bend down, to see two golden plates, with long cloths tied to both of them.

I still can’t figure it out.

I inhale deeply, burying my face into my hands.

Fucking hell... I murmur to myself, wondering what to do now. I take one of the plates and bang it against the pole. The tin, metallic sound pierces through my ears. That obviously wasn’t the way to go. I look around again. Still nothing to hold onto. Nothing to help me climb out of this hole.

I sit down onto the mattress. The softness is overwhelming. Maybe a quick nap will sharpen my senses and help me think of a way out. The moment I close my eyes, I am washed over by sleep. I dream of Jonas, of our parentless childhood, of all the vampires I’ve had to kill to keep us both safe and provide for us.

I have no idea how long I’ve been sleeping. When I open my eyes, it’s still dark. But I know exactly what to do.

Chapter Two

Cassius

The new arrivals are nothing like I expected them to be. With each subsequent generation, I feel like we’ve been degrading as a race. Fear is nestled in their souls, tainting them for the training that they need to undergo at the academy. I know that fear is an essential tool that keeps us alive, but it should be a motivator, not the disincentive . The thought doesn’t let me sleep. I toss and turn in bed, with images of the past torturing me until the morning.

I open my eyes. I’m surprised to realize that I’m curious about the new girl. There’s something about her, something I can’t quite put my finger on. But the moment I looked into her eyes, I could see more fear than in any other newcomer that I’ve encountered. Usually, fear isn’t good. When they’re that young, fear keeps them from becoming what they were supposed to become. But her fear was different. I still don’t know how or why, but it’s one of those things I am never wrong about.

I get up, quickly get dressed and head for the hole. I remember the threat I made her. You have until morning to get out. If you don’t, you’re dead. It’s not the first time I’ve made that threat. And it probably won’t be the last one. It’s more of an incentive. I have no intention of killing someone who might benefit me in the long run. But if they’re afraid, more fear pushes them over the edge. It provides that extra motivation that either makes them or breaks them. With this girl, I’m almost sure that she will be able to use it to her advantage.

The moment I get there, I realize she’s out of it. She figured it out. It’s actually quite easy to do, once you know what you’re doing. You’re supposed to intertwine the weights together, and that way, this facilitates the climb, making it not all that easy, but doable.

She’s watching me, defiant, refusing to be the first one to speak. I can see the dark circles around her eyes. She probably didn’t sleep all night, or maybe she slept just a little, enough to make her even more sleepy. But even this isn’t making her any less physically appealing. Her body is obviously muscular, underneath those clothes with which she is trying to hide her form. Her eyes are acute. She not only sees things, but she also notices them. She’s proven this by the very fact that she managed to climb up. About seven percent of newcomers manage to do it, and that is after being here for a few days or weeks. This was her first night. That in itself is an accomplishment.

Are you hungry? I ask instead of a greeting for good morning.

She doesn’t say anything at first. She gets up to her feet, as she sees me approach. She takes on a defensive stance. Her entire body is tight, under pressure. She thinks I might try to attack her.

I am not your enemy, I tell her. The enemy is out there, beyond the confines of these walls and these gates. You know the enemy.

Only an enemy would throw me into a hole, she snarls.

Against all better judgment, I smile.

You may see it like that now, I nod. But in due time, you’ll see that this was the best thing that could have happened to you. I saw the fear in your eyes last night. I saw that you were... in search of something.

The very moment I say that, her eyes widen in shock. So, I was right. She was in search of something. Someone maybe? Once again, that curiosity grips me. I don’t know why, but I want to know more about her. She is the only one out of the entire newcomer group that has caught my attention. Her fear is malleable, not crippling. As for the rest... I am not sure if this time around, I shall have many additions to the special forces. But maybe I’m talking ahead of myself.

I came for the same reason everyone else came, she said, her words bringing me back to the present moment.

Once again, she manages to raise my curiosity.

And what reason is that? I wonder, tilting my head as if to take a better look at her.