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Mack narrowed in on Ari’s smirk like it was a bullseye on a dartboard. If he’d had a knife in his hand, he might’ve thrown it smack in the middle and wiped the humor from the ancient’s lips.

Which would be a big fuckup.

Still, he blocked out the vampire’s words because Mack knew exactly what would happen if some of the warriors laid eyes on Ella.

She was stunning. With long brown hair and deep matching eyes, she was the epitome of beauty and health.

Hell, he’d always thought she could model for all those skincare and hair products.

Instead, she creates social media content for companies. It’s her own business. Ella can work her own hours from home and if someone does want to do a daytime video conference, she just uses blackout curtains.

Mack knew as he installed them for her.

Anyway, she purposely chose foreign clients. It was the middle of the day in Australia when Ella wanted to work. But most of the time, she was doing the art stuff. Mack didn’t have a creative bone in his body, so he just nodded when she told him.

Technology allowed people to work however they wanted these days. On the other hand, it made things more difficult for vampires trying to hide in plain sight.

A camera catching one of them teleporting or moving at superhuman (in their mind) speed is hard to explain. But vampires had the ability to manipulate the human mind. So, in the past, they’d been able to wipe tapes and memories.

Now, the speed at which information was transmitted—often live—meant that they couldn’t keep up with it.

Wiping a few dozen memories was a huge job.

Trying to do that with hundreds or millions? Impossible.

Hence the situation they found themselves in today because Brooklyn had talked to a journalist and it’d been broadcast around the world.

Ari had finally stopped talking about other males and Ella.

“Not fucking happening.” Mack growled before he could stop himself.

Ari didn’t seem to mind. The ancient vampire laughed, then stood and slapped him on the shoulder.

“Tell you what, I haven’t laughed all week, so for that I’ll train you. Set up a session for later tonight.”

“Seriously?”

Ari walked him to the door and opened it.

“Two hours. After that, you join Marcus’s sessions. He’s an excellent trainer.”

“Done.”

“Do you want to become an SLC?” Ari asked, referring to the Senior Lieutenant Commanders—the highest-ranking warriors in the king’s army.

He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Maybe.

Mack stepped out into the hallway and crossed his arms, feeling his muscles bunch. He had the physical strength and build for it. He wasn’t the biggest vampire. Hell, Craig was a brick shithouse. But Mack stood on his own as a tall, broad male, and his wolf was very strong.

“Yeah, I might.” He nodded. “If there’s an army when all this is over.”

Ari leaned his side against the doorjamb. “I’ve lived for this long, Mack. I’m not going to let the race be destroyed, enslaved, or become extinct.”

Mack nodded.

He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed to hear that.

“My brother—King Gio—sired this race, but my blood also runs through all your veins. That weighs heavily on my shoulders. As it does the king’s and Brayden’s.”

They heard boots.

“Did I hear my name?” Brayden walked toward them with Princess Isabella holding his hand. They both walked at a snail’s pace as she almost toppled over with every step. “Look baby, there’s Uncle Ari.”

Mack smiled at the huge vampire being a daddy.

He’d heard many of the females in the castle letting out the most ridiculous romantic type sighs.

Isabella was very cute. She looked like Willow with all her dark hair and had Brayden’s silver eyes.

“Waawee!” She giggled with her whole body, so much so that her legs gave out from under her. Which made her laugh even more.

Brayden scooped her up into his arms.

Isabella clung to his neck and giggled when her daddy kissed along her neck and arms. Even to him, it was helluva cute.

Grinning, he glanced at Ari and met wild, emotion-filled eyes.

“She’s one of my biggest motivators.” Ari nodded at the princess. “Our next generations must be allowed to live freely.”

Yeah.

Fuck.

To think little vampires could be taken, tested on... worse. It was not okay.

As royals, both Isabella and Lucca, the heir to the throne, were high-value targets. The world now knew everything about them, including the family tree.

Brooklyn, a human originally, had worked for a very short time with Sage in the science lab. They all understood why she’d exposed them. When the prince gave the order to blow up the BioZen building with humans in it, Brooklyn had been shocked. She thought they’d always planned to harm humans.

That wasn’t the case.

The cell inside BioZen had held Callan and both Willow and Isabella. It had to be destroyed.

Had Brayden been a little less furious about his mate and daughter being kidnapped, he may’ve emptied the building first.

Instead, they had walked their enemy, Nikolay Mikhailov, out in exchange for the code to let Isabella out of the locked cage.

At the time, that was all that mattered.

No one— no one! —wanted to leave the Tungsten-lined BioZen science lab left standing after that. At any cost.

Brooklyn only saw them ruthlessly killing humans she’d once worked with. It was understandable. But if they could turn back time...yeah, it would have been better if she’d kept her trap shut. Not that he’d say that to Logan. He felt the same. Even though he loved his mate.

“Waweeee!” Isabella reached out her arms, and Ari took her from the prince.

“Hey gorgeous.” Ari kissed her forehead. “Are you coming to stay with Aunty Sage and me today?”

“Yes, she is.” Brayden grinned. “So that mommy and daddy can have noisy grown-up time.”

Mack snorted.

“Quick, clock your ears,” Ari covered one of the princess’s little ears and more giggling ensued. “He means playing video games.”

“Nope. No, I do not.” Brayden laughed.

Ari was right. They had to protect the world for these innocents. Royal or otherwise. The thought of someone harming them just because they were vampires made his blood boil.

Craig walked toward them, his heavy boots stomping on the polished floors.

“Mazzini. Girl, at the security gates for you,” Craig called out.

Ella.

“Here? At the castle?” Mack asked, surprised. He’d told her to go to the house and message when she arrived. She had to door code and could go straight in.

Damn.

He was hoping to prepare before seeing her for the first time as a shifter. His wolf would react; he had no doubt about that.

“No, the Louvre in Paris.” Craig rolled his eyes. “Where the fuck do you think I mean?”

Yup, he’d asked for that.

Brayden was snorting when Mack’s phone beeped.

“See you later tonight, Ari. Thanks.”

Mack adjusted his cap as he glanced down at Ella’s message. Then, ignoring his pounding heart, he took off.