Prologue — The Dream
I’m standing in an empty room.
It’s quiet.
Too quiet.
A mirror gleams before me, but my reflection doesn’t feel… real.
Then—
Strong arms wrap around me from behind.
A broad, muscular chest presses against my back.
Hungry kisses trail down my neck, making my pulse race.
Large hands cup my breasts, squeezing just enough to send tingles through every nerve.
Heat pools low in my belly.
I want more.
I need more.
His hands slip lower. Fingers tease my folds, already soaked and aching.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t think.
“Mate.”
That word crashes over me like a wave.
“Find me,” he breathes against my skin.
“I… I don’t know how,” I gasp.
“Find me, my Queen.”
I tilt my head back, desperate for more—
His teeth elongate, sharp as daggers.
And then—he bites.
Pain and pleasure explode through me as his fangs sink into my neck.
I cry out—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
My alarm shatters the dream.
I shoot upright in bed.
Sweat drenches my skin.
My heart pounds so hard it hurts.
Panting, I touch my neck.
Nothing.
No bite marks.
Just a dream.
Again.
The same one.
Every night.
The same man.
The same voice.
The same pull.
And I’ve never seen his face.
Long black waves always cover it. Like a midnight sky with no stars or moon.
But as my eighteenth birthday creeps closer… the dreams are getting stronger.
More vivid.
More real.
I shove the covers off and swing my legs out of bed.
“Sht. I’m gonna be late.”*
I need a cold shower.
Good thing the attic bathroom barely gets warm anymore.
Thanks, Aunt Devlin.
And her precious gremlin daughter, Angelica.
They’ve been leeching off me since my parents died.
Living large on government checks meant for me.
While I’m lucky to have this drafty attic and a barely working shower.
But I’ll be out of here soon.
They don’t know it yet.
But I’m about to tear down the company that ruined my life.
Lunar Corp won’t know what hit them.
I step out of the shower and towel off fast.
Black ripped jeans. Oversized Green Day sweatshirt.
Dad’s.
It still smells faintly like him.
I pull the hood up, grab my bag and skateboard, and head downstairs.
With any luck, I can avoid the evil duo.
School’s almost over.
I just need to stay focused.
Stay sharp.
And then?
It’s game on.
