Into The Wild ~ Book 3 ~ The Royal Blood Collection

Chapter 1

Pulling up the handbrake, I waited for the guard to approach. The grand gates before me were something that I'd wished to see while in this part of the province. Never did I think that I'd go beyond them.

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

"Dahlia Robards, I have meeting with his highnesses personal advisor."

"Identification please."

Reaching into my bag, I pulled out my wallet and handed the card to him. The guard looked at it and then me. I still looked like me even if the photo was taken when I had brown hair. As for right now, it was black. I couldn't get my hands on the right color at my last stop; I had to take what was on offer. Hiding was proving to be a pain in the ass.

The life that I led was not one that could involve anything that was high maintenance; packet dyes were all that I had time for. Then it was a case of pull it back, tie it up and move on. One day soon I'd have to return to my natural blonde, it wasn't something that I was looking forward to.

"Park your vehicle in the parking zone. I'll alert the advisor that you're here."

Taking my identification back, I returned it to my wallet, watching as the guard returned to the gatehouse. Moving my car into a parking spot, I turned everything off and got out. There was no point in locking it; a Moke was definitely not a secured vehicle. As a vampire, it probably wasn't a wise choice of vehicle, but I liked the freedom it gave. I only drove at night, so the fact that I was so exposed wasn't really an issue.

After my bag and body were inspected, I was allowed through the gate.

"Go to the front doors; the advisor is waiting for you."

"Thanks." I offered.

Eager to get this assignment and start it, I made the walk to the house short. The official and only residence of the leader for this province was rather understated compared to the others that I'd seen over the years. This one though, he's made quite a name for himself. The missing heir returned his family to power and then started to consume other provinces.

His army would sweep into a province, and within the day, the royal family was gone. Given that his own parents had been taken down in a similar fashion, I didn't think this guy would do the same, but the rumors wanted to prove me wrong. I'd heard that there were no survivors. Over the years, I've learned not to believe gossip, preferring fact to be much better.

It made me concerned about the ruler of my province. Was he in danger too? I hoped not. I wanted to find out, but I had to be careful. Perhaps once I've completed the task, I could push for a little information.

Waiting at the doors was a familiarity that I wasn't expecting. Unable to hide my amusement, I laughed.

"What the hell are you doing here Beaumont?"

Oliver was an old acquaintance, one that I knew through his association with a nasty gangster. The fact that he was here and apparently the king's advisor meant that he'd escaped. That in itself was a feat, escaping a gangster's grip was nothing short of a miracle.

And he was wearing a suit, something quite strange. The last time I'd seen him it was a leather jacket, blood-soaked shirt, and torn jeans. The blood-soaked shirt was not from careless feeding; it was from a target that he'd taken out.

"Well, it is a very long story, perhaps for another time."

He flicked his head, urging me to follow him into the house. I'd made a name for myself in this world, and I thought it was the reason that I'd been requested to come here. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe this was personal.