At a nightclub called Temptations, Kaden, the Saak’da or future ruler of a race living on Earth secretly for generations, is trying to stop a massacre from happening. He’s had a tip that a small disgruntled faction of his people plan an attack that night that will result in a great loss of human life. Kaden is focused, disciplined, and determined to protect the humans who are ignorant to his people’s presence. But when he prevents a tragic accident from happening, one that would have been fatal to the little bus-boy, Matty, he sets a powerful force into motion. Kaden broke the rules about not interfering in human lives because one touch from Matty convinced him that Matty was his fated blood-angel, and that the bond between them would last for the rest of his very long life.
Matty can’t believe his good fortune when a sex-god like Kaden D’Marco wants to take him home. Matty is just a nobody, abandoned and abused as a child, bullied and picked on by his boss at the club. He washes dirty glasses for a living, and he’s never attracted the attention of a man like Kaden.
Kaden has waited a long time for his fated one, but can a man who feeds on human blood find happiness someone who faints at the sight of it? Can he convince this scared young man to trade a taste of his blood for a love that will last a thousand years and bring him happiness and gifts that he can’t even imagine?
Kaden watched the little bus-boy scurry about some more with cool amusement. He hadn’t scented Amariska when he’d arrived, and knew the bar area was safe for the time being. He decided to ease his large frame into a booth at the back. The previous occupants had moved very quickly when Kaden had asked them very nicely to. He smirked once more. Actually, he’d compelled them to move. Kaden D’Marco didn’t ask anybody anything. As fated Saak’da or Guardian of the Five Rubies, he hadn’t made a request of anyone for at least four centuries.
Kaden crossed his legs and narrowed his eyes as he considered the bus-boy. He had gathered a tray of dirty glasses from a group of guys wanting to show off to one another, and was just turning around. Kaden sighed, sometimes regretting the powers of foresight he had been born with. He could see the man with the dark hair stick his foot out before the bus-boy took a step. Knew the boy would trip, and the tray of glasses would go crashing down. Knew the boy would fall, and then feeling sick, he saw the jagged shard of glass pierce the artery on the boy’s neck. The boy would bleed out before anyone could save him.
Kaden pressed his lips together tightly. This was the part of his existence that he truly hated, his sworn promise not to interfere in the human lives that surrounded them, even as he fought daily against the evil that threatened to make humans merely food—food and slaves. His twin brother was as much invested in keeping their existence a secret as he was, but only until his power and army had amassed enough strength so he could overpower Kaden and the rest of the council. The war had raged, unnoticed by humans for hundreds of years and was nearing a crisis point. His brother had trained assassins now in his search for glory, and according to Kaden’s contacts, Amariska, a particularly ruthless assassin, would show up here tonight. He had heard his brother had decided to put on a show to drag their war into the public’s notice, and had chosen one of the most popular tourist areas in the world to do it. It was rumored the President’s son was gay and came to Temptation frequently.
If Kaden interfered with the boy and tried to stop what was about to happen, he would reveal himself before Amariska arrived, and the attempted assassination wouldn’t take place. They would miss the chance to capture the woman. Amariska was responsible for dozens of human deaths; Kaden merely had to be willing to sacrifice one to enable her to be caught.
Kaden dropped his gaze to the floor in shame, completely unable to watch the boy die when he could prevent it. He heard another shout from the bar and couldn’t help lifting his head. Some guy was yelling to the little bus-boy to hurry up, and he was completely powerless to stop his glance roaming back.
One of the customers leaned forward to the boy and said something obviously lewd as the boy flushed and turned away. Kaden could have easily heard what was being said, but he’d muted his powerful hearing capabilities instinctively, not wanting to hear the hiss of the glass tearing skin, and the gurgle of the blood. He definitely didn’t want to hear the boy’s heartbeat grow quiet and slow and eventually stop.
Kaden gazed at the boy for another second. He was tiny, delicate. He had reddish brown hair that was just a shade too long and was starting to curl at the edges. Kaden’s fingers twitched as he imagined it just being long enough to grab, and then run his fingers through. His eyes were a deep brown, expressive, sad. Kaden wondered what they would look like filled with laughter. He bet the boy’s face changed completely when he smiled, and Kaden suddenly ached to see it. Then he remembered. Another few seconds and the boy would be dead. The only thing he would ever see in his eyes would be the life leaving them.
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