Wanted: A Blood Courtesans Novel

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  This is a work of fiction. Likenesses to any people, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please do so through your retailer’s “lend” function. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at kjstrassel@gmail.com.

  Wanted, A Blood Courtesans Novel. Copyright 2016, Kristen Strassel, Michelle Fox

  Cover Design by Monica La Porta

  Wanted

  Corynne doesn't care about the money she'll make as a blood courtesan. She's come to the vampires for protection—from humans. And even more, from herself. Any time she's thought of revenge against the bullies who've tormented her, it has come to pass—and the latest incident has put her in the middle of a murder investigation.

  Nash lives in a world where blood is money and sex is everything. But power is what he admires. When a woman comes onto the auction stage with an ability he's never seen before in a human, he can't let her go.

  Nash's coven must defeat a band of rogue vampires, and Corynne's power could be his secret weapon. Falling for her could cost him everything. But first he has to teach her how to harness the power of her thoughts to save herself.

  Chapter One

  Corynne

  My only regret was I didn’t do it sooner. Then they couldn’t try me as an adult. Still, a weight had lifted from my shoulders. At least the police had to follow some rules. The group that harassed and humiliated me for the last four years excelled in guerrilla warfare.

  I screwed up every plan for revenge I’d ever had, including this one. I was hardwired for it. My deepest, darkest thoughts had this nasty way of manifesting themselves and becoming reality. I didn’t do anything to people—I didn’t have to. It used to be little stuff, like if someone made fun of me in elementary school, they’d spill their lunch down their shirt or fall down on the playground.

  Karma and I became BFFs in high school, after my best friend decided I was too weird to hang out with anymore. She and her new friends did everything in their power to egg me on.

  They had no idea when to stop. And neither did I. They’d push me in the hallway, and later that day their beaker would magically explode in Chem class. Call me a freak, their car would get keyed. After one of their friends asked me to the prom as a joke, that whole crew got a nasty case of food poisoning the night of the dance. Then they had to sit on the side of the road, puking out the windows of the limo, while the chauffeur got busted for driving a stolen vehicle.

  Three weeks ago we graduated. It was over—or so I thought.

  Please, Amber begged, wishing she was still my best friend. The words were harder to make out as her throat constricted, her mocha latte laced with a triple shot of poison. I’m sorry. I’ll make them be nice to you. She shouldn’t have asked me if I’d be majoring in freak in college. I have no idea how the cleaning liquid mixed with the chocolate syrup, but the coffee shop surveillance cameras showed an empty bottle at my barista station as I handed her the drink.

  No more mistakes. I was two steps ahead of the police. I had one leg out my little sister’s bedroom window before they had a chance to knock on the door.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, clutching her teddy bear.

  “I have to go.” My heart broke as her mouth formed an O. “Promise me you won’t say anything to Mom and Dad until morning.” Their voices carried up the stairs as they pleaded with the police to stop them from taking me away.

  My sister nodded, eyes wide. She held the bear out to me. I shook my head.

  After all the horrible things I’d done, she wanted to give me her favorite thing in the entire world. Thank God she was nothing like me. She had a chance.

  The voices got louder and closer. They didn’t belong to my parents.

  “I love you,” I whispered, and climbed out the window.

  The impact rocked my bones when I hit the ground. Stunned, but not broken. That’s how you could describe me. I’d done a lot of horrible things, but there was no looking back.

  **

  I’d been in the forest a thousand times. I knew all the paths in daylight, but no one dared come out here at night. The trees cast sinister shadows from the light of the full moon, and there was barely enough light to see where I was going. I ran on pure adrenaline and instinct. I didn’t have the luxury of fear. Tonight was not the night to bring the worst case scenario to life.

  They’re just tree limbs, I told myself. They could’ve been cops. Or worse.

  Vampires.

  The ones that lived in the forest answered to no one. Rumors had it they were feral. If they were hungry enough, they’d smell my blood as it thundered through my veins. If they stole my blood, I’d have nothing.

  Think positive. Think of vampires exploding like ticks around me.

  I covered my mouth as my laugh bounced off the trees. It was bad enough my brain summoned evil without drawing it a map.

  The path led to train tracks. I gave myself a chance to catch my breath; I was safe. The feral vamps were trapped in the woods, and no one was stupid enough to give them an engraved invitation to the civilized world. I jumped every time headlights flashed, turning the corner, but so far no flashing lights. It was only a matter of time before the police caught up to me. I had no idea how long it would take to walk to the next station. The Metro-North train lumbered past me, and I couldn’t let it pass me by.

  It would’ve been a fate worse than cops or vampires if I missed. I caught the ladder and held on for dear life. It wasn’t so bad once I got my feet on the rung. As the train pulled into the next station, I jumped off, splitting my palms and knees open when I skidded onto the concrete. That would be a problem later on. This early in the morning, there were only a few horrified witnesses, but I ignored them and boarded the nearest car.

  “Nothing to see here, people. Keep moving,” I muttered to a lady who pulled the lapels of her jacket together, like it would offer her protection from me.

  Someone had left yesterday’s newspaper on the seat next to me. I hid behind it, staring at the story about myself, but couldn’t comprehend the words.

  New York City or bust.

  The vampires in my suburban forest were savages, but the ones in the city were my only hope. They’d understand what I’d done. They had to. We were both outsiders, misunderstood. We had urges that scared the shit out of normal people. I’d sell them my blood for a chance at a new start. At least, that was my plan.

  I couldn’t be tried for murder if I was already dead.

  The skyscrapers were framed in the blue light of early morning. Steam rose from the manhole covers as the city came back to life.

  I was too late. As the sun rose, the vampires faded. The only place to hide was in plain sight.

  I had until sunset to become the person I always wanted to be.

  Chapter Two

  Corynne

  “What makes you think you’re good enough to be a courtesan?” Lady Desiree was the last barrier between me and vampire redemption.

  I’d been waiting outside their headquarters as the sun set. Everyone knew where the vampires lived in New York. My mom pointed this building out to me so many times when I was a little kid. She’d always been fascinated by them. They scared me then, and they scared me even more now that I was inside. We could only speculate on how the vampires li
ved, but two things we knew were certain: blood was money, and sex was everything.

  Lady Desiree circled me, shiny leather boots clicking, her bright pink lips curling in a sneer. “It’s nothing like being a human whore. It’s a privilege to have a member of our coven choose you to be his playmate. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll be more than that. All you human girls are alike, confusing love and necessity. You’re paid to be dinner and a show. Remember that.”

  I swallowed hard, cursing my thundering heart. I’d been an idiot to think that the vampires would protect me. And even more arrogant to assume they’d want me. It wasn’t like I had a whole lot of choices. Psychiatric hospitals terrified me much more than the undead, and the whole jail thing? That went without saying. No thank you.

  “I have special powers,” I actually said that out loud. My superpower was stupidity.

  The Lady burst out laughing. Her fangs looked deceivingly delicate when she smiled. They’d slice me like warm butter. “Aren’t you cute.”

  Exhausted, desperate, and hungry, my brain controlled me instead of the other way around. This was the danger zone. Cute was the last word I’d use to describe myself tonight. I used the bus station bathroom as my beauty parlor, dying my red hair dark brown. Not my best work. Splotches of dye stained my forehead and cheeks, my clothes were bloody and dirty, and to top it all off, I stunk like sweat and public transportation.

  A glass of red wine sat untouched on Lady Desiree’s desk. The telltale dark fuzz clouded my vision and the glass began to shake. The Lady didn’t notice until the glass exploded, and wine soaked my open file.

  She jumped. I made a vampire jump. Go me.

  “How’d you do that?” she asked, a hint of something shook her voice. I couldn’t tell if it was fear or simply annoyance.

  I shrugged. “I have no idea.” If I knew, I’d make it stop.

  She crooked her cool finger under my chin. I refused to meet her gaze. No way would I let her use any of her vampire magic on me. If the legends were true, I’d fall completely under her command if we made eye contact. The Lady chuckled. “The problem with luck is it runs out.” Her finger was gone, and I swayed. “I’ll send you to auction. You have to pass inspection first. Let the coven decide if they want you and your parlor tricks.”

  Two girls about my age led me out of the sleek, modern office. Each one of them put an icy hand on my arm. I didn’t know if they were courtesans, employees, slaves, or part of the coven. My tongue was too thick in my mouth to ask. That was probably a good thing. Despite the Lady’s accusation, luck wasn’t something I was real familiar with.

  They brought me to a huge bathroom that shined with white marble and mirrors. All I saw was a bathtub and a vanity. Maybe vampires didn’t need the rest of it.

  “What’s your name?” one of them asked.

  “Corynne.” This was the first time I said my new name out loud. I liked it way better than my old name, though I mourned I’d never be that girl again. The image of my sister, holding her teddy bear out to me less than twenty-four hours ago flashed in my brain, and a lump formed in my throat.

  “I’m Sabrina, and this is Sierra.” Both girls smiled, and Sierra waved. They’d look human if they weren’t so colorless. They were an echo of each other with long, straight, white-blonde hair, porcelain skin, and eyes the color of a storm cloud. “We’ll get you ready for the auction.”

  “Wha—What does that mean?” Sure, they were calm. I was being sold, no big deal. That’s exactly what I’d come for, but it didn’t seem so final until now. Some random vampire would buy the only thing I had to offer. My blood. My life. And I had no idea what I’d get in return.

  “We’ll bathe you and make sure you don’t have any imperfections.” Sierra’s voice squeaked. I wondered if she was even as old as me. “Are you a virgin?”

  I was used to girls being called prudes or sluts depending on their answer to that question, and neither one was good. I had enough to worry about without having to cover up a lie. “I am.”

  Sabrina smiled. “Good. They like it when they have you first.”

  I suddenly felt lightheaded.

  “Get undressed,” Sierra instructed before turning on the faucet. As the water pooled in the bottom of the tub, she poured something into it. Mixed with the steam, it smelled like a cup of tea.

  I had never needed a bath more. Undressing in front of the vampires couldn’t be worse than the gym locker room, but I had no clue what they meant by ‘imperfections.’ Besides the scrapes and the stains, I had a tummy, with round thighs and big boobs to match. I assumed they meant physical imperfections, so hopefully my flawed brain wouldn’t be a problem. Once I sunk into the bath, I didn’t care what they meant anymore. The guilt and grime melted away. I tipped my head back, closed my eyes, and let myself relax for the first time since the cop car pulled up to my parents’ house last night.

  I missed them so much already, especially my sister. I’d do almost anything for the chance to see them again. This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have run. No, stop thinking like that.

  Something soft moved across my stomach. My eyes snapped open. Sierra smiled at me, and the washcloth brushed against my boob. She just touched my boob. When they said ‘bathe me,’ I didn’t think it was literal. “What are you doing?”

  She giggled. “Relax, Corynne. You need to get used to people paying attention to your body.”

  “All eyes will be on you when you’re on stage,” Sabrina added. “It’s scary as hell at first. As the council evaluates you, you realize you have what they want. Your blood. Your body. You have the power. They choose you. Don’t forget that. And if you please your master, you can have a very good life here.”

  Sabrina raked her fingers through my snarled hair, pouring water over it. I moaned as she made tiny circles, massaging my scalp as she shampooed. My heart pounded as I thought about what she said. I wondered if the girls were tempted by my blood. They were so close. “Are you courtesans?”

  “Yes,” Sabrina said. “We serve Lady Desiree.”

  Once I was clean, the girls oiled my skin with something else that smelled amazing, spicy and rich, and wrapped me in fluffy white towels. It was no coincidence I probably tasted as good as I smelled. Sabrina dried and curled my hair while Sierra did my makeup. I hardly ever wore more than lip gloss. I didn’t recognize the girl with the dark hair and the smoky eyeshadow, but I loved what I saw. She was absolutely nothing like the weird girl who had been pushed around and bullied her whole life.

  This girl had power.

  Sierra kneeled beside me when she finished and picked up my hand. Bruises had blossomed around the cuts on my palms. They were even uglier now after my transformation.

  I gasped when Sierra licked the cut. Her gaze flicked up to mine, and she gave my palm one more gentle stroke. “You can’t have any imperfections, or Lady Desiree won’t let you go to auction.”

  Too shocked to say anything as new skin replaced the thick scabs, I let Sierra use her powers to heal me. A strange sensation surged through me every time she made contact. Sabrina positioned my leg so she could do the same thing to my knee. She worked slowly, making sure she didn’t miss a spot. My breath constricted in my throat, and warmth spread over my body as they washed my sins away.

  If only it were that easy.

  Sierra picked up a tube that looked like lipstick and drew a black V on my chest, just over my heart. My instinct was to cover it, to be ashamed that she marked me, but then I’d ruin it. And I didn’t want to do that. I’d never been treated so kindly by anyone who wasn’t related to me. Both girls stepped back, and I stared at their reflections in the mirror. They looked at each other and nodded, satisfied.

  “What’s the V for?” I had a feeling I knew. If I’d learned anything in the short time I’d been here, it was to make no assumptions.

  “So they know you’re pure.” Sierra wiped a smudge away from the letter. “They like to know exactly what they’re getting.”

&n
bsp; “You’re ready for Lady Desiree,” Sabrina said, picking up a lock of my hair and blending it into the rest of the curls. “Remember what we said about pleasing your master? Same goes for us. We wouldn’t send anyone for inspection that wasn’t perfect.”

  Chapter Three

  Corynne

  I was totally frigging naked when Lady Desiree gave me her stamp of approval. After she left, the girls gave me a lacy pair of boy shorts and a matching top that was too skimpy to be called a bra.

  I held up it in front of my face, still able to see both of the girls clearly. “Where’s the rest of it?”

  Sabrina shrugged. “That’s how you go to auction.”

  Maybe the lace would be enough to obscure the stuff I wasn’t willing to share with the crowd. I put it on, forcing myself to think happy thoughts. No need to scare anyone. Sabrina and Sierra didn’t fall into the friend category yet, but they were definitely on my side. I planned to keep it that way.

  I stood in front of the mirror. Nope, I could still see everything.

  “I can’t go stand in a room full of vampires like this!” I pleaded. Sabrina and Sierra got to wear normal clothes—black tank tops and dress pants. Who did I talk to so I could get that? It certainly wasn’t Lady Desiree.

  “They can’t choose you if they can’t see you.” Sierra’s gaze fell over my body. I crossed my legs and put my hand over my chest. She laughed. “Don’t worry. I promise they’ll love you.”

  “We’ve never had a girl we prepared for auction rejected,” Sabrina added.

  Rejected? No, that wasn’t an option. “What happens to those girls?”

  They both shrugged, shaking their heads. I wasn’t about to find out.

  I followed the girls down an endless hallway. It was too easy to get lost here. The building was beautiful, with sleek white interiors, metal accents, and no signs of the undead.

  Sierra punched a code into a door. “Is this the auction?” I asked. I wasn’t ready to be left on my own yet. I thought we’d have more time to talk about, well, everything. I had so many questions, and now I was kicking myself for not asking. They’d caught me so off-guard, bathing me, making me pretty, and then refusing to give me real clothes, I didn’t realize what they were doing.