Chapter One

Well, damn. His days of hedonistic excess were coming to an end, at least temporarily. But if Dierk Sorenson had anything to say about it, he'd be back to his overindulgent ways in no time.

"There he is!" his brother Rolf exclaimed, as Dierk opened the front door of the family's newest real estate acquisition, a six-thousand-square-foot house in Franklin Village. The building sat far back from the road, on a sloping, wooded lot. Two acres. Private. Quiet. It was perfect. Of course, if the neighbors had any idea their newest arrival was a pack of vampires, they might not agree. "Our prodigal son has returned."

"I'm not your son," Dierk remarked, shoving past his jeering brother as he stepped through the door. "And I'm not here to stay. Where's our formidable king, Shadow?"

"In the library, I think. Hey, aren't you going to give your baby brother a hug?"

"No." Dierk sensed his irritating brother was tailing him, like he used to when they were younger. Some things never changed.

The nauseating scent of fresh paint burned his nostrils, just another of a long list of minor annoyances Dierk had to deal with today. Dammit, a ripe woman was all he wanted right now. None of this shit.

He found Shadow in the library, as Rolf had suggested, along with another brother, Stefan.

Shadow glanced up from the paperwork strewn across his desk, giving Dierk a cautious smile. "Glad to see you could make it."

"I always respond to a summons from my king," Dierk responded coolly.

Stefan left his post next to Shadow to give Dierk a clap on the back. "It's good to see you, br

...