Abel turned his gaze to her, but Robert, the man who was in charge of procuring human blood for the palace—both packaged as well as in the form of actual human donors—didn’t turn his head.

“I’m afraid Robert has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar,” Abel said, his voice even. Then he looked back to the man before him. “It’s a grave offense. I’m sure you’re aware of it.”

“I didn’t steal it. I—”

Abel lashed the back of his hand across the other vampire’s cheek, slicing it open with the diamond ring he wore. The scent of blood instantly saturated the air.

Faye’s fangs involuntarily itched in their sockets, despite the fact that the blood she smelled wasn’t human. She knew it was a survival instinct, because whenever vampire blood was in the air all vampires close enough to smell it became more aggressive. They were like sharks in that respect.

“I won’t take any excuses! Be a man! Stand by your crime!” Abel ground out. “You’re the only one apart from myself who has a key to the supply room. Are you telling me I was the one who removed two gallons of blood from our cellars?” Abel flashed his fangs at Robert.

One word came over the lips of the accused. “No!”

“Who did you sell it to?”

Robert raised his head by an inch, lifting his lids to shoot a defiant look at Abel. “I didn’t sell anything.”

A violent slap across his other cheek produced another cut from which blood began to drip. Though it was healing just as quickly as the first side, the insult had to hurt a proud man like Robert.

“Won’t you hear him out?” Faye interfered. “Maybe he didn’t do it.” She’d known Robert to be an honorable man, one who took his duties seriously. One who’d become a close friend over the last year.

Abel turned to look at her. “Very well. I’ll let him talk.”

Robert took a deep breath before he spoke. “I didn’t take money for it.”

“You gave it away?” Abel thundered. “To whom?”

“The unfortunates who ask for our help. We’ve always done it. We’ve always helped those of our kind who needed our help. A few pints of blood to those in need don’t hurt us.”

Abel took a step toward the vampire. “You are giving our supplies away without my consent?”

“They were in desperate need.”

“I don’t care! I’m not running a charity! If these losers can’t go and hunt for human blood themselves then they don’t deserve to be vampires. Do you get that? No more handouts!”

Faye winced. Robert wasn’t the only one who gave handouts to vampires in need. She was just as guilty as Robert, though she’d not taken anything directly from the cellars, but rather taken some of her own supplies and shared them.

“And now that that’s clear, lock him up downstairs,” he instructed the guards. “I’ll teach you to obey me.”

“No!” Faye yelled out before she could stop herself. “Not the cellars.” She knew what would happen to Robert there. “Don’t torture him.”

“You want to save this man? Why?” Abel asked, giving her a curious look. “Don’t you see that he defied my orders? As king I can’t allow such behavior. I have to be firm.”

“I beg you, please show mercy.” Faye wrung her hands, her heart beating rapidly and uncontrollably. She had grown to care for so many of the vampires in this clan since she’d been accepted into their midst.

She loved them like her own family and couldn’t bear any of them being hurt.

Faye took a few steps closer, approaching Abel. His gaze traveled over her. “It’s not easy to be a fair ruler and make the right decisions. You’ll have to understand that.” He paused. “But as my queen, you would have the power to sway me. The power to make me change my mind.”

His eyes locked with hers. She looked deep into them, searching for an answer there.

“I’m not infallible. But if you help me, if you could be my conscience, then maybe I can be the kind of ruler this kingdom deserves.”

His beseeching words sank deep into her. Could she make this sacrifice for the people of her clan? Could she truly help him be the ruler they needed?

“Marry me,” Abel said softly. “I won’t punish Robert if you don’t wish it. Be my queen. The queen you were always meant to be.” He motioned his arm toward the window. “They love you. They need you. I need you.”

Faye glanced past him where Robert still stood, now a hopeful sheen on his eyes. There was so much goodness in him and in the other members of the clan. She wanted to preserve that, preserve what Cain had fostered during his reign. And she could only do it if she had power.