Lara Adrian - Veil of Midnight

It bears repeating (again and again) that I am very grateful to so many for the privilege of being able to wake up each day and do something I genuinely love. A debt of thanks to: my fabulous agent, Karen Solem, and my wonderful editor, Shauna Summers, for getting me into print; to my awesome readers for keeping me there; to the booksellers, librarians, and bloggers whove so generously spread the word about my books; to my friends and family for all the love.

And to my husband, cherished friend, beloved partner, keeper of my heart. Thank you for every moment of this life together.

CHAPTER
One

O n stage in the cavernous jazz club below Montreals street level, a crimson-lipped singer drawled into the microphone about the cruelty of love. Although her sultry voice was pleasant enough, the lyrics about blood and pain and pleasure clearly heartfelt, Nikolai wasnt listening. He wondered if she knewif any of the dozens of humans packed into the intimate club knewthat they were sharing breathing space with vampires.

The two young females sucking down pink martinis in the dark corner banquette sure as hell didnt know it.

They were sandwiched between four such individuals, a group of slick, leather-clad males who were chatting them upwithout much successand trying to act like their bloodthirsty eyes hadnt been permanently fixed on the womens jugulars for the past fifteen minutes straight. Even though it was clear that the vampires were negotiating hard to get the humans out of the club with them, they werent making much progress with their prospective blood Hosts.

Nikolai scoffed under his breath.

Amateurs.

He paid for the beer hed left untouched on the bar and headed at an easy stroll toward the corner table. As he approached, he watched the two human females scoot out of the booth on unsteady legs. Giggling, they stumbled for the restrooms together, disappearing down a dim, crowded hallway off the main room.

Nikolai sat down at the table in a negligent sprawl.

Evening, ladies.

The four vampires stared at him in silence, instantly recognizing their own kind. Niko lifted one of the tall, lipstick-stained martini glasses to his nose and sniffed at the dregs of the fruity concoction. He winced, pushing the offending drink aside.

Humans, he drawled in a low voice. How can they stomach that shit?

A wary silence fell over the table as Nikolais glance traveled among the obviously young, obviously civilian Breed males. The largest of the four cleared his throat as he looked at Niko, his instincts no doubt picking up on the fact that Niko wasnt local, and he was a far cry from civilized.

The youth adopted something he probably thought was a hardass look and jerked his soul-patched chin toward the restroom corridor. We saw them first, he murmured. The women. We saw them first. He cleared his throat again, like he was waiting for his trio of wingmen to back him up. None did. We got here first, man. When the females come back to the table, theyre gonna be leaving with us.

Nikolai chuckled at the young males shaky attempt to stake his territory. You really think thered be any contest if I was here to poach your game? Relax. Im not interested in that. Im looking for information.

Hed been through a similar song-and-dance twice already tonight at other clubs, seeking out the places where members of the Breed tended to gather and hunt for blood, looking for someone who could point him toward a vampire elder named Sergei Yakut.

It wasnt easy finding someone who didnt want to be found, especially a secretive, nomadic individual like Yakut. He was in Montreal, that much Nikolai was sure of. Hed spoken to the reclusive vampire by phone as recently as a couple of weeks earlier, when hed tracked Yakut down to inform him of a threat that seemed aimed at the Breeds most powerful, rarest membersthe twenty or so individuals still in existence who were born of the first generation.

Someone was targeting Gen Ones for extinction. Several had been slain within the past month, and for Niko and his brothers in arms back in Bostona small cadre of highly trained, highly lethal warriors known as the Orderthe business of rooting out and shutting down the elusive Gen One assassins was mission critical. For that, the Order had decided to contact all of the known Gen Ones remaining in the Breed population and enlist their cooperation.