Unremarkable

  A scheming vampire, a unicorn with a job to do, and a mage who thought her power was gone, leaving her unremarkable.

  Ally surrendered her magic as a teen. Her sister was the family heir, and Ally just wanted to leave her home and start off in a new city. She takes on odd jobs and ends up as a secure courier. Weeks before her twenty-seventh birthday, she takes a delivery that goes wrong and ends up with her being bound to the vampire king of the city. She decides to run, but he thwarts her, and after experiencing brunch with the vampire, she agrees to give him a chance to seduce her.

  Being seduced by a vampire takes time. There has to be formality, organization, and an opener. Ally had never heard of openers, but they were used when there were physical issues between the more aggressive of the races and usually the hapless human. The openers were unicorn stallions with a talent for easing things between normally incompatible species. Ally agrees to it, but there is one problem. She knows the unicorn.

  Bastien was the brother of one of her best friends, and he had been in training when she had seen him last. She had never imagined that she would see him again and that he would see all of her.

  Ally had sought to live her life quietly, to be unremarkable, but now, she was in the spotlight, and her family was calling her to defend her life, her freedom, and her new mates. She was taking her family down.

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Unremarkable

  Copyright © 2022 by Viola Grace

  ISBN: 978-1-990635-08-3

  ©Cover art by Angela Waters

  All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.

  Published by Viola Grace

  Look for me online at violagrace.com.

  Unremarkable

  By

  Viola Grace

  Chapter One

  Ally stood in the crime boss’s office, and she waited in her Denyar Elite Courier uniform-heels, stockings, and snug black dress with long sleeves. The company logo was embroidered along her cuffs.

  She was on a timed delivery. The moment the box hit her hands, she would have one hour to deliver the contents to the recipient. She had made this run before.

  “You will have it there within the hour?” He flashed his teeth in a threatening grin.

  “Yes, Mr. Jinson.” She nodded to the bulky goblin.

  “You can call me Boss, Ally.”

  She nodded and waited, her hands loose at her sides. The suited goblins stared at her and sniffed to scent the air now and then. It was common enough when she was around. She was human-shaped, with no magic, no power coming out of her, but there was something in her scent that made the monster class of citizens stop and sniff.

  Ally had her job because she was human class. She was the perfect go-between. When the monster class wanted to send contracts or gifts to each other, they used a human courier. She risked everything during her job, and the company she worked for charged the clients accordingly.

  She watched the clock tick to eight, and the door opened while one of the boss’s men closed and sealed the box in his hands. He handed it to Boss Jinson, and the boss looked at Ally and smiled, showing a lot of teeth. “Clock starts now, courier.”

  She nodded, took the box with both hands, and when he let it go, she saw the timer on the lid. A glowing gemstone counting down from white to black. “Good evening to you, Mr. Jinson.”

  “Call me Boss, Ally.”

  She bobbed a curtsy and headed for the door. Words had power. Calling him Boss would create a tie between them, which wasn’t something she wanted with the goblin boss.

  Her heels clicked, and she knew that they were watching her ass, but she got out of the office, through the club, and outside to her car. The blue and black paint job of the courier company was distinct near the VIP entrance. She touched the handle, and the door opened. She settled the box in the carrying unit with straps and tie-downs that would keep it secure on the forty-minute journey.

  Once she was buckled up, she started her car and did what she was paid to do. She began transport from one stronghold to another.

  Traffic was heavier than normal, and she compensated by taking the back streets. She arrived at the club with ten minutes to spare and removed the box to carry it inside. Ally walked carefully but determinedly to the door, past the lineup. She grinned at her roommate in line and continued on to the bouncer. He was new. That wasn’t good.

  “Good evening. I have an appointment to see Master Ulric.”

  The man looked her up and down and sneered. “Maybe show a little skin, babe. No one gets in unless I say so.”

  “I am running out of time. Please call Zafiyed and tell him the courier is here.”

  “I am not doing shit. You are not getting past me. Not dressed like that.”

  There were snickers and giggles from the young women waiting in line. Mentally cursing, Ally went to her car, got her phone, and called Master Ulric’s righthand man.

  “Go.”

  “This is the Denyar Elite Courier bringing a time-sensitive delivery to Master Ulric. Your bouncer at the door has not been briefed, and I am unable to complete my delivery.”

  “Fuck. Go back to the door.”

  “Yes.” She hung up.

  She walked out again in the same way and stopped in front of the bouncer. “I have a delivery for Master Ulric.”

  “I told you. Leave, bitch!” He took a step toward her, and the door opened behind him.

  Zafiyed was not for the faint of heart. The old vampires were brutal in appearance and quick to anger. He was no exception. He grabbed the bouncer with an arm around the neck and inclined his head. “Courier. You know the way.”

  She nodded and heard Yelthea hoot. “Go, Ally!”

  The timer was almost up. She moved through the club swiftly, down to the lower level, and knocked on the office door.

  A guard opened the door, and she inclined her head. “Delivery for Master Ulric.”

  He looked at her cuffs and nodded, stepping aside. She crossed the room and knocked again on an ornate door.

  “Come, courier.”

  She stepped in and nodded to Master Ulric as she approached his desk. She placed the box in front of him as the last seconds ticked away.

  He looked at the box as the timer turned black. “Now, that is unfortunate. You have failed, courier. The treat is spoiled. The magic is gone. The treaty is off.”

  Ally blinked. “I am sure it is fine.”

  He looked at her with his scarred face, shaggy hair, and black eyes. He leaned over to his intercom. “Bring the courier’s pixie friend. I was promised magic tonight, and I will have it.”

  Ally’s blood went cold. “What do you mean?”

  He bared his teeth to her. “I mean that I need blood with magic in it tonight, and if I have to get it from that pixie of yours rather than the nymph who donated this tonight, I will take it from the source.”

  Ally was stunned. That was why the timer was important. Magic left the blood after an hour outside the body.

  Ulric chuckled. “Ah, you understand now. I will take my ounce from her, and you will be free to go.”

  “No. You can’t take from her.”

  Ulric laughed. “Of course, I can. I have been taking from scantily clad young women for centuries.”

  She grimaced. “What if I can offer you something comparable?”

  “If you are offering sex, I am intrigued, but you are not my typ
e.”

  She reached for the ornamental letter opener on his desk and pricked her finger. She put a drop on the tip of the sword and held it out to him. “Try it.”

  He stared at her. “What kind of joke is this?”

  “Try it. At the worst, it is human blood. If you want more, I will use a kit and pull an ounce for you. That should satisfy your craving.”

  He took the letter opener from her hand and put the tip with the red drop between his lips.

  Ally knew the effect it would have on him. She was born from nine generations of mages, and it was only her redirecting of her own energies that had enabled her to pass as a human for the last decade. He was getting a jolt of power that should satisfy any craving for magic he might experience.

  His pupils dilated, and his gaze snapped to hers. “Two ounces, and you and your friend can go.”

  She nodded. “Do you have an extraction kit?”

  He licked his lips and opened a drawer, removing a kit. “Can you do it yourself?”

  She swallowed. “I can try. It might make a mess, but I will make sure that you get your two ounces.”

  He got up, and she stared at him. Big. He was six-six and as wide as two of her. She would have guessed he was part ogre or giant. He grabbed her by the waist and sat her on the edge of his desk. “Can you roll up your sleeve?”

  She swallowed and undid the ten buttons that held her sleeve snug to her forearm. With the fabric free, she pushed it past her elbow and held her arm out. He had an alcohol wipe ready and the syringe prepared.

  Ally presented her arm and stopped him. “You will accept this as replacement for the gift Boss Jinson sent?”

  He looked at her, and his dark eyes bored into her soul. “I will. I will also allow you to explain this to your friend in the outer office. Acceptable?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Can you tell that bouncer to let through marked couriers?”

  He quirked his lips. “It will not be an issue the next time you are sent here.”

  She smiled politely. “I am sure of that.”

  Ally noticed the draw. “I didn’t even feel it go in.”

  He smiled slightly. “Under other circumstances, I would be offended.”

  She blushed. “I. Oh. Sorry.”

  He steadily drew the plunger back, and when it reached two ounces, he pressed a folded piece of gauze to the puncture site, and she tried to take over the pressure, but he held it for her while slipping the needle into the cap.

  “I can put the pressure on it.”

  He quirked his lips. “No, I have it. Don’t want you to bruise. That would be unacceptable as you have been so generous.”

  She bit her lip at his proximity. He smelled clean and only faintly of blood. His suit was designer, and his ungroomed hair and grey and white skin made him look like a thug. He had a terrifying reputation, and his willingness to take blood from Yelthea just because she knew Ally was proof of it.

  After a minute of him looming over her, he put some surgical tape over the gauze and nodded. “All done. I would recommend you leave my office now, or I will commence consuming you while you watch. I have heard it is disconcerting.”

  She buttoned up her sleeve quickly and nodded. “I apologize for the distraction, sir.”

  He caught her jaw, his long, thick fingers wrapping around most of her face. “You will address me as Master Ulric.”

  She nodded. “May I leave now?”

  He nodded. “Best you go before another hour passes.”

  She didn’t scurry, but she walked directly toward the door. She opened it and didn’t glance back as Ulric sat behind his desk again with the syringe of her blood in front of him.

  “He has released Yelthea from the office. Please, confirm it before we depart.”

  Zafiyed nodded and quickly made a call. When he got the confirmation, he nodded and gave Ally Yelthea’s hand. “Off you two go.”

  Ally pulled Yelthea out of the office, through the bar, and out to the parking lot.

  “Did you drive, Yel?”

  “No. I took a cab.”

  “Great. Come with me. We need to get you away from here.”

  “What is going on, Ally?”

  “I will tell you in the car.” She walked to the courier vehicle and opened the back door. Yelthea got in, and when they were both inside and buckled up, Ally got away as efficiently as she could. She explained things to Yelthea on the way, and by the time they were at the courier headquarters, her pixie friend was shaking at her close call.

  Ally changed into street clothes, handed over her keys, and was relieved to start her four days off. She got her payment for the week and headed back to her compact car, where Yelthea waited.

  Ally looked at her roommate. “So, drive-thru?”

  Yelthea grimaced. “You almost got me eaten by a vampire, and not in a fun way. You are buying.”

  “Deal.” Ally put it in gear and took off into the night. Her job had nearly cost her friend more than met the eye. Pixies didn’t regenerate magic like mages did. They had a finite amount and needed it to live. Losing any could be devastating.

  “So, you think he will be satisfied with your blood? You are human, after all.”

  “Yel, we both know that my blood is probably just what he was looking for. I just hope it doesn’t give him indigestion or something.” Ally chuckled.

  “Speaking of indigestion, I have a list of places I want food from. I expect you to acquiesce to my wishes.”

  Ally chuckled. “In honour of the close call, sure.”

  They began their food odyssey and got home with arms loaded with takeout bags. TJ and Larimetha were home, so it became a party.

  Ally almost forgot the look that Ulric had given her. Almost.

  * * * *

  Ulric the Bloody, vampire king, rolled the flavour of the human woman across his tongue. He hated to rush it, but the one hour was near to its close. He could feel the strength and tingle in his skin.

  He looked at the hand that had once wielded an axe, sword, and dagger with equal dexterity. The fingers were still thick, but they now had a grace that made him grin. She had shaped him. That plain little mouse had blood that coursed with magic.

  Ulric got up and felt the tightness of his suit on his shoulders. He grinned. He had heard about blood transformations. It would be temporary, but for a while, he would be her ideal man. It was a pity that she wasn’t his type. He preferred leggy blondes.

  The mirror in his restroom showed him two inches taller and broader on each side. His chest was deeper, and his skin had taken on a golden cast, flushing out the grey. His hair regained condition and flowed over his collar.

  The scars he was used to were becoming silver lines on his face and probably the rest of his body, but they were still there. Hm. So, she didn’t mind the scars.

  Ulric felt a lightness in his chest, and he laughed. Blood magic. She carried blood magic in her veins. He took a photo of himself in the mirror. This was an image he wanted to remember. His little courier was going to be summoned again. He wanted to see her face when she looked him over. She tasted like nothing he had ever had on his tongue before. She was precious and needed to be protected for the next time his body demanded magic.

  * * * *

  Ally sat with her friends and chuckled. “So, then I grabbed Yalthea and headed through the club. She had just gotten in, and I dragged her out. Sorry, sweetie.”

  Yalthea smiled. “That club looked great, but no matter how nice the cocktails are, it isn’t worth whatever happened in that office. I haven’t seen that look on your face before. You were terrified.”

  “I didn’t want you to end up as a snack.”

  “I appreciate that, Ally. And all this food. It makes up for a lot of stuff.”

  TJ’s phone chimed, and he looked at it. “Aw, shit. Suzie’s pregnant.”

  Yalthea smiled. “That’s great!”

  Lari grimaced. “Not great.
She was supposed to be our token human on the float. We can’t have a float with a pregnant woman on it. It is literally against the regulations of the parade.”

  Yal snorted. “Why couldn’t Marvik keep his dicks in his pants?”

  Ally muttered, “He has two of them; containment is more difficult.”

  TJ started to send texts and make calls. “Sorry about this. I have to find a new human for the float.”

  Lari chuckled. “Ally’s a human.”

  The chicken wing that Ally had been eating stuck to Lari’s forehead. “Shut up, Lari.”

  TJ kept working. “She doesn’t want to. We asked her before we asked Suzie.”

  “Aw, come on, Ally. You know all the routines.” Lari was cajoling as she munched the chicken wing, her ogre’s teeth making short work of meat and bone.

  “I have seen the costumes for the float. I am not going to be shaking anything in that little fabric.” Ally got another wing and continued eating.

  TJ looked at her with serious desperation. “It would really be easier if you could pitch in. For the neighbourhood and for the gym.”

  Ally looked at her friends. “You have to register me for that, and they would have to test me to make sure I was just a human. I hate the testing.”

  Yal asked, “Who is the compliance marshal?”

  TJ grimaced. “Sunar.”

  Ally looked at TJ. “Absolutely not. I am not being licked.”

  Yal grinned. “I dunno, he’s kind of cute. I wouldn’t mind him licking my hand.”

  Ally glared at her. “He never picks the hand. Never.”

  TJ picked up his phone, and he started flicking through pages with his fingertip. His thin goblin fingers moved, and she could see he was ordering food.

  Ally asked calmly, “What are you doing?”

  “Ordering dessert. If I keep Sunar to publicly accessible areas, will you do it? It would really save my ass.”

  “Only if I can wear a cloak during the test. He is only getting my arms.”