Luc POV
The countryside flashing by the windows of the Jeeps and SUVs and military vehicles looked much more satisfying than walking down a dark tunnel, crawling through a secret door, and coming out in the palace dungeons.
The first time he arrived home with Dimitri and the human as his prisoners, he didn't get the conquering hero's welcome with people lining the streets. This time, he would. He would ride through the streets and maybe even get out with his soon-to-be queen and reassure the citizens that normalcy had returned. Sanity had returned. Vampire values had prevailed.
Vampire values. He liked the sound of that.
Draping an arm around Irina, he asked, "What do you think of this slogan for my address to the people? 'Vampire values have won.'"
"Short and catchy," she responded, sitting upright and proud and far too formal for his liking. "People will remember it. It will be sticky, as they say in tech."
