Two vampire guards flanked the massive redwood double doors, their black leather coats glistening in the dim hallway light. Their gazes were sharp, unyielding, and each was as still as a statue. Beside them stood Henry, the cantankerous old butler, guiding a small group of humans toward the entrance—two young women and a young man, all with downcast eyes and subdued postures. Their anxious expressions made it clear they weren’t there by choice.

A wave of instinctive protectiveness surged ...