Prologue 12 страница

diamond ring. He’d given me the royal

seal of the Dracul line, resized to fit my

finger.

I didn’t hear the officiator finish, but

Vlad said, “I will, ” first in English, then in

Romanian. The instant roar from the

audience startled me out of my shock.

Wasn’t the cheering supposed to come

after both of us said our vows?

Then it was my turn, and I slid the ring

onto Vlad’s hand while vowing to love,

honor, and cherish him. No roar sounded

after I was done speaking. In fact, the

place went absolutely silent when the

officiator stated that if anyone objected to

our union, they should speak now or

forever hold their peace.

To my relief, neither my father nor

Marty said anything. Otherwise, someone

in this groom-oriented crowd might have

“forever” silenced them on the spot.

Then came the words I never thought to

hear—man and wife—followed by a soulsearing

kiss I would never forget.

This time, the cheers were deafening.

Chapter 29

I found out who ninety-five percent of the

guests were while accepting their

congratulations. First-generation members

of Vlad’s line, meaning vampires he’d

changed over himself. Apparently, his

lineage was so extensive that even his

huge house couldn’t hold all the vampires

his people had changed over, too. From

their assortment of accents, Vlad’s undead

offspring hailed from all over the world.

They must have dropped everything to

rush here tonight.

Then again, they might have been afraid

not to. I couldn’t see Vlad taking I was

chillaxin’ as an acceptable reason to miss

his wedding.

The vast number of guests meant I spent

the first three hours getting my gloved

hand kissed and hearing names I’d never

remember. The next hour consisted of

sampling bites from a feast so massive the

nearby town could eat leftovers for days.

Then came an avalanche of toasts, until I

had to fake drinking or risk getting

hammered at my own wedding.

Gretchen had no such concerns. She’d

passed the giggly stage and moved onto isthe-

room-spinning-or-is-it-me? phase. My

father stayed close, glaring at any undead

male who looked twice at her. He hadn’t

offered a toast, but he was still here.

The gigantic clock struck two a.m.

when Vlad rose and held out his hand. I

took it, surprised at the cheers that

followed. Was that the signal for We’re

outta here? I hoped so. My energy was

starting to wane and I didn’t want to spend

the last of it here, stunningly lavish though

the reception might be.

Vlad laughed low. “Believe me, you

won’t.”

Then he swept me into his arms to the

accompaniment of more cheers and quite a

few knowing chuckles. I didn’t even have

a chance to say good night before we were

out of the ballroom and up the stairs. Then

the hallway was a blur that culminated in

a door closing decisively behind us.

I wasn’t the one who carried someone

over a hundred yards in less than five

seconds, yet my heart started to pound

anyway. In a reversal of his prior speed,

Vlad let my body slide down his, inch by

tantalizing inch, as he set me on my feet.

All the while he stared at me with an

intensity that made words seem insultingly

trivial by comparison.

I forgot the thousands of people with

supernatural hearing one floor below us.

Didn’t care that somewhere, a female

vampire and other would-be killers were

finding out I was alive and that I’d

married Vlad. Under the weight of his

stare, all of that fell away until there was

nothing except the two of us.

Vlad unhooked the gold chain that held

his regal scarlet cloak together. It dropped

to the floor with a muted thud. I pulled out

the clip my veil was attached to and

unwound my hair from its bun. The frothy

lace fell to my feet at the same pace that

my hair spilled over my shoulders.

His hands twined in that dark mass

before sliding down to the hidden clasps

at my back. I drew in a breath as lace and

chiffon were replaced with the searing

touch of his fingers. Then I tried to undo

his jacket, but my gloves were too

cumbersome. I took them off, yet before I

could catch the ring that came off with

them, Vlad did. Green rolled over his eyes

as he slid it onto my bare finger.

Then his hand swept down his chest, the

fastenings popping open as if by magic. I

only had a second to see the shirt

underneath before it, too, was gone and he

was naked from the waist up. I drank in

the sight of his muscled chest with its

dusting of dark hair and numerous scars.

Vlad looked like what he was—a warrior

who’d hacked his way through battles that

would’ve killed lesser men. Unclothed,

his seething masculinity and inherent

dangerousness weren’t diminished.

Instead, they increased, and I’d have it no

other way. A groan escaped me as I

reached out and touched his hard, heated

flesh.

He slid my dress off my shoulders and

each sleeve down my arms, leaving me in

a bustier, panties, and silk stockings. I

wasn’t even naked, yet as his gaze moved

over me, I felt more exposed than I ever

had before. Vlad seemed to stare past my

skin into places of my soul that I’d never

shared with anyone, and in the space of

those moments, he claimed them as his.

I gazed at him with equal

possessiveness. Whatever he’d done,

whoever he’d been before and whoever

he would be in the future, he was mine. If

he still had shields over parts of his heart,

I’d tear them down or blast them open.

You can have all of me, I silently told

him, but I’m taking all of you in return.

His smile was sensual and challenging,

a dare for me to keep that promise. Then

he pulled me into his arms, his bare skin

sending shock waves of heat into my flesh.

He lifted me, kicking away the fallen

dress as his mouth closed over mine.

He tasted like champagne and the blood

he drew when he scored his tongue with a

fang. Pain flared as he scored my tongue

next, though his blood healed it almost

instantly. That coppery flavor increased,

yet when I pulled back in instinctive

aversion, his grip tightened.

“I thought ‘all of me’ included sharing

each other’s blood.”

Testing my vow already. I expected no

less, but if he thought I’d wave the white

flag, he was wrong.

“Don’t hold anything back.”

I felt him smile against my lips. “I don’t

intend to.”

Then he picked me up, taking us not to

the bed, but the fireplace. He set me onto

the thick fur rug in front of it, his eyes

never leaving mine as he took off my

shoes and stockings.

I reached for his pants, but he caught my

hands, holding them over my head as he

unhooked my bustier. My breathing

quickened when it fell away, leaving me

in nothing but my panties. The hunger in

his gaze made my nipples harden, and

when he dropped it lower, I could almost

feel my blood rushing to follow. Desire

plumped all the parts I wanted him to

touch while my loins seemed to throb with

a pulse of their own. It had been so long

since I felt him inside me. I didn’t want to

wait another second.

I tried to pull him onto me, but his grip

on my wrists tightened. “Not yet.”

I disagreed, and he might have my

hands restrained, but my legs weren’t. I

hooked one around his hip and rubbed our

lower bodies together, a gasp escaping me

at the feel of his thick, hard flesh. His low

laugh was both erotic and threatening.

“You’ll enjoy regretting that.”

His mouth lowered then, his hot, wet

tongue making my nipples tingle with its

rapid flicks. He released my wrists to

stroke my back before drawing my panties

slowly down my legs. Every time I

reached for his pants, though, he blocked

me with a low chuckle. Once my panties

were off, he pressed me back, his body

covering mine. I had a few moments to

revel in his weight, the feel of his

muscles, and sensual way his chest hair

teased my nipples before his mouth sealed

over my breast. He sucked until tingles

turned into throbs, and when I felt his

fangs lengthen, I arched in silent

invitation.

Pleasure followed the momentary sting

in less time than it took me to moan. Then

warmth spread, the effect from the tiny

drops of venom in his fangs. He sucked

harder before flipping me over and pulling

me on top of him, switching to my other

breast.

He drew on it strongly, making me

clutch him with growing urgency. I let my

legs slide down until I straddled him, and

when that jutting hardness in his pants

grazed my clitoris, sparks shot from my

hand at the deluge of sensations.

He bit down the same instant, flooding

my breast with warmth and making my

nipple erotically burn. My head fell back

while an animalistic sound came from my

throat. Vlad grasped my hips, molding me

closer. Then he arched forward,

increasing the friction while his fangs

penetrated more deeply.

The double assault of pleasure was too

much. I cried out as thousands of nerve

endings clenched at once. That cry turned

into a moan as ecstasy washed over me,

turning need into sweet release. My pulse,

once thundering, seemed to slow while

languorousness stole into my limbs,

making them feel heavier.

Vlad’s mouth left my breast after a final

lick. It slid in a searing trail across my

shoulder and up my neck before he kissed

me, pressing me back against the silky fur.

This time, I barely noticed the coppery

flavor to his mouth. I was too focused on

the way his tongue stroked mine, the feel

of his hard chest against my overly

sensitive nipples, and the desire that

flared anew when he took off his pants.

I opened my legs, moaning as he

grasped my thigh and pulled it against his

hip. A delicious expectation caused my

inner muscles to clench, making me even

wetter. When he reached down and his

fingers invaded my depths, I gripped him

and arched with more demand than

invitation.

His chuckle ended in another fiery kiss.

Those fingers went deeper, intensifying

the ache that had me moving against his

hand. My breath came in muffled gasps as

he continued to kiss me with increasing

fierceness, ravening my mouth with his

lips and tongue. Then his hand stopped its

sensual torment and slid beneath my hips,

lifting me.

I was more than ready, but he was big

and it had been a while. Inner walls

stretched as he moved deeper, and when

his full length pushed inside me, I let out

something like a sob.

His hand left my hip to tangle in my

hair, thumb caressing my jaw. His kiss

changed, too, matching his slowness as he

began to withdraw. My body hadn’t fully

adjusted yet, but I wrapped my legs

around him and sent him a single, fervent

command.

Don’t stop and don’t hold back.

The sound he made. Harsher than a

moan, more primal than a growl. Then he

thrust forward while his fangs buried into

my throat.

Both sites flared with quicksilver pain

and then overwhelming, molten pleasure. I

didn’t have a chance to cry out before

another thrust/bite, sending more

shattering sensations through me. My nails

raked down his back as the electricity I

couldn’t control surged into him. It only

made him grip me tighter as he continued

to move with those rapturously rough

strokes. By the time I realized he’d

stopped biting me, I didn’t care. He

could’ve kept drinking me until there was

nothing left. As long as it felt like this, I’d

welcome it.

My senses sharpened as pleasure built

toward a crescendo. Vlad’s smoke-andspice

scent had never been more

intoxicating. His body was scorching,

muscled thighs harder than stone against

mine, and his mouth ravished everything it

touched. I felt lost in him, and when those

incredible spasms shook me from the

inside out, the strangest sort of

vulnerability filled me. He’d wanted all of

me and that’s what I’d given him. Did it

mean I had nothing left?

“No, ” he muttered, voice thick with

passion. “You have me, and I love you.”

Then he kissed me, moving faster, and

reality blurred once more. By the time his

climax surged powerfully through him, I

couldn’t remember what I’d been

concerned about. Losing myself was

gaining him, and vice versa. That was

well worth any cost.

Chapter 30

Y esterday, I woke up in the infirmary still

nursing a broken heart. Today, I woke up

in Vlad’s bed as Mrs. Dracula. What a

difference a day made.

“If you introduce yourself to anyone as

Mrs. Dracula, I’ll bite you in a manner

you won’t enjoy.”

I smiled without opening my eyes.

Some things didn’t change, like Vlad

being grumpy when he first woke up.

“I’m quaking with fear.”

“As you should be, and I’ve been up,

my lovely bride.”

Now I did open my eyes. Vlad was

dressed, to my disappointment, sitting in a

chair with an iPad on his lap. He rose and

came toward me, expression so serious

that I tensed.

“What’s wrong? ”

“Just reading some e-mails, ” he said

while his fingers flashed across the tiny

keyboard. Then he held it up to me.

Someone in this house has betrayed

me.

I sucked in a breath. An ironic smile

twisted his mouth as he typed something

else and held it up again.

Aside from Maximus, that is.

I left that alone. How do you know? I

thought.

More rapid typing. I became suspicious

when my staff tracked Maximus’s cell

phone to that hotel, yet Hannibal beat me

there. You said Hannibal knew details

about your powers that were privy only

to members of this household. As final

proof, an e-mail Mencheres just sent

confirmed that more incriminating

information leaked that could only come

from someone here.

I hadn’t forgotten Hannibal’s tooaccurate

knowledge, but getting

kidnapped, dying, being comatose, and

marrying Vlad, all in less than a week, had

pushed it from the forefront for me.

Not for Vlad, obviously. Do you know

who it is?

An eye roll preceded his next sentence.

Wouldn’t I be torturing that person now

if I did?

True, and while details of my abilities

could have accidentally reached the

wrong ears, telling Hannibal’s boss where

me and Maximus were was no innocent

slip of the tongue.

Then the significance of Vlad’s typed

messages hit me. You think whoever did

this is on this floor.

Vampires had great hearing, but Vlad’s

bedroom was better insulated than most.

Plus, his house was always full of people,

which meant lots of background noise.

Unless he thought the betrayer was very

close, Vlad wouldn’t type instead of

speak.

And only his most trusted staff had

rooms on this floor.

I winced. I’m sorry.

Don’t pity me, he typed with lightning

swiftness. Pity the man who will die a

terrible death once I discover who he is.

I probably would pity that person then,

but right now, we needed to find him. I

held up my right hand with grim purpose.

I’ll help you weed him out.

Vlad stared at me, his cold expression

changing to an inscrutable one. When I

saw his typed response, I read it three

times, yet still couldn’t believe what it

said.

As long as you remain human, you

won’t.

I descended the narrow steps to the

dungeon, guards I’d had to trick before

now bowing to me as I passed. Marty

walked in front of me, two curved silver

scimitars attached to his belt. The knives

reached his knees, making him look almost

comical, but I knew how fast Marty was.

Vlad knew it, too. That’s why Marty was

my bodyguard now.

I hadn’t wanted Vlad to accompany me

for more reasons than the fight we’d just

had. I’d known our marriage would be

tumultuous, but I hadn’t anticipated the

sparring to start less than twenty-four

hours after we said I do.

What’s that you were saying about the

difference a day made? my cursed inner

voice mocked.

I ignored it and kept walking, nodding

at the guard who let us through the

entrance. Once inside, torches provided

enough light that I could see where I was

going. The manacle-laden stone monolith

was now empty, as were the poles in front

of it. Whatever that meant, I wasn’t sure

and didn’t want to ask.

“This way, ” Marty said, taking the

passage to the right.

I hadn’t ventured to this part of the

dungeon before, and when I saw the next

chamber, I never wanted to come back.

Torchlight revealed machines both ancient

and high-tech, complete with grisly

accessories that defied even my abilitiesdriven

imagination as to their use. It made

the part of the dungeon with the

impalement poles look as benign as a

waiting room.

“Freaky, isn’t it? ” Marty grunted.

“When you’re a prisoner, the first thing

they do is give you the grand tour. Then

you’re manacled to that stone wall to think

about what you saw. Next is the pole,

where round one of questioning begins. If

you don’t answer to their satisfaction, you

come here for more incentive.”

I looked around with a shiver. Why

would any of Vlad’s people betray him,

knowing they’d end up in this little slice

of hell if they got caught?

Then again, I was here to see someone

who’d done just that.

Marty led me past the chilling

machinery room to another tight

passageway. This one didn’t open to a

large antechamber. Instead, a string of

cells were hewn into the rock. Most were

only as tall as Marty, leaving those

unlucky enough to be in one unable to

stand. This part of the dungeon was

colder, too. My turquoise skirt hung to my

ankles and I had on a long-sleeved top, but

I should’ve grabbed a coat, too.

As I passed the smaller cells, nothing

stirred in them. They, like the rest of the

dungeon so far, seemed empty.

I had to ask. “Do you know where the

prisoners are? ”

Marty opened his mouth, but another

voice beat him to it.

“Vlad had them all executed in honor of

his wedding.”

Maximus’s tone was harder than the

stone walls surrounding us. I swallowed

and then followed it to the end of the

walkway, where the last few cells were

regular-sized, at least.

“How magnanimous.”

I wasn’t being sarcastic. I’d prefer

death to experiencing everything this

dungeon had to offer, and if someone

wronged Vlad enough to end up here,

death was the only way out.

Well, almost the only way.

Maximus came into view as I got

closer. At some point since I’d last seen

him, he’d been given new clothes, but his

hair was still reddish from all the dried

blood in it. He leaned against his bars, his

gray gaze lit up with green. Then he

looked at the ring on my gloved finger and

his mouth curled downward.

“I’d say congratulations, but we both

know I’d be lying.”

I rested my hands against the bars.

“Considering where you are, I don’t

blame you.”

“That’s not why.”

Quick as a striking snake, he had my

hands in his. Then his fingers tightened,

preventing me from pulling away.

“After your breakup, I thought Vlad was

still fixated on you because you ended

things. Then he brought Mencheres to the

boat even though seeking another Master’s

assistance in rescuing his people makes

him appear weak. That’s when I knew.”

“Knew what? ”

“That he loved you, ” Maximus said in

the same tone most people used to deliver

terrible news.

My mouth quirked. “Yeah, he told me.

Even if he hadn’t, proposing would’ve

been a big clue.”

Maximus made a harsh sound, releasing

my hands to turn in a short circle. “You’re

romanticizing it, but you’re trapped now.

He didn’t allow his first wife to leave

him. Why do you think she jumped off that

roof? ”

“Because she thought he was dead and

an army was on its way to drag her off to

captivity.” Even Wikipedia knew that.

“So she left her young son to face

them? ” Maximus asked, spinning back

around. “I think not. He was Clara’s

world.”

I said nothing, absorbing two facts I

hadn’t known before. First, Vlad had

never told me his first wife’s name, and

history had forgotten it. But the other

detail was more significant.

“You knew her.”

A bleak smile flitted across his lips. “I

was one of the guards Clara brought with

her to her new husband’s home.”

Vlad’s words the day before rang in my

mind. My actions horrified her, as they

horrify you... It was more than an

advancing army that made her throw

herself from our roof. It was me...

Was Maximus right? Had Vlad’s first

wife killed herself because death was the

only way she could escape him?

I took in a deep breath. “Whatever her

reasons, I’m not her. I know Vlad’s dark

side and I can handle it.”

Maximus sighed. “Can you? The scars

on your wrists show that darkness broke

you once before.”

I stiffened. “If you think Vlad is such a

horrible person, why have you stayed with

him all these years? ”

His laugh sounded hollow.

“You misunderstand. I love Vlad and

I’d gladly die for him. But whenever he

loves something, he ends up destroying it.

He can’t help it. It’s just his nature.”

Marty threw me a hard look. Clearly, he

had the same concerns, but all he said was

“Do what you came here to do.”

I stared at Maximus as I punched in

numbers on the keypad outside his cell.

The dungeon might look medieval, but it

had all the conveniences of a modern jail.

The bars disappeared into the rock floor

with a soft swish.

Maximus didn’t move. “What is this? ”

“My bride price, ” I said coolly. “Vlad

told me to name anything I wanted. I chose

your freedom, as he knew I would.”

Maximus still didn’t move. I swept out

my arm. “If you’re waiting for a red

carpet, I didn’t include that.”

Very slowly, he walked out of his cell,

looking around as though expecting silver

knives to rain down on him any moment.

Objective accomplished, I turned on my

heel and walked away.

“Since I probably won’t see you again,

thanks for saving my life. We’re even

now, so good luck with the rest of yours.”

“Wait.”

Cool fingers sank into my shoulder. I

whirled, anger at his grim predictions

making me whip my right glove off.

“Let go of me or I’ll use this.”

Maximus dropped his hand, a mixture

of frustration and empathy skipping over

his features. “Leila, had I known before

how Vlad truly felt about you, I wouldn’t

have—”

“Convinced me he might be behind the

bomb? Lied to him about me being alive?

Or kept trying to sleep with me? ”

“All of it, ” he replied evenly. “But you

still need to be wary. You don’t know him

as well as I do.”

He’s right, you don’t, my hateful inner

voice whispered.

I turned away again. Whether I was mad

at Vlad or not, I wasn’t going to listen to

any more disparagements about him.

“He’s letting you walk out of here,

Maximus. Bet you didn’t see that coming,

so maybe you’re the one who doesn’t

know him as well as you think.”

Chapter 31

W ith all the wedding guests last night, the

house should have been bulging with

people. Instead, everything looked normal,

which was a relief to me. I wasn’t up to

making small talk with several hundred

strangers. Contrary to popular opinion, I

did know what I could and couldn’t

handle. Even though I was a human

surrounded by vampires who had napped

for longer than I was alive, I was still the

best judge of me.

“Thanks, Marty, ” I said when we

reached the foot of the main staircase.

“I’m going back to my room now.”

“Straight there? ” he asked, his gaze

narrowing.

I hoped he didn’t smell the lie when I

said, “Of course.”

Another suspicious look was my

response, but he left.

As I hurried up the grand staircase, the

song “Ice Ice Baby” blared away in my

mind. Let Vlad try to force his way past

that to hear my real intentions. Still, I

didn’t have much time. Soon Vlad would

realize I’d ended my farewell visit with

Maximus twenty minutes early.

I went straight to the fourth floor, but

instead of heading to my new bedroom, I

chose a hallway I’d never entered before.

Somewhere on this level, the traitor had to

have left an essence trail. Then I pulled

my right glove off and trailed my bare

hand over the first doorknob I passed.

Images of Oscar flooded my mind.

Aside from gleaning that the albino

vampire was usually tired when he

entered his room, nothing notable stuck

out. I released the handle, doing a quick

inventory on myself. No dizziness or

nosebleeds, good. My power hadn’t hit the

danger zone, so on to the next one.

That turned out to be Lachlan’s old

room, useless since he’d been killed in an

ambush by Szilagyi months ago. After

another health check, I still didn’t exhibit

any warning signs, so I felt safe enough to

try the third doorknob.

It was Maximus’s room, and the deep

loneliness imprinted on that handle took

the sting out of my anger over his dire

predictions. Was that part of the reason he

had lied to Vlad over me? Because being

with the wrong woman was better than

spending another aching night alone?

I let go of the handle. Whatever

Maximus’s reasons, what was done was

done, and I didn’t have time to ponder

why. I went to the fourth door, but before I

could touch the handle, it opened.

Shrapnel stared at me, surprise creasing

his features.

“Leila. What are you doing? ”

I snatched my hand back. “Uh, I...”

Maximus’s door opened, further

startling me, but it wasn’t him. A beautiful