The much anticipated next Night 12 page 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
Ifound 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
Yesterday, 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.
Idescended 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
With 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
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