Chapter 29
CHAPTER 29
VALARIC
J uliet is quiet in the carriage, her gaze fixed and unfocused as she stares out the window. I can sense her discomfort through the bond. “Are you all right?”
She nods absently. “Did you find your Incubus friend?”
“No, but I’m sure Aerlyx will return to Mysthaven soon.”
She is obviously troubled, but she will not speak. Inwardly, I curse myself. I should never have left her alone. Juliet is new to my world.
I can only imagine how horrific it was for her to see another human treated the way Stryker treats his blood wife. It’s one thing to hear rumors of the way many Vampires regard her kind, but it is another thing entirely to see it up close.
“It’s strange,” she murmurs, staring out at the ocean as we ride along the coast.
“What is?”
“How a place so beautiful can be so… terrifying at the same time.”
My protective instincts flare. “Did something happen before I returned to you?” Anger surges through me. “Did someone try to—”
“I’m fine.” She rests her hand over my own. “I just keep thinking about Maryl.” She shakes her head softly. “Lord Stryker is cruel to her. He treats her as if she were an object or an exotic pet—a thing that he owns.”
I wish I could tell her she is wrong, but I know Lord Stryker Blackthorne and his true wife, Lady Davara. Like most of my kind, they have little regard for humans. I can only imagine how they must treat his human blood wife. Stryker is the Vampire king’s brother, and the royal family is known for their cruelty.
“I felt so sorry for her, Valaric. I didn’t know what to—” Her breath hitches. “I invited her for tea.” A tear slips down her cheek but she quickly brushes it away. “I wanted to do more for her, but—”
“You offered her what you could—your kindness.” I speak softly. “I’m sure she appreciated it.”
She looks up at me, her gaze pleading. “Is there nothing we can do for her?”
My wife has such a tender heart, and I hate knowing that my answer will probably break it even further. “She is his bloodsworn. It is a bargain bound by blood magic. There is nothing that can be done.”
“I cannot accept that.” She clenches her jaw. “It’s wrong.”
“It is,” I agree.
She goes silent again, and I turn my palm up to clasp her hand in mine, entwining our fingers. “I’m sorry, Juliet. If there was a way to free her, I would do it. I would save them all if I could.”
Gently, she squeezes my hand as her eyes meet mine. “I’m glad it was you.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Of all the Vampires the blood witch could have summoned to help me… I’m glad it was you.”
Guilt twists deep within. If she knew the truth of my curse, she would not think herself so fortunate to be bound to me.
She leans into my side and I curl my wing around her. Her trust in me is humbling, and it nearly breaks me. I cannot lose her to my curse. I must do all that I can to convince her to love me. To break the dark enchantment that will destroy us both if I do not.
When we reach the manor, I help her out of the carriage.
Eben gives me a curious look, having picked up on Juliet’s melancholy. “Is everything all right?”
“Go on ahead,” I tell him.
He nods and then heads for the entry.
Juliet came here with me because she wanted to see the ocean. Instead, all she has witnessed is the unjust treatment of her people at the hands of mine. She deserves so much more than this life that fate has given her.
She is a creature of light that has been chained to the dark, and I worry her spirit will suffer. I want her to know that despite the darkness of this kingdom, there is beauty here as well. She expressed a desire to see the ocean. Perhaps that will help lift her mood.
I hold my hand out to her. “Would you like to walk along the beach?”
I’m pleased when she slips her palm into mine without hesitation. “That would be lovely.”
Carefully, I guide her down the path along the cliff wall that slopes from the manor gardens to the beach below. It’s not very steep, but I take great care to go slow, making sure she doesn’t lose her footing.
When we reach the water, I remove my boots as she toes off her slippers. She gathers her skirt, tying the fabric in a loose knot just above her left knee, lifting the hemline to keep it dry.
She takes my hand as we walk along the beach. The cool water rushes over our feet and ankles as waves crash along the shoreline, leaving trails of seafoam in the sand as they retreat.
I’m struck by how small and delicate her footprints are next to my own. She is dainty, my human wife, and fear rises in me once more at the thought of how fragile her people are compared to mine.
I stare at her, completely and utterly transfixed. “Is this what you imagined when you thought of the sea?”
The wind catches her hair, lifting the silken strands and carrying her delicate scent to me on the breeze. Her luminous eyes are alight with wonder as she gazes out at the ocean.
“No.” Her lips curve in a stunning smile as she turns to me. “It’s so much more.”
As we walk along the sand, she gathers shells, slipping them into her dress pocket, while I scan the shoreline, searching for more to add to her collection.
She picks up a scalloped seashell with a banded pattern of gray and white, smiling brightly as she holds it out for my inspection. “Look how lovely this is, Valaric.”
My lips quirk up at the edges. Her joy is infectious.
I turn to look for more shells, when she suddenly yells out. “Valaric!”
Her sharp cry spikes panic in my chest, and I spin back to her. She jumps into my arms and scrambles up my body. Protective instincts surge through me as her fear scent floods my nostrils.
“Something grabbed my ankle.” Her eyes are wide with fear.
I scan for any danger. My fangs lengthen and a menacing growl rumbles deep in my chest. Whatever tried to harm her, I will find it, and kill it quickly.
“What if it was a kraken?”
I shake my head. “They prefer to hunt in deeper waters. It’s why the Merfolk stay so close to shore.”
“Could it be one of them?”
“If it were one of the Mer , they would probably already be trying to lure you away with their siren’s song.”
A long piece of seaweed floats along the surface and wraps around my ankle. Relief floods my veins. “It’s all right. It was just seaweed.”
Juliet shifts in my arms and looks down at the dark water. “Are you sure?”
The movement is like a bolt of lightning through my body, making me acutely aware of how close we are. Her arms are twined around my neck, her dress is hitched up to her thighs, and her legs are wrapped tightly around my waist.
I open my mouth to speak, only to find that I cannot think of the words, much less form a coherent thought with her body practically molded to my own. I clench my jaw as my stav lengthens and extends from my body, hard as steel and painfully erect.
My arm is looped around her waist and my other hand is on her backside, supporting her slight weight. She shifts again, and I bite back a groan as the warmth of her core lines up perfectly with my hardened length. Only a few layers of clothing separating me from her entrance.
I swallow hard. “Yes.”
She lifts her gaze to mine and murmurs something about being too heavy, saying that I can put her down if I wish. But I’m so lost in her eyes and the feel of her body pressed against me, I do not quite catch all of it. “What?”
“I said I’m sure I’m heavy. You’re still holding me.”
“You are not,” I reply. “And I am.” Unable to stop myself, I cup her jaw, brushing my thumb lightly across her cheek. I watch in wonder as a pink flush follows in its wake. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
If I didn’t know she was human, I might be worried that she was a siren, disguised to lure me to my doom.
Through the faint connection of our bond, I can sense her desire and longing. I’m surprised to find that it matches my own. And yet… I do not wish to presume anything and make her uncomfortable.
“Would you like me to let you go?” I ask, even as my wings instinctively curl around her, pulling her closer.
I want her so much it is maddening.
“No.” She runs her delicate fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck. Her luminous eyes search mine, and I am completely in her thrall as she whispers, “Kiss me, Valaric.”
Primal possession surges through me. Unable to hold back, I capture her mouth with my own in a searing kiss. I trace my tongue along the seam of her mouth, demanding entrance. The darkness within me purrs as her lips part beneath mine as she surrenders to the invasion.
I love the taste of her mouth and the breathless moans that escape her as my tongue strokes against hers.
She’s so perfect. Soft. Mine.
I press her back against the cliff face wall, my wings cushioning her against the rock as my hips fit between her thighs. Desire burns through me as the dark and ravenous creature within claws its way to the surface, desperate to possess her, devour her, claim her as my mate.
She curls her tongue around mine and threads her fingers through my hair. I groan as her nails scrape lightly across my scalp.
“Valaric.” My name spills from her lips in a soft moan as I roll my hips against hers, reveling in the delicious heat and friction between us.
The enticing scent of her arousal twines in the air around us. I’m desperate to be inside her.
I tug down the neckline of her dress and her breasts spill free of the confining gown.
Juliet stares at me with a half-lidded gaze full of desire as I gently cup one soft globe in my palm and roll the sensitive tip between my thumb and forefinger. She inhales sharply as I guide the peak into my mouth.
Her entire body is so soft and giving, and I love the little sounds she makes and the way her blunt nails dig into my shoulders as I tease my tongue over her breast, laving at the stiff peak.
“Valaric,” she breathes out my name.
Need threatens to overwhelm me as the scent of her arousal grows even stronger. I long, more than anything, to bury myself deep in her warm, wet heat. To give her my venom—to change her scent and mark her as my mate.
Dark and primal desire surges through me as I extend my fangs, ready to claim what is mine. I trace my tongue over the hollow at the base of her throat, pressing a series of suctioning kisses down her chest until I reach the space above her heart.
I graze my fangs over her tender flesh and venom floods my mouth. Long tendrils of fierce possession uncoil deep inside as the darkness within me writhes beneath the surface, demanding that I mark her and claim her.
I pull back just enough to look into her eyes. She cups the back of my neck, guiding my lips again to hers in a searing kiss. Doubt and caution fall away as overwhelming desire consumes me. I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want her.
I trace my hand up her outer thigh until I reach the small scrap of silk around her hips. I fist it in my hands, ready to tear it from her body.
“Valaric, wait.” I detect a hint of fear threaded through the scent of her arousal, and I quickly pull away.
In her eyes, I see my own reflection staring back at me. My eyes are feral black and my fangs are bared, and I look every bit the terrifying creature that people think of when they speak of Vampires.
Despair floods my veins. She is afraid of me and has changed her mind, deciding she does not want me after all. I feel for the connection between us, to confirm if I’m right, but my emotions are a tangled mess. I cannot tell what is mine and what is hers.
Guilt washes through me. I fear I may have pushed her too hard, demanding more than she wants to give.
I open my mouth to apologize, but the words die in my throat as a strong gust of wind blows across the cliff wall, carrying the scent of spiced apples. I still as awareness prickles my flesh. Quickly, I pull away from my bride and gently set her on her feet.
Confusion mars her beautiful features as I lift my gaze to the night sky. A winged shadow passes overhead and alights on the main second story balcony of the manor. “What’s wrong, Valaric?”
“Aerlyx has returned.”