Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
JULIET
L ike prey caught in a predator’s gaze, I’m frozen in fear. Valaric’s eyes are black as pitch as he bares his fangs in a feral snarl. I barely recognize my husband as he looms overhead, like a terrifying nightmare made manifest before me.
With inhuman speed, he rushes to the balcony. Extending his massive wings, he flies from the castle like a dark wraith, snow swirling violently in his wake as he races away, disappearing into the forest.
My heart hammers in my chest. Closing my eyes, I take several deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves as the realization of what I’ve married—the creature I’ve bound myself to—sinks in. I know my husband is not human. He’s a Vampire; not a man. And yet, when he looked at me with his raven-black eyes and his fangs… when I saw the monstrous side of him, I was terrified.
Even now, my entire body is still trembling.
With shaking hands, I pull my heavy fur cloak around my shoulders. The small pouch of gold coins in my pocket—a gift from my mother—clinks with each step as I rush out to the balcony and down the stairs to the gardens below.
I put my hand over them to still the noise as I quietly slip through the gardens. Strong wind whips at my cloak as I trudge through the snow toward the stables.
I send a silent prayer to the gods that I don’t run into anyone. I’d rather not have to explain myself. I just want to take a quick ride to clear my head. If I hurry, I can be back before anyone even realizes I’ve been gone.
When I push open the doors, a chestnut mare whinnies softly, catching my attention. She’s gentle-natured and allows me to place the bridle and saddle without issue.
If my mother were here, she’d probably faint knowing that I’m riding astride instead of side-saddle like a proper lady. Pulling my hood over my head, I click my tongue and guide the mare toward the main entry gate.
Snow falls in thick sheets, and I draw my cloak tighter around my shoulders. As we pass beneath the stone archway, I glance back at the castle entrance, half expecting Valaric to appear and protest my leaving.
Fortunately, he is nowhere to be seen. When he left, he flew in the opposite direction of the main road. Hopefully, he will not realize I’m gone until it’s too late to come after me.
I just need a bit of time alone to order my thoughts.
Clicking my tongue, I urge my horse onward. She breaks into a canter down the main road and into the forest. The crisp smell of pine and winter fills my nose. Cold air burns my lungs with each inhalation and the wind howls through the trees, clawing at my form. Slivers of moonlight spear through the clouds, providing just enough illumination to guide our path.
Several pairs of glowing eyes move in the shadows, reminding me that the realm of night is not just Valaric’s domain. It belongs to other creatures as well.
A small shiver runs through me as I recall what happened with Valaric. But it’s followed by another memory of him carrying me to my room, concerned for my well-being and insisting I need rest.
Guilt and doubt begin to gnaw inside me. I shouldn’t have been afraid of him.
I knew what Valaric was when I accepted him as my husband. It’s not as if I’ve never seen the monstrous side of him. Closing my eyes, I remember how terrifying he appeared when he threatened Jonathan and my stepfather.
And maybe that’s the problem. When I saw his terrifying visage before, it was directed at someone else. But tonight, it was focused on me.
Even so, he’s my husband and I hate that I reacted the way I did. With his black eyes, fangs, and claws, he may have looked every bit the monster I always imagined whenever I heard stories of his people, but that does not mean that he is.
When I was engaged to Jonathan, he seemed so kind at first. But as time went along, his temperament began to remind me of Buryk—my stepfather. He began to treat me as property instead of as a person. The way my stepfather has always treated my mother.
And when Jonathan became enraged because I refused to let him bed me, it taught me that even human men can be monsters.
But Valaric’s not like him. He’s definitely not like Buryk either. I witnessed the difference firsthand when he defended me against both men.
If my husband truly had monstrous intentions, he could have taken my blood if he’d wanted. I offered it freely, but he resisted. He went against the very nature of what he is out of consideration for my welfare. I realize now that his anger was not truly directed at me. He was fighting himself to maintain his control.
He cannot change what he is any more than I can stop being human. He’s a Vampire, and I cannot treat him as if he were simply a man. If he truly wished me harm, he could have done anything he wanted to me already. Yet he hasn’t. He’s shown restraint, patience… tenderness, even.
I feel so foolish for the way I responded. I pull on the reins and guide my horse to a stop.
A faint glow is barely visible across the horizon as the night begins to give way to the early blush of dawn. The thought of returning to my husband is a bit daunting.
I hope Valaric hasn’t realized I’ve gone. If he has, he might believe I have run away, and that’s the last thing I want him to think. Especially since our marriage is so new. I simply needed to clear my head. I’m exhausted and I dread having to explain myself. Now that I’ve had time to reflect upon what happened, I’m no longer so upset.
Valaric gave me a second chance at life. Without him, I would surely be dead. A bargain was made and the price he asks, although disconcerting, is truly small in comparison. He made me his true wife, and if I want this marriage to work, I must rid myself of all the deeply rooted prejudices I have about his people. Starting with my fear of his monstrous appearance when the demands of his bloodthirst become evident.
I guide my horse to turn around, readying to start back for the castle, when a low growl echoes from the woods.
Goosebumps prickle my skin as a pair of large, glowing yellow eyes blink at me from the darkness and begin to move closer.
My horse snorts in distress, dancing nervously in place. Her obvious fear escalates mine, and I pull at the reins, trying to steady her. Without warning, she rears up on her hind legs. The world tilts as I’m thrown from her back, sending me tumbling. The breath explodes from my lungs as I crash to the snow-covered ground.
My ears ring loudly, blocking out all other sounds as I blink up at the trees. I lift my head, and then everything spins for a moment before settling.
A deep growl rumbles nearby, and movement catches my attention off to the side. Ice-cold terror floods my veins as a large snowcat, the size of my horse, with thick white fur and blazing yellow eyes emerges from the shadows. Its long tail lashes back and forth behind it as it stalks toward me on massive paws—a predator closing in on its prey.
Heart racing, I scramble backward, searching for anything I can use as a weapon. I curl my fingers around a fallen branch and free it from the snow. Fear lends strength to my limbs and I push myself up to standing.
My breath puffs out in white vapors as I hold the branch out before me like a sword, facing the snowcat. Its yellow eyes, cold and unyielding, are locked onto mine, a deadly promise in their depths.
My horse whinnies in frantic distress behind me, her reins tangled in the thick wiry brush. She bucks wildly, the stomping of her hooves sending tremors through the frozen ground beneath my feet.
The snowcat swipes out, testing my defense. I swing the branch, but he easily bats it aside. Saliva drips from his fangs as he stalks forward, flicking his tail, eager at the prospect of a kill.
Using all my strength, I swing again. He releases a sharp cry as it connects with his head, knocking him slightly off balance.
My small victory is short-lived when he quickly regains his footing. A menacing growl fills the air as he flattens his ears, readying to attack.
Fear snakes down my spine, but I muster my courage. Squaring my shoulders, I hold the branch high. “If you think I’ll be an easy meal, you are wrong! I’ll not go without a fight!”