Chapter 78
CHAPTER 78
VALARIC
“ V al, wake up,” Eben’s voice startles me back into awareness.
I feel like I’ve just fallen asleep. “What is it?” I ask groggily. “And what time is it? Is it night already?”
“Juliet’s gone.”
“Gone?” I jerk up to sitting, instantly awake. “What do you mean?”
“She left the manor about an hour ago, in a hired carriage. I followed it to the edge of the city.”
“Where was she going?”
“I don’t know.” He frowns. “But judging by the two trunks she had tied on the back, it doesn’t seem like she’ll be returning anytime soon. I couldn’t follow them anymore. I had to come back for you. If we leave now we can track her scent, but we must hurry.”
I stand from the bed and hastily get dressed while Eben throws the rest of my belongings in my trunk.
“I already paid the inn, and the carriage is fully covered to protect you from the sun,” he says, slamming the trunk closed. “I’ll take this out and then come back for you. You can hide beneath your cloak and I’ll lead you outside.”
While I wait for his return, I pace back and forth in the room. We’re in Aralon. It’s not known for being friendly to Vampires. As it is, we were fortunate to even find an inn with underground chambers.
It’s too much of a risk to leave out the front door. All it takes is one person with a grudge to whip up a mob into a frenzy to do harm to the carriage if they suspect a Vampire is inside.
“You ready?” Eben asks as he rushes back into the room.
“I think it would be best to not draw any attention. Can you pull the carriage around the back? I can leave through the worker’s entrance.”
He dips his chin. “All right. I’ll meet you there.”
As soon as he’s gone, I slip out into the hallway. Pulling the hood of my cloak over my head, I do my best to shield my face. When I reach the top of the stairs, I listen for any sounds on the other side, but hear nothing. Carefully, I push open the door.
A sharp hiss escapes me as bright light assaults my vision. Gritting my fangs, I lower my head and quickly make my way toward the back of the inn. I’m almost to the exit when a man in chef’s hat and apron rushes inside, carrying a tray of meat pies.
He gasps when he sees me, nearly dropping the tray, but I catch it with one hand while I stare deep into his eyes with the other, using my powers of compulsion. “You are safe,” I speak in a low voice. “And you saw nothing alarming.”
“I’m safe,” he repeats. “And I saw nothing alarming.”
“You—”
Eben bursts through the door, interrupting me mid-sentence. “What are you doing?”
“What do you think?” I ask out of the corner of my mouth, unable to hide my irritation.
I turn my attention back to the man. “You will have a wonderful day and remember none of this.”
The man repeats the words and I carefully hand him his tray while he remains frozen in place in a trance-like state.
I turn to Eben. “Quickly, we only have two minutes, maybe less, before he’s alert again.”
Eben looks the man up and down and then arches a brow. “You don’t ever do that to me, do you?”
“It doesn’t work on Wolf-Shifters.”
His mouth drifts open. “Wait a minute. How do you know that? Does that mean you’ve tried?”
Pursing my lips, I give him a pointed look. “We need to leave.”
He nods, and his expression turns serious again. “Are you ready?”
I cover my face with the hood of my cloak, and he grabs my arm to guide me.
He pushes the door open and pulls me outside. Blindly, I follow until he stops abruptly. “We’re at the carriage. Lift your foot for the step.”
Quickly, I rush inside and he seals the door shut. Pushing my hood back, I sag forward in the seat, breathing out a sigh of relief. Less than a minute later, the carriage begins to move, and I hear the sound of the horses clopping their hooves along the cobblestone roadway as we make our way through town.
It’s risky to travel during daylight, but I don’t care. We need to catch up to Juliet. Wherever she’s going, I want to make sure she gets there safely. She may not remember our life together, but I do.
I gave her money so she could live however she chooses, but I never anticipated she would leave so quickly to begin her new life. She wanted me to leave, and I had planned to keep my distance, but I am not prepared to completely abandon her.
Even if she doesn’t want me, it matters not. I want to make sure she is safe. I love her, and I will allow no harm to come to her. Not as long as I draw breath.
It feels like we’ve been traveling for hours when the carriage stops again.
“Val?” Eben says in a low voice. “There’s some trouble up ahead.”
“What is it?” I speak soft enough that hopefully only he can hear me. “What do you see?”
“An abandoned carriage. It looks like it was robbed.”
Worry tightens my chest. “Is it Juliet’s?”
“No, but the damage looks recent.”
My nostrils flare as the smell of fresh blood threads through the air, along with a hint of bitter smelling cologne.
“Looks like bandits killed four people, including the driver,” he says grimly.
Juliet’s scent carries on the wind. She came this way and she cannot be much further ahead. Dread ripples through me. I only hope she is far enough away that she has avoided the trouble these poor souls encountered.
“How long until nightfall?” I ask.
“At least an hour.”
I clench my hands into fists at my sides as panic and anger rush through me. “We must hurry. We need to catch up to Juliet before—”
The reins crack and the carriage lurches forward at high speed.
It feels like an eternity until the carriage finally slows to a stop once more. Eben taps on top of the carriage. “It’s dark enough now, you should be able to come out.”
After having been confined all day, it’s a welcome reprieve to open the door and step out into the cool evening air. Only the barest hint of light is visible to the west as the sun descends beneath the horizon.
Sitting on the bench beside Eben, he snaps the reins and we start forward again. It isn’t long before we see an inn up ahead, at a crossroads. “There.” Eben points. “That’s Juliet’s carriage.”
I tip my head up, inhaling deeply to draw more of her scent into my lungs, but suddenly still when another smell hits my nostrils. Iron with a hint of that terrible cologne I smelled when we found the carriage that had been hit by bandits.
Eben must catch it at the same time I do, because he turns to me. “They’re here too.”
My heart stops. “Juliet,” I murmur as panic rushes through me. Spreading my wings, I shoot off into the sky, heading straight for the inn.
When I reach it, I quickly locate the men. There are four of them in total, each of them reeking of the blood of their victims and the stench of their bitter cologne. Staring in through an uncovered window from behind the bar, I see them sitting around a table near the fire. The first floor of this establishment serves as a tavern, but there are very few patrons here this evening.
Juliet’s delicate scent touches my nostrils and I turn my gaze to the stairs. She must already be in her room. Thankfully, I don’t detect any hint of her fear smell, and I hear no signs of distress.
The innkeeper on the other hand appears rather nervous, his eyes flitting back and forth to the axe hidden behind the bar, near his feet, and the four bandits.
A young boy about fourteen or fifteen years old comes up beside him—a much younger version of the graying innkeeper. Perhaps it’s his son.
“I think we can take them, Da,” the boy says.
“No, Matheu,” the innkeeper says harshly, sweat beading his brow. “There’s four of them and only two of us. Go back upstairs and stand guard over your mother and sister.”
Silently, Eben comes up beside me, dropping down low so as not to be seen while we gaze through the window. “It’s them, isn’t it?” He jerks his chin toward the four men. He looks at me. “How do you want to do this?” His gaze travels over the other patrons. “Quietly? Or—”
“Can’t believe our luck today, lads,” one of the bandits says. “First that fine carriage down the road and now a highborn lady upstairs, just waiting for us to relieve her of her wares.”
Rage blisters through me.
One of them flashes an evil grin. “I suspect she’ll be traveling with lots of coin, that one.”
“Might even have a family willing to pay a good ransom for her return too,” another one adds. “To motivate them, perhaps we can send them one of her fingers like we did with the last one. That got the money sent really fast.”
Eben and I growl low in our throats.
“But first, let’s see what the innkeeper’s hiding,” another one says with a sinister smirk. “He probably thinks we don’t know about his wife and daughter. I suspect they’d fetch a fair price to the right buyer.”
The first one raises his arm and shouts for the innkeeper. “We need more ale!”
The man nods and then turns to his son. “Go to the highborn lady upstairs. Tell her what’s going on. Hide her with your mother and sister.” He pushes the axe handle into his son’s hand. “Do whatever you have to, to protect them, Matheu. You understand?”
His son nods solemnly.
Before either of them can move, I open the window. “Wait,” I say in a low voice.
Both of them turn, eyes wide and mouths gaping when they see me. I press a finger to my lips, urging them to stay silent.
“Those men”—Eben gestures toward the bandits—“robbed a carriage and killed four people. We’ve been tracking them.”
“Aye. I recognized them as soon as they entered,” the innkeeper says. He points to four drawn sketches of their faces tacked above the bar, offering a reward for their capture. “They’re dangerous.”
“We’ll find a way to lure them outside to avoid anyone else getting hurt,” I tell the innkeeper.
He exchanges a glance with his son before turning his attention to me and Eben. “You truly mean to help us then?”
“Yes.”
The innkeeper’s son looks at us. “I can help.”
“Aye, you’re a brave lad.” Eben flashes a fanged grin. “That’s why we need you to go protect the others while we handle those men.”
The boy nods.
Eben and I are still debating the best way to get the bandits outside when they shoot up from their table, weapons in hand. The leader of the group gestures to everyone around them. “Turn out your pockets and hand over your valuables.”
Everyone freezes in place.
One of the other bandits points to a woman with red hair, seated across the way. “We’ll take her too. I’m sure we’ll get quite a bit of coin if we sell her at one of the flesh markets.” He looks at the rest of his men. “Get to the highborn lady upstairs. We’ll take the mother and child too. Kill the rest of them.”
A man with a dark beard steps in front of the red-haired woman. “I won’t let you take my wife.” He glances at her over his shoulder. “Run, Loryl!”
The leader charges for the husband, but Eben and I rush toward the bandits.
Gripping the leader by his throat, I lift him into the air and throw him across the room. He slams against the wall with a loud crack as his skull caves in, and crumples to the ground.
Several of the customers, including the bearded man’s wife and the innkeeper’s son, run up the stairs to the second floor.
Eben tears the throat out of one of the other bandits, while I rip the beating heart from the third one’s chest.
The fourth one tries to make a run for the door, but he trips and falls. Shadows gather around me, spreading across the floor like dark tentacles, as I stalk toward his cowering form. “No, please,” he pleads. “Spare me.”
Extending my claws, I rush forward and slice open his throat. He makes a choked gurgling sound as he grasps at his neck in a desperate attempt to stem the bleeding. I watch in cold satisfaction as he finally collapses back to the floor and the light fades from his eyes.
A loud thump sounds from upstairs. I turn back to Eben and the innkeeper. “I’m going to check on the others.”
I’m desperate to find Juliet, my mind demanding proof that she is all right. But I walk as quietly as I can up the stairs, not wanting to frighten anyone. Eben and the innkeeper are close behind me.
There is no way anyone slept through the fight downstairs, and I can only imagine how terrified Juliet must be. I’m worried she’ll be upset that I’ve followed her even after she told me to leave the other night.
But I couldn’t stay away. I needed to know she was safe. I only pray she is not angry with me. I love her more than my own life, but I resolve not to tell her this. It would kill something inside me if she were to reject my feelings again.
When I reach the top of the stairs, my heart stops. There’s a man lying unconscious on the floor a few doors down. The hallway is dark, but I’m able to see clearly with my vampiric eyes.
Behind the last door on the left, I detect several distinct rapidly beating hearts. The stench of their fear is so strong, it almost completely overpowers Juliet’s delicate scent.
A sudden rush of air whooshes behind me, and I spin back as a candelabra swings toward my head. I twist away and it misses its mark, hitting my shoulder with a loud thwack. Someone slams into me, and I stumble to the side, barely catching myself before I fall.
I turn to face my attacker, but freeze instead when I see Juliet standing before me, a fierce look on her face and the candelabra raised overhead, readying to strike me again. “Juliet?”
She blinks several times, searching the darkness. “Valaric?”
The innkeeper comes up behind me. The light from his lit candle casting just enough illumination for her eyes to widen in recognition when they meet mine.
Juliet drops her makeshift weapon and rushes toward me. She jumps into my arms and I catch her. “You’re here.” She peppers my face with kisses. “You’re really here.”
“I wanted to make sure you were safe.” I wrap my wings around her, holding her close, thankful that she’s all right. “Why did you leave your home? Where were you going?”
“I’m so sorry I told you to go.” Her voice quavers. “And that I doubted you, when all you were trying to do was remind me of us, my love.”
Hope sparks deep within. “You remember our life together?”
“I remember everything. But I was afraid I was too late.” Tears stream down her cheeks. “You left me, and I was coming to find you.”
She was trying to return to me . Happiness blooms in my chest. I cup her cheek. “I never left you, my ashaya. When Eben found out you had gone, we followed after you as soon as we could. We were less than a few hours behind you.”
“You risked traveling in the daylight to reach me?” I nod, and Juliet blinks several times. “But I told you to leave. You—you had Eben give me that letter. I thought you left to return to Greyvale Castle.”
Gently, I drop my forehead to hers. “I could never leave you, Juliet. I love you. You are my heart. My mate. My wife. My everything.” I press a tender kiss to her lips. “You are mine, and I am yours. Forever and always.”
“Sorry to interrupt.” Eben clears his throat. “But would anyone care to explain why there’s an unconscious man on the floor?”
Irritated by his interruption of my reunion with Juliet, I glare at him over my shoulder as I gently set my bride back on her feet.
“He’s my carriage driver,” Juliet says. My head snaps back to her as she continues. “I knocked him out when he tried to force us all back down the stairs so his partners could sell us at the flesh markets.”
“He was working with the bandits,” Matheu—the innkeeper’s son—chimes in as he steps out into the hallway, followed by everyone else who was hiding upstairs.
A woman walks up to us and, despite the wary look she casts my way, she bows to Juliet. “Thank you so much, my Lady, for protecting me and my daughter.”
She must be the innkeeper’s wife. It’s confirmed a moment later as he rushes past us to embrace her and his children.
I’m beaming with pride as I gaze at Juliet. She is as fierce and brave as she is beautiful.
“Is this your… husband?” the woman asks a bit cautiously.
Everyone else falls silent as they await her answer.
“Yes.” Juliet smiles and leans close as she loops an arm around my waist. “This is my husband, Lord Valaric Greyvale.” She turns to Eben. “And this is our good friend, Eben Wolfstark.”
“Thank you for saving my family,” the innkeeper looks at the three of us. “Can I interest you in a couple of free rooms? It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done.”
I glance at the other patrons, wondering if it is wise to remain here. But when the other patrons thank us as well, I realize these people don’t care about what I am. They’re just grateful that they were saved.
“We get a few of your kind that pass through from time to time,” the innkeeper adds. “I have a couple of rooms downstairs you can have, if you decide to stay.”
I glance at Juliet and Eben. They both nod.
“All right. We’ll take two rooms.”
Eben walks over to the carriage driver and kicks him to see if he’s awake. The man emits a low groan but his eyes remain closed. “Want me to take care of this one?” he asks.
I nod.
The Wolf-Shifter throws the man over his shoulder with ease and marches down the stairs. I don’t need to ask what he plans to do with him. Eben and I are of the same mind when it comes to foul men like this. They deserve nothing less than death.
While he’s gone, the innkeeper’s wife shows Juliet to our new accommodations and starts a fire in the hearth to warm our room while I move her trunks downstairs. I place a protective ward on the door and extend this magic to Eben’s chambers beside us as well.
When I go out to the carriage to retrieve my and Eben’s belongings, thunder cracks overhead and rain begins pouring from the sky. By the time I return to our room, I’m completely soaked through. Rainwater drips from my hair, tracing cold rivulets down my body.
I seal the door shut, and my breath catches as I turn and find Juliet directly behind me.
The soft glow of the firelight illuminates her lovely form. She’s dressed in only her nightshift, the silken fabric clinging to her every curve. It falls to her mid-thigh, leaving her long legs bare. Two slender straps rest on her shoulders. As she steps closer one of them slips, revealing an expanse of bare skin that makes my heart begin to beat even faster.
I want so much to hold her, but all my clothes are soaked from the rain. Quickly, I kick off my boots and remove my drenched cape. It drops to the floor with a wet thud. I fumble with the ties of my tunic, the wet fabric clinging stubbornly to my skin.
Juliet reaches up, her fingers brushing against mine as she helps. Need hums in my veins, each touch threatening to drive me mad. I have to grit my teeth as I resist the urge to pull her into my arms.
My nostrils flare as I draw her intoxicating scent deep into my lungs. My desire for her nearly overwhelming, consuming all rational thought.
When she finally pushes the tunic back from my shoulders and her delicate fingers graze my skin, I can’t hold back any longer. A low growl rumbles in my chest. “I can scent your need, my beautiful wife.”
Her lovely green eyes snap up to mine and it is my undoing. I lift her into my arms and crush my lips to hers as I spin us around, pressing her back against the door.
The darkness inside me delights in her delicious surrender as she wraps her legs around my waist and my mouth plunders hers.
I trail my lips down her neck, tasting the rain and the sweet salt of her skin. Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging me back to her mouth, our kisses growing hungrier, more desperate. The storm still rages outside, but all I can focus on is Juliet in my arms, driving me to the edge of madness as her body molds to mine.
I press her harder against the door, gripping her thighs as I roll my hips against hers. Overwhelming need consumes me, and I’m lost, drowning in desire. I want to devour her, to claim every inch of her, to mark and reclaim her again so that everyone will know she is mine, just as I am and have always been hers.