Page 109 of The Vampire's Bride

I keep my gaze fixed on Juliet. The light paints her lovely features in hues of orange and gold. “You have never walked in the sun, Damar.” He was born a Vampire; his existence has always been tied to the darkness. “I don’t expect you to understand.”

“Perhaps,” he says. “But I’ve seen the pain it brings you to hold onto the last vestiges of your humanity. Until you learn to let go, you will always walk the line between two worlds, but belong to neither.”

The dull roar of the waves crashing along the shoreline fills the silence between us.

His cautionary words ring with truth. But as I watch Juliet turn her face up to the sunlight, a smile blooming on her lips, I know that no pain or warning could keep me from this moment.

“You love her,” Damar says soberly.

I release the curtain and it falls into place, covering the window and plunging us back into darkness. “Yes.”

“But does she love you?” he asks. “Do you think she could be the one to break your curse?”

“I believe so.”

He studies me with a piercing gaze. “Do you know why I took you in after you were newly turned?”

“You’ve never said.”

“You reminded me of my younger brother—Tavian.” Sadness reflects behind his eyes. I knew Damar’s entire Clan was murdered, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard him speak one of their names. “And because I understood your pain and your need for vengeance.”

He rests a hand on my shoulder. “I vow that I will do all that I can to help you save her from our kind and from your curse.”

I swallow against the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”

“When we go to the ball, you must not let down your guard. Not even for a moment,” he warns. “There will be some who do not care that she is your true wife. They are predators. She is human, and they will regard her as weaker prey. You must always remember.” He meets my gaze evenly. “There is nothing you love that they cannot take away.”

CHAPTER 45

JULIET

The carriage rattles along the road, the night cloaking us in a shroud of uncertainty as we make our way to Darkhall Manor. My fingers curl around the edge of my seat as I look out at the ocean, watching the waves roll into the shore.

I glance down at my pale lavender silk dress. The sigil of House Greyvale is boldly embroidered in black and silver thread across the bodice. Valaric’s gaze meets mine, warm and reassuring, but it does little to quell the flutter of nerves in my stomach.

Across from us, Damar’s eyes are cold slits, his disdain palpable in the confined space of the carriage. His presence is a reminder of the precarious balance we must maintain tonight. Despite his disapproval of our marriage, he is accompanying us to present a united front before the Vampire nobility.

His nostrils flare as he stares at me with thinly veiled contempt. “Her unmarked scent will entice the others. You should have claimed her and given her your venom, Valaric.”

“She is my true wife.” Valaric glares at him. “It should not matter.”

Damar sighs heavily. Crossing his arms, he leans back in his chair. “I certainly hope you are right.”

As if sensing my worry, Valaric takes my hand. He assured me last night that it was unnecessary for me to be marked; that our marriage was enough. But now, under Damar’s scrutiny, I’m having doubts. Why wouldn’t Valaric have marked me if it was so important?

Drawing in a deep breath, I steel myself for what is to come. Whatever happens tonight, I will not allow them to see my fear. I send a silent prayer to the gods.Please let me be brave.

Valaric drapes his cloak over my shoulders, his masculine scent enveloping me.

“It’s not enough,” Damar says grimly. “A cloak cannot replace what should have been done.”

Butterflies flutter in my stomach.Why did he not mark me?

“We will manage,” Valaric says, his voice steady, but I can feel the tension in his grip.

After what feels like forever, the carriage lurches to a halt. Darkhall Manor looms before us. Like Mysthaven Manor, it sits on a cliff above the shoreline. It’s constructed of dark stone, with towering spires that seem to pierce the night sky. Lit torches line the drive and the walkway to the entrance, casting sinister shadows along the carefully manicured grounds.

The ocean breeze wraps around us, pulling at my cloak, as Valaric helps me out of the carriage.

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