Page 11 of The Vampire's Bride

Another roar echoes through the walls, but this time it’s more muted. The strange emotions within me begin to fade.

I struggle to remain conscious, but exhaustion pulls me under like quicksand. My eyelids flutter shut as I slip back into the darkness of sleep.

The sound of humming pulls me back into awareness, and I open my eyes to see a woman placing a tray of food on the small table at the foot of my bed, near the fireplace.

“Oh, you’re awake.” She smiles. “I’ve brought you something to eat.”

I’m still a bit groggy as I sit up and carefully swing my legs over the side of the bed. I’m dressed in only my nightshift. The last thing I remember is falling asleep in the carriage and then my strange nightmare. And although I know we are married, I’m not quite sure how I feel about the idea of Valaric dressing me while I was unconscious.

“I’m Elsie Wolfstark.” The woman dips into a small curtsey. “It is lovely to meet you, Lady Greyvale. How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?”

Pointed ears stick up through her peppered brown hair that’s tied in a bun at the top of her head. She flashes a grin, revealing two rows of sharp, white fangs that would probably be more disconcerting if not for the warmth in her silver eyes.

“I’m still a bit tired, but all right.” A shudder runs through me as I recall my dream. “I had such a terrible nightmare.”

Elsie goes still, her entire body tensing briefly. It’s subtle, but I notice. “What was it about?”

“I dreamed there was a monster. It was enraged and roaring so loudly, I was afraid it was going to come for me.”

“Well, that sounds awful. Dreams can be strange like that, though.” She snaps her fingers, and the floating lights in the room grow brighter. “Here you go.” She hands me a robe. “You can wear this over your nightshift while you eat. I hope you don’tmind, but I changed you out of your dress when you first arrived. That way you could sleep comfortably.”

While I’m glad to know my new husband wasn’t the one to undress me, I wonder where he is. I’m about to ask, but she changes the subject. “My son, Eben, told me he met you. When you’re feeling better, I’d love to introduce you to the rest of my pack.”

“Your pack?”

“Aye.” She smiles brightly. “My daughter, Ava, her mate, Cole, and their little daughter, Kaely, also live here. Congratulations on your wedding, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

I stand and pull the robe around my shoulders, tying it securely around my waist, before Elsie guides me to the small table and chairs near the fireplace.

“Lord Greyvale wasn’t sure what you might like, so I brought you a bit of everything.” She gestures to a platter of fruit, cheese, dried meat, and bread. “After you’ve eaten, perhaps you might want to tour the castle.”

Castle?Given his title of Lord, I assumed Valaric had an estate, but I never imagined it would be anything quite so grand.

She moves to the window and pulls back two layers of thick curtains. Soft moonlight spills into the room. If it’s already night again, I must have slept much longer than I thought. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Three days.”

I sputter into my cup.“Three days?”

“Aye.” She moves to my trunk and flips it open, pulling out a dress and a pair of slippers. “Lord Greyvale is going to be so upset that he wasn’t here when you awakened. The poor man. I’ve never seen him in such a state of worry before. He’s hardly left your bedside since you arrived.”

“He hasn’t?”

“Aye. I finally convinced him to go lie down.” She shrugs. “Well, it wasn’t really convincing, per se. It was more that I added a bit ofelyrianroot into his tea, you know.”

My eyes widen. “Youdruggedhim?”

“Heavens, no.” She chuckles. “I simply gave him something to help him sleep. That’s all.”

My lips part in surprise. I’m not quite sure how that’s any different from drugging him, but apparently, she believes there is some sort of distinction.

“Aren’t you worried he’ll be mad when he wakes up? Knowing that you”—I hesitate, unsure how to put this delicately before finally deciding upon—“gave him something that knocked him out?”

She waves a dismissive hand. “Oh, I expect he’ll be a bit upset and all that, but he’ll get over it. It was an accident. For most people, elyrian root has a mild calming effect. I had no idea it’d knock him flat on his back. Besides, what else was I supposed to do? Those dark circles under his eyes were beginning to look like bruises.”

I stare at her in shock.This woman is either insane or very brave to not fear incurring the wrath of a Vampire.

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