Page 140 of The Vampire's Bride

Ava looks at her husband and takes his hand. “We must be prepared for anything. Lysander, Cole, and I will make sure the grounds are secure. But for now, I believe it is best that we all remain here and wait.”

“For what?” I ask.

Her piercing gaze meets mine. “If they are alive, Valaric will find his way back to you. I am sure of it. But for now, I am certain you made the right choice to come here. He would want you to be safe.”

“There has to be something we can do,” I say even though, deep down, I know the truth. We have no idea what happened to them, and we cannot blindly begin searching when we do not even know where to look.

“Before you came here, we considered Lord Valaric to be part of our pack,” Cole says. “As his bride, we have accepted you too. And we do not abandon our packmates.” He meets my gaze evenly. “We will not give up on finding the others. You are part of our pack, and we will protect you and defend you.”

Tears sting my eyes, but I force them back as my gaze travels over each of them. “Thank you.”

Panic and fear threaten to overwhelm me as I think again of Alayna’s warning. But as I look around the table, I realize that I must be strong. Not just for myself, but for them. Valaric is not the only one missing, and until we learn otherwise, I choose to hold onto the hope that they will return.

CHAPTER 57

VALARIC

Ilook over at Aerlyx. “When do you think you’ll be strong enough to create a portal?” I’m desperate to get back to Juliet. Prince Raine warned me that she could be in danger. And I can only imagine how worried she must be since she’s had no word from us.

“I’m not strong enough yet to transport all of you.” He glances out the window at the faint, buttery yellow light filtering through the trees as the sun prepares to make its ascent. “My magic should be fully replenished by nightfall.”

“You said you cannot take all of us now,” I point out. “Does that mean you could take at least one of us?”

“I could,” Aerlyx hedges. “But—”

“Absolutely not.” Damar’s expression is thunderous. “I know you are anxious to return to your bride, but it’s too dangerous. You and your demon angered the prince. For all we know, there could be a trap waiting for us upon our return. I forbid you from going.”

Indignation surges through me. I’ll not be kept from my wife. “It’s not your decision. It is mine. Besides, the prince asked for my loyalty and I gave it to him. He has no reason to move against us. Not now.”

Damar looks at me, disapproval etched in his features. “My Clan believed the same thing about my betrothed’s Great House. After all, our upcoming marriage would have strengthened our supposed alliance. And yet, they still betrayed us.”

He rests a hand on my shoulder. “You were not born to this life. There is still so much you do not understand about our kind. Many of them hunt and kill for nothing more than the sport of it, Valaric.”

Dark memories flood my mind. “You thinkIdo not know that?”

Gritting his fangs, he runs a hand roughly through his shoulder-length hair. “Fine.” He huffs in defeat. “Go. I cannot stop you.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I must get back to Juliet. I don’t want to wait any longer.” I lean in and whisper. “Just be sure to extend that same level of concern to the wolves and I’m sure the pack will join our Great House.”

“If you die, I will no longer care what happens to House Greyvale.”

My head jerks back, stunned. He has said he considers me like a brother, but to hear him say this makes me realize just how much he truly cares.

“You are a brother to me, Damar. Even if something were to happen, I would not want you to be alone again.” I meet his gaze evenly. “I can only imagine how hard that must have been for you all those many years.”

I jerk my chin toward the wolf shifter. “While you were gone, the only thing that made your absence bearable was them.” My lips quirk up as I watch Eben devouring another plate full ofpastries. “They took me in as family. As part of their pack. And if you give them a chance, perhaps they might give you one in return.”

Damar remains silent as I continue. “There are hundreds of years of mistrust between our two species. As you have pointed out many times, I am new to this world. Because of this, I have approached it with fresh eyes. The wolves are good people and have as many reasons to look down upon our kind as you feel that you do upon theirs. I ask you to remember that before you judge them too harshly.”

I give him a pointed look. “Besides, they are permanent residents of the castle, so you will have to learn to at least tolerate them, if nothing else.”

“Fine. I will try.” He purses his lips. “First Lysander and his human mother, and now wolf shifters.” He arches a brow. “Tell me, are there any other strays you’ve taken in that you have forgotten to tell me about?”

“I was a stray when you found me,” I remind him.

“You were a survivor,” he corrects. “A warrior. And I have never regretted taking you in. My only regret is that I did not stop you before you went to the witch.”

I shake my head. “I was so intent upon revenge, I wouldn’t have listened to you anyway.”

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