Page 19 of The Vampire's Bride

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!”

CHAPTER 7

VALARIC

Frustration boils through me as I fly over the forest, searching for prey. Curling my hands into fists at my side, I curse the blood witch that entrapped me in her dark spell. If not for her foul magic, I wouldn’t need to drink Juliet’s blood or crave it to the point of madness.

Guilt twists in my gut as I think of how she offered herself to me so sweetly, so trustingly. And the fear in her expression when I snapped at her, on the edge of my control.

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