Page 22 of The Vampire's Bride

“I must find her.” Worry gnaws deep within. “She was upset when I left.”

Elsie’s lips form a thin line in disapproval as she crosses her arms over her chest. “And what exactly was it that made her upset?”

“She tried to offer herself to me, to satisfy the blood cravings. I refused because I didn’t trust myself. I hadn’t partaken in three days.” Guilt stabs at my chest. “She tried to insist. And my need was so great.” I shake my head. “I barely managed to leave… I nearly lost myself.”

Elsie gives me a withering look. “That’s why I told you that you needed to rest and to eatbeforeshe awakened.”

“I know,” I groan, running a hand roughly through my hair.

Eben and Cole step forward. “We’ll help you look for her.”

I nod, and we split up to search.

As I walk past the entry hall, I catch her scent—a soft hint of jasmine and rose—and follow it to the front doors. When I push them open, a blast of cold wind rushes inside, along with a flurry of snowflakes. Dread twists in my gut when I spot fresh hoof prints on the drive, heading out to the main gate.

“One of the mares is missing from the stables,” Eben calls out behind me, confirming my fears. He moves to my side, lifting his gaze to the dark clouds overhead. “There’s a storm coming.” He gives me a worried look, and I already know what he’s thinking. If we do not find her soon, Juliet will be caught out in this dangerous weather.

Thunder rumbles as lightning fingers across the sky. Cold wind sweeps through the trees as the snowfall grows heavier.

“It will be dawn soon,” Eben says ominously. “You should stay here. Cole and I will find her.”

Despite the dark clouds, a faint hint of light is visible to the east. It would be wiser for me to stay, and allow the wolves to search for my bride, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to her. Still, it means much to me that he offered. “Thank you, my friend.” I clap a hand on his shoulder. “But I’m much faster.”

Eben opens his mouth to protest, but I spread my wings and take to the sky before he can say a word. Gliding above the tree line, I scan the mountain pass below. Hoofprints mark the trail of her path toward Corvania, but they are rapidly disappearing beneath the increasing snowfall.

The village is not far from here, but in this weather, Juliet could easily lose sight of the road and end up lost in the woods.

Worry spirals through me. The snowstorm is not the only thing that can harm her out here. Snowcats,Shadowbeasts, and various other predators make their home in these woods. Corvania is surrounded by a high stone wall to protect the village and its inhabitants against these monsters, but until she reaches it, Juliet is vulnerable to attack from any number of dark creatures.

Guilt and frustration surge through my veins. It’s my fault she’s out here and in danger. If I had listened to Elsie, my thirst would not have nearly overwhelmed me. I would have been more in control of myself, and I wouldn’t have frightened my new bride. I hate that I’m the reason she ran away. That she was so terrified that she took off in the night and—

Terror rips through me, sharp as a knife, stealing the breath from my lungs. It takes me a moment to realize this intense fearis not coming from me. It’s coming from Juliet, through our fated bond.

A sharp feminine cry echoes up the mountain, stopping my heart.

Juliet.

It’s followed quickly by the piercing shriek of a snowcat.

Long tendrils of fear wrap tight around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs as I beat my wings furiously, desperate to reach her. Terror amplifies my senses. Through the thick curtain of snow, I see Juliet up ahead.

Panic seizes my heart. A snowcat, the size of a horse, circles her. Her only weapon is a large branch that she swings like a sword, trying to keep the monster at bay.

Her horse whinnies in distress. It rears up, kicking out wildly as it tries to break free of its reins, tangled in the thick bramble behind her.

The beast swipes at Juliet, batting away her makeshift weapon as if it were nothing.

She swings again and the snowcat’s paw catches the end of her branch, knocking her off balance, sending her sprawling onto her back.

Horror grips me in an iron vise as the predator stalks toward her. Juliet scrambles backward in the snow, desperate to get away. Her intense fear claws at my chest through our bond.

A thunderous roar rips from my lungs as ice cold fury burns in my veins. I will end this creature for daring to try to harm she who is mine. Folding my wings to my back, I dive toward the snowcat.

The wind whistles in my ears as the ground rushes up to meet me. My wings extend with an audible snap at the last second, slowing my descent to direct my attack. The snowcat releases an ear-splitting cry as I slam into its side, sending us both tumbling across the snow in a tangled mess of limbs.

Sharp claws rake across my chest as it struggles to break free of my grip, but I refuse to let it go. It dared to hunt my ashaya, and now I will make certain that it hunts no more.

Sinking my fangs deep into its throat, the bittersweet taste of iron bursts across my tongue. Even as the pounding of its heart begins to slow, the beast frantically claws at me, desperate to escape my deadly embrace until it finally goes limp in my arms.

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