Page 68 of The Vampire's Bride

I bring it to my mouth, drinking it down quickly. A sigh of relief escapes me as my need is temporarily dulled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, you need to go reconcile with your bride. Woo her with some of that brooding Vampire charm that your people are known for.”

Sound advice, but I’ve no idea how to apply it.

With my previous wives, we were little more than acquaintances. I have no experience with this sort of thing.

“By the way,” he says. “That furniture you ordered, it arrived a few hours ago from Nightshade. Where do you want it?”

Hope sparks in my chest. It seems fortune favors me this day. “I’ll take care of it. And thank you for the advice.”

Eben nods. “That’s what best friends are for.”

CHAPTER 26

JULIET

I’m dying to speak with Valaric, but Elsie told me he was still asleep. I’ve been wandering the castle ever since I woke up, hoping to run into him. If he only wants to be friends, and nothing more, I’ll be all right with that.

At least, that’s what I keep trying to convince myself. In truth, I suspect I’ll be miserable if he doesn’t return my feelings.

Lost in thought, I turn the corner and bump into a hard wall of solid muscle. I lift my head, and Valaric’s red eyes pierce mine.

Despite my resolve to not long for something I may never have, my traitorous heart begins to flutter.

“I was searching for you.”

“Oh.” It’s the best response I can manage right now. The sting of his rejection is still fresh in my mind, and I’m not quite sure what else to say.

“I have a surprise for you.”

I’m completely off guard by his announcement. “What is the occasion?”

“No occasion,” he replies. “Just because.”

Perhaps this is his way of smoothing things over after what happened in the gardens. My grandfather often did this with my grandmother. He’d upset her somehow and then give her little gifts to make up for it.

Maybe Valaric feels bad because he knows I want something more between us and he prefers to simply remain friends.

“What is it?”

“Something I ordered for you a few weeks ago.” A hint of a smile crests his lips. “I hope you like it. It has just arrived this evening.”

My somber mood begins to lift. I love that it’s something he put a lot of thought into.

He holds up a piece of fabric. “May I?”

It takes me a moment to realize it’s a blindfold. There are some who might consider it dangerous to allow a Vampire to blindfold them, and if it were any other Vampire, I might agree. But this is Valaric, and I know he will not harm me. “Yes.”

He covers my eyes, securing the silken red fabric with a loose knot at the back of my head. When he’s finished, he slips his palm into mine, and I follow him trustingly down the hallway.

Nervous anticipation runs through me, and despite my determination not to dwell on the warmth of his hand, and the nearness of his body, my heart flutters in my chest like a caged bird.

We make another turn and then take a few steps forward before Valaric halts abruptly. The air shifts around me as he positions himself at my back and gently rests his hands on my shoulders. “Just turn a bit this way,” he says, guiding me to the left. “Perfect.”

Carefully, he removes my blindfold, and my jaw drops when I notice a wooden desk and chair facing the windows in the study.

“It’s for your writing.” He opens one of the drawers and pulls out an ink pot and quill along with a stack of blank parchment. “I thought the view might inspire your creativity.”

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