Page 21 of The Vampire's Bride

Eben nods. “You were fighting so hard against your chains, I was worried they might come loose at any moment.”

“She heard you,” Elsie adds, speaking of Juliet. “But she thought it was a dream—a nightmare. Fortunately, the tea wasstill in your system, because after about half an hour you went back to sleep.”

I blink several times. As upset as I am, perhaps this tea is a fortuitous discovery. If elyrian root can calm me during my change, maybe I should take it every new moon.

“All right.” I sigh heavily. “I forgive you.” I decide to circle back to her comment about Juliet. “You’re sure she believes it was a dream? She doesn’t suspect anything?”

Elsie nods.

“Thank the gods,” I murmur under my breath. The last thing I need is for Juliet to discover my curse. I can’t afford for her to be afraid of me. Especially not so early in our relationship.

“Uncle Val, I made you something.” Kaely looks up at me with her bright silver eyes. “I’m glad you’re not sick anymore.”

“Sick?”

“She was off hunting with her mother, like they always do during the new moon, when you are… not quite yourself.” Elsie gives me a pointed look. “So I told her you were ill, and she made you a little gift to lift your spirits.”

Kaely hops off her chair and toddles over to me. I drop to one knee and then lean down until my face is nearly even with hers. She holds out an oddly shaped lump of clay about as big as my hand. A doll of some sort, no doubt, with two twigs for arms, and dark pebbles for the eyes, nose, and a smiling mouth.

“It’s a snowman,” she says proudly. “Like the one we made, but this one won’t melt.”

“She worked hard on that, Val,” Cole says, an indulgent smile on his face as he looks at his daughter. “A good likeness too, if I may say so.”

“It is,” I agree. I look back at Kaely. “It’s lovely. Thank you for the gift.”

A bright smile lights her face, and she wraps her little arms around my neck.

Gently, I return her embrace.

When she pulls back, excitement lights her features. “Uncle Eben said you married a princess. Is it true? Can I see her?”

I arch a brow at Eben, and he flashes a sheepish grin in return.

“I’ll be sure to introduce you,” I tell Kaely. “As soon as I find her.”

I turn back to Elsie. “Juliet wasn’t in her room. Do you know where she is?”

“I made sure to warn her away from the west wing,” Elsies says pointedly. “Perhaps she’s outside in the gardens.”

Everyone but little Kaely knows of my curse, and they help keep my secret. When they saw what I was hiding in the west wing, I’d thought it would be difficult to convince them that I hadn’t murdered my previous wives.

Thankfully, Wolf-Shifters are not only immune to the effects of magic, they can sense it too. They recognized the blood witch’s dark enchantment for what it was immediately. “What did you tell her?”

“I told her that part of the castle was in a state of disrepair.”

I dip my chin in an approving nod. “I flew over the gardens when I returned, but she wasn’t out there. Have any of you seen her?”

They each shake their heads.

“Perhaps she’s wandering the castle, exploring her new home,” Ava offers.

Panic coils tight in my chest, and I pray her curiosity did not lead her back to the west wing to investigate the locked doors. If she were to discover my secret, I doubt any number of words or reassurances would convince her that I’m not a murderer.

As if reading my thoughts, Cole adds, “I was just there less than ten minutes ago, doing my rounds. She was not in the west wing.”

Concerned, I lift my head and scent the air. A hint of her delicate fragrance lingers, but it’s so faint I’m not sure she’s even in the castle.

With the inhuman speed possessed of my people, I rush into the hallway and up the stairs, searching for my bride. When I race back down to the first floor, Elsie is waiting for me.

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