Page 27 of The Vampire's Bride

“On what?”

He works his lower jaw a moment as if hesitant to answer before he finally says, “If I partake of any blood.”

I frown. “But I saw you kill the snowcat. You—” I stop abruptly as his eyes dart to my neck before he quickly averts his gaze. “Would my blood help you to heal faster?”

I’m surprised at the flash of guilt in his expression before he turns his head, staring at the fire. “You are not fully healed yourself,” he replies, confirming that I’m right.

Warm firelight dances across his tortured expression. He retrains his face into a stoic mask, trying to conceal his pain. “I will be fine,” he murmurs. “My kind heal quickly.”

My husband is definitely not the monster I feared him to be when we first met. If he were, he would simply take what he needed. Instead, he suffers to spare me any discomfort.

“It’s all right.” I tilt my head slightly to one side to give him access to my neck. “I want to help you.”

His pupils widen and his nostrils flare. “Why do you offer yourself to me so freely? You ran away. Are you not still afraid of me?”

“I didn’t run away.”

His gaze holds mine, but he says nothing, obviously not convinced.

“And I was afraid,” I admit. “But I’m not anymore.”

“What has changed between now and then?”

Everything.“You saved me when you didn’t have to. You could have demanded my blood because it is part of our bargain, but you haven’t, even though I know you’re in pain.” I search his eyes. “I believe you are a good man, Valaric.”

Something akin to guilt flits briefly across his face before his expression hardens. “I’m not a man,” he says darkly. “I am a Vampire. Do not mistake me for something I am not.”

“Iknowwhat you are,” I stress. I want him to understand that I’m not scared. He is my husband, and I want to help him. “You will have to do this eventually. Why not now?”

“Because once I do, you will fear me.” A muscle tics along the edge of his jaw before he looks away again. “It is the way this always goes.”

Always?I’m confused a moment before realization dawns. “You’ve been married before.”

He nods.

My heart sinks. I’m not sure why his answer troubles me so much. It’s not as if we are in love. We may be wed, but we are still relative strangers to one another.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask about his previous wife and what happened to her—how she died. If she were still alive, he wouldn’t be married to me.

One thing I’m sure of, however, is that her death could not have been by his hand. If he had a cruel nature, I would have seen it by now. He could have harmed me or forced me to be his blood slave, but he has not. Instead, he looks guilty at the mere thought of taking my blood, despite that it is part of our arrangement.

“I’m not afraid of you, Valaric.” Surprise flickers across his face. “And we don’t know how long we’ll have to stay here. You’re hurt and you need to heal.”

As if to prove my point, the wind howls around the building as the snowstorm rages outside. I glance again at his bandages, remembering the vicious claw marks scored across his chest and abdomen. He saved my life. Those injuries could have been mine if not for him.

He opens his mouth as if to protest, but I press a finger to his lips, silencing him. “Please, I don’t want to argue about this.” I turn my back to him, sitting on my knees. “Before we do this, I need your help removing my dress.”

I pull my hair forward, over my shoulder, exposing my back and the long row of buttons he’ll need to unfasten.

A soft intake of air is his only response at first before I feel him settle on his knees behind me. Slowly, he begins to undo them.

His breath is warm on my neck, and I draw in a shaking breath as my gown falls loose with each unfastened button. My heart is beating so loudly I’m sure he can hear it.

When he reaches the small of my back, his fingers brush lightly against my thin shift, sending small shivers down my spine. Not from fear, but from something else entirely.

The warmth of his body radiates to mine as his rich, masculine scent surrounds and envelops me. I’ve never been touched like this before. Everything about this moment feels so intimate. I’ve read several romance novels, but none of them prepared me for the pleasurable, yearning sensation that curls in my lower abdomen at his nearness.

My heart flutters wildly as my dress slips down and pools around my waist before I remove it completely. Despite the heat of the fireplace, goosebumps rise along my flesh as I slowly turn back to face my new husband, dressed in only my linen shift.

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