Page 121 of The Depraved Prince
I grab her, pull Millie in by the waist, and push her against me until her dress rubs me. I know it’s not the part of ‘you may kiss the bride’ yet, but I don’t care. I press my lips against her hard, and she returns the kiss as we dive into our secluded bubble. I let go, and she flushes while grabbing my arm. She looks into my eyes, and all I can hear is Paul Anka playing in the background as her eyes sparkle and her heart skip beats.
I break away and stand up straight, trying hard not to fucking tear up. But I will always fall apart and unveil my emotions like a man desperate and violently in love.
“My entire existence, I’ve earned a justified reputation for never showing up and always being selfish. While the self-serving aspect of my life is still true, I’ll never give you up, Millie, and if that makes me a bad guy, then I will wear that title with honor. Because I have you and our future family, a heavenly vessel of pure innocence and true love that I vow to protect for the rest of your lives. The day we met was the day I was reborn into my new forever.”
We’reminutes away from the reception ending. We stand outside by the waterfall, watching the fireworks erupt for by the mountains. Our nearby town of Bozeman does this every year.
Millie rests the back of her head on my chest as I hold her waist from behind. She turns around, with my jacket on her shoulders to keep her warm from the unforgiving winter on her human body. She tilts her head, and meets my gaze with simplicity and peace shimmering in her brown iris’. Her breathing has changed, and her heart starts to slow, but I’m too distracted by the tears in her eyes to think about it more.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Another firework screeches above us, diving into the stars and thunders like lightning when it pops. Red sparkles litter the clouds, and I sway with my wife by her hips as music continues to play softly in the background.
“You know, I always thought…that my mother and father didn’t want me. I blamed them for the way I can’t trust people and the way I can’t believe it when someone tells me they love me. And then I realized thatwe all suffer from shattered scars and pieces. We’re all just trying to survive in a world of unavoidable mistakes and demons that infiltrate our boundaries. They’re just hurt people who hurt people. I don’t resent them anymore. I understand now. I get it.” She shivers against me, and I don’t like to see her like this.
Pop.
Screech.
Pop.
“Baby…” I brush my knuckles on her face, trying to take her pain away by wiping the tears off. “You’re still so young. It took me centuries to come to terms with who I am and the shit I’ve gone through. It’s okay and normal to break down. Just never stay there in the darkness. And if you feel stuck, and can’t be strong for yourself, I’ll be your voice, I’ll be your shield and I will love you enough to help you heal. We fight our demons, together, okay my Bambi girl?” I tilt her chin up with my ring finger and place a kiss on those perfect lips of hers.
She kisses me back for a few seconds. She pulls away and arches a brow. Her face is pale, and she gives me a tortured smile.
“My dad wasn’t here to walk me down the aisle. And she isn’t either, and that fucking sucks.” She scoffs out a laugh as she sniffles. “My mother...she’s—” she swallows nervously, clearing her throat. “She’s a broken soul. She’s a victim. And I forgiveher. I forgive my dad. Forgiveness is something hard to give and receive. But I’m able to do it because of you. You’ve taught me this, Hayden. Love can be a million different things in the eye of the beholder. To me, loving you has been the easiest thing I’ve been able to accept and trust. No matter how you see yourself as a monster, my love. You’re not.” She lifts her hand to my face, and her flesh is cold. “You’ve sacrificed everything for me. You breathe for me even though your body can’t. You’ve given me your naked soul, even though you think it’s damned to hell. You’re like breathing in an ocean. I never thought it was possible, but you make drowning in the darknessbeautiful.”
I reach down and cup her face, kissing her like I always do. She presses her lips back against me harder, and we move perfectly together like we always do, but then she stops.
“Hayden? I don’t feel so good.” She freezes, and my eyes pop open worriedly when she goes lifeless in my hands. She drops her bouquet of peonies that she helped my mother grow, and then I see my worst fears come to life. She’s bleeding from everywhere. Red drops from her mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. Red is everywhere on her dress and the flowers.
What the hell is happening?!
“Millie! Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on!” I hold her and lay her down gently just as the fireworks come to an end, and every single northern vampire cheers happily. They’re happy, and I’m fucking dying.
“Millie! Oh my God! Millie! Wake up, baby. Wake up!” I hold her shoulders tight, and I feel her heart come to a stop forever. It’s stopped beating. Her rhythm, which I’ve come to know as my national anthem, has stopped. The music of her breathing has come to an end.
Everyone from the wedding surrounds me. My friends, guards, parents, and Nash are just as confused and petrified. My mother falls to her knees and tries to help.
“What happened to her? Isn’t she twenty? It’s not her time yet!” My mother frantically shouts as she brushes Millie’s hair out of her face. She’s assessing her wounds, as am I. We’re both erratic and helpless as she tears off pieces of her black dress and cardigan to plug her bleeding ears.
How do I wake her? How do I make the blood fucking stop?! Did I misread something in the book? Kallum, indeed, would’ve told me by now if I missed something!
“I don’t know! Help me, mother! Help me save her! Her heart doesn’t beat any longer! Help me!” I plead with manic desperation. I punch the grass with my fist. My eyes beam red, and my fangs flash with havoc. Black tears drip onto her peonies.
“Oh, Hayden…she’s gone. I—there’s nothing we can do. She didn’t consent, did she?” my mother trembles.
I shake my head, refusing to believe this is my reality. I hold her tight to my chest, trying to comprehend what could have led her to die like this. I’ve been careful and gentle with her, worshiping her every need.We had plans. We had fucking plans to start our family. We were already trying…she wanted to go to Alaska. My Bambi girl still wanted to do so much.
“No! I refuse to accept this!” I bite her. I bite her all over, trying to see if my venom will miraculously turn her into a vampire without consenting. Everyone watches me with black, confused tears running down their distraught, pale faces.
After minutes pass by like years, and I perform chest compressions to try to get her heart beating, nothing is working, and I’m forced to live in my worst nightmare.
“No…no…Millie!” I wail with an inhumane roar. The guards start to push everyone away from us as I hold and grieve my person. “Don’t go with Death.” I cry into her neck.
“I’ll find a way to you, baby. I’ll see you next moon, right?” I mumble our signature farewell to her. “Say it back. Say it backright now!Please.” The word I fucking hate falls off my lips so effortlessly.
Please.
