The Vampire King's Contract Bride
rp slap landed
y senses sn
y? Zoning out again? What were you staring a
n't-Dad's
ask was gone. No trace. The voice, too
ething?" My brother laughed
ds and rites. If they didn't se
red blankly into the simmering p
was happenin
claimed me by blood pact, forced himself on me
with arcane relics, came home wounded, weary, an
dbra
e body still ached, my thi
**
edge of my bed, gnawing at m
back kept flashing through my
re husband of mine appeared with
That
hadows carved into silver edges
ck... it was red, blood-red. The
t. Maybe because he'd
ed and proceeded with what he
of softening, no matter h
anted from me. I had res
didn't dul
in my lungs, and the searing burn
iscomfort irrita
ugher, like he want
in the room were those brutal collisio
face. My body couldn't
bleed again-at least the
he only did i
the lack of pleasure in my res
o
ting him with my body, may
d, I blurted, "Hey..
rp spark of restrained fury. "Wh
n't know your name, and you're the o
id, crossing his arms. "You may
e arro
being generous. To him, I
else?" I asked dryly.
with a colder tone, he said, "My
c Vex
. The name was strangely
lent, cold-blooded man
"Alaric... the mask on your
tiff
slowly lowered. His voice turne
," I whispered. "It was smiling.
t ever since he returned from dealing with some artifact,
d curled into a tight fist at his side, the v
y. "I'll look into it t
idn't di
e of my bed, back facing m
n't le
athe too loudly, too nervously
as I slipped into unconsciousness, I felt h
o much like his-wha
it on my f
**
are, uninterrupte
home to find my dad
asking, "Dad... i
k? What would be wrong with it? J
rther. I didn't w
grave line: The most dangerous spirits are the ones who wear a smile-especially the red ones.
elics, and my father was well-versed in old rites and protective spe
light and teasing. "Come here.
ound his eyes seemed deeper
ee table. "A guy came in earlier to trade something. I tho
I echoed
irely. The velvet fabric was deep blood-red, faded with age, but still vibrant in an eerie way. Black thorns and twi
ash, and something o
me to just throw myself into this vampire bo
ought... maybe one day, you coul
d had no place in
from cursed objects. Because of what happened to Mom. He
on this gown that clearly r
His smile faded. Hi
d it-a voic
vow, Clara... Now
od ran
g back. "Dad, what's wrong?
ans
looked at me with crimson-soaked e
again-the voice in m
ra Duskgrave.
move toward me, crossing the coffee table