The Vampire King's Contract Bride

re-my brother was gunning the engine lik

ttered glass littered the roadside. In the distance, a long-hau

ily of the victims? The injured were sent to the nea

rrived at a local town hospital.

ber of patients flooding in. One nurse, flustered and red-fa

me-" I

d floor. Minor injuries wait in the lobby. If you're looking

. I checked every chair, every bed, and even peeke

om the second floor wit

s, hollered again, "

t staircase anyway. The stairs were narrow, dimly lit

ng a comforting hand on my shoulder.

, and I heard him speaking with someone

th

n my sh

ame face-to-face with

ave?" she asked with

. She didn't loo

Duskgrave's d

"Yes-yes! That's

re. They split them up between facilities. He asked me to

in relief. That stubbor

serious

I'll take you to him." She took

ch at the back of my brai

was Clara Duskgrave?

cture. Said the prettiest girl in the crowd would

out her laug

eet. We rounded the corner-and just as

, a sweet, perfumed

et. Too

st. A cloth pressed har

lted. My limbs turned to

ale voice whispered with longing. "I ache to seep into her

th, I'm flattered, but I'm just a woman. I'm afraid

day away-one day-from fully anchoring myself in her f

e extract the wombspawn from her, you can reente

. He was willing to die just to purge me. Fine... s

em speak in hushed, breathless tones

r I'd heard from the crimson ma

as the one who had lure

rs on my ankles, p

art. I know you're awake," the w

eye open-and n

. But her face.

. was warped, grotesquely stretched, barely holding together

snaking beneath the translucent flesh. It

agg

ridal gown and a pair of black velvet bridal

sneered, eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "A

ined gown in her hands, h

" I asked, my voice trembling. "Isn't

If it were just about indulgence and pleasure, there are plenty of darkling

kind of chosen vessel. Of course, the Wraith wanted you for more than pleasure. You w

ead

lways meant t

for me until her fingers clutched

moke erupted

a blood-curdling screech. "Get it off! Get i

back to bone. The mask convulsed violently on her fac

fr

pend

Pendant-the seal A

could keep th

knew he wa

ack her limbs off! Tear the womb out! If

rising from her mangled hand.

chen

usted.

rd, lifting it ov

d