by T. S. Ryder
"She is not your possession, and I will not have my son treat a woman this way," Lena said, shoving a finger in his face. "She hasn't agreed to be your wife. This isn't an engagement party. It's just a party. You have your head on backward, and you'd better straighten it out before I do. Understood?"
"Mother, I—"
Lena ignored him. She turned towards Wanda and put a protective arm around her as she hustled the human out. Adam watched them go shaking his head. Well, he'd really done it this time, hadn't he?
Chapter Four – Wanda
Ice sculptures were scattered through the room. The detail was so masterfully carved into them that Wanda wished they were in freezers rather than out in the open where they would melt. She could see the fine veins in the feathers of the swans and the crystalline eyes of the little fairy girls sparkled with life and mischievousness. Gorgeous.
The room itself was a magnificent sight. It was big enough to hold a dozen jumbo jets, with humongous crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The floor was made from a beautiful mosaic of red, black, and green marble, and the pillars upholding the vaulted ceilings were carved to look like trees.
When Wanda entered the ballroom, she saw Adam break away from the people he was talking to and head in her direction. His insistence that she only dance with him because this was their engagement party crossed her mind and she scowled. He hadn't been doing much in the way of wooing. He just bought her things. Other than his money, he hadn't shown her a reason why she should marry him. She turned to the nearest man, grabbing his hand and dragging him onto the dance floor. The man chuckled but didn't protest.
Adam was, unfortunately, right about the corset. After a few hours dancing with multiple men, her feet ached but the corset gave her the back support she needed to keep going. Normally by this time, there would be a pinching between her shoulder blades, but the corset distributed the weight of her breasts more evenly than her bra did, so there was no pinching.
It was nearing midnight when Christopher stole her from her current partner and swept her onto the dance floor.
"Hello," he said with a smile. "We weren't properly introduced. I'm Christopher, Adam's brother."
"I know. Hello." Wanda eyed him warily. He was softer-looking than Adam, but that didn't mean that she trusted him.
Was he going to try to convince her to marry Adam? The king hadn't brought it up since his original proposal – if you could call it that – but she knew it was still on his mind. He also had given her all the money that Jonas was ordered to pay her, and she was beginning to wonder if maybe there was a softer side to vampires… and maybe she could trust the king enough to tell him what Jonas was really doing in his mansion. Marriage, however, was completely out of the question.
"I must say, I was surprised when you came charging into Adam's study earlier today. I don't think anybody except Mother has ever done that. You see," Christopher lowered his head closer to hers and added in a stage whisper, "my brother scares the crap out of everybody. He doesn't always understand why, but most of these people remember the wars."
"Wars?"
Christopher nodded. "We didn't always have this prosperous kingdom. A couple hundred years ago, a bunch of different supernatural groups got together and decided to wipe us out. They did a pretty good job at it, too. Our numbers haven't bounced back yet. That's why you'll see so many vampires marrying humans. Mother has been hounding Adam to get himself a wife for centuries."
So that was why the king wanted to marry her. To get his mother off his back.
"But Adam, he took charge of an army and went out against our enemies. They called him the Blood Bringer. The rumors spread about the goliath vampire with a bloodlust they'd never seen before. People thought he made a deal with the devil to give him his strength. Many still do."
Wanda snorted. "I don't believe that."
"That he was a great warrior, or he made a deal with the devil?"
"The devil." Wanda eyed Adam, who stood on the other side of the room, glaring at everybody. He looked so out of place and awkward her heart actually ached for him. "He doesn't strike me as the type to indebt himself to anybody. If anything, he would have caught the devil and forced him to give him powers in exchange for freedom."
Christopher laughed, drawing the king's attention. Wanda quickly looked away.
"And what about you?" her vampire partner asked. "How do you feel about him? The man of your dreams, or a convenient way to get free money? No judgment," he added quickly.
"Neither. We've got a great little game we're playing, but I'm sure Adam will tire of it soon."
And then where would she go? What would she do? Wanda tried not to think about that. She had all kinds of money now – she wouldn't end up back on the streets. She would get herself a nice little place and go back to school. But then what? She didn’t have any dreams for the future.
"A game, huh? Not sure Adam thinks it's a game. I've never seen him like this."
Wanda rolled her eyes. "Right. Yeah, in over three hundred years he never met a girl like me. As if I'm anything special."
Christopher arched a brow. "I didn't say he never met a girl like you. I said I'd never seen him like this before. But now that you mention it, I would say you're rather unique. Everybody is unique in some way, but I think you're the first girl I met who shares Adam's anger issue."
"What anger issues? I've never seen him so much as bat an eye. Well, other than when I first met him, but that's different." Wanda pulled away from him. "I'm done dancing. Thank you."
She hurried away from the king's brother. The conversation just wasn't sitting right with her. Was this Adam sending his brother to find out exactly what she thought about him…? He didn't seem like the kind of guy that played games like that. When he wanted her to do something, he usually threw money at the issue… Was that his way of trying to woo her? Hoping that she'd like the money so much she'd stay?
Why did he choose her to marry, anyway? She wasn't anything special. Jonas had made sure that she knew that. Maybe that was a question she would have to ask. And if the answer wasn't what she liked? Well, there was nothing keeping her there. Nothing at all. If he was being pressured to marry, why not put an ad in the paper and choose one of the hundreds of applicants?
Lena cornered her by the punch bowl. "You don't want to drink that one, dear. It's got a little plasma in it."
Wanda wrinkled her nose and put down the glass she had been about to drink out of. "What is with you vampires and putting blood into everything?"
"What's with humans and chocolate?" Lena smiled as she sipped her drink. "Now, you've been here for a few weeks now. Are you staying because you want to, or are you afraid of Adam?"
Wanda repressed a sigh. "He told me I could leave whenever I wanted. But he keeps giving me money to stay. I like money. I'll stay until either he or I get bored."
Lena nodded. She gazed out at the dancers, and Wanda asked for a drink that had no blood or blood byproducts in it. Her limbs were starting to feel weighted down; perhaps it was time to call it a night and head back to bed—
"I found your parents."
Wanda stiffened, her heart jumping to her throat. Bile churned in her stomach and the blood drained from her face. She grasped the table as she swayed.
"You—" She sucked in a deep breath. "You had no right. That's my business!"
A strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a firm chest. Wanda breathed in Adam's scent and her wooziness cleared. Lena stood, looking at her with pitying eyes. How much had she found out?
"Is everything okay here?" the king asked, his deep voice pitched with concern.
Had Lena told him what she had learned? Was he giving her all of this money because he felt sorry for her? Thinking of him knowing her past made Wanda feel dizzy again, but she forced herself to stand straight. As much as she would have loved to sink against him and let him hold her up, she learned long ago that she had to stand on her own two feet.
<
br /> Lena glanced at her son. "Actually—"
"Everything is fine," Wanda interrupted. She glared at Lena. The last thing she wanted was for people to feel sorry for her. Well, maybe not the last thing, but it was pretty high up there on the list. She set her drink down and grabbed Adam's hand, dragging him out onto the dancefloor before Lena could bring up her parents again.
Is my past coming back to haunt me? Am I ever going to be free from it?
"Ah, so you're going to dance with me, are you?" Adam said.
"Unless you don't want to, in which case I'm going to bed," Wanda replied, still glaring at Lena.
Adam's arms wrapped around her. "Not unless you're going to bring me with you."
Wanda suppressed a gasp as he pulled her against him. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. "Are you serious?"
He bent forward, his gaze on her mouth. Wanda's heart thudded against her chest, freezing. When their lips were just brushing, Adam paused. He stared into her eyes and she stared back. What was he waiting for? Her permission? Or…
She closed the distance between them. He gripped her firmly, drawing her closer. Wanda's eyes drifted closed, following his lead. So much for him getting bored with her… She deepened the kiss, heedless of their audience. It was better than anything she could have expected.
Maybe there was something to marrying the vampire king after all.
Chapter Five – Adam
Adam smiled as Wanda laid her head on his shoulder. Dawn was breaking in the east, bathing the land in the silver-gold light. He had been the only one to dance with the little human since midnight. He had certainly learned an important lesson from this. Demanding anything from Wanda wasn't going to work, especially when he ignored context. He had to make sure to ask for everything because, otherwise, she would do the opposite whether she wanted to or not.
When they got to her door, she kicked her feet, making him set her down, and yawned. "You're not going into my room, buster."
Adam grinned. He was energized from the dance and the frequent kisses he and Wanda had shared as they danced together. Everybody would be talking about those for a while. He would have loved to take it further and spend the whole day in her room. However, his human was clearly exhausted.
He brushed his lips across her forehead and nodded. "I'll see you later then."
Wanda smiled sleepily at him and waved as she entered her little studio apartment. Adam wanted so badly to follow her. Soon, he promised himself. As soon as she can tell me what she's so afraid of.
He still needed to talk to his mother about what she said that made Wanda look so panicked during the dance, but for the moment he headed towards his office. He hummed to himself, feeling as light as a cloud. Wanda was starting to trust him, and he was finding that he liked spending time with her. He had been thinking marriage would just be a convenience, but the way things were going, he was going to enjoy it.
His mood darkened rapidly when he got closer to his office. The sniveling weasel, Jonas, stood at the end of the corridor, talking with Christopher. Adam had just released the vampire from the dungeons, in part because Wanda still refused to name any punishment for him. He was supposed to have just left, though.
"What is going on here?" Adam demanded when he got closer.
Jonas jumped and winced. "My lord. I didn't… Ahem. I was just speaking with your brother here. I was hoping that I might have an audience with you."
"About what?"
"The human. Wanda. I recognize what I did was horrible. I was unfortunately not in my right mind and my judgment was not at its best." Jonas laughed, as though what he said was funny. Adam narrowed his eyes and waited for him to get to the relevant part. The other vampire paled. "Uh… Anyway, I think I ought to take her back with me to restore her to her family."
"Wanda isn't going anywhere with you. Get out of my palace before I have you thrown back into the dungeons."
"But my lord—"
"Now."
Adam glared at Jonas as he scurried away, then turned to Christopher. His brother looked bored. "What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing." Christopher flinched as Adam folded his arm. "Okay, maybe I owe him some money—"
"Christopher!" Adam grabbed his arm and dragged him into his office. He slammed the door behind them. "You owe that pathetic worm money?"
Christopher shifted from side to side and shrugged. "Only a little. Ten grand."
Adam resisted the urge to grab his brother and shake him. Of all the stupid things… "And when you were in Cabo? Were you getting high there, too?"
"High? What are you talking about?"
"You've been buying drugs from him!"
Christopher shook his head. "No. Never. I'm not a drug addict, Adam. Yeah, he offered once, but he hasn't ever since I threatened to bring a random raid down on his house. But a couple months ago, we went to a casino he owned, and I may have been on a bit of a losing streak. But come on, ten grand isn't that much. I'm just in a bit of a pinch right now that I didn't expect. If you spot me the money, I'll pay you back. You know I will. I always do."
Adam still scowled, but he nodded. The last thing he wanted was for his family to be indebted to the likes of Jonas in any way, shape or form. But hearing that he had backed off of Christopher when threatened with a raid on his house… It was a long shot, but maybe a raid would be worth it.
In the meantime, his brother's debt had to be paid.
"You'll pay me back by the end of the year," the king warned his brother. "Understood?"
"Yeah. I wouldn't have even brought it up, except, well..." Christopher didn't look any more comfortable despite that issue having been solved. "But hey, shouldn't you have talked to Wanda about going back with him to her parents? That's a choice she should make."
"He told her that I was going to kill her," Adam said shortly. "He terrifies her. That man isn't getting anywhere near her again."
***
A couple days passed with nothing exceptional happening except for the fact that Wanda had dinner with him each night. They had talked well into the night. He learned that she hadn't even finished elementary school and immediately hired a private tutor for her. She had clearly been embarrassed by her lack of education until he told her he was two hundred and sixty-eight before he learned how to read.
He found her in the library one day, returning a stack of books that he had suggested the previous day. They were all easy-reader chapter books but remained some of his favorite stories.
"Hey," he greeted her, bending down for a kiss. She pressed herself to her toes and closed the distance between them. "Returning these already? I guess you just couldn't get into them, huh?"
A faint blush rose in Wanda's cheeks and she shook her head. "Not exactly. I stayed up all night last night and I've read them all. I was just here looking for another stack. I've got a list of books that are a grade higher than my abilities right now, and I figure if I tackle them I'll improve faster than I would if I get comfortable at my current level."
Adam grinned. It was surprising to him how easily Wanda provoked this reaction. Just her presence calmed him, something that he wasn't sure how to take. Part of him said that he shouldn't be relying on her for mood stability, but, on the other hand, it was because he liked being around her so much. It was easy to forget about himself with her.
"Let me see your list." She handed it over. Adam glanced down it. "Hmmm… you know, I have a few of these in my private library."
Her eyes widened. "You have a private library too?"
Adam smirked. "Yep. This library is for anybody to get their grubby hands on books. I have my own stores so that people won't read while eating and get cheesy fingerprints all over my precious books. Come on."
He took her hand and pulled her from the library. Her small hand felt so right in his, squeezing back tightly, warm and comforting. The bright joy in her eyes made his heart skip a beat. She was so beautiful, so full of life and eager to learn everything that the w
orld had to offer. He was a lucky vampire to have met her – lucky that she spat in his face when they first met. That was how it all began, after all.
They reached his private library quickly. It was a fairly large room with a hearth on one wall, a bay window in another, and the other two lined with shelves. It was carpeted in pale yellow and adorned with Victorian-style furnishings.
"Wow," Wanda breathed as they entered. "All those books are yours?"
Adam nodded. "And you are free to take and read any of them as long as you promise not to read while eating, on the toilet, or in the bath."
"I promise." Wanda ran her fingers over the spines, eyes bright. "Lord of the Rings. It's on my list."
"Those are first edition copies."
"Shut up!" Wanda stared at him. "For real?"
Adam chuckled. "For real. And here are the Chronicles of Narnia and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
"Wow."
He watched her as she continued along. His mind drifted back to the morning after the dance. Was he wrong to have just sent off Jonas without even consulting her? Adam thought he knew what was best for her, but Jonas had picked her up off the streets. Didn't she deserve the right to decide for herself whether to be reunited with her family or not?
"Wanda…"
She turned to him with a smile.
"You know you're free to leave whenever you want, right? You're not a prisoner."
"Yes. I know that."
He glanced at his shoes briefly. "The other day Jonas stopped by. He… he wanted to take you back, to return to your family."
He wasn't expecting the blood to drain from her face. She sagged against the wall, her eyes widening. "Are you… Are you sending me back to them?"
Chapter Six – Wanda
