“Is this what I think it is?” She gently lifted the book from the shelf and turned her wide-eyed gaze to him. “A first edition copy of Pride & Prejudice?”
A soft grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You know your antiques.”
“I know my history. And my romance novels.” She opened it, inhaling the musty scent of the pages. “It’s beautiful. Reminds me of why I got into the study of history in the first place.”
“And why was that?” He leaned his arm against the shelf, watching her intently. Was that why she was here? To study a darker side of history? A history filled with monsters and magic.
She blushed and chuckled softly. “I guess I’m nostalgic for a time I didn’t even live through. It’s like a mystery, uncovering the story of yesterday. How people survived, thrived, and most of all...loved.”
His chest rose with a heavy breath. Feelings he couldn’t name burst inside him with a heat of the midday sun. Working his jaw, he tried to maintain his composure.
“I guess you’re kind of like a walking history textbook,” she said, smiling warmly at him and causing another burst of emotion in his gut. “Seven hundred years of history. I’ll have to pick your brain sometime. See if some of my theories on Victorian England were correct.”
He nodded, mesmerized by the light in her eyes. He wasn’t one for rehashing history, but at that moment, she could’ve asked him anything. Her passion for her subject was intoxicating.
However, this sudden peace deal between them meant nothing. She was still nothing but a greedy, grasping human. He couldn’t let her charms distract him from the truth. She didn’t want him. She wanted his immortality. The thought made his head buzz with frustration.
“Come along, you two.” Queen Anna was standing next to an ajar closet door with Jezebel at her side. She motioned toward them with a graceful hand. “The surprise is waiting.”
Cate bit her bottom lip with a bit of hesitancy and slid the book back into its spot on the shelf. He heard her take a large inhale of breath and then bravely step forward, following the ladies into the darkness of the waiting doorway.
He couldn’t wait to see their responses to what lay ahead.
❖
Cate sighed and followed Queen Anna into what she’d assumed was another closet. She’d been trying her best to get through the date. The sudden shock of the brewery had fizzled out the last embers of her anger. Now, she simply felt weary. Her entire existence was riding on the hope that Prince Viktor didn’t rescind his offer and decide to suddenly end their deal. He was the crown prince, after all. He had the power to decide whether she left this island a mortal or immortal. That was a lot of power in one man’s hands.
Stepping through the doorway, she realized she needed to stop assuming all the rooms inside royal suites led to clothing racks. The walls were lit up with neon blue lights that reflected off of mirrors on almost every available surface. Dozens of drawers lined the room and had been pulled open to reveal jewelry encrusted with the most precious of gemstones. She gasped as her eyes fell upon diamonds as big as her thumb set in intricate gold filigree. Luminescent pearls with pink undertones lined several necklaces and earrings, no doubt priceless possessions and worth more than the entirety of her hometown state of Nebraska.
She scanned the multicolored jewels, wondering about the people who’d sculpted such works of art. Were they alive today, like this royal family of vampires? Or, should she say undead? The whole idea was still hard for her to grasp.
An audible gasp went out beside her. Jezebel sprung forward with inhuman speed, her hands reaching out to touch the jewels. The neon blue lights reflected in her eyes, giving her an almost robotic and eerie look. Her jaw dropped open and for the first time in the last few days, she seemed speechless.
“These are the palace jewels,” Queen Anna explained, picking up a string of pearls and running them through her aged hands like water. “A collection gathered over the centuries of our reign. Some are priceless and some may be called worthless. But it is all in the eye of the beholder.”
“They’re gorgeous,” Jezebel panted. “Simply perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so wonderful. My father would die if he knew I were here.”
Queen Anna smiled softly and then placed the pearls back in their box. Prince Viktor stood behind her, his face half in shadow. He whispered something into his grandmother’s ear and she chuckled and patted his cheek. Cate blushed when his gaze turned toward her and she realized she’d been staring. Quickly turning toward the nearest drawer, she bent down to have a closer look.
The jewelry in front of her was probably the simplest piece of the entire bunch. On a delicate silver chain hung a pearl drop about the size of her pinky fingernail. She guessed it would probably hang down to her chest if she were to drape it around her neck. Something about the piece captivated her. With all this extravagance around her, there was something special about this necklace. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have a home among such jewels.
“I want both of you to pick something out,” Queen Anna said from behind her. “Something to borrow for the final ceremony.”
Jezebel inhaled as if she’d just been crowned queen herself. She dove into the drawers to get a closer look, pulling several pieces into her hands at once.
“I pick this one,” Cate said, pointing at the pearl drop necklace. There was no contest. This one called to her.
“Are you sure, my dear?” Queen Anna rushed forward, her brow wrinkling as she peered down at the necklace. “There are so many options much more suited to a grand ceremony.”
“This is the one.” She stuck out her chin. “It’s perfect for me.”
“As you wish.” The Queen bowed her head with a secretive smile. “I’ll have it delivered to your suite.”
“Thank you. That would be lovely.”
She felt the heavy gaze of someone watching her. Looking up, she found Prince Viktor studying her intently, just as he had at the bookshelf. She wanted desperately to read his thoughts, to know if she was screwing up his perfect plan. But her gut didn’t seem to care. A million butterflies burst to life in her stomach as he watched her. She felt her knees tremble and she had to reach out to the nearest shelf for support.
Why did that vampire have such an effect on her? She should be running the other way, but instead, she found herself returning his gaze with just as much intensity — unsure what would become of them both.
Chapter Seventeen
CATE FOUND HERSELF wide awake late that night, slouching in bed in her favorite pajamas. Her emotions were as tangled as the necklaces she kept in her old jewelry box, impossible to separate and just as frustrating. One moment, she was ready and willing to get out of Monstrana and never come back. But the next, she felt utterly hopeless at the thought of never seeing Prince Viktor again. It was confusing and it drove her mad. She shouldn’t feel that way. Any sane human would run for the hills.
Obviously, she’d lost her mind.
Getting out of bed, she drew a light sweater across her narrow shoulders and sandals on her feet. A quiet stroll in the midnight air would clear her senses. The castle had a beautiful garden just below her windows, with impressive pale flowers that seemed to grow bigger every night. She made her way down to see them, proud that she’d finally learned her way around. The halls were empty and quiet.
Despite the fact that she now knew this was a paranormal castle run by terrible beasts, she didn’t feel frightened. These monsters had shown her more humanity than most of the humans she surrounded herself with back home. It was a funny idea, to think that werewolves and vampires could be kind.
Not the sort of thing that would make for a good horror movie. Stephen King would be out of a job.
Still, she couldn’t get too comfortable. Miranda’s warning about the ancient law hanging over her mortal head was enough to keep her on her toes. No one would be forcing her into becoming one with the undead. Not if she had any say in it.
Bursting int
o the cool night air, she inhaled a large breath and bathed in the soft glow of the moon. This was what she needed. A moment to breathe and to think. And to shake off the lingering feelings that had plagued her since their trip to Queen Anna’s jewelry vault.
She didn’t get much time to relax. The clanging of metal behind the nearest hedge drew her attention. It sounded like someone was clanging together the lids of two pots. Rounding the shrubbery, she gasped when she spotted two men facing each other down in the middle of the garden. Neither of them wore shirts and their bodies glistened with sweat. They held thin sabers in their hands and were too busy sparring to notice her.
Her eyes took in the sight, immediately recognizing Prince Leo and then darting to his brother, Viktor, where her gaze remained glued. He moved with a fluid beauty she’d never seen. Every flick of his hand, every shuffle of his feet was accomplished with the grace of a dancer and the strength of a bull. Their swords beat together time after time, but it seemed like neither one of them was giving in.
She watched Viktor rub a hand over his head and laugh when his brother eventually made a reckless lunge. It was a sound that sent thrills through her. He parried so quickly, her eyes couldn’t follow. They spun with supernatural speed. By the time her gaze caught up to them, Viktor had Leo by the throat with the tip of his blade.
“Give, give,” Leo groaned, tossing his sword to the ground in disgust. “Once again, you win brother. Seven hundred years old and I still can’t beat you. I don’t suppose you’ll ever slow down?”
“Never!” Viktor answered triumphantly.
Cate clung to the hedge row and observed him tossing his head back in laughter, much like the day he’d kissed her in the mud. Her heart began to beat faster and she bit her bottom lip.
No, this wouldn’t do. She needed to remember that Viktor might appear beautiful in the pale moonlight, but he was still a monster. A creature of the night. Far too dangerous to have feelings for, despite what her heart might feel. She couldn’t fall for him.
Could she?
“Don’t look now, brother,” Leo said, brushing off the knees of his trousers. His blond hair appeared silver in the night and threw a shadow under his strong jawline. “But, I believe we have an audience.”
They both turned toward her. She gulped a breath of cool air and thought about sinking into the bushes, but it was too late. Viktor was watching her again in that way that made her knees weak and useless. Any chance of running was out of the question.
She’d make the worst character in a horror film. Five minutes into the movie and she’d be dead.
“Cate.” He breathed her name, as if it were the most beautiful word in the world. “What brings you out at this time of night?”
Her chin trembled as she made herself stand up straight and face them. Swinging her arms casually, accomplishing nothing but making herself feel like an idiot, she put on a fake grin. “Just out for a midnight walk. Couldn’t sleep.”
He plucked a scabbard from the dark grass and sheathed his sword. Setting it on a nearby cement bench, he pursed his lips and nodded his head slowly. “Good, good. I think I’ll join you.”
She blinked, the foolish grin on her face melting. How was she supposed to remind herself that he was a monster when all she could think about was kissing him again? The least he could do was put on a shirt and cover that rock-hard body. That would help.
“That is, only if you want me to join you,” he said, studying her face with a frown.
“Of course,” she breathed, waving her arm a little too wildly and turning to leave. Her heart still hadn’t returned to a normal speed. “Anytime.”
They fell in beside each other, his nearness causing the hair on her arm to stand straight up.
“I’ll leave you to it, then. Plenty of obligations calling my name,” Leo shouted from behind them, humor thick in his tone. “...not that I was invited.”
❖
Viktor strolled beside Cate, not daring to look her way. The scent of her perfume was maddening enough — floral with a hint of blood orange and cinnamon. But the way she looked in the moonlight, her complexion smooth and her wide eyes reflecting the silver light, made him want to reach out and take her hand. Still, he clenched his fists at his side, not sure what to say. A wolf howled in the distance and was quickly answered by a dozen more.
“It’s nice to finally be away from the cameras,” she finally said, looking up at him.
He nodded swiftly and frowned. “Agreed. Those things are nothing but menaces.”
“Soon, this will all be over.” She waved her arm in front of her body. “Everyone will go home and life will go back to normal.”
Sorrow made him suck in his cheeks. She was right. In two more days, the final ceremony would take place and he would reject both his suitors. Cate would go home and he’d never see her again. The idea made his lifeless heart contract, despite what he knew about her intentions.
“And what life do you return to?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. I’d like to try and get another University job. Reapply for tenure. I really loved teaching.”
“We’ve got a University on Monstrana.” The words tumbled out of his mouth. “With a great history department.”
“Really?” She didn’t seem struck by the random fact.
They walked a bit longer, falling into companionable silence. Stars twinkled in the sky above them and crickets chirped in the grass. He felt compelled to say something about what had happened between them. To at least part on a good note. But he wasn’t sure how.
“I want to apologize for my behavior at the spa yesterday and the horrid date today,” he finally ventured, hazarding a glance in her direction. “I reacted too harshly.”
“No, it’s me who should apologize.” A sad frown played on her lips. “I let things spin out of control. It was all one giant mix up that started at the airport when I was on my way to visit Miranda. I should’ve come clean ages ago, but self-preservation kicked in.”
He thought about her words for a second, his pulse pounding. “Are you saying you didn’t enter the competition to win immortality?”
She blanched, her mouth falling open into an almost comical horrified expression. “Definitely not. I didn’t even know supernatural creatures existed until my brutal awakening at that night club.”
The events of that night rolled through his head and he struggled not to burst out laughing. So that explained her sudden and alarmed exit from the vamp’s only room. It was no wonder she’d ran away. He’d had her all wrong. So wrong. She wasn’t a grubbing human. She was just Cate. Beautiful, intelligent, charming Cate.
Tucking the hair behind her ear, she bent to smell a pale white flower the size of her hand. “These are beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“They’re Moonflowers.” He plucked one of the large blossoms and grabbed her hand to gently place the bloom on her palm. She shivered and pulled her sweater tighter with her other hand. “They only bloom at night. See? Proof that not all creatures of the night are horrible.”
Her gaze turned up to him, her eyelashes brushing against her skin, and her lips parted in a sympathetic smile. “I see no horrible creatures of the night, here. In fact, I quite like Monstrana and all her citizens.”
His stomach jolted at the confession. Surely, after their horrid date today she had already packed her bags and was ready to jump on the next plane out of here. Or maybe not.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said with a small smile.
“Can I see them?” She narrowed her eyes and her lips pursed.
“See what?”
She laughed and a hint of pink filled her cheeks. “Your fangs. I’ve never seen them up close. In fact, I wouldn’t even think you had them if I didn’t know you were a vampire.”
Chuckling, he opened his mouth and ran a tongue over his top teeth. His fangs extended as he imagined a pulsing vein in front of his lips. Cate’s eyes grew wide, but she didn’t pull away. Instead,
she reached out with a tentative hand and grazed his mouth with her fingertips.
“You’re not scared of vampires?” The question hung on his lips just as her fingers lingered on his jaw, burning his skin. “Most humans can’t help but fear us. It’s a survival mechanism.”
“I was, at first.” She turned her head away and he swore he could see blood rise to her cheeks. “But it’s different now. My best friend is a werewolf. She would never hurt me. And you...you’re a vampire, but you wouldn’t hurt me either. I could never be afraid of you.”
Their eyes met and he had to stop himself from raking his eyes over her plump lips, to her chest, and back again. All he wanted to do was claim her mouth with his and lay her out on the glistening grass below. The gleam in her eyes told him she wanted him, too. Her other hand shook, the petals of the flower quivering between them.
Maybe this wasn’t what his grandmother had in mind when she’d set this whole thing up, but it certainly was having its effect. Viktor could feel his heart coming to life again, his heart and mind reaching out for the flesh and blood woman standing in front of him.
She wasn’t here to infiltrate the vampire world. He’d been so foolish to jump to that conclusion. She was too pure, too good of heart to use him for such a thing. They’d both fallen into a bad situation, made worse by a stupid reality show. He could see that now. And his vampire soul wanted her — now and forever.
He brushed the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She blinked rapidly, her breath quickening. His hand cupped her chin and his fingertips burned where they touched her soft skin.
“You are so unexpected,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. His thumb softly traced the lines of her lips. “I’ve never met a woman as strong as you.”
She bit her bottom lip, desire burning in her eyes as she looked up at him.
He was about to lean in and give into abandon when a thought came to him and he paused. His grandmother was expecting him to make a royal match. To find the vampire to rule by his side. Any woman who stood beside him would have to take the blood oath of a vampire. That was the law now that his mother was gone. A law his own father had put into place to keep his sons from suffering the same tragic loss of their life partners.
Drop Dead Single: Vampire Romance (A Monstrana Paranormal Romance Book 1) Page 11
