His brow furrowed. He had no idea what she was talking about. “That’s not true. Where did you hear that?”
A flush worked its way up her neck. She gritted her teeth and scanned the crowd. “I’m going to kill Miranda...”
Viktor laughed and pulled her in closer until her soft body pressed up against his side. “I take it that’s one of the reasons you didn’t come clean in the beginning.”
“It could be.” Her lips twisted into a wry frown.
“Don’t be too hard on Miranda.” He laughed again, feeling slightly guilty about laughing at her panic. “She’s new here. She doesn’t know the laws. If a mortal discovers our existence and we deem him or her unsafe, we have charms that can wipe memories. Much like the ring on your finger. No one need die.”
“What about the King and Queen?” she asked, worry crossing her face. “Wouldn’t they be upset about a mortal hiding right under their noses?”
He thought about it for a moment. His grandparents certainly didn’t like being deceived. It was a family trait. If they found out about Cate, they’d probably never trust her again. Which didn’t bode well for a future partner. They were best kept in the dark. He’d figure out a way to break it to them later.
“It’s best not to find out,” he replied. “And they won’t. As long as you keep this ring on and we keep it quiet.”
Bright red spots appeared on her cheeks. Worry entered her eyes and tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Don’t worry, my dear.” He placed a finger under her chin and directed her gaze up to his. “I will keep you safe.”
He meant it with all of his soul.
Chapter Twenty-One
CATE FELT THE ROOM melt away as Viktor gazed into her eyes. The night couldn’t be more perfect and he couldn’t be more striking in his well-tailored suit. She was Cinderella at the ball — a very strange ball filled with strange creatures — but still a ball. And all she wanted was for the prince to notice her. Well, he had. And his attention was all hers. She couldn’t stop her heart from beating wildly in her chest.
She’d never seen Jezebel look so shocked. Her jaw had fallen to the floor when she saw the two of them together. Cate could only hope that what Miranda had said was true — her bark was worse than her bite. Cate’s life hung in the balance tonight. Not only was she putting herself out there for the love of a certain vampire with smoldering eyes, but she was trusting Jezebel to keep her mouth shut. Her anxious nerves, paired with the thrill of Prince Viktor’s touch, made her all sorts of jumpy.
At least they’d cleared up the part about the vampire law. So, she wouldn’t be forced to become one with the undead. That was a relief. Sort of.
The only thing she had to do now was avoid the wrath of the vampire King and Queen. Easier said than done. Not even Viktor with his fiery touch and bedroom eyes could save her from that punishment.
“Cate, I have something to confess,” Viktor said in a low voice. He stared at her mouth, making her shiver with want.
Breaking off from the crowd, a cameraman spotted them and began to close in. Viktor hissed and grabbed her hand, pulling her in the opposite direction. She followed him until they found a quiet, dark spot, hidden from the camera’s eyes. Viktor dropped her hand and raked his hands through his hair, piercing her with a look that made her insides turn to jelly.
“Your confession?” she asked, breathlessly.
“Right...” he sighed and broke his gaze away to scan the crowd. His amber eyes shown dark with emotion and his jaw clenched.
Cate would’ve guessed he was nervous, but that couldn’t be true. A seven hundred year old vampire prince didn’t get nervous. But he was trembling like a bowl of jello.
“At the beginning of this,” he continued. “I had no intention of picking anyone for tonight’s ceremony. I was going to reject all the suitors and go on with life.”
It wasn’t news to her. After all, this had all been orchestrated by his grandmother and Stasia. His lack of enthusiasm for the plan had been apparent the very first time they met.
“But, something’s changed.” His voice broke.
Something inside of her knew what he was trying to say. She reached for his hand and wove her fingers between his for support. He looked down at their intertwined hands and raised them to his lips. Goosebumps trailed down her back as he softly kissed her fingertips and then placed a sensual kiss on the palm of her hand. Fire erupted in her stomach, threatening to consume her. She wanted to drag him out of here, away from the crowds, and have him repeat the gesture everywhere on her body.
“I’m falling in love with you, Cate,” he whispered, his heavy gaze back on her face. “I want to be with you.”
They were the words she’d been waiting to hear. The very thing that made the risk of tonight worth it. Her heart burst with happiness as she rose to her tip toes and brushed her lips against his.
“I feel the same,” she whispered.
A shudder went through him, like an instant release of tension. He pulled her in tight and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned against his chest, realizing that the heart she was listening for wasn’t beating. Of course it wasn’t. He was undead. But that didn’t make him heartless. In fact, he was the most gentle man she’d ever met. A man with soul and purpose, who looked at her like she was the most beautiful creature in the world.
“Gather round, gather round,” a gruff voice called over the crowd.
Viktor and Cate pulled apart and watched King Borwin enter the far side of the ballroom on a raised platform. A beaming Queen Anna stood beside him, her arm looped through his.
“Where is my eldest grandson?” King Borwin continued, his dark eyes scanning the crowd. “Someone send him up here, along with the lovely young ladies. It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for.”
Viktor looked down at her, his eyes shining. She had no doubt what that look meant. He was going to pick her, in front of all these people. Declare his love. The idea made her giddy and faint all at the same time.
“I’ll see you up there,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her hand.
And just like that, he disappeared into the crowd with inhuman speed. Cate was once again astonished at the fact that she had fallen for a vampire. It seemed so silly — like a teenaged romance novel. But he was hers. Well, he would be, in a few minutes. And then, she’d have to make the hardest decision of her life. Stay with Viktor and become a vampire or return to an empty and lifeless home. In her heart, she knew the decision was already made. It’d been decided as soon as their eyes had met across the ballroom tonight. She was head over heels and nothing would stop her from being with him.
She hiked up her long dress and rounded the crowd to make her way up to the platform. The cameras found her almost instantly, zooming in on her weaving through the countless creatures gathered to see the ending ceremony. It wasn’t until she felt a shiver go down her spine and the hair on the back of her neck stand up did she realize Jezebel was beside her, walking awfully close.
“You’ve just made a huge mistake,” she hissed through a fake smile for the cameras. She wore a gorgeous gown of deep navy that was so tight it must’ve been sewn on. “You’re going to regret this.”
“I’ll never regret following my heart,” Cate whispered back.
They could both see the front now. All eyes had turned toward them, along with Prince Viktor’s. A soft smile played on his lips as their eyes met.
“Don’t you get it yet?” Jezebel asked as they stopped in front of the platform. Her eyes were glued to the front, but she had no problem stepping on Cate’s toes with her nude pumps. “Vampires like Viktor and me aren’t allowed to follow our hearts — even if they were still beating. You’re nothing. A blip on his timeline. He’ll forget about you soon enough, once he comes to his senses.”
Stasia hopped up on the stage and began addressing the crowd. The cameras turned to focus in on her, as the rest of the crowd followed suit. Cate thought about Jezebel’s
warning and bristled at her words. No one was allowed to make her feel small and insignificant. Not even a super powered monster like her. Surely, she had some feeling left in her. Some speck of humanity.
“And why can’t you follow your heart?” Cate turned to look at Jezebel’s perfectly coiffed hair with its ruby encrusted bobby pins. A thick golden necklace with matching rubies hung from her neck — her pick from the palace vault. “You have everything. You’re beautiful, intelligent, and immortal. What could possibly stop you?”
For a moment, Jezebel’s mouth hung open in silence. Regret washed over her face, followed by something hard and unforgiving. She clamped her lips shut and then lifted her chin. “What do you think’s going to happen? That he’ll change you into a vampire? That it’ll be that easy? You have no idea what it’s like having someone else’s soul living inside you. Constantly reminding you that you are nothing without them. This isn’t some fairy tale. There’s no prince charming at the end of this story.”
Cate swallowed hard and felt a shiver of fear go through her body.
“Besides, nothing can stop me,” Jezebel continued. “Including a pathetic mortal like you. No one will stand in my way. And those who try, will pay in blood.”
Cate didn’t have a chance to absorb what Jezebel said. Prince Viktor had just stepped forward and begun to speak to the crowd. He turned toward the ladies, all eyes and cameras following his gaze. The weight of two hundred people watching and a nation of viewers fell heavy upon her shoulders.
“I’ve made my decision,” he said, beaming down at them. “I know whom I wish to choose.”
A thrill went through her as she looked at him. He was so handsome, standing up there on the platform, his dark hair slicked back and his chin clean-shaven. She liked him polished and she liked him scruffy. She’d take him any way. That was her vampire. Her man. And he was about to claim her as his. Nothing could spoil the moment. Not even a wacko vampire with a serious case of jealousy.
The cameras pressed in for their shots. Cate didn’t care. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Viktor. Stasia handed him a single white lily with a white ribbon tied around the stem. He twirled it in his fingers.
“The final lily goes to Cate,” he said, a soft smile growing on his lips.
Despite the fact that she’d been expecting it, her heart did a little dance at the sound of her name being called. She beamed from ear to ear. This must’ve been what it felt like to claim the multi-million dollar lottery jackpot. She’d always wondered how those people stayed on their feet. Somehow, she remained steady and the rest of the room seemed to fade away.
Viktor held out his hand to her and she moved to take it, but something held her back. Confused, it wasn’t until she felt the sharp pain in her neck did she realize Jezebel had latched onto her dress and sunk her fangs into her skin. Alarm went through the crowd, along with a few screams.
The sensation of the bite felt strange to Cate. Not as painful as she’d suspected. Almost like a flu shot. Quick and sharp. She pushed back against the vampiress, but couldn’t match the strength of a rabid beauty queen. Still, she didn’t have to fight long. In less than a second, something blurred across her vision and tore the vampire off her neck.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Viktor screamed at Jezebel. He’d dived off the platform to save her and was now standing motionless at her side, his body tightly coiled for another attack. Red anger clouded his eyes and a predatory snarl curled his lips.
“She’s human!” Jezebel shouted.
Blood lined her lips and dribbled down her chin. Cate touched the spot on her neck where she’d been bitten and felt hot liquid beneath her fingers.
“See?” Jezebel pointed an accusing finger at her and turned to address the platform. “She’s a deceitful mortal who’s been masquerading as a vampire. Thanks to a magical ring, she’s fooled us all. She’s nothing but a vamp chaser intent on a crown.”
Cate wrapped her arms around her torso, feeling the room closing in. This wasn’t supposed to happen. His grandparents would hate her. She couldn’t even look them in the eyes, but she felt the weight of their gaze from the platform.
“I ought to tear your head off right now,” Viktor snarled. The blue veins on his neck strained.
“I did you a favor,” Jezebel spat, blood spraying. “You should’ve been proposing to me tonight. Instead, you fell victim to her lies. She has you under some spell.”
Viktor shuddered with rage. “No one has me under their spell. You’re the one spewing lies.”
Cate could tell that in a few more seconds, he was going to lose control. Do something he might regret. She rushed to his side and placed a hand on his arm. He stiffened under her touch for a moment, his glare still firmly planted on the vampiress in front of him.
“Viktor,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I’m okay.”
That seemed to disrupt his rampage. He looked down at her, his body relaxing beneath her hand. The anger in his eyes faded into sorrow as he gingerly touched the bite mark on her neck.
“Oh, Cate.” He pulled her into his arms and pressed her against his chest. She gladly submitted, soaking in the warmth of his arms. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, sorry,” he repeated over her head.
It wasn’t his fault they’d underestimated Jezebel’s decency. And despite the anger burning inside her own head for the vampire, Cate couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the woman. She couldn’t lose gracefully. Someone had twisted her into an ugly soul intent on taking what wasn’t hers. Even if Cate hadn’t been in the picture, Jezebel never would’ve won him over. But she couldn’t see that. Instead, she’d let rage consume her until she behaved no better than a monster. A true monster.
Cate could’ve stayed wrapped up in Viktor’s arms forever, but when a desperate cry went out, they pulled apart. Queen Anna was supporting a frail King Borwin as he collapsed to the ground clutching his stomach.
“Help,” she cried, grasping his shoulders. Her blue eyes widened in terror and a tremor went through her body. “He’s dying.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
CATE SHIFTED HER WEIGHT from foot to foot as she waited in the hallway outside the King and Queen’s grand suite. People rushed in and out the doors, barely giving her a second glance. After his collapse in the ballroom, King Borwin had been swiftly carried to his room by his two grandsons.
Things hadn’t looked so good from her angle. The King’s skin was paper thin and white. He’d seemed as frail as a doll, so unlike the regal man who strode out onto the balcony only days ago, when this whole thing started.
Was that really only a few days ago? She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to remember the events of the last week. Everything was starting to blur together. Her life had unequivocally changed in a mere handful of hours. It would never be the same. No matter what happened today.
“How is he?” Miranda came running down the hall, holding a purple clutch in her hand. The long hours of the night had left mascara smudged under her eyes. “How are you?”
“As far as I know, King Borwin’s still hanging on,” Cate said breathlessly. “And I’m fine.”
Miranda raised an eyebrow and stared pointedly at the dried blood on her shoulder.
“Really, I’m okay,” Cate said, waving her hands. The horror of Jezebel’s attack was nothing compared to the anguish rolling inside her now. Although she’d never met King Borwin, she felt deeply for Viktor and the panic that must be filling him at that moment.
“Catherine Shea Mahoney,” Miranda said, placing a hand on her hip. “An evil drama queen just used you as her personal blood bag. Don’t tell me you’re okay. That’s not okay. If I ever find that woman, I’ll tear her apart.”
Miranda’s eyes turned black and Cate had no doubt her promise was real. She placed a hand on her friend’s arm and squeezed, thankful for the support. It was good to have someone on her side for once. And now that the truth was out, she could feel the weight leaving her shoulders. Come
good news or bad, at least she could be honest now. And she honestly hoped Viktor’s grandfather would make it through the night.
Suddenly, a muffled cry came through the thick double doors. Cate and Miranda exchanged concerned expressions, gripping each other’s hands. The doors opened and people poured into the hall. Each one of their faces was stricken with grief, tears rolling down some cheeks. The cry came louder now and Cate recognized it as Queen Anna’s voice.
After several minutes, a familiar curly-haired head came through the door. Stasia still wore the white gown she’d donned for the ceremony. The bun at the back of her neck was no longer able to contain her masses of hair. Curls spilled out around her face and she rubbed a weary eye with her fist. She spotted Cate and went to her.
“King Borwin has passed,” she said, her voice weak. Grief pulled at her mouth and settled into the bags under her eyes.
“Oh, no.” Cate pressed a trembling hand to her mouth.
Miranda groaned through her teeth. “No...”
“Poor Viktor.”
“That’s King Viktor now,” Stasia corrected, lifting her chin slightly as the tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. She grabbed Cate’s hands and held them tight. “He’s going to take this loss hard, Cate. He’ll need you to get through it.”
She nodded. It felt like a rock had settled into her stomach. So much had changed. She wasn’t sure she could wrap her head around it. One minute, she was single. The next, dating a vampire prince. And now — in love with a vampire king. It was enough to make a girl dizzy.
“For the record,” Stasia went on to say with a sad smile, still clasping Cate’s hands in hers. “I don’t care about what happened in the ballroom. None of it. You make him happy and that’s all that counts. I’ve been rooting for you since the start. You’re the one.”
Cate smiled through her tears, thankful to Stasia for the confession. She’d felt so horrible lying to the werewolf princess. It made the whole situation just a tiny bit easier.
Drop Dead Single: Vampire Romance (A Monstrana Paranormal Romance Book 1) Page 14
