by Jody Morse
“You’d be surprised how few vampires actually wear white on their wedding days,” Zoe replied. “Vampire brides choose a color that they feel best represents what they will bring to the coven they’re marrying into. I’m not sure what color Alessandra has chosen for her gown, but I would almost guarantee that it’s not white.”
“What makes you think that?” I asked.
“Easy. White represents purity, and Alessandra’s intentions are anything but pure. Nothing about her is pure.”
I chuckled. “Good reasoning.”
“Besides, maybe it’s my little act of rebellion, but we all know that if anyone should be wearing white, it’s you,” Zoe said quietly.
Tugging the zipper up my back, I glanced over at her. “Me?”
“Oh, please. Don’t play dumb. We all know you’re the one who Sebastian really wants to be marrying,” she replied with an eye roll.
I didn’t say anything. Even though I was smiling on the inside, I couldn’t bring myself to smile on the outside.
The reality was just too painful.
The reality was that the guy I loved was about to vow to spend his life with someone else. How could I bring myself to smile over that?
“I put shoes inside the bag, but you might want to wait until we get back to the castle before you put them on. Walking through sand in heels is not easy,” Zoe told me.
I nodded as we began to walk toward the castle together. “How long have you and Sebastian known each other?”
“Sixty years,” she replied.
“Do you know each other very well?” Once the words were out of my mouth, I realized how dumb they must have sounded. “Of course you know each other well, considering you’ve known him for sixty years. What I mean is... are you close?”
“Yeah, I guess you can say we’re pretty close.” She paused and then glanced over at me. “We’re close enough that he trusts me to know your true identity.”
“Good point,” I agreed.
She kicked up some sand with her feet. “Sebastian and I are, I guess, what you would call best friends. We can go weeks or months without speaking to each other, but when we do finally speak again... it feels like we never stopped in the first place. I know him so well that I can read him better than anyone I’ve ever known.”
I hesitated for a moment before asking her the question that was on my mind. “Zoe, am I the first girl Sebastian has ever loved?”
Her golden eyes darted over to mine. “Sebastian has been around for three-hundred years, Lila. He’s dated many girls in his lifetime.”
“Well, I figured as much. But was he ever actually in love with any of them?” I pressed.
“Yes.” She stared ahead at the castle that stood before us. After a moment of hesitation, she added, “I’m just not sure if he knows it.”
We walked the rest of the way to the castle in silence.
Once we were inside the dark passageway, we both wiped the sand off our feet. I pulled out the strappy sandals Zoe had chosen for me.
A light flicked on. It seemed to be radiating from Zoe’s hand.
I gaped at her. “You can make light?”
“Yeah, it’s a witch thing,” she replied, as though it were no big deal. “I’m going to cast the invisibility spell on you now,” she told me.
“Okay.”
I watched as she focused her gaze on me, and then through the small amount of light that fell over me, I saw it happening: my body fading away to the point where it was nearly invisible.
“We’re all set,” Zoe said a moment later. “Are you ready?” she asked as she pushed open the door that led into the palace hallway.
I nodded, except the truth was that I wasn’t ready.
I would never truly be ready to watch the guy I loved marry someone else.
Chapter 38
Alessandra
AS I WALKED PAST THE room I had locked Vernelle into, I thought about peeking in on him one last time before the wedding. I knew I’d left him with enough blood to hold him over for at least three days—maybe even four—but I just wanted to see him again.
After having an inner debate with myself for a few moments, I decided Vernelle could wait until the next day. As it was, I was already going to be about ten minutes late for the wedding ceremony. Not that I minded.
Late was exactly what I’d been aiming for.
I wanted Sebastian to be nervous I might not show up. I wanted him to worry I might bail on him, to fear the possibility I could have been backing out of this whole thing.
I wanted to make him realize, once and for all, just how much he needed me.
I had just reached the ground floor of the palace when a wave of short blonde hair came into view. She was wearing a tea-length cobalt blue dress. There was something very familiar about her frame and the way she carried herself.
I realized who it was almost at the same moment that she turned to face me.
The feelings that I felt were reflected behind her blue eyes. There were years of memories behind her stare... years of built-up hatred.
She was the first one to speak. “Princess Alessandra.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What are you doing here, Princess Celia?”
“I’m about to attend your wedding,” she replied simply.
“I didn’t invite you.”
“No, you’re right. Sebastian is the one who invited me.” She smiled. “I live here now, as a part of the Stark Coven. Hasn’t he told you yet?”
“No, he failed to divulge that tiny detail,” I replied quietly.
A smile touched her lips. “That’s a little unusual, don’t you think? I would imagine that’s something that someone would share with the person they’re about to marry.”
“We’ve had more important things going on in our life right now.”
“That’s funny. I would have thought that living in the same kingdom as someone who you have publicly sworn as your enemy would be a bit of a big deal.” She shrugged. “Unless, of course, it was because Sebastian didn’t think you could handle this information.” She paused. “Or maybe it’s because he didn’t want you to go against his decision. Perhaps he doesn’t trust you. Not that I’d blame him for that. There are some people who simply can’t be trusted.”
“I see that you haven’t changed one bit,” I murmured.
She shrugged her small shoulders. “I’m just stating the obvious. What would make you want to marry someone who keeps secrets from you?”
“I love him. But I suppose that’s something you know nothing about. After all, most of the Allegro kingdom suspected that you killed my brother.”
Judging from the pain that filled her eyes, I could tell I had hit her right where it hurt. Mission accomplished.
“I did not kill Angelo,” Celia replied firmly.
“I’ll bet. Move out of my way. I’m about to get married.”
She stood her ground. “And I’m about to watch my cousin make the biggest mistake of his life.”
As the anger ran through my veins, I lunged myself at her.
Just as the idea of knocking her head off her neck crossed my mind, I felt a pair of strong hands wrapping around my waist and pulling me away from her.
“Ladies, ladies... I know the two of you hate each other, but why don’t we try to maintain a sense of civility? We wouldn’t want to ruin anything for Sebastian on his special day, now would we?”
I turned to find Emerson Stark standing behind me, a cocky smile on his face.
Of all the Stark princes, he was perhaps the least clean-cut in terms of appearance, and yet, there was something that was still wildly attractive about him.
His reddish-brown hair fell into his face in bangs. Thick, dark eyebrows rested above his bright, cat green eyes, drawing some of the attention away from his unkempt facial hair.
“Emerson. How surprising it is to see you here. I thought you were off doing... whatever it is that you were doing,” I said.
“Well, I have ret
urned. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss the big day. I hear you’re about to become a Stark,” Emerson said. “Congratulations on being the first vampire who somehow managed to bribe my brother into marrying her.”
“I did not bribe him,” I replied defensively.
“Mmhmm.” Emerson didn’t look convinced in the least. “No matter what your reasons are for getting married, why don’t we try not to kill anyone before this wedding, huh?”
I shot a glare in Celia’s direction before nodding my agreement. “I wouldn’t want to look like I’ve just killed someone just moments before my wedding. I’ll have plenty of time to kill her afterwards.”
“You will not kill her,” Emerson said, stepping in between us to shield her from me. “If you do, you will have me to contend with.”
“Since when are you so defensive of her?” I raised my eyebrows at him. “The last thing I heard, she was a traitor to your coven.”
“She is half Stark. You may be a Stark in a matter of minutes, but you will never really be a true Stark.” His green eyes locked on mine. “Blood relations will always come first in my mind.”
“How differently you and I think,” I murmured.
“So it would seem,” he agreed.
I thought about dropping the bombshell—that Sebastian and I planned to abolish the Stark Coven once we were married. But this didn’t seem like the right moment to break the news to him.
I wanted the news to completely devastate him; I needed for it to rock his world like an earthquake that threatened to destroy everything.
But I also needed to be able to marry Sebastian first. The last thing I wanted was for Emerson—or anyone else, for that matter—to prevent this wedding from happening.
My eyes moved from him to Celia and back to him. “I highly suggest that the two of you go on ahead. I’ll wait here for a few moments. I like to be fashionably late, and I don’t tolerate rudeness well. I will have the heads of anyone who interrupts my wedding.”
Emerson stared at me for a few moments. It looked like he wanted to say something, but instead, he nodded. “Very well. Let’s go. You can tell me what you’re doing here while we walk,” he said, glancing over at Celia.
As the two of them continued their way down the hallway, toward the side door, I took in a deep breath.
Kade thought I was just trying to prove a point by marrying Sebastian. Celia was certain that our relationship was built on secrets and that Sebastian didn’t trust me. Emerson believed I had actually bribed his brother into marrying me.
What did the rest of the vampire world believe I was trying to accomplish by marrying the Stark prince?
I thought about it for a moment, but then I decided it didn’t matter.
Regardless of what anyone thought, the show would go on.
Chapter 39
Sebastian
I WAITED BENEATH THE trellis, which was lined with roses the color of blood red—the exact color Alessandra had requested.
Reaching into my pocket, I felt for the replica of my mother’s ring. Zoe had really outdone herself. I was certain Alessandra would never know the difference.
I shifted in my shoes nervously. More vampires had showed up than I’d expected—members of both the Stark and Allegro Covens, as well as many of the other Royals. I spotted Lorenzo Delrusso in the fifth row, and while I didn’t see Emilio Craven anywhere, I did recognize his sister, Julianna Craven.
I’d already been waiting beneath the trellis for a while. Under normal circumstances, I might have been worried that she had decided to be a no-show, but this was Alessandra we were talking about.
I was sure she was trying to make some sort of statement with her lateness. The last thing she wanted to do was appear like the vampire princess who was desperate to get married.
No, she wanted to paint a portrait to the rest of the vampire world that I was the one who wanted to marry her, that I was the one who had begged. That was all perfectly fine with me. The truth was that I didn’t care what anyone thought about this sham of a marriage.
I was marrying Alessandra for one reason and one reason only—and that was to prevent my own death. Otherwise, I would have called this whole thing off ages ago.
At that moment, I spotted Zoe walking toward the ceremony area. It was dark out, but her figure was well illuminated. She walked slowly with her eyes on the ground, as though she were in deep concentration.
If I hadn’t known any better, I never would have thought she was walking with someone. In fact, I half-wondered if she’d forgotten about Lila. But then Zoe glanced over at me and nodded, confirming that Lila was there next to her.
I gave her a small nod back.
I wasn’t sure how to feel. As much as I understood that Lila needed this—for whatever reason—it almost made me feel uncomfortable to know she would be watching me vow to be with someone who I didn’t even love. I was afraid she would only end up hurt and with the wrong impression.
I was afraid Lila would walk away believing I really did love Alessandra.
Just as they took their seats, I noticed Emerson and Celia walking toward the seating area together.
That was a strange sight to see: my brother, who I hadn’t even expected to show for my wedding, and my cousin, who he’d thought to be a traitor. And yet, there they were, uniting together for this monumental occasion.
And it was monumental, whether I liked it or not. It was the first time in history that two Royals from separate covens had ever united together in the way we were. It was the first time two covens ever united.
It was also the first time two covens would ever be lost forever, as we created a new coven that was all our own.
I wasn’t going to lie. The thought made me sad. The Stark Coven... well, it was a part of who I was; it was where I had come from. Letting it go forever would be a huge loss for me.
But it was clear to me this was what needed to be done. Aunt Caroline could never try to reclaim the Stark Coven if it was no more. I couldn’t allow her to ruin the legacy of my grandfathers; I couldn’t allow her to destroy everything the Stark family had worked so hard to create.
Even though it made me feel uneasy, I was certain I was doing the right thing.
And then the music began to play. I glanced up to find Alessandra walking her way down the aisle.
As much as I hated to admit it, she looked absolutely gorgeous. The black gown she’d chosen to wear clung to her hips in all of the right places and dipped at the perfect point, revealing just the right amount of cleavage. She held a bouquet of red and black roses in front of her.
As her eyes locked on mine, her lips curved into a smile. I forced myself to smile back, even though I felt like doing anything but smiling.
This was it. This was the moment I was dreading.
I was about to make the Allegro princess, the woman who I hated, my wife.
Chapter 40
Lila
MY HEART BEGAN TO POUND against my chest like a sledgehammer at just the sight of Alessandra.
I wasn’t sure what scared me the most: being just feet away from the princess who wanted to kill me or knowing that Sebastian would be hers in just a few short moments.
Of course, a big part of me was still clinging to hope—hope that the wedding might not happen, hope that either Alessandra or Sebastian would back out of this at the last minute.
As Alessandra moved past me, I took in the black dress she was wearing. Zoe had mentioned that the color a vampire bride wore was supposed to represent what they planned to bring to the coven they were marrying into.
What did black signify? Only one word came to mind. Death.
I watched as she made her way up to Sebastian, where she stood next to him. I watched as he took her hands in his.
Just the sight of the two of them together made me want to vomit.
And yet, I couldn’t look away.
The man who stood behind Sebastian cleared his throat. “We are gathered here today to witness the marria
ge of Alessandra Isabella Allegro and Sebastian Charles Stark. We have journeyed from many kingdoms to witness this event. Let us remember that this is more than just a marriage we have come to celebrate. It is the union of two covens, of two kingdoms. It is the end of one coven and a new beginning for our kind.” He paused and then turned to the audience. “Before we continue, let us take a moment to allow anyone who feels there is a reason this marriage should not occur to speak up. If anyone feels they have a reason to contest this union, please speak now or forever hold your peace.”
“I do!” I blurted out. “Please don’t do this, Sebastian.”
Zoe turned to me with narrowed eyes. “No one can hear you. The spell. Remember?” she whispered.
“Oh, yeah.” I had gotten so caught up in the moment that I had nearly forgotten no one could hear me. And it was a good thing they couldn’t, because I would have gotten myself killed. I slumped back in my seat and folded my arms across my chest.
When I stared ahead, I realized Alessandra must have heard Zoe whisper to me. Her eyes were fixated on Zoe, and there was an angry look behind her stare. Crap.
“Since no one has any objections, let’s recite the vows that you have each selected,” the wedding officiant continued. “Sebastian, please repeat after me.”
I leaned forward, listening attentively, as Sebastian repeated his vows.
“I, Sebastian, promise to love, honor, protect, and defend Alessandra from all of the cruelties of the world until the day she dies or as long as we both shall live.”
“Alessandra, please repeat after me,” the man went on. He read the vows and Alessandra repeated after him.
“I, Alessandra, promise to love Sebastian with every ounce of my being, to defend him in all of life’s battles, and comfort him when he needs comforting as long as we both shall live.”
“You may place a ring on each other’s finger,” the man instructed.
I watched as Sebastian slid a ring onto Alessandra’s finger and then as she did the same.
The man turned and reached for something. As he handed it to Sebastian, he said, “You may now place this crown on your bride’s head.”
