Part 12 (1/2)

aOh, no, my lord,a she exclaimed.

aSee that you do not,a he warned with mock fierceness. aI am no puny mortal who grows weary after one encounter. Or two. Or three.a aI remember,a she said, grinning. aShall we try for four?a aAs you wish, my sweet wife. As you wish.a Elena awoke with a smile, and a fervent hope that the night past hadnat been a dream. But no, for Drake was there, asleep beside her. He loved her. He had vowed never to be parted from her again.

Last night had been so wonderful, she wished they could make love again, now. But he was resting and she really needed a shower.

She was about to get out of bed when his fingers curled around her wrist.

aWhere are you going, wife?a aWell, itas morning, and Iam hungrya”a aAs am I.a aI donat think weare hungry for the same things,a Elena remarked dryly.

aNo. Were you not just l.u.s.ting after my body?a aI wouldnat say l.u.s.ting, exactly,a she replied, choking back a laugh.

aWis.h.i.+ng for?a aPerhaps. A little.a aIf you want me, woman, you had better take me now, before the sun climbs any higher in the sky.a aTake you?a she asked with a grin.

aEvery way you can,a he said, his grin matching hers as he pulled her under the covers. aAs long as I can reciprocate.a It was midafternoon when Elena slipped out of bed. Humming softly, she grabbed her robe and went downstairs.

To her amazement, most of the furniture that had cluttered the main room was gone. The old sofas and couches and tables had been replaced with the new ones. Only the scarred trestle table remained. Did it have some special significance for Drake, that he had kept it? And where was all the old furniture?

Going down to the kitchen, she could only stare in wonder. The old oven was gone and a s.h.i.+ny new one stood in its place. There was also a small refrigerator. The old sink with the pump had been replaced by a stainless steel basin and a new counter. An apartment-sized washer and dryer just barely fit at the end of the counter.

Elena shook her head. It was amazing. How had Drake accomplished it in such a short time?

The ringing of the bell at the front door drew her back upstairs.

aMorning, miss,a the electrician said cheerfully. aWeall be needing to work inside today.a aOf course.a Elena stepped back to allow the man and his crew into the castle.

aYou might want to consider getting rid of that bell pull and installing a real doorbell,a he said.

She nodded. aThatas a wonderful suggestion. Thank you.a While the men were at work, she went upstairs and discovered where the rest of the furniture had gone. Apparently, while she slept, Drake, Andrei, and Stefan had carried the bedroom furniture upstairs. All the bedrooms had beds now, as well as chairs, nightstands, and throw rugs. And dressers, Elena noted. Dressers with mirrors. She would have to ask Drake about the whole reflectionin-the-mirror thing.

She spent an hour making all the beds, then went downstairs to see how the electrician was doing.

aJust about finished in this room,a he said. aYouall need a cable hookup for the TV, but the stereo and DVD player will work just fine.a aThank you.a aTomorrow, weall begin wiring the kitchen.a Elena nodded. Then, realizing it was late afternoon and she had skipped breakfast and lunch, she went downstairs to the kitchen for something to eat, thinking how wonderful it would be when the electricity was hooked up in all the rooms. She could hardly wait to fill the new refrigerator with meat and cheese and eggs and milk. And ice cream.

She was sitting at the table, finis.h.i.+ng a peanut b.u.t.ter and jelly sandwich, when the big gray cat hopped on the chair beside hers.

aSmoke!a she exclaimed. aWhere have you been?a The cat yawned, then curled up on the chair.

aYou are a most peculiar creature,a Elena murmured. aDrake said youare not his, yet when heas not here, neither are you. . . .a She frowned, remembering the night she had asked Drake about the cat, and he had replied that he didnat own one. Yet Drake had returned only last night. And this afternoon the cat was back. Was it possible? No, the very thought was absurd.

Still puzzling over the odd comings and goings of the remarkable cat, Elena went up the stairs to the main hall. After slipping a DVD into the player, she stretched out on one of the new sofas. Moments later, Smoke joined her there. He rubbed up against her arm, licked her cheek, then curled up beside her and closed his eyes. What a life he led, Elena thought. All the creature did was sleep.

It was near sundown when the cat jumped off the sofa and padded out of the room.

Sitting up, Elena rubbed her eyes, and then she smiled. Drake would soon be here. A thrill of excitement bubbled up inside her, and then he was there, striding toward her, tall and dark and handsome. Wordlessly, he pulled her up into his arms, one hand cupping her b.u.t.tocks to draw her tight against him while he kissed her. And kissed her again, until she clung to him, breathless.

aSo, wife of my heart,a he said, adid you miss me while we were apart?a aYou know I did.a aWhat do you think of the new furniture?a he asked, glancing around. aDo you like it? If not, I will send it all back.a aI love it. But why did you decide to furnish all the rooms upstairs when thereas just the two of us?a aAndrei and Katiya will be staying with us for a while.a He stroked her hair, his gaze moving over her face. aDo you mind?a aOf course not. What about Stefan? Will he be staying here, too?a aNo.a He settled on the sofa, drawing her down beside him. aHe has gone back to the Fortress. But I thought he should have a room, should he return.a aHow did you persuade Rodin to let you leave?a aKatiya and I convinced him that we had decided to make the best of things.a aAnd he believed you?a aYes, but only after Katiya conceived.a Elena stared at him, shock rolling through her like an icy wave. aSheas pregnant?a He nodded. aIt was the only way.a She shook her head, unwilling to believe that Drake had slept with the vampire.

aElena. Wife. The child is not mine.a aNo?a aNo. Andrei is the father.a aAndrei? How did that happen?a she asked. But the answer was obvious. aYou had this all planned out, didnat you?a Drake smiled smugly. aKatiya is quite a good actress. We spent the first month of our marriage pretending to dislike each other,a he said with a laugh. aAlthough it didnat take much pretending, at least in the beginning. Gradually, we let people think we were growing fond of each other. Katiya told her mother that she was falling in love with me. Her mother naturally told mine. We were quite convincing.a aAnd when you had convinced everyone, Andrei returned to the Fortress.a aHe had returned every night since the wedding. He slept in my bed. I slept in his. No one knew. I think she must have conceived the first night. A clever plan, do you not agree?a aI guess so, but what will happen if Rodin finds out?a aThat, I cannot predict.a aNothing good, I bet,a Elena muttered.

aOf that you can be sure,a Drake agreed. aBut let us not worry about that now. We are together. Let us make the most of it.a aYour cat came back.a aHave you forgotten what I told you?a he asked with a laugh. aI do not have a cat.a aItas you, isnat it?a she asked, stabbing him in the chest with a forefinger. aYouare the cat.a He grinned at her. aFinally figured that out, did you? It took you long enough.a aHow is that possible?a aThose of us born to Liliana are able to shape-s.h.i.+ft. It is a rare ability, but useful, when you have a stranger in the house.a aYou could have told me!a aIt was more fun this way. And it allowed me to watch over you during the day.a She blew out a sigh, wondering if she would ever learn all there was to know about this extraordinary man. But there was no time to ask now, because he was kissing her again, leading her up the stairs, pressing her down on the bed, his body covering hers. And there was no more need for thought.

Later, lying in his arms, Elena ran her fingers down the crooked scar along his neck. aHow did you get that?a aDoes it matter? It is an old wound.a aI thought vampire wounds healed without a scar.a aMost do, but not ones inflicted with silver.a aOh. Iad still like to know how you got it.a He looked past her, as if traveling backward in time. aMany years ago a band of gypsies camped down by the lake. I heard their music one night, and because I was lonely, I went down to watch them dance. Luiza was one of the dancers. She was young, no more than fifteen or sixteen, and very beautiful, with clear olive skin and long red hair. I went back to their camp every night for several weeks, drawn by the music and the dancing. They were a happy people, filled with the kind of joy that was lacking in my own life, in my own kind.

aOne night, Luiza followed me home. She declared she was in love with me. I told her there was no future for us, that her band would be leaving in a few days and that I could not go with them. She begged me to make love to her.a He shook his head. aShe was too young. For all her flirtatious ways, she was innocent in the ways of men and women.a aWhat happened?a Elena asked.

aI sent her away. Late that night, she came to the castle. I was on the ramparts, watching the gypsies pack, when she burst into the room. She told me she did not want to live without me. She pulled a dagger out of her sleeve and dragged the blade over her wrist. I do not think she meant to cut so deeply, but she was young and foolish and the dagger was very sharp. I am afraid the scent of her blood brought out the vampire in me.

aLuiza stared at me, her eyes wide. I imagine my own eyes had gone red by then. She backed away from me. I tried to tell her not to be afraid, that I would not hurt her. I knew I had to get to her soon, to stop the bleeding. When I reached for her, she flailed wildly with the knife. When I reached for her again, she stumbled and fell on the blade. It pierced her heart.a aThatas so sad,a Elena murmured. aBut it wasnat your fault.a He grunted softly. He had carried the guilt for Luizaas death for centuries. It was one of the reasons he had stayed away from people, never letting himself get too close, never letting himself care, until Elena wandered into Wolfram Castle and turned his life and his world upside down.

Chapter 22.

Tavian Dinescu stared up at Wolfram Castle. He had seen the delivery trucks wending their way up the long path to the old place, seen the utility vans of other vendors coming and going. Had Lord Drake sold the place? That seemed the only logical explanation for the sudden flurry of renovations and repairs that had been going on the last few days.

He rubbed a hand over his jaw. Were there also people working in the old garden behind the kitchen?

Perhaps it was time he paid an official visit to the castleas residents. After all, as chief of police, it was his duty to know what was going on in his jurisdiction.

Elena poured herself a cup of coffee, her gaze moving around the kitchen. Funny how a few modern appliances and some new furniture had changed a drafty old castle into a comfortable home. She could hardly wait until the electricians had completed wiring the castle.

Andrei and Katiya had disappeared into one of the bedrooms soon after they arrived, and as far as Elena knew, they hadnat come out since.

As soon as she finished her coffee, she was going to drive into the city for a few things. It would have been much faster and closer to shop in town, but she didnat want to risk running into her uncle.

The thought had no sooner crossed her mind when the new doorbell rang. She was smiling when she opened the door, thinking it was one of the workmen, only to come face-to-face with the devil himself.

A bolt of fear raced through Elena when she saw her uncle standing there. She told herself there was nothing to fear. Drake had warned her uncle to leave her alone, yet here he was, at her door.

aElena!a Dinescu said jovially. aHow well you look, my dear. May I come in?a aNo!a She tried to slam the door, but he blocked it with his foot.

aNow, now,a he said, barely suppressed anger in his voice. aIs that any way to treat the man who took you in and raised you as his own daughter? Who fed you and clothed you and cared for you all those years after your parents died? Surely I deserve a little hospitality in return.a Elbowing past her, Dinescu strode into the room. He glanced around, noting the costly wall-mounted TV, the fancy entertainment center, the expensive new furniture.

aYouave done very well for yourself, havenat you?a he remarked, his eyes narrowing. aHow did you manage to snag such a catch, I wonder? Were you sleeping around behind my back like that s.l.u.tty cousin of yours?a aI . . . no . . . how dare you!a she sputtered. aGet out of here!a aYou were to be mine.a Grabbing Elena by the hair, he forced her head back. aMine!a aI would rather die,a she said, gasping for air. aLet me go!a He laughed, a harsh, ugly sound, and she knew in that moment that he intended to kill her or worse.

Spurred by fear, Elena stomped down on her uncleas instep as hard as she could, then kicked him in the s.h.i.+n. He grunted with pain, loosening his hold on her hair. She twisted her head to the side, jerking her hair free of his grasp, although it felt as though she left a handful behind.

Freed of his hold, she ran for the door, but he was right behind her.

aOh, no, you donat!a he roared.