Bound by Night

by Amanda Ashley

  “How many wives does Rodin have?”

  “Twenty. He has taken two wives every fifty years for the last five centuries. Our women outnumber the men, so it is not uncommon for a Master Vampire to have more than one wife. Liliana is Rodin’s first, and his favorite.”

  “Do they all live at the Fortress together?”

  “No,” Stefan said, laughing. “When Liliana comes to the Fortress, the other wives go elsewhere.”

  “I can’t say as I blame them. Oh! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “It is all right. Liliana never loved Rodin, but she is extremely jealous of the other wives and refuses to have them under the same roof. As the first wife, it is her right. She has always been good to me, spoiled me because I was her youngest son, but she can be cruel and uncaring to those not of her family.”

  Stefan glanced at Elena, his expression solemn. “Trust me, you are well out of it. Take my advice. Forget this place. Forget Drake. Start a new life somewhere else. Somewhere far from here.”

  Elena was thinking about what Stefan had said the following morning when the clang of the bell at the front door announced a visitor.

  She opened the door cautiously, then stood there, staring at a man in overalls and the enormous moving van that loomed behind him.

  “Miss Knightsbridge?”

  “Yes?”

  “Got a delivery for ya. Sign here.”

  She glanced at the clipboard, noting her name and directions to the castle were neatly typed in the space that said, Deliver to. “But I didn’t order anything.”

  “Well, somebody did. I got a truckload of goods here, all paid for.”

  The words had barely escaped his lips when four big burly men began carrying furniture into the castle: bedroom sets in gleaming walnut and antique oak, an oak dining room table with eight chairs, an enormous flatscreen TV, an entertainment center, three antique oak curio cabinets, flowered sofas and matching love seats, overstuffed chairs, oak end tables and coffee tables, and lamps. Except for the TV and the entertainment center, all the pieces appeared to be antiques, which was only fitting, she thought, considering the age of the castle.

  An hour later, she stood in the middle of the main room surrounded by more furniture than she had ever seen in her life. Who had sent it? What was she going to do with it all? And how was she supposed to get it up the stairs?

  A short time later, the bell rang again and a man stood on the steps. His eyes grew wide when he looked past her. “Holy hel . . . heck,” he muttered. “This place really is a castle. I’m gonna need a lot more help,” he said, pulling a cell phone from his back pocket.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Got a job order from the power company to wire this place.” He shook his head. “You must know somebody mighty important, that’s all I can say. We’ll get started as soon as I get more help. Won’t be done for a couple of weeks, big as this place is, and that’s pushin’ it. We’ll try to stay out of your way as much as possible. Like I said, it’ll take time, but we’ll get ya hooked up, never fear.”

  Elena nodded. Then, feeling as though she was living in the twilight zone, she closed the door.

  A short time later, men were swarming around the outside of the castle, like ants at a picnic.

  The biggest surprise of the day came with the setting of the sun. There was no knock at the door this time. Elena was sitting on one of the new sofas, reading a book, when there was an odd ripple in the air and suddenly Drake, Katiya, and Andrei were standing in front of her.

  “Drake.” She murmured his name, her gaze devouring him. She was certain she was dreaming until he swept her off the sofa and wrapped her in his arms.

  “Elena! How I have missed you!” He held her close, crushing her body to his until she could scarcely breathe. But she didn’t care—he was here. He was real, and nothing else mattered.

  “I missed you, too.” Tears fell unchecked down her cheeks as she hugged him close. He was here. “Oh, how I missed you!”

  She didn’t know how long they stood like that, just looking at each other—a moment? A lifetime?—before she noticed that Andrei and Katiya were also embracing.

  “Elena, beloved, let me look at you.” So saying, Drake put her on her feet and held her at arm’s length. “You are more beautiful than ever.”

  “How long can you stay?” she asked, dreading the answer.

  “As long as you wish.”

  She glanced at Katiya. “I don’t understand.”

  “I want to be your husband,” he said. “Always, if you will still have me.”

  “But . . . how is that possible? And what about Katiya? She’s your wife now.”

  “Rodin’s decree has no authority in the outside world. According to the laws of the land, you and I are still man and wife.”

  “So, what is Katiya doing here?”

  “We left the Fortress together. Rodin believes we are on a belated honeymoon.”

  “And Andrei is here because . . . ?”

  “He is here because Katiya is here,” Drake replied, as if that explained everything.

  Elena continued to stare at him while her mind tried to process what he had told her. But none of it seemed to register save for one fact—he was still her husband, if she wanted him.

  “Say something,” he demanded. “I do not like your silence.”

  “Drake.” She caressed his cheek, ran her fingertips over his lips. “Read my mind.”

  His gaze met hers, a moment only, and then he swept her into his arms again and carried her swiftly up the stairs.

  A thought closed and locked the door and they were alone in the bedroom.

  Drake set her on her feet ever so slowly and then he stood there, just looking at her. “Never again,” he vowed. “Never again will I be parted from you.”

  Fresh tears welled in Elena’s eyes.

  “You are my heart, my soul.” He drew her into his arms again. “There is no life for me without you.”

  Pressing her face against his chest, Elena closed her eyes, her hands moving restlessly up and down his back. “Drake . . . ?”

  “Yes, wife?”

  “I can’t wait any longer.”

  He murmured her name and the next thing she knew, they were in bed, lying naked in each other’s arms.

  She smiled into his eyes. “And to think, I once refused to take you to my bed.”

  He laughed softly. “Tonight, it will be even better than the first time.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

  “You doubt me?” He rose over her, his eyes blazing red with his desire.

  “Oh, no, my lord,” she exclaimed.

  “See that you do not,” he warned with mock fierceness. “I am no puny mortal who grows weary after one encounter. Or two. Or three.”

  “I remember,” she said, grinning. “Shall we try for four?”

  “As you wish, my sweet wife. As you wish.”

  Elena awoke with a smile, and a fervent hope that the night past hadn’t 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.

  “Where are you going, wife?”

  “Well, it’s morning, and I’m hungry—”

  “As am I.”

  “I don’t think we’re hungry for the same things,” Elena remarked dryly.

  “No. Were you not just lusting after my body?”

  “I wouldn’t say lusting, exactly,” she replied, choking back a laugh.

  “Wishing for?”

  “Perhaps. A little.”

  “If you want me, woman, you had better take me now, before the sun climbs any higher in the sky.”

  “Take you?” she asked with a grin.

  “Every way you can,” he said,
his grin matching hers as he pulled her under the covers. “As long as I can reciprocate.”

  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 shiny 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.

  “Morning, miss,” the electrician said cheerfully. “We’ll be needing to work inside today.”

  “Of course.” Elena stepped back to allow the man and his crew into the castle.

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

  She nodded. “That’s a wonderful suggestion. Thank you.”

  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.

  “Just about finished in this room,” he said. “You’ll need a cable hookup for the TV, but the stereo and DVD player will work just fine.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Tomorrow, we’ll begin wiring the kitchen.”

  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, finishing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, when the big gray cat hopped on the chair beside hers.

  “Smoke!” she exclaimed. “Where have you been?”

  The cat yawned, then curled up on the chair.

  “You are a most peculiar creature,” Elena murmured. “Drake said you’re not his, yet when he’s not here, neither are you. . . .” She frowned, remembering the night she had asked Drake about the cat, and he had replied that he didn’t 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 buttocks to draw her tight against him while he kissed her. And kissed her again, until she clung to him, breathless.

  “So, wife of my heart,” he said, “did you miss me while we were apart?”

  “You know I did.”

  “What do you think of the new furniture?” he asked, glancing around. “Do you like it? If not, I will send it all back.”

  “I love it. But why did you decide to furnish all the rooms upstairs when there’s just the two of us?”

  “Andrei and Katiya will be staying with us for a while.” He stroked her hair, his gaze moving over her face. “Do you mind?”

  “Of course not. What about Stefan? Will he be staying here, too?”

  “No.” He settled on the sofa, drawing her down beside him. “He has gone back to the Fortress. But I thought he should have a room, should he return.”

  “How did you persuade Rodin to let you leave?”

  “Katiya and I convinced him that we had decided to make the best of things.”

  “And he believed you?”

  “Yes, but only after Katiya conceived.”

  Elena stared at him, shock rolling through her like an icy wave. “She’s pregnant?”

  He nodded. “It was the only way.”

  She shook her head, unwilling to believe that Drake had slept with the vampire.

  “Elena. Wife. The child is not mine.”

  “No?”

  “No. Andrei is the father.”

  “Andrei? How did that happen?” she asked. But the answer was obvious. “You had this all planned out, didn’t you?”

  Drake smiled smugly. “Katiya is quite a good actress. We spent the first month of our marriage pretending to dislike each other,” he said with a laugh. “Although it didn’t 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.”

  “And when you had convinced everyone, Andrei returned to the Fortress.”

  “He 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?”

  “I guess so, but what will happen if Rodin finds out?”

  “That, I cannot predict.”

  “Nothing good, I bet,” Elena muttered.

  “Of that you can be sure,” Drake agreed. “But let us not worry about that now. We are together. Let us make the most of it.”

  “Your cat came back.”

  “Have you forgotten what I told you?” he asked with a laugh. “I do not have a cat.”

  “It’s you, isn’t it?” she asked, stabbing him in the chest with a forefinger. “You’re the cat.”

  He grinned at her. “Finally figured that out, did you? It took you long enough.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Those of us born to Liliana are able to shape-shift. It is a rare ability, but useful, when you have a stranger in the house.”

  “You could have told me!”

  “It was more fun this way. And it allowed me to watch over you during the day.”

  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. “How did you get that?”

  “Does it matter? It is an old wound.”

  “I thought vampire wounds healed without a scar.”

  “Most do, but not ones inflicted with silver.”

  “Oh. I’d still like to know how you got it.”

  He looked past her, as if traveling backward in time. “Many 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.

  “One 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.” He shook his head. “She was too young. For all her flirtatious ways, she was innocent in the ways of men and women.”

  “What happened?” Elena asked.

  “I 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.

  “Luiza 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.”

  “That’s so sad,” Elena murmured. “But it wasn’t your fault.”

  He grunted softly. He had carried the guilt for Luiza’s 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?