“Not necessarily,” he replied. Then he leaned in close and whispered into Juliet’s ear. “I have a funny feeling that a lot of the humans here are lawmakers and politicians.”
Juliet laughed. “You are probably right, sir. What, may I ask, is your profession?”
“Would you like to take a guess?”
Juliet tried to prevent herself from revealing her attraction to him, but she couldn’t help herself. She was smiling too much, staring too long.
But then again, so was he.
“Well, you are not a vampire, so that is one point in your favor,” she said.
“And thankfully neither are you,” he said cheerily.
Juliet started wringing her hands and biting her lower lip, two detestable habits that both her nurse and mother chided her for. Obviously he hadn’t noticed her paling skin, or that she wasn’t wearing a cross pendant like all the other humans here. What would he think when he found out the truth? He would certainly forsake her—any human would do the same.
“However, I am not a prince, so I suppose that is one point against me,” he joked.
“Two points, actually. You also smell like garlic,” Juliet quipped, but instantly regretted her words. He must think she was the rudest woman on the face of the earth!
However, the gentleman who stood before her did not seem to care. “That’s what I get for keeping cloves of it in my pocket.”
Juliet could not recall when she last felt this alive. Was it months ago? Or never?
“To be honest, I’m working for my father. Temporarily, that is,” he continued.
“Why is that? Do you not like the work?” she inquired.
The gentleman looked down at his feet and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “No, I don’t.”
Juliet sensed that she had brought up a delicate subject, but for some odd reason, she felt very comfortable asking him to say more. “Is it because the two of you don’t get along?”
“Not really. My parents have been out of the country since the peace treaty was passed,” he explained. “They are taking a much-needed vacation in Serbia.”
Juliet let out a light laugh. “I couldn’t be more jealous.”
“Because of their vacation?” he asked brightly.
“No, because you are free of your parents for a while.”
The gentleman’s lips curled up into a dashing smile. “I have to admit, it is quite liberating being without them.”
“Or their rules,” Juliet added, her eyes beaming.
He nodded in agreement. “Or their criticisms and unrealistic expectations.”
“Or the plans they make for you without your consent, or the way they patronize you when you talk, or…” Juliet trailed off, realizing a little too late how bitter she must have sounded.
So much for her nurse’s lessons in flirtation.
Thankfully, the gentleman was not turned off by her complaining at all. He just gave her a reassuring grin and said, “It seems to me that your parents do not know how lucky they are.”
Her cheeks flushed several shades of pink. “Perhaps.”
Suddenly their eyes locked and they were silent for a moment. Juliet could feel her body temperature rising as she gazed at him—she had the strangest feeling that she’d known him all her life.
“What about you? Are you going to inherit the family business someday?” the gentleman asked, breaking Juliet out of her thoughts.
“If my parents have their way, yes,” she said.
“Ah, I could tell from across the room that you were a rebel.”
Another one of the gentleman’s wide grins nearly melted Juliet’s heart.
“Is that so?” she replied. “What else could you tell?”
“That you are a passionate person,” he said with an intense stare that practically had her spellbound. “That you stand up for what you believe in.”
“What else?” she murmured.
The gentleman inhaled deeply, like he was about to dive underwater. “That you need someone to be on your side. Always. Regardless of the circumstances.”
Juliet was in such awe of this magnificent creature, and his ability to see right through her, that she was rendered speechless.
“I suppose I shouldn’t say such things when your suitor could be lurking around the corner,” he said.
Juliet’s pulse was racing uncontrollably. “Actually, I do not have a suitor.”
“I am surprised, but so very relieved,” he was quick to say, his eyes brightening the room like flashes of lightning in a midnight sky. “Though I would have fought him for you if he had existed.”
Juliet quickly shifted her gaze away from him. While other women might have found his words romantic, she didn’t particularly like the idea of anyone fighting over her. There was too much turmoil in her family already.
The gentleman took Juliet’s hand in his, noticing how quiet she had suddenly become. “I only meant to say that I would try to win your heart.”
Juliet’s skin tingled on the softest part of her palm. She sighed as she glanced down at their hands and how their fingers were intertwined, but when her eyes drifted toward his jacket, she saw a wooden stake sticking out of an inside pocket.
“What is that, my lord?” Juliet gently slid her hand out of his grasp and gestured toward the object.
His eyes immediately became cloudy. “Oh, this? It is just…a family heirloom.”
“Wouldn’t an embroidered handkerchief be more appropriate for the occasion?” Juliet mocked him playfully.
“Perhaps, but everyone in my family carries one of these. I know it seems strange, but when you meet my family, you will understand.”
He reached for her hand once again, and Juliet could not pull away, even though she could hear her nurse’s voice ringing inside her head, practically begging her to. The magnetism between them was immeasurable.
“And they will adore you as I do,” he said, pressing his lips to her fingertips.
“Pardon me, my lady,” a voice chirped from behind Juliet.
She used all the strength in her body to take her eyes off of this extraordinary man, craned her head over her shoulder, and met the glowering stare of her nurse.
“Can you not see that I am in the middle of a conversation?” Juliet asked.
“Yes, and I do hate to intrude.” The nurse took Juliet by the arm and yanked her hand away from Romeo. “But your mother is requesting your presence at once.”
“I am sure whatever it is can wait a few minutes,” Juliet said pleasantly, wishing she had her mother’s ability to make things disappear.
“I’m afraid not.” The nurse stepped in between Juliet and the man, and said to him, “We bid you adieu, sir.”
“Adieu, ladies,” he said with a cordial bow.
Within moments, the nurse had pushed and pulled Juliet through the crowd and out of the Great Hall. Juliet was so furious, it almost made her dizzy. Once they reached the castle’s orchard, which was currently deserted except for the fruit flies, she broke free of the nurse’s clutches and let her have it.
“How dare you humiliate me like that!” she cried, her cheeks flushed with shame.
“Believe me, if I had not interrupted, you would have suffered far worse,” the nurse shot back.
“What do you mean? That gentleman was nothing short of perfect!”
“Juliet, that gentleman was Romeo Montague,” the nurse said firmly.
“You…you must be mistaken.” Juliet could barely hear her own voice. It sounded faint and weak, like a phantom echo from another time and dimension.
“It is the truth, child. I swear it.”
Juliet didn’t need to look the nurse in the eyes to know she was being honest. She covered her face with her trembling hands and surrendered to the waves of grief that were suddenly crashing down upon her.
There was no way in hell that a Montague would have anything to do with a half-breed, let alone a full-fledged Capulet vampire. Not only that, but when Julie
t thought of Romeo and his “family heirloom,” she couldn’t stop herself from imagining how many of her kin had been executed with something just like it. The weight of this revelation was just unbearable.
“Please, Nurse, do not follow me,” Juliet murmured. Then she whipped around and ran out of the orchard with tears rolling down her face.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Romeo was dumbstruck when the girl and her nurse disappeared around the corner while his body was still bent at the waist in a bowing position. He was clueless as to why the nurse had disrupted their unexpected rendezvous, but one thing was certain: he had to uncover the girl’s identity so that he could see her again. Romeo glanced at the people who were scattered around him, searching for Benvolio and Mercutio, but all he saw were ruby-colored eyes and skin as white as snow.
A determined Romeo decided to approach the most reserved-looking vampire: a petite golden-haired woman dressed in a black gown. She was sitting quietly on a purple settee, observing the crowd. The corners of her mouth turned up when Romeo came before her and bowed. This respectful gesture was probably a bit much, but he was willing to swallow some of his pride in order to learn the name of the woman who he wanted by his side for the rest of his life.
“I am sorry to trouble you, my lady, but did you happen to see me and a young maiden talking over there?” he asked.
“Yes, I did,” she replied.
Romeo swallowed hard. “Do you perchance know her name?”
The woman’s eyebrows raised, but not one wrinkle formed on her forehead—another perk of immortality, Romeo thought.
“I was wondering why you were pursuing her to begin with. But now this makes perfect sense. You are unaware of who she is.”
Romeo became defensive at the caustic tone of the vampire’s voice. “On the contrary, I know everything I need to, with the exception of her name. Please, do not toy with me.”
“Or what?” The woman snapped, leaning forward in her chair and glaring at Romeo. “You will pull out a wooden stake and run it through my heart, just like your father did to my father?”
Apparently, Romeo’s disguise was not as good as he had thought. A part of him wanted to apologize to this woman on behalf of the Montagues. But when he recalled how the Capulets had butchered and fed off of thousands of innocent people, his urge to make amends quickly vanished.
“No. I will simply take leave of you,” he said, backing away.
The woman’s haughty smile returned to her face as she declared, “Her name is Juliet…and she is Lord Capulet’s only daughter.”
Romeo stumbled over his own two feet, but he was able to catch himself before spilling onto the ground. The woman of his dreams was not just a Capulet—she was the child of his father’s worst enemy.
“Juliet,” he said to the vampire, his voice faltering a bit.
“In three days, she will fully become one of us.” The vampire’s tone was quite jovial now that she could see she had succeeded in rattling Romeo. “Does she know who you are?”
Romeo felt as though his throat was going to close up. He could not bring himself to respond.
“I can guarantee that when she finds out, you will be dead to her,” the woman crowed. “Like all her kin who have died at your family’s hands.”
Staring into this vampire’s vindictive eyes, Romeo almost considered showing her the wooden stake hidden under his jacket, but he was above making threats. Instead, he walked away, out of the Great Hall and through the long hallways and lanes until he reached a courtyard with an orchard. He hoped he could be alone there and compose himself.
Romeo was about to collapse onto a stone bench when he heard the sound of two very familiar voices coming from behind a wall in the orchard.
“Romeo! My cousin Romeo!”
It was Benvolio, bellowing like a senseless lout. Romeo shook his head in frustration, hoping that he would not be discovered. The last thing he needed was more ridicule from his friends.
“Be quiet, man. He is probably in bed with the half-breed, having his ears nibbled on.” Mercutio chuckled.
“Wouldn’t she be more interested in his arteries?” Benvolio asked.
“You’re right,” Mercutio replied.
“Maybe we should search upstairs, where the bedrooms are,” said Benvolio.
“Actually I think I have had enough of the house of the damned for one night. Romeo can find his way home on his own,” Mercutio responded.
“Yes, we might have helped Romeo sneak into the castle to romance one of these bloodsuckers, but I want nothing more to do with them,” Benvolio said in agreement.
Romeo listened closely as the sound of Mercutio’s and Benvolio’s footsteps tapered off into the starry night. He leaned back against the wall and ran his hand through his hair, wondering what his cousin and good friend might do to him if he revealed that he had fallen for the daughter of the most powerful bloodsucker of them all. But he was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of window shutters opening three stories above him. His eyes darted upward and his mouth broke into a smile. Standing on a balcony, her face partially illuminated by the light of the moon, was Romeo’s new reason for living.
“Juliet,” he gasped.
Moments ago, Romeo was shocked to learn of Juliet’s bloodline, but none of that seemed to matter now. In fact, he was so happy to see Juliet’s face that he nearly ran out from behind the latticed fence and proclaimed his love for her.
But then common sense reeled him back. Here he was, enamored and heartsick and consumed by desire, but did Juliet return any of those feelings? Or would she hate him when she learned that he was a Montague? Or worse, be too far gone in her transition from woman to vampire to see him as anything but a source of human blood? Until he knew with absolute certainty, he would not make another move or utter another word or think another thought.
But he would allow his eyes to watch and his ears to listen, until his heart was fully satisfied.
Or until he became undone.
CHAPTER NINE
As Juliet stepped out onto her balcony, the ruffled skirt of her dress rippled in the evening wind. On mild nights like these, she liked to duck out of her chambers and onto this tiny terrace that stood above the orchard. It was so easy for her to find peace and contentment out here. Inside the castle, Juliet oftentimes felt trapped, but when she could escape to this little ledge outside her bedroom, her spirit soared.
Now the scent of pear trees wafted through the air, and the stars above her glittered like moon dust, yet Juliet was anything but content. Her cheeks and neck were blotchy from stress. When her head wasn’t throbbing, her heart was beating so hard she felt like she couldn’t catch her breath.
All because of a man she could not stop thinking about—and a man who was also a Montague.
“Oh, be some other name,” Juliet said as she watched a comet’s tail streak the sky with a brilliant white light. “But if this Montague swears his love to me, I will no longer be a Capulet.”
There was a sudden noise in the orchard—perhaps a lark flying from one tree branch to another—but Juliet ignored it, too lost in her thoughts.
“Oh, Romeo, if you went by another name, I would adore you no less. But can either of us dismiss the facts?”
Another sound came from the ground below. This time, it was louder and caught Juliet’s attention. She briefly peered down into the darkness, wiping a stray tear from her eye. But she saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“It is impossible to ignore or forget the history between our families. The stories I have heard about how my uncles have brutally slain your cousins. The vicious Montague raids that Tybalt protected me from again and again.
“My heart is not prejudiced, my dear, but my mind—”
“Is as alluring as your face,” said a booming voice from within the orchard’s walls. “And as sharp as your wit.”
Juliet stumbled back a bit, completely stunned by the abrupt interruption.
“Who’s there?” s
he asked.
“Apologies, my lady, but I heard you speaking on your balcony and could not spend another moment in silence,” the voice replied.
Juliet covered her mouth with both her hands. This was so embarrassing.
Unless perhaps…
“Identify yourself, please, sir.” Juliet approached the terrace banister and leaned over so she could have a closer look.
A gentleman stepped out from behind a lattice fence in the far corner of the orchard. He came into view when he took off his hat and gazed up, the moonlight striking the familiar and flawless contours of his face.
Juliet would have been thrilled to see it was Romeo, had she not just made a total fool of herself by revealing all of her feelings. What a disaster.
“I can only imagine what you must think of me,” she said, her voice quite timid. “Now you know I’m a Capulet, and you have seen me talking to myself like an idiot.”
Romeo placed his hat back on. “I have no ill will toward you, Juliet. And I don’t care what either of our families has done to each other. I only want to make you happy.”
“How did you find me here?” Juliet said with a smile so big, her cheeks hurt a little.
“It was by chance,” Romeo said, his eyes never drifting away from her. “But from now on, I will no longer leave our fate up to the whims of the universe.”
Juliet’s smile suddenly began to fade. “I’m afraid our fate is doomed, my lord, regardless of how we feel.”
“Why is that? Because I am a Montague and you are a Capulet?”
“Yes, of course.” Juliet bowed her head sadly. “How can we ever get past that?”
“Sweet Juliet, I personally have never taken the life of any Capulet,” Romeo said eagerly. “Nor anyone else, for that matter. And I am certain you can say that you have never struck another person, whether they were Montague or not.”
Juliet nodded in affirmation, although she knew that in three days, she would be expected to do far worse than that.
“Then why must we judge ourselves by the sins of our fathers? Why must we hate because they hate? Our love, Juliet, should be as free as we allow it to be,” Romeo reasoned.
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