Kresley Cole - Lothaire

“Mama, again, we don’t know why he came back. He might only need an heir or something. Who knows?”

“Why else would that angel have saved all our menfolk?”

“He never said he’d returned for me.” Unless he’d said it in Russian. She recalled the emotion in those words, what had felt like a promise. . . .

“You better hope he did,” Mama muttered angrily.

“I’m just telling you that he’s known to be evil. I have no idea what he’s plotting.”

“We ain’t exactly saints around here, Miss Glass House. Sakes, Ellie, when did you get to be so judgmental?”

My mother is disappointed in me for not making my vampiric marriage work. Though Mama had never even spoken a word to Lothaire, she’d already instructed Josh to call him Uncle Leo.

Ephraim shook his head. “There’ll be no livin’ with your mama now. You know that, huh?”

“Yeah.” So I really hope Lothaire came here for the right reasons. . . .

“I’m in the trailer , aren’t I?” Lothaire rasped as he came to in Elizabeth’s bed. He’d just awakened to her sweet scent on the pillow, when the odor of some unlucky varmint frying in the kitchen overwhelmed it.

Now he peered around him—vinyl walls and threadbare linens, freakish porcelain dolls. A spiteful-looking hound dozed over his feet. He rather liked the dog.

Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest. “It was either here or I could’ve left you in the mine.”

When he saw balloons and stuffed get-well bears with button eyes, he almost preferred the mine.

She rose and clapped her thigh, urging the dog, “Here, boy, get off him.”

The beast growled just as Lothaire said, “He can stay.”

She sat back down, mumbling, “You two are perfect for each other. He’s now yours, by the way.”

Then he’s ours. “Why are there hideous stuffed bears with my name on them?”

“My whole family loves you now. They wanted to thank you for saving them. You rescued them all, you know.”

“And then you rescued me.” Saving his life while risking hers. Loyalty rewarded in kind. But if she ever puts herself in danger again . . .

She waved that away. “In any case, we’ve got more casseroles than we—or they—could eat in a month.”

“And how do they explain their rescue?”

“My family knows what we are, but they don’t tell secrets to outsiders—believe me. The other miners think you’re . . . the Mothman.”

Lothaire rolled his eyes. “Mothman. Really, Elizabeth? Really?”

She shrugged. “Look, I’m deeply grateful for what you did. But why have you come here?”

“For you. I’ve gained control of one kingdom. Return with me to Dacia and be my queen.”

“Your last word on the subject was that I should rot in hell.”

Unexpected Elizabeth wasn’t falling into his arms as he’d anticipated, even after he had acted heroic and been valiantly injured. Perhaps he had lost her.

“Lothaire, you gave me your black heart and told me I’d never get my claws in another one.”

“I’ll give it to you anew.” He flared his own claws over his chest, about to dig in. “It pains me as nothing has before—”

“No!” She lunged forward, slapping his hand. Hard. “You just mended that skin.”

He lowered his hand, grumbling, “My heart doesn’t fucking work right without you.”

She seemed to soften at that, but then she asked, “Has anything really changed?”

“I’ve learned I need to consult you in matters, lest you decapitate me.”

“Lothaire . . .” she said warningly. “You didn’t truly want me, not until I was a vampire. And that hurts.”

“When Saroya was cast out of you that night, it felt like someone had injected me with feeling for you. I saw you clearly for the first time, knew you as my Bride with no doubts. Before you were a vampire.”

“What if there’d been no ring, no way to turn me? Could you have accepted that?”

“Never.”

Pain flashed in her expression. “Why?”

“I don’t court my own death, Lizvetta. You were mortal, could perish so easily. When a vampire’s Bride dies, he is ended , back to being the walking dead— if he doesn’t greet the sun. So ultimately, I’m only as strong as you are.”

“That’s why you were so raring to turn me?”

He hiked his shoulders. “And the sex is better.”

“Ugh!” She threw her hands up.

“Because it’s safer . Each time I denied my instincts, I feared I’d harm you myself.”

“If I’d remained human, could you have felt the same way about me?”

“I would never have acknowledged to myself everything I felt for you while you were so vulnerable. But then, when you’d been turned, you were so strong. . . .” Voice dropping an octave, he said, “You took all my lusts and made me weak.”

When she nibbled her bottom lip with one of her little fangs, his thoughts blanked for a moment.

“Everything you felt for me?”

“Come, come, Bride. You’re exceedingly clever. You must know that I’m in love with you. Now will you return with me?”

Seeming to steel herself against him, she said, “But you told me we weren’t equals. That doesn’t really go along with my idea of love.”

“You traced the first day you were a vampire. You took me down with a sword. Most of the Lore lives in fear of you. Your loyalty to your family never faltered, no matter how much I offered you, or how much pressure I put on you. You’ve much to teach me, Elizabeth.”

When she remained uncertain, he said, “I understand how important your family is to you because I remembered how important my mother was to me. These long millennia, I’ve hated Serghei for taking my family from me—now I’ve realized I tried to do the same to you.”

“And what if we have another falling-out? Will you refuse to talk to me? I longed to tell you how sorry I was for hurting you—until you sent me that awful package!”

“And you gave me the finger in return. Which I can now admit was uproarious.” Especially since it had grown back.

“You didn’t answer my question. You don’t exactly have relationship skills mastered. And we will fight in the future.”

“As I said, you’re to teach me. Plus, you’ll have my memories and know how I truly feel. All you have to do is drink from me every night.” He gazed at her mouth, at her fangs readying from the mere thought. “You miss my blood—admit it.”

“No!” she gasped, pressing her lips together.

Voice gone hoarse, he said, “Then why are those sexy fangs of yours so sharp?” Raising his gaze to her darkening eyes, he rasped, “Gods, I am going to do depraved things to you back at our castle.”

She swallowed. “I-I haven’t agreed to go with you.”

“Then tell me where I may do those things to my Bride. If we remain here, we’ll break this flimsy bed, possibly this entire conveyance.”

Chin raised, she said, “You need to apologize for how you treated me.”

She’s wavering. He checked a look of victory, saying honestly, “I am sorry, Elizabeth. I tried to go back in time with the ring, intending to treat you like a queen from our first meeting.” Then he frowned. “You should always tell me whenever I need to apologize.”

“Just till you should be gettin’ the hang of it!”

“Ah, you’re agreed, then? So let’s be off.” He sat up, going still. “Am I wearing a wife-beater, Lizvetta?” He gaped down. “Oh, come on!”

“I suppose now’s not a good time to give you your Skoal hat?”

“Your retaliation is unspeakable. For this alone, you must forgive me for my treatment of you.”