Ronnie’s studio was adjoined to her bedroom. The room was a clothing designer’s dream. The walls were lined with everything a seamstress could ever need: a wide array of fabric, boning, accent trim, buttons, etc. There was a large work table in the center of the room with a built-in Juki DDL 8700 sewing machine, and dress forms were lined up in front of the windows.
Releasing Esper from her grasp, Ronnie trotted over to one of the shelving units and grabbed her digital sketch tablet while Esper brought over an extra stool to the work table. The two settled in and got to work on designing Esper’s ceremony gown. Opening up her tablet, Ronnie pulled up a draft design to show her cousin.
“I came up with this really genius idea. It’s going to sound crazy, but hear me out.” Ronnie started, excited about the concept. “I want to incorporate bones
Wesley stood at the top of the tower watching as the group ran the gauntlet. He had kept true to his promise and put the young vampires through grueling training sessions. Each day had been filled with twelve hours of running exercises and sparring. The original plan was only a week, but since half the group had zero combat education, Wesley had extended it to a week and a half, and it paid off. Ronnie had finally harnessed her water affinity in combat situations, complimenting Remy's ice. Together the duo was nearly unstoppable, each one fueling the other's talent. Wesley was quite impressed by Senna's improvements as well. Even though she didn't have any particular affinities with her being a common vampire, she excelled at hand-to-hand combat. Her skillset provided excellent support for Asher's preference for close-range and brute strength. It
The once calm estate was now buzzing with life. The staff was hard at work in preparation for the Pairing Ceremony. Decorations were being hung, floral arrangements were in the process of being assembled, and furniture was being staged. Guests were flitting in and out of the halls, their excited chatter flooding the air. Esper was pacing back and forth in her room, wearing a trail into the gray carpet. The noise leaking into her room had her nerves in knots. Only twelve more hours, she thought as she glanced up at her digital clock. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock at the door. She sprinted over to the entry, her nerves relaxing at the thought of company. When Esper opened the door, warmth enveloped her body. There stood her father with her mother's dress. As Wesley walked into the room, Esper peered behind him and was surprised to see no one else.
The two vampires walked out to the hall and were met by an otherworldly scene. The once red interior was replaced with light gray linens that looked silver in the gentle glow of the candles scattered on every surface. The halls were lined with standing floral arrangements of white lilies and blue roses. White curtains hung at both ends of the hall and blocked any onlookers from peaking in. In the center of the hall, a table had been set up with bottles of blood, blood wine, and glasses. Realizing how hungry she was, Esper trotted over to the table. Before she could reach her destination, Ronnie hooked her arm around Esper and steered her away from the buffet. "You look so beautiful," Ronnie cried out as she pulled her into a hug. "Although, I will admit I'm a little upset that Uncle Wesley could one-up me on the dress. I'll have to find another occasion for you to wear the one I made you." "I'm sure there will be more opportunities," Esper assured. She took a step back an
Strange howling sounds filled Esper's ears and slowly brought her consciousness back to the surface. She tried to move around, but her muscles felt heavy with the weight of the silk sheets. Wanting to look around, Esper tried to open her eyes but quickly shut them as light flooded into them. It felt like she had been sleeping for days. The young woman attempted to open her lids again but did so much slower this time. Her eyes gradually adjusted to the light, and she peered around the unfamiliar place. The room had a dark modern look to it with dark gray concrete walls and light gray hardwood flooring. On the left-hand side of the room, black bookcases created a false wall to the next room. To the right were floor to ceiling terrariums acting as a barrier to the bathroom. Just where exactly was she? The last thing Esper remembered was standing up at the altar for her pairing ceremony. W
Maxim had been in the midst of changing the bedding when he heard the thud come from the bathroom. When he peered into the doorway, he saw his bride hyperventilating on the floor and raced over to her. Kneeling beside her, Maxim pulled Esper tight against his chest and tried to calm her down. "It's okay, Kitten. You don't need to cry. I'm here." The nonchalant words sent Esper over the edge. How could he not see that he was the cause of her distress? She started pounding his chest with all of her might as she sobbed. The punches started out strong but weakened as her strength dwindled, becoming childlike slaps. Maxim sat unmoving with his arms still wrapped around her and took the beating. When she slumped against his chest, completely exhausted, Maxim picked Esper up with ease and set her on the bathroom counter to start getting her dressed. He took h
China? Esper stopped dead in her tracks. How had Maxim managed to get her so far in such a short amount of time? And in the dead of winter? No one was going to be able to find her this far from home. She felt like the world was going to swallow her up again and started to collapse. Esper closed her eyes and prepared for the impact of the concrete against her knees, but it never came. She opened her lids slowly and was met by the concerned gaze of Maxim. He had caught her just in time. Scooping her up bridal style, Maxim carried Esper over to one of the couches and carefully set her down. Maxim had no idea the Juniper poison had side effects to this extent. His father had told him it would only weaken her for a day, not sap her energy to the point of being unconscious for three. Had he known how negatively it was going to affect her, he would have found an alternative.
The heat of raging flames licked at Seraph's skin as he ran through a charred forest. The vampire stopped for a moment once he was at a safe distance and looked around. The fire had burned everything, even the soil. There wasn't a trace of the once lush forest that existed before. Seraph spotted a clearing and saw his mate lying in the center of it. He ran over to the vampiress and picked her up, gently shaking her. "Esper, wake up. Please wake up." There was no response from the young woman. Seraph dug his heels into the scorched earth as he rocked back and forth with Esper cradled in his arms. He looked down at her lifeless body and wept. Her once moon-white skin had started to turn blue and was tarnished with ash and blood. Seraph had lost her. After searching for so many centuries, he had lost his mate again. Had the vampire been forsaken by Yggdrasil? Was he cursed to walk all of eternity alone? Seraph clutched her tight agai
Esper sat in her nook reading. A week had passed since her kidnapping, and it had been the same routine every day. Maxim would wake her up to bathe and dress her, then they would spend the day in Esper's nook while Maxim worked. He was currently pacing outside the curtain, talking animatedly in Cantonese. It had been a busy day with several long phone calls and Maxim continually popping in and out of the little room. Letting out a soft sigh, the female vampire closed her book and set it aside. All of Maxim's activity made it hard for Esper to concentrate on her reading. Feeling thirsty, she stood up and peeked out the curtain. He was still pacing around and looked like it would be a while before he was done. She usually would ask Maxim to get it for her but thought it was best not to interrupt him and decided to head down to the kitchen alone. She was almost to the door when she felt a hard tug on her arm. The young woman looked b