The soft sounds of snoring flitted about the dark room. Seraph was gently playing with Esper's silver locks as the moonlight beamed across the bed. He loved watching her sleep, and the pearly glow of the moon made her look like a goddess. Ever since he had come back, Seraph lived for these secret little moments. Esper was all
When the couple reached the bedroom, Esper let out a sigh of relief. The sparring match would stave off her father for the rest of the day, which meant more time with Seraph. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy spending time with Wesley. She knew the news of her accepting Seraph was finally setting in. Wesley was starting to feel his little girl slip away, but in reality, she was just growing up. The sound of gentle music broke Esper out of her deep train of thought. She opened her bathroom door to see candles, rose petals, and a massage table. “Since you’ve been training so hard, I thought I could help you relax,” Seraph offered, holding out a robe. “How thoughtful,” Esper chuckled, accepting the change of clothes. After changing into the robe, Esper lazily laid on the table and let Seraph get to work on massaging her muscles. His fingers were like magic, working out all of her tension and knots. When Seraph’s hands began to wander, Esper couldn’t help but chuckle. “You, sir, are a
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