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

   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

   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

Two Hours Prior...     Hearing the door slam, Esper knew this was her chance to escape. She waited until she heard the elevator descend then raced out of the door. Her feet pounded against the flooring as she ran down to the kitchen. The vampire couldn't risk taking the elevator down and decided to go up, hoping Maxim didn't lower the metal panels.     When she reached the lower level and saw the sun shining through the windows, Esper let out a sigh of relief. Luck was on her side today. She rushed to the patio door and heaved it open, looking around for an escape route. Upon closer inspection, Esper noticed small grooves between the siding panels that were just big enough for her to wedge her fingers and toes into.     Kicking off her shoes, Esper hopped onto the railing and began her ascent. Her movements were careful and methodical as she sprung fr

   The sounds of birds chirping slowly stirred Esper awake. She opened her eyes and quickly shut them. The bright sunlight was jarring and caused her head to throb. Mustering up some strength, Esper pushed herself upright and opened her lids once more. She blinked a couple of times and took in her surroundings as she adjusted to the light.     The young woman was sitting on a California king bed with forest green linens. The bed was in the center of an open-air room made of white stone. Instead of windows and walls, white marble columns gave view to the vibrant green forest. Where most rooms closed off nature, this one invited it to come inside.     The sight of the outdoors filled the young woman’s heart with hope. Maxim must have been dumber than he looked if he thought it was a good idea to put her in a room with no walls. She would be out of his clutch in no time. Crawling to the edge of the