Free Within The Shadows by Julieanne Lynch Page B

have
taken their toll on you.”
    His
bluish-black hair was a striking match for his blue eyes. He caught
me off guard, and I forgot myself.
    “ Yeah. You could say I’m done in, but others might suggest
otherwise.”
    “ How do you
mean?”
    “ Well, it is
common knowledge that the wedding night follows the
vows.”
    Laughing, he
brushed his hand through his shiny black hair. “But one must comply
with one’s pledge.”
    “ You don’t say!” Mockingly, I laughed, and it was obvious I
amused him. “And you are?”
    “ How rude of me. I am Antoine Vilniv. It is a pleasure to
meet you, Your Grace.”
    His bow made
me laugh. He was very different from many
of the vampires there that night. He was not serious. He was funny.
It definitely helped with the seriousness of my situation, and had
me at complete ease; kinda odd, considering what had just taken
place.
    “ Nice to meet you, too, Antoine.”
    “ Now that the formalities are done with, tell me, how does
it feel to be the one to snag his Lordship?” His sarcasm was a
breath of fresh air.
    “ Put it like this, I’m a little afraid, and so not ready for
any of this bullshit. The deed has been done. Better to get on with
it, and hope for the best. I’m curious, though. What do you mean I
was ‘the one to snag him’? If I am being honest, I always thought
he was gay!” I lied.
    Antoine
laughed hard. Atarah looked over, and her stern look said it all –
condemnation. I felt my cheeks flush, and broke her gaze to find
Alex standing by my side.
    “ So, this is
where all the fun is to be had?” he remarked as he slyly flashed
his fangs.
    “ Cousin, your bride has a mammoth sense of humour. You must
bring her to court more often.” He kissed me on the cheek, and took
Alex by the hand. A firm handshake took place. “Congratulations.
She is truly beautiful.”
    Alex nodded
his agreement, and placed his arm tightly around my waist,
possessively. We passed the reducing crowd, and bade our farewells
to Atarah and Leonid.
    I felt sick
thinking about being alone with Alex. I did not trust myself, and I
did not want to lose control. Atarah pulled me off to the side. She
clearly had something on her mind.
    “ I trust that your little encounter the other night didn’t
result in you losing too much of your virtue.”
    I began to defend myself, only
to have her brush me off.
    “ If you feel nervous, you must follow a man’s lead. He will
teach you to be a lover. But to throw caution to the wind, it would
be wise to remember that the whole purpose of the consummation is
to become ‘tehotna’ – pregnant. Always remember your place,
Giselle. Sleep well, child.”
    She placed a
kiss on my forehead. Atarah’s demeanour
was beginning to change, and this frightened me almost as much as
the thought of losing my virginity did.
    “ Goodnight, children.” Leonid bowed, and the two of them
walked out of the hall, leaving me alone with Alex.
    Sunrise was
imminent, and as Alex led me away from the hall, I again felt sick.
Once in ‘our’ room, nervousness crept in, and I instantly feared
the inevitable. I was completely vulnerable.
    He took me
by the hands , and directed me to the bed.
I trembled as he embraced me. His strong torso almost crushed my
head. He held on to me for a few minutes before breaking away.
Looking down at me, he pulled the pins from my hair, allowing it to
fall loose around my shoulders. Not making a sound, he walked
behind me, unzipping the dress. It fell to the floor, leaving me
standing there in my underwear and heels.
    He brushed
his hand over my abdomen, sliding his fingers across the top of my
panties. Gently kissing the back of my
neck, he slowly opened his mouth, his fangs brushing against my
skin. I shivered, shaking with anticipation, fear, and excitement
rolled into one.
    Alex turned
me around to face him, his eyes aglow. I could feel the pull of
desire, and, trying not to give in, I moved away from him, hitting
the solid wall behind