I could have lost myself in that room. There were so many things to explore. Many of the books had to be originals. Some of the jewelry was probably ancient. To just exist around such things made me feel young. As I looked up, I saw that painted upon the ceiling in black and white was a map of the world. London, Savannah, and a few other cities I assumed he had a connection to were labeled. The whole room was like a sophisticated vampire man cave. It was a rather odd concept.

  The only light illuminating the space was from a few lamps that gave off a dim, barely visible glow. It was dark and comforting. The room was cozy. Upon the walls were several portraits of kings and queens of old. Royalty and power emulated through the room. Sitting on one of the desks was an old photo of a man with dark curly hair, a fair complexion, and deep, mysterious eyes. It was Albert.

  “This room is so you,” I whispered.

  He smiled. “Well, that’s the point.” He paused for a moment. “I wanted you to see me, Anne. To really see me. You’ve witnessed the mad, crazed bachelor who runs through Savannah without a care in the world. And that’s fine because that life is a part of who I am. It was who I was when I was younger. I revert to it more often than I’d like to admit. But with you, I want to be better. You’re so good, Anne. And when I look at you, I want to give you the world.”

  I walked toward him, placing my hands on his cheeks. “I want to see every part of your soul.”

  “You will,” he whispered.

  I placed a gentle kiss on his lips. It was soft like a butterfly landing upon a flower. He wrapped his arms around me and held me against him. His fingers tangled in my hair, allowing me to rest against his chest.

  “I love you, little dove,” he whispered.

  “I love you, too,” I mumbled back.

  We walked up to the third floor, where a long hallway was located. Albert took my hand and began pulling me down along the corridor. The hallway was illuminated by sconces that looked as if they belonged in a castle. It was fitting. This was Albert’s home. He belonged in London the same way I belonged in Savannah. Not only that, but he was vampire royalty. Not literally—such things didn’t exist. But in reality, he was a prince. One of magic and beauty. He owned more property than was fathomable. He’d built this world for himself through hard work and determination. And now he was royal, not in title, but rather through practicality.

  “This way,” he said as he pulled me into one of the rooms. I stepped through the heavy door into a bedroom fit for a king. Long windows upon the walls were covered by black curtains. A tall bed that looked as if it had been stolen from a history documentary was in the center of the room, decorated in thick, royal blue covers that looked like real silk. Pillows upon pillows were stacked on top of the bed as if to create a castle of comfort. Laying upon it looked as if it would have felt like drifting atop waves.

  Two nightstands sat on the sides of the bed. Candlesticks flickering with small flames rested upon them. They lit the room with the gentle light of history. Large, sturdy bookshelves were placed beside the nightstands. Unlike the ones on the second floor, these held no novels. There were several shelves dedicated to the American Civil War, others to the American revolution, and a few to British history. Piles of books were dedicated to European monarchy, others to Native American tribes, and some to the Antebellum South. He studied everything. There was a floor-length mirror on the wall opposite his bed. It was large enough to take up half of the wall. On one side of it was a wardrobe, a dresser on the other.

  “What do you think?” Albert asked.

  “I’m starting to think you’re a historian,” I replied.

  He nodded. “It fascinates me. And I am very, emphasis on very, distantly related to the House of Tudor. I’ve traced it back myself. Through some ridiculously complicated digging and a few trips to confirm my research, I managed to discover my family history. It’s too distant to be of any real importance, but it’s interesting.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “That’s incredible.”

  He smiled. “I thought so, too.” He paused for a moment. “Not to sound like a stalker, but I traced yours as well.”

  An expression of shock crossed my face. “What?”

  He shrugged. “I was curious.”

  Suddenly, my own curiosity seemed to spike. I’d always wondered about it. I knew nothing about my family’s history other than that we’d been in Georgia for longer than anyone could remember. We were probably from Britain, though I didn’t know for sure.

  “Well, what did you find out?” I asked.

  He smiled. “I was a little surprised. There was the usual Georgian ancestry. The typical southern aristocracy. If you go back far enough, it gets more fascinating. Most of your family came from Britain. But a small branch was from France. The House of Bourbon, to be specific.”

  My jaw dropped. “I’m a descendant of the Bourbon Dynasty?”

  He nodded. “Impressive, isn’t it?”

  I began to smile. “Unbelievable.”

  He placed his hands on my waist. “Well, princess, now that you know the truth, let me show you to your room.”

  “I have a room?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Your sisters helped me with it.”

  I laughed. “Of course they did.”

  He held my hand as he led me down the hallway to another room. The heavy, plain white door opened to reveal one of the most delicate rooms I’d ever seen. The floor was a white carpet that looked like fluffy clouds. Several huge windows were open to reveal the moon and allow the night air to float into the room. In the center of the room was a huge, four-poster bed covered in a purple duvet. The pillows had an intricate golden pattern on them that matched the wallpaper. There were two purple divans the same color as the bed. Fairy lights were strung across the ceiling to create a magical look.

  “It’s so pretty,” I whispered.

  He smiled. “Wait until you open the closet.”

  I dashed toward the double door that opened to reveal a walk-in closet fit for a queen. A giant chandelier hung in the center of the room, illuminating the rows upon rows of dresses, skirts, and blouses. There were shelves stacked with pants, shirts, and jackets. And on the far wall was an almost endless array of shoes.

  “Oh…,” I whispered.

  “Not bad, I hope?” Albert asked.

  A huge grin spread across my face. “It’s lovely. But Albert, why?”

  He placed a small kiss on my forehead. “I love you, and that’s not going to change. I want to be with you, Anne. Forever.”

  Standing in the middle of my closet in Albert’s townhouse, I knew he was right. This was meant to be. I didn’t know anything about fate, but I knew this was right. Loving two people wasn’t impossible. James was still in my heart. I’d fallen so hard for him. But maybe he wasn’t supposed to be my forever. Not everything gorgeous lasted for eternity. I had loved James passionately. But looking at Albert, I knew he was the one for me.

  “I want to be with you, too,” I replied.

  “This is it, Anne,” he whispered. “You need to know that if you say yes to me right now, I will refuse to let you go ever again. If you say yes, this is forever.”

  His dark eyes bored into mine. I traced the outline of his curls, the curve of his jaw, and the shape of his nose. Every part of him was a beautiful marble sculpture. He was a marvelous piece of art. And I wanted him. Not just for a little while, but for the rest of my life. There was something between us. It had always been there. I’d denied it over and over again. When I’d loved James, I had buried it beneath me. But I couldn’t anymore, not when I loved him like this.

  It seemed so fast, but it wasn’t. Because though I’d just separated from James, I’d loved Albert at the same time. My decision to be with him wasn’t as sporadic as it seemed. This love had been boiling within me. Only now was it overflowing to the point where I couldn’t deny myself the one thing I wanted. Albert was better than any imaginary man I could have made up.

  Maybe this was why destiny had chosen me to become a vampire. If Albert and I had remained humans, we would have never met each other. In this strange world, it was the only way for us to be together. We had been born worlds apart. In some way, we still lived in different eras and times. But when his fingers brushed mine, I didn’t regret being a vampire. I no longer resented it because it had brought me to him.

  “Yes, Albert. Yes,” I replied.

  He exhaled. For a few moments, we stood still. I was slightly worried he’d gone into shock. I was about to ask if he was all right when he moved toward me and pulled me against him. Our lips crashed into each other. I couldn’t stop. My love for him was like gravity. It was permanent. There was no way to get rid of it. It just pulled me closer and closer to him. Now that I’d given into it, I couldn’t stop.

  He wrapped his arms around my back before lifting me up so that my hands were in his hair. He kissed my neck over and over again. I nuzzled my cheek against his hair as he pressed soft kisses against my collarbone. A few moments later, his fangs sunk into my neck.

  Chapter Eight — Amoureuse

  Watching him work was an activity all by itself. I sat on the couch in his weird, vampire man cave, sipping a glass of blood. He sat at his desk, the one I had discovered was intended for business, while he wrote what seemed to be a long email. The person on the other end had either done something very good or very bad because Albert generally didn’t stretch things out. He liked to be brief and concise. Well, when it came to everything except romance.

  He didn’t wear dress clothes today. It was an odd thing to see him in jeans and a sweatshirt. He never wore that type of clothing. But now, his dark hair was a mess of curls falling to the side of his face while his brows were scrunched in concentration. His posture was perfect, though. It was a vampire thing.

  I was still wearing the little nightgown I’d changed into earlier. It was black with lace around the edges. Honestly, I kind of liked it. I would have never picked it out for myself, but it had been in my closet when I’d arrived. Albert did things like that. He’d probably never stop treating me like a prize he’d won. That was all right. I didn’t mind. It made him smile, and that was enough.

  He sat back in his chair, turning around to see me. Albert had a grin on his face that told me he had a plan. Of course, like a little girl, I was fascinated to discover what it was. Albert’s ideas were generally extravagant. At least it would be entertaining.

  “What’s that look in your eyes?” I asked.

  He smirked. “We’re going out tonight.”

  I smiled back. “Where?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he teased.

  I rolled my eyes playfully. “Fine.”

  He laughed. “Go look in your room.”

  I raised my eyebrows in confusion before standing up and hurrying to my bedroom. I knew he was enjoying surprising me. As I walked up the stairs and down the hallway to my room, his footsteps were behind me. Maybe I could persuade him to stop working for a while. That would be nice. When had I become a giddy teenage girl?

  I opened the door to my princess-like room to discover a long, silk gown upon my bed. It was a dark green color that was designed to frame my body until it reached my knees, where it would flare out in a river of smooth material across the floor. I reached out to touch the dress. It hadn’t been in the closet before; this was new. Beside it lay a jacket made of black fur and a pair of silver, lace-up heels.

  Albert’s hands landed on my waist as he placed a gentle kiss on my neck. I smiled, reaching up to touch his messy curls. He sighed softly as he leaned in toward me.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said.

  He smiled. “I thought it would look nice on you.”

  I turned around and grinned. “Where are we going?”

  “I’m not telling you,” he replied.

  I bit my lip. “Why not?”

  He smirked. “Because it’s so much fun watching you try to figure it out.”

  Albert had gone back to his room to get ready. We’d spent most of the day at the townhouse. He’d shown me his books of research on both of our families’ histories. I was fascinated to see exactly who I was. From my Georgian roots to my Bourbon past, it all made sense. My bright blue eyes were so French. My pale skin and rosy lips certainly added to the look. My black hair was far more Anglo-Saxon, but Albert had found that in my genealogy too.

  I imagined what he was doing in his room. Probably putting on one of his suits. Maybe black to match my jacket, with a green tie to go with my dress. His dark eyes would gleam in the candlelight of his bedroom. And when he came to find me, he’d be gorgeous.

  I’d tried to look my best. The dress certainly helped with that. It was sleeveless, showing off my shoulders and collarbone. I’d never paid so much attention to my neck before. I still wore the diamond earrings Nina had given me. They looked wonderful with the silver heels. The dress was tight, but not so much that it hurt. It certainly didn’t feel like a corset. My chest was propped up, allowing my abdomen to look even thinner than usual. I’d worn a thick, red lipstick that was almost too dark. The color was blood-like, more so than I’d expected.

  Staring at myself in the mirror, I realized something. With my black curls, pale skin, red lips, and slender form, I honestly looked like a vampire. I’d never appeared so vampire-like as I did in this satin dress that made me feel like a model. But right now, I didn’t mind. Usually, I preferred to look human. It made me feel more normal. And with James, I’d tried to pretend.

  With Albert, I could be a vampire. He and I were the same. It wasn’t strange that I survived on blood or never slept. My habits weren’t inconvenient or odd. When I kissed him, I didn’t have to worry. He was even more vampire than I. Albert had been living this way for over a hundred years. To him, this was life. I wasn’t a freak show or something out of the ordinary. To him, I was just Anne.

  It didn’t have to make sense to me. I was okay with the fact that this had spiraled into something out of my control. I was in love with him, and I knew that. Maybe I had been for most of the time I’d known him. Who knew how long I’d felt something for him? There was something intrinsic about us. It was natural, even easy. And he loved me. Albert truly adored me, and I enjoyed it. I wanted to be loved. And with him, I didn’t have to hide.

  I heard the door open and turned around to greet him. My jacket was still laying on the bed, and I wore nothing more than the gorgeous dress that made me feel beautiful. He approached me with a look of awe on his face.

  “You are incredible,” he whispered.

  He was only inches away from me, and I reached up to kiss his cheek. “So are you.”

  He was dressed as I’d predicted. I was starting to understand him. He wasn’t as much of a puzzle as he pretended to be. When he was with me, he showed his true self. We understood each other like that. Our souls were linked. We were connected in a way I didn’t understand. Our energy matched.

  He leaned down to reveal a silver choker with a single ruby hanging from it and clipped it around my neck. I didn’t know what to say. Reaching up, I felt the ruby against my neck. It was about the same color as my lips.

  “I wanted you to have it,” he whispered.

  “Where did you get it?” I asked.

  He smiled. “It was my mother’s.”

  My mouth fell open. “Shouldn’t this belong to your sister?”

  He shook his head. “She didn’t like it. Hazel said it wasn’t really her style.”

  “I’m not sure I should take it,” I replied.

  He took my face in his hands. “Anne, we went over this. You said yes to me. You said yes to our forever. It’s all yours. Anything I have belongs just as much to you as it does to me. And one day, I’ll prove that.”

  My breathing was heavy. I didn’t know what to do. He was so much more than I’d ever imagined. This was a man who loved his family, who deserved to have one of his own. But we never could. It was impossible. Yet he so, so deserved this love. I would give him everything.

  “You are more than I ever thought I’d have,” I whispered.

  He placed a light kiss on my lips. “I’m still not as much as you deserve.”

  ~*~

  London was alive at night. A fog had descended over the city, but it was still beautiful. In fact, the mist made it almost ethereal. We drove through an area with shops, bars, and restaurants that were so full of people I wondered if they ever slept. Men and women bustled around dressed for parties. The nightlife was brilliant.

  Eventually, we reached an area that was far less populated. It wasn’t run down, though. The street was calm. Pretty townhouses with flower-filled yards and pretty lanterns lined the road. Soft light floated out a few of the windows as the curtains blew in the breeze. It was a lovely setting. The night was mysterious and grand, beautiful and calm. I wanted to stay here. It deserved to be painted and written about. I was starting to love London. It wasn’t Savannah, but it was something almost as wonderful.

  We stopped in front of a tall, gothic building where a valet took the car. The building was lit by dim candles. Albert opened the tall, elegant wooden doors, and we stepped into a carpeted entry room. Within were lanterns that illuminated the small foyer. Albert took my jacket and hung it on one of the many hangers.

  I felt as if I’d stepped into a medieval masterpiece. The wooden floor was covered in a dark red carpet. The walls were shadowy with few windows and decorated with portraits. The paintings were old. The newest ones seemed to be Victorian, and the older ones had to be from before the Renaissance. Each inch of the room seemed as if it held a million memories.

  Albert took my hand and led me down the hallway. As we continued, I began to hear voices. They weren’t human but rather vampire. The syllables were slick and smooth. I’d never heard so many vampires together before. The house was devoid of human blood. I could relax.

 

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