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I rose slowly and approached him, my fresh clean red dressing gown sweeping the floor behind me. He reached out and gripped my throat tightly in one hand. His nails bit into my tender flesh as I whimpered.

In one swift, violent motion, he dragged me against him and kissed me roughly. I merely allowed him to kiss me and did not respond to his passion. His fingers painfully took hold of my hair as he dragged back my head and bit into my throat. He drank two great draughts, then violently released me, letting me fall to the ground.

“I taste only you,” he said at last.

“What else would you taste?” I demanded angrily.

“I dreamed you were with…” He hesitated, and I knew he had almost spoken a name. , “…another. ”

“I drink from men and woman all the time. Why would you fret now?”

Vlad laughed: a dark sinister sound. “I dreamt you were with another vampire. ”

I scoffed at this. “You have never introduced me to any vampires other than my sisters. ”

He loomed over me, great and dark, terrifying and powerful. “I will not share you with any other. Do you understand? No mortal, no vampire. No one. ”

I lay on the floor where he had dropped me, gazing up at him. “Yes, I understand. ”

Like a great bird, he swooped down on me, his cape flowing out around us, darkening the room for a moment. His green eyes were vivid and full of anger. “I dreamed that you betrayed me. I will not allow that. I cannot. You are my wife. ”

“The first among your Brides,” I corrected.

“No. My only Bride. I denounce the others. Let them rot in their hunger. You alone are my wife from this night on and I will not share you with any other,” Vlad said firmly.

“You do not love me and do not pretend to. You are only tired of my sisters and will soon find yourself more brides such as the Baroness. ”

Vlad laughed at this. “And you will still be my first. ”

“I am your pawn. I know this. I consider myself nothing more than that. ”

“Then you are wrong,” Vlad said with a chuckle.

I shrugged, attempting to not seem as terrified as I felt.

With the swiftness of a cobra, he once more held my throat captive in his cold hand. “You are mine. Do not forget this. ”

Then he was gone from my room with the swirl of his cape and a dark laugh.

Now, he sleeps in our secret room. I will soon join him for the sun is above the horizon and despite the safety of our darkened home, I can feel the suns power pressing down on me to slumber.

What does this all mean? I do not know.

There is a great sorrow in my heart as I fear I shall never be with my beloved Ignatius again. Considering the dark prophecy of the Fallen, perhaps this is for the best. I could not bear to be the instrument of Ignatius’ end.

Now Vlad is suspicious of me and I fear he will thwart me if I attempt to see Ignatius.

Of course, to complicate matters even more, Ignatius and Vlad are of the same blood! This is all madness! Madness! And I, of course, have somehow found my way to the center of the storm.

Chapter 32

The Journal of Lady Glynis Wright

25th of April, 1820

Buda, Hungary

Perhaps it is part of my new nature to have terrible dreams. I have had nightmares since the night I was created by Vlad’s blood. But the last few nights since Vlad’s return the dreams have been vicious and terrifying.