Page 197 of Vampires of Eden

I turn away from the mirror to face Alexander. “Do I look like a proper vampire? Like Dracula?”

Alexander looks me over approvingly. “You do—but contemporary. Dracula as the owner of a private and affluent art gallery. Very hot.”

Grinning, satisfied, I check myself in the mirror one last time.

The tailoring of my suit is razor sharp. Black on black with a satin tuxedo stripe down the pants legs. I also asked the tailor for a cloak because I’ve always wanted one, but never had a reason to own or wear it. The material is also black and floats heavily down to my ankles. The inside of the cape is a rich, midnight blue. It is perfection.

Alexander’s tuxedo is traditional black and white, but he looks fucking delicious and luxurious. He didn’t want to be dramatic with me and get a matching cape, but the inside of his jacket is discreetly the same lush and dark blue as the inside of my cloak. I love it.

“Are we ready?” Alexander steps into my side, speaking lowand leaning as he wraps an arm around my waist. He litters kisses on my neck and beneath my ear.

“Yes,” I say, sighing and raising my chin. I inhale to fill myself with his heady scent. Basking in his warmth and citrus glow that’s part of me now.

“Wait, no,” I say pulling myself together because I had almost forgotten something.

“No?” Alexander asks, confused as I step out of his grasp and toward my nightstand drawer. My cloak floats behind me as I move, creating its own drama and flair. I open the drawer and take hold of the small, black-velvet box inside that I’ve been hiding for the past few days.

After taking a deep breath, I turn toward Alexander. “I got something for you. For us.”

He closes the distance, meeting me where I stand. “What is it?”

I glance down at the box in my hands because I’m nervous about this. I’m not sure how he’ll take this gesture given the history of it, but… I wanted to try. “You used to wear those gold bands on your right hand, remember?”

His body tenses in surprise. “Yeah,” he says cautiously. “Of course.”

I swallow and it feels thick in my throat. “Well, when I asked you about it, you said it was a ridiculous sentiment but…. I think it’s romantic. And I think you feel the same way, but you were embarrassed at the time. So I… I got these.”

Gently, I flip the top of the box open, presenting it to him as if I have a clam and there’s a pearl inside. Except there’s no pearl. There are two onyx-stone rings. One is a smooth, lush green, the color of a mossy pond at the height of summer. The other is black like the darkest, moonless night. Both of them glint in the fading golden sunlight of my room.

“We may be different on paper, Alexander. Aesthetically and to the natural eye. But on the inside—at our cores and in the waysthat matter—we’re cut from the same stone. The same layered structure and composition.”

My heart is in my throat as he stands, staring at me in silence.

If we weren’t bonded, I’d be worried because I might assume he was upset about this. But since we share an intimate connection, I know he isn’t upset. He’s overwhelmed.

Alexander steps into me, lifts his hands to hold my face and kisses me so softly that my body might liquify into a messy puddle. The warmth and sincere tenderness of his lips touching mine could send me oozing right through the floorboards.

He pulls away and his eyes are alighted and beautiful, which triggers mine as well. “Thank you,” he whispers. “I love it. They’re perfect. Which one is mine? Should I choose?”

I smile. “I had the green one fitted for you specifically. The black one is mine, of course. Hello?” I gesture with a nod down toward my outfit.

He chuckles. “How did you know my ring size?”

“I took it when you were asleep and after you fed from me last week. You sleep really hard after you feed.”

“It’s the best sleep of my life.” He looks down at the two rings and takes a breath. “May I try it on?”

“Let me.” I remove his ring from its velvety compartment. He takes the box from me with his right hand as he offers his left. I slip the ring onto his finger. Perfect fit. When it’s secured, he re-opens the box and offers the same courtesy to me.

He lifts his left hand, examining the ring in the light flooding the room. “What are they made of?”

“Onyx.”

“I didn’t know onyx came in green.”

“The world is full of surprises, my sweet prince.”

“Oi! Did you two hear me? Raphael is here!” Leoni’s voice is shrill from downstairs. It makes us both jump as we exchange a grin. Alexander’s gaze turns dreamy as he takes hold of my ringed hand, securing my palm within his own.