Page 23 of Wedlock (Vampire Bachelor Games #3)

I know it’s a risk. It’s a big fucking risk. But I have to take it.

Looking out the window this morning I’d been flabbergasted to see Falcon, cloaked all in black, running in daylight from his limo into the castle. I’m not sure if I’m mistaken, but I thought he’d seen me too, only he hadn’t acknowledged me in any way.

Less than half an hour later he’d left again, this time with a retinue of guards.

I imagine something crazy must be going on for him to be risking death in the sun and, moreover, to force his vampire guards, all of them, to do the same.

And I know he took all of them because I’ve been keeping count of how many he has for some time now.

I’ve given most of them nicknames based on their looks.

The inside, night guards, including his personal SWAT team, are vampires, but the daytime guards who look after the grounds are just normal humans.

Today only the humans remain, which means the castle hallways are clear, and this might be my chance to make a move.

Ever since Eleanor told me I have three years left to live, but refused to say why that length of time was important, I’d been determined to get to the one vampire who might tell me the truth.

If there’s any information that can help either me or my baby, I have to have it.

But now that I know Falcon isn’t even going to wait that length of time, since he’s back in the arms of an old vampire lover and planning on becoming a fucking king, I have no time to spare.

It’s been four days since Eleanor’s last visit to my rooms, which is unusual, and I’ve seen her leave the castle every day dressed in all her splendour, suggesting, I guess, that she’s visiting the Court.

I don’t know if she’s trying to figure out a way to make Falcon stick to his seat and give up his royal princess, or if she’s just securing her own future because she can see the writing on the wall.

But I’m jumping at shadows every second now that I know what’s going on, and I need to act.

I can’t escape, I’m bound by the bite to stay in this castle, but perhaps, just perhaps, I can save my baby.

Viper hadn’t prohibited that because when he’d bound me he hadn’t foreseen a pregnancy.

The only problem is the one vampire who might inadvertently give me some information which might unlock my ability to spirit my baby out of this castle, also knows I’m under Viper’s control.

She might be able to pass a message on from him.

If that happens I don’t know if by third-party control I’d be forced to undertake whatever order he gives.

I don’t know enough about obedience bites to know if he has to be in the room with me to give a directive — although I sense that might be the case.

I have to go on gut instinct on this one.

Either way, I’d tried to wrangle a visit from Asumpta through Eleanor, and failed. Now I have to get down to the kitchens through my own devices.

“Ah,” I smile at the nanny as she enters the room, “Eleanor said she was feeling a little headachy and asked if you could bring the baby to her suites today after the wetnurse has finished feeding him.”

“Oh? I’m not sure…”

“Yeah, she forgot to tell you, ah, migraine,” I shrug and give her a ‘you know how it is,’ look.

“Of course, My Lady,” she gives a little curtsy as I hand over the baby and walk to the door with her.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” I turn and run to the bed and then back to the door, a pacifier in one hand and a piece of ribbon concealed in the other. “Can’t forget this.”

I lean forward to pop it into the baby’s mouth, but fumble and deliberately drop it.

As she apologises and leans down to get it, I shove the ribbon into the lock mechanism of the door. The movement is so fast she doesn’t notice, although a length of the ribbon is clearly visible where it wouldn’t fit.

“Oh no,” I shake my head at the pacifier in her hand as she straightens up. “I guess I’d better wash it.”

“I have another,” she smiles, drawing a spare from her pocket and hastily giving it to the baby as he starts to fuss.

“Just in time.” I paste on a fake smile, stepping aside as she leaves and pulls the door shut behind her.

I don’t know what orders she has for keeping me locked in here, but she’s been diligently doing it since she was hired. And ever since the whole ‘dead mistress’ incident, Eleanor had been double-checking the lock too. But Eleanor isn’t around at the moment, and the nanny has fucked up.

Smirking like a maniac, I wait until I think she’s had enough time to make her way down the long corridor before giving the door a hard tug, and being rewarded with a quiet click as it comes open.