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Chapter 69
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Declan:
Declan watched Cassidy sleep. She was up all day, turning the house upside down looking for him. After the way he had left, he didn’t blame her. She sometimes forgot that it was nearly impossible for him to die, and that which could kill her, couldn’t kill him. She thought he had crawled off to die somewhere alone, like a sick dog.
The relief when she saw him alive was such that she cried for hours while he held her. He had never seen her so upset, and he suspected as the war went on he would see more of it – her sunny, joyful exterior was nothing but a thin veneer for the deep fear she must have felt every waking moment.
Once, he reached out to feel how Aster was coping…she was extremely frustrated, which he expected – learning how to use her gifts wasn’t going to be easy. Then he blocked her out again.
He honestly thought he’d be ecstatic when she woke up, and for a split second when she said his name again after seven years
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Aster: Declan already waited for her when she got out of the shower, sitting on the bed with his legs spread wide open, a sheathed sword next to him. On the nightstand were three plant pots and a paper envelope. ”What’s up?” she asked. She walked up to the bed, thought about it, and sat on the chair instead. Being close to him yet unable to touch him just contributed to her general misery, and she had had enough. “I come bearing gifts,” he said and grinned. Aster gave him a strained smile, and watched as he pulled a small red, velvet jewellery box from his pocket. “Rowan sent your father away on an errand of some kind. He left you this. It was your mother’s.” The room was small enough that all he had to do was lean over to hand it to her. With shaking hands, she opened the box and stared at her mother’s emerald engagement ring. As a little girl, she used to watch her mom slip the ring on her finger when she got ready to go out, and sh
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Declan: “What do you want to talk about?” he asked. She climbed knees first onto the bed, folding her legs under her, pushing unruly hair back from her face. “I don’t know…tell me about Rowan. How much did he know about what Cyrus had done to my family?” Declan had expected that she would ask the question sooner or later. He got up and retrieved a brush from the dresser. Sitting behind her, he put a leg on either side and started brushing her hair. “He was the one who found you, and convinced Cyrus that having an elemental on our side would be a good idea.” “How? Why?” “It’s simple really. You know why Rowan wanted an elemental…but he told Cyrus that an elemental could wipe out the human’s food supply, while at the same time maintaining it for the vampires, which would make the humans reliant on the vampires. The ones who control the food control the world after all. There’s nothing more dangerous than a starving human. Rowan
His Vampire Bride Chapter 72
Aster: Over the next two months, her nights blended together into a predictable pattern. Declan came by every evening with a blood bag, they’d sit and talk for a few hours, then he’d leave. She didn’t ask him for physical affection again, nor did he offer it. The only reason she did it that once was because her ancestor, Deborah, insisted that it would awaken her powers – and she was right. When Aster kissed Declan and the love she felt for him destroyed the ever-present anger, the plant bloomed…it took no effort at all, as long as she redirected her love to the seed. The vampires that tried to teach her didn’t fully understand – it wasn’t about commanding the seed to bloom, it was about loving it to life. Likewise, she could literally hate the plants to death. At some point, she lost track of when, Eros returned. He’d come by every so often and take her out – why Declan couldn’t do it, she never asked, nor did she particularly care. She enjo
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Declan: Declan woke with a start, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. Next to him, Cassidy sat upright, clutching the sheet to her chest, her eye wide. Panicked, he grabbed his sword, and dressed only in his underwear ran from the room. “Stay here,” he told her on his way out, “lock the door.” A determined vampire would get in eventually, but like all the other doors in the house, this one was reinforced against supernatural attacks. He ran downstairs, vampires peeling from their rooms, joining him. The fight started outside, but the enemy easily broke through their daytime defences. The only way they could have been here this soon after sunset was if they had spent the day close by in the forest or mountains. Declan didn’t have time to think about it. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do in case of an attack, and he had one job – protect Aster. The vampire that stormed him was about half his age and clumsy. Swingi
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Declan – Part two:Declan stared at her, his mouth open, for the moment unable to speak. He turned to Rowan who asked, “Did you know she could do that?” He heard the panic in his father’s voice.“No.”Aster turned to them, her face calm. “It’s because I’m a vampire. I’m stronger than a human elemental.”“It makes sense,” Rowan said.Hm-hm,” Declan said, wiping blood out of his eyes. “Samuel,” he called down the passage. His brother reappeared, the grief laid bare on his face. “How is Matthew?”Samuel looked around the passage, his mouth agape, apparently unaware of the Armand blood rain. “He’s barely alive. What happened?” he asked.“Aster vaporised Armand,” Declan said, and slowly the panic that gripped him right after she killed the ancient vampire started to evaporate, replaced b
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Aster:She dressed in the same type of clothes she had worn for the last three weeks. Black leggings and a white t-shirt. “We really need to find you something different to wear,” he remarked as he tied a towel around his waist.“It’s fine,” she said, “it’s comfortable.”Aster looked him up and down, her eyes traveling over his perfect body. It had been so long since she really saw him – since she’d been touched – that she didn’t want to leave this little room ever again. Now that he was here, really here, it didn’t feel so claustrophobic anymore. They could stay here forever, alone in their little bubble. “What?” He asked, running his hands through his wet hair.She grinned. “Just looking at my hot husband.”He flexed his pectorals, making them jump. “Not bad for a fourteenth century monk, huh?”Aster laughed. S
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Declan: In the back of the house were a bar and restaurant that was now going unused. Like the rest of the mansion, it was rustic yet tasteful, with heavy wooden furniture and hidden lights bathing the whole place in a warm glow. Declan stepped behind the bar and started lining up glasses while Matthew disappeared to fetch his brides. Aster sat to the side on a barstool, observing them, her back straight, hands neatly folded in her lap. He remembered the day she pulled her clothes from the closet and declared she didn’t want to look like an heiress anymore – but it wasn’t the clothes that gave her that appearance, it was in the way she carried herself. “Do you want a drink?” She shook her head. “I think it would be best if I stay sober, so I can keep a clear mind.” Declan lifted himself up and leaned over the bar so he could kiss her. “We really never had time to explore any of this, did we?” he asked, somewhat breathless after their
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Declan:Cursing and moaning and groaning all the way, Declan got up. “Stay here,” he said, as he pulled the t-shirt over his head.“Think again.” She rolled off the bed, cocking her head at him, daring him to argue with her.“Aster I--”he stopped, changed course, --“you’re right. You can look after yourself just fine.”“Damn straight I can.”He grinned. “Let’s go.”“You don’t have a weapon,” she said, as she ran up the stairs behind him.“Don’t worry, I’ll find one.”They ran into the lobby to find their clan standing on the one side and a mixed group of unknown vampires and humans on the other.“What’s going on?” Declan asked the vampire closest to him.“I don’t know,” she said, “they just came stumbling in from outside.”
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His Vampire Bride Thank you
Dear readers, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read Declan and Aster's story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for your support and love. It means the world to me, and I hope to see you all soon with the next one. Please feel free to leave a comment if you liked this story. I always love hearing from my readers. Remember: All writers love their readers, we would be nothing without you -- you are the engine that makes a writer's world go 'round. Much love, Celice
His Vampire Bride Epilogue
The old man sat on his balcony, looking at the beach bathed in the soft blue moonlight. It was a beautiful night, but a full moon, which meant all manner of creatures were about. Ever since that blasted vampire war fifty years ago, all sorts had been crawling out of the darkness, wouldn’t you know? It didn’t matter how many times that vampire, Rowan Watchamacallit, went on the news and every talk show known to man, just to keep telling the humans that they had nothing to fear, he knew better. He was old enough to remember that war, remembered the roving vampires that came through his town and tore his wife’s throat out. He didn’t forget and forgive that easily. The humans hadn’t been idle. They had been developing weapons that were strong enough to kill vampires. He had one. A gun that could take a vampire’s head off with one shot. It wasn’t technically speaking legal to kill vampires, but their bodies evaporated fairly quickly once the sun hit it, and no body, no ev
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Declan:He kissed her until the tension left her body, and the doubts she felt earlier released her. It was like that first time, when the world outside faded to dull insignificance, and all that mattered were the two of them, wrapped in each other’s arms, safe in their bubble.Declan didn’t understand what it was he felt the first time they had sex, but he understood it now. It was the completion of the bond. He could feel it as he pushed inside her. The way the bond united them, how it knitted them together, tying her soul to his and his to hers. The two halves becoming one. And it was stronger now than before. Much stronger.As she opened up under him, giving herself to him so completely that he didn’t even know where she began and he ended, he knew that this was forever. He would never, could never, break their bond. When her eyes filled with tears, and he felt the burden she had been carrying around lift from her shoulders
His Vampire Bride Chapter 103
Aster:Aster sat up, her head pounding and bladder throbbing. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the floor in the lobby with Declan, trying not to scream as her injuries healed. After that, nothing.Declan sat on the armchair, naked from the waist up, watching her with an amused smirk. It had been days since he was there when she woke. “Don’t you need to work?”“Don’t you need to pee?” he retorted.Shooting nasty glances his way, she went to the bathroom, taking a quick shower while she was there, and hoping that he would be gone by the time she was done. She was embarrassed by her actions the previous night, and she didn’t know how to look him in the eye.Wrapping a towel around herself, she went back to the bedroom, just to find that she wasn’t that lucky. Declan still sat where she had left him. “Blood’s on the bed,” he said a mischievous glint in
His Vampire Bride Chapter 102
Declan: Declan gasped, and dropped his pen. Aster very quickly cycled from jealous to angry to a soul-crushing sadness that threatened to eat her alive. Their connection was growing stronger – it would probably have been completely restored by now if they could spend some time together, but the logistics of Maximillian’s estate and the vampire council occupied him non-stop. She wasn’t in any danger, and she didn’t call out to him. Sighing, he blocked her out and pulled more paperwork towards him. There were hundreds of requests from sheriffs and smaller families in need of help, and Lucas wanted to help all of them. Saw it as his sacred duty as the new head of the most powerful family in the region. Declan had to keep reminding his cousin that the only reason they became the most powerful family, was because Maximillian knew when to say yes and when to say no. Lucas needed a lot of mentoring, and with no elders around to guide him, Declan did
His Vampire Bride Chapter 101
Aster:Aster strolled through the hotel, greeting the other vampires that not three weeks ago were so scared of her that they could barely look at her, but now finally treated her like family. Most of their allies had left, leaving the hotel mostly open, but the place was destroyed, because there had been simply too many people living in it.When they arrived in Slovakia, Declan asked her to take care of the humans, help as many of them get back home as she could, but a lot of them didn’t want to leave. Their homes weren’t destroyed; it wasn’t a war that was fought with bombs and guns, but many lost their families in vampire attacks. Others came to love their vampires masters, and simply refused to leave, even after their familiar oaths were broken.She walked from room to room, looking at the progress of the renovations and clean-up process. With a lot of the vampires gone, and because most of the humans were injured and traum
His Vampire Bride Chapter 100
Declan: Declan stood in the dark, overgrown garden, leaning against a tree, watching Aster where she lay flat on her back next to the stream, her hand dangling in the water. It had been two nights since the witch helped them reform their bond, but their connection wasn’t very strong yet. It was like a weak battery, waiting to be recharged, and he had no idea how long that would take. Still, all he could think about was her, which he took as a good sign. After a few minutes, he stepped out of the darkness and walked up to her, squatting by her side. “Hello, beautiful.” Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she gave him a dazzling smile. That smile soothed his aching heart more than she’d ever know. He leaned over and kissed her, feeling the spark trying to ignite the fire in his heart, but not quite getting there. “You still hate it inside the castle, huh?” “Yes,” she answered. “Too many ghosts.” “Don’t they just follow you?”
His Vampire Bride Chapter 99
Aster: Aster only had one thought running through her mind as she drifted off to sleep. I want him back. Even in her sleep, it was all she could think about, and as she slipped deeper into the darkness, she dreamed about Declan calling to her, telling her to come back to him. ** She hears him calling out to her. He’s somewhere out there in the darkness. “Come to me,” he pleads, “find me.” “Where are you?” she calls back. “I can’t see.” The place is too dark. The kind of darkness that grabs you and won’t let go. The kind of darkness she only experienced once before: in the in-between. “Aster!” Declan screams. “Find me. Come to me.” “I can’t see anything,” she sobs into the darkness. “Why can’t you come to me?” “I’m stuck. Please. Find me.” He sounds so desperately afraid. So lonely. In turn, Aster’s heart cries out to him. She wants to feel his strong, comforting arms around her.
His Vampire Bride Chapter 98
Declan: This wasn’t Declan’s first war, and it wouldn’t be his last. Every once in a while vampires would get in a strop and start killing each other. Maybe it was nature’s way of keeping their numbers down. This was the first war that easily killed half his family though, and he wasn’t quite sure how to deal with it. He lay on his side, staring at Aster, tracing the outline of her face with his fingers. Neither of them spoke, there was nothing to say. Words of comfort rang hollow, discussing the war so soon after it ended was too raw and excruciating, and he didn’t want to talk about his feelings. “I wish I could feel you,” he whispered. “Me too.” He gave her a tight smile and sighed. He didn’t know what hurt worse – the death of his family members, his mother and brother, or the broken bond. It all just blended together into one, big, brutal, open wound. For no reason, and without any conscious thought that he was about to d
