Authors: Melissa Schroeder
“Is there something wrong?”
Gray shook his head. “No, just…the woman. To think what she
has gone through and survived—most men would not have been able to think in a
situation like that. Admirable.”
Malik nodded. “Remember that when she awakens.”
“Why?”
“I have a feeling she isn’t going to be very receptive to
any of us for a long time.”
With that he headed off to the Blackburn’s townhouse.
Interrupting Nico’s honeymoon was not something he looked forward to, but once
he was done with it, he might be able to get some sleep.
*
*
*
*
Cordelia awakened slowly. She stretched her arms over her
head and winced. She was sore in places, especially between her legs. She
opened her eyes and found the room dark. There was a little bit of sun peeking
through heavy drapes.
It took just a second for Cordelia to remember where she
was. Nico’s house. No, her house. She lived here now. How did she go from being
plain old Cordelia to being Nicodemus Blackburn’s wife?
Before she could answer the question, the doors opened and a
maid’s head poked in.
“Ahh, Lady Cordelia, you are awake.”
She slipped into the room. Cordelia started to sit up but
then realized she wasn’t wearing anything. She pulled the bed linens up to her
neck.
“Mr. Blackburn told me to let you sleep, but it has been
hours and Mrs. Blackburn—meaning his mother—said to check on you.”
She was plump and young, probably no more than twenty if
that. She had blonde hair, bright green eyes, and one of those healthy
complexions you usually only saw on country misses.
“My name is Bessie, my lady. Mr. Blackburn assigned me to
you.”
“Nico…where is he?” she asked, trying to pretend not to be
utterly embarrassed—as if being completely naked with people walking around was
normal for her.
“He’s talking with Malik.”
For a moment, the use of Malik’s given name surprised her.
But she had never heard anyone use another name for him.
“Mr. Blackburn wanted me to help you with the facilities. He
wasn’t sure if you had used the plumbing.”
She nodded, wondering what she was supposed to do now.
Cordelia had grown up with servants, but it had been years since she had a
personal maid. In fact, it was before she had reached the age of thirteen.
“Ahh…”
The maid looked at her as if she were waiting for Cordelia
to say something.
“I need a robe.”
“Oh,” her eyes widened at the comment. “Of course.”
Bessie scurried over to the wardrobe and pulled out the
black silk robe Cordelia’s mother-in-law insisted on buying her. She laid it
carefully on the bed. “I will meet you in the bathing area.”
With that, she hurried off again. Cordelia sighed and tried
not to be embarrassed. To avoid thinking about it, she picked up the robe and
slipped it on. After tying the sash, she walked in the same direction as
Bessie. It took her longer than usual. The pain between her legs had increased.
She stepped into a passageway that led to a bathing room. On the other side of
the room sat a copper tub. Water was pouring out of a pipe extended from the
wall.
“Goodness.”
“I am amazed Mr. Blackburn did not show this to you last
night. But, being a man, he had other things on his mind.”
Cordelia’s face started to burn. When she said nothing,
Bessie glanced around.
"Oh, I am sorry, my lady. I am sometimes too talkative
for my own good."
Cordelia cleared her throat. "No worry."
She smiled. "That's good because I can tell you I was
excited when Mr. Blackburn appointed me to take care of you. The truth is,
there are a lot of people in our world who would kill to help a mate of a
Blackburn."
The odd speech caused Cordelia's mind to freeze. What was
she talking about? In their world...mate?
She opened her mouth to answer her, but Bessie turned off
the water. "I put some good salts in here that should help you. I am sure
you are a bit tender."
Cordelia nodded. "Thank you."
"I am going to go down and order some food for you. I
am sure you are famished."
Before she could say anything, the young woman curtseyed and
hurried out the door.
"Well," Cordelia said to an empty room.
She decided to make use of her privacy and slipped off the
robe. Gingerly, she stepped into the tub. At first it was a bit hot, but she
ignored it. Once she sat in the scented water, she sighed.
"Oh my."
The heat helped her muscles relax, her mind to drift. She
moved her head from one side to the other and felt a tug on the right side of
her throat. She lifted her hand and felt an indention in her flesh. She slipped
her fingers over the two tiny marks wondering about them, but the bath was too
tranquil. Within moments, she was dozing.
*
*
*
*
"The girl is awake?" Nico asked.
Malik nodded. "No."
“But Dr. Bingam thinks she will recover?”
Malik nodded. “He examined her, as did the midwife. They
believe she wasn’t raped.”
“At least there is that,” Nico’s father said.
“Her family has disowned her.”
“Bastards." Nico did not understand how parents could
do such a thing to their child.
“I never cared for them.” His father frowned. “Your mother
will come up with something by the time she recovers. That might be a while,
since I am sure her body needs rest. She needs to sleep. It will give her time
to heal, physically and mentally. I cannot even imagine what she has been
through.”
"Dr. Bingam said that we should just let her sleep, and
when she comes to, we are to give her tea and some gruel. It seems to be
helping her. Gray is a bit..."
"What?" Nico asked.
"I think he is getting a little obsessed with her. I am
not too sure that is a good thing."
"Obsessed? In what way?"
Malik shrugged. "I am not sure, but it is just odd the
way he acts like he is her protector."
Nico filed that bit of information away. “Is there anything
else?”
“Yes. I thought having your mother there would help.”
“Excellent, Malik,” his father said. “Adelaide will be happy
to help.”
"Good. If that is all, I would like to see my bride and
not be disturbed.”
Before he could leave, Malik stopped him. "There was
another killing last night. Not two blocks from Gray's house. The Alliance is
not going to be happy about it."
"No, but are they going to do anything about it?"
Nico asked sarcastically.
His father shook his head. "Our problem is that we are
too set in our ways. It is not doing any of us any good, especially not in a
time like this. They do not want to look at the idea of someone doing just what
Vlad did. Worse, there is a chance he has better knowledge. You know he has to
wonder what happened to Hurst."
Nico knew that, knew that he should be worrying about it.
His mind was on something else entirely.
"Talk to Gray to see if he can find some younger men to
help us. Then we might be able to plan some kind of surveillance on these
areas. Also, tell Gray I want him here tomorrow to discuss this. I want to map
out the killings and abductions. Maybe we can find some kind of pattern."
"That sounds like an excellent idea, son."
Nico’s mind returned to his mate. He’d only been away from
her a few minutes, and he already missed her. "I am off. I have been
married less that twenty-four hours, and I would like to at least spend a
little more time with my bride."
He left without waiting for an answer. Malik was worried.
Nico knew that and was worried too. There was nothing they could do without
some organization. That would take a day or two, and hopefully they would at
least have some breathing space before their killer struck again.
He took the stairs two at a time. There would be some
explaining today, but he was sure that she would not remember being bitten. The
serum from his fangs had taken care of that, and she would be healed. Still, he
could not allow her to operate within his world without knowing what he
was…what she was. Soon, her own abilities would start to appear, and that would
be frightening enough even knowing what she was.
By the time he reached the bedroom door, Bessie was slipping
out of it.
"Oh, Mr. Blackburn. Lady Cordelia is in the tub, dozing
a bit. I set the food tray on the table in the sitting area."
"Thank you, Bessie."
She curtseyed, which he had never seen happen in his house
before, and scurried down the corridor. He chuckled. He guessed having someone
of royalty in his house was changing a few perceptions.
Nico made his way to the bathing room and then stopped in
the doorway. She had her head resting on the edge of the tub. All her glorious
golden hair hung over the edge. The warm, humid air added a curl to it that he
found he liked.
"Are you going to continue to stand there?" she
asked.
"I didn't want to intrude on your privacy."
She opened her eyes. “If you were worried about that, you
wouldn’t be here. I would like to finish then I will join you in the bedroom.”
Being this close to her so soon after their initial mating
was awakening all his primitive instincts. It was in his genetic makeup to want
to be close to her. In fact, he couldn’t leave her alone if he wanted to. But
he didn’t. There was a part of him that knew it was a function of their mating
ritual. But there was a part of him that was intrigued by her. There was so
much he did not understand about her. He was sure once he did that the novelty
would wear off.
“Nico?”
He shook himself free of his thoughts. “I thought I might
join you.”
Her face had been flushed from the hot water, but now it
turned brighter. “I don’t think that is a very good idea.”
His body was ready for another joining. He did not need to
feed from her just yet, but his teeth were already trying to descend. It would
not be good for her. Cordelia would probably already be weakened by the feeding
he took last night.
He approached the tub and she turned around. Nico knew that
he was probably pushing her too much. Normally he took his time. He was known
as a connoisseur of women, one who knew how to seduce a lady. But with
Cordelia, he didn't seem to think straight. Not since the moment he had her in
his arms on the dance floor.
He pulled off his shirt and tossed it onto the floor. Then,
he squatted behind her and reached into the bath water. It was lukewarm at
best, telling him that she had been in there for a while.
"You might want to get out," he suggested. His
voice had deepened. He couldn't help wanting her, needing her.
"I will if you leave."
She said it so primly that he smiled. It was very unlike
Cordelia.
"I have seen you naked, my love." He pressed his
mouth against her neck. She shivered.
"Not in the daylight."
She sounded mortified.
"Love, I plan on seeing you in the daylight and the
moonlight. I would think you would appreciate the fact that I want to."
She stilled and her spine straightened. "So, I should
be grateful that you married me and want to actually bed me?"
He knew that tone. He had heard it from his mother a time or
two just before his father was verbally demolished.
"That is not what I meant."
"It sounded like you did."
He threw his arms up. "I cannot believe that you are
starting a fight with me about this."
She smacked her hand against the water. "Of course, it
is always the woman's fault."
She pushed away from him and stood. He couldn't respond
because his tongue was glued to the top of his mouth. He had seen her naked,
just as he had acknowledged, but as she said, he had never seen her in the
daylight. Water sluiced down her flesh. Her body was a work of art, full,
rounded, and beautiful with the morning light dancing over her slick skin.
Cordelia grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body. He
was already so far gone that he growled. She looked up at him, and her blue
eyes narrowed.
“Did you say something?”
He could not speak coherently. He shook his head.
She marched off out of the room and into her bedroom. He was
helpless to do anything but follow.
“I am sick to death of English men thinking women are lucky
to be married. Did I ask to be compromised? No, I did not. I was extremely
happy with my life the way it was.”
“You were? And how were you living your life?”
She stopped in her tracks and stared at him. “Excuse me?”
“How were you living? I know that your brother was not
supporting you, and Diana was not. So, where was the money coming from?”
“That has nothing to do with what I was talking about. I
will not be treated as if I should be thankful that you married me.”
The linen towel was plastered against her body, and he
licked his lips. He could make out the outlines of her nipples. He could
remember the way they tasted…how it felt to slip his tongue over the hardened
tip.
“Nico, are you listening to me?”
He shook his head again and started to walk toward her. She
was amazing before, but now she was magnificent.
“Nico!” She backed up and stopped when she hit the edge of
the bed.
“I cannot help myself, Cordelia.”
She rolled her eyes and snorted. “Truly.”
“
Truly
. You have
always intrigued me, but now…well, I like a woman who has some backbone. I
sense that we will have many fights in our future.”
Before she could respond, he grabbed her and tumbled them
both on the bed.