Knowing that she was no longer in Italy, I moved my search to France. As I stood at the Trocadéro, my eyes zipping past at superhuman speed, zooming in and out, and dismissing each female, I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. I was looking for a needle in a haystack.
She could be anywhere in modern Europe or Asia or anywhere in the Americas. Hell, she could be living in a tiny shack at the bottom of the world for all I knew.
I didn't want to admit defeat, but I heard back from Von that Vladimir had been spotted in our Territory again. Human killings had started to escalate over the last few years. In a twist of sick fate, the human media had dubbed the killer "Vampire Slayer" after finding puncture wounds on the victims’ necks and their bodies drained of blood. They touched on similar killings that had occurred over the last few decades, but I knew they had records of killings going back centuries. I was not surprised that they failed to mention them, no doubt sticking to a reemergence of a serial killer or a copycat.
Their tiny minds would not allow them to consider a supernatural element. That literal monsters walked among them.
After the murders of King Artemis and Queen Sarai, the Kings joined forces and retaliated, killing most members of the BloodKin. Vladimir, a powerful, old Vampire and the most vocal opposition to the Treaty of ManKind, had been fingered as the leader and creator of their group. He had escaped and hid underground before popping up now and then with a new army of followers in an attempt to overthrow the Treaty. This was the longest he had re-surfaced, and it was hard not to wonder if his reemergence had anything to do with a King finding his fated mate.
So with great reluctance, I returned home, my beating heart torn in two.
Chapter 5
Alice
"Babe?"
I jerked at the sound of David's voice, mortified that he was here. Despite the heat, I was curled up in a ball with the hotel bedding pulled up to my shoulders. When I turned and lifted my head, he winced when he spied my red-rimmed, swollen eyes.
"I told Bonnie not to contact you," I croaked.
He shook his head as he leaned over me. "She was worried about you. Said you were sobbing and rambling incoherently. What's wrong, baby?" He pushed my hair back; concern etched in his features.
"It was nothing," I denied. "Just a nightmare." A nightmare that felt so real that I immediately crumbled in devastation when I woke.
David's face blanched. "You haven't had one of those in a while."
I sat up, lifting my knees and pulling my legs close to my body as I searched through my jumbled thoughts. "I know. But this one felt different. It-it seemed so real."
David frowned as he sat next to me, reaching out to give my knee a comforting rub. "What was it about?"
I shook my head, feeling silly. "I don't know. I just felt…like a deep sadness when I woke up." I swallowed hard. "Fear."
His movements stopped, and I felt his hand squeeze my knee. "You're not…getting cold feet, are you?" He slowly asked.
My head popped up. There was a look of worry on my fiancé's face, and I cursed Bonnie for waking him. The last thing I wanted was to worry him.
"No! No, I want to marry you."
And I did. He was my home; I'd be lost without him. He was the one who finally gave me a purpose. We were great together, we cheered each other's dreams, we supported each other, and he'd been so lovingly patient with me. I couldn't lose him.
He blew his breath out, his smile relieved as he reached out to stroke my cheek affectionately. "Good. Take a sleeping pill, baby. It might help."
I gave him a small smile. "Okay."
He pressed a gentle kiss to my mouth. "Love you, can't wait until you're officially Mrs. Harper."
Mrs. Alice Harper. Truthfully, I couldn't wait, either. I'd have my best friend, who I genuinely loved, and I'd be part of a family.
I returned his kiss enthusiastically. "I'll see you at the altar."
***
Acheron
The sound of my roar could be heard throughout the Kingdom. It was deep, guttural, and full of rage. Birds scattered,and Vampires took cover, afraid of what or who had set their King off.
I stormed into my forecourt and flew to my throne.
