PlotlumeThree years into our contract marriage, my vampire CEO husband Lucien had sent me to the cold vault ten times, and I had stabbed him with a cross eleven.
Because every time I went after his commoner first love, he lost his mind and froze every company in my name.
Then came the fire at the Paris estate. Afterward we lay in two hospital beds, side by side.
From the next bed, he took my hand:
"No more fighting, Celeste."
"I'll send her away. From now on we'll run the company together."
I watched him pull out one of his own fangs and set it in my ring, and I burned the divorce papers.
His first love, Talia, was sent out of the country that same day.
Four years after we reconciled, on our seventh anniversary, the Vampire Senate summoned me.
A couple had petitioned to have their child entered in the royal pureblood registry.
The father was Lucien. The mother was Talia.
He stood in front of the three-year-old child:
"She's a commoner. She has no standing. I have to give the child a future."
Four years since we reconciled. A three-year-old love child.
The Senate elders urged me to be grateful that at least he'd known to keep out of sight of his wife's spies.
I took out the vampire law code I had used four years ago to strip a man of his inheritance:
"Then let her take her place as his lawful wife, openly."
1
Talia, holding the three-year-old boy, slapped a genetic test report down on the Senate's long table.
"Elders, my son is one hundred percent royal pureblood!"
"Celeste has held the position of wife for seven years and hasn't produced so much as an egg. Under the ancient laws of blood, my son should be first in line to inherit!"
The elders around the table whispered to one another. The murmurs echoed through the hall.
I opened the code in my hand and didn't even look up.
"Book Three, Article Eight of the vampire code states that a royal pureblood gene sequence contains seventy-two sets of recessive markers."
"Miss Talia, your report shows only thirty-six. Did you have it forged by a vet on the black market?"
Talia's face went red as liver. She reached out to snatch the report back.
"You're lying! Lucien had this done by a top lab!"
I held the report down and then raised it for the chief elder to see.
"Forging proof of royal blood is punished, by law, with the removal of both fangs and exile to the Nightlands."
"Guards! Throw this commoner, who claims royal blood that isn't hers, out of here!"
Two enforcement guards stepped up at once, took Talia by the arms and dragged her toward the door.
The boy in her arms burst into frightened wails. Talia struggled so hard that one of her heels came off.
"Lucien! Save me! Celeste is going to kill my son!"
Lucien had been chatting with a noble nearby. At her cry he rushed over and shoved the guards away.
He pulled Talia and the boy into his arms and roared at me.
"Celeste! Are you done yet?"
I closed the code, turned and walked out of the Senate hall.
I had just gotten back to the main hall of the estate when Lucien caught up and grabbed my wrist.
His grip was hard. His nails dug into my skin.
"What was that at the Senate today? Why did you humiliate a mother and child in front of everyone?"
I shook him off and looked at the red mark on my wrist.
"She brought a fake report to try to take my place and steal a slot in the royal line. I dealt with it by law. What's the problem?"
Lucien loosened his tie and defended Talia.
"It's Talia's first time being a mother. She's anxious. What's wrong with trying to get her child a few advantages?"
"You're the vampire queen. Can't you be a little more gracious?"
I was so angry I laughed out loud.
"Your first love, sent out of the country four years ago, comes back with a three-year-old love child to force her way in, and you want me to put up with it?"
Lucien looked me up and down and let out a sneer.
"Of course. You're barren. You can't even lay an egg. How could you understand what a mother goes through?"
"If you could give me a son or a daughter, would I have to make Talia suffer like this?"
Something in my head snapped.
Shaking all over, I slapped Lucien across the face.
The crack of it rang out. His face jerked to one side, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
I tore open the collar of my blouse. The buttons scattered on the floor.
Below my collarbone, an ugly, twisted old scar was laid bare.
I pointed at it and screamed at him.
"Lucien, open your eyes and look!"
"Who was I saving back then, when the hunters' holy water burned away my womb and left me unable to have children?"
Lucien looked at the scar and went rigid.
He opened his mouth and reached out to touch my collarbone.