Nocturne

Chapter 1-2

“Cherie,” Vasyl soothed.

“You didn't tell me you were going to bite!” I swatted him with my bouquet. Pink and white rose petals showered all over the floor. Some stuck on his black suit. I noticed one pink petal perched on the opening of his shirt—he'd left the first three buttons undone, and wore nothing around his neck (and no socks or shoes). I became envious of that one little pink petal being so close to his bare chest, the black hairs begging me to pluck the offending petal off him—with my teeth. “I've changed my mind. I don't want to belong to anyone!”

“Mon amour. Do not be foolish!” he argued gently.

“Perhaps the young lady would like to—”

I swung around on Preacher Paul. “No! I would not!” He took two steps back as though I'd swung at him.

“Sabrina—”

“The wedding is off!” I threw the bouquet down at Vasyl's feet and twirled away.

Vasyl made an Uber-vampire move and got in front of me. He tried to hit me with his t****l. Son of a b***h! One long white satin glove no longer covered my right hand, and so I thrust it in his face. “I don't think so!” The words were barely past my lips when Vasyl went flying away from me, across the room, sailing over the two dozen werewolves seated on my side—who quickly ducked. Vasyl hit the wall and fell half crumpled to the floor. Unhurt, he rebounded quickly. The shock on his face said it all.

Oops. I looked at my hand. I had merely held up my un-gloved hand to Jett, the dark-haired man in the other world, but he didn't go flying. My action only stopped him from advancing on me. I must have been angry enough to make Vasyl go flying.

Cheers and applause went up as I stormed down the aisle. About time I'd gotten my head straight about marrying a vampire. Four people filed in behind me and marched with me toward the door.

“You tell him Sabrina!” Heath Sufferden, one of Tremayne's vampires, cheered and followed on my heels.

“Girl, you just kicked a*s!” Jeanie, my best friend, and newly turned vampire cooed, sidling up beside me. She was my bridesmaid, and Heath had stood in as the only groomsman. There hadn't been enough time to find people to stand up for us at the wedding. Leif, Heath's twin brother, shouldn't have shown up at all, but he had, and had brought his constant companion, Darla.

“I did, didn't I?” The adrenaline shooting through me felt oddly uplifting. Going into this wedding, I hadn't been sure it felt right. I knew now it wasn't. What I had just done felt freeing, telling me my decision to stop it was right. The heat on my face cooled significantly when I punched through the door of the hall, and clattered down the cement steps into the November night.

I halted three steps onto the sidewalk eyeing the white limo parked at the curb. A banner proclaiming “Just Married” across the back with blue and silver crepe ribbons fluttered in the breeze, under the pole lights in the parking lot.

I realized I hadn't driven here. I'd gotten a ride from Heath and Jeanie.

Turning to Jeanie, I threw her a questioning look.

“I say we go for a ride,” she said in her luscious, newly acquired purr, arching her brows under blond bangs dipped in red for the night's activities.

“It has been paid for,” I muttered, striding off. I had paid for the limo because Vasyl wouldn't have thought of it. Even though he was well over one thousand years old in vampire years, he still didn't know a thing about modern weddings. He'd told me he didn't care what I'd wanted, or how much it cost, and assured me he had money (I had imagined in a trunk hidden away somewhere filled with money, gold and jewels). I'd found my dress in a boutique. Vasyl had bought it—I don't know how or when, I only know that when I went to pick it up, it was already paid for. Here I'd thought he was a pauper, like everyone had been telling me. Not true. He came up with the eight hundred dollars (cash), as if he'd been sitting on it (again, the trunk full of money came to mind). The diamond ring he'd given me was the first surprise—I didn't know if he had bought it, or acquired it from ill-gotten goods. Vasyl seemed pious and unconcerned about clothes, and styles, and where he lived—he lived in a horse barn—so the whole money thing surprised me. He could have gotten it by inventive means. As a rogue master, he might have fealty paid to him by lesser vampires wanting his protection. That's the norm, especially for a rogue.

But I'd paid for the limo, so I was going to damned well use it! We all piled into the stretch limo. Darla remained hooked to Leif's hip like a leach. Believe me, it was good she remained his leach, since she always had a hungry eye for me. The entire vampire world seems to know my blood is sweet and irresistible. Exactly why—or one of the reasons why—I had agreed to marry Vasyl, for his protection. Okay, it didn't hurt that I had a thing for him. I'd spent from my early teens up to now (I'm twenty-one) dreaming of him and wondering who the hell he was. I learned he'd bitten me when I was ten, marking me as the sibyl. I would become his when I became old enough (which is what had happened). It all seemed to be set in granite, more or less. Problem is I'm the kind who doesn't go with the norm, or do what's expected of me. Maybe I was a rogue too. Or maybe, maverick would be a better term.

We all got situated in the limo. Jeanie sat across from me next to Heath. I sat alone. Had I'd gone through with the wedding, Vasyl would be sitting with me now. We'd be going to my place to get to know one another a lot better. He hadn't done more than some heavy petting—oh, and l*****g his bite on my arm, which gave me one gargantuan o****m.

“Cold feet, luv?” Leif smirked as the limo took off. Prior to the wedding, I'd given the driver directions to take me to my house. I hoped he still had the map. I'd heard stories of drivers being drunk on the job, but I checked him out—through my clairvoyant means—and knew he was sober.

I made a scathing sound in the back of my throat and glanced away from Leif. I was never a big fan of Leif's and even less now than I had been when I first met him. Especially since the night he'd attacked me. I guess it was my fault for not seeing the signs of his stalking me. Fortunately, I'd Wered-out on him and sliced into him with three-inch claws. That had pretty much stopped him.

My marriage to Vasyl did not set well with Tremayne, my boss, and former magnate of the eastern half of the North American Vampire Association. No surprise there.

I didn't know how I felt, really. Confused? A lot. Messed up? For sure. The only man I really had loved was dead. Dante had died from complications caused by his shifting too quickly from a rodent up to a human. There wasn't a day that went by I didn't find myself thinking about him, causing my heart to hurt and tears to drip from my eyes, and my nose to run. I didn't want to get involved with someone so soon. That had become apparent tonight. Vasyl had swooped in before I knew what Dante's condition was (after he'd left for the reservation in order to be healed), and asked me the “big question.” Something a girl dreams of though her childhood and into young adulthood. I had said yes because the guy I wanted couldn't be mine and remain alive (Tremayne would have killed him, because Dante was his scion).

I needed a break—a real break from everything and everyone who had been in my life for the past month or so. If I could stop the world and get off, now would be a good time.

A soft pop made me look over to find Leif held an opened champagne bottle. I didn't know if Vasyl could or would drink champagne, but I sure wasn't going to worry about it now.

Heath held out glasses, one at a time, to Leif as he poured. Once we each had a glass we sat there looking at one another for a few human heart beats.

“A toast!” Heath said finally, hoisting his glass up a little higher. “To Sabrina for not making a bad choice.”

“Here-here!” Leif cheered, and we all took a belt. I chugged mine and held out my glass, catching the dribble leaking out of my lips with one gloved finger.

“I second that!” Jeanie giggled, which made me spittle some before I swallowed.

“Oy, Sabrina, you'd better slow down, luv,” Heath said, not obliging me with more champagne.

“Aw, let her have some fun, mate,” Leif said. “I've always wanted to see her a little tipsy.” Darla turned and play-growled into his ear.

I couldn't read minds—I wasn't a mind reader, but a clairvoyant. Specifically a Touch Clairvoyant. However, I had a tough time getting a read from vampires because they could block me from their emotions big time. I'd had a feeling all along that Darla and Leif had wanted to double-team me. My stomach tightened with this bit of reminder. Hunting humans was legal now, and that caused me some worry. If these four vampires were not my friends, I'd be drained before I made it home to Sonata Road, where my 1906 farmhouse stood. Jeanie had been my life-long friend before she'd been attacked by rogue vampires who had drained her blood nearly to the last drop. I had to make the decision to either let her die or have her turned. I still wondered if I'd made the right decision, but she looked happy, so who was I to judge?

I drew back, empty glass in hand, and sat against the plush upholstery of the seats. “Yeah, Heath, you're probably right, I should just slow down.”

“So, how did you do that?” Jeanie asked. “How did you disappear for about ten seconds?”

“Is that how long I was gone?”

“Seemed like it,” Heath said. “Maybe at the very most fifteen seconds. But you were definitely gone. Where'd you go, luv?”

“I don't really know, but, it was weird.” It now seemed so unreal I barely believed I had actually gone anywhere, but their questions proved I had. “It was very dark,” I said, studying their clueless looks.

“Dark World?” Leif suggested between sips of champagne.

“I just don't know.”

“You best be careful, luv. Popping in on different worlds could be really unhealthy, if you know what I mean.”

“I know that, and I'm not planning on going back. Of course, I didn't plan to go in the first place.” I looked down at the mystic ring on my right hand wondering why I had made my brief trip. The mystic ring protected me from falling under any vampire t****l, but it had to be uncovered to work. Obviously, I had no idea what else the ring could do. I had never traveled ley lines all by myself before this, but I believe that was what happened today. Whatever else the ring did, I didn't have a clue.

Darla shifted in her seat and rubbed her leg suggestive against Leif's thigh.

“What's wrong pet? You needy?” he asked. She nodded, and then turned her head to gaze at me.