She prowled through the hotel suite, admiring the lavish furnishings. It was the best suite the hotel had to offer. Later, she would order room service. She hoped they would send the handsome young man who had served her the day before. She hadn’t eaten the breakfast she had ordered; instead, she had satisfied her hunger with a few sips of the waiter’s blood, then wiped the memory from his mind.
She showered in the luxurious bathroom, remembering, as she did so, the crude accommodations of the past, when hot running water and flush toilets would have seemed like miracles. These times were so much better.
Once she had destroyed Andrei and disposed of his whore, she would take Noah and leave the country. Perhaps she would take him to Rome, or maybe Paris. The world was a vast place. For a vampire, it was like a giant smorgasbord. When she grew weary of dining on one nationality, she simply moved on.
Returning to the bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed. Head tilted to one side, she regarded her fledgling. He lay still as death, eyes closed, face pale, not breathing. In a few hours, he would take his first breath as a vampire. See the world through vampire eyes. Know the insatiable thirst of a newborn, the thrill of the hunt, the sweetness of his first kill.
Tonight, she would begin his education. She would teach him—in ways both painful and unforgettable—who was the fledgling and who was the master.
Tomorrow night, she would show him how much fun it was to search for prey, let him discover for himself how prolonging his victim’s fear made the blood so much the sweeter.
But first she had a wedding to attend.
She would wear red, she thought, a smile twitching her lips.
It wouldn’t show the blood.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tessa woke smiling. Today was her wedding day. In a few hours, she would be married to the most wonderful man in the world. “Mrs. Andrei Dinescu,” she murmured, and burst into a fit of giggles.
Too excited to stay in bed, she went into the kitchen and put the coffee on. Waiting for it to heat, she fired up her iPad and read the news. For once, there were no stories of bodies drained of blood. The word vampire wasn’t splashed across the headlines.
“You’re up early,” Bailey remarked, shuffling into the kitchen.
“And you came in very late last night,” Tessa replied.
“I know. We were at Tristan’s house. His mother took me shopping for a dress to wear for the life-mating ceremony.”
“That was really nice of her.”
Bailey nodded. “They treat me like I’m already one of the family. Tristan says it’s because they know our mating was meant to be. I don’t know how that works, but he said his father can sense that I was born to be his son’s mate. Isn’t that weird?”
“Well, maybe a little,” Tessa said. “But in a good way.”
“His family is really nice.”
“And they’re all shifters?”
Bailey nodded.
“I bought you a dress to wear today,” Tessa said. “I hope you don’t mind, but you’ve been gone so much lately and there was no time to take you with me.” She made a vague gesture with her hand. “I think you’ll like it.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I could have just worn the one I wore to Jilly’s wedding.”
“No way. New wedding. New dress. It’s hanging on the door in my bedroom if you want to try it on while I fix breakfast.”
“Thank you!” Eyes alight, Bailey gave Tessa a hug and hurried out of the room.
“I want to see it on you!” Tessa called after her, then forgot all about Bailey and breakfast when her phone rang. “Andrei!”
“Good morning, bride.”
“Good morning, groom.”
“How did you sleep?”
“Not very well, I’m afraid. I was too excited. You?”
“I slept like the dead,” he replied dryly.
“I don’t think that’s very funny.”
He laughed softly. “I dreamed of you.” His voice, low and intimate, caressed her. “I dreamed of us.”
His words sent a rush of heat spiraling through her, reminding her of the sensual images that had surfaced in her own dreams. Had he put them in her mind?
“Tonight will be better than any dream,” he promised.
And she had her answer. “How do you do that?” she asked. “How can you influence my dreams?”
“I’m a vampire,” he reminded her, a hint of laughter in his voice. “You’ll be surprised at what I can do.”
“Really? More surprising than learning vampires are real and that there are shape-shifters and werewolves and all manner of supernatural creatures lurking in the shadows?”