9. Chapter 8

Lord Jonathan Monford and his crew looked laughable in their leather outfits—meant to resemble a knight's armor. I only recognized him because his helmet's visor was transparent. "You again," he exclaimed hatefully. "Where is my daughter?"

"You will never see her again," I swore.

He laughed cruelly, exposing his fangs. "You couldn't stop us last time."

"Oh, but I did," I replied. I had succeeded. I had stopped their plans of having my father mate with Blanche. Only you thought she died , my mind reminded me, and with it, a fresh wave of grief shook me. Seeing Jonathan here was unnerving. It brought back all the pain I had experienced after believing her dead for so many years. Not even the thought that she would have preferred death over what my father had planned for her had been able to soothe me—I was too selfish to think like that. The grief, however, had allowed me to endure my father's punishment for three hundred years of torturous hell. The physical pain had lessened the emotional agony, and my father hadn't even realized he was actually doing me a favor, that I wanted, no needed, to be punished.

"You're delusional if you think my father will want her now," I spat at Sir Jonathan.

"He wanted her then. He will want her now. She is the last."

"Last of what?" I demanded with gritted teeth.

"You don't know?" Jonathan exclaimed in disbelief before he broke out into loud, ear-shattering laughter. "You really don't know what you did, do you?"

He waved his hand in the air. "Take him down."

The fifty vampires he brought with him suddenly sprang to life.

Five of my guards came out of hiding and attacked their flanks. I plowed through the group of bloodsuckers like a tornado, pushing and kicking them aside with only one target in mind: Sir Jonathan. The second wave of vampires held me back long enough for Blanche's father to retreat into the shadows, where I wagered he would wait the battle out.

With his vampires between him and me, I couldn't reach him until we decimated the last of his army.

It only took a few minutes for my demons and me to quickly dispatch about half of Jonathan's vampires before he called the surviving ones back and took off through my ruined front door.

"Shall we pursue?" Vasili asked.

I shook my head. "I'm sure they have their retreat covered."

"Well, at least they're beaten," Faro remarked.

"This was just a foraging unit to get a feel for our battle abilities. They'll be back with more vampires soon," I predicted darkly. "Vasili, find more troops because the next battle will be ferocious."

"Yes, boss."

I opened my phone to call Cantor to bring the humans back up. The castle was safe for the time being. I would wipe my servants' minds, and they would never remember why the front door needed to be repaired or why they had to find refuge in the basement.

In the meantime, my demons would dispense the vampires' remains, which would be easy work once they were peeled out of their clothing. In the bright morning light, they would only leave a pile of dust.

Impatiently, I waited for Blanche to appear, and only when I could lay my eyes on her and was sure she was safe, did I allow myself to breathe freely again. I pulled her into my arms, needing to feel her nearness, and she allowed it.

"What happened?"

"Your father retreated, but he'll be back." I filled her in.

"How did they know we were here? This place isn't on any map." Vasili scrutinized me, suspicion drew his brows together.

He was right. I had been playing a game, a dangerous game. I had lured Blanche's father here for our final battle.

"This. It holds a tracker," I said, holding up the large diamond hanging on a necklace around Blanche's throat. It had caught my attention the moment I got over my shock of seeing her again. My Blanche had always worn a crucifix, which somebody, probably her father, had taken off her before or after they turned her into a vampire. This diamond necklace was too shiny and showy for her, she would have never picked it.

"What the hell Devon?" Vasili erupted, to Brock's and Cantor's snickers as always when he used that particular phrase.

He threw them a dark glare, but neither man was impressed or tried to subdue their laughter.

Vasili's face was turning a dangerous shade of red. I didn't want him to change into his demon form in front of Blanche, so I explained to pacify him.

"I wasn't sure, but now I am. This is good. Jonathan will return with an army to take Blanche back and we'll fight him here, on our terms, our turf." I tilted my head sideways, challenging Vasili, "I thought you were looking forward to a good fight."

"A heads up would have been nice," he retorted, unknowingly throwing my own words from earlier back at me. But his coloring returned to normal and a slight grin spread his lips, "Since when will vampires give a good fight , though?"

Cantor high fived him at that and I had to suppress a chuckle on my own.

"He has to know he can't fight us, no matter how many vampires he brings." Brock warned.

"Then why did he come in the first place?" Cantor asked.

"He needed to find out who he is dealing with and now that he does, he can make his plans. Don't underestimate him, last time my brother helped him, I wouldn't doubt if my father himself gets involved." I explained and cautioned.

"Why does he want her so badly?" Vasili scrutinized Blanche.

Why indeed ? It was a question I'd been asking myself for hundreds of years and still didn't have an answer for.

"I don't know." I admitted.

"He said she is the last of her kind ," Brock recounted Jonathan's words.

I turned my head toward Blanche, but her blank expression only told me that she didn't have any idea either.

"Can't we just leave, please? Go somewhere else?" Blanche asked, fingering her necklace.

"We could," I offered, "or we could end this finally, once and for all."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father and mine, for whatever reason, will keep coming after us. We can either fight them here, now, or we can be on the run for eternity."

She ripped the necklace of her neck and threw it into the fireplace, a useless gesture, but understandable nevertheless.

"Why do you fight for me?" She asked, staring straight into my eyes.

I stepped closer in front of Blanche, took her chin into the cradle of my thumb, and caressed her cheek with my finger.

"Because I love you, I always heave." I replied simply.

Her pupils dilated as she locked her eyes with mine, I felt a shudder move through her and when she said my name, it was like a caress, "Devon."

"You're mine Blanche, you've always been mine." I stated and suddenly the urge to be alone with her was overpowering. Whatever happened would happen. Jonathan would return, but not in the next few hours. My men and I would have plenty of time to plan for that. Now I just wanted to be alone with the only woman I had ever loved.

I turned to my men, "Give me some time alone with her." Then I turned to Blanche, holding out my hand, "Come."

Without hesitation she placed her hand in mine and followed me up the winding staircase to the upper floors, where the bedrooms were located, taking her straight to her old room. I had it restored to how it had been when she left, but had the furniture updated as well as the bedding.

The wall to the room next to her had been removed and the chamber had been turned into a closet and a bathroom. "The closet is behind that door," I said, pointing, "and this is the bathroom." I opened the door to show her.

"The toilet, tub, sink, shower, and this is how they work."

I showed her how to fill the sink and tub and adjust the shower to her liking. It took me a moment before I caught her looking at the toilet strangely. I opened the lid and explained the flush.

She shook her head, appearing flustered. I was sure the old Blanche's cheeks would have turned pink. "What is it?"

She licked her lips. "A lady is not supposed to—"

"Blanche, it's me. You can be open with me. What's wrong? Is it that time of the month? Do you need anything—"

She raised her hand to stop me, looking truly embarrassed. Her entire face would have been as flaming red as her hair. I knew because I had spent many times teasing a blush out of her.

"Ever since I woke yesterday, I haven't… I haven't needed to… relieve myself." She lowered her head and bit her lip, a picture of discomfort. I had forgotten how innocent she was, how pure. My Blanche. My little flame. My love for her soared through every part of my being as I stepped closer to her. I lifted her head gently with one finger to make her look me in the eyes. "Do you trust me?"

She blinked a few times, and I was sure a tear would have run down her face had she still been capable of it. "Oh, Blanche."

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her cold forehead. "My Blanche. You have no idea how much I've missed you. How much I love you. I'll never let anything bad happen to you again. I swear."

Ever so slowly, her arms lifted from down her sides. Anticipation filled me and nearly made me explode before she embraced me. I swallowed hard and was astounded to notice moisture building in my eyes. I had only cried once in the thousands of years I had been alive. Demon princes do not cry. I hadn't even been sure we could until it happened to me.

It was one of the many things she taught me.

I couldn't help it. I lowered my head, nudging hers up with the knuckles of my hand. Like magnets, we were drawn to each other. I closed my eyes and savored the moment my lips made contact with hers—lips I had thought I would never kiss again, lips that tasted just as sweet as the first time and the last time I kissed her.

With a moan, she opened up to me like a delicate flower. Her lips parted, and my tongue carefully entered her mouth.

Her hands rose to my head and moved through my hair in such a familiar way that it nearly knocked me onto my knees.

I deepened our kiss, allowing my hands to roam the body I had missed for over four hundred years. I followed her full curves and yearned to hold her tits, but I took it slow. I didn't want to scare her. It was like winning her all over again. It had taken me weeks the first time. But I would do it again and again if that was the price I had to pay for her to be back in my life.