Instead, I found boredom. Complacency.Irritation.
No one ever felt right.
Until now.
There has to be a reason for that. Viviana is different. I can feel it in my soul.If the Strigoi reject her…
It’s a thought I don’t let myself finish.
And instead focus on sharing all of this out loud, telling her why I ventured here to find my own mate. How my father allowed the Strigoi and humans of our realm to engage in a series of trials for entertainment.
“He didn’t want to pick any of the candidates himself, so he allowed it to be turned into a spectacle.” My tone is flat to mask my anger.
It was a reckless choice.
Over fifty mortals lost their lives because he didn’t care enough to vet them before letting them fight for a chance at the throne.
“My father didn’t want to waste time on a decision that wasn’t truly his to make, but then he met Shyla. She changed everything for him.”
My mother always said it was love at first sight between them.
I assume now that she meantlustat first sight.
“He chose Shyla and presented her as his queen. But the Strigoi weren’t finished with their tests. Ultimately, she failed.”
She more than failed; shedrowned. Which I explain to Viviana next because she needs to understand the dangers of the trials.
“They tested her stamina by making her tread water for hours,” I mutter. “She drowned.”
I suspect it was exhaustion-related, as my father probably kept her up all night the evening before. Perhaps even used her that morning.
I don’t know for sure, and I’ll never ask. But if my need for Viviana is any indication, I can understand his hunger being the culprit for Shyla’s failure.
“He was… disappointed after her death. He almost canceled the trials entirely, stating that he wanted to try again after a new generation of humans revealed itself.” Meaning he wanted to wait another century or so to begin again. “But Shyla’s parents suggested a new candidate. A candidate who became my mother.”
I explain that she was Shyla’s younger sister by two years and wasn’t originally chosen to participate. Then, after everything that happened, she was thrust into the spotlight and left with little choice in the matter.
“She won, I think, because my father revered her and refused to touch her. He felt guilty about what happened to Shyla, which is why I strongly suspect he was the reason for her fatigue inthe trials.” I shake my head. “Anyway, this history impacted my decisions. I’m not interested in a public spectacle.”
That’s why I’ve always intended to present a candidate of my choosing to the Strigoi, only after I properly prepared the human for the trials ahead.
Alas, it appears my careful planning has been thwarted by my people.
“The Strigoi can adapt and change,” I tell her. “But some traditions are… resolute. And it seems they’ve felt my interest in you for a while now. According to Marius, they’re done waiting. We have less than a week to prepare.”
“And no choice in the matter,” Viviana adds, finally speaking after listening to me talk for… a while.
“I would apologize, but we’re destined. The moment I learned of your existence, our fate was set. That’s the only explanation for my mounting obsession.” I lean forward to cup her cheek, needing to feel her. “I’ve never desired another this way. You are meant to be mine.”
I refuse to believe otherwise.
My original assumption that I would just play with her and discard her was founded on my need not to hope.
She changed all that the moment she stepped into the dining room. Her scent. Her confidence. Her intelligence. Her lack of fear. They were all traits that left me spellbound. And it’s a spell I refuse to break free from.
“I’ve obsessed over you for years,” she confesses after a long beat of silence. “Your myth. Your existence.” She stares into my eyes. “I knew there would be consequences for finding you. But I never worried about them. I just… I had to find you.”
“Had you not come for me, I would have come for you,” I tell her. “The only reason I waited was because I wanted to see how far you would go to reach me.”
