Dark Seduction (Vampire Royals of New York #2) - Sarah Piper Page 0,82
softly, but didn’t fill in the word.
You. Not counting you.
Since that night in her bedroom, he hadn’t found the courage to say the words to her again, and now, he likely wouldn’t get the chance.
“It was a long time ago,” he continued, ignoring the fresh ache in his heart. “You weren’t born yet. Your parents were, though. I’m sure they remember what happened in this city back then.”
Charlotte nodded and closed her eyes, and Dorian glanced at the desk behind her, where he’d stupidly left the scrapbook. He’d only intended to be gone from the study a moment, but then he’d ended up in the crypts with Colin, still theorizing about the origins of the demonic book they’d found. Dorian had all but forgotten the damning evidence on the desk.
“In any case,” he said, “yes, I loved a human woman. So much so, I wanted to spend my life with her.”
Charlotte nodded again, but didn’t open her eyes.
It was probably for the best. Dorian had no interest in watching those gorgeous copper eyes fill with revulsion… or worse.
Fear.
Fear was for his enemies. For his brother. Not for the woman he loved.
“I didn’t have a choice in whether I became a vampire,” he said. “It’s a fate I eventually learned to accept, but I wanted better for Adelle.”
At this, Charlotte finally met his gaze, but her thoughts remained guarded. “And you think being human is better?”
“No. I think having a choice is better.” He sipped his scotch and shook his head, the old warnings rising to the surface. “I never should’ve let things progress as far as they had, but our relationship moved so quickly. We had no secrets between us but one. The darkest one.”
“She didn’t know you were a vampire?” Charlotte guessed.
“She did not. So one night, just days before I’d planned to propose, I sat her down in the rose garden. After sharing a lovely dessert of German chocolate cake and coffee, I confessed. I wanted her to make the choice—choices, actually. Whether she wanted to walk away, or remain with me, knowing my true nature. And if she remained, whether or not she wanted to turn. I would’ve done it for her… I…” Now it was Dorian who closed his eyes, the memories rushing at him like wraiths. “I simply wanted to honor her wishes. But it… it didn’t go well.”
“What happened?” Charlotte whispered.
“She didn’t believe me at first. Thought I was playing some terrible prank, or trying to scare her into breaking things off, as if I were too cowardly to do it myself. She called me every name in the book for that. Nothing—nothing I said could convince her otherwise. Not even when I showed her the ring I’d already bought for her. Eventually, I had no choice but to play my last card. I grabbed her and blurred her across the garden, and then I transformed, turning from man to monster before her eyes.”
The scotch turned over in Dorian’s stomach. He’d never forget the terror on Adelle’s face, the mix of fear and disgust in her eyes. Frightening her like that… To this day, it remained one of his greatest shames.
“Our bonded witch was still with us at that time,” he continued. “Rosalind. Adelle had always assumed Rosalind was a live-in housekeeper—an assumption I never discouraged. Anyway, Rosalind heard the screaming and rushed outside, only to see Adelle threatening me with the cake knife. She couldn’t have hurt me, of course, but Rosalind had always been rather protective. She stepped between us, intending to diffuse the situation. But in Adelle’s mind, Rosalind—sweet, playful Rosalind who’d always treated Adelle like a sister—was suddenly a threat. Another vampire, perhaps, or worse. Without thinking it through, Adelle…” Dorian finally opened his eyes, tears blurring his vision. “She attacked Rosalind. She stabbed her, and she… It happened so fast, Charlotte. I tried to save her, but she refused. She didn’t want to risk turning into a vampire. She… she bled out in my arms. Adelle was so distraught over what she’d done, I had no recourse but to compel her to forget everything that had happened that night.”
He could still hear the cries—Rosalind’s, as she gasped her final breaths. Adelle’s, when her senses had finally returned and she saw what she’d done. In that moment, Dorian knew she’d never forgive herself, and never accept him as a vampire.
In the span of fifteen minutes, he’d completely altered the course of her life.