Chapter THIRTY

 

Eric

 

There was a lot in Beth’s apartment to keep me entertained while she was deciding what to take and what to leave behind.

I looked through her books, her clothes, her pictures, and her paintings. The pictures were the ones that interested me the most. A lot of them were with her and her sister. I had to confess that Marie resembled Beth, but she wasn’t as beautiful as my mate. At least not for me.

Beth’s timid smile and glinting eyes when staring at the camera made me happy. When she hugged Marie, that’s when her smiles looked more enticing and carefree. Whenever together, they looked joyful. It was a shame what happened to Marie, Beth could use her support. Though, I didn’t want her near my sweet mate if she held such a grudge towards her sister. The smiling and innocent Marie had long disappeared from the moment my brother claimed her and played his twisted games to turn her insane. Would Beth be able to hurt her sister when the time came? A part of me hoped she didn’t. Even so, the rational part of me that knew what Alaric was capable of doing also recognized that we couldn’t show any mercy, and Marie would be a collateral damage.

Seated on the armchair, I lost track of time while browsing through a digital camera that belonged to Marie. It had several pictures of Beth. She looked happy, dressed in casual clothes and doing sexy poses. It seemed Marie enjoyed taking photos of her sister. As for me, I didn’t mind looking at them and slightly drool over her sexiness and how carefree she seemed I wished I could fix her, so she could smile like that once again.

A few hours later, the moving company arrived, and Beth got busy ordering them to remove what she wanted to be packed and taken. I noticed she had tons of dresses, a lot of them really old and kept in vacuum so they wouldn’t deteriorate. I could relate to that. I also had my physical memories of other periods to hold on to and relive old times.

Once the moving company left, she gathered her jewels and money from her safe. She had a lot. I knew her family had money. Beth was as delicate as refined, and her good upbringing showed. Still, I’d never had the curiosity to investigate her family’s surname among the pureblooded vampires. Perhaps my dad knew her parents. If he did, Dad didn’t mention it. She was born in France. I was born in The Netherlands and moved to the United States at a young age, but I had been to Europe many times. It was unreal how we had never met before. How was it possible that I had not once seen my mate before? She wasn’t a teenage girl. She was a vampire woman—intelligent, sophisticated, and rich. How was it that I have never seen her in any of the parties I had gone when in Europe?

Immortals like to mingle so they can find their soul-mate. I had to attend a lot of those parties, hoping to find my soul-mate. Original vampires were not that many in the world. Thinking about it, having a pureblooded vampire as a mate was a chance in a million. Beth could be human. It didn’t matter to me. I was just dumbfounded since she was living for as long as I was. We were kept apart for more than two centuries.

I was going to make sure that we wouldn’t be separated ever again, and that she stayed with me until the end of times. I couldn’t see my life without her anymore. Beth was the center of my universe and the meaning of my life. She was everything to me, and I wanted to be everything to her.

The time to leave New York approached, and we returned to the plane to go back home. Beth only kept with her in a handbag the jewels, the money, birth certificates, her passport, a driver’s license, and a box with old tapes. The last item intrigued me. When I asked, she explained the tapes were old recordings of her dancing performances around the world.

Her belongings would arrive home in the following week. I was so paranoid that I didn’t even spend a day with her in New York. Her gloomy eyes while looking at the city below our plane made me regretted the fact of leaving so soon. We could have gone for a small tour. The harm was done. I could always try to redeem myself with kisses and a night of movie and ice-cream in the privacy of our bedroom. Another endless session of kisses and evading my advances. Still, I couldn’t deny that we were making signs of progress, and she was trying.

I could be less paranoid and prepare a surprise for us. The idea sounded good.

I browsed through my tablet for events that we could go together in another city. Once I found the perfect date, I got up and headed to the cabin to talk to the pilot. With a new destination, we managed to change our route and divert it to another airport. What was missing was calling the hotel, reserve the tickets, and offer Beth a night to remember.

Beth got up and sat beside me. “Where are we going and why are you on your tablet?”

“It’s a surprise,” I said, browsing through the website of the Chicago Theater.

She folded her arms with frowned brows. “My hearing is pretty keen. I heard them saying that we were re-routed to Chicago. Why? Did something happen, and you have business there?”

“No. I’m just planning a date with you.”

She puckered her lips with a surprised expression. Leaning forward, she questioned, “What are we going to do?”

“It’s a surprise. It would be ruined if I told you.”

Her eyes landed on my tablet, and I hid it against my best. She squinted her eyes with an upset expression. “Not fair.”

Smiling, I leaned closer to her. “Don’t you like surprises?” She nodded. “Then you just have to be patient. Go to your seat and let me take care of this. I’ll join you once I’m done.”

Beth got up, apparently convinced. Then, she stopped and turned her head to look at me. “Do you remember what happened the last time you planned a surprise?”

I chuckled. “I do. I’ve learned my lesson. Promise.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be in my seat, reading a magazine.”

After I made sure that she was far enough not to peek, I looked at the website and browsed through the Ballet Companies performing in the Chicago Theatre. That theater’s design has always been one of my favorites. It was a mix of the Royal Chapel at Versailles and the Paris Opera House, the best of two worlds. In fact, its construction had been influenced by it when the Theater was built in 1921 by their founders. Beth would definitely like the interior in French Baroque, and it would put a wide smile on her face.

 

***

 

When we arrived in Chicago, a limo was waiting for us to take us to a hotel. This time I wasn’t going to neglect anything. I was going to do everything right. We were going to watch a ballet show. I knew she liked it, and she hadn’t seen one in a long time. It would be a good choice for a romantic date. However, first, we were going to dress up. I didn’t want her to feel bad as the time I invited her to eat in the fancy French restaurant. No, I had all figured it out, and I wanted to give my mate a night she wouldn’t forget.

Despite promising being patient, Beth kept asking a lot of questions. She hadn’t been to Chicago before which was already a point in my favor.

I had instructed the hotel’s manager to arrange for a hairdresser, a professional makeup artist, and a high-class boutique fashion adviser to take care of Beth’s needs as soon as we arrived at the Presidential Suite. I wanted Beth in a gorgeous gown, feeling pretty and confident. Those events were normally attended by rich and fashionable people. So, I had asked the most beautiful cocktail dresses they had in the store for Beth to try on and choose. I got myself a tuxedo to match her appearance. Being rich had its perks and being one of the owners of the hotel we were staying at was also a plus. Besides, it was a hotel frequented by the supernatural community, so the staff was used to handling these types of requests.

Beth was surprised when she discovered the staff waiting to take care of her. She was also intrigued by it. I soothed her and said that we were going out, and it would be a surprise, so she should dress fancy and let herself be pampered.

After a long kiss, she looked at the dresses with an excited shriek while the fashion adviser talked to her and circled around, dazzled by her good looks.

The complete surprise wasn’t ready yet. While she was getting dressed, I went downstairs to the jewelry shop. I wanted to buy her the most exquisite pair of earrings with yellow diamonds. I had seen some really beautiful ones on the internet, but I didn’t know if the Hotel’s Jewelry Shop had any like those. It would match the color of her eyes.

Once I got home, I could create a set with a pair of earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, and a ring just for her. It was one of my hobbies, creating things. It wouldn’t be the first time that I worked with jewelry. I hadn’t finished drawing her wedding ring. I would offer it to her when I had the perfect design. I wanted it to be original and personal. Something only hers. Understanding her personality and tastes helped me in crafting her wedding ring. She liked simple and romantic designs, which also matched my personality. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. She was everything and lot more of what I had envisioned my mate to be.

I couldn’t have made her more perfect, even if I had drawn her and carved her from ivory as Pygmalion had done. She was my own Galatea made and brought to life by the gods.