The Bloodkeep was a misnomer today. It was adorned with thousands upon thousands of white flowers, the very ground I walked on a mass of petals. I wore the traditional vampire gown of royalty—sky blue with a cape of gold. The bodice was strapless and tight, leaving nothing to the imagination. Diamonds covered the entire top, and the bottom stood out in cascading waves of poof. It was overdone, but for a royal vampire wedding, somehow just right. My veil flowed out behind me, dancing on the breeze created as Farnkelan flew by before settling atop the battlements. I entered the vestibule of the Great Hall and greeted the rest of my wedding party. Iphi was entertaining Lilah and Roth with her latest tales of bravery, this one involving some sort of oil wrestling with nymphs.

I bent down and kissed Keilana, my flower girl, the dark braids wrapped around her head in a beautiful crown. “Now go, little one. And don’t forget to throw the petals as you walk.”

“Yes, my lady.” She tottered off in her little girl heels.

“Ready?” Apollo asked. He was dressed to kill in a sleek tux. His wavy golden locks were smoothed down, and his bright eyes flashed. “I’ve never had to give someone away before. I usually take maidens, if you know what I mean.”

Iphi snorted.

“That’s not a very royal sound, Iphigenia,” Apollo chided.

“I’m the ruler of a demon keep full of, ya know, demons. How royal do I have to be, really?” Iphi pulled at the hem of her gold dress, putting her ample chest even more on display.

Apollo nodded in approval.

I had ceded my control of Decanum to Iphi, who was of royal demon lineage. Her father, Agamemnon, was Menelaus’s brother, though no one had heard from the demon royal in years. Most feared him dead. That was just fine with Iphi, since Agamemnon was the one who sacrificed her to Artemis long ago, before the Trojan War. As it was, I had enough on my plate as soon-to-be queen of the Bloodkeep without having to worry about the neighboring kingdom. Right now, I just had to keep my wedding party together until I got down the aisle.

The music started playing. Showtime.

“You got this, sis,” Lilah said.

Roth offered Lilah his arm. “Carissima.”

She took it, smiling up at him with heartfelt warmth.

Together, Roth and Lilah walked through the double doors and down the aisle. Her sisters Lynxia, Shayla, and finally Iphi passed through the doors and into the packed hall. Emissaries and visitors from all over the Underworld were in attendance. This was as much an affair of state as it was of the heart.

“We can still run away together, you know,” Apollo offered. “You’re already launching my ship in that dress.”

I began regretting, for at least the tenth time that day, Lilah’s suggestion that Apollo give me away.

“No? You sure? Ticktock. Last chance. Okay, it’s gone, the moment’s gone.” He winked at me.

We pushed through the doors. Everyone in attendance stood, thousands of creatures watching me. I recognized quite a few of the vampires from the village, and many more whom I’d become acquainted with in the keep. Daphne, dressed in highly revealing nymph fashion, waved and dabbed at her eyes.

“Do you know her?” Apollo whispered. “She seems familiar.” Daphne wrinkled her nose at him as he passed.

Arachne stood toward the front, a spider at either side of her. She’d put bow ties just below their mandibles. They were almost cute, if it weren’t for the eyes, and the teeth, and the poison spines on their legs, and their love for live meat.

Focus, Helen.

No longer scanning the crowd, I looked straight ahead and felt my heart skip quite a few beats. Paris wore a crisp black tux with a tie of blue. The crown atop his head sent prisms of light into the air. But none of those things compared to his beautiful gaze. His eyes were full of fire. The passion that set him apart from all others in my heart shone like the sun through clouds.

When I took his hand, the board stopped moving. All the pieces were perfectly in place, and I had no strategy for what lay ahead.

The ceremony, officiated by Shildreth, was a short blur and ended with a kiss from Paris that I felt all the way down to my toes. A thunderous cheer erupted as he bent me back, holding me close and kissing me in front of all these guests. Literally took my breath away.

Shildreth set a crown of gold atop my head, adorned with changeling stones to match Paris’s, and another cheer went up. Paris scooped me off my feet, carried me through the doors at the front of the room, and turned away from the main palace.

“But the banquet—”

“Can wait.” He strode quickly to our bedchambers. Kicking the door open, he strode inside and dropped me on the bed. “I need to be inside you right now.”

Gods.

I reached up to remove my crown.

“Leave it.”

He prowled on top of me and reclaimed my lips, now in private. His tongue massaged mine, and he reached down to pull up my skirts. After more than a few moments of pulling and searching, he rose up to his knees. “Where does this end and you begin?”

I laughed and grabbed a huge swath of tulle, pulling it up far enough for Paris to see my bridal panties, a white thong. He licked his lips, and his fangs extended even farther. He disappeared under the fluff of skirt. He snapped through the lace with his teeth before his mouth was on me.

His tongue took no prisoners, stroking me into a frenzy. He eased two fingers inside as he continued licking and sucking at me, making me moan. He spread my legs wider, his large palm pressing down on my inner thigh. I was so open to him that every touch of his tongue sent a vibration through me. The tension increased as he worked his fingers in and out in the same rhythm as his mouth. When he bit my tender flesh, I came with a cry, startling myself with the force of my pleasure. I clenched his fingers inside me as he kept licking me, groaning.

When I came down from the high of his touch, he settled on top of me. I weaved my hand down past the fabric and felt his shaft, hard as a rock in his trousers.

“I want it,” I breathed.

He growled and moved my hand away. Springing himself free, he rubbed the head of his cock against me, teasing me with the tip. I whimpered and tried to scoot down so that he was inside me, but he moved away.

I wrapped my hands in his hair and pulled him down to my mouth, licking and biting. He kept promising pleasure but holding back.

Tease.

I reached down and stroked him, loving the smooth flesh in my grip. He trembled as his need for me grew. Why wouldn’t he claim me? I licked his throat before settling back down and gazing into the heavens of his eyes. Oh, how he burned for me.

“I need you, my king.”

He sheathed himself inside me so fast, I gasped. “Gods.”

He started a punishing rhythm. I loved every thrust and fastened my teeth to his neck.

“My queen,” he growled and put even more force behind his words. The bed shook as he claimed his bride. I reveled in his pure power.

“Come for me.” He sank his fangs into my neck.

He didn’t have to tell me twice. His fangs were a weapon. When he used them against me, I couldn’t defend myself from the rush of pleasure. The pressure grew, and he never slowed his pace. The sensations each tremor sent through me were like sweet torture.

When he took another pull at my vein, a scream of ecstasy ripped from me, filling the room with the sound of our lovemaking. He gave a few more thrusts as I milked him, and he followed me down into the depths of bliss. His seed filled me as he groaned at my throat. His shaft kicked as he spent himself. He slowed and stilled before rolling me over so I was on top of him.

“My queen.” He gave me one more lingering kiss.

I was sated, and more than happy to spend the rest of our wedding night in the confines of our bedchamber. But we had responsibilities.

“The banquet,” I said and pushed myself up on my elbows.

“I thought you’d never ask.” He flipped me on my back and slid down my body before beginning anew.

My cries echoed through the keep for the rest of the night and many, many nights thereafter. I had given myself to Paris, utterly and completely swept up in the passion of the blood prince.