Alas, as he kissed me and undressed me, I wrapped my arms around him and returned his ardor. We kissed deeply and hungrily as I pressed feverishly against him. His strong hands slid over my body as his lips trailed down my throat, his teeth lightly nipping at my flesh.

Biting my bottom lip, I traced my hands down his back under the thickness of his auburn hair. His bite can deliver the most delicious of pleasure when he wills it and I trembled with anticipation.

Torn within, as I always am when I feel my body respond to him, I attempted to slip free from him, but he merely sat back and drew me over his body. I could feel his manhood, strong and thick, against my thigh and he gazed up at me with eyes that glowed like fire.

One finger traced my lips as he slowly pulled me down onto him, our bodies joining intimately. I tilted back my head and closed my eyes as I felt him press himself deep into the core of my being. My breasts pressed against his chest, he began to thrust into me, making my body writhe.

Why do I write this? Why do I torment myself? Because I must acknowledge what terrible deeds I have indulged in. I must admit it to myself or go mad.

He caught my hair with his hand and drew my head sharply to one side. I shivered with anticipation as his other hand traced over my breast and I felt his teeth against my throat. Opening my eyes, I could see the paleness of my hand pressed into his dark hair as he slowly bit into my throat.

My fingers tightened into the coils of his hair as he began to force himself deeper into me between my thighs and he drank deeply from me. I swooned in his arms, holding tightly to him as I was overcome with dark pleasures.

As I write this, Vlad’s arms are so very cold about me. I am curled beneath a heavy fur throw. Vlad is already asleep. He has drawn the metal coverings. His naked body is wrapped around me and his face is nestled against the back of my neck.

Gazing into the darkness, I cannot help but wonder if I will ever be happy again. Will I ever escape this tyrant who is my lover, my tormentor, my protector? Is it possible that I will someday rule over my own life and make my own decisions whether to kill or not?

Vlad has shifted against me, his arm tightening around my waist. It is as if he senses my discontent.

A tear is lingering on my chin. Already my breasts are wet with my tears, and I have gathered my tresses around me to keep me warm. But I am never truly warm anymore; just varying degrees of cold.

In my mind, a memory of Jonathan Wimberly, the son of one of my father’s associates, has drifted to the forefront of my thoughts. He found me crouched behind a hedge during a lively game of hide and seek. Jonathan had promptly fell down beside me as I had giggled with mischievous delight. I could hear the voices of my companions and the sweet music of the insects singing after an afternoon rain. The wet grass beneath me was cold, but when Jonathan suddenly grabbed me and kissed me, I had felt so very warm. It had been my first kiss at the ripe old age of twelve. Jonathan was almost sixteen. I had been so flustered I had not been able to speak at all. He had grinned at me, then dashed away to hide somewhere else. I have never forgotten how, for a mere second, I had felt loved by a boy and had been warmed by his kiss.

Now I am cold inside. When Vlad turns his attentions on me, I have never felt anything akin to love emanating from him; just feral lust, passion and the desire to satiate his own needs. I have often wondered if it mattered if the body beneath him was mine or the vampire sisters or any other woman’s. Even now, his arms around me are for his own comfort, not mine.

I cannot help but wonder what it would be like to feel a man’s arms around me and know that he loves me. It must be wonderful to love someone and have them love you. But will I ever know that feeling - that lovely illusive feeling?

Chapter 20

The Journal of Lady Glynis Wright

9th of March, 1820

We arrived in the city of Buda, Hungary early this evening. The moon shone down on the glistening waves of the Danube as we finally reached our destination. The moon’s reflection rippled as the carriage rumbled over the pontoon bridge that joined Buda to its lesser twin city, Pesth.

It is wonderful to return to the last place where I was happy in my mortal life. It was like a wonderful dream had come into glorious reality as the carriage rattled over the cobbled streets, climbing into the hills of the city of Buda where Vlad Dracula’s estate is nestled.

Vlad has seemed to visibly relax now that we are in the city and even pointed out historical landmarks to me such as the Royal Palace. I could see the faint outlines of the beautiful building over the tops of the trees and smiled at the sight. It was such an enormous relief to once more be in a modern city.

As the carriage moved down the finest streets of Buda, I felt a thrill of anticipation sweep over me. I am in my own element again. This is a world I understand and can maneuver through. Impulsively, I reached out and grasped Vlad’s hand tightly. To my surprise, he leaned toward me to kiss my cheek.

“Tonight you are Countess Dracula. Be proud,” he said.

I gazed at him solemnly, feeling the weight of those words. There was a history behind this name that I now carried and it felt like a heavy mantle around me. I nodded then gazed down at the ring glittering on my finger.

Countess Dracula.

How odd it sounds to me, yet that is my title. We are married by blood. That much is true. But it is not a sacred union and that in its own strange way is a solace to me.

At last, the carriage turned past a huge gate that opened upon a lane guarded over by tall pines. The road curved and when the carriage swept around trees, I saw the lights of the great Hungarian mansion. It was so beautiful and such a vast difference from the wretched castle that we had traveled from, I felt tears rise spring to my eyes.

The front doors opened as the carriage approached and servants dressed in fine uniforms hurried out. A tall, awkward form followed them out of the lighted doorway and I drew in my breath sharply.

With a quick pull of the reins and a sharp bark at the horses, the driver brought the carriage to a rocking stop. There was a quick scrambling of men, one opening the door, the others pulling down the luggage, several others calming the weary horses. Vlad exited first and motioned for me to wait.

My eyes were still steadfastly resting on the man standing nervously on the steps of the house. It was Sir Stephen: the traitorous, murdering bastard. I felt my teeth sliding downward as I hungered for his blood.

“Sir Stephen, my dear friend,” Vlad called out in greeting.

Stephen rushed down the stairs. “Count Dracula, my Master, it is so very good to see you. I was worried that you had been delayed. I received word that the English gentleman is two days away from the city and I was most anxious for you to arrive.”

I watched as Stephen’s gaze flicked nervously toward the carriage. I knew I was embraced by darkness and that he could not see me. I enjoyed his anxious glances in my direction.

“We have arrived safely and in good time,” Vlad said smoothly. “Now, my dear friend and loyal servant, I wish for you to meet my new bride, Countess Dracula.”

Vlad extended his hand to me. I reached out of the darkness and placed my hand in his. Gently, he helped me from the carriage. I was satisfied when Sir Stephen gasped at the sight of me. I am sure I was a far cry from the beautiful deadly creature that had beckoned to him with my siren’s call. Dressed elegantly, my hair fashionably arranged beneath my feathered bonnet, I looked every bit the fine aristocratic lady I was before his betrayal. But my gaze felt dangerous even to me and he shrank beneath it.

Vlad waited for the dumbstruck solicitor to greet me, but when he failed to do anymore than gawk at me, Vlad pushed him forward gruffly. “Greet my wife, Stephen,” he said testily.

Stephen snapped out of his reverie and moved forward hastily. “Countess Dracula, it is a pleasure.”

My eyes sly and deadly, I extended my hand to him.

Beads of perspiration popped out on his brow as he nervously took my gloved hand and leaned down to kiss it.

I let out a low, hardly audible growl.

Stephen jerked back so quickly he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Vlad gave me a sharp warning glance, then leaned down to help the man to his feet.

“My wife can be overwhelming,” Vlad said, slightly smiling.

I realized he was amused.

“Yes, very,” Stephen responded breathlessly.

When Vlad lead me into the house, I cried out in delight. It was beautiful and modern. Fine furniture, lush draperies, and exotic carpets adorned every room. Forgetting my manners, I rushed from room to glorious room in a frenzied tour. Vlad let me be and disappeared into a study to talk with the still very wary Sir Stephen.

After plunging through the house, I flung open one last door and found myself in the most exquisite modern bedroom. It was completely decorated in white and gold. Gazing up at the crystal chandelier, I began to laugh as I whirled about. I stumbled and landed on the bed and stared up at the silk canopy above me. It was almost like coming home.

A maid entered the room followed by several footmen. “Over there,” she ordered, and my traveling trunks were set down.

“I shall begin to unpack immediately, ma’am,” she said in her precise enunciation. She was obviously Hungarian but she spoke English flawlessly.

“Thank you, err…”

“Magda, ma’am” the maid responded.

I sighed with sheer delight, smiling at her. “Magda, it is wonderful to see you.” Finally! A decent servant. No gypsies lurked in the shadows in this fine home.

The brilliant shimmering of the light outside my windows lured me onto the balcony. The evening greeted me with the gentle kiss of the night breeze and the soft whisper of the trees swaying in the wind. Leaning against the cold white marble railing, I gazed out past my balcony at the cool waters of the Danube flowing lazily past the lush lawn below. A night bird called out to me and I lifted my head.

With awe, I found that I was blissfully happy.

Later -

Vlad summoned me to his side a few hours after our arrival. I supervised the unpacking of my trunks and had luxuriated in the wonder of being a mistress of my own household. I was in such a lovely mood that when he called for me, I went without hesitation.

“The servants know what we truly are,” he explained when I joined him. “I pay them well for their service to me. Most of their families have served me for centuries. They know better than to defy me. We are safe here.”

We were standing in the foyer of the house, and I tilted to my head to gaze at him. “Have vampire hunters found the house previously? You spoke of precautions.”

“No, but just in case, I had this built for us.”

Vlad turned into an alcove at the base of the stairs and motioned for me to follow him. He slipped easily through a small crack in the wall that was hidden in the shadows of a corner.

I took a deep breath and let my power rise up within me. I felt myself drifting as I slipped through the slim passage between the bricks making up the wall. I found myself standing in a small room draped in red velvet. A bed was centered in the room and candles lined the walls.

“If the hunters come, this is where we will retreat. Another room exactly like this one is being built above us. There is no way for a mortal man to enter. There are no doors, no windows. These walls surrounding us are four feet thick. Even if they try and burn us out, they will not reach us within this room.” Vlad sat down on the bed and smiled with satisfaction. “I am prepared. Let them come.”

I glanced about the small room and sighed rather dramatically. “It is so very much like a tomb.”

“We are vampires.”

“Must we always remind ourselves of that fact?” I stomped my foot at him irritably. I turned and slipped through the wall into the foyer.

It was so much more comforting in the house than that horrible little room.

Sir Stephen rounded the corner, a sheaf of papers in hand. He caught sight of me and froze. “Lady Glynis! I mean…rather…Countess Dracula, how may I be of service.”