Chapter 7(A very bad start)

Eloise’s eyes fluttered open abruptly. She clutched her hand to her chest, panting slowly. Another nightmare. That’s all it was these days. Every time she closed her eyes, it was the same dream all over again. She kept falling to her death every single time. It’s like she was trapped in an endless loop she couldn’t escape. She was too scared to even blink these days.

It’s been a week since her arrival in Valeria. She still hadn’t met her husband. Did he disregard her that much to not even come to see her?

A slight nudge on her arm disrupted her thoughts. She turned to find Carmine on his hind legs with his golden eyes staring at her. His dark fur glowed in the soft morning light that filled the room.

A sudden smile crept onto her lips. Carmine was such a loving animal. He’d been with her all week and never left her side even once. It’s like he was her guard, quietly walking at her side in his magnificent huge figure, growling at anyone or anything that threatened to displease her.

Throughout the week all she did was attend balls and soirees during the day. The Valerian brothers showed her around the kingdom and introduced her to the founding and head families of Valeria. Several elite families also came to pay their respects to her. She visited the elite city club, the Solaris, and toured the capital city, Runen. The Valerian brothers along with Corianne made sure she was never alone through it all. But at night, in the daunting silence of her large chamber, when she was restless and terrified to close her eyes, Carmine kept her company. She had come to enjoy his company and seeing him brought a cheer to her somber and displaced life.

“Good morning, Carmine” She slowly sat up on the large bed. She opened her arms motioning him to come closer. It slowly walked into her arms. Eloise pulled it into a hug and gently caressed its fur. She let out a sigh and placed a kiss on its head. She pulled back cupping its huge jaw in her palms.

“Did you sleep well, hmm?” Eloise asked tickling its jaw. It let out a soft growl and Eloise laughed.

“Sounds like a yes. Good, at least one of us slept well” she said with a small smile. Eloise slowly stepped down from the bed and stretched out her arms with a yawn. She ran her fingers through her long thick dark copper hair with a sigh. Her feet were wobbly as she stood up. She took a step forward but suddenly slipped.

A firm hand suddenly grabbed her head from behind saving her from falling. She looked to find a pair of worried golden eyes staring down at her.

“You are one clumsy one, are you not?” A man with long tawny blonde hair said to her.

Eloise abruptly turned away from his hold falling to the ground to his feet. She glanced at his huge feet, then at his long legs. Her eyes went wide as she slowly raked his tall magnificent naked body.

“You!” Eloise exclaimed looking up into his eyes in astonishment, still on the ground. She knew this man.

He was the man from the ball... the winter ball from back in the future. He was the same man she bumped into. What was he doing here in her chambers? And why was he stark naked? Her eyes slowly traveled back to his huge bulge and she quickly looked away with her cheeks flaming hot.

“What do you mean, me? And why are you still on the floor?” He asked in his smooth baritone voice.

Eloise quickly scrambled to her feet with her eyes looking anywhere but at him.

“Who are you? What are you doing here and why are you naked?” Eloise asked abruptly still looking away from him.

He chuckled softly with a sigh. “What do you mean who am I? I have been with you all week, wife” he said in a teasing tone.

“What? Wife? What are you...” Eloise paused. She glanced at the bed to no sign of Carmine. She glanced back at him with her eyes wide.

“Don’t tell me...You... Carmine?” Eloise asked hesitantly.

“Look at that you finally caught up,” he said with a smirk.

Eloise frowned as she watched him walk towards the large closest. So, this was Wrath Valerian, her husband, she thought. He was about 6.3 feet tall with a magnificent and well-built body. He had long tawny blonde hair that ran past his broad shoulders. He had high cheekbones that fit his perfect face. His lips were full with a small smile playing at its corners. He slipped on a huge black robe covering his magnificent body. Eloise almost let out a sigh of disappointment when he turned back towards her.

“Is something the matter?” He asked her in a teasing tone.

“What do you mean is something the matter? You tricked me for a whole week. I thought you were...”

Wrath suddenly rushed towards her with his vampire speed and pushed her to the wall. He gently placed a hand on her arm then the other gripped her neck gently. He buried her face in her neck inhaling her scent.

Eloise suddenly went stiff, what on earth was he doing?

His breath was hot on her neck as he inhaled her scent. His right fingers were buried deep in her hair pushing her head to him. Eloise froze, her heart racing loudly in her chest. This was weird and uncomfortable but her body strangely refused to move. Her body was quick to react to his touch. He gently caressed her arm sending violent spasms done her spine.

Wrath slowly pulled back with his mouth inches away from hers. Eloise looked up at him and their eyes met. The air between them suddenly grew tense. She watched as his eyes moved down to her lips and then back to hold her gaze again. He leaned even closer and their lips brushed. Eloise’s lips slowly and she unconsciously held her breath. The slow tension was killing her already.

“Ah…rosemary and roses. Your smell is intoxicating, wife” Wrath whispered on her lips with his hands still buried in her thick copper hair.

As if gaining her senses, she abruptly pushed away from his unsuccessfully. Wrath had his strong arm wrapped around her waist now. Her small figure was trapped in between his huge body and the wall.

“What is wrong with you? Let me go?” Eloise yelled.

“Calm down, Eloise. Are you sure that is what you want?” He asked in a calm teasing tone.

Eloise’s face reddened with anger. “What do you mean, am I sure? Of course, I am sure. Let me go!” she said heatedly and feebly pushed against his solid chest.

Wrath glanced at her with a frown but suddenly smiled. She was an entirely different person from the person he’d been with all week. Her dark copper hair was messy and her emerald eyes bored into him angrily. She was extremely beautiful, he thought. Her small mouth was curved into a stubborn pout showing how annoyed she was. Eloise Belle De Richelieu Valerian, his wife. There was no doubt she was trouble, he thought.

He suddenly let go of her with a sigh. “You were nicer when I was an animal,” he said dryly.

“You weren’t pouncing on me then, were you?” Eloise snapped and exhaled deeply with her hands on her chest.

"Goodness, you are so uptight, Eloise. You remind me of Leo on an early Sunday morning' He teased with a sly smile playing on his full lips.

"You think this is funny!" Eloise hissed.

“Yes,” He turned to her saying. Eloise clenched her fists with a frown but suddenly calmed down. With his calm and teasing demeanor, he was playing with her and trying to get her all riled up. Such a bad first impression he was making, she thought.

“Well, that is no way to treat a woman,” she told him in an annoyed tone.

“Well, you forgot that minutes ago,” he said softly, with his dark golden eyes raking her body. Eloise averted her eyes, she felt naked under his gaze. She remembered the feel of his hot breath on her neck and her insides churned. He wasn’t touching her yet her body was ferociously responding strangely.

“My apologies if I made you feel uncomfortable in any way. I was just... curious” He said to her. She had never heard such an insincere apology ever in her life, Eloise thought.

“Curious to know what I smelt like?” She asked still unnerved. He shrugged with a smile while he ran his hand through his long hair.

“Do you realize how weird that is?” She told him only to receive a blank expression.

“You are my wife. I can do whatever I want with you” he said flatly. Eloise felt like she’d been run over by a bus. He spoke of her as if she were an object he could use at his whim.

“You have never been so wrong in your entire life, my Lord. You do not own me to do whatever you want with me” Eloise said pointing a finger at him.

Wrath suddenly sped towards her with this. He bent down with his daunting figure towering over her. His face was close to hers and his hand held her raised finger. Eloise froze as his face was only a few inches from hers. He had on a smug smile. Oh, how she’d love to slap that smile off that face of his, she thought.

“On second thought, I think I do,” he said with a smirk. Eloise bit her lower lip furiously. “No, you...”

There was a knock on the door interrupting her. “Elric is that you?” Wrath asked slowly stepping away from her.

The double doors creaked open and Elric stepped through. Behind her was Lucy who had on a curious expression. Like Eloise, this was her first time seeing the Lord.

“My Lord? Good morning. Good morning to you too my Lady” Elric said with a bow. She looked up to receive a frown from Eloise.

They had all deceived her, Eloise thought. She had no idea Wrath was Carmine and they all played along. The Valerian siblings, Elric, and the whole household. No one bothered to tell her. She'd come to love that gentle animal only to find out he was this extremely arrogant man before her.

“Pardon my intrusion, my Lord and Lady. We came to prepare the Lady’s bath but we will come back another time...” Elric said with a bow.

“No, no don’t leave. You can go ahead” Eloise said abruptly ignoring Wrath's glance.

“Very well then,” Elric said with a bow. Lucy quickly headed for the large bathroom with two other maids behind her.

“Elric, prepare the underground hot pool for me. I will like to give the Lady her privacy” Wrath turned back to Eloise saying. Eloise glanced at him with a feigned smile and he chuckled.

He slowly headed for the door with this. Elric followed behind him slowly closing the door behind her. Lucy quickly walked towards Eloise once Wrath left the chamber.

“I heard but I never imagined the Lord Imperio would be this handsome. What is he like, my Lady?” Lucy asked only to receive a scowl from Eloise. Lucy retraced her steps quickly.

“Don’t talk to me about him” Eloise said flatly. She walked past her towards the bathroom with this. A wave of dread washed over Lucy that instant, what on earth did the Lord do to rile her up this much? This was a very bad first start, she thought.