Chapter 5

James opened the door of the sleek town car. Upon stepping out of the vehicle, he reached for my hand. Cautiously, I took his hand. It was awkward, I hadn't been shown this level of kindness or affection in so long it felt foreign to me.

I placed my hand delicately in his. After following him out of the car, I shivered in the chilly night air. Winter was present, and she was making herself known. James removed his coat jacket and placed it around my shoulders.

The jacket was made of heavy black fabric with a crimson silk lining. I'm not sure why I expected it to be warm; it's not as though Vampires produce body heat. Still, the gesture was very kind, almost human; I smiled widely.

Though the burning sensation that had coursed through my veins earlier had ceased, I still felt weak and nauseous. As we walked across a vast courtyard, I stumbled over my own feet, "Stupid heels.", I thought to myself.

"Do you need me to carry you again?", James asked. "Would it be too much trouble?", I responded. He didn't say anything prior to sweeping me off my feet.

My arms wrapped around his neck, naturally, and my fingers interlocked, resting at the base of his hairline. It was a matter of seconds before we approached the grand entrance of the French Renaissance mansion.

James was much stronger and faster than he looked, clearing several football field lengths in mere seconds. The mansion certainly was designed like a castle without the fortifications, and I'm sure that it was always confused as such.

It was chilly inside the entrance, and the lights were dimmed. James set me down on the marble flooring. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. His voice was familiar: "Welcome to our estate, Kara."

How could his father have gotten here before us? "He flew.", James chimed in. He had done it again. "Are you able to read minds?", I asked. They both chuckled, "Not exactly.", they said in unison.

"Follow me, I'll show you to your wing.", his father said. As we walked through the corridors, I supported myself on James' arm. Looking in awe at the dimly lit outline of the fancy Victorian furniture, I couldn't wait to see this place in the light of day.

We walked forever, it seemed. This place was massive, easily five times the size of my old pack house. The rooms alone were simply more spacious. I bet you could have over 300 people here and still find space to be alone.

As we approached the east facade, we were met with a winding balustrade staircase. "Go up three stories, that section will be yours.", his father stated as he turned to walk away. "Thank you, Mr. ...", I paused. "You may call me Sylas.", he interjected. "Thank you, Sylas.", I replied.

James looked at me as though I could break at any moment, " Do you think you can make it up?" "I should be fine, I'll just take my time.", I smiled warmly. I'm glad I chose to walk. Otherwise, I probably would have missed seeing the magnificent sculptures adorning the staircase.

James could have made his way up these stairs in no time, even if he had carried me, instead, we arrived at the top after several long minutes. The detail that went into the architecture of this place was simply breathtaking.

He opened the large engraved mahogany door with ease and invited me into a grand sitting room with a massive library. I had never seen so many works of literature in all my life. Many of the books looked aged, with their worn-out spines.

I noticed the glowing warmth emitted from a stone-carved fireplace as well. I supposed that he had it lit for my well-being. This was a massive improvement compared to my old room at the packhouse. Everything oozed elegance and refined class. I suppose $ 100,000 for a bride price was a drop in the bucket for them.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder, why me? I had several other questions as well, but they could wait. I was famished and utterly exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to eat my fill and fall face-first into a pillow.

I sat on the lounge chair near the fireplace and kicked the heels off my tired, aching feet. I started rubbing my tender arches deeply with my thumbs when I heard the clanging of dishes in a distant room.

James returned a short while later with a charcuterie board of assorted fruits and cheeses, "I'm sorry, we don't have much in the way of food here since we don't normally host human guests. If you make a list, I can have one of the servants retrieve anything you might need tomorrow."

I salivated at the sight of the food, and my stomach let out an embarrassing rumble. "That's okay, this is perfect.", I said. I was so immersed in eating the delicious food that I hadn't noticed James' gaze at first.

When our eyes met, I blushed. His blazing red eyes no longer invoked a sense of unease within me. Was this a side effect of him mixing his blood with mine during the ceremony earlier?

I finished off the platter; my hunger satiated for the first time since I could remember. I was so accustomed to receiving the scraps at the pack house that I had almost forgotten what being full felt like.

The reality began to hit me. I felt so out of place in this luxurious place, I was treated so poorly at my previous home I valued myself lowly and deemed myself unworthy of such kind treatment and lavish things. Tears began to creep into my eyes, and I tried my best to hide them by glancing away from him toward the raging fire.

James wasn't fooled and he embraced me gingerly, pulling my gaze back toward him, stroking his thumb across my cheeks to wipe my sorrows and worries away.