Chapter 4: Jael Valdic

Jael Valdic was bored, standing at the podium waiting for some bride he had never seen before to show up, and was gnawing on his senses. He wanted no part in this, but disagreeing was similar to not accepting the treaty. The worst part was the humans crowding the hall. All he could see and smell was them. It irritated his nose, he could smell their fear, disgust, and contempt. None of them did a great job of hiding it. They didn't even try to. He sighed, he would love to get this over with, but there was no doubt that their union,n even if it wasn't small, was a long time coming. The rivalry between human vampires was likely to bring an end to both sides sooner rather than later. The trumpet interrupted his thought, and he turned to look at the cause of it. He saw her and froze, she was smaller than he had imagined, even the huge dress didn't hide her small frame. He couldn't pick anything as he stared at her from across the hall. He stared intensely, wanting to see her face or sense anything at all, but he got nothing. Giving up, he turned away. She was coming to him, he would get his answers soon enough. He who ew just a signal from him and the vampires in the hall would turn the wedding into a bloody scene in the blink of a human eye. He smirked. The thought sounded amusing, and he couldn't help but think it would be fun to watch. He didn't give a crap about humans but one thing he knew for sure was their blood tasted crappy when things weren't going right for them. Keeping them in captivity was totally out of the question. He wasn't a fan of crappy blood. It was annoying that their emotions had a lot to do with the blood that ran through their veins. This union was as beneficial for humans as it was for vampires. The better the blood, the stronger they could get. He heard her heels hit the stairs of the podium, and he turned to face the direction she was coming from. Her scent hit him hard and so fast he blinked. It was the scent of a girl turning into a woman. He frowned, for some reason, it smelled pleasant to him. A stronger smell hit him almost simultaneously. Fear. It was so strong, he could almost see it. Her entire body was quivering from it. He could tell she was putting on a strong front. She was staring at his feet, and he stared at her face, willing her to look at him. She did, but rather kept her gaze down as the priest joined them. He glared at her, feeling annoyed. It felt like she was ignoring him. The words were barely out of the priest's mouth when he walked closer to her and raised her head with his thumb and index finger. He heard her gasp softly just as he flipped the veil over her head. Her mouth was partly open, and there was water in her eyes. The tears looked on the verge of slipping out, but they held, making her eyes look like they were in a glass case. He didn't think he had seen a prettier brown. He took her lips before he even had time to think about it, crushing them between his. She closed her eyes as soon as their lips touched and began to kiss him back, sucking on his tongue. Jael's eyes wid, and he pulled back. A soft growl escaped her throat. She opened her eyes and pulled back, breaking the kiss. Jael didn't miss the fact that her cheeks were red. She bent her head, and the crowd went wild, clapping and cheering. He took her, which they felt was small in his hands, and slowly walked down the stairs of the podium. She kept her eyes down, her blush increasing. He thought she was pretty. No sooner were they off the thanum than the human King and his wife walked up to them. "Congratulations!" They said simultaneously. Jael hated the Queen's smile. After the King's greeting, a couple of others came up to congratulate them. Jael didn't care for a lot of them, but he didn't miss the fact that they were the most important people in the human kingdom. The Aristocrats, they were called. A few vampires came up to him nd they all bowed before they even said a word. He felt his bride stiffen up every time a vampire came up to them. He had to stop smiling, humans were terrified of them. He sensed her before he even saw her. Why wouldn't he, after all, have her blood running through his veins? Now, it was his turn to stiffen. He wasn't scared, nor was he worried, she wouldn't dare go against him, but in some areas, on he couldn't explain, he felt weird. Maybe because his mistress and wife were standing feet apart. He almost chuckled. Here he was thinking like a human. That was the only way he could explain, though truly he didn't think of Lady Jevera as a mistress. He had felt her glare from the moment he had walked into the hall and onto the podium. He had purposely refused to look in her direction. In his opinion, she was being a little too dramatic.c "Congratulations," she muttered darkly. He stared at her unblinking. Lady Jevera stood in all her glory, staring hard at the vampire King. She hated that she couldn't do anything to stop this, hated that he didn't look like he would rather be with her. She turned to the new bride, a puny little one, and Jeves smiled. She wouldn't last a day in the vampire world, and she didn't look a bit like Jael kind of woman. She should feel rel, but she didn't. She winced at the hot stab of jealousy that pierced her dead heart. "Thank you," a soft voice replied, and Jevera's mask fell, showing utter disgust for the bride. Then she walked away without looking back.