Chapter 5

Eloise had no idea why she was here but she was anyway. Maybe it had something to do with having nothing to do around here. She would be drowning in heaps of paper work if she were back at the firm in the future. A week and been idle was killing her.

But nothing intrigued her than the man fast asleep before her. He'd been asleep for a week now. His long dark blonde hair was sprawled over the pillows. He had a small scar running across his right eyebrow. She couldn't deny it, he was an incredibly handsome man. His long lashes didn't flutter against his closed eyes. He had high cheek bones and full lips.

Seeing his face, the first time surprised her. She knew that face, the man at the ball. She remembered him vividly now. Those mesmerizing golden eyes of his was still stuck in her head.

So this was Wrath Valerian. What a small world this was?

Eloise closed the book she held, placing it at the bedside table. She pulled her chair closer leaning in to touch his chest. She wondered if he was alive. Who on earth slept this long without feeding?She curiously placed her ear to his chest to listen to his heart beat.

His heart beat was abnormally sluggish. He wasn't like any normal vampire, witch or wolf, so it was expected. He wasn't your normal anything.

'I'm not dead. At least not yet' Eloise quickly sat back to met a pair of golden orbs staring at her.

His lips curled into a smile and her face reddened. He was utterly charming, she thought.

He slowly sat up, stepping down from the bed, his huge body towering her little frame in the chair. He placed his hands at the sides of the arm chair leaning in closely, staring into Eloise's face.

Eloise went stiff for a second, what on earth was he doing?

Although she liked his hot breath fanning her face, this was weird and uncomfortable.

He suddenly touched her neck, caressing it and leaning even more closer. Eloise froze, her heart raced loudly in her chest as his nose grazed her neck gently. Her body was quick to react to his touch. Too quick, she realized, feeling a sudden sensation between her legs.

He slowly pulled back with his lips inches away from hers. Her lips slowly parted with her eyes glued to his lips. The slow tension was killing her already.

She noticed his lips part slowly leaning in towards hers.

'Ah…rosemary and roses. You smell amazing. Intoxicating even, incredibly beautiful' He muttered against her lips with his hands buried in her thick copper hair.

He suddenly let go of her, stepping away quickly. Eloise exhaled deeply, her mind fuzzed up, wondering what just happened?

'How long have I been out?'

'A week' She said in a composed tone, her insides still fuzzy and confused.

'Urgh… great' he said in a sarcastic tone turning away from her. He suddenly pulled off his black robe, revealing his naked body.

Eloise's eyes stayed glued to his glorious body. She refused to look away even although she struggled to. He was tall, huge, broad shouldered with a well built body. Her eyes drifted to his huge, long bulge. She found herself taking in deep breaths. She almost groaned in disappointment when he wrapped a towel around his waist.

'You can go now. Tell Elric I'm awake, she will pay you well for your services' Eloise's brows creased up in a frown.

'Services? What are you talking about?' she snapped

He turned to her with a blank expression.

'You are a whore. What services do you think?' he said bluntly heading towards the double doors, leading to the bathroom.

'Excuse you?' Eloise stood up of her chair angrily. He had no idea who she was, did he?

Still, that didn't give him the right to speak to her like that.

'You don't like to be called that? What do you prefer then?'

'I don't prefer anything? How dare you call me a whore?'

Wrath Valerian frowned for a second. Some nerve this woman had yelling at him. She was angry, an entirely different person from when he touched her earlier.

Dark red hair, green eyes, a beautiful face with a stubborn but rather sharp mouth. Eloise De Richelieu Valerian, his wife.

He knew who she was the instant he awoke. She'd been at his side all week, he was familiar with her sweet scent now. The feisty look in her eyes intrigued him even more.

'Fine. Who are you then?' he asked flatly. Eloise noticed the sly smile on his face. He was enjoying this. Which meant he knew precisely who she was.

'You know exactly who I am' He smiled brightly annoying her even more.

She stormed towards the door, she had enough of this ridiculous game.

Wrath suddenly dashed towards her with his vampire speed, her back crashing into doors.

An alarmed Eloise's gapped at a smiling Wrath angrily.

'What the bloody fuck is wrong with you?'

'Goodness you are so uptight, Eloise. You remind of Leo on an early Sunday morning' He teased.

'You think this is funny!' Eloise hissed trying to push him off her.

'Not at all' His voice suddenly turned serious with his breath hot on hers.

Eloise suddenly squirmed trying to back away from him. What was this sudden raw sexual attraction she had towards him? What was this power he had over her?

'Stop....' Eloise murmured.

'I'm not doing anything, El' He whispered looking down into her eyes with a solemn look.

He leaned closer, his hands gently caressing her neck. She held her breath leaning forward to meet his lips.

Suddenly, she realized something, he was playing with her.

She abruptly slapped Wrath across the face. Wrath glanced at her angrily but mostly surprised.

'That is no way to treat a woman. Don't you ever touch me again' Elric entered the room to hear the last of Eloise's warning.

She stormed out of the room angrily, leaving Wrath and Elric behind.

Elric turned to him with a pointed look.

'She's not like any other before her' Elric turned him.

'I know' He said with sly smile.

Eloise raged down the stairs with no idea where she was going.

Just a few minutes of life and he was already making her crazy. Wrath was nothing like Corianne described.

The kind, well mannered and loving brother she heard of was nothing like the man she met in there.

He wasn't well mannered. He was arrogant, incredibly blunt with no regard for her. If he did, he wouldn't call her a whore one minute and try to stick his tongue down her throat the next. Not speaking of that weird smile he had on all the time. There wasn't even one second when he frowned, not even when she slapped him.

'My Lady, I've been searching every… are you alright?' Lucy furrowed her brows noticing the look on her face.

'He's awake' Eloise muttered in an annoyed tone.

'That's good news right?' Lucy asked quietly wondering what the Lord did to rile her Lady up this much.

'Or let's get you some breakfast' Lucy said, leading her to the large dining hall.

The siblings were already seated having their breakfast. Thorne was seated at the immediate left to the chair at the head of the table.

Next to him was Miles and Corianne. Grumpy Leonard was seated on the right side of the table next to him was a happy Heath laughing about something.

'What is with you and early Sunday mornings anyway?' Miles chuckled popping a grape into his mouth. He was dressed blue pastel suit with a white scarf around his neck.

'What is with you and that absurd scarf?' Leonard snapped.

His siblings suddenly burst out laughing. It was just as Wrath said, Leonard was very irritable on Sunday mornings.

'Eloise, you are not going to stand there all day, are you?' Thorne looked away from his newspaper.

The siblings turned to her with smiles.

'Good morning' She greeted as she took her seat, the immediate right to the head seat.

'Good morning, Eloise' They responded, well except Leo.

'I'm sorry, Leo but did I offend you in anyway?' Eloise asked him.

'No, not at all, Eloise. Pardon my sour mood' His siblings glanced at him as if he'd grown a second head.

Leonard was an entirely different person around Eloise. When he was around her, he was thoughtful, polite and smiled a lot. These three things Leonard didn't do much but not for this past week.

But he wasn't the only one fond of her. They all were drawn to her. Like light to moth.

'There's no need to apologize, Leo. We all have one of those days' She sipped her hot cup of tea to receive a smile from Leonard.

'How did your trial go on Friday?'

Leonard raised a brow in surprise. She remembered, he thought.

Leonard worked as a lawyer at the Imperium. He dealt with both criminal and civil cases. For as long as he remembered, no woman was ever interested in what he had to say about his profession.

Leonard was an intellect, he loved to speak with people who shared the same intellectual ideas as he. However, no woman he'd ever known shared that ideology. They were more concerned with the season's best dresses and the color of their lips than some boring court case. Hence, over time he'd learned not to interact with women.

But Eloise was different, she seemed interested in everything he said. Not only was she a great listener, but she was brilliant. A beautiful mind, he once told his brothers. She gave him ideas and sparked scenarios he'd never think off. For the past week, all he did was curse a sleeping Wrath. He had a woman out of this world, yet all he did was sleep, he said.

Leonard filled her in on everything concerning the case. There were times when he refused to share his work with his siblings when they tried to indulge him, saying it was confidential. Now, he hardly knew the meaning of the word.

The others joined in making the table liver than it's been in years.

Wrath stopped at the entrance of the dining room, watching his siblings and his wife. He'd never seen them this happy together and in one place before.

'They love her' He muttered to Elric, who stood staring at the scene before her with a smile.

'What is there not to love?' She muttered.

Wrath smiled softly, turning away from the doorway.

'You are not joining them?' Elric turned to him.

'No. I like seeing them like this'

'Brother' All eyes turned towards the doorway meeting Wrath's back.

'You were not leaving without a good morning, were you?' Thorne asked.

Wrath slowly walked into the dining room. His eyes slowly meeting Eloise's.

'As a matter of fact, I was' He knelt down at Corianne's side. He placed a kiss on her forehead, pulling her into his arms.

'I was so scared, brother. I thought I was going to lose you' She muttered in his arms.

'Tsk. Die? He's too stubborn to' Miles chuckled.

Wrath laughed hugging his little sister.

'I'd never leave you all alone amongst these wolves, Annie. I promised, remember?' Eloise watched as Wrath doted on his sister.

Anyone a mile away could see how much he loved her. He seemed like an entirely different person when he spoke to her.

Corianne whispered something in his ear, and he laughed.

'Anything for you, Annie' He kissed her head again.

He rose to his feet holding Corianne's hand.

'I owe you an apology, Eloise. I'm grateful to you for saving my life. I'm also sorry about earlier….' Eloise shifted in her seat, remembering his breath on her neck.

He smiled as if knowing what she was thinking.

'It's fine' Eloise mumbled holding his gaze.

Wrath nodded with a smile. 'Heading somewhere?' Miles asked.

'Horse riding. Care to join me?'

'Absolutely, nothing helps than a good morning ride' Miles stood up from his seat.

Heath and Thorne stood up too.

'Eloise, care to join us?' Wrath mentioned her name with such familiarity.

'I don't….'

'Sister and I will be going to the town square today. Remember?' Corianne interrupted her. The two exchanged looks with Eloise getting the point.

'I guess I will ride with you lads, some other time?' she said to Wrath with a tight smile.

In truth, is she didn't know how to ride a horse. Even if she did, she didn't want to be anywhere near Wrath right now.

'Alright, see you ladies later. Let's go Leo' Wrath called his younger brother, who didn't seem so pleased to leave.

'Have fun' Corianne said after her brothers. They stepped out of the dining room laughing about something Heath said.

'Well, they seem happy' Eloise said to Corianne.

'It's been a long time since they've been happy' She noticed a sad smile playing at her lips.

'So, what's with the town square, what's going on there?' Eloise changed the subject.

'You're not comfortable around, brother. So, I thought of giving you a way out?'

Did she make it that obvious?

'No, I just sensed it off you' Corianne replied quickly finishing the last of her breakfast.

'Are you…'

'Half daemon, half vampire, empathic quirks' Corianne sat back with a smile.

Eloise observed the teenage girl across the table. Her teal eyes glinted with wisdom and obscured sadness.

'Cori, how old are you?' Corianne chuckled softly.

'Eighty-two this Christmas, can't wait. I get my new pair of prosthetics then' she said excitedly.

Eloise smiled, wondering what was going on in that head of hers. How was she able to put on that smile every day? How did it feel to feel what everyone was feeling around you?

You could tell if they were lying, sad, happy, scared or uncomfortable as she was minutes ago.

'So, what happened to your….'

'The witch plague. It got me when I was twenty. My brothers searched the face of the earth to find no cure. Wrath reached out to your parents they….'

'My parents?' Corianne nodded slowly.

'Henry and Arabella cast a spell that saved me. But it was black magic. To get something you must give something in return. My legs paid the price'

'I'm sorry'

Eloise moved to her side placing a hand on her shoulder. Corianne smiled unable to hide the sadness in her eyes anymore.

'Let's look in the bright side, I survived. And I'm the only one who has ever survived it' she told her.

'My lady Valerian… there's someone at the door for you'

Eloise turned to the servant with a raised brow.

The servant led her along with Corianne to the foyer. She stopped to find a dark blonde haired woman about her age. She was dressed in a blue cloak matching her light blue eyes.

Eloise gasped softly. Those eyes reminded her of…. They reminded her of Cole.

'Bloody hell…. Elvira?' a stunned Corianne muttered.

'You know her?' Eloise turned to her in question.

'You have to leave' Elvira said abruptly. Her voice holding such urgency.

'What… what are you….' Elvira rushed towards Eloise with her vampire speed.

She suddenly took both Eloise's hands. An image of Cole pushing her of the balustrade flashed behind her eyes.

Eloise gasped suddenly stepping away from her.

'Stay away from her' Corianne moved defensively towards Eloise.

'You… you don't understand. He's… I… You can't stay. Look don't you see it. Look!' Elvira yelled her eyes wide as if she were possessed.

She burst out spewing inaudibly.

'What…. what is wrong with her?' A shaken Eloise asked Corianne.

'Elvira the Mad. That's what she's call….'

'I am not mad!' Elvira yelled startling the two.

'Believe me…you have to leave. He's coming'

'Who is coming?' A confused Eloise asked.

'He's….'

'V? What are you doing here?' Eloise's gaze moved towards the entrance. She suddenly froze. The very hairs on her neck standing upright.

Her eyes locked with his, and the shock in her eyes was obvious to him too.

'Cole' Wrath's voice boomed in from behind.

Eloise stood rooted to the spot, watching as the two embraced. They knew each other? Yes, they did.

Memories of the night of her death flooded her mind.

Cole glanced at her with a smile. Fear suddenly gripped her, her eyes swiftly moving to Elvira's. She had the same terrified look on her face as she looked back at her.

He was here for her, she thought with dread.