The Demon King (Otherworld Series #4)

Chapter 16

Pius Valor (For those who didn't see his picture in The Vampire's Love.)

Our wedding night kept getting closer.

We had the bridal march and played many other games. Then Nikolai and I were raised on chairs and taken around the room. After some teasing they finally let the chairs come closer so that Nikolai and I could kiss. It was small and clumsy. But I still cursed myself for wanting more after we were done.
And I kept drowning myself in wine during dinner, hoping that I wouldn't be coherent enough to feel anything when he....

I danced with Nikolai to a slow song, we only looked at each other throughout the dance, maintaining eye contact, even when there were hoots and hollers about how much in love we were.

Then another song started and we were joined on the dance floor by many other couples.

I was passed around like bottle of beer among drunk men. I danced with unknown demons who couldn't sweat enough or squirm enough. I then danced with Nikolai's brothers. They complemented my dress and my hair or spoke about the weather.

Yes, we spoke about the weather.

After all the passing around, I finally came to my dearly beloved nephew Pius Valor. He was handsome in the pale goth way. But I was never interested in vampire, and he was my half sister's son anyway.

He smiled down at me and danced. We had no easy conversation. He just nodded at whatever I asked. He looked a bit nervous and kept patting his left breast. I gave up on coversation after asking a few questions about Peter and Catra's health.

When the song was almost over. Pius cleared his throat and put his hand into his suit jacket to retrieve something.

"This...is um...a letter and your wedding gift...from Hanes."
He said, now shifting uncomfortably.

I looked down at the white envelope, with the vampire insignia on it. Pius shoved it in my hand when I didn't take it and left me alone on the dance floor.

I didn't know what to do of it. I'm not sure I wanted to read it and it was pretty heavy so I knew a letter wasn't the only thing inside.

"What is it?" Nikolai asked when we were seated at out table in the center of the room.

I just handed him the letter. "Why don't you dispose this off?" I said to him.

He took it from me and looked at the stamp. "I'm guessing it's from your father?" He said. I nodded.

"It must be some sob story about how he loved me so but couldn't help himself , how sorry he is that he had to give me away and about how he didn't know about the condition I was in. I don't need to read it." I said, shrugging and feeling numb.

Nikolai didn't say anything and pocketed the letter. "You'll read it later, when you get back to self pitying."

I probably would. But I wasn't going to tell him about that.

"So, Nikolai. We're leaving now. Catra's tired." Pius' voice interrupted.

We looked in his direction. He was gazing down lovingly at his wife and stroking her stomach. Catra looked worn out and right on que she yawned.

"Must be tiring, doing all the running around for us. But thanks for attending, anyway. Why don't you quickly pop some deserts and then leave?" Nikolai asked, I knew he was only being polite.

At the word of 'Deserts', Catra suddenly looked like she had adrenaline pumping through her veins. She looked up at Pius, her puppy dog face on.

Pius looked horrified. "You shouldn't have said that, man. She's got a giant sweet tooth during this pregnancy. Your going to be out of deserts."