A short time later, men were swarming around the outside of the castle, like ants at a picnic.

The biggest surprise of the day came with the setting of the sun. There was no knock at the door this time. Elena was sitting on one of the new sofas, reading a book, when there was an odd ripple in the air and suddenly Drake, Katiya, and Andrei were standing in front of her.

“Drake.” She murmured his name, her gaze devouring him. She was certain she was dreaming until he swept her off the sofa and wrapped her in his arms.

“Elena! How I have missed you!” He held her close, crushing her body to his until she could scarcely breathe. But she didn’t care—he was here. He was real, and nothing else mattered.

“I missed you, too.” Tears fell unchecked down her cheeks as she hugged him close. He was here. “Oh, how I missed you!”

She didn’t know how long they stood like that, just looking at each other—a moment? A lifetime?—before she noticed that Andrei and Katiya were also embracing.

“Elena, beloved, let me look at you.” So saying, Drake put her on her feet and held her at arm’s length. “You are more beautiful than ever.”

“How long can you stay?” she asked, dreading the answer.

“As long as you wish.”

She glanced at Katiya. “I don’t understand.”

“I want to be your husband,” he said. “Always, if you will still have me.”

“But . . . how is that possible? And what about Katiya? She’s your wife now.”

“Rodin’s decree has no authority in the outside world. According to the laws of the land, you and I are still man and wife.”

“So, what is Katiya doing here?”

“We left the Fortress together. Rodin believes we are on a belated honeymoon.”

“And Andrei is here because . . . ?”

“He is here because Katiya is here,” Drake replied, as if that explained everything.

Elena continued to stare at him while her mind tried to process what he had told her. But none of it seemed to register save for one fact—he was still her husband, if she wanted him.

“Say something,” he demanded. “I do not like your silence.”

“Drake.” She caressed his cheek, ran her fingertips over his lips. “Read my mind.”

His gaze met hers, a moment only, and then he swept her into his arms again and carried her swiftly up the stairs.

A thought closed and locked the door and they were alone in the bedroom.

Drake set her on her feet ever so slowly and then he stood there, just looking at her. “Never again,” he vowed. “Never again will I be parted from you.”

Fresh tears welled in Elena’s eyes.

“You are my heart, my soul.” He drew her into his arms again. “There is no life for me without you.”

Pressing her face against his chest, Elena closed her eyes, her hands moving restlessly up and down his back. “Drake . . . ?”

“Yes, wife?”

“I can’t wait any longer.”

He murmured her name and the next thing she knew, they were in bed, lying naked in each other’s arms.

She smiled into his eyes. “And to think, I once refused to take you to my bed.”

He laughed softly. “Tonight, it will be even better than the first time.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“You doubt me?” He rose over her, his eyes blazing red with his desire.

“Oh, no, my lord,” she exclaimed.

“See that you do not,” he warned with mock fierceness. “I am no puny mortal who grows weary after one encounter. Or two. Or three.”

“I remember,” she said, grinning. “Shall we try for four?”

“As you wish, my sweet wife. As you wish.”

Elena awoke with a smile, and a fervent hope that the night past hadn’t been a dream. But no, for Drake was there, asleep beside her. He loved her. He had vowed never to be parted from her again.

Last night had been so wonderful, she wished they could make love again, now. But he was resting and she really needed a shower.

She was about to get out of bed when his fingers curled around her wrist.

“Where are you going, wife?”

“Well, it’s morning, and I’m hungry—”

“As am I.”

“I don’t think we’re hungry for the same things,” Elena remarked dryly.

“No. Were you not just lusting after my body?”

“I wouldn’t say lusting, exactly,” she replied, choking back a laugh.

“Wishing for?”

“Perhaps. A little.”

“If you want me, woman, you had better take me now, before the sun climbs any higher in the sky.”

“Take you?” she asked with a grin.

“Every way you can,” he said, his grin matching hers as he pulled her under the covers. “As long as I can reciprocate.”

It was midafternoon when Elena slipped out of bed. Humming softly, she grabbed her robe and went downstairs.

To her amazement, most of the furniture that had cluttered the main room was gone. The old sofas and couches and tables had been replaced with the new ones. Only the scarred trestle table remained. Did it have some special significance for Drake, that he had kept it? And where was all the old furniture?

Going down to the kitchen, she could only stare in wonder. The old oven was gone and a shiny new one stood in its place. There was also a small refrigerator. The old sink with the pump had been replaced by a stainless steel basin and a new counter. An apartment-sized washer and dryer just barely fit at the end of the counter.

Elena shook her head. It was amazing. How had Drake accomplished it in such a short time?

The ringing of the bell at the front door drew her back upstairs.

“Morning, miss,” the electrician said cheerfully. “We’ll be needing to work inside today.”

“Of course.” Elena stepped back to allow the man and his crew into the castle.

“You might want to consider getting rid of that bell pull and installing a real doorbell,” he said.

She nodded. “That’s a wonderful suggestion. Thank you.”

While the men were at work, she went upstairs and discovered where the rest of the furniture had gone. Apparently, while she slept, Drake, Andrei, and Stefan had carried the bedroom furniture upstairs. All the bedrooms had beds now, as well as chairs, nightstands, and throw rugs. And dressers, Elena noted. Dressers with mirrors. She would have to ask Drake about the whole reflectionin-the-mirror thing.

She spent an hour making all the beds, then went downstairs to see how the electrician was doing.

“Just about finished in this room,” he said. “You’ll need a cable hookup for the TV, but the stereo and DVD player will work just fine.”

“Thank you.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll begin wiring the kitchen.”

Elena nodded. Then, realizing it was late afternoon and she had skipped breakfast and lunch, she went downstairs to the kitchen for something to eat, thinking how wonderful it would be when the electricity was hooked up in all the rooms. She could hardly wait to fill the new refrigerator with meat and cheese and eggs and milk. And ice cream.

She was sitting at the table, finishing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, when the big gray cat hopped on the chair beside hers.

“Smoke!” she exclaimed. “Where have you been?”

The cat yawned, then curled up on the chair.

“You are a most peculiar creature,” Elena murmured. “Drake said you’re not his, yet when he’s not here, neither are you. . . .” She frowned, remembering the night she had asked Drake about the cat, and he had replied that he didn’t own one. Yet Drake had returned only last night. And this afternoon the cat was back. Was it possible? No, the very thought was absurd.

Still puzzling over the odd comings and goings of the remarkable cat, Elena went up the stairs to the main hall. After slipping a DVD into the player, she stretched out on one of the new sofas. Moments later, Smoke joined her there. He rubbed up against her arm, licked her cheek, then curled up beside her and closed his eyes. What a life he led, Elena thought. All the creature did was sleep.

It was near sundown when the cat jumped off the sofa and padded out of the room.

Sitting up, Elena rubbed her eyes, and then she smiled. Drake would soon be here. A thrill of excitement bubbled up inside her, and then he was there, striding toward her, tall and dark and handsome. Wordlessly, he pulled her up into his arms, one hand cupping her buttocks to draw her tight against him while he kissed her. And kissed her again, until she clung to him, breathless.

“So, wife of my heart,” he said, “did you miss me while we were apart?”

“You know I did.”

“What do you think of the new furniture?” he asked, glancing around. “Do you like it? If not, I will send it all back.”

“I love it. But why did you decide to furnish all the rooms upstairs when there’s just the two of us?”

“Andrei and Katiya will be staying with us for a while.” He stroked her hair, his gaze moving over her face. “Do you mind?”

“Of course not. What about Stefan? Will he be staying here, too?”

“No.” He settled on the sofa, drawing her down beside him. “He has gone back to the Fortress. But I thought he should have a room, should he return.”

“How did you persuade Rodin to let you leave?”

“Katiya and I convinced him that we had decided to make the best of things.”

“And he believed you?”

“Yes, but only after Katiya conceived.”

Elena stared at him, shock rolling through her like an icy wave. “She’s pregnant?”

He nodded. “It was the only way.”

She shook her head, unwilling to believe that Drake had slept with the vampire.

“Elena. Wife. The child is not mine.”

“No?”