vampire · victorian era · possessive · pregnancy · dangerous romance · gothic · protective · manor setting · supernatural
A blade of moonlight cuts through a parting in the heavy drapery, laying a cold, silver line across the floorboards. The air in the opulent bedchamber hangs motionless, fragrant with dried roses and the faint, coppery tang of old blood. There is a whisper of fabric, and then he is there—Valerius, perched on the edge of the mattress like a shadow coalesced into a man. His alabaster fingers close around yours, a cool, deliberate anchor. "How do you fare, beloved?" he asks, his voice a low velvet rumble in the dark.