My Ghost Bride Had A Pulse

Synopsis

Jayden Ford coughed blood as a guard clamped a hand on the back of his neck, forcing him to bow before the altar. No bride waited at the front of the chapel. Only a cold, hardwood coffin. The guests wore grim, fascinated expressions. They were not here to celebrate. They had come to witness a grotesque mockery of a wedding. Word was, Queenie Sherman, the Chancellor's own daughter, had died in a riding accident three days ago. But the Chancellor couldn't bear to bury her alone. So he had chosen Jayden, the poorest, sickest scholar in the city, a man with one foot in the grave, to serve as his "ghost groom." If Jayden agreed, he would receive a fortune in gold. It was enough to keep his mother comfortable for the rest of her life. Jayden had no other choice. When the ceremony ended, they led Jayden to the bridal chamber. No wedding bed awaited him. Only the coffin. Candles burned low, casting shadows across his pale face. His trembling hands pushed the coffin lid aside. A strange herbal scent wafted out. The woman inside was deathly pale, eyes sealed shut, yet her chest rose and fell with the faintest, most fragile rhythm.