Chapter 1

After marrying Newzena University's youngest botany professor, William Lancaster, I lived like a neglected wife.

Late one rainy night in Langton, bored out of my mind, I invited a handsome pizza delivery boy inside to wait out the storm.

As something was about to happen, a flood of wild bullet comments suddenly flooded my mind.

[Stop. Are you trying to get yourself killed?]

[Your husband already knows what you're up to. He's right outside the door, eavesdropping.]

[His precious gentlemanly restraint? The moment he sees you with another man, it'll shatter instantly.]

[William isn't human at all. He's a thousand-year-old vampire noble. He's been suppressing his bloodlust this whole time, trying not to touch you. Once he bites your neck and injects his venom, you'll be left trembling and sobbing in pure terror.]

[The doorknob is turning. That red-eyed monster is about to burst in.]

*****

The doorknob actually started to turn. I froze with my wine glass halfway to my lips.

The pizza delivery guy was still standing in the entryway, rainwater dripping from his hair, his soaked white T-shirt plastered to his chest.

He saw me freeze up and reminded me, "Ma'am, you said I could come in to get out of the rain, right?"

I was about to answer when the barrage in my head got louder.

[Don't let him in. Don't let him touch you.]

[Your husband's been standing outside the door for three minutes.]

[He's not a professor right now. He's a vampire about to go on a rampage.]

[William's been holding back for three years, but tonight he's reached his limit.]

I felt a cold shiver run down my back.

The next second, the front door was kicked open from the outside. Rain and the stormy night air flooded in.

William stood in the doorway. His black coat was soaked through. His glasses, which were gold-rimmed and fogged with rain, dripped water. His usually neat hair hung down, obscuring part of his face.

He shot a look at the delivery guy, then locked eyes with me. Those blue eyes, always calm and restrained, were burning red, almost scary.

We'd been married for three years, and he'd never once raised his voice at me.

He always remembered my pollen allergy, cut my breakfast eggs into the shapes I liked, and gave me expensive jewelry for every anniversary.

But he never so much as touched me. The most intimate we ever got was on our wedding day, when he kissed my forehead through the veil.

At first, I thought he was shy. But later, I realized it wasn't shyness at all. He didn't want me.

All the pent-up frustration from three years of being ignored finally bubbled up.

I set my wine glass down, my tone sharp: "Professor William, weren't you supposed to be in the lab tonight, tending to your precious plants?"

William didn't bother to reply. He pulled out a stack of dollars from his wallet and shoved it against the delivery guy's chest. "Get out."

"Sir, I'm here to deliver the pizza..." the delivery guy stammered.

William shot him a cold look.

The delivery guy instantly shut up, scrambled to scoop up the scattered bills, and dashed out into the rain clutching his pizza box.

William slammed the door shut behind him.

I felt a wave of anxiety, but I wasn't about to back down. "So, Professor William, did you finally remember you have a wife?"

He walked toward me, slow and deliberate.

The comments in my head kept scrolling.

[Run.]

[Run? The door's locked.]

[Girl, don't act tough. He's really going to bite you now.]

[He's totally insane, but I love it.]

I couldn't help cursing in my head. If they loved him so much, why didn't they take their turn?

William stopped right in front of me. That familiar mix of rain, rose, and fir clung to him.

I used to love that scent, but it felt dangerously intoxicating at that moment.

William asked, his voice low, "Do you want him to touch you?"

I scoffed. "You won't touch me, but you won't let anyone else either?"

His face barely changed, but the red in his eyes only deepened. "Evelyn."

"Don't call me that. You have no right to call me that."

My chest twisted with bitterness, and I finally let three years of frustration spill out. "You married me, put me on a pedestal, locked me up, and left me to rot in this house.

"Everyone envies me for marrying the youngest professor at Newzena University. But no one would guess that every night I lie beside you, it's like sharing a bed with a corpse."

For once, William's face actually showed some emotion. He reached out to touch me, but I jerked away. "Don't act all loving. It's gross."

As soon as those words left my mouth, William froze.

The comments in my head went dead silent for a second. Then they started scrolling like crazy again.

[Oh no.]

[She stepped into a trap.]

[William's biggest fear is her thinking he's disgusting.]

William reached up, slowly took off his glasses, and for the first time, the mask dropped. His face was so handsome that it barely looked real. Then he ripped off his tie.

I spun around, trying to run, but I barely took a step before he caught my wrist.

Before I knew it, he shoved me down onto the couch. I sank into the soft cushions, my hands pinned above my head with his tie.

I was mortified and furious. I kicked at him. "William, you're crazy."

He held my knees down and leaned over me. "Yeah, I've been holding back for three years. I'm about to lose it."

His lips hovered near my collarbone, the chill making me shiver.

I saw sharp fangs glint at the corner of his mouth. My mind buzzed. "What the hell are you?"

"Your husband."