Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 102: Chapter 102

He took her past the tree line of the woods bordering the estate, a place she had never willingly explored before. Exploring meant showing interest in the changes being forced upon her, something she had no desire to indulge in.

Circe, however, had made it a priority to learn all the known passages and exits in and out of the building through their nightly game of hide and seek, noting how heavily guarded they were at night.

Beyond that, she never bothered to know more, which made the route Ragnar led her through completely foreign to her. Her neck turned constantly as she tried to memorize every twist and turn they took, crushing dried leaves and twigs underfoot with each step.

She finally spoke after several minutes of silence, his fingers still wrapped firmly around her wrist.

"Do you always make a habit of dragging women into lonely woods?" Circe quipped, breaking the quiet.

As much as she disliked Ragnar and the fact that she was married to him, she had grown accustomed to his witty retorts to her sharp remarks, the mirth he barely concealed. To her own irritation, she realized she disliked the absence of it even more.

"Only the stubborn and aggressive ones. Those are the ones I’ve been drawn to lately." It was the clever response she had been waiting for.

She huffed but didn’t dispute his assessment. "That’s something, coming from you, the most infuriating man I have ever met." She would have folded her arms and dug in her heels if he weren’t still dragging her along by the wrist.

"And somehow you still beat me in that regard." He didn’t turn around, but she caught the amused tilt of his lips all the same.

"Where are you taking me?" she pressed when he kept walking without pause.

"You’ll like it, don’t worry." That was all he said, and the worst part was that he was right. Not that she would ever admit it.

A few moments later they stopped, and stretched before her was the most breathtaking sight she had ever seen.

The dense forest foliage opened to reveal a rippling azure pool, framed by tall evergreens standing like sentinels in the waning afternoon light. Sunlight broke through the canopy in golden shafts, casting a warm glow across the water, which mirrored the pale sky and the dark silhouettes of the pines. Moss and smooth stones softened the riverbank, and the stream moved with a steady calm.

Circe gaped, taking a few tentative steps forward, hardly able to contain her awe. Beautiful didn’t even come close to describing it. That such a place existed in the harsh lands of Lamora felt unreal, almost impossible.

Ragnar let out a low chuckle behind her, but she was far too captivated to be annoyed that he found amusement in the stupefied look plastered across her face.

"I take it you’ve never been here before," Ragnar said, his voice much closer now.

"I didn’t even know such a place existed..." Her words trailed off when she felt something cool and metallic settle around her neck. Then she felt his nearness, large and warm at her back.

"I come here almost every day. It’s my haven. It can be yours too, if you wish." He spoke softly, unaware of the weight his words carried.

When had he drawn so close, and how hadn’t she noticed?

Her eyes lowered as he fastened the clasp over the simple necklace she always wore, her breath catching.

It was a silver-toned choker set with a large oval green gemstone, surrounded by intricate metalwork of leaves and curling patterns. Smaller stones flanked either side, and from the center dangled a teardrop-shaped pendant that caught the fading light.

It reminded her of the necklaces popular among the noble ladies back home. It was beautiful and she was stunned for the second time that day. freewebnøvel.com

Ragnar spoke before she could. His fingers brushed lightly across the exposed skin of her neck as he worked. "I know a skilled jeweler here in Amris. I’ve always wanted one of his pieces."

But it wasn’t the truth, not entirely. He wouldn’t mention the real reason he acquired the piece, although Casilo who followed him into the jeweler’s shop certainly knew why, seeing as nothing ever escaped the man’s notice.

Ragnar would never admit how one look at the piece had reminded him of her, like she wasn’t already constantly in his thoughts. He had wanted to purchase every single one of its kind just to see how it would look around her slender neck and wasn’t that an insane thought to be having about her.

Waiting to offer it to her had been its own torment.

He was far too old to be feeling this way, yet here he stood, acting like an eager stripling desperate for a beautiful woman’s notice.

He didn’t know how she would receive the gift. His wife had the temperament of a bucking bull, which was why he had brought her here, hoping the scenery might soften her before she could turn on him.

She hadn’t hurled the necklace at his face yet, a fact that only fed into his delusions.

"It’s beautiful." She wasn’t sure if she meant the necklace, the place, or both. Then she added dryly, "It looks quite expensive. Did you steal it?"

And just like that, the fragile bubble between them burst.

Ragnar scowled. "I didn’t steal it."

Why would she even think that?

"Oh, my mistake." She turned, casting him a haughty look over her shoulder. The gems caught the light as she added, "I didn’t think you could afford something like this, given how close you are to destitution."

Her fingers traced the necklace as she spoke, a taunting smile tugging at her lips.

She would never know how much that look affected him—sharp, mocking, yet alluring. It was maddening, the way she goaded him, and yet he couldn’t pull away. Like a fish caught on a hook, he found himself ensnared every time.

"Your odd fascination with my finances has to stop." He tried to sound stern, but humor still threaded through his voice. He wasn’t remotely perturbed.

"Why? Men like you need women like me to keep your egos in check," she said wryly. "Consider it my contribution to society."

Despite herself, she couldn’t stop from gazing down at the necklace again. She liked it far more than she was ready to admit and she wanted to keep it despite her earlier aversion to accepting anything that wasn’t money she swindled off him.

"Is the jeweler Lamorian?" she asked absently, still marveling at the intricate craftsmanship.

"No. He’s a human who migrated from the north."

Perhaps that explained why his jewelry resembled the styles she grew up seeing.

Ragnar had unknowingly brought her a small piece of home.