Claimed by the Prince of Darkness-Chapter 78: Between them

A wide smile broke on Ruelle’s face the moment she caught sight of her sister, as several weeks had passed since she had last seen her. Within a few seconds, the Belmont sisters closed the distance between them with a warm hug.

While joy warmed Ruelle’s chest, Caroline’s smile wavered when her gaze drifted past Ruelle’s shoulder and caught sight of three men standing not far behind her sister.

"How have you been, Caroline?" Ruelle asked when they pulled away, her voice bright with unbridled happiness. "I am so glad to see you."

"I have been well," Caroline replied, before her smile reappeared and she turned to look back. "Ezekiel. See? Coming into town was a good idea after all."

Ruelle offered a polite bow to Mr. Henley.

Ezekiel, who was momentarily caught off guard, had surprise flicker across his features before he mirrored the gesture. The smile he offered was strained which he tried to hide.

"Ezekiel Henley?" Sawyer exclaimed, loud enough to turn heads. "Our instructor at Sexton? I had no idea you were Ruelle’s brother-in-law."

Dane grinned at this new information, stepping forward as if the tension amused him. He remarked, "Nor did we know you were married, Henley. Or that Ruelle had a sister," his gaze lingered briefly on Caroline and he said, "especially one so lovely."

Caroline involuntarily blushed at the words of the handsome, blond vampire.

Dane offered a courteous practised bow to Caroline and introduced himself smoothly, "Dane Slater. Your husband’s colleague and your sister’s instructor."

Caroline hesitated for a second before returning the bow, her movements polite but hesitant. She mumbled, "Caroline Henley. I–I would like to speak a word with my sister."

Ruelle gently pulled Caroline away from there and stopped near the edge of the street, where the noise of passing carriages dulled and the men’s voices blurred into the town’s background.

"What are you doing, Ruelle?" Caroline whispered in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" Ruelle asked with a small frown.

Caroline’s gaze flicked briefly toward the group behind them before returning, this time more disappointed than before. She stated,

"You have come to an unfamiliar town in the company of three men. Vampires. And I believe you are sharing a room with one of them." Her voice dropped further, "Do you realise how that looks?"

The words landed like a cold bucket of water thrown at Ruelle. The only way her sister could have heard about it was from her husband. Her eyes moved to look at Ezekiel, who looked in their direction even though he was talking to Dane.

"It is not what you think," Ruelle explained earnestly. "I swear it. One of the vampiresses and June intended to harm me. There was no other way to protect myself." She hesitated, then added, "The person I room with doesn’t want my presence there. He wants his space. There is nothing improper happening between us."

Ruelle felt Caroline stare at her in silence before her sister exhaled, "You always manage to find yourself in situations like this, Ruelle. Things happen to you, and yet you never think to involve the right people. You should have told Ezekiel. He would have known what to do." She shook her head, and then, almost under her breath, she muttered, "And now you roam with them so freely in public..."

Not far from where the sisters stood, Lucian stood with his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. His posture and presence were refined enough to catch looks from the people walking by the place. Though his gaze never strayed from Ezekiel, his attention was elsewhere, listening to the young women’s conversation.

Lady Maxine stood beside him, watching Ruelle and Caroline with a thoughtful expression. She spoke in a lowe voice which was meant for Lucian’s ears,

"Now that I think about it, none of you mentioned her last name until we were about to head out of the mansion." She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly in recollection. "Belmont. I recall only one family by that name. Joseph Belmont...he once served one of the ministers in the High Court."

When Lucian didn’t respond or react, her eyes moved to him and she asked, "Does she know?"

"No," Lucian answered calmly. "And it is better she doesn’t."

A quiet chuckle escaped from Lady Maxine’s lips, touched with amusement. She was aware of most of the things that occurred in the Slaters’ family, but she hadn’t expected this.

"I was under the impression the Belmont household had only one daughter," she murmured, more to herself than to him, as the young woman appeared to be close to Ruelle’s age.

Then, after a moment, she asked, "Has Ruelle worked in any household before?"

Lucian’s gaze finally shifted briefly to Ruelle, who was smiling more brightly than she had all day.

"No," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

Lady Maxine pursed her lips before she gave a small shrug. "It felt like she’s worked in a bad environment before."

When Ruelle’s gaze moved to where Lucian stood, their eyes met briefly before Sawyer suddenly popped in front of her and her sister.

"I’m Sawyer," he introduced, offering a grin. "Ruelle’s senior at Sexton. And that is Maxine who is a female, I assure you." He gestured lazily in the vampiress’s direction. "So there’s no need to worry about your sister being alone in the company of men."

Caroline stiffened, her face turning red as she realised how much of their conversation had been heard.

"I’m sorry," she apologised quickly. "I didn’t mean—"

"Because we heard it?" Sawyer asked, his smile widening.

Caroline hesitated and began, "I was only concerned for her. That is all."

"I see," Sawyer replied, nodding with exaggerated seriousness. "Because we are blood-sucking creatures who might wring her dry and leave her abandoned in an alley." He laughed at his own words.

"If we are done chitter-chattering, can we get to business? I am annoyed enough to be standing here and being made to wait," came Renard’s loud and irritated voice. He was already standing before the dress shop wanting to be done with it.

Ruelle had nearly forgotten he was still there.

"What are you shopping for?" Ezekiel asked, who joined his wife’s side. "Caroline and I are here to look at fabrics."

"We should go together then!" Caroline suggested. Soon the group crossed the narrow sidewalk and entered the building Renard had been guarding resentfully.

Once they stepped inside the shop, Ruelle noticed the candles burning on iron stands along the walls, their flames reflecting faintly in tall mirrors. Heavy curtains draped over the tall windows that dulled the outside world. There were bundles of fabric stacked in careful rows on the shelves, while mannequins were draped in half-finished gowns. There were some fabrics that had delicate beads, pearls, and gemstones embedded in them.

Ruelle couldn’t resist brushing her finger against one of the fabrics, which felt soft to her touch.

"Ah—the Slaters, Valentin, Ravencroft, and Henley," a middle-aged vampire announced as he emerged from behind a curtain, a monocle resting upon his right eye, his brown hair combed neatly back. His gaze swept through the group before settling upon Lady Maxine. "Your dress is complete, my lady. If you would kindly follow the assistant, you may inspect the fitting."

As Lady Maxine was led away, Ruelle remained where she stood, surrounded by fine fabrics of silk, chiffon, and other kinds which made her shoulders heavy. She turned towards Dane and whispered,

"I do not think I can afford a dress from here." Though he had called it a gift, this was too much to accept.

"You need not concern yourself with the cost," Ezekiel, who had overheard her replied. "I will pay for it. Choose whatever you like."

The words had barely been spoken, when Lucian remarked,

"A woman is traditionally provided clothes by her father, husband, or her husband’s household," his tone sounded disinterested. "It would be unusual for you to assume that role for your wife’s sister, Mr. Henley."

Ezekiel’s smile turned much politer and he answered, "She is my family now. My wife’s kin are my responsibility. She is no stranger."

"Dane has already covered it. It is a gift, one she won. You wouldn’t want to take that from her, would you, Mr. Henley?" Lucian asked, cocking his head to the side with his eyes on Ezekiel.