[Dennis]One of the best things about winter was the longer nights. On Solstice, it was a whole thirteen and a half hours of night. I would still wake a couple hours before sunset, around four in the afternoon, but Sybil would have the most time awake since she was turned. I got out of bed and showered, then pulled out our clothing for the night. Her dress hung next to the dress she would be wearing tomorrow night when we sealed our bond. I ran a hand over the plastic covering her dress. She hadn’t let me see it, but I knew it would be beautiful on her. Carefully, I picked out every piece of her clothing and jewelry for the evening. She enjoyed it when I made small decisions for her and it made me feel useful. Instead of wandering around and trying to figure out how to entertain myself until Sybil woke, I picked things for her, fed Franny, and prepared Sybil’s blood for the night. After I was dressed and Sybil’s things were ready for her, I went to the kitchen to feed Franny. She was jumping around excitedly because I was up. Dogs didn’t know time, but she was realizing that I wasn’t gone for as long as I normally was. “A little dressed up for chores, aren’t you?” Tyler joked as he came into the kitchen while I was opening the can of soft food for Franny. “Anything to add spice to this dull afterlife,” I laughed. I put Franny’s bowl down and she dove into it as soon as I let go. She learned patience, but it only went so far. I chuckled as I pulled the blood for Sybil out of the fridge. There were liners for the slow cooker. Since she had to drink so much more blood than I did, it only made sense to warm it in this way. I set the cooker to low and put the lid on it. “You never drink warm blood, I noticed that. You seem to prefer it cold, but you never let Sybil drink cold blood. It has always been warm from the first time I ever saw you feed her,” Tyler said. “I never liked feeding off the living. I would take it from the dead sometimes. Even then, it’s too intimate of an act. Sybil didn’t live like me and wasn’t turned in the same way I was. Warm blood tastes better to her.” “Are you happy, Dennis? I know you’re excited about tomorrow and you were in love with her before you turned her, but I want to know if you’re really happy. You’re my master.” I nodded to him. “I’m happier than I have ever been. Since our ceremony will be small tomorrow, this is a chance for other vampires in the area to give their well wishes. I look forward to sealing our bond and being with Sybil forever.” “Good to hear. I’m going to get changed and head out to the venue. I have a few more things to get ready before tomorrow. Closing it tonight was a good idea, it gives me most of the evening, and all day tomorrow to get it finished,” he said. “Thank you for your hard work, Tyler. As soon as you feel you have enough done tonight, go out to one of the restaurants for dinner. If you like, you can go to a club but Wednesdays are fairly slow....” “I’m hitting up a movie with Drew afterward. I’ll see if he wants to go to dinner when the movie is finished,” Tyler replied. He bowed briefly and left to his work. Tyler was a good man and one of the best human servants I had ever had. Most of them didn’t last more than a hundred years, but I could see him lasting a while. He didn’t have any family when I marked him as my servant and was dying. There was no one to miss or to miss him. I went to my office for a while to go over the vows I’d written. I asked Sybil how her vows were coming, but she told me it was a secret. Her friend Paula told me that often meant Sybil was ‘winging it’ and hadn’t done anything. I wouldn’t doubt if that was still true. When my alarm went off, I set my paper into the top drawer and headed back to the bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed and picked up Sybil’s lifeless hand. She was so precious to me. As I started kissing each of the digits, I couldn’t help but think about how much I loved Sybil. It was a different kind of love than I had ever experienced before. It was pure and all-consuming. I had never felt such a strong connection to anyone before, and I was grateful every day that I had turned her.I looked up to see Sybil’s eyes fluttering open. Her gaze was hazy and confused, but it was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.“Good evening, my love,” I whispered, leaning down to press a gentle kiss on her lips. “How do you feel?”“Aside from hungry and horny? I feel rested, excited, terrified, and happy. I think this is the most I’ve ever felt in my life. Are we really getting married tomorrow?” she asked. I chuckled at Sybil’s blunt honesty. “Yes, my dear. We are getting married tomorrow. I have everything set up for us, and Tyler is taking care of the last-minute details. You just need to focus on getting ready and enjoying the day.”Sybil sat up and stretched, revealing her naked form under the white sheets. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of desire course through me.“I can’t wait,” Sybil said, a coy smile playing on her lips.I leaned in to kiss her again, this time with more passion and hunger. Our bodies entwined, and I couldn’t resist running my hands over every inch of her skin. She moaned into my mouth, and I could feel her desire growing with each passing moment.We continued like this for a while, lost in our passion and love for each other. I knew that Sybil was the one for me, and I couldn’t imagine spending eternity with anyone else.But as much as I wanted her, I knew that we had to stop. We had a big night ahead of us, and we needed to conserve our strength.Reluctantly, I pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. “As much as I want to continue, we are expected at Master Nightshade’s Solstice party. Go drink your blood while I get myself back in order. I have no idea how you manage to dishevel me so much in a mere matter of minutes.” She giggled and traced a finger down my neck and over the center line of my body. She had managed to unbutton my shirt and vest while I was lost in her lips. As always, Sybil was a naughty little thing. I got up and found her robe, then held it up so she could slip it on. I turned her around and pulled the ties on the robe, bringing her closer to me. Sybil looked up at me coyly and nibbled her bottom lip. “We could always blow off this party. It’s not like we’ll be punished for being too busy to go, we provided the venue,” Sybil murmured as her hands tugged at my belt. “Unfortunately, my love, we can’t skip out on this one. Master Nightshade and Echo are expecting us, and we have a reputation to uphold,” I replied, gently prying her hands away from my belt.Sybil pouted, but I could see the understanding in her eyes. She knew how important this was for us, and she didn’t want to jeopardize our status. “Fine, but you better make it up to me later,” she said, her voice laced with a hint of teasing.“I promise I will,” I said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “Now go get ready, my love. We don’t want to be late.”I tied her ties and sent her off toward the kitchen. She paused at the door and turned back to me, a mischievous glint in her eyes.“I’ll be sure to wear something that will make you want to skip the party next time,” she said before disappearing out the door.I chuckled to myself and went to straighten up. My shirt was almost completely undone, my tie had been turned askew, and my hair was mussed. Sybil always knew exactly what she wanted and went for it. That was one of the things I enjoyed about her when she was living. I was happy to see it return after she became a vampire. Master Marius was right, she was shaping up to be a very good vampire.In the world of vampires, ambition was rewarded and highly valued. It was one of the reasons why vampires in the area called me ‘Master Lyons’, even though I never took on the actual title of Master of the territory. I also went after everything I wanted. I learned my lesson when I was young. Never again would I suffer because I didn’t go after what I wanted.As I finished getting dressed, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes were still glowing with excitement from Sybil’s touch. I smiled at myself and ran my hand through my hair, trying to tame it. I knew tonight would be a long one, and I needed to be at my best.It was like I was a boy again with my emotions showing so easily in my eyes. She did that to me, though. Sybil made me feel like a young man again, and not someone over seven hundred years old. When I was finished getting straightened out, I went back to the bedroom to check on Sybil. She was putting on her jewelry and I went to assist. Her dress was beautiful. It had lacy sleeves that went to her elbows and was tight over her bust while dropping into a flowing cascade of cloth underneath it. It was black, as most vampire affairs were fairly monochromatic, highlighting the sparkle of the silver and diamond jewelry. Sybil’s red hair was down, indicating that she was taken and not interested in a partner for the evening, and there were diamond encrusted barrettes in it. I took the necklace she was fiddling with from her and fastened it while she held up her hair.“I didn’t realize I took so long straightening up,” I said. “You must have been lost in thought. You do that a lot lately. Are you starting to get cold feet?” she asked. I turned her to me and looked down into her aquamarine eyes. The eyes she got from being turned by me. The ones I had grown to love as much as her previous eye color. “No, my love, I am not getting cold feet. I am simply lost in thought about our future. I can’t help but wonder what our future holds,” I replied, tracing a finger down her cheek.Sybil leaned into my touch, her eyes softening. “I know, Dennis. But we have each other, and that’s all that really matters. We’ll take on the world together, and nothing can stop us,” she said with a determined look in her eyes.I smiled at her, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. She was right, we were a team. And as long as we had each other, we could handle anything that came our way.With a final glance in the mirror, we made our way out of the house and into the night. The party was being held in a grand ballroom, with vampires of all ages and levels of power in attendance. It was a sight to behold, with the vampires dressed in their finest attire and flashing their jewels.This was one of the event centers that I owned, but every year I hosted a Solstice party there. Even though we were a lawless land for most of the time I had lived in the area, I had done things to keep vampires remembering who we were and how we were to act. Now, Master Nightshade and Echo would be in charge of it. Master Nightshade and Echo greeted us at the door, their eyes taking in our appearance. “You both look stunning,” Master Nightshade said with a nod of approval.Sybil smiled, pleased with the compliment. “Thank you, Master Nightshade. You look quite dashing as well,” she replied.Echo giggled, her hand covering her mouth. “I love your dress, Sybil!”“You look gorgeous, Echo. I almost didn’t recognize you!” Sybil replied and held out her hands to the younger woman. Echo’s black hair was pulled back at the top and flowed over her neck and shoulders. Her dress was a deep green color, with a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit. She looked stunning, and I could see the envy in some of the other vampire’s eyes as they looked at her.The party was in full swing, with vampires dancing, drinking, and mingling. We made our way into the thick of it. The crowd parted for us as we crossed the room. “It feels like everyone is watching us, is it because we’re with Master and Mistress Nightshade?” Sybil whispered. “Partly. Before they came along, I was regarded as one of the most well-respected vampires in the area. I still am, though not so much as Master Nightshade.” “Yes,” Master Nightshade said. “If I had realized how much everyone respected Master Lyons, I would have named him as one of my supports.” I was shocked at that. It wasn’t that I didn’t realize my pull in the area, but that I never thought a powerful vampire like Master Nightshade would ever see me as more than a turned dhampyr. Then again, he had been like that since the first time I met him. “Thank you for saying that, Master Nightshade, but you have two able and skillful supports now. I will always make myself available to you if you have need of me or my properties,” I replied. “Good. We’ll leave you to enjoy the party. Master Marius has just arrived and I know Echo is eager to greet him and his wife. Make sure to come see us during the party to chat. Master Marius and Mistress Talia both would like to see Sybil tonight,” he told me. “As you wish, Master Nightshade.”Echo gave each of us quick hugs before Master Nightshade took her hand and led her across the room. I smiled at Sybil and held out my hand, bowing to her. “Shall we dance, my love?” Sybil accepted my hand. “I would love to dance with you, Dennis.” I led her to the dancefloor where several other couples were gliding around in each others arms to the music that the band was performing. Taking her in my arms, we started moving as well. Sybil smiled up at me as she followed my steps. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have her. As the song ended, I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. The kiss was gentle at first, but then it deepened, and I pulled her closer to me. I could feel the heat radiating from her body, and the scent of her blood was intoxicating.At that moment, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I nearly growled at the person for interrupting my moment with Sybil. Managing to, just, control my frustration. I turned to the person who tapped me and froze. She hadn’t changed at all since the last time I saw her. Her blonde hair was intricately knotted atop her head and she wore a white gown with a necklace that covered her entire neck. “May I have the next dance?” she smirkedFrancesca....