Amelia held her hand to her head, trying to process what she was feeling. “It was like something came from the ring—it was like heat, a good heat rushing all over me, and now all my aches and pains from last night are gone. I feel great.” Byron didn’t say anything and that worried her. “You mean this doesn’t happen to everyone that wears this ring?”

“I don’t really know. I wasn’t around when it was last used. It is a magical ring, so anything is possible. Wait…” Byron brushed aside her hair, revealed her neck, and smiled. “Your bite mark is gone.” She lifted Amelia’s hand and kissed the ring. “This will protect you from harm, so we shouldn’t be worried.”

Amelia hurried over to the bedroom mirror, and for the first time in six months her neck had not a mark on it. She presumed the bite on her thigh was the same, because she couldn’t feel any stinging pain.

Amelia looked down at her new ring. “Wow, my life is so strange now.” She walked back over and put her arms around Byron. “So strange, but so full of love. I love you, Byron.”

“I love you, Amelia Honey.”

She rested her forehead against Byron’s and said, “I think Amelia Debrek has a better ring to it.”

A smile erupted on Byron’s face. “Really? I didn’t want to presume…”

Amelia cupped Byron’s cheeks and said softly, “When you’re traveling all around the world, doing all your banking stuff, I want every woman out there to know you have a wife. In fact, I’ll have to get you a ring too.”

Byron kissed her quickly and chuckled. “Of course, Amelia Debrek. I am very much taken, and I would love to wear your ring. In normal circumstances this blood bond ceremony would be more elaborate, and all the family and clan would be there to witness it. The tradition is that you don’t share blood till the wedding day, but we jumped the gun a tad, as do most modern vampire couples.”

Amelia sighed. “So Victorija robbed me of a big wedding day?”

“I promise you, once this is over, we’ll plan something elaborate and wonderful.”

Amelia lifted Byron’s hand to look closer. It had a diagonal scar running down the palm. “You have a scar, but that’s not possible. You’re a vampire. You’re supposed to heal.”

“Not this wound. The blood bond remains a visible scar for always.”

“So better than a ring?” Amelia asked with a smile.

“Exactly. Look at yours.”

Byron lifted Amelia’s hand, and she was shocked to find the same mark as Byron had.

“But I’m human. It shouldn’t heal and turn into a fully formed scar in minutes.”

“Your ring will heal you, remember?” Byron said.