by T. S. Ryder
Skin pale as death, sharp cheekbones, deep, dark eyes. The black suit he wore made him radiate all the more power. Yuliana could hardly make herself move but somehow managed to sink low to the floor in a curtsy as she was meant to.
"Ah, Yuliana." The king's voice was rich and deep as it washed over her. "Welcome."
She ducked her head, blushing. Was she supposed to reply? "It is a great honor."
"The greatest honor is yet to be bestowed. You may rise."
Her heart slammed against her chest as she straightened. Was her mother right?
"You, of course, know of the war that the Shifters have been waging against us."
Yuliana shivered and nodded. Everybody knew about the Shifters. They were a violent, unreasonable people that lived in the dense forests that surrounded the civilized areas controlled by the vampires. Every year they made dozens of raids, killing vampires and stealing food and supplies from wherever they got it.
"What if I told you that you could be our means of ending this conflict?"
"Me?" Yuliana's eyes widened. "But what could I do?"
"The Alpha of our greatest foes is seeking a mate. He's even put ads in human newspapers for women to contact him. I have contacted him to offer a female vampire as his mate, and you are she."
Ice flooded her veins. She had been called here to become the mate of a Shifter? And not just any Shifter, but an Alpha? Out of everything she had considered, this seemed impossible. Even more impossible than being chosen as part of the king's harem. Her stomach churned. King Harold was asking her to leave her family and home to… mate a Shifter?
"M-my king," her father stuttered, clutching Yuliana's hand. "Surely the beast would kill her!"
"Nonsense." The king waved his hand airily. "Shifters are different from us in many ways, but they don't kill their mates. When he accepts you as his mate, dear Yuliana, he is dedicating his life to you. He will give you everything you desire and lay down his life for you. You can't find that among humans, and given your station it's unlikely, that you'll find a vampire mate."
Yuliana flinched at the reminder. Her mother's previous words brushed across her mind. Not many girls stay virgins these days.
Well, it wasn't by choice on her part. She was just over a hundred years old, a young woman who had reached the age where she could take a mate some time ago. But nobody wanted her. Whether because of her appearance, her lowly station, or her crippling shyness, she hadn't had a single suitor.
Skipping dating and the heartbreak and rejection that came with it and just having a mate was an attractive proposition. But a Shifter? What if he took her away, and just gobbled her up like the Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood? The news was full of Shifters stealing away young women to be their mates. Could this Alpha really be capable of dedicating his life to her when his people seemed to not care about whether their mates chose them or not?
"You would be doing a great service for your people," the king urged.
Yuliana swallowed hard. Her people. Yes, they had to come before her own comforts, even if it was terrifying. "I will be his mate."
***
She packed only a backpack with clothing in it. Yuliana hugged her mother tightly, determined that she wasn't going to cry. Her eyes were already red, scratchy and puffy from the previous night. If she kept going on like that, she was going to have to drink a gallon of blood just to replace lost energy.
And where she was going, she didn't know if she was going to have regular access to blood.
"Call us as often as you can," her father said, gripping her shoulder. "I wish I could stop you from doing this… but you're a grown woman, and I'm proud of you. Just take care of yourself."
Yuliana's lip trembled and she threw herself into her father's arms. Her shoulders shook despite her vow to remain strong.
There was a knock on the door. Her mother wiped her cheeks as she moved towards it. Yuliana's heart seized when she saw the man waiting for her. He was big. No, more than big. He was enormous. His shoulders were so broad that he had to turn sideways to enter the house, and even now as he looked in at them, he had to duck. The man was a monster!
And yet…
Yuliana's mouth watered when she caught his scent. Deep and manly, smelling of fresh-tilled earth, chopped wood and summer rain. And his eyes, sharp blue in a weather-browned face, were the most striking she had ever seen. Even as she drew back from him, there was something stirring inside of her core that demanded… something. To be in his arms with her legs around his hips. She shivered, unable to process this confusing mix of terror and desire.
"Yuliana?" He addressed her and she nodded silently. "I am Leon Pierce. You're the girl who wants to be my mate?"
"Yes."
Leon gestured for her. "Then come along. We have a long trip to get to camp."
She hugged her parents one last time before she slipped out of the house to join her new mate. He was even bigger up close, his bare chest gleaming, muscles straining against his skin. He wore shorts made of some sort of stretchy spandex material that left little to the imagination.
"Is this all you have?" he asked, poking her backpack.
"Yes. I know Shifters are nomadic, so I thought it was best to travel light."
Leon nodded with a grunt. "I have procured some blood bags for your use once we reach camp, but after they are empty, you will need to drink directly from me."
Yuliana stifled a gasp. She had never drunk fresh from the vein before and certainly hadn't expected this monster-sized Wolf to offer her his blood… could Shifters even feed vampires? Or would it end up giving her food poisoning?
"We usually have a semi-permanent camp we stay at for most of the year, but as you and I are new mates, we are going to head to a cave up in the mountains where we will solidify our bonds and physically be bound for the first time," Leon continued. "I hope you enjoy the outdoors. Climb on."
Before Yuliana could ask what he meant, he shifted. She jumped back as his form transitioned smoothly into that of a giant Wolf. He stood as tall as she was at the shoulder, his fur a smoky gray that glittered in the sun. Yuliana had to resist the urge to dig her fingers into it.
Well, now she knew what the shorts were for. They stretched, covering Wolf's loins, though his tail looked uncomfortably lumped in there. Leon crouched, his belly scraping the ground. Yuliana climbed onto his back, greedily breathing in his heady scent.
She turned once to wave back at her parents, but otherwise kept her grip on her new mate and faced the future.
Chapter Two – Leon
The Alpha Wolf chewed on a piece of jerky, smiling with amusement as he watched his mate-to-be struggling with the heavy canvas he had given her for a shelter. He normally didn't use any sort of cover, sleeping beneath a tree if it started to rain, or just pulling his blankets over his head. Yuliana wasn't used to such rough arrangements, though. For the first two nights, she had slept stiffly next to him only for him to wake in the morning with her soft, warm body tucked snugly against him while she shivered.
The feel of her next to him awoke all sorts of things in his body, and if he didn't start letting her have a place of her own to sleep, then he wasn't going to make it to the caves before he took her. And he was the Alpha, he was meant to have more restraint than that. So he had gotten the canvas. Clearly, creating her own shelter wasn't something she was used to dealing with.
When the pole she was trying to prop it up with toppled over onto her head for the third time, Leon stifled a laugh and jogged over to help her. Her olive tones flushed darker when she caught sight of him, the heavy canvas slipping from her hands.
He had expected the vampire king to give him one of the skinny, useless women vampires seemed most drawn to. He certainly hadn't expected a beauty like Yuliana, with her bounteous curves and clear eyes and sinfully-shaped mouth.
"The pole is to weight the front over a low-hanging branch," he explained to the vampire. "Like this."
He put the pole through the
loops on one side, then swung it over a branch. Holding the canvas tight, he put a few rocks on the other edge to keep it down. He stepped back and gestured at the lean-to. Yuliana avoided his eye as she nodded.
"Thank you."
"Are you tired?" he asked. "If you aren't, then I would like to speak with you about a few things."
Yuliana retrieved her bedroll from the hiking pack Leon had replaced her old sack with and spread it out. "I'm not very tired."
"Good."
They settled down under the canvas lean-to. The dimness of twilight was on them, basking both their faces in a purple glow. As a Shifter, Leon could see as well in the dark as during the day. The same was true for vampires, he knew. Twilight, though, was a difficult time. Everything was in shadow, and his eyes didn't take know whether to focus on his human-based vision or his Wolf vision.
"Did Harold ask you to be my mate or tell you?"
"He asked."
"And why did you decide to accept the position?"
Yuliana twisted her hands. She ducked her head. "The king said that it would be of great help to our respective peoples if we started to get along and that I could help with that. So I decided that I would. I never thought I would really make a difference in the world, but if I can… then I will do whatever I need to do. I'm tired of war."
Whatever she needed to do. Disappointment hit Leon harder than he thought it would. It was what he expected. Given the plethora of propaganda that the vampires spewed about Shifters, it was surprising that any woman agreed to be his mate at all. But he had hoped for something different with Yuliana. He had hoped for a real relationship, even if he hadn't expected it. Maybe in time…
"I consider it an honor to have been approached with this," she continued, still not looking at him. "But…"
"But what?"
"But I think it is only right I tell you that I… don't know how to please you."
Leon frowned. What did she mean by that? He opened his mouth to ask, but the realization hit even as he did so. "Oh… you've never been with a man before?"
"I have not. I thought it might be what you wanted, but…"
He put his hand over hers, though his gut burned. Vampires did not take mates the way Shifters did. Who had decided that Yuliana shouldn’t partake in physical pleasures like their men did? "Among my people, physical intimacy is reserved for one's mate and only their mate. But that's because it's different for us. There is a physical change that happens to us when we bond in body. Once is all it takes to be true mates. So… I have not experienced it, either. But I understand that vampires often engage alpha lcal intimacies with many others—"
"Not me," Yuliana blurted. "I've wanted to, but… I haven't. But if you're a virgin, too… Maybe I'm glad that I didn't."
She smiled shyly at him, causing his heart to skip a beat. He smiled back. What he wanted to do was Shift and take her up to the mountain and leave the rest of the camp behind. He wanted to kiss her the way he had never kissed anybody before, to enjoy her body and watch her as she enjoyed his. But she was still so shy around him. He didn't want to pressure her.
"We are going to be at our destination shortly," he told her, trying not to stare at her mouth. "We will have three days in the cave. I wish I could give you more time, but unfortunately, we still have a lot of territory to patrol. You can either stay with me on patrol or the camp with the other women. But once we are in the caves, then we'll be able to find out if what everybody seems to think of sex is true or not."
She shivered.
Leon frowned. "Does the idea scare you?"
Yuliana chewed on her lower lip and shook her head. Not convincing at all.
"You can tell me the truth, you know."
"I'm… nervous," she admitted. "You're so big and I'm so small… Well, I mean, I'm much smaller than you. I know that the first time hurts, and I just don't know… I'm not very good with pain."
Leon brushed his hand against her arm. She shivered again. "It doesn't have to hurt, as long as we really take our time and not rush things."
"I think—"
A howl from the edge of the camp made him jump to his feet. All around, the other Shifters paused by their fires and tents, all their heads going in the direction the howl had come from. Moments later Jared, one of Leon's seconds that he sent to patrol the area around their camp, trotted into view in his Wolf's form. Something was writhing in his mouth. A growl rose in Leon's throat. Vampire.
"What is it?" Yuliana asked scrambling to her feet. She stood behind Leon as she peered at the giant Wolf trotting towards them. When Jared spat the vampire out at Leon's face, Yuliana gasped. She started forward, but Leon put an arm out, stopping her.
"Who are you and why are you here?" he demanded gruffly.
The vampire glared at him for a moment before turning to Yuliana. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. His name is Zak," she told Leon. "I know him. We were in all the same classes growing up until his mother married one of the generals. I haven’t seen you for years," she said to the vampire.
Leon frowned at he looked between the two of them. Just because Yuliana knew this vampire didn't mean that he was here for old time's sake. No, the Alpha had to treat this situation like he would if Yuliana wasn't here. He stepped closer to Zak, who visibly flinched as their faces inched together. The vampire was a good two feet shorter than him, which certainly helped give Leon the advantage.
"I asked you a question, vampire. What are you doing sulking around my camp?"
"I found him near the water supply," Jared grunted. "He's got a knife on him. I think that he was trying to puncture the tank and leave us thirsty on our patrols."
"No," Zak spoke for the first time. He glared at Jared and shook his head. "I was thirsty, which is why I was going to the water, and I had the knife to defend myself!"
"Then why are you here?" Leon roared.
Several of the closer Shifters shied away from him. Yuliana backed away several feet, her eyes wide. Leon spared no emotion feeling regret for frightening her. He could apologize later in private. Right now it was important to decide what to do with this vampire–and deducing what his intentions were the best place to start.
Zak flinched and crouched low to the ground, but didn't speak.
"Leon…" Yuliana inched forward. She laid a small hand on his arm. "Zak isn't a soldier."
"If he's a general's step-son, then he may be even worse. As I recall, the king's heir—"
"I came for her!" Zak drew himself back up. He still shied away from Leon's fierce scowl, but he straightened his shoulders and gulped in a deep breath. "I was going crazy with worry for her. Yuliana was my best friend when we were kids, and when I heard that King Harold had bullied her into agreeing to be a Shifter's mate, I knew I couldn’t stand by and do nothing."
Leon nearly flinched. Yuliana told him that she had willingly agreed to be his mate. But what if it wasn't true?
"You came for me?" Yuliana asked, eyes wide with surprise.
Zak nodded. "Hearing what happened… it made me realize something I should have told you a long, long time ago. I love you, Yuliana. And I can't let—"
"I chose to become Leon's mate," the small vampire whispered. "I'm not in any danger."
Leon frowned heavily. "Yuliana, go to bed. Zak and I have a lot to talk about concerning this."
He grabbed the vampire by the scruff of the neck and began dragging him off. Whether Zak was truly in love with Yuliana or if this was the vampire king's treachery remained to be seen… but Leon would find out, one way or another.
Chapter Three – Yuliana
The camp at the base of the mountain was obviously well-used. Fire circles dotted a large clearing, where the grass had been trampled away by many feet over many years. The mountain itself was quite beautiful, with blue-green spruces growing densely on its side, interrupted here and there with groves of birch or pine.
Yuliana quickly threw her lean-to shelter over a low branch, chewing on the inside of her
cheek. This was the place where the pack would wait while she and Leon mated. Leon had already pointed out the dark cavity in the side of the mountain where their mating would occur. The Alpha was there right now, preparing it. Being here made everything more real. Tonight when the sun sets, Leon would take her up to that cave, and when morning comes she would be a mated woman.
A shiver went down Yuliana's spine, but not because of the coming night. Her curiosity had been peaked when Leon revealed that he was a virgin like her, and she had to admit that she was actually… excited about their night.
But the Alpha was still keeping Zak as a prisoner.
When they were children, Zak was one of the few people Yuliana considered a friend. She was too shy to really get close to him, but he was always kind to her, always went out of his way to make sure she was included in activities. She had thought he was just being nice at the time, but it seemed that he had deeper feelings that she couldn't see…
Yuliana shook her head as she slipped a paring knife into her dress pocket. She had to go see him, find out the truth. And the knife? It was just for protection. Many of the Shifters made it clear that they were not happy with her being among them, and since Leon wasn't here, things might get out of hand.
Zak was tied with his hand behind his back, a thick stake driven through the ground between his hands and his body. His clothing looked damp, and there were dark circles under his eyes. A few Shifters sat in lean-tos around the area, watching him but not stepping into the fine mist that soaked into everything. Roaring fires crackled at their feet.
"How are you doing?" Yuliana asked, crouching next to him. She winced. That was a stupid question. "I mean, have you fed? Have they… hurt you?"
Zak looked at her with his big, soulful eyes. There was a deep weariness in them. "As long as you are in their hands, and not among your own kind where you belong, I will always be in pain. I've heard that that brute means to…" He shuddered. "And tonight! I wish I could stop him. I wish I could take you home and marry you."