Shades of Werewolf

by T. S. Ryder

  Her words made him tighten and he groaned. "Don't speak like that. It makes me want you."

  "I know it does. I figure if I must be tortured with desire, so must you."

  "How can you even be thinking that way after giving birth just three days ago?" Alexandru shook his head, laughing. "Even without the pain—"

  "It doesn't hurt much anymore. I've already drunk… what, one and a half quarts? I think I'm probably healed up already."

  The baby let out a burp that seemed too loud for such a small body and they laughed. Found nestled their daughter in her arms, stroking the small red cheeks and fuzzy black hair. It was a surprise, but the baby looked more like her Aunt Wava than either Alexandru or Found. Wava had been thrilled and had made enough clothes that it would be next to impossible for the little baby to wear them all.

  "I heard you speaking with the Empress," Found said, a smile crossing her face as she gazed at her husband. "She seems to be very pleased with your work with the Shifters."

  Alexandru felt himself swell with pride, remembering his most recent conversation with the Empress. "She is. Negotiations with my brothers are going well and there haven't been any major skirmishes since the Bear Matriarch submitted to me. Even the others–Wolves, Lions, Tigers–they all respect my authority."

  "The Emperor of Vampires and the King of Shifters. Is it everything you hoped?"

  "More. I have you."

  He bent and kissed his wife's mouth, teasing her lips open. With a moan, she pressed herself closer, careful not to jostle the baby. Alexandru chuckled as he withdrew.

  The baby's face wrinkled and Alexandru scented a smell, not unlike sour cheese. He held out his arms for the baby. "Little miss needs a diaper change."

  ***

  "You made a stinky, yes you did."

  Found had to fight back laughter at her huge, imposing vampire husband talking baby talk to their daughter as he changed her diaper. It made her love him all the more. Every time she thought her heart would burst if she was any happier, he did something that made it swell even further and somehow make more room.

  Alexandru's giant fingers deftly fastened the tiny snaps on the baby's sleepers.

  Found climbed out of bed. Her body felt a little tender if she walked or sat for too long, but other than that, she was healing faster than she expected. Being a Vampire's bride definitely had its perks. Alexandru drinking from her was off the table for as long as sex was. Having a transfusion of his blood just after giving birth and then drinking a little at every meal afterwards was really helping her get back to her normal self.

  She stepped onto their balcony. The sky was beginning to lighten in the east, heralding a new day.

  Alexandru came over to her and shifted the baby to one arm so he could bring Found against his chest, kissing her soundly. Found wrapped her arms around him.

  "I think I have it," she said suddenly. Her eyes lit up.

  "Have what?"

  "Her name."

  Alexandru nodded, grinning eagerly.

  "Dawn."

  "Dawn," Alexandru repeated. His smile widened. "You're right. That's perfect. Hello, Dawn."

  Found slipped a finger into her daughter's hand, smiled at her husband and watched the rising sun announce the first day of the rest of her life.

  *****

  THE END

  The Vampire Prince's Prey

  Description

  A curvy pickpocket looking for her next target PLUS a possessive billionaire vampire in search of a mate PLUS a bad choice that may cause them to lose everything!

  Beau is a wealthy, possessive and seductive young vampire prince. With the Choosing Ceremony just weeks away, Beau must decide whether to partake in the sexist tradition he has always found obsolete, or go against family tradition and find a mate on his own terms.

  When he finally finds the one human female who might allow him to fall in love, he realizes what a pain in the ass she is. This human woman is sassy, sneaky, and pushes him to new limits.

  Valery is a strong-willed, voluptuous young woman. She never had a family, nor had she ever really needed one. When a bad choice causes her to come face to face with a real-life vampire, Valery realizes she is in hot water.

  In the end, both of them have to decide what matters most to them. Will Beau be able to hang on to this woman he so desires, or will she leave him with nothing?

  Chapter One

  Another successful morning, thought Valery, as she sat in the corner of a dark alley. Her morning pickpocketing had earned her a total of fifty dollars in cash, a pocket watch and a stick of gum. Feeling excited about her haul and the fact that she hadn’t been caught, Valery stood, slipped her stolen goods into her pocket and walked out of the alley.

  The twenty-three-year-old voluptuous, curvy young woman had been on the streets of New York City for as long as she could remember, minus one or two foster homes, a series of arrests for theft and sleeping on a couple of park benches. Maybe one day she would have enough money saved up to go out West, buy a small house and get a respectable job. For now, her life consisted of being a street rat. She picked pockets, stole from unlocked cars and genuinely had a lack of respect for the law. What had it ever done for her?

  As her stomach gave a loud rumble, Valery decided some of those fifty dollars she had just stolen would have to go towards food. Pulling her hood up, she tucked her head and ran through the rain.

  ***

  Beau pondered over his family’s insistence that he take a human mate. The traditional Choosing Ceremony was approaching and he was scheduled to pick a female to breed with. Unfortunately for his family, Beau had never been interested in the Choosing Ceremony. In fact, he thought it was completely sexist and he had no desire to follow through with it.

  He sat in the back seat of his uncle Xavier’s SUV, waiting for his uncle to return from the tuxedo shop. Beau watched out the window as the busy New York streets and sidewalks bustled. All these humans moving through their day to day lives, and here he was, about to pick one as his mate.

  Finally getting annoyed with how long the trip into the city was taking, Beau decided to take a walk. His uncle would call his cell phone when it was time to go. He quickly stepped out of the vehicle, shut the door behind him and began walking down the crowded sidewalk.

  The rain poured down on him, but he didn’t care. The smell of the rain wasn’t enough to erase the smell of blood that pulsed through all of these beings. The scent of human flesh was almost overpowering. He needed to get away from this crowded place. It wasn’t that he thought the luscious scent of so much blood would make him lose control, it was simply the fact that he had never cared for highly-populated areas. New York City was nothing but populated. He hated the city, but his uncle had desired the company.

  Beau continued to walk until he finally came across the edge of the Central Park. He turned from the sidewalk, jumped the little barrier and started to walk into the park.

  ***

  Having downed her burger, Valery decided it was time to get back to work. Central Park wasn’t overly crowded at the moment. It would be perfect for pickpocketing. There wouldn’t be as big of a risk of getting caught.

  She jumped off the bench she’d been sitting on, tossed her garbage into the trash nearby and began walking. Valery gazed at the people as she walked. She generally chose to target the rich because they always had to flaunt their wealth.

  The women always had giant rings, fancy coats, and immaculate hairdos. They carried large handbags, which were always the easiest to reach into and snatch a wallet or other valuables from. The snide bitches probably never even noticed they had lost anything, thought Valery, as she scanned the area.

  Rich men were also generally easy to spot. Most of the time, they also had fancy jackets and large Rolex watches. They also tended to keep their wallets in their coat pockets which tended to be oversized and slippery, thanks to the silk linings. Valery had never found a wealthy man whose jacket pocket she couldn’t quick
ly slip her small, chubby hand into, producing a fat wallet full of cash.

  As she wandered around, she couldn’t help but notice a young man, about her age, walking just ahead of her. He looked like he fit her type. His brown hair was trimmed short and he had it spiked in the front. He seemed to have a well-built frame, from what she could tell. Valery also noticed that he had shiny diamond studs in his ears and was sporting a bright gold watch around his wrist. The man’s coat was a little bit longer and from where she was walking, Valery could see the end of the man’s wallet peeking out at her. She decided he would be the perfect target.

  Valery continued to follow the young man. She made sure to keep a slight distance from him so he wouldn’t catch on. Eventually, he turned into a section of the park that was almost completely empty. This would be a little challenging. If she didn’t grab it at just the right second, he would surely catch her. Not wanting to waste any time, she walked a little faster, yet made sure to walk on the thick grass to help silence her footsteps.

  She rounded the corner, but he wasn’t there. What the-?, Valery thought to herself. Then suddenly, she was grabbed from behind.

  ***

  Beau held the curvaceous young woman tightly by the elbows. He didn’t know why she had been following him, but he couldn’t believe it was for no reason at all. He could only assume that she had been attempting to pick his pockets.

  “Let go of me!” the pretty, voluptuous, large-breasted woman shouted, as she struggled to get away from him.

  “Oh no, I won’t!” Beau replied, holding on even tighter, “What do you think you’re doing, following me?”

  “I wasn’t following you. I was just taking a walk through the park,” answered the woman, “Is that a crime?”

  “It is when you’re only doing it so you can take things that don’t belong to you.” She stopped fighting him and he loosened his grip, slightly.

  “I wasn’t planning to rob you,” lied the curvy woman, who suddenly stomped as hard as she could on Beau’s foot. He released her, out of surprise more so than out of being hurt. That was all it took. The young woman jerked away from him and took off running.

  Beau ran after her. Her human pace was no match for his vampire speed and he caught her within seconds. Not wanting to risk losing her again, Beau tackled the woman to the ground. He flipped her onto her back and sat directly on top of her stomach, pinning her to the grass.

  “Get off me!” she shouted, angrily.

  “NO!” answered Beau, loudly, “Not until you tell me what you were doing.”

  “I told you, I was taking a walk in the park! Now, damn it, let me up!” She continued to struggle against him.

  “What’s your name?” he asked, gazing down at her. He couldn’t help but feel a sudden connection to her. Something about her scent radiated through Beau’s body and he felt a sudden urge to take her right there and then. He couldn’t do that, he told himself, trying to maintain control over his sudden burst of sexual desire.

  “Miranda,” responded the woman. But Beau could tell instantly that this was a lie. He glowered at her, his brilliant ice-blue eyes connecting directly with her exquisite green ones.

  “Tell me the truth. What is your real name?” he asked again.

  “All right! It’s Valery. Now will you get off me?” she asked again, putting up yet another fight.

  “Well, Valery… it just so happens you picked the wrong guy to fuck with! You’re coming with me,” announced Beau as he jumped off of her. He grabbed her up and without any struggle, he hoisted her up, curves and all, and threw her over his shoulder.

  ***

  Valery screamed, beating her fists on his back and kicking her legs as hard as she could. It didn’t even seem to bother him. He continued to carry her through the park.

  She didn’t give in, but it didn’t seem like anything she did bothered him. Nobody around even seemed to notice, either. Surely, her screams would alert somebody, but as Valery looked around, even upside down, she could tell there weren’t any people in the area.

  I’m so screwed, she thought to herself, as the young brute carried her vast, voluptuous figure as if she were lighter than a sack of potatoes.

  Just then a phone started ringing. The man, still holding her with one arm, answered the phone with his other hand. He didn’t carry on a conversation, he simply said, “Meet me at the edge of the park,” and hung up.

  Before she knew it, Valery was being shoved unceremoniously into the back of a black SUV. The man climbed in next to her, shut the door and the vehicle roared off.

  Yep, she was definitely screwed. She thought as she looked at the man again and then to the front. There was another man in the front seat. He was also large and strongly built. She reached for the door, but it was locked. She was trapped.

  FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!! Valery’s mind screamed. She was going to die.

  Chapter Two

  As the SUV approached its final destination, Beau’s mind wandered. What was he going to do with this female? How was he going to explain himself? Being the next King, it was his responsibility to take a mate and continue the vampire bloodline. His people would go extinct if he didn’t, but he didn’t want to choose a random human at the ceremony. If he was being honest with himself, he had already chosen the female he wanted to be his mate. She was sitting right next to him.

  Beau couldn’t explain it, but the sudden attraction he had felt for Valery when he tackled her to the ground in Central Park was one he was not going to get over. Her well-proportioned curves and noticeably pert breasts were exactly what he had envisioned on his mate. She would be perfect. Most of all, Beau thought to himself, she will be mine.

  When they finally arrived, Xavier parked the SUV and got out. A giant brick mansion stood directly in front of them. It cast a large shadow over the driveway. There were large trees surrounding it, creating a forested environment. Beau hit a button and the electric gates swung shut, locking the group inside.

  “I’ll grab the tuxedoes and leave you to deal with…. this,” Xavier said to Beau while looking Valery up and down. He had a smirk on his face that instantly made Beau want to punch him.

  “Thanks for the support Uncle Xavier,” said Beau through gritted teeth.

  “Anytime, Bud,” he replied, walking towards the back of the vehicle, taking one last glance at the attractive young woman in the back seat.

  Beau sat calmly for a minute. Then, he turned to face his new female. All right, he thought, time to start convincing her to be with me. This shouldn’t be too hard.

  Yeah, right, said another voice in his head, you just kidnapped her from a New York City park. Good luck with this one, you chump!

  “So, I never actually gave you my name, did I?” Beau asked cautiously, attempting to put his doubts aside.

  “I didn’t exactly have the chance to ask while I was thrown over your shoulders like some sort of kill,” snapped Valery. She glared at Xavier and Beau couldn’t help but feel turned on by her sassy spirit. His cock hardened from the sudden vision he had of her writhing on the bed as he pleasured her. His pants suddenly felt tight and he wanted them off.

  “Trust me, love,” Beau replied, “If you were my kill, you wouldn’t be able to scream as much as you did. You wouldn’t even have a throat.” Valery shuddered and her eyes widened. She pressed herself against the side of the vehicle trying to distance herself from him.

  “Who are you?!” She shouted nervously. Her heart was racing in her chest and she felt as though she might faint.

  “Some might call me a bloodthirsty, malicious murderer, but I’d like to think of myself as seductive, reasonable and irresistible,” answered Beau, with a devilish grin spreading across his face. He had a sideways smile that usually caused females of both human and vampire species to shed their clothes for him.

  “You’re a vampire!” screeched Valery, attempting again to grab the door handle. It was still locked. “Damn it, let me out of here!”

  “Yes,” s
aid Beau ignoring her demand for freedom, “but trust me, it won’t bother you after a while. Before you know it, you will be begging to be in my bed.”

  ***

  Valery couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had been dumb enough to try and pickpocket a vampire. Not that she had known he was a vampire, but still, now she was going to be some creep’s human blood bag. He had also just said she would be begging to be in his bed. HELL NO, she thought to herself. She had to get out of there.

  “First of all, I am not just some hussy who rips her clothes off and begs to be taken. Secondly, I will not be your human blood bag. Finally, I will not be staying here! I want you to let me out of this godforsaken vehicle, open those gates and let me walk out of here,” Valery hadn’t noticed how much her voice had risen. She realized she had been yelling at him. Not a smart idea to piss him off, she thought, taking in a sudden breath of panic.

  “I listened to you, now you listen to me,” answered Beau, leaning closer to make sure their eyes were locked on each other, “First of all, I expect you to become my mate and trust me… sooner or later you will. Secondly, I will more than likely never drink from you. Your blood would be like a sweet, sweet wine and once I started drinking I wouldn’t be able to stop. I’d end up killing you and I wouldn’t want to risk that. Third and finally, you will not be going anywhere without an escort. I can’t risk losing you.”

  His speech felt like a slap to Valery’s face. She suddenly realized just how trapped she really was. He intended to bed her and more than likely force her to carry his spawn. HELL NO! Her mind raged again. If this bloodsucking freak thinks I will be having his babies, he has another thing coming!

  The conversation was over and Valery found herself being yanked from the vehicle. Before she knew it, Beau had thrown her back over his shoulder and was carrying her into the mansion. She was beginning to feel like a sack of human meat—constantly being carried over some monster’s shoulder. The only thing that Valery was sure of was that she would not be falling for this beast, EVER.