by T. S. Ryder
I can wait, he promised himself. And it will be worth waiting for.
***
The first sign of change was the thumping in his chest. Gabriel put a hand to his ribs, feeling the beating of his heart start again. This was the part he always hated. The dreaded drum within his body signaling that his strength, speed and senses were about to diminish so drastically he would be left a shell of his true self.
Gabriel liked being a vampire. He had liked it since the moment he had been turned. He hated turning back to a weak, pitiful human, even if it was only for a night. But tonight he had something to make up for the change. He glanced at the clock; an hour before the time he had told Naya he would go to her. Would she be ready for him? Would she be eager, or had time cooled her desire for him? Should he have drunk a little before the change started, for her passion to flare?
A knock at the door roused him from his thoughts, and the king answered. The head of his security, Alberto, stood on the other side.
"Sire, we caught an intruder."
Gabriel groaned, but gestured for Alberto to continue. Why tonight, of all nights? Was it one of those annoying females who liked to try to sneak into his personal chambers naked? If it was, he'd have her jailed for public indecency for a few weeks. Perhaps that would send a message to the rest of them!
"He was carrying a rifle armed with silver bullets."
Gabriel instantly went rigid. "Silver bullets?"
Alberto nodded gravely. "He claims to be a member of Take Back the Planet."
"An assassination attempt," Gabriel muttered.
He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. While there had always been human resistance to his rule, it was only recently that Take Back the Planet, a group dedicated to killing every vampire that lived, had started to be a true threat. They were developing technologies specifically to kill vampires, and there were an increasing number of human casualties resulting from their efforts.
Funny that an organization that stated vampires were a threat to humans would kill more of them in a year on this continent than vampires did worldwide.
"Find out all you can from him. See if you can get him to give up who recruited him and how he got his hands on silver bullets. I had all the silver gathered from human populations centuries ago. If they have a mine somewhere…" the king didn't finish his thought.
Alberto bowed deeply to him, turning on his heel as he strode off to do as he had been commanded. Gabriel shut the door to his office, pacing from one end to the other as the tingling of blood spread through his limbs.
Yes, humans had been treated terribly in the past but, as soon as he had fought his way to rule the vampire nation, Gabriel had put in measures to protect them.
Humans were not permitted to be hunted. If a vampire fed on a human and killed him, that vampire was put to death, regardless of circumstances. Stores of food were set up throughout Gabriel's territory, buffers against famine, drought or other natural disasters that would hurt the human populations. He spent over ten billion dollars every year developing new, cheaper, more effective cures for human ailments and researching alternatives to human blood for vampires.
And yet people like Take Back the Planet still wanted him dead. What else did they want from him?
The king sighed. There was no way to appease the humans who wanted to kill him except to die. And that was something he wasn't planning to do anytime soon.
He put the intruder from his mind. Alberto would deal with him and, on this night, when they were all so much more vulnerable than usual, security measures had been tripled. There was nothing to worry about at the moment.
His blood coursed through his veins, filling him with warmth. Gabriel turned his thoughts to Naya and, with his heart increasing its rhythm, he headed for her.
Chapter Three: Two Weeks
Naya stared at Angel as the female vampire sat on the sofa in her tiny, two-bedroom apartment. She had looked like a movie star in the glamor of Gabriel's palace but, here in the peeling wallpaper and dripping faucets, her beauty was unreal, unearthly. Ivanna sat on her knee, playing with Angel's cell phone while the vampire beamed at Naya.
"I didn't expect to see anybody from the palace," Naya said honestly, twisting her hands together. She wondered what there was between Gabriel and this leggy vampire, but tamped down on the thought–it wasn't any of her business, and it wasn't like she cared. The only thing between Naya and Gabriel was business. Even if the sex he had given her was the most mind-blowing experience she had ever had and she had dreamt about him every night since they'd been together.
"You tell us you're pregnant and you don't expect us to come and congratulate you?" Angel laughed. "Gabriel would have come himself, but he's busy preparing your room at the palace. You will be moved in at once, of course."
Naya's eyes widened at that, but Ivanna beamed. "We're going to live with you?"
"Yes, precious," Angel cooed. "For as long as you like. And you're going to have pretty dresses and lots of good food to eat."
"No rice!" Ivanna wrinkled her nose.
Naya had to laugh at that. "No rice or beans," she agreed. "Ivi, why don't you go pick a few toys to bring with us? Mommy will help you pack in a moment."
The little girl nodded and slid off Angel's lap, scurrying out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Angel looked around the apartment with a concerned glance. Naya opened her mouth to ask exactly what she was expected to do at the palace, but the vampire woman spoke first.
"Gabriel will not be happy when he learns of how you've been living. He spends an exorbitant amount of money on social welfare. Places like this ought not to exist. And all I can smell in here for food is spices and basic staples. Why aren't you receiving any assistance?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Naya replied, perhaps a little more sharply than she intended.
Angel looked down at her hands, and Naya sighed.
"I was approved for assistance. That's how I can afford this apartment and enough food for the month. It's enough to live on, but only month-to-month, and only if I'm careful. And if I took a job, even flipping hamburgers at McDonalds, my assistance would be cut in half. Adding the costs of childcare, I'd be getting less than I do now. But that doesn't matter anymore because Gabriel promised that I would be well paid for my… services."
Angel still frowned. "I'll still have to talk to him about this. But anyway, you won't have to put up with this apartment much longer. Gabriel is already setting up a bank account for you with enough money to last the rest of your lifetime, as long as you don't go out and buy a dozen yachts. But you'll get a new house, car, and some other things as well."
The vampire laughed and got to her feet. Naya followed suit, only half-listening as Angel talked about everything Gabriel was going to give her in exchange for the baby.
In exchange for the baby. When Naya had made the agreement, she’d had no doubt in her mind that she could do what was necessary. Ivanna came first, and whatever she could do to improve her daughter's life was what she needed to do. But now that she was actually pregnant… Could she really give up her child, just like that?
It would help if she knew what Gabriel's thoughts on the matter were. On the night of the Blood Moon, he'd been the most attentive lover she ever had. Even Ivanna's father, whom Naya had dearly loved, wasn't half so talented. And he had been so insatiable! In her experience, it had always been her left wanting more, and her partner needing a rest, but Gabriel, it seemed, hardened again the moment he finished. He'd had to take care of himself a few times because she was just too tired.
But in the morning, when the warmth of his skin grew cold, he had given her a few boxes of pregnancy tests and sent her home, telling her they'd give it two weeks to see if she was pregnant before they tried anything else. There had been no contact until she called him to tell him she was pregnant.
"You don’t need to bring any clothes." Angel interrupted her thoughts as Naya pulled out a stack of shirts from her dresser t
o put in a backpack. "Gabriel had me buy you a wardrobe already. And a wardrobe for little Ivanna." The vampire woman beamed. "It was so fun to buy things for a child. We don't get many children in the palace."
Naya's shoulders hunched as she remembered Gabriel assuring her that children are precious among the vampires. It helped ease her anxiety that a vampire would try to feed on her little girl, but she doubted anything would erase the fear forever. Fortunately, Ivanna had inherited her father's O positive blood type, which was very common and not as desirable to vampires.
"Once this little one's born," Angel continued, patting Naya's stomach, "you can be sure that he'll be completely doted on. Gabriel was so happy when you called him. You should have seen how happy he was."
"He didn't sound happy over the phone," Naya said. Gabriel's voice had been utterly even.
"That's just Gabriel."
"If you already have clothes and toys at the palace for us, then is there any point in packing?"
Angel's brow furrowed. "Well, if you have anything special you want to bring. Otherwise, everything will be moved to your new house, anyway. And you need to know he was very happy. He just doesn't like to express emotion. Now, come along. I promised Ivanna that we could get ice cream before we headed back to the palace."
***
Gabriel presented Naya to his vampire court that night. Angel had helped her dress in a striking white number that looked more like a wedding dress than anything else. Real pearls were sewn into the waist, and real diamonds hung around her neck, inserted in white gold. Ivanna was similarly dressed, although she insisted on wearing a tiara in her dark hair, while Naya refused.
Unlike the first time she had been in the ballroom, there were no other humans in attendance. The room wasn't as crowded as it had been then, and everywhere she looked were the sculpted figures of vampires, all so beautiful that she felt like a dandelion in a rose garden. Nearby, Ivanna was also the center of attention but, while Naya wished that she could find a place to hide, the three-year-old preened under the attention, clearly loving it.
"That dress suits you," Gabriel told her, during a brief moment when the surrounding vampires weren't pressing their congratulations on her and insisting that they put their ears to her stomach, hoping to hear the baby's heartbeat. "You look good in white."
Naya gave him a vague smile. His arm was firmly around her waist, as it had been all night, and suddenly Naya realized that it was only women who had asked to listen to her stomach. The men only bowed to them both and kept their distance. And as a waiter serving champagne glasses of blood moved past them, Naya could see why. The moment the man stepped within arm's reach of her, one of Gabriel's fangs flashed at him.
"Why did you do that?" Naya asked, curious.
The king rose a brow. "Do what?"
"Every time a man comes near you snarl at him."
"I'm not snarling."
"You are snarling."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed slightly. His lip curled back, revealing one long, pearly white fang. A low, rumbling sound reverberated through his chest and his breathing became audible and harsh. When he let out a quick, sharp noise from his throat, all the vampires around them instantly jumped back and began bowing towards him.
He waved a lazy hand at them, chuckling. Naya's heart pounded and she pulled away from him, but his grip on her was firm, keeping her at his side. She sought out Ivanna but, fortunately, the little girl hadn't heard.
"That was a snarl," he said, matter-of-factly.
"You're still bearing your fangs at any man who comes near us."
Gabriel frowned. "I hadn't noticed. But if I'm doing that, I'm just letting them know you're mine."
"But I'm not." Naya finally managed to free herself from his grip. She shook her head. "I'm carrying your child, but I'm not yours. I'm mine."
She caught sight of another group of vampires making their way towards them and bit back a sigh. Even when she was Ivanna's age, she had preferred being alone to crowds. And with all the attention coming towards her tonight, she was feeling claustrophobic.
"It's Ivanna's bedtime," she said, to many protests around her. "She needs to get to sleep. It was nice to meet you all."
"I'm not tired," Ivanna protested, stomping her feet. But before Naya could respond, Gabriel had scooped up the little girl.
"Your mother is right. It's time for you to go to bed. Say goodnight."
Ivanna sighed dramatically but waved at the crowd. "Goodnight!"
The king wrapped an arm around Naya's waist, leading her away. Naya gritted her teeth, forcing herself to smile as congratulations were offered while they made their way from the ballroom. She just wanted some time alone to get to grips with living in this magnificent palace–to figure out what she wanted from this relationship with Gabriel. You're mine.
What did that even mean?
Chapter Four: Eight Weeks
Gabriel eased Ivanna into her toddler-sized bed, amazed that anybody could be so tiny. He had taken Naya and her daughter to a restaurant and, afterwards, they had driven around the city, enjoying the lights. Ivanna had said it was just like Christmas before she drifted off. The vampire king pulled the blankets up to her chin, smiling as he imagined tucking in his own child at night. It wouldn't be long now.
They had already done tests, and Naya was carrying a boy. His son. Perhaps, in a few years' time, they could try to artificially impregnate her with the sperm he had had frozen on the night of the blood moon. Three children seemed like the right amount. One boy, one girl, and one surprise. He'd like that.
The king switched on the nightlight and left Ivanna's room, going to the family room that was attached to Naya and Ivanna's rooms to make up their suite. Naya sat on the couch, her expensive silk dress crumpled beneath her as she rubbed her feet.
"I'll get you new shoes," he promised, as he sat down, taking her foot in his hand. Naya had complained once that her feet were too small for her body, but Gabriel loved her tiny feet with their stubby toes and high arch. They were perfect Cinderella feet.
"Thank you," Naya sighed, leaning back. "Sorry I couldn't eat all of my dinner."
"No need to be sorry." Gabriel ran his thumb between the balls of her feet. "I should have known that seafood wasn't the best choice for you right now. We should have gone somewhere else."
Naya shook her head. "Ivanna loves fish. She doesn't get it as often as she'd like." A pause. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"How old are you? And when did you become a vampire?"
Gabriel tensed at her questions but, with an effort, he made himself relax. "I was twenty-five when I was turned. That was… I have it written down somewhere, but I don't remember off-hand. In the middle of the 1800s."
"You must have seen so much history since then." Naya's gaze was unwavering as she stared at him, the graceful curve of her head leaning against the couch back. "Who's the most famous person you've met?"
"Me." Gabriel laughed. "Honestly, though. Until I decided that I was going to take the vampire nation in hand, I kept to myself. I built a small following as I was searching to create a family for myself, but famous humans? I never could be bothered with them."
He had stopped massaging Naya's foot and she pressed it against his hand, making an impatient noise. Gabriel loved how quietly demanding she was. When she had come to the palace for the Blood Moon, he was afraid he had chosen wrong, that she would be too submissive to be the mother of his child.
But since then he learned that when she wanted something she did not take no for an answer. It was something he truly admired about her. She was quiet and shy in crowds, but when it was just the two of them she didn't hesitate to say what was on her mind.
"Why did you decide to become king?"
Gabriel's mood darkened and he focused on Naya's small feet for a moment. "I saw the destruction my people were creating. And I saw that humans were growing more and more powerful. I knew that, unless something changed, vampire
s would be wiped out for their crimes against humans. All our history, the things we've seen, just gone. So, I decided that we needed a government, codified law and a police force that could enforce that law. I didn't see anybody qualified for the task, though, so I took it upon myself."
"I see."
"And what about you?" Gabriel hated talking about himself and his past. World history was one thing, but his personal history wasn't worth dredging up. "What happened to Ivanna's father?"
Naya flinched, and Gabriel regretted the question as she withdrew her feet from him. She rolled her shoulders as she dug her toes into the thick Persian carpet. "I was twenty when Ivanna was born. Her father was the love of my life."
Gabriel's fists clenched as a stab of jealousy went through him. Naya was his! But her lover wasn't in her life anymore, so with a shaky breath he nodded for her to continue.
"Just before Ivanna was born, he was killed in a car crash. He was on the highway and the car wrapped around a tree. He bled out. All alone."
The king wanted to take her into his arms and hold her tightly, but wasn't certain how she would react to that, and so settled for taking her hand in his. "I'm sorry you went through that pain."
"It's over. Life goes on. Weeping for the past doesn't change it."
She turned her face away from his, and Gabriel wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to comfort her so badly. Naya stiffened at first, but then she relaxed against his body. He could hear her heart beating, and it sped a little when he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She moved closer to him, her fingers curling into his shirt.
Gabriel moaned, breathing in her perfect honeysuckle scent. Being so near her had him hardening, and he wanted to spread her legs and delve into her like he had on the night of the Blood Moon. He would have to be more restrained, since he could too easily hurt her with his increased strength, but he knew that he could be gentle.
But did she want it?