****
The living room which was large and welcoming, it was also a gilded cage complete with a stunning view. Stars twinkled in the night sky. Mountains loomed in the backdrop, just as beautiful by night as what they were by day. “You can’t make me stay.” Her voice shook but she fought to control it. Her emotions were running high. It was the hormones. Her very rampant hormones.
Coal ran a hand over the dark buzz on his scalp. It was shorter than what was considered fashionable. Gave him a dangerous look. It suited him straight down the line. “Our brother tasked me with ensuring your safety. That means you are staying right here where I can see you.” His eyes were black. Pitch black. Their mother had named him well. He was the second born and therefore second in line to the throne. He was even more arrogant than Blaze and that was saying something.
He took a long, elegant stride towards her, putting a hand on the back of one of the couches. “Blaze has made up his mind. You, attending the meeting won’t change anything.” Coal pulled himself upright and took another step towards her. His eyes locked with hers. “He’s worried about you. We all are.” He glanced down at her belly.
Ruby allowed her hand to trace its curve. Her eyes fell shut as she said a silent prayer. Everything would be okay. She had to believe that. To believe anything else was not an option. Her stomach churned with worry. Bile burned in her throat so she swallowed it down. What would her vampire say?
She squeezed her eyes even tighter. Not hers. He was the father of this baby and that’s where it ended. Blaze was crazy. Her brother was on a mission but there was no way he could succeed. Or could he? Hope unfurled inside her. No! It would cause her more heartache to even allow herself to think it. Her place was here with her own kind.
“I have to go. Please, Coal.” She grabbed ahold of his hand, feeling the hard metal of the ring against her own finger. Golden with an emerald, encrusted in diamonds.
Coal allowed her touch for a few seconds before pulling away. “Stop this.” His voice had become rough like sandpaper. “You’re acting like a child. This behavior has got to stop.”
“No! I’m acting like an adult. Just because I refuse to have my life dictated to me does not make me a child.” She had to work to keep her voice even. “Blaze has gone to discuss me. This baby…” Frustration ate at her. “It’s my life and my future. I should be there.”
“You continue to refuse to obey your king. If it were me, I would’ve punished you.”
“Just because I refuse to allow myself to be handed to the highest bidder.” She made a noise of frustration. “To spend my life like a battery hen.”
Coal frowned. “Speak plainly. What the hell is a battery hen?”
Ruby had researched humans any opportunity she could find. She knew mating with humans was their species’ only hope. She’d always imagined herself mated to one. Funny how life had a way of changing direction when you least expected it. She knew nothing about vampires. “Some humans keep chickens in confined spaces. Tiny cages that are not much bigger than the hens themselves. They are expected to lay eggs, day after day. They have no life. No future. No other task in life save but to lay eggs. They live a terrible, lonely, sad—”
“Always so damned over dramatic.” Coal shook his head. He ran a hand over the light dusting of black hair on his scalp. His dark eyes seemed to darken further. Behind him, the crescent moon hung low in the sky. “You would be nothing like one of those”—he waved his hand about— “hens. You are a royal princess and could’ve been a queen. Mother to the future of our people. Now you are nothing. So selfish and irresponsible.”
“I sacrificed for the good of our people. None of you would listen. Our kind is a dying breed. There is no way I could’ve saved us. I’m one female. Don’t you see that?”
He shook his head, looking disappointed. “You did what you wanted without thinking of anyone else.”
She ignored his jibe. “I can only hope Blaze does the right thing. That he takes a human female. That he allows all of you to take human females as mates. It is the only way.”
“No! It would be despicable to dilute our royal blood with that of the humans. It would be wrong to allow any of our dragons to lower themselves. Humans…pah!” He said the word like it disgusted him. Coal was the only male that had never been on a stag run. He refused. “Our king will take one of the lesser dragon females.” He looked smug. “As will I.”
“No,” she gasped. This was not something she had thought would happen. There were only two fertile females besides herself. Both were members of the Earth tribe. Tensions had always run high between the Fire and Earth tribes. Blaze and their king, Granite, did not get along. It would be a cold day in hell before the Earth king allowed any of the females in his tribe to mate Blaze. It would further strengthen the Fire tribe and, in so doing, would weaken the standing of the other tribes. There was no way the male would submit. “But that would mean,” she whispered.
Coals jaw tightened. “You brought this upon our people. This was your doing yours alone.”
“It was never my intention. Why can’t he just take a human? It would be so much simpler.” She blurted. “It’s inevitable that the other tribes will—”
“We would crush them if they tried.” Coal made a low gravelly noise from somewhere deep in his throat. “I don’t want to hear anymore of it and neither does Blaze. We will request the hand of one of the two lesser Earth females. There is always the small chance that the one he chooses of them will be able to supply Blaze with a royal heir. If Granite refuses we will go to war against them.”
What had she done?
Why were they so damned stubborn?
What did Blaze have against the humans? With Coal it was a case of feeling superior to them. Not wanting to lower himself and dilute his royal blood. Such short sighted thinking. Blaze had more sense though. At least, she had thought he did.
Ruby should’ve known that Blaze would not be swayed so easily. A soft knock at the door brought her out of her reverie.
Coal looked irritated at the intrusion for a few seconds before schooling his expressions. “Enter.”
Scarlet dropped in a light curtsy before her brother. The female completely ignored Ruby. The two females of the Fire castle pretended she didn’t exist. She was out of favor with the king. Pregnant with a vampire child. No longer a potential queen or a potential anything. Not worth their time or effort. Most of the males were still respectful if not kind towards her. It was like they understood what she was trying to achieve. No one had ever openly declared their wishes to take human mates but she knew this was a secret hope amongst the males.
It was a lonely, sad existence. To only feel the warmth of another twice a year and then only in the physical sense. It wasn’t right. Most of the males would never be fathers. Not if they carried on along the current path.
“I’m glad you came.” Coal said, rubbing a finger along her jaw.
Scarlet giggled. She looked up at Coal from under her lashes. The female would like nothing more than to sink her claws into her brother. Ruby turned away from the pair, not wanting to hear the flirtatious remarks bouncing between the two of them. The dragon shifter, lesser females were spoiled rotten. They were treated like gold and could have their pick of the males. As a result, they weren’t very nice, which was putting it rather mildly.
She needed to go. Ruby desperately needed to see…the vampire…the father of her child. She needed to speak with him. To explain. There was a good chance he would hate her for what she had done to him. Ruby couldn’t blame him but she still needed to try. She wasn’t foolish enough to envision a future where the two of them were together. She didn’t even know the male.
Maybe he wasn’t even as handsome as what she had imagined him to be or as sweet or as kind or gentle. Maybe he wasn’t such a deft lover, with incredible hands and an even more incredible…Ruby felt heat climb up her neck and spillover onto her cheeks. She needed to stop this train of thought. Needed to stop i
magining what his lips had felt like on hers. The male would hate her when he found out. Of that there was no doubt in her mind. She only hoped that she could somehow make him understand why. Maybe there could at least be a future where her child got to know his father. Maybe that wasn’t too much to hope.
Ruby wasn’t foolish enough to believe that any of the vampire healers would be able to help her. She pushed it from her mind. Stay positive. Breathe. Even if it only ended up being the two of them, her and the baby, they would be just fine.
Scarlet giggled again. “Come with me,” she murmured.
“I’m busy right now. Babysitting duties. I thought you might like to keep us company. To keep me company.” She felt sorry for Coal. Having to settle for a female like Scarlet. She’d only met a few humans at the bar that day and would not be so naïve as to judge them based on that single interaction. The males loved the stag run. They spoke fondly of human females. It wasn’t just about rutting. There was a general affection for the species. If only Blaze would listen.
Ruby checked the balcony door. To her surprise, the key was in the lock. If she had been on babysitting duties, the first thing she would have done would have been to remove all exit routes.
Blaze was in vampire territory. He was about to drop a serious bomb. She needed to be there for the aftermath. It was not a particularly long journey, nor a particularly difficult one. There were risks attached but this was something she needed to do. Maybe a little exercise was just what she needed to enable the release. Two weeks overdue. No one had ever been two weeks overdue but then again, a dragon shifter had never been pregnant with a vampire child before either.
Ruby snuck a look at the couple. Scarlet kept her hand clasped around one of Coal’s biceps while the other roved his broad chest. They were deep in conversation. Ruby shook her head. Thank you Scarlet, who would’ve ever thought the female would’ve helped her out. Scarlet was tall with fiery red head of hair. Right now she was telling Coal in minute detail what she planned on doing to him later. Her brother was lapping it up.
Keeping her chin up and her back straight, she walked to the balcony door. Not moving too quickly, she kept her movements casual. She winced at the light clicking noise the lock made as she unlocked it. Thankfully there was not a breath of wind. The door opened noiselessly. Without turning back, Ruby pulled herself onto the ledge of the balcony and fell into the dark chasm. There was the familiar popping and cracking as her body morphed into that of a strong and powerful dragon. Her clothing ripped and fell from her quickly expanding body. She was smaller and leaner than Coal. That made her infinitely faster. Catch me if you can, brother.
If she’d still been in a human form, she would’ve had a smile a mile wide. She felt light and free. Her little one tucked safely, deep down in her large belly, behind hard, impenetrable scales.
Her wings beat furiously as she quickly ate up the distance between the high peak that was her home and her destination, the vampire territory.
Chapter 8
It was only when she lowered his zipper that it really dawned on him that Jordy meant to rut with him. Like, climb onto his cock and ride him. There was nothing unusual about friends rutting with one another. In fact, they were the odd ones out for not having done it sooner. It didn’t feel right though. Make that, it felt distinctly wrong. Their relationship wasn’t like that. Besides, he didn’t want a random fuck. Not even with his best friend. He wanted the dragon shifter. Her.
Nuts.
Crazy.
Not going to happen.
“Stop, Jords.” He held his pants together, preventing her from pulling them off of him. She tried to swat his hand away. “I mean it, Jords. You can’t do this. I value our friendship.”
“So do I and that’s why you need to shut the hell up.” She continued to tug on his pants, trying to get them down. “You won’t regret this. I promise.”
“We haven’t done anything yet and I already regret it, Jordan.” He growled her name.
“Look.” She huffed. “Suit yourself. You know where to find me if—”
Just then there was a loud knock at the door. The person didn’t wait but walked right on in like they owned the fucking place.
The male’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.” It was one of the royal guards. Kai couldn’t remember his name just then. If it had been any other male he would have punched them. A royal guard? What the hell? The male spent the next few beats eyeballing Jordan’s naked body. By the look on his face, Kai could see that he liked what he saw. Little prick!
“What do you want?” Kai growled as he pulled his zipper back up.
“Um…shit.” The male finally had the good grace to tear his gaze away from Jordan so that he could lock eyes with Kai.
Jordan didn’t seem too fazed by the whole thing. She casually picked up her dress and then pulled it over her head.
How dare the little fuck just walk in like that? It had to be something important. “Why are you here?” He worked to keep the growl from his voice and failed.
The guard cleared his throat. “Your presence is requested in the Royal Suite. Right fucking now.” It was like the male had suddenly remembered why he was there.
What the fuck!
“What’s wrong?” He could hear the worry in his own voice. “What’s going on?” He couldn’t think of a single reason why he would be summoned to the royal chamber...
It couldn’t be good though. He’d never been summoned there before.
Shit!
The guard smirked. “It’s that female you messed around with in Sweetwater. The one…”
Shit!
Kai couldn’t help it, he closed the distance between himself and the male and gripped him by his vest. The leather didn’t offer much purchase. “What about her?” He all out growled.
The male’s expression hardened. His jaw clenched. “I’m not at liberty to say.” He grit out. “Come with me and you’ll find out soon enough.”
“What did you do?” Jordy gripped him by the arm. “What happened with that female? What are you hiding?”
Trying to keep his expression passive, Kai turned to her. “It’s going to be okay.” He could only hope. If this was about the dragon shifter, he was in a world of trouble. Maybe it was some human female claiming to be pregnant by a vampire. It would be normal to assume that he was the culprit. It might not be her at all. Yet, he couldn’t help but to wish that it was about her because if that were true, then maybe he would get to see her again.
He was fucked in the head.
Kai followed the Royal guard. Remaining close on the male’s heel. They moved quickly through the castle.
“All I can say”—the guard glanced back at him from over his shoulder— “is that I’m glad I’m not you. You poor fucking bastard.” Kai could make out his chuckle as he leapt up the stairs four at a time.
Taken aback, he sucked in a deep breath and followed the guard. He was oddly disappointed when they stepped into the Royal chamber. Of the female with the amethyst eyes, there was no sign.
Brant looked pissed though.
Oh fuck! By the tic in Zane’s jaw he could see the male was pissed as well. Beyond fucking pissed. He’d never seen Zane so rattled.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell us?” Brant growled. An all out, spine tingling, sweat inducing growl. It wasn’t the animalistic noise that had his blood running cold but the scent that came off of the other two males in the room.
Both strangers. Both scented of smoke. It was a subtle edge. One he had scented before. On her. The dragon shifter.
Both males looked at him like he was a piece of filth. The nearest male’s lip curled away from his teeth in a silent snarl directed at him. “A lesser. She didn’t even have the good grace to pick a royal vampire. What possessed her?” They spoke funny, like they weren’t from this century.
“Hold your damned tongue,” the taller of the two said. The male next to him bit back what he was about to say.
“Did you know t
he female you spent time with was a dragon shifter?” Zane asked. His king sounded altogether too calm for his liking, especially considering the male was anything but.
Kai nodded. “Yes.” He’d barely gotten the word out when a fist connected with his jaw. Kai heard a crack. Pain blossomed as his head was whipped back. He had to take a step back to stay on his feet.
Zane moved back into place. His eyes stayed on Kai. They were filled with that same disappointment as before. Only this time, there was a good dose of anger reflected in their depths as well. Kai massaged his fractured jaw. Although he could feel it swelling, he could also feel it healing.
Brant folded his arms across his chest. His white dress shirt pulled tight. His tie was still on, although loose around his neck. The sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “I guess you didn’t think it was important to mention the female you messed with was a dragon shifter.”
Kai didn’t say anything. The tension in the air was thick. Although there were plenty of seats, everyone remained on their feet. Of the queen and the royal heir, there was no sign.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Zane asked, his voice barely audible. It came out sounding deadly anyway.
Kai forced himself to remain still. To hold his king’s intense gaze. “I didn’t think anyone would believe me.” His jaw throbbed but he tried to ignore the pain. “I…wanted to…protect her…I guess.” He didn’t really understand his reasoning himself.
“How noble.” The closest of the shifters sneered. “For a lesser…”
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” Kai narrowed his eyes at the male who growled deep in his throat. It was a soft, menacing sound.
“These two males are her brothers. The male over there…” Brant casually flicked a finger in the direction of the taller of the two males. He wore loose fitting, cotton pants and nothing else. No shoes. Bare-chested. “Is the king of his tribe. You know how to fucking pick them. Don’t you?”
A Mate for Kai (The Program #6) Page 7