Ambrosia (Nectar Trilogy, Book 2)

by Prince, DD

“I’m a jerk,” she admitted.

  He nodded, “Yeah. So stop.”

  “Where were you? What’s the latest?”

  He sighed.

  “Maybe I’ll stop being so suspicious if you stop leaving me in the dark all the time. You need to give me some fucking credit.”

  He let out a breath and turned away from the window to face her, “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I’m a jerk, too.”

  She sat on the sofa. He sat beside her and took her hands into his.

  “I just hate the anxiety you feel and I want it gone. Sorry if that means you get upset and feel like you’re in the dark. I just don’t want you to hurt. I’ll stop.”

  She nodded, “Is the way you feel for me textbook? With royal vamps and their pets, I mean?”

  He shook his head, “Doesn’t seem like it. No one has said but I don’t think so. Sounds like this combo, you and me? Unheard of.”

  He leaned over and his lips touched hers and she relaxed into his embrace.

  His kiss turned hungry and he hauled her up onto his lap, so she was straddling him. He was hard. His fingers roughly dug into her back and her shirt started to go up.

  “Hey,” she mumbled, “Don’t start something we can’t finish.” But she wanted him. Her breathing went erratic. She held tighter to him.

  “I need…” he said against her lips but didn’t finish. He groaned in frustration and Kyla’s panties went damp. She climbed off him and grabbed the fly of his jeans and then tugged them open. She took his beautiful cock into her hands and lowered her head and then her lips parted.

  He leaned back and groaned, “No, Kyla.” But he didn’t move away.

  She ignored his protest. She licked and sucked and massaged and gave it her all but then he abruptly hauled her off and up and then put her on her back on the sofa. He was hovering over her, breathing hard, “I don’t want your mouth. I want inside you and I fucking can’t.” He did up his pants.

  “Get condoms?” Kyla breathed.

  “Not safe enough.” He backed up, “And I need to feel you. Not feel some fuckin’ rubber.”

  “Umm, back, uh.. door?” she blushed. She was craving his body and closeness in a bad way.

  He smiled, “Too close. If I lose it and slip an inch, we’re in trouble. But let’s come back to that menu item in a few days.” He winked.

  “Why not let me…” she reached, licking her lips, “Let me get you some relief. It’ll help, no?”

  “I’ll wanna bury myself so deep in you that you can taste it from the wrong end. Baby, it’s taking everything I have to stop myself from filling your whole body with my cum. Nothing else will help.”

  She stared at him, jaw dropped.

  He backed off, “Yeah. It’s taking every ounce of self-control and you haven’t even peaked yet. God damnit. I’m getting a cold shower. We’ll eat, then talk and walk.”

  He went into the bathroom and Kyla curled her knees up against her chest and sighed, ignoring the throbbing between her legs.

  After Tristan’s shower he barely got his pants on when there was a knock on the door. Food was delivered. They sat and ate soup and fancy sandwiches. Well, Kyla did. She devoured her meal, strangely enjoying every bite. Tristan barely touched his.

  “You not hungry?” she asked, wiping her mouth.

  “Not for this shit,” he grumbled and then his expression cleared and he looked at her and shook his head.

  “You’re craving me?” Kyla asked.

  He nodded.

  “But you don’t want to?”

  He shook his head, “I’ve been urged to wait.”

  “I thought you wanted to feed regularly to keep us both strong. You’re going to let him control how often you…”

  His expression was suddenly filled with warning, “Finish and then we’ll take a stroll. I’m just blood-fasting for another blood test. It’s temporary.”

  She had to remember to guard her reactions. And with the mood he was in it probably wasn’t wise to goad him right now, either.

  ~~~

  They were walking down the stairs and there were even more people in the open lounge area. Kyla wore sunglasses and held Tristan’s hand. She did her best to keep her expression even but when they got to the bottom of the stairs they were approached by a balding pale and thin man in a gray silk dressing gown.

  “Tristan?” the man asked, while approaching.

  Tristan nodded, “In the flesh.”

  He stopped but looked like he wanted to keep moving. Kyla was at his side.

  “Ruben Davidson. I was close to your grandfather. Alexander and I were good friends. We spent time together in Romania and later in the UK. I’ve been here a few weeks. I’ve had some surgery.”

  “Good to meet you,” Tristan extended a hand, “I hope you’re recovering well. Now if you’ll excuse…”

  The man’s gaze travelled up and down Kyla.

  “She smells magnificent,” Ruben said. “Remarkable. And she’s ripe.”

  “Thank you. She’s mine. Excuse me,” Tristan said, “I’ve got an appointment.” He moved to walk past the man.

  “Is she…” Ruben started and lowered his voice, “she is, isn’t she? Of course. It’s been about ten years. You know what I’m talking about…”

  Tristan tensed up, halting before he finished taking a step.

  “I’ve never smelled anything like her. I’m from a strong line so I’m attuned and she smells just so ---” The man’s fangs protruded and Kyla couldn’t help it; she jerked and scurried behind Tristan in response. Tristan had Ruben’s throat in his hand. The room was suddenly buzzing with alertness.

  Adrian’s voice pierced the room.

  “Ruben, a word?” Then his voice turned placating, “Tristan? I would appreciate it if you’d release Ruben and then meet me in my office in twenty minutes. Would that be alright? I assure you, Ruben will back off. Correct, Ruben?”

  “Correct,” Ruben choked out.

  Tristan stayed where he was. Ruben’s fangs retracted. Adrian cleared his throat and said low, “Tristan?”

  Tristan let go of him and the man began hyperventilating and then said, “My apologies. I’m not well. That was unacceptable. If I were well it never would have happened. Please accept my apology.”

  Tristan swiftly moved Kyla out of the room to the outside with his arm hooked around her neck, his hand cupped around her shoulder, effectively blocking her entire throat as they left. She was aware that every eye in the place, other than those of the people in orange scrubs, was on her. The people in orange scrubs appeared to be humans, deer-in-the-headlight humans. There were at least a dozen others around, staring at them as they left. Tristan’s fangs were out the whole time he stalked out the door.

  Tristan walked her with a determined angry stride that invited no approach, past people in an area with patio tables, a fountain, and gardens and down a long wide staircase paved with colourful mosaic tiles toward what looked like a labyrinth-like garden bordered by many hedges but low-like, so it wasn’t as if you’d get lost in a maze. It was gorgeous, painstakingly manicured. When they got beyond that garden and were in a large open field approaching forest, he continued, radiating fury. Kyla got a stitch in her side from the pace and winced and as soon as she did he hefted her up in his arms and they whooshed for a few seconds, their surroundings blurring by.

  He stopped and put her on her feet. She glanced up at his face and his eyes were steely and jaw was clenched. He’d gotten them behind a large tree and let out a breath and caught her face in his palms, “Fuck, baby,” he breathed.

  “I’m sorry…” she whispered, “I tried not to react but then his fangs were so close to me and I---”

  “Not your fault. Fucking fuck,” he bit off, “Most vamps who’d smell you but who’d see you on my arm, who’d see that collar, they would know better. He was fucking dying to taste you. Told you vamps have varied strengths? Well, he’s old. Really old. And he’s ill so that’s obviously fucking with
his deference to me. He clearly knows all about enchanted blood and royal bloodlines and royal pets because of how old he is. Adrian will do damage control but damn it…he should’ve ensured we had a clear coast. I’m so out of my goddamn element, here. This is no ordinary environment. There are dying vamps here, there are diseased vamps both mental and physical, and this could happen again. It can’t. I’ve gotta do something.”

  Kyla was hyperventilating.

  “I wouldn’t put it past him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s doing it on purpose, Tristan. Something about him…”

  He grabbed her shoulders,

  “Listen, it’s worse than I thought so I can’t even talk to you properly in there. Please try not to put me on the spot with questions that I may not be able to answer in front of others and be careful with that temper. I’m already fighting to do damage control. We’ll…” Tristan’s cell phone interrupted him, he answered, “Adrian…” He let go of Kyla.

  Kyla sat on the ground putting her back against the tree trunk listening to Tristan say, “You made assurances to me and so far you have fucking failed. This is unacceptable. If you have a series of tests planned that involve scenarios like these I’m telling you right now think again because I won’t be a fuckin’ lab rat, got me?”

  He moved farther away but she heard him say a series of yes’s and okays until he hung up, telling Adrian he’d meet him shortly.

  “The cover is that you’re a test subject. You’re a co-operative pet who is semi-lucid based on taking a formula he’s developed. He’s saying it’s a step between functional trance and fully lucid. That’s what anyone who needs to know will be told. That’ll help with reactions. Just be quiet, do your best to act as mesmerized as possible. People will think you’re either in a functional trance or if anyone asks questions it’ll soon become wide knowledge that you’re under Adrian’s care. This works in our favour as this is a research facility so it makes things plausible. Any rumours out there can be quashed by the fact that I’m here with you, and that we’re working with North America’s most respected vampire doctor. This’ll work.”

  He visibly relaxed, “People know who I am. Few know much about royal or enchanted pets so risk is minimalized. I’m being assured Ruben was an anomaly. I don’t trust that but we’ll be careful.”

  Kyla let out a breath of relief but it wasn’t deep relief. There were so many things to figure out, so many dangers.

  They walked back inside and as they entered Sam and Adrian merged with and then flanked them, Sam on Tristan’s side and Adrian on Kyla’s. Kyla could only assume they were serving as bodyguards. They got back to their room without incident. She felt eyes on them when they got back inside but she avoided eye contact and tried to just focus on getting to their suite.

  Tristan raised a finger to her as he led her into the room. He slipped back out and shut the door behind himself, Sam and Adrian standing with him in the hallway. She spent the next few hours alone but some things occurred to her and she was anxious for him to get back.

  As the room darkened she heard voices in the living room. She strained to listen. She couldn’t make out words but neither voice sounded like Tristan’s. She had been on the bed, playing solitaire on a tablet PC that was in the room. She put it down and braced herself. There was a knock on the bedroom door, which was open a few inches.

  She sat up straight in the bed.

  “Yes?”

  Adrian stepped in and he was with a man, a tall and attractive man with dark hair and blue eyes. The man wore a suit. His eyes were on Kyla. They were warm. She was about to remark that Tristan didn’t want anyone with her without him present but she wasn’t sure if someone who was just semi-lucid would say such a thing. And before she could decide what to say or whether she should say anything, it occurred to her who the man with Adrian was.

  He spoke up,

  “Ky.”

  Memories flashed in her mind of zooming down a slide and directly into that man’s arms.

  My father.

  She swallowed past a lump in her throat.

  He opened his arms.

  She remained rooted to the bed, gripped by uncertainty.

  “Where’s Tristan?” Kyla asked, not taking her eyes off her father.

  Because this man wasn’t just her father. He was also a vampire.

  “He’s downstairs with Samuel,” Adrian replied.

  “Does he know you’re up here?”

  “Your father traveled all the way here to see you. He’s been anxious,” Adrian said, not answering her question.

  Her father looked the same. He looked just the same. She had very few specific memories of her parents but he looked identical to what she remembered. He looked like he was 25 or 30, not nearly 50. He was handsome, trim but athletic-looking. He had a nice smile.

  A crash pierced the air and Tristan was there, between the foot of the bed and Kyla’s father and Adrian. He had his back to Kyla, blocking them.

  “What the fuck?” he bit off.

  “Sir! Lyle Kelly,” Kyla’s father extended a hand to Tristan, “Kyla’s father. I’m so glad to finally meet you. I’ve heard great things about you. We’ve been at a few events together but have never actually met.”

  Tristan crossed his arms and ignored Kyla’s father, “Adrian, do we need to again review that no one, and I mean no one, yourself included, is to approach her without me present, without my consent prior to that approach?”

  Adrian shrugged, “Her father, Tristan. He was anxious to see her. He hasn’t seen her in over 20 years. For most of those years he had no clue whether or not she was alive. Some compassion wouldn’t go amiss.”

  “Compassion?” Tristan snarled, “Since when is that a consideration for our kind?”

  Adrian smirked at him and shrugged.

  Wow, devious.

  Kyla’s father spoke up, “Again, I’m very happy to meet you, Sir. I apologize for the misstep of entering before obtaining your permission. I respectfully request some time with Kyla. Perhaps you could both join me for dinner this evening?”

  “I’ll let you know,” Tristan folded his arms across his chest.

  “I’d appreciate the opportunity to join you as well,” Adrian added, “A family dinner. Won’t it be lovely?”

  There was definite sarcasm in his tone.

  “I’ll let you know.” Tristan’s voice was arctic.

  Lyle flashed Kyla his enigmatic smile and it was painful to witness. “I look forward to getting to know you as an adult. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to see you safe and sound. You grew up to look even more beautiful than I daydreamed about. You have my colouring but your mother’s features, her eyes. I’m so very happy that things are working out according to plan. Once I knew you were alive I wanted badly to see you in the flesh but as you’d imagine, I couldn’t.” He gestured himself with a sweep of his hand, “It’d be a little tricky to explain…”

  “How is she?” Kyla asked, without thinking, only feeling --- feeling pain pierce her chest.

  According to plan?

  Kyla had been stolen from her parents and their lives had been uprooted. Her birth itself had been orchestrated and he looked like it was all the same to him.

  She had trouble getting a read on his expression since she didn’t really know him.

  “How’s who?” Lyle asked.

  “My mother?”

  Who else? Wow.

  “Oh. Right. Well…Katya and I don’t see one another often.”

  Of Kyla’s few early memories of her parents, she remembered them being very in love, their home life very fairy tale-like. Maybe that’s why she expected her prince to eventually come. Her father had been such a gallant prince charming back then and her mother had seemed love struck, happy.

  She recalled that her mother and father couldn’t keep their hands off one another. Cuddling, kissing, all the time. Now though, knowing that they were hypnotized into being together? No wonder they didn’t stay together after being tu
rned. She wondered if being turned would instantly turn off mesmerisation.

  She really needed time with Tristan, to talk about some suspicions she had.

  She didn’t know what to say to Lyle Kelly. The man felt like a stranger. The man?

  Hah. The vampire, to be accurate.

  She felt a chill run up her spine. Adrian was closely regarding her. The whole semi-lucid thing, was that what her father thought, too? Or did he know everything?

  “Excuse me,” Tristan said, motioning to the door, “I’ll let you know about dinner.”

  Lyle smiled at Kyla with what looked like a hopeful expression, “Again, really wonderful to see you,” he opened his arms,” I would like to hug you. Could you come here, please? Would it be okay if I hugged you?”

  “Not right now,” Tristan answered before Kyla had a chance to react.

  Lyle’s expression dropped.

  “A word, Tristan?” Adrian said.

  “Not now,” Tristan answered, “I’ll come see you.”

  Adrian had the decency to look a little bit (but only a little bit) contrite as they left the room.

  Tristan followed them out of the bedroom and she heard muffled voices and then heard the door slam. An instant later Tristan was back in the bedroom with her and his expression was nearly murderous. It softened when his eyes landed on her.

  “Are you okay?”

  Kyla shrugged.

  “How was that? Seeing your father? Adrian asked about bringing him up and I told him it should wait until I asked you and I’m not real impressed that he did what he did.”

  “I… I don’t know, it was weird. He hasn’t aged. He seems kind of…robotic, I think. Colder than I remember. I dunno.”

  Kyla felt numb.

  “Thanks for getting rid of them. That was… it was a lot.”

  He sat on the bed and put an arm around her. She sank into him and they laid down together.

  “No way that man is getting close to you until I know what he’s about.”

  “You don’t think he’d bite me, do you?”

  Tristan shrugged, “Sorry to say but I’ve seen stranger things happen.”

  “Ew.”

  “Yeah. He apparently doesn’t know much about you but he does know you were bred specifically for feeding and breeding. He knows your blood is fit for a king. Being a vamp, curiosity might get the better of him. Not taking that chance.”