Darkest Prince

by K. A. Jones

  Judging by the way my panties were getting wet, Dario had reconnected with the hot line to my lady parts, and they liked what he was saying!

  Dario swept me up in his arms and at vampire speed; we made it back to his room. It wouldn’t hurt to practice a little bit of safe sex before the King imprinted words into my mind, words that I would be too scared to voice.

  Chapter Seven

  Dario was watching me screw up my face as I sucked in my waist, so that Keera could fasten the ball gown that they insisted that I wore to greet the King.

  He looked amazing. His black pinstriped suit screamed of wealth, tailor made just for him. His silk tie matched the deep red of my dress and poking out of the top pocket of his jacket was a matching handkerchief. He fastened a cuff link and tugged the sleeves of his jacket down over his wrists. His eyes never left me as he got ready. He wasn’t giving me a look of desire, this look was one of utter adoration.

  I tried to ignore the longing in my lady parts, but I honestly enjoyed the way my body heated up and was ready for him. I sank onto a chair, closed my eyes and let Keera get to work on my hair and makeup.

  We had heard his brother and the entourage that followed him arrive and trusted that the King would be looked after by Dario’s day walkers and guards until we were ready to join him.

  ‘God, I need a drink!’ I heard Dario’s soft chuckle in my mind as he grabbed the whisky decanter and poured two glasses. ‘My brother awaits, but I figure we have time to enjoy a drink together before the final steps to taking your rightful place at my side.’

  Keera knelt down at my feet and I lifted my foot from the floor as she slid the shoe into place followed be the other one. Heels and so much lace, this was going to be a disaster!

  “Thank you Keera, I can manage from here.” I stood up and took a few steps trying to get used to the height of the new shoes and the restrictions of the lace that swam around my legs. I heard the soft click of the door as Keera left the room.

  Dario held out his arm and I accepted his help as I paced the room trying to stay upright, concentrating on not getting my shoes tangled in the length of the dress. He crossed the room so I stood directly in front of the large mirror. I did a double take as the reflection was a far cry from my usual attire.

  “As much as I like the dress, I want you to know that I am wearing it for you! I would be more comfortable in a pair of trousers and a top.” He handed me the glass and I welcomed the burn from the whisky as it left a hot trail down my throat. There was no where to hide my dagger and even if I could secure it to my thigh, I doubted I would be able to get to it in a hurry. Layer upon layer of lace would forever separate me from my trusted blade.

  His hands found their way to my tiny waist, giving me a small squeeze, whilst his teeth seductively skimmed over my bare neck. “You look beautiful.” I let out a little huff of disdain. Just a small one, because even though I resented wearing the dress, I did look beautiful.

  Keera had worked wonders on my hair transforming it from a ‘just fucked’ look to a ‘just stepped out of a salon’ look. She had plaited, twisted and artfully let down a few tendrils of my hair to resemble an up-do that any bride would be proud to wear. She had accessorised my dark hair with tiny clips that had small diamonds that sparkled when the light hit them. My bare shoulders were covered with a pashmina that was the same dark red as my dress but it had a silver thread running through it. My eyelids were a glittery silver that were perfectly framed with a dark grey liner that somehow made my red eyes seem so much darker.

  Dario’s eyes carefully watched my every move as I twisted and turned, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I turned in his arms so I faced him and ran a finger down his chest, stopping at the top of his trousers. “I hope you are going to give Keera a bonus for making me look this good.” Dario gave a small nod of his head before his look intensified, becoming more heated. His eyes swept down to the top of the sweetheart bodice of the dress, lingering on my cleavage and back up again, drinking me in. For some reason I felt nervous, almost exposed, which was crazy considering Dario had carefully inspected and kissed every inch of my body.

  “Are you ready to meet my brother? If we stay here much longer I will do more than undress you with my eyes.” As tempting as that sounded right now, I knew that I had to get it over with. I was Dario’s, and it was time to let the vampire’s know that I belonged to him. It was time to forget that I was once a hunter and time to claim my place at his side as a vampire, his vampire.

  I had fought against the inevitable for months, but after learning about his brother’s son, Carlos, and his intentions to become King, I needed to show the world that Vampire’s and Hunters needn’t be enemies. Although, I hadn’t quite worked out how to let the hunters know, as they were too intent on killing me!

  With a new found bravery, I smiled and stood on my tip toes, brushing a light kiss against his lips. “When the meet and greet is over, I expect you to do more than undress me with your eyes Dario. If this is our equivalent to a wedding, then I expect us to consummate our marriage as soon as possible.” For good measure, I ran my hand down the front of his trousers, lightly brushing my fingers over his fine form, before giving it a gentle squeeze.

  Tugging me hard against his body, his teeth nipping down the length of my neck, I felt his hand caress my breasts and slip lower down my body. He slowly tugged the layers of material up, until his hand found what he was searching for. Slipping his finger inside, I let out a groan and spread my legs further apart. His thumb teased my sensitive nub making my legs turn to jelly. As quickly as his seduction started, Dario removed his hand and licked his fingers, before kissing me hard on the lips. “That is just a small taste of things to come, I promise tonight will be a night to remember.” His voice was laced with lust and promise, he sounded so sexy. I couldn’t respond, if I did, I would beg him to make love to me all night and we had things to do. I stepped away and smoothed down my dress, and took a moment to get my erratic breathing under control. The last thing I wanted was to meet the King and him know that I was still in the throws of lustful thoughts!

  We were escorted from the bedroom by Mackinley and Arius. It was a very formal affair. Mackinley took the lead and Arius followed behind us. I quickly glanced behind me hoping for a quick flash of teeth that resembled a smile from Arius, but his face remained stoic. They were armed to the hilt. Swords hung from their hips, leather shoulder holsters held guns and they wore a tactical leg holster on top of their dark trousers, that held another gun and a couple of blades. They wore Roman gladiator style armour, all thick leather and a metal chest plate to protect their hearts. I briefly wondered if they were bullet proof, but the sound of music drifting from the lower level caught my attention.

  More guards joined us as we made our way towards the great room. I quickly imagined a large room filled with vampires and felt my heart begin to race. Dario patted my hand that was draped over his arm. “Are you ready?” The small gesture made my racing heart return to a more normal beat.

  I could see by the look in his dark eyes that he was truly excited about seeing his brother. I pushed down my reservations and nerves, planted on a big smile and nodded my head, but kept an eye on the door ahead of us. Mackinley stopped, turned and gave me a respectful nod of his head before signalling to the guard at the door.

  The music quietened and the distinct sound of chairs scraping across the floor as people rose to their feet made my body shake with nerves. This was by far the worst experience of my life. Send me out on a kill anytime, at least then I was dealing with one vampire, not a room full of them!

  A sudden need to run overwhelmed me.

  Instead of running, I pulled Dario to a stand still. Drawing in a deep breath and letting his scent wash through my system and offer me comfort. I rested my head against his chest and wrapped my arms around him. He knew how I was feeling, he could feel it through the bond that was between us, but he remained quietly at my side waiting for me to make a decisi
on to stay or to run. I was thankful for his silence.

  Cupping his face in my hands and running my thumb across his bottom lip, wishing that we were alone, I whispered “I’m not running Dario, I belong with you.”

  I heard his possessive growl that emanated from within and loved the way that his arms gathered me close as he bent down so his head was so close to mine. “And I belong to you my sweet Shyla.”

  I searched his face for a moment and found nothing but the reassurance that I was looking for. It would like walking into the lions den, but knowing that Dario would be at my side made me feel that I could take on anything.

  A smile grew on his face as he brushed a feather light kiss on my lips. Dario stood tall, wrapped my hand in his and we walked side by side into the great hall.

  My eyes scanned the room; it didn’t take long before I spotted his brother, King Marco. He was seated at the opposite the end of the room, surrounded by his guards. A couple of beautiful women were sitting on either side of him. I felt his gaze fall upon me as we made our way inside the room. We continued walking up the centre of the room, across what I imagined would later become a dance floor. Unsure of the protocol for meeting a Vampire King, I gave a polite smile and a small nod of my head. Marco gave me a warm smile and I felt some of my tension disappear.

  Marco was dressed in what I can only describe as a lot of velvet and frills. His jacket was a deep red, almost the same colour as my dress; it was covered in big gold leaf embroidered patterns, that would’ve looked ridiculous on anyone else, but somehow, it suited him. His cream shirt spilled frills down his chest and he wore trousers that were a cross between a soft beige and gold. Marco’s hair was longer than in the oil painting that I had seen hanging in one of the rooms and he wore it tied back in a low pony tail. His features were very similar to Dario’s. The family resemblance was more stunning in the flesh.

  He was handsome and very powerful. My teeth ached and I thought they were going to descend, but that wasn’t the only problem, I felt sexually attracted to the King in some unfathomable way. I hadn’t spoken to him, I didn’t know him, yet my body burned for him. ‘Would you like a hanky to wipe away the drool coming from your mouth?’ I flicked an embarrassed glance at Dario and quickly tried to find something to distract me from all of the things I was feeling for a total stranger. ‘You shouldn’t have awoken my sexual needs and left me wanting more!’ I felt his sweet caress and heard a small chuckle in my mind. ‘I will take care of your needs later my sweet Consort, you will be begging me to stop by the time I have finished with you.’

  Clamping my thighs together to try and stop the burning need that was spreading through me, I drew in a couple of shaky breaths and made sure I kept my thoughts in check and my eyes off the King. I would have to face him, but I would prefer to be able to look at him without having lustful thoughts.

  Tables and chairs lined the room, standing around the tables were beautiful human women, and they were dressed in bright colourful ball gowns. It took me a moment to realise that some of the women were Dario’s day walkers. I didn’t like to think where the other women had come from, I could only assume that they were here for one reason, and that was to quench the thirst of any of the guards. My vampy senses kicked in as I located every vampire in the room.

  Marco and Dario’s light were brighter on my mental vampire radar; I could feel their power as opposed to just detecting them by the light they naturally emitted. My body gave a small shudder, and to my horror it wasn’t from fear, quite the opposite in fact. Their power excited the vampire part of me. A small pat on my hand from Dario reassured me that everything I was feeling was normal. I concentrated on holding my head high as we took the final few steps, placing us directly in front of the King.

  The silence was stifling, making me feel as though the air was free from the oxygen I needed to breathe. I felt light headed, the last thing I wanted to do was face plant the floor because I had suddenly developed panic attacks! I gripped Dario’s hand tighter.

  ‘Jesus Dario, you should’ve warned me that his power sucked the life from you!’

  Dario looked at me with concern in his eyes before he turned a steely-steady gaze at his brother. Dario wrapped an arm across my shoulder and tucked me close to his chest. “Marco, I would like you to meet my Consort, but I should warn you now, if you harm her then I will have no choice but to declare a war between us.” His words swirled in my head, about as clear as the fog that was taking over my mind.

  I sagged against Dario. His grip tightened as he pinned me in place with his hand. The brothers stood staring at one another for what felt like a lifetime, all the while I struggled to breathe, yet I made no movement and showed no fear, a complete contrast to the internal silent screaming and internal writhing about that I was doing whilst I slowly suffocated.

  Mackinley came and stood at my side; he had drawn his sword and was waiting for instruction from Dario. Before my eyes began to close, I noticed that Arius and some of Dario’s other guards had come to stand at Dario’s side.

  Why weren’t they affected? In a split second it dawned on me, Mario was compelling me, making me believe that I was suffocating! I concentrated on clearing my mind, and gave a mental shove, hoping to push Marco and his freaky crap out of my head. The air stirred around me and my throat loosened, enabling me to draw in some much needed oxygen. My fangs descended and bit into my bottom lip. I could only glare at Marco, his friendly smile from earlier was anything but friendly; it was a weapon, just like his good looks! This guy was a jerk!

  Marco arched an eyebrow and gave a hearty laugh. Dario released me and took a step towards the King. Mackinley and Arius moved as one and stood on either side of Dario with their swords ready for action. Marco held up his hand stopping any advance from Mackinley and Dario’s guards. “Don’t be foolish brother, I wish your Consort no harm.”

  No harm? Was he kidding when he made me believe that I was suffocating? God, I wish I’d strapped my dagger to my thigh; I would love nothing more than to sink it into the smug bastard that stood before me! “I guess that’s the meet and greet over, Dario, if you will excuse me, I would like to retire to my room.”

  Dario didn’t look back at me as he ground out, “Stay Shyla, if anyone is leaving it is Marco. His manners are appalling!”

  Marco gave a small shrug of his shoulders and said, “I have been hearing everyone singing your Consorts praises Dario, I wanted to see for myself if she really is as good as everyone is making out.”

  Feeling a little bit affronted by his blasé attitude towards my life, I crossed the distance between us and stood at Dario’s side. I felt Mackinley’s hand catch hold of my arm; I gave him a small sweet smile and glanced back at Marco. “I think it is safe to say that my first impression of you was somewhat misguided too Marco, your status as King, your good looks and swoon worthy smile will not fool me again, I may be dressed in a pretty frock, but don’t let my looks deceive you either, I would not be so foolish as to threaten your life, but please remember that before your brother chose me as his Consort, I was a hunter.” I let the words hang in the air between us before spinning around and making my way out of the great room. I needed to put as much distance between me and him as possible. I’d just said that I wasn’t foolish enough to make a threat against his life, but it didn’t stop me from wanting to.

  I didn’t make it far before my feet froze and I was unable to flee. I could see confusion on the day walkers faces, even the beautiful human women were frowning.

  “Miss Diana, it appears that I have made you uncomfortable and as a result there is unnecessary friction between us.” I could feel him approaching me and turned my head slightly, not that I could do much with my feet firmly fixed to the floor, but I felt better seeing him approach. I felt less vulnerable.

  Marco offered me his hand. I bit back a retort knowing that my actions now would be the clincher between Dario and his brother. I didn’t want them at each others throats, so-to-speak; it was bad enough
having to watch out for the hunters without a war between Vampires breaking out. Marco lent towards me and whispered for my ears only, “You intrigue me Princess Shyla, it seems that everyone is enamoured with you. You won the heart of my brother the moment he met you, you have won the heart of every guard and day walker at the castle by being loyal to the vampires.” His little announcement shocked me to the core. I was speechless. Marco wrapped his finger around my hand and slowly led me back to Dario.

  “How do I know that Carlos hasn’t planted you here to take care of his business?”

  By business, I made the assumption that he meant killing him and Dario. “I’m sure that every guard and every day walker has drawn that conclusion about me.”

  Marco gave a slight nod of his head and said, “Then you will forgive me for testing you.” It wasn’t a question, it was expected of me, but testing me? Damn near killing me more like! I smiled and said, “Of course.” It was what he wanted to hear, but I would keep my guard up and my wits about me when I was near Marco. He was dangerous.

  Marco flicked his hand and the soft sound of music filled the air. He gestured to the tabled area of the room for people to take their seats, and just like that, everyone returned to their seats as if nothing had happened. If this was compulsion, then he was powerful, really powerful.

  I kept my focus on Dario, but smiled politely for the King. As we reached his original seating area, he mind fucked with the women and they stood and went in search of guards, each seeking out a handsome male and flirting with them. Marco gestured to an empty seat. “Sit Shyla; let me get to know you as my brother does.”

  If he thought for one minute that he could charm his way into my knickers then he was in for a shock!