Emperor's Consort [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 5] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove)

by Scarlet Hyacinth

  He withdrew his claws and allowed Raul to crumple to the floor. “That’s for shooting my twin,” he said.

  Raul blinked up at him, clutching his bleeding his shoulder. He looked dazed but otherwise unharmed. “For the record, Prince Shtamakarein,” he said, “I have no regrets.”

  Karein was tempted to attack him again, but Sari’s presence at the back of his mind kept him from doing so. He left Raul where he was, and turned toward Hareem. His brother had immobilized the vampire against the floor, freezing him from the neck down.

  “Your Imperial Majesty,” Karein said, “Lieutenant Zager tells me you decided to enlist Mr. Gomez’s help to heal Rachen. With your permission, I’d like to attempt something first.”

  He wasn’t comfortable with the fae casting any spell over Rachen, and judging by Hareem’s expression, the emperor felt the same. “If you believe you can help him,” Hareem replied, “you have my full support.”

  Karein joined his brother on the bed, his heart heavy with regret. Rachen was writhing and groaning, as if fighting an invisible foe, and his magic was loose all around him. It flowed over him without harming Karein, perhaps recognizing him. It hurt Karein deep inside to see his twin like this, because Rachen had already suffered so much. He deserved so much more than being trapped within an identity he didn’t recognize.

  Reaching out to Sari through their bond, Karein took his twin’s hand. He’d only tried this a handful of times, and even then, he’d had just moderate success. Karein had mostly used his abilities to absorb energy, not really to give it, and he wasn’t sure it would work this time around. Rachen’s problem wasn’t physical, and Karein could only hope he wouldn’t be making things worse.

  As if guessing his thoughts, Talrasar said, “If you’re planning to exchange energy with him, don’t. It won’t help. It would only confuse him further.”

  “So what are you suggesting?” Karein asked. More than anything, he hated being helpless. His guilt over what he’d done to Rachen when they’d been in the same egg had never truly disappeared, although Sari’s affection had done wonders to soothe those wounds.

  “As I was saying to Emperor Hareematek, he needs to be returned to Draechenburg. Alwyn Cyraltin is the only one who can help him now.” He rubbed his eyes and blinked, then finally seemed to snap out of his trance. “Pregnant. Sweet Jenarra…I’m…pregnant?”

  Karein watched the Ivenian prince as he struggled with this realization. Distantly, he wondered why Talrasar hadn’t figured it out on his own. After all, he was probably the most talented Ivenian healer in existence, followed closely by Eanera, Sari, and likely King Selbrian. Why had Raul Gomez discovered something when Talrasar hadn’t been able to?

  “That sort of thing can be very complex,” Sari explained. “Personally, I think Talrasar must have suspected, but he wanted it to be true so much that he didn’t trust his own assessment. Either way, it must be so early that it would take a really experienced healer to notice it. Raul must be more powerful than we thought.”

  “But you think he’s telling the truth?” Karein asked.

  “It doesn’t matter what I think,” Sari answered. “Prince Talrasar will know for sure.”

  As if to confirm Sari’s words, Talrasar covered his stomach with his hand in a protective gesture. He got up and straightened his back, his keen eyes scanning everyone in the room. “All right. This settles it. It’s time for you to answer some questions. I think you owe us that much, Raul.”

  “I concur,” Hareem replied. “But we don’t have any time to waste with interrogations. We’re moving everything to Draechenburg. Sage, Karein, we’re heading out. Be wary. We don’t know the full extent of their motivations just yet.”

  Back to Draechenburg. Karein was actually relieved, although he did wonder where that put him and Sari. Could he go get Sari from Rose Noire? Somehow, Karein doubted it.

  With a silent sigh, Karein resigned himself to the inevitable. The important thing was that his mate and child were safe. Hopefully, his twin would soon be, too. He could only cling to the hope that the information Raul provided would lead to finally solving this terrible mystery that had already led to too many casualties. Because for his part, Karein just wanted this to be all over, so that he could fully focus on Sari and their son. Was that truly so much to ask?

  Chapter Seven

  When Rachen cracked his eyes open, the first thing he felt was pain. He groaned, reaching for his forehead, trying to stem the tide of the overwhelming migraine. He felt as if his skull was splitting into two, although he couldn’t have said exactly what was causing the agony.

  A hand landed on his arm, taking him aback and startling him from his haze. Rachen jumped, grabbing the person who’d dared to approach him. The other man yelped as he fell on top of Rachen, and Rachen took advantage of the opportunity to roll on top of his captive.

  “Rachen,” a gentle voice said, reaching out to him. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

  Rachen blinked, his vision clearing of the lingering fogginess. As he stared down, he realized he recognized the person under him. Dark eyes met his own, fathomless pools of black that somehow managed to be soothing. Alwyn. Overlords, how exactly had Alwyn gotten here? And more importantly, had Rachen hurt him?

  As the thought coursed through his mind, Rachen instantly let go of the young sprite’s wrists. He knew he should be getting up, but he didn’t. Instead, he remained on top of Alwyn, taking in those beautiful features he had missed so much while he’d been away.

  Truth be told, he hadn’t been gone long, but it still seemed like a huge effort to leave Alwyn’s side. Wondering if he’d fallen into a dream or simply died and went to that place humans called heaven, Rachen brushed his fingers over Alwyn’s lips. The sprite slowly parted them, and a pink tongue slid out to tease Rachen’s digits. It didn’t seem to be a conscious gesture on Alwyn’s part, but it did enflame Rachen’s libido to nearly unbearable heights.

  He lowered his body over Alwyn’s, releasing a low groan when the sprite shivered in response. Their erections came into contact, and a small whimper escaped Alwyn. His lips were so close to Rachen’s now that if he went a little further, Rachen could finally taste him like he’d always craved, from the moment they’d first met.

  Rachen would have undoubtedly done exactly that, but then, memories flashed through his mind, images of two other men writhing under him in two separate occasions. Intellectually, he knew those weren’t his own recollections, but they did take him aback and remind him of his doubts. Alwyn deserved better than to be a replacement for the fae whom Rachen couldn’t have.

  His dragon lashed its tail angrily at Rachen, roaring its outrage. Rachen ignored it, pointing out to the stupid beast that they couldn’t figure out what element to use half the time. Even his hair had become a near-copy of his brother. How could he possibly decide on something as serious as a true mate? How could swear loyalty to Alwyn when he couldn’t be certain if his own heart wasn’t deceiving him?

  Rachen pulled away so violently that he went dizzy again. Alwyn’s gasp of pleasure turned into a panicked one. He grabbed Rachen’s arm again, keeping him from falling. “Are you all right?” he asked softly.

  “Fine,” Rachen replied automatically. When Alwyn arched a brow, he amended, “As well as I can be, at least. What exactly happened? How did you get here?”

  “I’m not the one who went anywhere,” Alwyn answered, gently helping Rachen to lie down again. In the process, he slid from under Rachen. Rachen hated the distance between them, but he suppressed the urge to pull Alwyn back. He had to cling to his resolve for more than ten seconds.

  Fortunately, Alwyn never let go of his hand as he continued to speak. “You were injured in battle. Your family returned you to Draechenburg. Do you remember anything?”

  Now that Alwyn mentioned it, yes, Rachen did recall something along that line. “There was an attack in New York. Taryn went missing. There were vampires, and a fae. The fae shot me.”

  Al
wyn’s hold on his hand tightened. “That’s right,” he said. “Prince Talrasar helped with healing you, but you were still having problems with the final stages of your recovery, so they brought you here.”

  That really didn’t make any sense, since Rachen couldn’t imagine what kind of medical assistance he could’ve received here that the people in New York hadn’t been able to give. Of course, as he looked at Alwyn, he realized that there was something, or rather, someone here that had probably helped more than any fae magic. Perhaps that had been the whole point of his family’s decision.

  In the end, it had helped, but that didn’t mean Rachen could just lay back and relax. He remembered all too well the two men he’d helped capture. “What about the prisoners?” he asked. “Did my brothers interrogate them?”

  “I think they must be doing that now,” Alwyn answered. “I’m sure they’ll keep you posted.”

  Rachen shook his head and started to get off the bed. Alwyn moved to stop him, but Rachen wouldn’t be deterred. “I need to be there for this,” he said. “Those men hurt my family. I want to at least know their reasons.”

  He didn’t have to ask for Alwyn’s permission if he wanted to go. He was fairly certain that his instincts would lead him to where he needed to go. Even so, for some reason he didn’t want to analyze, he needed Alwyn to understand. Perhaps one day, they could grasp that elusive answer that remained untouchable right now.

  Finally, Alwyn nodded. “All right. But I’m coming with you. I’m not going to allow you to wander around Draechenburg alone. You could fall and hurt yourself.”

  Rachen didn’t point out that they could have easily called a guard to help Rachen. In fact, he was fairly certain his brothers must have left him with soldiers watching over him. But Rachen suspected that such a thing wouldn’t be enough for Alwyn, and if he wanted to be perfectly honest, having Alwyn by his side gave his dragon peace.

  It was at that moment that Alwyn blushed bright red and Rachen realized he was completely naked. “I’ll just…I’ll leave you to change and wait outside,” Alwyn stammered.

  Releasing Rachen’s arm, the beautiful sprite turned on his heel and fled the room. Rachen watched him go with a bemused smile. His cock twitched in interest, and he actually considered masturbating. Sadly, duty called, and his libido would have to wait. With a disgruntled sigh, Rachen walked to his wardrobe and found a uniform. As he dressed, he wondered what answers his family would receive today.

  * * * *

  Hareem sat cross-legged on the comfortable chair, watching the two prisoners in silence. They were bound with chains that suppressed their abilities, but more importantly, the fact that they were both here and in Hareem’s power made it impossible for either of them to refuse his requests.

  Karein and Prince Kaelezrin stood by his side, two quiet and dark monoliths. Kaelezrin had already been on his way to New York when Hareem had decided to leave, but he’d returned, supposedly at his mate’s request. He was obviously happy at the prospect of becoming a parent, but the natural protectiveness of a draechen toward his mate had erupted even more powerfully than before, and it was affecting his treatment toward the two prisoners.

  In the end, all of them were interested in finding out the reasons behind the vampires’ actions. Of course, their attack on New York had been motivated by the hope to free Fallon, but what about their kidnapping of the naga prince? Their hatred of Rachen was just as mysterious, as was the fact that it even seemed directed at Talrasar and Kaelezrin. Hareem could have understood it if it had been caused just by what the two warriors had done during the Great Sacrifice, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

  Either way, Hareem was tired of waiting. “Start talking,” he said. “No more lies. No more games and avoiding the truth. I’m not in the mood to listen to nonsense.”

  “Oh, Emperor Hareematek.” The vampire chuckled. “Do you truly think you’ve won now that you’ve caught me? You have no idea what’s coming your way.”

  Hareem rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t the one who answered. “Funnily enough,” Karein said, “that was what your son told me, just before he was mysteriously turned into a vegetable by a naga.”

  The false mirth faded from the vampire’s face. “Don’t you dare mention him. You’re the ones to blame for everything that happened in the first place.”

  At last, the fae released a heavy sigh. “This is useless. We’re going in circles and not doing anyone any favors by keeping secrets.”

  “Raul,” the vampire said, a tone of warning in his voice, “we can’t trust these people.”

  “No, you can’t,” Kael said, “and we can’t trust you either. So where does that leave us? Exactly how much longer do you plan to stab your own people in the back, Raul?”

  “I’m not the one who started all this, Prince Kaelezrin,” Raul finally snapped at him. “It was you, your mate and that…that thing you call Rachen.”

  “Someone called me?” a voice asked behind Hareem. Hareem waved his youngest brother into the cell.

  “We were actually discussing you now, yes,” he said. He wasn’t surprised that Rachen showed up, especially since his senses had alerted him to Rachen’s proximity. Not only that, but both he and Karein had started to understand the way Rachen thought. He was seeking to validate his existence and belonging to the Tersain by making every action against the draechen his own personal vendetta. It wasn’t exactly a healthy outlook on life, but right now Hareem couldn’t blame him. He had a vendetta of his own against these people.

  Nevertheless, he had to take into account the fact that Rachen was recovering from serious injuries. “How are you feeling?” he asked when his youngest brother reached his side.

  “Much better,” Rachen replied, looking disgruntled that Hareem had even questioned it.

  Hareem didn’t dwell on the matter further, mostly because Rachen had Alwyn along. Prince Talrasar had explained that Alwyn’s presence would heal what ailed Rachen, and he’d been completely correct. While Hareem couldn’t say he trusted the sprite, his brother needed Alwyn here.

  As if guessing his thoughts, Alwyn slowly pulled away from Rachen. “Perhaps I should go. I’ll wait outside.”

  “No,” Hareem heard himself say. “Stay.”

  He provided no explanation for his choice, but in his heart, he knew it was a strictly emotional one. Alwyn was Rachen’s mate, whether Rachen had accepted it or not. At the very least, if his own mate had left him, Hareem could help his brothers be happy.

  As he thought this, Taryn’s soft voice drifted into his mind. “I love you, Hareem,” the werewolf said simply.

  It was so easy to forget what had just happened between them when Taryn reached out to him like this. Hareem had the uncontrollable urge to go after his mate again, to track Taryn down across the ocean. But for the moment, Taryn was safe with Monroe, and Hareem’s presence was required here.

  “I love you, too,” he sent back. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  Clearing his throat, he got up and walked to Raul’s side. “Now, Mr. Gomez. Tell me. I’m all ears. Exactly what did my brother do to deserve such treatment from your part?”

  Raul shared a look with his vampire mate. Finally, the bat-shifter yielded. “More than you know,” he replied. “Your…brother, along with Princes Talrasar and Kaelezrin, awoke a power that you cannot hope to control. They awoke the Ancient Horror.”

  * * * *

  A few months earlier

  The wild tones of an electric guitar swept over the crowd, picking up the pace of the bass and tempting the listener to sway and dance to the melody. A female voice sang about love and pain, and the lights of the club pulsed in tone of her words. On the dance floor, a throng of writhing bodies moved to the beat. They didn’t seem to be concerned with any of the emotions the lead singer droned on about, since they were too busy grinding together in what was supposed to be dancing but had long ago become foreplay.

  From a floor high above the main club, Stanton wat
ched them, not for the first time wishing he could have enjoyed the simple pleasures they did. Mingled scents of excitement, sex, and blood filled the air, making Stanton hungry, and not only for life’s essence. But he couldn’t afford to dwell on melancholy, not today, or any other day. He had a nation to lead. He was king, and his people were relying on him.

  Stanton glanced away from the dance floor, facing his son instead. “So the werewolves have been badly hit by the death of Graham Powers. What’s your take on all this?”

  In truth, Stanton already knew what he was going to do, but he appreciated having his son’s input. Fallon was intelligent, strong, and knowledgeable, perhaps even more than Stanton had been at his age. Other leaders might have actually felt threatened by him. But Stanton was proud of his son, even if he never truly showed it.

  “Now is not the time to engage the draechen in an outright conflict,” Fallon replied. “It might seem that the Tersain dynasty is weakened, but they’ve forged an alliance with Ivenia, and the army is likely as powerful as ever, perhaps even more so.”

  Stanton nodded. They’d been biding their time, remaining in the shadows for centuries. Very few vampires showed outright rebellion toward the regime instituted by Ornoz, since the policy chosen by Stanton implied a temporary submission from their part. Stanton didn’t like it, but it had earned them some freedom, more than the werewolves had, at least. This meant that slowly, they could begin to build an army and perhaps, one day, manage to dissolve that monstrous piece of legislation that had been the beginning of their servitude.

  “I agree,” he said. “We can’t afford to make mistakes right now. The chimeras seem to be looking into the matter as well, and if a war erupts, I can’t imagine they’ll be on the draechen’s side.”

  “Indeed not,” Fallon answered. “Either way, I’ll be keeping a close eye on Draechenburg for further developments.”