by T. S. Ryder
Naya was not in her quarters. She wasn't in Ivanna's room or the bathroom. Gabriel tensed. He had reassigned her guard, since she never left her room, and they were needed to try to track down Ivanna's whereabouts. Where could she have gone? The anti-vampire humans could not have gotten in here–if they had, they would have come after him, not her.
The cellphone in his pocket rang. Gabriel felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. Somehow he knew what Naya would tell him before he even saw that it was her calling him.
"They called me," she whispered. "They said that they would release Ivanna if I gave myself up. They want to make sure our son is dead themselves. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Naya," Gabriel choked out, his head spinning. "Naya, they'll kill you."
"I know. But it's better me than Ivanna. They'll kill her if I don't. Gabriel, I'm sorry. I love you. I love you so much."
The king's knees buckled and he collapsed onto the bed. This couldn't be happening. Sacrificing his child was pain enough, but Naya? It was unthinkable. He had to stop this. It couldn't happen. Tears pooled in his eyes and he clutched the phone tighter to his ear as if he could seep through the speaker and pop out on the other end.
"Naya, where are you going?"
"I can't tell you." A sob. "I love you. Please, please forgive me. Take care of Ivanna. Take care of yourself. Please."
"Naya," he tried again, but there was a click and then silence. Gabriel felt his world being dismantled bit by bit until he couldn't breathe. "NAYA!"
***
Alberto was able to trace Naya's cellphone. The head of security tried to convince the king to stay behind while he led three dozen vampires to find Naya and bring her back, but Gabriel was having none of it. The moment they had a lock on Naya's location, he armed himself with guns and knives. His natural strength and speed were once enough to take out an entire human army, but with the development of technology he had to be ready for anything.
He was well aware that this whole situation could very well be a trap, but he didn't care. Naya was too important. If she died, then he would hunt down every last one of those vile creatures, or die himself in trying.
Naya was in an old warehouse. Guns immediately started blazing as the vampires burst in, but they had come prepared; the silver bullets bounced harmlessly off Kevlar vests and bulletproof riot shields. Gabriel charged forward, his men in a tight formation behind him. He could smell Naya and Ivanna both, faintly, and ignored the human warriors lining the walls. Alberto broke away with a dozen vampires, leaping onto scaffolding and over barriers the humans had built to protect themselves.
Screams followed Gabriel as he followed the scent of his human through a rusted door. He entered a long hallway. The scent of explosives met his nostrils, and he waved a hand at his men. The demolition experts surged forward, quickly finding and disarming the bombs that had been placed in this hallway.
Gabriel didn't slow his pace.
He only stopped when he came to a locked door. He could sense Naya laying on the floor inside, Ivanna beside her. Gabriel stopped breathing and he slammed himself against the door, but it wouldn't budge. He heard someone speaking behind him, but couldn't spare a thought to hear what they were saying. The steel was unforgiving, no matter how hard he rammed into it.
A strong scent of gunpowder met his nose and the sound of gunfire erupted all around him. Dozens of human poured into the hallway, firing weapons at the vampires. One lobbed a grenade at them, but Gabriel easily swatted it right back at the human had thrown it; the explosion rocked the room, filling it with smoke.
Gabriel snarled, lithely leaping into the fray. He drew the knives from his belt, slicing across the throats of the humans who were nearest to him. The scent of blood wound its way to his head, and he lost himself in the battle. His vision filled with red and he cut his way through the humans, howling his fury.
It was only after they were all dead that his bloodlust faded. Gabriel looked at the carnage around him, regret welling in his chest–he had become king to stop this kind of destruction. And here the humans were, forcing him to battle once again. Why couldn't they see he only wanted the best for them?
Tossing aside his knives, Gabriel rushed back to the door that separated him from Naya. Alberto had caught up with them by this time, and together they crumpled the steel.
Gabriel rushed inside, dropping to his knees. "Naya," he breathed.
Her heart was still beating, her breath deep and even. Ivanna's as well. Relief broke over Gabriel like a flood. He ripped off his Kevlar vest and put it on Naya, just in case.
"My lord—" Alberto started.
"Carry Ivanna to the vehicles. Quickly," Gabriel ordered, gathering his love into his arms. The heartbeat of their son was strong, and tears filled the king's eyes. He brushed them away quickly–until they were safely back at the palace, there was no place for emotions.
Naya stirred as he stood, and he pressed a quick kiss to her temple. His men gathered around him as they headed back outside.
As soon as the sunlight touched his face, he heard the distant crack of a gun. Something burned into his chest, piercing his body. Pain lanced through him and he stumbled. When he looked down, he saw a hole in his chest, inches above Naya's body.
His knees buckled and everything went black.
Chapter Ten: When the World Stands Still
Her head felt like it had been packed with sandbags. Naya's eyes slowly blinked open. Sounds blurred all around her, but the sky was clear and blue above her. She was being moved. She was lying on something that was being pushed. She strained, trying to remember where she had been. She remembered a gray room. And Ivanna…
Ivanna! Naya jerked, opening her mouth. She groaned out her daughter's name, and a face leaned over her. It was not Gabriel. She recognized the face, but all she could think was that it wasn't her vampire.
"She's safe," the face said. "She's right here. Asleep."
Naya's head lolled to one side as she searched for Ivanna. Her vision swayed, but it soon settled. Ivanna was close to her, laying on a stretcher parallel to her. Her eyes were closed, but blankets were tucked in around her chin and her thumb was in her mouth. Naya smiled. She was okay.
"The king was shot."
The relief at seeing her daughter vanished. Her clouded head cleared long enough for her to push herself up onto her elbows. There was another stretcher nearby. Gabriel lay on it, his body utterly unmoving, eyes wide and glassy. His skin had an unnatural pallor, chalky almost. Naya screamed, lurching towards her vampire.
Something caught her around her waist and hands pressed her back onto the stretcher.
"He can still hear you," a voice said in her ear. "The silver has paralyzed him but there's still time to save him. And he can hear you. Don't scream, don't scream."
Naya held her breath, her heart pounding. She tried to escape the hands that kept her in place, but they were too strong.
"We need blood!" a vampire shouted from somewhere. "Get blood out here now!"
Naya and Ivanna's stretchers were both brought to a halt so that Gabriel's could pass. Naya slapped a hand over her mouth as he was brought by. He was dead. Whatever she had been told, he was dead.
"Let me kiss him," she blurted. Maybe if she could get to him, her love would call him back. Maybe she could save him! She struggled. "Let me kiss him!"
"There's no time. He needs the bullet removed and to be fed blood."
"Give him my blood."
"We have medical stores for this sort of event."
Naya stopped struggling as she watched Gabriel's stretcher be carried up the stairs. Her blood rushed in her ears, drowning out the nervous chatter around her.
"I love you!" she shouted. "Gabriel, I love you!"
***
She was examined by both a human and vampire doctor and given a clean bill of health. Take Back the Planet hadn't harmed her or Ivanna in any way.
But then, they hadn't been the target. Gabriel had been.
> Ivanna seemed no worse for wear. She was a little quieter than normal, but Angel had put her in a bathroom when she realized they were about to be attacked, and the little girl hadn't witnessed any of the violence that had happened in the zoo. Naya didn't want to press too much about her time in captivity, but Ivanna told her that she was kept in an ugly room and she had watched cartoons the whole time she had been kidnapped.
It was a small relief, but even that tiny blessing was something that Naya could cling to.
It was a full two weeks after the incident before she was allowed to see Gabriel. By that time Angel was fully mobile and, though she winced once in a while, she bore no outward scars of the attack.
"Stay here and be good for Angel," Naya told Ivanna, just outside Gabriel's bedroom.
"But I wanna see, too," Ivanna protested.
Angel pulled her into her lap. "Mommy wants to talk to Gabriel alone for a little while first. You'll get to see him soon."
The baby was kicking, and Naya laid a hand on her belly as she entered Gabriel's bedroom. He sat up on the bed, his skin having regained its normal healthy, dusky glow, dark eyes bright and clear. A dozen or so empty blood bags were scattered on the floor to one side, and a cooler sat next to his bed, presumably full of fresh ones.
A smile broke over his face at the sight of her and he held out his arms. Naya gratefully ran to him, wrapping herself in his strong embrace. She breathed in his deep, manly scent as his hand stroked her hair.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. Your daughter was in danger. You did what you needed to do." Gabriel put his hand on her shoulders and gently backed her away. "They told me you were fine, but I am glad to finally be able to see it with my own eyes. Naya… Naya, I love you so much."
Naya pressed a hand gently to his chest. Beneath the silk pajama top, she felt bandages. "Does it still hurt?"
"Yes. Quite a bit. But it missed my heart, and they were able to get the silver out in time. I'm going to be fine. I just need a lot of blood." He made a face as he gestured to the bags. "They're making me drink this medicated stuff. Tastes awful."
Naya held her wrist out to him, but Gabriel shook his head. He kissed her wrist, then moved it to his lap and smiled gently.
"I'm still not strong enough for that yet, love. There's a reason I didn't want you to see me before now. The thirst… it can get overwhelming. I dare not drink from you again until I'm fully healed.
"Of course," Naya whispered.
Gabriel cupped her face in his hands. "What happened? When I arrived at the building, you were already unconscious. Did they say anything to you?"
Naya shivered. The question of why Take Back the Planet hadn't killed her outright had haunted her for the past two weeks, but she still had no answers.
"They took me to see Ivanna. I remember going into a room, seeing her laying on the floor and then feeling like I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to be killed and I was so… angry that I hadn't been able to save Ivanna. The next thing I remembered was waking up here again. And seeing you on that stretcher."
Gabriel's hands tightened slightly. "Take Back the Planet was probably hoping to use my child as a way to control the vampires somehow, and that's why they didn't... But let's not dwell on them right now. Alberto is hunting the organization and soon they will no longer be a threat. You're okay, Ivanna is okay and that's all that matters."
"You're okay. Or, you will be." Naya pressed her lips to his. "That matters, too."
Gabriel smiled. "Yes, that does matter. I can smell Ivanna out there. Does she want to come in and see me?"
Naya nodded and hurried back out to the living room to retrieve her daughter. Angel stayed on the sofa. Ivanna wrapped her arms around Naya's neck and then, when she was put on the bed beside Gabriel, the little girl twisted her hands into the blankets.
"Hi, princess," Gabriel said, smiling. "How are you doing?"
"I'm not a princess."
Naya's brows rose at Ivanna's angry tone. "What do you mean?"
Ivanna glared up at her mother. "Gabriel's not my daddy. That means I'm not a princess."
"Oh, honey." Naya reached for her daughter, but Gabriel was quicker, pulling her into a hug.
"Ivanna, there are different types of daddies. I might not have put you in your mommy's tummy like this baby." Gabriel touched Naya's stomach. "But that doesn't mean that I can't be your daddy. I love you, princess."
Ivanna sniffled, her big, dark eyes full of tears. "Do you love me as much as the new baby?"
"Yes," Gabriel said firmly. "I do. And I'll always love you. I promise."
"Okay," Ivanna smiled, laying down beside Gabriel. Her tiny head rested against his shoulder, and she looked over her shoulder at Naya. "Come snuggle, Mommy."
Naya laughed softly and joined them. Gabriel's fingers combed through her hair, and more love than Naya thought was possible welled in her heart. The baby began kicking and she took both Gabriel and Ivanna's hands and pressed them to her stomach, helping them to feel it as well. Ivanna laughed, squirming between them.
"Look! I think the baby loves us, too, Daddy."
Gabriel's eyes widened slightly. A smile blossomed on her face and he nodded. "Yes. Yes, I think the new baby loves us. Just like I love you and Mommy." His eyes met Naya's. "Forever."
***
THE END
About T.S. Ryder
If you’re in for hot-as-hell vampires and shifters, you’re my girl. There’s nothing paranormal that I don’t like or write and I’ll give it all I’ve got to bring beasts and hot men (preferably both :) ) to life for you.
I love writing stories about sexy and protective alpha males and the strong women they love. My stories are always full of steam and I generally throw in a fair amount of action.
So kick back, get comfortable, grab some chocolate and tea and fasten up your girdles for some extra smoldering hotness. Enjoy!
Please check my author page for the latest news and releases.
Selected Other Books by T.S. Ryder
Mated to Four Werebears
A hunted gal PLUS four extra-hunky Alpha Bears PLUS danger lurking in the shadows…
Diana is looking for a hiding place, far away from the killer hunting her. But she gets more than she bargained for when she ends up on an island in the arms of not one, but four insanely hot men.
Things get only more confusing when she finds out that shifters exist, and that those four delicious guys are each the Alpha of their own Bear clan. They all have their eyes set on Diana because they need a mate and… babies. What’s a girl to do?
The battle of the Bears is on. Unless they share their queen…
Can the Bears put aside their differences for the sake of their clans?
Are they willing to share their mate?
And when Diana’s killer returns to strike, can they protect her?
The Vampire King's Cage
What do you do when you’re pregnant with the guy you’re supposed to kill?
Belinda Greene is the best bounty hunter on the planet. So when she’s given the assignment to kill the Vampire King, she can totally do this, right?
Wrong. Soon, Belinda is the one fearing for her life.
Lucky for her, a hot stranger comes to her rescue. The kind of guy she always dreamed about. Perfect.
Until she finds out he’s the Vampire King. And she’s pregnant with his child…
After thousands and thousands of years, Vampire King Carlos has finally found his mate. This woman is the one for him. Except she’s human. And she wants him dead.
And unfortunately for Carlos, that’s not his only problem. An ancient demon-fae wants revenge on Carlos, and what better way to do that than kill his unborn child?
Can Carlos capture his enemy and save his child?
Can Carlos and Belinda bury their swords and find each other?
Is love stronger than hate?
The Shifter's Prisoner
This w
as one delicious hunk of a dragon and she wanted a taste.
Ever since Asa lost his wings while protecting his king, he’s had his motorcycle as a poor replacement. Now he needs a maid to care for his home. And he knows exactly whom he wants. The girl with the fiery red hair.
Easy enough. All he needs to do is ride in with his Dragon biker gang and take her.
Willow has always heard the warnings: never stray too far from the village lest the savage Dragons take her. But would it be so bad to escape her miserable life and abusive parents?
Being a Dragon’s property isn’t exactly what Willow had in mind but she has no choice. And Asa, with his powerful body, muscly arms and cocky grin ignites sparks in her core. Sparks that quickly roar to flames…
But there is a dark magical presence in the Dragons’ city. An outcast fairy wants Willow to perform a blood sacrifice that will allow him to rule the world…
Can Willow keep herself safe when she becomes a target?
Will Asa release his inner beast to go to the end of the earth for Willow?
Can Willow and Asa heal their wounds and find love and passion at last?
The Shifter's Secret Baby Girl
A single mom who’s never heard of shifters PLUS a bad beast with a secret PLUS a child who might be in danger…