Her Two Wolves

by T. S. Ryder

  What was he saying? Found moved to Alexandru's side, shivering. He put an arm around her.

  "I drank her blood while my brother was making his treaty with the Shifters," Vlad declared.

  It was only Found's warmth against him that stopped Alexandru from lunging at his brother. "Lies!"

  "I drank from her," Vlad repeated.

  "He's lying!" Found shouted. "He didn't drink from me."

  "My claim was laid before my brother's. This girl and her child both are mine." Vlad stood straight and looked the Empress in the eye. "Mother, she is mine."

  ***

  It couldn't be true. Found shook as she wrapped her arms around Alexandru. Vlad hadn't drunk her blood. Except… except when she fell down the stairs, she had lost consciousness. What if his fangs had pierced her and she simply could not remember? The thought made her sick to her stomach. She wished she could just wrap herself in Alexandru’s arms and disappear from this cold, stone palace.

  The Empress's terrible gaze flickered to her briefly before she folded her hands in her lap. "I do not believe that you drank this girl's blood. You have always been a silver-tongued liar and I thought I might have a use for you. But you do not take responsibility for your mistakes, Vlad. And I grow tired of this vendetta you have against my son, my general."

  A brief, beaming smile shone on Alexandru, but he tensed further, if that was possible. Found glanced at his face to see a look of understanding on his face, but his mouth tightened, his eyes growing grim.

  "As such, I will give you one last chance to redeem yourself, Vlad. You shall face Alexandru in a fight to the death. Should you win, all of his lands will be yours. The human and the child will be yours."

  Found gasped. Alexandru's hold tightened on her.

  "And if Alexandru wins… well. If he wins, then I will make public what I have already decided in my heart. He has proven himself kind and able to live harmoniously with humans. He is wise when it comes to the Shifters, willing and able to stop this silly feud between us. All he must do now is prove himself willing to do what is necessary with his brothers."

  Found couldn't stop herself from gawking. Her husband–the next Vampire Emperor? She knew that it was his plan, but somehow hearing it from the Empress herself made it seem all the more real. It was more than that, though… if Alexandru was Emperor, she would be Empress. Her head spun.

  More pressing was this fight to the death. Alexandru looked grim and determined, but not afraid. Vlad, however, was ashen, eyes wide as though his neck was already on the chopping block. He didn't expect to live. For all his bluster, for all his laughing at Alexandru's threats, he was afraid of him.

  "I request the fight take place at once," Alexandru said. "Let us get this unpleasant business over with."

  Vlad turned to glare at him, but the fury and hatred landed on Found. "I should have killed you. If I have the chance, I will yet kill you."

  Alexandru turned his back on his brother, cupping Found's face in his hands. His eyes were soft as he kissed her.

  "He will not touch you," he said under his breath. "You will be seated by the Empress for the fight. Please, during the fight, close your eyes. I don't want you to see me like that."

  Found nodded numbly. Her husband kissed her once more and stepped back, letting Wava take his place. The other woman shivered, but she didn't look any more fearful than her brother.

  "Alexandru has never killed another Vampire," Wava whispered. "He has made many threats, but has never had to follow them through. Now he must. No-one will mourn Vlad, but Sandru will not find this easy to do."

  ***

  Found was seated beside the Empress at the sidelines of a large arena. It reminded her of the gladiator pits she had read about and shuddered. That was exactly was this was.

  The stands were soon crowded by Vampires and from the snatches of conversation she heard, Found realized they were betting on the outcome.

  "Can't you resolve this another way?" Found twisted her hands, glancing up at the Empress, whose expression was cold.

  "Alexandru defeated the Shifter Matriarch, but not in the agreed upon way. He was meant to face ten heroes. He only faced one. Some take it that he backed down from the challenge. This is to prove he will do what is necessary. If he cannot protect you from the likes of Vlad, then he cannot be my heir."

  Found stared in horror at the woman. How could anybody be so cold? Was she always like this, or had her unnaturally long life turned her heart to stone?

  A cheer from the crowd drew Found's attention back to the arena. Alexandru and Vlad, both wearing only pants, had strutted to the center. Vlad, though tall with well-defined muscles, was tiny compared to Alexandru.

  Found knew that the smaller Vampire had no chance to win. Alexandru's gaze sought her out and as promised, she closed her eyes.

  The fight took longer than she expected. There were cheers and gasps from the crowd. Grunts of pain echoed in her ears and though she longed to open her eyes and see what was happening for herself, she clenched her hands and kept them closed. An earth-shaking cheer suddenly went up.

  "You can look now," the Empress patted her hand.

  Found's eyes snapped open. Alexandru stood alone, holding the limp, lifeless body of his brother.

  "My sons, here is your future Emperor. Alexandru, my heir," the Empress called out.

  The Vampires cheered. But even as the crowd chanted his name, Found could only feel sorrow at the slump of Alexandru's shoulders and the gentle way he laid Vlad's body on the ground.

  Chapter Ten

  Six months after the fight that had promoted him to the Empress's heir, Alexandru sat on the edge of his bed, watching his wife nurse their newborn child. It wasn't yet dawn, but the baby's crying had woken them both. He could not believe that he was so lucky to be blessed with this family.

  "The stars were watching out for me," he said, smiling at Found.

  She gave him a distracted smile. "What do you mean, love?"

  "When I chose you to be my wife, the stars were watching over me. There is no way I could be so lucky to find you if they were not."

  Her eyes sparkled. He loved looking at her like this. He would never get enough.

  "They were watching over me, too," she said. "All I wanted was to escape that place, but instead, I found myself. I have a husband who loves me and now a child. I never knew before how hollow I felt."

  The baby finished nursing and Found lifted her to her shoulder to burp her. Alexandru felt his smile widen and he was certain he was a goofy sight. His little daughter was beautiful. She was human like her mother and perfect in every way. He would teach her to hunt, fish and fight. He would buy her the best silks and laces for her dresses and if anybody broke her heart, he would destroy them.

  "We need to decide on a name," Found sighed.

  They had not been able to agree on a name. Or rather, Found had not liked any of Alexandru's suggestions, but had been unable to tell him what sort of name she was looking for. It must be difficult, to have no name but one that was given to you not out of love but a necessity.

  He reached for her hand. "Darling, she's perfect just the way she is. We'll find a name, I promise." He leaned forward, kissing her, gently at first, then more passionately.

  Found's eyes became sultry. "The doctor said I have to either drink three quarts of your blood or wait three months before we can make love again."

  Her words made him tighten and he groaned. "Don't speak like that. It makes me want you."

  "I know it does. I figure if I must be tortured with desire, so must you."

  "How can you even be thinking that way after giving birth just three days ago?" Alexandru shook his head, laughing. "Even without the pain—"

  "It doesn't hurt much anymore. I've already drunk… what, one and a half quarts? I think I'm probably healed up already."

  The baby let out a burp that seemed too loud for such a small body and they laughed. Found nestled their daughter in her arms, stroking th
e small red cheeks and fuzzy black hair. It was a surprise, but the baby looked more like her Aunt Wava than either Alexandru or Found. Wava had been thrilled and had made enough clothes that it would be next to impossible for the little baby to wear them all.

  "I heard you speaking with the Empress," Found said, a smile crossing her face as she gazed at her husband. "She seems to be very pleased with your work with the Shifters."

  Alexandru felt himself swell with pride, remembering his most recent conversation with the Empress. "She is. Negotiations with my brothers are going well and there haven't been any major skirmishes since the Bear Matriarch submitted to me. Even the others–Wolves, Lions, Tigers–they all respect my authority."

  "The Emperor of Vampires and the King of Shifters. Is it everything you hoped?"

  "More. I have you."

  He bent and kissed his wife's mouth, teasing her lips open. With a moan, she pressed herself closer, careful not to jostle the baby. Alexandru chuckled as he withdrew.

  The baby's face wrinkled and Alexandru scented a smell, not unlike sour cheese. He held out his arms for the baby. "Little miss needs a diaper change."

  ***

  "You made a stinky, yes you did."

  Found had to fight back laughter at her huge, imposing vampire husband talking baby talk to their daughter as he changed her diaper. It made her love him all the more. Every time she thought her heart would burst if she was any happier, he did something that made it swell even further and somehow make more room.

  Alexandru's giant fingers deftly fastened the tiny snaps on the baby's sleepers.

  Found climbed out of bed. Her body felt a little tender if she walked or sat for too long, but other than that, she was healing faster than she expected. Being a Vampire's bride definitely had its perks. Alexandru drinking from her was off the table for as long as sex was. Having a transfusion of his blood just after giving birth and then drinking a little at every meal afterwards was really helping her get back to her normal self.

  She stepped onto their balcony. The sky was beginning to lighten in the east, heralding a new day.

  Alexandru came over to her and shifted the baby to one arm so he could bring Found against his chest, kissing her soundly. Found wrapped her arms around him.

  "I think I have it," she said suddenly. Her eyes lit up.

  "Have what?"

  "Her name."

  Alexandru nodded, grinning eagerly.

  "Dawn."

  "Dawn," Alexandru repeated. His smile widened. "You're right. That's perfect. Hello, Dawn."

  Found slipped a finger into her daughter's hand, smiled at her husband and watched the rising sun announce the first day of the rest of her life.

  *****

  THE END

  Alien Romance Collection

  Taken by Two Alien Kings

  Description

  What’s better than being paired with a hot alien? Being paired with two hot aliens of course.

  Cheryl is the new queen in the Demante System. Purchased from Earth and raised as a temple-virgin, she was selected to rule. She’s about to meet her king, chosen through a series of battles. Only to find that there’s not just one, but two candidates...

  Oh my, whom to choose? One is even hotter and more dominant than the other. There’s Bjorn of the house of Leshire, the one everybody expected to claim the queen. And then there’s Maskin, the warrior-slave who is challenging the noble houses. Both are equally ready to punish any disobedience and submit her to their desires.

  The task is easy: who gets her pregnant first gets the throne. But who knew there’d be enemies along the way? Enemies that beat her alien kings to hell to have Cheryl for themselves?

  Staying alive isn’t easy, but it’s easier than choosing between the two warriors. Right? With the enemy on their heels and time ticking, Cheryl has to make the choice of her life. All she can hope for is that her sexy warriors stay alive long enough to hear her out.

  Chapter One: Cheryl

  Today was the day. The previous king of the Demante System had died, and the widow-queen was ready to hand her crown to the next temple-slave chosen to be queen. Cheryl would meet her husband and give the system a new king.

  The human tried to keep herself still as the temple acolytes buzzed around her. Their shiny metal skins flashed in the bright light cast by the sun rods, long tubular lamps that were charged in the sunlight and released their warm glow indoors. She was so excited that she couldn't stop herself from beaming, although she knew this was a solemn occasion.

  The acolytes painted her lips red and braided her golden hair into a crown around her head. The black gown she had been put into was tighter than anything she had worn before. It accentuated all her curves, although the seams strained at the waist. Probably a reminder from Priest Quincy that she hadn't dropped the twenty pounds he had told her to lose by this date.

  Well, no matter. She'd be away from the priest soon enough, and he couldn't remind her again and again that she was fat. She knew that she weighed more than she was supposed to, but she didn't care. She knew in her gut that her king wouldn't mind, either.

  "Are you excited?" one of the acolytes asked, tinny voice reverberating in its metal shell.

  "Deliriously happy. I love my life in the temple, but I am eager to see what the world is like. And to meet my husband." Cheryl ducked her head and blushed, a small smile on her face.

  She was more excited about her wedding night than she cared to admit. The only man she had regular contact with was Priest Quincy, but late at night, she liked to indulge herself in imagining what her king would be like. Cheryl had known from the time she was a little girl that her destiny was to be the next queen of the Temadian people. She had been selected from among the slaves purchased from Earth by the Demante System when she was just a baby.

  The Temadians were a society built by men. Their women had left eons ago, although nobody knew where they had gone. For centuries, the only way for the Temadian people to reproduce was to take their massive starships and steal women from other systems.

  Although that custom had long since died, the coronation of the new queen was a remembrance of those days. She was always a temple-slave obtained through trade with another species, and her king was selected through a series of battles. The Gods selected one of the champions to survive the tournament, and once he was married to the queen, he was king.

  Cheryl's king was rumored to be the previous king's nephew, Bjorn, but she wouldn't know for certain until she was presented to him. Her heart pounded with excitement as the acolytes put the finishing touches on her hair and rolled back to inspect their work. The dim, gold light of their eyes turned red, a sign that they approved of what they saw. The human took a deep breath, grinning widely.

  "Remember, child, not to expect too much from your wedding night," one of them said. "Just close your eyes and imagine yourself somewhere else."

  Cheryl nodded meekly, although her mind was always full of dirty thoughts when she thought about her wedding night these days. She imagined intense pleasure, both for her and her king. Would he tear her dress right off her skin, the way she liked to imagine it?

  She smoothed her skirt as she stood, following the acolytes to where Priest Quincy waited. As head of the Queen's Temple, he was responsible for the ceremony today, as well as Cheryl's upbringing, although her teacher for most of her life had been her mother, until her early death. He shook his head when he saw her, a look of distaste coming over his face. Cheryl's heart dropped, though she tried to suppress it.

  Since she was a child her genes have been altered little by little so when she became pregnant with the king's baby, a pure-blooded Temadian would be born. It would take a lifetime to replace her, and the Demante system could not last without a king to rule over the dozen planets and order the fleets of warrior-slaves in their defense. No matter what Quincy thought, he would not take her destiny from her.

  "Our king will need nerves of steel to bed you. I told you to lose
weight." Priest Quincy squinted his eyes at her. "A queen must be regal, not round. Well, you are your king's problem now, not mine."

  He turned and walked away, clearly expecting Cheryl to follow. She did so. Deep down, she knew she should be sad about leaving her temple and fearful about her future. But she was the queen. The only luxury was in her future, and a lifetime of giving her king beautiful, dark blue babies.

  Priest Quincy led her outside. Cheryl winced as a roaring cheer echoed in her ears. As she stepped onto the platform at the top of the temple steps, it rose into the air, a slight hum all that was indicative of the hover engines beneath the slab of stone. A sea of people spread all around the temple and they chanted her name as she floated over them. After a few minutes, the platform set down at the top of the palace steps.

  This was it. Cheryl eagerly looked down the steps, to the courtyard below. It was full like the temple grounds had been, but her king would be waiting for her on the bottom step.

  Her brow furrowed. There were two men standing below her.

  "I should have said that you are the kings' problem," Priest Quincy whispered in her ear. He stepped forward. "Bjorn of the house of Leshire."

  The man to the right stepped towards her and bowed. His brown hair was trimmed neatly around his ears. He wore the sleek, ruby-red armor of the noble houses. It was molded to his body, made from nanites that would detect coming pressure and thicken the armor at points of impact. It also showed off his impressive shape. He was muscular and lithe, like the panther in the Earth storybook her mother used to read to her. His skin was midnight blue, indicating that he was a pureblooded Temadian–or as pure blooded as was possible these days. The crowd chanted his name.