by T. S. Ryder
A shiver ran down Rachel's spine, but she raised her chin. "Have you ever considered that it could be your insistence that Henry kill me and our child that will lead to your death?"
A dark look flashed over the king's face. He didn't answer, but at that moment the door opened. Leila and Henry were pushed into the room. Rachel jumped to her feet, but the king grabbed her by the arm, preventing her from running to her prince and sister. Henry went rigid when he saw her, his hands curling into fists.
"Father, please. It doesn't have to—"
The king held up his hand. "I don't know what this witch did to you, Henry. Some sort of spell, no doubt. It's the only explanation for any of this. You were a loyal son until you met her."
Henry shook his head, his shoulders slumping. "No, father. I was a loyal son until you told me to kill her. I would have given up my claim as your heir, I would have left and lived on the surface for the rest of my days. You could have had another son, and none of this would have happened. But you told me to kill my bride and unborn child, and when I tried to run you wouldn’t let me be and continued to hunt us. You forced my hand."
"You truly believe what you're saying." The king shook his head. "Do you really think that just because your son wasn't born under the surface, it would spare me from my fate as his grandfather?"
"Look, asshole, the baby's a girl," Leila said, her hands curling. "And you're just talking yourself closer and closer to forcing Henry to kill you, so why don't you just let it go?"
The king released Rachel, taking a threatening step towards Leila. Rachel raised her hands, ready to call on her magic, but the vampire stopped. Shaking his head, he turned to Henry again. "I am going to give you one last chance, Henry. Kill this woman and bring the child back to be taken care of. Do it." His voice softened. "I don't want to kill my son."
Henry's shoulders slumped forward. He shook off the guard who held him and strode forward. He wrapped his arms around Rachel. She held him back, squeezing him tight. Her heart hammered as she looked at the king over her prince's shoulder. He stood tense, eyes hard, and Rachel knew he wasn't going to let this go, no matter how much Henry begged.
"I will not kill my bride," Henry whispered. "And I won't let my daughter die. If you want this woman to die, Father, you will have to kill me with her."
The king closed his eyes. He let out a deep, shuddering breath. "Very well, Henry. Say goodbye."
"Leila," Rachel blurted, yanking herself away from Henry.
Her sister knew what she meant to do and stomped on the instep of the vampire holding her. The guard winced. His grip didn't loosen, but his cry distracted the nearby vampires enough. Rachel threw her hands forward, pouring fire from her palms. The ebony table caught quickly. As the vampires shied away from the flames, Leila coated her own hands with black flame and grabbed the face of the vampire who held her. He howled and jerked away from her.
The king snarled, lunging for Rachel, but Henry was between them faster than Rachel could see. Father and son clashed, both swinging fists and dodging blows.
Rachel raced to Leila, grabbing her hand. The guard came at them, but they spun in a circle, drawing a line of dark fire between them and the vampires, who stumbled back from the heat. Leila's grip on her sister's hand tightened.
"What now?"
Rachel shook her head, at a loss.
One of the vampires leaped through the flames. Grasping hands reached for her and she screamed. She heard Henry cry her name as Leila sent a blast of energy at the attacking vampire. His clothing was already all in flames, and as he passed through the fires again he shrieked, writhed and was consumed, crumbling into ash. Rachel turned to where Henry and the king were fighting. Henry was fending off blows weakly, black cuts ripping open his chest. A silver knife flashed in the king's hand.
Even as she watched, the king kicked Henry's legs out from under him, wrapping his hands around his throat.
"Sunlight!" Rachel blurted. "Is Henry still shielded?"
Leila turned wide eyes on her. "Shielded?"
"The sunblock spell." Rachel grabbed Leila's shoulder. "Help me with the spell."
Her sister stumbled a little but nodded. Together they started chanting, desperate. Henry writhed under his father's grip, eyes wide as he punched the king's ribs to no effect. The energy formed around him, absorbing into his skin. Rachel clutched Leila's hand tighter and held a hand to the ceiling. She closed her eyes, thinking of the sun, remembering its warmth, the feel of the light on her skin.
She felt that light again and when she opened her eyes, she and Leila were surrounded by it. The vampires screamed and howled, drawing away from the light. The nearest ones blistered all over their bodies, skin scorching black.
There was a cry of pain from the king. He stumbled back from Henry. The silver knife was buried deep in his chest.
Rachel let her magic go and the light faded from around her and Leila. Everybody was silent as the king fell to his knees. Henry rushed forward, grabbing him, pulling him close. Tears ran down his face as his father went still. The fire ring around the two witches disappeared.
"I didn't want to kill you," Henry whispered. "I loved you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Rachel moved forward slowly as Henry wept. She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him, and glanced at the remaining vampires. One by one, they got to their knees and bowed to Henry.
"What are you doing?" Leila demanded. "You're not going to try to kill us anymore?"
Henry closed his father's eyes and stood. "My father is dead. I am the king and you are my brides. They know that without me, the kingdom will fall. And if they so much as lay a finger on my queens, they will die."
His shoulders still slumped, and he stumbled as he embraced Rachel. She held him, trying to lend him her strength.
"I'll send for Becky and Cheri," she said. "The vampire kingdom must welcome their princess."
Henry nodded. "And we will bury my father with grace and dignity. But first… I need to restore my strength."
Rachel nodded, holding his hand as she led him from the room. Leila snorted at the vampires, who were still kneeling, and followed.
Chapter Ten
What used to be his father's study was now his study. His father's chambers were now his chambers. The crown that had once looked so noble on his father's brow was now his burden to bear. Henry slumped in his father's–no, his–office chair, staring at the detailed map that showed every tunnel and corridor of the kingdom he now ruled.
As a boy he used to sneak in here and sit in this chair, looking at that map, pretending he was king, deciding what supplies went where and what armies would be sent to subdue what uprising. It didn't matter that there hadn't been an uprising since this underground kingdom was founded. All he had thought about was how magnificent it would be to prove his worth in battle.
At that time he was too young to understand that his father had to die before he could be king.
Henry sighed, loosening the tie that he wore. He'd updated his wardrobe to what was current on the surface, but the suit just felt oppressive, especially after the grand funeral he had just held for his father. He doubted he would ever get over how he had received the kingship of the vampires.
If he had listened to me, he would still be here.
Or perhaps he wouldn't. Henry had a child. A daughter rather than a son, but perhaps the next monarch would be a queen rather than a king. It was a year to the day since Rachel had told him she was pregnant. Maybe his father would be dead anyway, one way or another.
In any case, he was not going to make the same mistakes his father had. He would accept his future with the grace being a king demanded, and when his heir had an heir of his or her own, he wasn't going to demand that they kill the one they love just so he could live longer.
The door opened. Henry turned, expecting to see one of his father's witch-brides. He had thought that they would cause more trouble than they had, but they understood just as well as the vampire
s that the kingdom would crumble without a king, and most had taken voluntary exile. Those few who had stayed had tried to convince Henry that he needed more brides as if Rachel wasn't enough for him.
It wasn't one of his father's consorts who came into the room, however. It was Rachel herself, carrying their bright-eyed daughter. The baby had his blue eyes and Rachel's dark hair, and a little wrinkle between her eyes when she was about to cry that looked like Rachel when she sneezed.
"I thought you might like to see your daughter," Rachel said, handing the baby to her father.
Cheri waved her fists at him and smiled a toothless smile. Her fangs would be coming in soon, and they were already preparing to use a pump and bottle to allow her to continue to drink breast milk. They didn't know if witch blood would be deadly to a baby who was half-witch, but they didn't want to take the chance that Cheri would nip her mother while nursing and drink her blood.
"It was worth it, you know." He looked up at his queen and smiled sadly. "As much as it hurts to have killed my father. You and little Cheri… our family was worth it. Protecting you… I'd do it again."
Rachel kissed his forehead. "I just wish we could have made him see reason."
"My father was not one to take advice or listen to anybody else. How many times did I beg him to stop the tradition of kidnapping women from the surface? No. I loved him, but he would have never listened to me about you and little Cheri."
"At least you can get rid of that horrible tradition yourself now."
He nodded, stroking his daughter's cheek. "How is Cheri?"
His father hadn't harmed his oldest bride. She had been locked in her room but was given everything she needed. She was old, though, and her strength was failing her, although she had been thrilled and honored that he and Rachel had named the little princess after her.
"She's doing well. She has a bit of a cough, but the healers think that she still has a good five years left."
Five years sounded like no more than the blink of an eye, but Henry would take it. Deep down, he thought that Cheri might be ready to pass on. She remained cheerful and bright-minded, but she was tired, and the events of the past year had been hard on her. More than once she had mentioned that she was ready to sleep.
"Leila started her schooling today," Rachel said, sitting on the desk. "She's looking forward to learning how to use her magic properly. And I think she might have her eye on one of the other students. I would never have thought… but I guess now that she doesn't think she has to look after her older sister, she can relax."
At that, Rachel rolled her eyes, and Henry laughed. "She'll do just fine. What about you? Are you going to rethink going into school?"
"No. I'm going to learn how to control my magic, and that's it. I don't need to learn all those spells and incantations. I'm getting a better handle on how to control these visions, and that's good enough."
Henry nodded. Cheri gurgled and he sat her up, bouncing her in the way that always made her smile. His heart always felt lighter when he saw how bright and alive his little girl was. All his brides–they were still his brides, even though he knew he would only ever sleep beside Rachel–were doing well in their chosen tasks. Becky had returned to the surface to complete her medical training, but she was going to return once she graduated.
He looked up at Rachel again to see a soft smile on her face. She looked so utterly relaxed and so very beautiful. He fought the urge to pinch himself at having a woman like her looking at him in that way.
"So, I had a dream last night."
"A dream or a vision?"
"A vision. I can't remember everything about it, but I do know that you have a long and happy reign ahead of you. And we have a long and happy life together."
Henry reached for her hand and kissed each of her fingertips. Cheri giggled. "How long?"
"Long enough to be forever." Rachel bent over him, pressing her lips to his. Her lips were so sweet, her sighs like the sound of heaven. "I love you, Henry."
"And I love you." Holding Cheri carefully, he wrapped an arm around Rachel's waist and pulled her closer. "Until I take my last breath, I will always love you."
*****
THE END
Bonus Book 2: Mated to Two Beasts
Description
Desired by a sophisticated vampire king and a bad boy shifter. Life could be worse… Or, could it?
Audrey is a reporter with big dreams for the future. So when she gets the chance to visit the Harvest Moon Festival, where human women are chosen as vampire mates, she doesn’t hesitate. This will give her the inside scoop she needs.
But she gets far more than she bargained for.
First, there’s the insanely handsome Sanjay, a tiger/lion shifter with a voice that is by far the sexiest thing Audrey has ever heard.
And then there’s the elusive Dimitri, the vampire king himself, who has the longest… fangs she’s ever seen.
When both shifter and vampire claim her as their mate, things get heated. Neither Sanjay nor Dimitri are used to being told no. If Audrey doesn't choose, they will battle to the death for her.
And that's not the end of her troubles, when enemies decide to end the Harvest Moon Festival, by any means necessary…
Can Audrey choose? Can she survive? Will she get everything she secretly desires?
Chapter One
Dozens of women milled about the large, opulent room. The floor was polished marble, and a single, giant chandelier hung from the ceiling. It reminded Audrey of the chandelier from the productions of The Phantom of the Opera she had reviewed for her high school newspaper. That one had fallen directly on her head, which was probably why she was careful to avoid standing beneath this one. She had a feeling actual gold and crystal would hurt a lot more than painted cardboard.
Audrey leaned against the wall, ignoring a buffet table full of delicate-looking dishes, among which ranged lobster and crab. All around her, humans, vampires and shifters from various packs were flirting with one another–and in some cases, doing a little more than flirting. She tried to soak in every detail.
It wasn't often that the halls of the vampire palace were open to humans. This was a special occasion, though. It was the festival of the Harvest Moon, when the vampire king, Dimitri, invited selected human women to his halls to meet various vampires looking to find themselves a mate. The festival would actually take up the full month, until the next full moon. Today was only the meet and greet.
The festival happened every year, but what made this one different was the fact that Dimitri had also invited shifters to his halls. The poor relations between them and vampires made this an unprecedented move on Dimitri's part.
And I've been chosen to cover it from the inside.
Audrey fought to keep the smirk off her face as she remembered when her boss assigned her the story. The young reporter was determined to prove herself worthy of the task and was taking careful mental notes of what she observed. Details about what actually happened during the festival were scarce out in the human world.
So far there hadn't been anything really worth reporting on. It was like any fancy party. Or, given the amount of couples sneaking off to private rooms, like any prom. The most exciting part was the hostility apparent between the shifters and vampires. Just a couple minutes ago, a tussle between a Wolf and a vampire over the same woman had ended with them both being ejected from the hall just moments ago.
Audrey scanned the room again. It didn't escape her notice that the women in the hall were all gorgeous. Audrey herself had always been seen as 'exotic', with her hair a peculiar shade that was usually black, but with a tinge of red in the right light, her golden-brown skin and eyes so blue that people assumed she wore contacts.
So vampires like unusual combinations on their women, Audrey mused, catching sight of a woman with one green and one brown eye being chatted up by no less than three men.
She grimaced as a man sidled up to her. He wore a suit like the vampires, but there were
a few giveaways telling her he was a shifter. The first was the sheer size he had over his blood-drinking paranormal counterparts. While vampires did stand taller than the average human, they were tall in a supermodel or basketball player way. Shifters, even the ones that could turn into smaller animals like foxes, were sheer bulk. They towered over everybody else, huge and intimidating.
Audrey drank some punch and ignored the shifter. Right now she wanted to take in the rituals going on around her.
He leaned against the wall and peered down at her. It didn't escape her notice that was easily the biggest man in the room. He had dark eyes, dark hair, and dark skin that was smooth and unblemished. He was also insanely handsome, with a strong jaw and symmetrical features. If she had been here to find a mate, rather than get the inside scoop, she would have been all over him. Which was one of the reasons she was so determined to ignore him.
"Hello," he said, his voice deep like the ocean and by far the sexiest thing she had ever heard. "My name is Sanjay."
Would it hurt to let herself dabble in the festivities with this huge shifter? She had signed up for the whole selection process. It was the only way she could get access to the festival… No. She had to stay on track. No dabbling.
But that didn't mean she couldn't ask a few questions.
"Audrey," she said with a smile. "My name is Audrey. So you're a shifter, right?"
Sanjay nodded.
"What do you turn into?"
"A Liger."
Audrey stared dubiously at him. "A Liger? As in…?"
"Half tiger, half lion. Sanjay grinned at her. "Just like in non-shifter species, if a tigress mates with a male lion, the offspring is a liger. Want to go to a room and find out more?"
Well, he was right to the point. Audrey's pulse quickened. Her body screamed at her to say yes, but she shook her head. Maybe she had signed up for it, but she wasn't here for a mate. It was just a cover. She wasn't going to lead Sanjay on, despite how hot he was and how much she'd like to learn more about him.