by T. S. Ryder
"You…" The happiness Leon had felt during the night disappeared.
As he stared at Yuliana, a thousand accusation flitted through her mind. Harold had sent her as a spy. She had released the other vampire with information of the Shifter's movements so that the vampires could now hunt them down. She had only told him now because she knew he would figure it out and wanted a cover, to maintain her ruse.
Except…
Except that was the most unbelievable thing he had ever heard. He had already been firmly convinced that it was sloppy work on the part of his Shifters. Why would she jeopardize her place here by revealing her role in the spy's escape in that case? And there was no faking the way she was looking at him, pleadingly, tears in her eyes, her normally olive tones pale. He felt his tense muscles relaxing again.
"You thought you were helping a friend. I don't believe you were acting maliciously. But we still have to take the other vampire's presence as a threat." Leon turned towards the female. "On your feet."
She stood, glancing between the Alpha and his mate. "What do we do now?"
"We head deeper into the woods. We disappear. And we will call all the Alphas together. We will find what sort of experiences they are encountering and discuss their take on this."
Leon glanced back at Yuliana again. It was dangerous for her to be among all the various packs. His pack members respected him, and he was a powerful Alpha in the meetings, but hatred of vampires ran strong. There would be any that would more than gladly see his new mate dead. He frowned. He would protect her. If any of them so much as looked at her wrong, he would tear them apart.
Still, as they headed back down the mountain, Leon wondered if it would be best to send Yuliana back to her parents until after this meeting. But even as he thought it, he rejected it. He couldn't bear to be parted from her–not now, not ever.
***
They kept up a death march pace all day and well into the night. Leon's back ached from carrying Yuliana by the time they were done. While he had no problems carrying her or people twice her size for a reasonable distance, the miles and miles of terrain they had crossed left him exhausted. When he finally called the pack to rest for the night, Yuliana silently set up the canvas lean-to and slipped into her sleeping roll without even eating.
Leon ate a hardy supper of jerky and oatmeal before joining her. In the bright light of the moon, he could see her shoulders shaking and gently put a hand on her. "Yuliana?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't know he was a spy."
"I know." He put an arm around her. "I'm not angry."
Yuliana was silent for a long moment before she turned over, tears on her face. "You don't have to be angry to send me away, or to make me a prisoner rather than your mate."
"I don't want to send you away, and you're not a prisoner. You are my mate. And you always will be." Leon brushed her hair from her face and gently kissed her. "Always."
Chapter Five – Yuliana
Yuliana shivered as her eyes opened. Everything was bleary for a moment, and she groped the space beside her for her mate. He wasn't there.
"Leon?"
She propped herself up on her elbow. The usual early morning mist had burned away, leaving a bright, sunny sky through the trees. Yuliana frowned. She usually didn't sleep in this late in the day. Most times whenever Leon left her side, she woke up and was unable to get any more rest. Lately, however, she had been so tired that it seemed like she was sleeping all day and night.
Her stomach gurgled and the vampire sighed. It had been a mistake to start drinking fresh blood. She always craved to pierce through Leon's flesh with her fangs and greedily suck down his blood until her belly felt like it was about to burst.
And of course, she loved what always came with drinking his blood… As much as she had craved sex before, nothing she imagined could come close to what Leon made her body feel. Just thinking about it made her skin tingle and tighten.
If only their little lean-to gave them more privacy…
Yuliana knew it was common for vampires to have wild orgies with dozens of people engaged in sexual activity or watching, but she hadn't been raised like that. Her mother had retained much of the human sensibilities she had been raised with. Add to that the fact the Yuliana couldn't actually say 'orgy' without blushing... Well, she was a private person and didn't like the idea of all the Shifters in camp knowing what she was doing with her mate.
The vampire stretched and slid out of her bedroll. When she went to the cooler to grab a blood bag, the Shifters glanced at her more than usual, their gazes nervous. Yuliana tensed. What had happened? During the month she had been here, they had seemed to have gotten used to her presence. Why were they looking at her like this now?
A deafening roar made her drop the blood bag. She whirled on her heel to see a woman charging at her. At first, she just stood where she was, dumbfounded but soon realized what was happening. The woman leaped. Claws sprouted from the ends of her fingers, and a light coating of tawny-colored fur grew from her skin. A giant Lioness landed right in front of Yuliana, white jaws gaping wide.
The Lioness threw herself forward. Yuliana was just able to avoid getting her head bitten off. Hot breath that smelled of mint toothpaste washed over her face. A paw slapped at her, and she threw herself to the ground, rolling to avoid the claws.
Dozens of howls burst from all around her. The Lioness swiped at her again, but a Wolf dodged into its way. Two more bit at its rump while a first leaped at its face. A set of teeth clamping down on Yuliana's arm made her scream. It was another Wolf, dragging her away from the Lioness. A pained yowl ripped from the Lioness' throat, but it batted at the Wolves and jumped at Yuliana again.
Another howl, this one deeper than all the others, made all of the fighting Wolves flinch. The Lioness turned, raising a paw as Leon ran into sight, his sleek gray fur rippling over bulging muscles. He jumped at the Lioness, but before he reached her, there was an earth-shattering roar. It felt like the rocks trembled beneath Yuliana and she couldn't stop herself from screaming again. A Lion, twice as big as the Lioness, with a great mane around his chest and trailing down his back, barreled straight into the Lioness. His teeth clamped down on the Lioness' shoulder, and he threw her over his back.
Yuliana gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as Leon came to stand over her, growling fiercely. The Lioness tried to get to her feet, but the Lion rammed her again until she lay still on her stomach, tail pressed to her belly, snarling in her throat.
Leon Shifted and pulled Yuliana to her feet. One of his arms clasped around her waist, and she gratefully clung to him. The possibility of what could have happened made her shiver, but she still mustered up enough strength to glare at the Lioness. She received a death glare in return. The Lion turned to face them and Shifted as well. He was a massive man, even bigger than Leon. His waist was as thick as an old oak tree, his shoulders twice as broad.
"Keep your pack under control, Aspen," Leon snarled. "Yuliana is my mate and I will go to war against any of you that harm her."
"As if you little Wolves would have a chance against my pride," Aspen sneered. "We're Lions. But as you wish. I did inform my pride that you had mated a vampire and that they were to stay away from her… I expected you to keep her locked up, though."
Leon snarled, his arm tightening further. "She is my mate, not my prisoner."
Aspen shrugged. He turned to the Lioness, who was crouching on her belly by this time, ears flat against her skull, her tail twitching. The Alpha Lion jerked his head, and she growled but slunk off. Yuliana couldn't imagine how terrible it would be to have to put up with such an awful Alpha. Leon treated his pack with respect and was as concerned for their wellbeing as he was his own.
The Lion's gaze shifted to Yuliana. Her natural meekness made her want to shrivel away from him, but she glared instead. The Lion smirked. "She is a pretty one, I'll give you that. It's just a shame that your bloodline will end since you chose a mate that can't give you children."
"Still too different from Shifters to get pregnant."
Yuliana didn't reply. Was she? She hadn't been thinking about babies or pregnancy since she came here, but she fully expected to have a baby someday. Maybe more than one. But if it was true, and she couldn’t get pregnant by Leon…
Her breath caught in her throat. She had been feeling extra tired and hungry lately… if it was possible that Shifters and vampires could reproduce…
If only there was a way to know for sure! Maybe I can send for a test.
She shook herself from those thoughts. She had been with Leon for only a few months. It was too early. Even though vampires were capable of having children, it took years for a woman to conceive.
More giant people were gathering around them now, both man and woman. Most were fully clothed, others half-naked like Leon and Aspen, but there were a few that had everything out on display. Yuliana tried not to look at those ones. Nearly all of them were glaring at the vampire, though, and she found what little boldness she had managed to pull up fading.
"I do wonder why you chose to mate a vampire," one of them, a woman with a clipped, harsh voice said, her gaze on Yuliana. "And especially one so small. She looks like she has a strong body, it's true, but how can you actually mate her?"
"We've already mated," Leon growled.
"And you didn't break her pelvis? Tell me, is she stronger than your average vampire, or did you just not mate her properly?"
Yuliana glared at the woman. "He mated me perfectly! And what goes between us is none of your business. We are mates, and—"
"A question," another of the men interrupted. His glare was not on Yuliana but Leon. "How does it feel, knowing that you betrayed your people? All of us Alphas have been wondering this. By mating a vampire, you have turned your back on Shifters. What's next, are you going to be the king's lapdog?"
Leon growled. "Careful, Sam. I do not have unlimited patience."
"Nor do I. In fact, mine ran out when I learned you had brought a vampire into your pack. And as the Alpha of the Bison herd, I invoke the rite of Volda."
Leon tensed. Yuliana glanced between him and the other Alphas. They all looked shocked, and a few of them growled in their throats while others shook their heads and muttered. The vampire's grip on Leon tightened.
"What is that?" she asked. "What does Volda mean?"
"It's a rite for when an Alpha thinks another Alpha's mate is unworthy of the position. He challenged me to a fight, over you." Leon looked down at her. His eyes glittered. "I cannot refuse, or else it's automatic forfeiture."
"And if he loses, you're mine, to do whatever I want," Sam snarled. "So what will it be, Leon? Will you fight me, or save yourself some pain and just hand over the vampire now?"
Leon growled. He pulled himself from Yuliana, despite her cry of protest, and marched to face the other Alpha. "You will regret this, Sam. I will protect my mate."
Chapter Six – Leon
From the looks on the other Alphas' faces, Leon knew that they didn't approve of Sam's challenge. The Volda was an ancient, outdated rite rooted in the denial of women's choices. If Yuliana had been a Shifter, even a human, rather than a vampire, they never would have stood for it. But she was a vampire, and there was probably more than one that hoped Leon would lose against the Bison.
If they were going to Shift, Leon would stand no chance against the other Alpha. Just as natural wolves couldn't take down prey that size on their own, Wolf Shifters couldn't stand against Bison. But fortunately for him, while in Human form they were fairly evenly matched, and the Volda could not be fought in the Beast form. It was not about killing their opponent, after all.
"Move away from the fires," one of the female Alphas said. "The last thing we need is for you two idiots to burn down our tents."
Leon grunted and turned away. He headed for the outskirts of the camp, where they would do minimal damage. His gaze caught Yuliana's. Her eyes were wide, her hands clamped over her mouth like she was about to be sick. She gasped suddenly; Leon instantly knew what that meant, and was just able to jump aside as Sam charged him.
The Bison whirled on his heel, a fist shooting out from his side. Leon tried to dodge again, but Sam's knuckled caught him in the ribs. He stumbled back, gasping for breath. It was a cheap shot and they both knew it, but that didn't stop Sam; he pressed the advantage he'd just opened up, slamming his fist into Leon's ribs again before taking aim at his face. The Wolf was just able to dodge the blow. When he attempted to return the punch, Sam easily blocked him.
The Bison gripped Leon's wrist, grinning savagely. Leon twisted, but Sam rammed him with his shoulder, then used the force to roll the Wolf over his back and slam him down into the ground. His vision went utterly black, his lungs unable to pull in air. Sam was over him, crushing him, and he vainly struggled against the larger Shifter.
Panic spiked through him. He wasn't used to fighting his own kind. It had seemed obvious that he could take the Bison, but they were notoriously bad-tempered; Sam must fight all the time. What would happen to Yuliana is Leon lost?
Can't happen.
Leon lashed out blindly. His hands caught Sam's face and he clawed and gouged at the Bison. When the other Alpha yelped and pulled away from him, he quickly squirmed out of the Bison's grasp. Stumbling to his feet, Leon pulled in a few deep breaths, waiting for his head to stop spinning.
The Bison rubbed a red, puffy eye and Leon grinned. He straightened and inhaled through his nose to steady himself. And out of all the bodies pressed together, watching, one stood out the most. Yuliana's peculiar, sweet scent. Only there were more undertones to it now. Leon's head swung round. They said that a woman's mate was always the first to detect that subtle change in scent after a woman's third trimester… but Yuliana certainly couldn’t be that far along!
Could she?
She hadn't had the classic pregnancy symptoms. No morning sickness. No unusual fatigue, except lately, no noticeable weight gain. No menstrual cycle, but she said she hadn't had one for a few years–apparently it was common among vampires, especially ones without access to blood, to have sparse periods.
A fist caught him on the side of his face, making him stumble. Sam actually gave him time to recover this time, laughing and gloating.
Leon felt steel infuse in his spine as he continued to breathe in Yuliana's scent. He attacked the Bison, howling. He quickly caught the other Alpha in a headlock, though received a few punches in return. Same twisted, grunting.
"We can keep fighting or you can surrender," Leon panted. "I will not stop until one of us is dead."
"She is a vampire!"
"She is my mate."
Sam punched Leon in the stomach, forcing the Wolf to release him. "She is not—"
"She carries my child."
The Bison's eyes widened. He fell back a step, and his gaze flickered to Yuliana. A low grunt and Sam shook his head. "I retract my challenge."
Leon didn't wait for the other Alphas to acknowledge. He raced back to Yuliana, gathering her into his arms at once. He kissed her deeply. Her hands laced around the back of his neck. His mate kissed him back but pulled away abruptly. She glanced around at the Shifters around them and ducked her head. The pale olive of her face went red.
Ah, yes. She was shy. In his excitement, Leon had forgotten about that. He'd also forgotten about the beating he had just taken.
"Bring us some blood bags," he ordered a nearby Wolf, carrying her towards their tent.
Once there, he laid her on her bedroll and continued to kiss her. Yuliana tilted her head to give him access to her neck and giggled.
"What's brought this on? You were getting beaten up. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Fine. Just bruised. I'll be healed up before you know it." He put a hand on her stomach. "Why didn
't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Her brow furrowed.
Leon kissed her again. "Yuliana. My delicious, beautiful Yuliana with all your quiet strength and determination. I could have carried you here, rather than making you walk all this way with your feet blistering and—"
"I can handle a few blisters." Yuliana's cheeks darkened. "And I'm too heavy for you to carry all the way here. But what is this all about?"
"I can scent your pregnancy."
Yuliana gasped. Her dark eyes widened and her grip on his arm tightened. He could tell just by looking at her that she hadn't known. A little of his happiness trickled away. What if she was unhappy with this? What if she wanted more time? They hadn't discussed children, Leon assuming his new mate wanted to have young as quickly as he did. But what if…
"Are you unhappy?" he asked.
Yuliana shook her head. "No… just surprised. Pregnant. But… we've only been together for a few months. It takes vampires years to conceive."
"Apparently not when they're with Shifters."
Yuliana smiled at his joke. Then her smile grew even bigger until she was beaming. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she brought herself to him, kissing him hard, and laughed.
"I'm going to be a mother! And I'm so glad that you'll be my child's father. I love—" She cut herself off, sucking in a deep breath.
Leon tenderly cupped her face. "I love you, too."
Aspen's voice spoke from the other side of the lean-to. "Apparently so much so that you've forgotten why we're here in the first place. Or when others are creeping up on you."
The Lion rounded the canvas, looking amused. Yuliana gasped, but Leon only glared at him. Aspen always thought that just because he could bully his pack–sorry pride–into doing what he wanted, it meant he ruled the other Alphas as well. While it was true that few of them could match him physically, Lion's arrogance was annoying even at the best of times.
"What are you talking about?" Leon demanded, getting to his feet.
"I'm talking about the fact that you summoned the Alphas to discuss the vampire king's motives and recent actions. But here you are, paying more attention to your vampire mate than to the potential threat of the vampire armies."