The Alpha’s Baby

by T. S. Ryder

  Unfortunately, a cure did not seem possible. “We could screen everyone for the reagents,” Anais told him. “And give them a list of people they should not feed or feed on under any circumstances, but that’s it. Those already infected... they’re lost.” She cried then, inconsolable, and he held her close until she was able to function again. The news broke his heart for the people they were going to lose, but there was nothing to do for them but make their last days as comfortable as possible.

  Breaking the news to his father was a task Sebastien took on himself. Baptiste Roche, the Clan King of Louisiana, had woken up several times during the past week and seemed mighty pleased with Kendra. “She’ll keep you on your toes, that one,” he told his son, pride and joy in his voice. “But it’ll just make you love her more.”

  Grinning, Sebastien nodded in agreement. He already knew the world would be a bleak place without Kendra in it, and he couldn’t wait to formally make her his Queen. They’d begun the preparations for the Bonding rite, one which would tie their life-forces together and make it so that they aged and grew old at the same pace. Vampire couples didn’t need to bother with that, the longevity of their relationships all but set in stone, but mixed couples chose to undergo it even though it mean the vampire of the pair was looking at a shortened life span. To Sebastien, like many other vampires before him, this did not seem like such a large sacrifice. He wanted to spend his life with Kendra, no matter how long or short – and she felt the same, as evidenced by the fact that all he needed to do to convince her to go through with it with him was tell her what the end result was.

  “Don’t worry about me,” Baptiste told Sebastien, when his son told him about the results of his investigation and his sister’s work. “I’ve had a good, long life, I was lucky enough to Bond twice, and I raised a worthy heir to the Clan Throne. I’d be greedy to ask for more.” The only request his father had was to make the Mississippi bastards pay.

  And tonight, the main eve of the Grand Gathering, hosted by their own Clan Home, was the perfect night to do it.

  Chapter Nine

  Kendra sat next to Sebastien, introduced to the representatives of the North American vampire Clans as his Bonded mate and future wife, and watched the final confrontation unravel. As they expected, when Sebastien rose and made their accusations about the Clan King of Mississippi, his maternal uncle, the snide bastard had the gall to claim innocence. It was a good thing they had come well prepared – and with a special gem up their sleeve to reveal only after all other proof was presented.

  It was one hell of a process, reminding her more of a courtroom drama than anything else, only more boring. If she had not been deeply invested in the entire ordeal, she would’ve been a little bored. But, things being as they were, she listened and observed intently, both the accused and their audience, who mainly remained on the sidelines, refusing to take anyone’s side until they had heard everything that both parties had to say.

  It annoyed her, but she couldn’t blame them – most of their evidence was circumstantial, and Kendra was not sure it would hold up in a human court of law.

  But their ace was not something that could be contented – or ignored.

  Their ace was a collection of CCTV images, released to them by the police after several days of negotiations and, finally, threats of a lawsuit. They were a little grainy, but in full color, and showed a large red pickup truck stalking and then deliberately hitting the car of one Dr. Keith Duquesne, husband of the Louisiana Clan King’s daughter, and a scientist just a few steps away from discovering the full extent of the Mississippi Clan’s crime.

  Two of the photos were particularly interesting because one of them clearly caught the license plate of the truck – and the other the face of the driver.

  The truck was registered to the Mississippi Clan King.

  The driver was his dhampir nephew.

  Upon that reveal, all hell broke loose, and the members of the Mississippi Clan attempted to flee, but the rest of the vampires quickly rounded them up.

  As Kendra learned, the vampire justice system could be a little drawn out when it came to presenting evidence, but once they were sure they had convicted the responsible party, the punishment came quickly and brutally.

  The final decision was unanimous - the Mississippi Clan was no more. The scheming Clan King and all those suspected of involvement in his revenge plans were executed. The remaining Clan members were to be absorbed into other, bigger clans, to live their lives in peace and free of persecution.

  It was not something Kendra wished to see happen again. She knew the wrongdoers had to be punished, but this was a little too much for her to take all at once. Sebastien seemed to understand, and put no pressure on her whatsoever, giving her his quiet presence and support to lean on.

  She had to admit, it was a good feeling. Kendra was proud of her strength, but it was nice to know she didn’t have to be strong all the time anymore. She had someone she could rest with and know she would be safe and loved, no matter how strange the way that love came to be was.

  With Sebastien at her side, she knew she could survive anything and come out a winner.

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later, she stood barefoot and dressed in red in the center of the Clan Home back lawn with Sebastien, also barefoot but dressed in dark green, facing each other as they waited for the Clan Priestess to perform the Bonding rite. The elder vampire woman, in elaborate formal robes, suddenly looked at Kendra and proclaimed with a huge smile on her wrinkled face, “You’re pregnant.”

  Shocked by the statement, Kendra looked at Sebastien, who seemed just as confused as she was, and then back to the Priestess.

  “I beg your pardon?” she asked, and the woman laughed.

  “You’re pregnant, child! I can smell the change on you!” The Priestess confirmed her diagnosis, much to the loud joy of everyone present.

  Kendra looked at the man who, by the end of this night, would be her husband. He was the only person other than herself who wasn’t cheering, but the smile on his face spoke more of how happy the news made him than all the noise everyone else was making.

  “Is she for real?” she asked him, skeptical, and wondering if she’d be criticized for it, but Sebastien just laughed.

  “She’s for real,” he confirmed, nodding. “She’s trained to sense such subtle changes. No one else could’ve possibly caught it, not until way longer into the pregnancy.”

  Still a little dazed by the revelation, Kendra looked down to her stomach... and then back to the Priestess because a terrifying thought crossed her mind. “The baby... the rite, will it harm it?” she asked, almost frantic, remembering too many stories in which mixing magic and pregnancy resulted in tragedy, but the old woman just smiled and patter her shoulder.

  “Don’t worry,” she assured Kendra. “It might be uncomfortable for you, but the baby will be just fine. It’s too small for the rite to affect it. It’s just a cluster of cells waiting to grow into a son or daughter.”

  That calmed her well enough, but she still felt an enormous amount of excitement and anxiety mixed together.

  A baby.

  She was going to have a baby.

  She was getting married, doing strange and inexplicable things to her body to make her life as long as her vampire husband’s was, and she was going to have their baby.

  If someone had told her all this a month ago, she would’ve had them committed in less than an hour.

  Yet it had all happened, and was no less real than the life she was about to leave behind.

  Sebastien took her hands in his and smiled that special, warm smiled reserved just for her.

  “Ready?” he asked, and Kendra felt her heart overflow with love and hope for the future that lay ahead.

  She smiled back and entwined her fingers with his.

  “Ready.”

  *****

  THE END

  Claimed by the Vampire King

  Description

  A c
urvy single mom struggling to get by PLUS a hot Vampire King who wants an heir PLUS a dark enemy planning a lethal attack!

  Naya Valadez is a curvy single mother who will do anything to properly take care of her three-year-old daughter–even sign up to be a living blood donor for the ruling vampire elite. With her rare blood type, she is a hot commodity.

  What she was not expecting was to be claimed by Gabriel, the vampire king...

  But it's not all about blood when it comes to Gabriel. He has decided that he wants to have a child. This is only possible during the Blood Moon when all vampires transform back into humans for the night. The moment Gabriel scents Naya, he knows that she will be fertile, and perfect to bear his child for him.

  It's only a business arrangement–until it's not...

  Just when Naya and Gabriel start to reveal their true feelings to each other, a dangerous enemy reveals themselves and love turns lethal.

  Will Naya and Gabriel find a way to escape the enemy and be together? Or will they lose everything they love? Find out now.

  Chapter One: First Bites

  The ballroom needed no extra decorations, and yet the opulent space was still swamped with decadence. Naya Valadez stared around in awe.

  The open floor was highly-polished black marble, with white marble holding up a vaulted ceiling, painted, it was rumored, by the vampire king himself over a thousand years ago. It was a work to behold, with depth and colors Naya hadn't thought possible. Two staircases wrapped around the sides, with landings every few feet full of plush furniture. Chandeliers made from diamonds–not crystal, but real diamonds–hung from the ceiling. No wonder she had been vetted so thoroughly before she was chosen for this party!

  Naya was sorely tempted to slip a golden spoon from the ice cream bar into her pocket. They were small, delicate things, and certainly worth a month's rent. But to steal from vampires, let alone the king's own palace, would be inviting disaster.

  A man came up behind Naya, brushing his hand against her arm. His skin was ice-cold and, when Naya looked at him, he flashed a set of pearly-white fangs in a smile. A vampire. She shivered, as equally drawn to him as she was repulsed.

  "I've never seen you before." He eyed her deep cleavage before his gaze penetrated her eyes.

  Naya ducked her head, feeling her cheeks warm under his intense scrutiny. "I'm new."

  It was a great fortune for her that Living Blood, the company she had signed up for just a few weeks earlier, had sent her to the king's ball. Normally, when vampires wanted living blood donors at their parties, they asked for specific body types–thin, hourglass, with perky boobs and tight asses. Naya was hourglass all right, but she wasn't what anybody would call thin. Living Blood wouldn't have even hired her if it wasn't for her blood type.

  AB negative was almost impossible to find these days. Back before King Gabriel united the vampire race into a single kingdom, vampires ran rampant across the globe, taking what they wanted. And most of them wanted to drink AB negative blood. Carriers were almost wiped out from overfeeding and, as such, were worth almost as much per drop as oil these days.

  Naya wore a red dress to indicate her blood type. All around her she saw other donors from Living Blood, women in dresses, men in tuxedos with colored shirts; red for AB negative, orange for B negative. The two rarest blood types. The king hadn't wanted any others. There was a total of three people wearing red in this magnificent hall.

  The vampire stepped closer to Naya, his gaze sweeping over her body. The red dressed flattered her Latina complexion, and her dark hair fell in waves down her back. The dress was gathered at the waist, emphasizing her narrowest part, and the deep V of the halter-top neckline went almost to her belly button. The skirt fell to the knee, but it was slit along the thigh, all the way up to the black lacy undergarments that were part of her uniform.

  Even though things had been rough since her daughter was born, Naya had never sold her body–or any part of it. But she might as well have gold running in her veins, and Ivanna needed food, clothes and a better place to live. A pint or two of blood tonight would give her enough money for the next year. It was worth the sacrifice.

  "You've never been drunk from before, have you?" The vampire's voice was low and husky. When she shook her head, he stepped closer. "Come to a room with me. I know Living Blood pays you for just showing up, but I've got a blank check in my pocket. Whatever you want. It's been nearly three hundred years since I've tasted AB negative."

  Naya's heart pounded, but she nodded, allowing the vampire to put an arm around her waist and guide her towards the nearest staircase. This was what she was here for, after all. And a blank check? How much can I get away with asking for?

  Outside the huge windows, stars twinkled in the night sky. Nighttime belonged to the vampires. Naya belonged to the night. At least she did until dawn.

  She followed the huge vampire quietly to a secluded room. It was more of an alcove than anything else, big enough to hold a blood-red chaise lounge and a small table. Bottles of water and juice sat on the table, along with several kinds of chocolate and cookies. They were for the donors after their blood was taken. The carpet was red, too. Was that in case the feeding vampire was messy?

  "Take off your clothes and lay down," the vampire instructed, shutting the door.

  "What?" Naya's eyes widened.

  "We don't want that pretty dress to get all stained, do we?" He chuckled as he shucked off his tuxedo jacket. "Now do as I say."

  Naya's heart hammered as she backed away. The vampire's eyes were black as he stared at her, and his fangs were growing as he unbuttoned the front of his shirt.

  Ivanna needs new shoes and we have been eating rice and beans for the past two weeks. Is selling my body really so different from selling my blood? Besides, he has a blank check.

  "We have to discuss payment first." Why did her voice rasp so badly? Naya had never been good at demanding things.

  The vampire dropped his shirt to the floor. "You'll be checked for how much blood I took after we're done here. We can discuss it afterward."

  "But—"

  "Remove your dress or I'll have to rip it off you."

  Naya took a deep breath and reached behind her neck to undo the tie keeping her dress in place, her hands trembling. But as she let the dress fall, leaving her in only her underwear, the door opened. Naya gasped, instinctively covering herself as a second vampire stepped into the room. He was taller than the first, who instantly dropped to one knee as the second turned blazing eyes on him.

  "My king—"

  The second vampire seized the first by his throat and yanked him to his feet. Without a word, the intruder dragged the first vampire out of the room. Naya stood where she was, eyes wide and heart hammering, as he lifted the first vampire over his head and hurled him over the edge of the balcony into the ballroom below. There were a few gasps and screams, but the vampire ignored them, marching back into the room where Naya was.

  He slammed the door and pointed a finger at her. "You are mine."

  Naya was in too much shock to react to his statement. Even if the first vampire hadn't identified him as the king, she would have recognized him from the news. His skin was dusky, darker than it was in pictures, and he was far taller than she could have imagined.

  Deep eyes stared at her and, inexplicably, heat began rising up her neck and into her cheeks. She was his? Though she knew she should object to being treated like a possession, she couldn't.

  "Dress." Even as he gave the order, he removed his tuxedo jacket.

  He had to repeat the order before Naya gathered her wits about her and pulled her dress back into place. Her hands trembled, and she found herself wishing that he had ordered her to completely undress, rather than cover herself back up. She hadn't been with a man since Ivanna's father, but here in this small room, with this huge vampire watching her every move, her body ached for his.

  Was it wrong for her to feel this way? She had specifically signed up for Living Blood s
o that she wouldn't end up working the streets. Now, on her first assignment, why was she more than willing to sell herself? He hasn't even offered me anything.

  "Sit," the king said and, when she did, he draped his jacket over her shoulders. It smelled spicy, like her favorite chili dish, and she bit her lips together. It was only then that she realized she was shivering. The jacket was so cold it only made her trembling worse.

  "I am Gabriel, the king of vampires in this region."

  "I know," Naya replied, and her voice wasn't shaking as she had expected it to. She couldn't stop staring. He was so beautiful. Contoured muscles were visible beneath his shirt, and his clean-shaven chin was strong.

  Gabriel sat next to her, his gaze still unblinking. "What's your name?"

  "Naya." Her heart started beating faster as he moved closer, pounding in her ears. Not even Ivanna's father had made her react like this to his presence.

  "Are you afraid?"

  She mutely shook her head.

  "Good. I am going to feed on you now."

  A small gasp escaped at his words, but her wrist rose, offering itself to the king before she even had time to process his words. Gabriel smiled at that, and his smile made him look even more handsome. His jacket fell off her shoulder as he took her wrist in his hands, bringing it to his nose. He hummed in satisfaction as his nostrils flared, then he bit down.

  There was a pinch of pain as his fangs sucked deep into her flesh, but it was over before Naya could react to it. A pleasant tingling feeling worked its way up her arm. Naya gasped again.

  "Am I correct in assuming you've never fed a vampire before?" Gabriel's tongue flashed quick and wicked against her skin as he lapped up the rivulets of blood that flowed from the two punctures in her vein.