by T. S. Ryder
Wava raised a brow at her and Found's cheeks warmed.
"Just because I trust him doesn't mean I love him. Love is complicated and messy. Who needs that?"
A laughing male voice behind them made both women jump. "Who indeed?"
When Found turned, she thought that Alexandru had not left at all. The man she stared at now was almost an exact copy of her husband. Light olive skin, big eyes, strong jaw. He was slightly smaller than Alexandru, though, and wore his hair long, unlike her husband's short hair.
"Vlad." Wava's voice shook with anger. "You stay away from her."
"Will you stop me, sister?" The vampire stalked forward. He curled a strand of Found's hair around his finger. She jerked away.
"Don't touch me."
"Afraid I'll be taken by bloodlust?" Vlad questioned, as his brows raised, then lowered playfully. "You smell good, but not that good."
"I worry only for your safety," Found replied, her voice hard. "If my husband found out about this, it would be most unfortunate for you."
Vlad stared at her, his lips twitching into a smile. "Ah, yes… He did try to have me imprisoned, but fortunately the Empress is smart enough not to listen to his paranoid ravings."
"Go away," Wava growled.
"I only wanted to congratulate my sister-in-law on her pregnancy. But I can see I am unwelcome," Vlad bowed slightly at her and then at Wava. "Good-day, ladies. I hope to see you again, soon."
Found suppressed a shiver as he walked away. The way he had spoken did not sound like a wish… more like a warning.
"I wish the Empress would lock him up," Wava muttered, pulling Found back towards the palace. "But he hasn’t done anything illegal, so she refuses."
"He wouldn't dare touch me," Found said, trying to sound confident, but her eyes sought out his departing figure, shivering when he turned and smiled at her.
"I'm sure he won't," Wava said. "He's not stupid."
"Alexandru will be back soon, anyway." Found missed him already and touched the phone in her pocket, fighting the urge to call him. She wasn't going to be one of those clingy, needy wives.
"He will. In the meantime," Wava said, her eyes lighting up, "I have some new dress designs I want to try on you."
Found smiled indulgently as her sister-in-law pulled her back towards the palace.
Chapter Five
The Bear Matriarch was bigger than anybody Alexandru had seen before. Her arms and thighs were like barrels, breasts so huge that he wouldn’t be able to cup one with both hands. Shaggy hair hung down over her body, the only thing covering her. Her skin was a maze of twisting scars and tattoos. Even the biggest of his brothers wouldn't compare to her.
Alexandru almost wondered what he had gotten himself into, but refused to be intimidated by either the Matriarch or her two sons that flanked her. They were almost as big as their mother. The vampire general had fought Shifters before, had seemed outmatched, but there was steel in his veins, and he was faster than these creatures.
"We will choose ten heroes that you will battle personally," the Matriarch said, her eyes narrowing as she looked Alexandru up and down. "For every defeat, the victor gains ten miles of land."
"Ten miles squared, or pushing our borders back ten miles?" Alexandru asked calmly.
"Pushing the borders," the Matriarch decided. "After you have fought our ten heroes, you will have the option to fight me. If you win, I give you all my land. If I win, my people have free reign over your lands."
Alexandru considered. If he accepted this challenge and lost, he would lose everything. His land, his power, his title. But if he won, then he would have expanded his territory. He would have more power and he would be able to provide more luxury to Found and their unborn child, not to mention he would be that much closer to claiming the crown.
"I accept your terms," he replied and they shook hands. The Bear's hand swallowed his whole.
As the Bears took their departure from Alexandru's hunting lodge, Marcus approached him, his mouth drawn thin.
"Are you certain this is a good idea?"
"Are you questioning me, Marcus?"
The other vampire narrowed his eyes. "With all due respect, this doesn't seem like a wise idea, challenging the Shifters. If you lose—"
"I won't."
"And what if they attack tonight with all their talk of heroes? Do you really think that the Shifters are just going to flash their bellies if you defeat ten people?"
"No. But they will if I defeat their Matriarch." Alexandru flashed his fangs in a smile, warning Marcus to drop the subject. The other vampire did not look happy about it, but he nodded and was silent.
After ensuring everything was in order, Alexandru retired to his chambers, intending to video call Found and drink a couple pints of blood before he retired for the night.
Instead, he found a woman in his bed.
Alexandru stopped short, stiffening. The room smelled heavily of Bear—that peculiar raw scent of forest and power. Not unpleasant, but not a basket of roses either. His eyes narrowed on the woman. She would be about his height, lean muscles showing against firm, smooth skin. The blankets were pulled to her chest, covering large breasts, but whether she was naked or not, he couldn’t tell.
"How did you get in here?" he demanded. Were all his guards incompetent?
"I'm a gift from the Matriarch, to warm your bed."
Alexandru's eyes narrowed.
The woman smiled seductively at him, seemingly unfazed by his anger. "It's not right that a warrior about to face death should sleep in a cold bed. The Matriarch noticed that you didn't have any females with you, so she sent me."
The blankets moved at the junction between her legs and Alexandru realized that her hand was there. He inhaled, scenting her arousal. His body responded to the stimuli, pressing against his suit pants. The feeling disgusted him. He was not an animal, he could control his own desires.
He stepped back, eyes narrowing. "You are not welcome in my bed or my lodge. Get out at once!"
The woman pouted. "Is it because I'm a Bear?"
He opened his mouth to tell the truth–he would not be unfaithful to his wife–but stopped. The Bears could not know how much Found had grown to mean to him.
"Get out," he repeated.
The woman's eyes narrowed. She slipped from the bed. She didn't bother trying to cover herself as she strode out, completely naked. Alexandru shut the door with a snap, searching the room quickly for any sort of traps or surveillance. When he found nothing, he put the woman out of his thoughts and called Found.
***
Found wore a see-through, lacy negligee for her video call with Alexandru. It surprised her how much desire flooded her veins whenever she thought of him. She wanted him to share that desire. Though her cheeks warmed to think of it, she planned to pleasure herself while she told him exactly what she wanted him to do to her when he returned. It was the best she could do at the moment.
Her husband looked less than happy when he called, but the sight of Found's full, round breasts barely restrained by the fabric had his jaw dropping open. Found giggled despite herself.
"How long do you have?" she asked, not wanting to waste time on pleasantries.
"I must sleep tonight. We have half an hour," he seemed to know exactly what she was after because he stood and stripped off his pants. Found swelled at the sight of him. "Let me see you touch yourself."
Found's heart beat faster and she felt herself tighten at the growl in her husband's voice. She reached down, but before her fingers found their mark, a low savage snarling made her jump. Alexandru's head whipped around. His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet. Just before he slammed the laptop closed, Found saw a terrifying animalistic face.
She screamed as her screen went black. The sound didn't cut out with the picture and the sound of snarling and a cry of pain from Alexandru rang in her ears before the call disconnected.
Found sat frozen for a moment before she bolted for the door. She h
ad to get help! Somebody had to go and save Alexandru. But who did she turn to? Wava. Wava would know what to do. The corridor was empty and Found's bare feet sank deep into the silk carpet. Her heart was in her throat as she ran to Wava's room, only to find that her sister-in-law was not there. She raced for the stairs.
Vlad leaned against the wall. His eyes widened at the sight of her and he straightened, mouth hanging open as she got closer. Found slowed, hesitant to go near him, but Alexandru was in trouble and she needed to find help. She raised her chin and strode past him.
A hand shot out and closed around her bicep. Found yanked her arm away but Vlad stepped into her path, spinning her so her back was against the wall.
"You are the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen," he breathed, arms stretched to either side of her.
"Get away from me," Found snarled. She tried to push past him, but his arms were like iron. Her heartbeat increased. Should she tell him about Alexandru? Or would he laugh and keep her here so that she couldn’t tell anybody else until it was too late?
"My brother doesn't fully appreciate you. He hasn't bedded you since you became pregnant. I can smell it. A woman like you deserves to writhe in pleasure every night, if not more," Vlad panted, his eyes growing dark as they raked over her body.
Found's breath caught in her throat. For a moment a thrill of panic made her forget about Alexandru. What was Vlad going to do to her? He wouldn't attempt to force himself on her in the Empress's palace, certainly not right out here in the open. Or would he? She shoved at him, masking her growing fear with anger.
"My husband treats me right. He puts my life above his own pleasure."
"Does he?" Vlad's eyes narrowed, his words almost a growl.
Found pushed at him again–Alexandru had been attacked, he was in danger. He could be dying, and Vlad was stopping her from getting the help he needed!
"Get away from me!"
"I can show you true pleasure," the vampire hissed, his voice challenging. "Your husband doesn't need to know. He doesn't even care. You're here to pop out his babies, not be his lover. That's all he cares about. He hasn't touched you because he fears that he will end the life of your child. Once you're done bearing children, he'll toss you aside. But if you agree to be mine…"
Found yanked her hands free and shoved him, snarling under her breath. Vlad didn't even budge and he actually laughed. She slapped him hard.
"Touch me and my husband will tear off your head. I am his. No other man can compare, certainly not a sniveling coward like you!"
It had been a mistake. Found knew it the instant she said it. Her breath locked in her chest.
But instead of the anger she expected, a look of triumph flashed over Vlad's face. He laughed. "You love him. I warned him about the dangers of love. But if you love him, then he loves you, too. This makes things much, much more interesting."
He leaned closer and Found reacted on instinct. She brought her knee up hard to his groin. It was like kicking a tree but something gave beneath her knee. Vlad gasped, crumpling as pain twisted his features. One hand swung out, cracking against her face. Found cried out, stumbling as black spots blinded her.
Her foot met air and she was falling. The hard edges of the stone stairs were dashing into her body. She flung her hands out to stop herself, but it didn't even slow herself down. Her head cracked against stone and everything went dark.
Chapter Six
Alexandru dragged the unconscious Bear woman from his car, throwing her over his shoulder as he approached the Bear camp. Fire blazed in his eyes. They would answer for this, sending an assassin to seduce him. His men, armed with silver weapons, followed after him. They moved like silent, deadly shadows.
The Matriarch waited for him. She eyed the woman over his shoulder. He set the Bear down, not trying to be gentle but not rough, either.
"Explain yourself," he rumbled.
A smile curved the Matriarch's lips. "You've defeated our first hero. Ten miles of my land are yours."
Alexandru stared. He felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket but ignored it. "This was one of your heroes? Tonight?"
"We never said we wouldn't start tonight."
Marcus's phone rang. Alexandru sent him a glower and the lieutenant fished in his pocket, looking embarrassed. He strode away and held the device to his ear. The Vampire General focused back on the huge Matriarch.
"So is this what we can expect from Shifters?" he sneered. "Deceit and trickery? The woman tried to bed me!"
"A test of where your brain is. Yours, it seems, is not between your legs."
Marcus rejoined Alexandru. His eyes were wide and he touched the general's shoulder. "My Lord, I need to speak with you."
"Not now," Alexandru snapped, but Marcus looked so grim that his heart jumped to his throat and he allowed his lieutenant to take him aside. The Matriarch snorted at him.
"My Lord, your wife has been injured."
Alexandru's heart stopped. Found. No. Not Found! "What happened?"
"It seems she fell down a flight of stairs. She was found unconscious on the landing. Wava is watching over her and the healers think she will be fine, but she has not regained consciousness."
Alexandru swayed on the spot. He clutched at Marcus to stay upright. No. This couldn't be happening. He thought of Found's bright eyes then saw them glazed, blood pooling beneath her. He had to get back. He had to get to her. He shoved Marcus to one side. His lieutenant kept a firm grip on him.
"If you leave now everyone will think you a coward and you will lose her to one of your brothers. She is alive. She will remain alive, but you have to do what you came here for."
The Vampire General closed his eyes. Marcus spoke the truth. He needed to finish what he started here if he wanted a chance to live peacefully with his wife. With effort, he forced himself to return to the Matriarch. Every muscle in his body was tense and ready to spring. He could not be bothered with all these politics, not when his Found was injured. He was meant to protect her! He had failed.
He would not fail again.
"Let's forget the lesser prizes," he snarled, ripping off his suit jacket. "Your lands for my lands. You and I fight now and decide it."
The Matriarch's eyes glittered. Her teeth were white, sharp. Alexandru felt his own fangs extend in response and charged her.
She shifted in the blink of an eye. A giant Bear, she was twice as tall as he was. She roared. When she crashed to the earth, the rocks under his feet shuddered. Alexandru pushed aside a bolt of fear and ducked, avoiding the swipe of a massive paw. He darted in under her belly, knuckles cracking against her thick hide. The Bear roared again, rearing back. A paw caught Alexandru's shoulder and he spun away, colliding painfully with a tree.
The Bear charged. Alexandru seized a branch just above his head and pulled himself out of the way. The tree snapped like a twig as the Bear plowed into it.
The force of the crashing tree threw Alexandru into the air. He rolled as he landed, not sparing any thought to possible injuries. The Bear charged again, the world shaking with her roars and Alexandru rolled as she leaped at him. Her teeth snapped where he had been seconds before.
The vampire pushed off the ground, regaining his feet. As the Bear came at him, he slipped around her head and he felt the heat of her breath on his skin as he grappled at her neck. It was so thick he couldn't get his arms around it. His grip slipped.
He was going to lose. He was going to die here and he would never see Found again.
The moment of panic distracted him, allowing the Bear to shrug him off. His lungs seized as she slammed her paw into his chest, driving him into the ground. She growled, opening her mouth. Ropes of saliva hung between her teeth. Alexandru's hands shot out, grabbing the jaws. Her teeth cut into his palms and blood dripped onto his face.
His heart pounded in his ears as the Bear's mouth inched closer, despite using all his strength to hold her away. The paw was still on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Black spots danced
before his vision and he knew that he wasn't going to last long.
Found's face drifted before his eyes as pain cut into his hands and chest. The first moment he saw her, their wedding night, the first time he saw her smile, the way she asked him to stay with her when he left her at the Empress's palace.
No. It's not ending like this.
He had less than a second. Alexandru released the Bear's upper jaw, using his hand on the lower to yank her head downward and his free arm to knock away the paw pinning him to the ground. He threw himself forward. Her teeth grazed his chest, but his own met their mark. Hot blood spurted into his mouth as his fangs sunk into the Bear's nose.
It had the desired effect. The Bear screamed, yanking back at the intrusion of her tender flesh, allowing Alexandru to slip out from under her. He sucked in a noisy breath and lunged, sending a fist to her eye. His arm vibrated with the force of the blow, his knuckles cracked, but the Bear withdrew once more.
Alexandru pressed his advantage, landing blows to the Bear's wounded nose and eyes. She reared back. He ducked her clumsy paws and drove his shoulder into her gut. She stumbled backward and fell.
He was dimly aware now that there was shouting from somewhere behind him but he ignored the noise, leaping over the Bear's fallen, writhing form. Even as she flipped onto her belly, he landed on her head. His thighs forced her jaws closed and his arms wrapped around her throat. He squeezed with all his strength, snarling, he heard her choke.
The Bear stumbled to her feet, swinging her head from side to side in an effort to dislodge him. He held tighter, tearing at the thick fur on the back of her neck with his teeth.
First one paw then the other tore at him. Pain exploded in white flashes before his eyes as her claws sliced through his clothes and flesh. He renewed his efforts, holding even tighter, spitting fur from his mouth as he yanked it from her neck.
She bucked and rolled but her movements were becoming jerky. Even the paws slashing at him were more missing their mark then finding him. The Bear fell to her side as Alexandru's teeth met flesh. He tore open the back of her neck, letting the blood spurt into the air. She bucked once more and then went limp.