The Vampire King's Mate

by T. S. Ryder

  "Veronica." Chapec gathered her into his arms. "Are you okay? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

  Veronica peeked through her lashes if only to see his face. There was so much worry in them that she forgot herself. She threw her arms around his neck, kissing him hard. He responded just as hungrily, digging his hands into her hair.

  Dievca cleared her throat. "We have to get going. We don't know if they were going to meet anybody, or who else might be around. The ship will be refueled by now. It's time to get off this planet. Maybe we should contact the Sanctuary directly, tell them what happened and ask for an escort or something."

  "You're right. We do have to go." Chapec's voice was low, angry. "Veronica, close your eyes."

  She obeyed, though puzzled by the tone Chapec took with his sister. After he carried her back to their vehicle and were headed back through the trees, she opened her eyes again. And instantly wished she had kept them closed. Both T'shav twins were splattered with blood. The droplets were a darker red than their skin, and when she looked at herself, she saw that it had been transferred to her clothing as well.

  Veronica's head spun. She closed her eyes. "Thank you for saving me."

  What would those kidnappers have done if the twins hadn't come at that moment?

  "Well, we couldn't leave you with them," Dievca said.

  "She should never have been with them in the first place," Chapec growled. "They could have killed her, Dievca."

  His tone made Veronica flinch, but at the same time, her heart actually rose. He was angry, yes, but he was angry because she had been in danger. She opened her eyes again. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known they were after me. But you saved me, that's what matters."

  Neither twin answered that. Both looked grim. It must be because they were unused to such violence. Veronica tried to think of the words necessary to apologize for making them kill to protect her, but she couldn't find them. Instead, she bowed her head and was silent.

  Thank God they're my friends.

  ***

  As soon as they were back on the ship, Chapec put them in orbit. They didn't leave right away, though. Dievca had been injured in the fight, and her brother wanted to make sure they could fix her up before they headed away from the planet. If they needed any medical supplies, they'd have to go back to the surface.

  "And we'd better scan you as well," Chapec said to Veronica. "I want to make sure you're okay."

  She smiled at him, touched by his concern. "I'm fine. They were quite gentle with me, considering that they kidnapped me. Until that one… But he didn't have the chance to do anything."

  Chapec pulled her into his arms and kissed her lightly. "I just want to be certain."

  There was no harm to it, and if it would give Chapec peace of mind, then she'd do it. She waited in the medical bay as he looked after his sister. The machinery was fascinating, but Veronica really didn’t have the scientific background to understand their functions beyond the basics.

  Dievca seemed oddly subdued, not replying as Chapec chastised her for letting herself for getting injured. Once she was healed, Veronica took her place under the scanners.

  A light washed over her, and an image shot up on the holoscreen just behind the scanner. Dievca and Chapec both looked over it. Veronica watched in amazement. It clearly showed her bones and internal organs, all color-coded like something out of a textbook.

  "Looks like you might have the start of some kidney stones," Dievca said. "You need to make sure you stay hydrated."

  Veronica nodded. "Yeah. I've been feeling a little woozy lately. It always happens when I don't drink—"

  Dievca gasped. A hand flew to her mouth.

  "What is it?" Chapec asked. He moved closer to the screen and froze.

  Veronica sat up. "What's wrong?"

  Both T'shav turned to her with wide eyes. Chapec swallowed hard. He pointed to what at first appeared to only be a jellybean-shaped organ with another blob inside of it. But then that blob shifted and she clearly saw the familiar shape of a fetus. She'd read enough pregnancy books to recognize it. Her jaw dropped.

  "I'm pregnant?"

  "It appears so."

  Chapec looked shocked, but Dievca's face twisted into an angry scowl. Her hands clenched and she whirled on her brother. Her black eyes narrowed.

  "How could you be so stupid?"

  Chapec flinched. "Dievca—"

  "Don't. Don't even talk to me right now. We have all sorts of shields and energy barriers that could have easily been adjusted to serve as protection. And now she's pregnant. So what are you going to do? Are you going to settle down on the Sanctuary, live a happy little domestic life and forget all about our plans?"

  Veronica flinched. "I don't want to come between—"

  "Or are you going to abandon your child? Are you going to pretend like you didn't get this human who you barely know pregnant?"

  "Enough!" Chapec surged to his feet. He drew his broadsword.

  Veronica gasped. "Don't!"

  Dievca held her hands up. "For the sake of the human I won't fight you, brother. That doesn't mean that I'm not angry with you. But this is your mess, you have to decide what you want now."

  She stalked away, leaving Veronica and Chapec alone. They avoided each other's gazes. Veronica felt her cheeks warming as she waited for him to speak. This wasn't what she had expected. And maybe it was just because she was in shock, but it wasn't an unhappy surprise. It was a little frightening since she didn't know what this meant for her, for Chapec, or her future.

  But that didn't mean that her heart didn't swell with love. After waiting for so long, she was pregnant.

  "I didn't know that I could get pregnant with an alien."

  Chapec shrugged one shoulder, still not looking at her. "Humans are the only species that can breed with all the others."

  "Oh." Veronica vaguely recalled hearing something like that before.

  "She's right. We should have used protection."

  Veronica rested her hands on her stomach. She had been so convinced that it was impossible that she hadn't even considered protection. "So… are you… Do you want to talk about this?"

  "I… not right now." Chapec shrugged and smiled apologetically at her. "It's a lot to take in. We'll have time to talk once we reach the Sanctuary. Right now… I have to wrap my head around this. I have to go."

  There wasn't really anywhere for him to go on the little ship, but Veronica nodded. She tried not to let her heart sink as he walked away. She had already been planning on being a single mother before she ended out here. Well, she could be a single mother here.

  Things had changed, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be happy about this unexpected pregnancy.

  She closed her eyes and imagined a tiny baby, with skin devil-red and black eyes. A smile slipped over her face. She'd figure it out. Somehow she would figure this all out.

  Chapter Six – Chapec

  The planet that housed Zon's Sanctuary loomed in the viewscreen. Chapec piloted the ship to dock on the large station that orbited the planet, according to the instructions he was being given by their escort. Veronica was in her room, resting until they landed. Dievca sat beside him in the co-pilot's chair.

  "You can't lose sight of our goal, Chippy."

  Their goal. To avenge their father's death.

  "I know that I was angry with you for getting Veronica pregnant, but you have to see it from my perspective. I know you and Dad weren't that close, but he was my whole world. I haven't felt safe since he died. We have to avenge him. We have to."

  Chapec remained silent. It had been weeks since he learned that Veronica was pregnant, and he still hadn't really wrapped his mind around it. He was going to be a father. They were headed to a place where they could potentially live in peace and be happy together. But that would mean being in close proximity to the man who killed his father. And even worse, it might mean that he would run into Gylden regularly.

  Could he really live like that?


  "Chippy. Will you look at me? Are you going to mess this up?"

  "I don't know what I'm going to do," he replied shortly. "I don’t know what sort of feelings I have for Veronica. I like her. And I'd kill anybody who tries to hurt her, but I'm the one who's going to hurt her."

  Dievca's brow furrowed. She opened her mouth, but Chapec stood and turned his back on her. He let out a shaky breath.

  "But it's not just about Veronica. How is a dead father more important than my unborn child?"

  Her shoulders slumped. "So is that it, then? The first woman who comes along and gives you a pretty smile, you get pregnant and just abandon your family?"

  "The child is my family, too. And Dad wasn't a violent man. He wouldn't want us to turn into killers."

  "It's too late for that. We are killers. We have had to kill to survive and kill to keep what's ours. The universe wasn't made for people who keep their heads down." Dievca looked away from him. She swallowed, belying the anger in her voice. Chapec knew she was struggling not to cry. "The only people who survive in this universe are those who do what's necessary. And if we don't kill Gylden—"

  "If we kill him, we'll die. That's always been what will happen. You know that as well as I do. But maybe we need to find something to live for besides revenge."

  "You do what you think is best, Chapec. I'm going to avenge our father."

  Veronica called them from the kitchen before Chapec could respond. The twins hurried out to her. Veronica smiled at him, making his heart squeeze. She trusted him so much. And she was so happy about the baby… could she be falling in love with him? If she was…

  He couldn’t betray her. He couldn't. And he didn't want to leave her. He wanted to stay with her, to be a father, to be her mate.

  He wanted her.

  "Ready?" she asked.

  "Yeah. Let's go."

  A human with golden eyes stood at the bottom of the gangplank, along with a T'shav with a goatee–strange to see facial hair on one of their species. Another three T'shav stood behind the couple. The human, whose skin was an odd, almost blue color, smiled at them.

  "Welcome to the Sanctuary. I am Sara, and this is my mate Tom, Zon's own son. From your message, it seems you have been in a bit of trouble."

  "Yes," Dievca said. "We—"

  "We'll be talking to each of you separately," Tom interrupted. "Please surrender your weapons and go with these men."

  Chapec reluctantly handed over his sword. He glanced at his sister to see her even more reluctant, but she surrendered her sword as well. Veronica gave his hand a squeeze before they were separated. He was led to a little room and quizzed about the events that had brought him to this point. He and Dievca had never decided on a script for this, knowing that sounding too perfect would make the Sanctuary suspicious, and told them the truth as far as it did not incriminate them.

  After he told them about Veronica's pregnancy, he received smiles and congratulations, and that was it. The interview was over.

  "You'll know in a few days about your status here. Welcome to the Sanctuary."

  Chapec nodded numbly. Was it really going to be that easy? He was led to a room, where Dievca was already waiting. She smiled at him, but he couldn’t smile back.

  "Where is Veronica?"

  Dievca's smile faded. "There was some sort of human meeting thing that I encouraged her to go to. I thought it would give us time to do what we came here to do. Don't back out on me now, Chippy."

  "And… what? Join you in a suicide mission? Dievca, we won't survive this."

  "Well, I won't survive alone. Are you going to let me die?"

  Chapec ground his teeth together. As much as his sister irritated him, he couldn’t let her get hurt. He'd never forgive himself. But he also knew he couldn’t turn his back on Veronica. "I think I love her."

  "Of course you love her." His twin tossed her short hair angrily, putting her hands on her hips. "I thought you'd be able to handle it, that you could stop yourself from falling for her. But that didn't happen. But think about it. What can you offer her? Hell, both of us. We're nothing but criminals, nothing but empty shells full of revenge."

  "No."

  "I already hacked their system and found where Gylden is living. He's only two floors up." Dievca rose a brow. "Apparently he's some sort of ambassador."

  Chapec closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "We don't kill him. Not yet, at least. We can go to see how easy it will be to get to his rooms, but we don't even have weapons. We do not try to kill. Understood? I want to give Veronica time to adjust here at least before we act. Got it?"

  Dievca scowled but nodded. They headed out, not speaking. Chapec followed his sister silently, heart in his throat. What would he do once he looked into the eyes of his father's killer?

  They reached the rooms quickly. His gut twisted as Dievca knocked. Her hand trembled. When the door opened, both tensed. Chapec's eyes widened. It wasn't a T'shav that answered. It wasn't even a man. A human woman, cradling a small, devil-red infant, stood in the doorway. Dark circles were under her eyes.

  Chapec stepped back. He'd heard rumors that Gylden had taken a mate, but he and Dievca had been out of touch with the gladiator games for a long time. But here she was. Gylden's mate. Gylden's child.

  If they killed him, they'd be leaving another child without their father.

  "Can I help you?" the woman asked.

  "We're looking for Gylden," Dievca said. Her eyes were riveted on the small baby. Were the same thoughts going through her mind?

  "Well, he's right there." The woman gestured.

  Chapec whirled on his heel. A lean T'shav was walking down the corridor. He glanced at the twins with a puzzled expression. His face was exactly as Chapec remembered. Bile rose in his throat and his hands clenched. The man was weaponless. He and Dievca could easily take him down. He trembled with the desire to try…

  "Gylden, these two are here to see you," the woman behind them said.

  "Are they?" the T'shav warrior stopped and glanced between the two of them. "Do I know you?"

  Chapec started to shake his head, but Dievca responded before he could. "You will soon enough!"

  Her hands were clenched. Her eyes blazed. Her whole body trembled. Chapec reached to grab her arm, but she shook him off. She stalked towards Gylden. The other T'shav's expression changed, from puzzled to utterly blank. The same expression he had worn when killing their father. More bile rose in Chapec's throat. Every inch of him screamed to attack. But he couldn't. He had Veronica to think about. Their baby.

  "Who are you?" Gylden's voice was rough.

  "I am Dievca, and this is my brother. We're here to avenge our father, the man you killed."

  Gylden stepped back. A flash of pain crossed his face.

  "Do you remember him? Do you remember how he refused to even pick up a weapon but you ran him through anyway? Do you remember—"

  "I've killed too many men to remember them all, Dievca."

  It was the worst thing for him to say. A feral scream ripped from Dievca's throat. She lunged forward, aiming a fist for his face. Gylden easily blocked the blow and threw a punch of his own, two knuckles bruising her esophagus.

  Rage burned through Chapec. He roared as he charged the killer, only wishing he had his sword to lob off his head–nobody hurt his family and got away with it.

  Nobody.

  Chapter Seven – Veronica

  It felt odd to be around humans again. It made the pain of losing her family and friends fresh and cutting all over again. Veronica hadn't been able to sit through the whole 'human support' meeting, leaving about halfway through. She needed to find Chapec. She needed to talk to him.

  He hadn't told her what he was going to do now. Was he going to stay and be a part of their child's life? Was he going to leave?

  Veronica knew better than to kid herself that he might want to stay for her. Besides knowing each other only for a little while (it felt like a long time, but it had only been a few 'stan
dard months' and apparently those were shorter than the ones she'd known on Earth), he had never expressed any sort of romantic attraction towards her.

  Love and lust were two very different things. At least, Veronica had always thought so, until she met Chapec. The fact was that she was pretty sure she was falling for him, and it wasn't just lust. She didn't know if the same could be said of him.

  The sound of shouting broke Veronica from her thoughts. She paused–was that Dievca's voice? She hurried forward, only to stop dead at what she saw once she rounded the corner.

  Chapec was trading blows with another T'shav. This one was leaner than Chapec, covered in tattoos, with a strangely blank expression. Dievca dove in from the left, jabbing a fist towards the T'shav's ribs, but he easily blocked her while at the same time twisting Chapec's arm sharply behind his back. Her T'shav stumbled while the stranger caught Dievca in a headlock.

  "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I must," he said. "Right now I could easily break your sister's neck. Stand down, and I won't hurt her."

  Dievca struggled in the stranger's grasp. Veronica's heart was in her throat as she stared at the scene before her. An uncomfortable, sick feeling slipped into her stomach. What was going on here? She stepped forward silently. Chapec himself stepped back from the stranger and rose his hands. An expression of hate twisted Dievca's face.

  "I surrender. Let her go."

  The stranger released Dievca. The woman stumbled away. She turned a black glare on her brother, and as she did so, she saw Veronica. Her gaze flicked to the human's belly, and a strange expression crossed her face. The T'shav female jumped forward, out of sight. There was a feminine scream and the stranger started forward only to stop suddenly. The thin cry of a baby rose in the air.

  "Don't!" the strange T'shav shouted, the red of his skin paling to almost pink. "Please, don't hurt her!"

  Dievca stepped back into view holding a baby. Veronica was flooded with horror and she rushed forward. Chapec jumped when she grabbed his arm. He whirled on her, fist rose to strike, but froze. His eyes widened as he realized who it was.