by T. S. Ryder
Thick, strong arms crushed Leon's throat. His position made it nearly impossible to reach Harold–nearly. He caught the vampire's legs and held them fast as he threw himself backward. As he landed hard he heard and felt a satisfying crunch. Harold gasped for breath, but Leon wasn't about to give him any advantage. He shifted his grip so he had Harold in a wrestling hold, then jumped to his feet and threw him across the courtyard.
The vampire hadn't even landed when guards darted in from the sides and grabbed Leon's arms. He shook them off briefly before they were on his again, punching and kicking at him until he was driven to his knees. He grunted in pain.
Harold got to his face, his pale features twisted with fury. His eyes narrowed and his fangs flashed. Leon growled, struggling against the vampires that held him down. Perhaps he had misjudged vampire culture. Perhaps proving himself strong wasn't actually something Harold cared to do.
"You cannot fight me fairly, yet I am the coward?" Leon snarled. "But then, why should I have expected honor from the likes of you?"
Harold pulled a silver blade from his belt. "I will cut out that tongue of yours before I put your head on a spike!"
He started forward, eyes blazing. Leon intensified his struggles. He was able to get one arm free before the vampires subdued him again. Harold stopped before him and grabbed a handful of his hair. Leon braced himself, not for the pain about to come, but for the opportunity it would present him. All he needed was one small opening—
"Stop!" Yuliana screamed. "Please! Stop! Don't kill him."
Harold didn't release Leon's hair but turned. "Why should I?"
"I'll do whatever you want me to do–I'll marry you if that's what you want from me! Just please don't—"
"Marry you?" Harold's eyes narrowed. "My dear girl, I offered you a place among my queens for one purpose. To show my subjects that I reward them for the sacrifices that they make. I asked a terrible thing of you, mating with this mongrel, laying with him, conceiving his child. But believe me when I say it would have been no pleasure on my part to play the duties of a husband with you."
Yuliana shook her head. Her eyes narrowed. "Is that why you were so angry when I rejected you? Because I insulted your pride?"
Harold roared, wheeling away from Leon. He charged towards Yuliana. She stepped back but rose her chin defiantly. Harold stopped just before her, glaring downwards. His chest heaved. Leon tore his arm free again, only to be caught seconds later. His heart pounded. His throat went dry.
"I would rather stick my own head on a spike than lay with a fat, ugly woman like you!"
Leon saw the fist rear back. A howl burst from his throat as Harold sunk it into Yuliana's stomach. Everything else was buried in a red haze. All he saw was Yuliana's face as it filled with pain, only saw her body collapsing to the ground. The vampire's grips on his arms were suddenly like tissue paper. He tore himself free of their hands and charged forward, his Wolf howling through his voice.
Harold never stood a chance. He struck out with the silver knife, but Leon easily batted it away. Then he grabbed the man by the head and lifted him bodily from the ground. The Alpha snapped his wrists left then right, and that was it. Harold went limp.
He tossed the body aside and dropped to his knees beside Yuliana. Her face was almost white, gasping for breath. Leon gathered her into his arms. He had never felt so helpless before.
"Hold on," he said. "Breathe. It's okay. It's okay."
Yuliana clutched his sleeve and stared up at him with wild eyes. "The… baby!"
Chapter Nine – Yuliana
She couldn't breathe, it hurt so much. Yuliana clutched at Leon's arm, sweat coating her face as she stared at him, wordlessly begging for him to save their child. But he couldn't. She knew it. He knew it. When he pulled her in close to his chest, she could feel the erratic beating of his heart. Their baby was going to… going to…
"No," she gasped out. "No!"
Rough hands grabbed her, and through the haze of pain pounding through her belly, she saw vampires grappling at Leon, trying to pull him away from her. She clung to him, shaking her head.
"Let him go," a voice said. It sounded familiar, but Yuliana didn't care. "The king acted cowardly. The fight was meant to be between the Alpha and him, and yet he attacks this woman? He uses his men to bring the Shifter down? Is that the sort of king we want?"
Her stomach felt like it was contracting, squeezing in towards her spine. Another wave of pain passed over her, making her vision turn black. She gritted her teeth and fought against her body, adrenaline pounding through her body. She couldn't lose the baby!
"We need to get her to the healers," the same voice said. It was closer and Leon growled. "Shifter, I know that you don't trust me. But vampire offspring are strong, the healers may yet be able to save your child."
Leon growled again and scooped Yuliana into his arms. She clung to his neck, pressing a hand to her belly as though that would protect the child within. She briefly saw a flash of Zak's face before Leon was off. A sickening flash of colors and halls whipped by and Yuliana closed her eyes until they were still again.
Zak's voice explained what happened, and Yuliana opened her eyes to see the woman from before, the one that was going to cut out her child. She shrunk back. "Not her!"
"Marina is our best healer," Zak said. "She will save the child."
"Not her!" Yuliana shrieked. "She was going to kill him, she was going to—"
Marina shook her head. "I never would have. The king was trying to punish me for not giving him my young daughter. But the man is dead, and there is no reason for you to lose this pregnancy. Put her on the table, Shifter. I will need to sedate her before administering the drugs to prevent labor."
Yuliana shook her head again, but Leon laid her down. He clung to her hand and kissed her hard. "I love you. I love you, so much. No matter what happens, I love you and I will not leave your side. I promise."
The healer prepared a needle with some sort of yellowish needle. Yuliana tensed when the needlepoint pierced her skin but felt the effects at once. Everything around her blurred and sort of drifted away, making her body relax and eyes drift closed. It had to be a very strong type of drug, to be so effective against a vampire… The only thing that remained was Leon's voice in her ear, telling her that he loved her.
***
The pain was gone. Yuliana's stomach ached, but with that dull, background ache that comes from a mild bruise, not the terrifying waves of agony that she had fallen unconscious to. Her eyes fluttered open to once again find herself staring up at the ceiling of her room in her parent's home. It was easier to wake up this time, though.
And easier to remember what had happened.
She jolted upright, her hands going to her belly. Beside her, there was a grunt, and looking down, she saw her massive Alpha lying on the bed with her. He opened his eyes and jolted upright as well. His arms wound around her and he pulled her tightly against him.
"Yuliana! I'm so glad to see you awake."
"The baby!" Yuliana pushed at him, her eyes wild. "Is the baby okay? Did we lose it?"
"No. You're still pregnant."
Yuliana's shoulders sagged with relief. She clutched at Leon's body, shivers overtaking her. But the baby was okay. She was still pregnant. But what if— "Was there any damage? Did that monster hurt our baby in any way?"
Leon shook his head. "The healer, Marina, has been monitoring you and the babies. They're both strong and healthy, with good, solid heartbeats."
"Good." Yuliana let her head drop. She sucked in a deep breath–then froze. "They?"
Leon grinned at her. His hand covered hers on her belly and he pressed his forehead to hers. "They. We're having twins, Yuliana. Two beautiful little vampire-Wolves. Although Marina did say they might only take after one of us. It's been commonly held that vampires and Shifters are too different to interbreed… but now that we've proven that wrong, we're not sure what the resulting hybrid will be."
"Beautifu
l," Yuliana interrupted. She leaned against her mate. Their babies were healthy, there was no need to be afraid anymore.
"Yes," Leon agreed. "They will be beautiful. It's too early to tell what the sex is, but it doesn't matter. As long as they're healthy. And they are. Despite everything, they are."
Yuliana bit her lip, remembering the events that happened right after the king stuck her. "You killed the king."
Leon's voice became grimmer. "Yes, I did. The vampires nearly killed me for that."
"Why didn't they?" As far as Yuliana knew, most vampires practically worshiped the king.
"That friend of yours. The spy." Leon shook his head, a pucker forming between his eyes as he frowned.
"Zak? But what could he do?"
Leon brushed her chestnut hair from her face. "Apparently you haven't kept yourself informed about the politics going on among the upper class of vampires, Yuliana. He was named the king's heir some time ago. He's the king now, and it was only through his insistence that I was not killed."
Yuliana stared at Leon in shock. Of course, she had known that the king had chosen an heir. But it never really affected her, and so she never paid attention. Her world was always limited to what was right around her, and the things that were impossible to avoid during dinner-time conversations. Even then, politics were kept out of it.
"But if he was the king's heir, what was he doing spying on you and the pack?" Yuliana asked, shaking her head. "Why would he take that risk?"
"He had to prove himself worthy of the position to the other vampires," Leon said. He chuckled. "Honestly, Yuliana. Why is it that I know more about your vampire systems than you, a vampire?"
"Probably because you had to know, in order to defend your people against vampires," Yuliana shot back, but the brevity didn't last long. "What's going to happen now? Between Shifters and vampires, I mean. Zak is the new king, but you killed the former king…"
Leon's face darkened for a moment. He looked away, and Yuliana shivered. Was it possible to have a happy ending after this? Or would the wars flare up again as vampires cried for revenge, or the Shifters joined into some sort of preemptive strike? Was everything she thought she had going to be taken away from her again?
"The new king seems to be open to peace talks. He's let the other Alphas go as a show of good faith. But I would like to get away from here and back into the forest as soon as we can. As soon as you feel strong enough, Yuliana. I hate taking you away from your parents again, but—"
"But I will go with you," she interrupted. "Because I love you."
Leon kissed her gently. "I love you, too."
A soft knock at the door interrupted them. Yuliana slipped out of bed and pulled a robe over her nightdress as Leon answered it. Her mother stood on the other side of the door. Yuliana sucked her lip between her teeth. It was going to be hard leaving her parents again, but not nearly as hard as it was the first time. She hadn't known what was waiting for her then, and now she did. She knew she had a mate who loved her and a child on the way.
And as long as things calmed down instead of escalating, she would be able to come back and see them often. If tensions flared, though...
"Zak… I mean, the king is here to see you," her mother said. "Both of you."
Leon tensed but nodded. Moments later, Zak came into the room. He shut the door behind himself and turned to the two of them. "Yuliana, I hope you are feeling better."
She nodded. "I am, thank you."
"Good. Because what I have to say concerns you and your children as much as it does Alpha Leon here."
"Just Leon," her mate growled. "What do you want?"
"Peace." Zak turned to him, grim-faced. "The old king wanted nothing more than to wipe the Shifters out of existence. But the vampires are tired of war. I'm tired of war. If we can't find a peaceful solution between our peoples, we will just end up with more death, more bloodshed, and in the end, we'll both be destroyed. But I think there is a chance in your babies to find common ground and have peace."
Yuliana wrapped her arms around her middle. "What do you mean? If you think that you're going to take one of them—"
"No. That's not what I mean. I mean that proof that a vampire and a Shifter can have young together is proof that we can live together peacefully. That is if you want peace." He gave Leon a pointed look.
"Of course I do. But how will you deal with calls for my blood?"
Zak chuckled. "Diplomatically. The fact that you love Yuliana will certainly help. I will deal with the politics here, but I'm afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave at once. It will be easier to talk the people round if you're not in sight."
Leon nodded. "We were leaving, anyway."
Zak inclined his head. He turned to Yuliana and hesitated a moment. Eventually, he shrugged and gave her a wry smile. "I hope you're happy, Yuliana. You deserve it."
"I am."
She watched his go, a frown creasing her brow. She didn't have time to consider that strange parting, though, because Leon was already packing a small bag. Silently she moved to help, though she wasn't sure what they needed that they didn't already have. They had each other. They had their babies. It was time to get back to their life.
Chapter Ten – Leon
Leon stepped between his two quarreling children, picking little Finnegan up by the scruff of his neck while Storm nipped at his heels. A quick growl stopped the pup's antics. He began trotting back through the woods towards camp, making sure that Storm could keep up. After a little while, he put Finnegan down and carried his other son instead, although Fin whined for the rest of the way.
When they got closer to the camp, the unpleasant smell of vampires hit Leon's nose. He tensed, but a few more sniffs brought in a recognizable scent with it. He relaxed. Yuliana's parents. He hadn't been expecting them so early, but they always came to visit their daughter and grandchildren on Saturdays. They were lucky that relations between vampires and Wolves had improved enough for these weekly visits.
Storm apparently caught the scent of his grandparents as well, because he began wriggling so much Leon could hardly hold him long enough to set him down. He took off through the ferns on his stubby legs. With a yip of encouragement to Fin, Leon started after him. It wasn't long until Fin shifted to his human form and grabbed a few handfuls of Leon's fur, pulling himself onto his father's back.
The Alpha shook his head, but his Wolfish lips curled into a smile. The older of the two twins, Fin was definitely more like Yuliana. Shy, soft-spoken, and with more vampiric qualities. Storm did not have fangs in his human form unless he wanted them, but Fin always had his. He also required more blood. Storm needed blood, too, but raw steaks satisfied him just fine.
"Grandma!" Fin shouted when they exited the forest. "Grandpa!"
Storm pounced on his grandfather, Shifting only when Leon gave him a stern bark. Yuliana's parents both sat in the lean-to and shared an amused glance with each other as the two boys swamped them with hugs and kisses.
"Where are your shorts?" Yuliana asked. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head at the boys. "How many times do I have to tell you that when you shift you need to wear your shorts?"
Leon grabbed a boy under each arm and pulled them back from their grandparents. They scowled, and Fin actually stuck his tongue out at his mother. "Don't like those! They feel weird."
"Go dress," Leon said. "And mind your mother."
The boys continued to scowl as they rooted about the lean-to for clothing. It was a struggle all shifter parents went through, getting their little ones to understand that while it was perfectly natural to want to run around completely nude, there was a time and place for it. And the camp was not the place to be naked.
He sat cross-legged beside Yuliana. "I heard your King Zak was marrying."
Yuliana's mother nodded. "He asked us to send his regards. I think it's absolutely wonderful, how you managed to work out this peace agreement with him. And it worked. In only six years, too. It's like we're
living in a whole new world."
"Well, it certainly wouldn't be possible without the cooperation from everybody involved," Leon modestly amended. "After all, if the king and the rest of you vampires had wanted blood… More than you already do, I mean."
Yuliana playfully smacked his arm. "It's as much political as anything, though. Which reminds me. King Zak has invited us to bring the twins to the palace for a celebration on their fifth birthday."
"Will we have cake?" Fin pulled a pair of underwear over his head. "And ice-cream?"
"Don't want to party," Storm grunted. "I want to run through the woods and catch a boogeyman!"
"Your mother and I will have to discuss it," Leon interrupted. "Now why don't—"
"Mom, Dad, why don't you let the boys show you around the forest and tell you about all the berries and trees they're learning about," Yuliana interrupted. Her hand slid into Leon's. "So that my mate and I can discuss this birthday party idea? It shouldn’t be more than two hours."
Her mother's eyes narrowed and her father shook his head, but the boys grabbed them and began babbling. They had no choice but to agree. Yuliana pulled Leon to his feet and pulled him into the forest, giggling as she ran from the camp. Leon grinned and shifted, crouching to let her climb onto his back before they were off again.
As soon as he thought they were far enough away from the camp, Leon shifted again. He turned to catch Yuliana. As he did so, his jaw dropped. While they were running through the forest, she had stripped off her shirt and bra, which were both wadded in her hand. The sight of her lush breasts made his insides warm.
"I never get tired of that look on your face," she told him with a grin, dropping her clothing. She kicked off her shoes and pulled down her pants. "I think we should go to this party. It will give us a whole room to ourselves overnight… no asking people to watch the twins while we go out into the bushes and get twigs all up in our hair."