Prophesy (The King & Alpha Series Book 1)

by A. E. Via

  “Who?”

  “Justice is coming back… with his betas, his two brothers... no, three brothers.”

  The other vampires looked around at each other, unsure of what to do. They’d encountered the oldest two already and nothing bad had transpired. Wick knew it wouldn’t. They were too grown for the bullshit. The petty squabbles that sometimes erupted between the species were caused by the more undisciplined.

  “Have Henry put together a few pieces of attire so they can cover themselves when they arrive.” Wick was already up and moving towards the entrance.

  He opened both doors wide – his men standing behind him – at the same time four white and gray wolves trotted out of the woods and across the lawn. Justice was easy to recognize because he was the largest, and while he had dark tips on his ears and dustings of dark gray over his back and sides, his fur was mostly white. The other brothers looked almost identical, like triplets. Large white and gray animals with startling blue eyes.

  “Welcome back.”

  Justice led the group up the steps, stopping directly in front of Wick. He could tell he was talking to his brothers, so Wick waited. His mate finally shifted and opened his arms, pulling Wick in tight. No one disturbed them, their respect and love for each other was radiating in the air and it was meant to unite.

  “How was your day… um… night?”

  “Productive. I have a lot to discuss with you. Thank you for bringing your brothers.”

  Mac was the first one to shift, his nose high in the air. “What in the world is that delicious smell? I didn’t think vampires ate meat.”

  Wick laughed. “Nice to see you again, Macauley.”

  Henry quickly hurried over, his dark, black eyes on the floor as he politely presented a folded pair of sweats and a plain white t-shirt to Mac.

  “Sorry. We forget about the nudity sometimes.” Mac took the clothes, as did the rest of them, and dressed before they came inside.

  Wow, now they looked like quadruplets, dressed in the exact same white shirt and dark sweats. The Volkovs had some damn gorgeous genes.

  “And you’re right, Mac, we don’t eat food. Henry has been in this kitchen all evening and I’m pretty sure it was in preparation of Justice returning. You’re welcome to come in and see what he’s done. I’m certainly intrigued.”

  After all the introductions were made, Henry was the first one thrust into the spotlight. Who knew shifters loved food that much? They were practically drooling all over Henry’s beautiful lamb display. The side dishes of fingerling potatoes – he believed that’s what he’d called them – looked just like in the picture in the cookbook next to the stove.

  “Oh my gosh. It wouldn’t do for the ladies to see this, especially Farica. She thinks she’s a good cook, but she has nothing on you Henry.” Mac said, dipping his finger in a saucepot, which had Alek slapping him in the back of the head.

  Alek’s movements were swift, like he’d been popping his little brother all his life. “Can you act like you have manners?”

  “If I have to act, then I shouldn’t bother,” Mac mouthed off to Alek, rubbing the back of his head, but he didn’t dare stick his finger back in that pot.

  Henry’s cheeks held a very faint tint of pinkness. “I made plenty. So feel free to join Justice at the table and I’ll bring—”

  It was as if Alek and Mac had only been waiting for the words plenty or join because Henry didn’t get a chance to finish his words before he was politely but urgently moved out of the way while the large shifters grabbed plates and utensils and started shoveling potatoes on their plates. Henry had to duck and dodge eager arms and rambunctious appetites as he dared attempt to fix Justice’s plate in the midst of Mac and Alek tussling over who got to cut the meat. It was only by the grace of the Mother that Henry made it out okay. The other vampires sure got a kick out of it. It ended up being the best icebreaker.

  Justice thanked Henry for the food that was placed in front of him, and pointed to his left. “Henry. This is my youngest brother, Taleb. And, apparently, he’s my only brother that still has his manners. Taleb this is Henry FitzWell, he’s Wick’s Lord Chamberlain, which means—”

  “He’s the master of King Bentley’s home. Home being wherever the King is,” Taleb said easily, cutting Justice off, reaching his large hand out to shake Henry’s.

  “That’s correct. Oh wow, your hands are really warm, too,” Henry said softly. He didn’t look into Taleb’s eyes long, instead focusing on a blank spot on the table. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d be honored to prepare a plate for you as well, Alpha.”

  “That would be most appreciated. Thank you. I didn’t know vampires could sense our rankings?” Taleb raised one brow.

  Wick watched an interesting exchange between the quietest of Justice’s brothers and his chamber lord. It was as if the room shrank down to only them.

  “No, we can’t. But your strength is… you’re really… you present yourself as an alpha, so I assumed you were,” Henry said, fumbling, still casting his eyes away.

  “You assumed right. Our bloodline can only produce alphas,” Justice said, around a mouthful of lamb. His admission drew the intrigue of the other vampires.

  As the brothers ate and the vampires sipped what only looked like tomato soup from large bowls, they talked. Questions and answers about both species were the primary subject. The specific topics varied widely, from feeding on blood, to shifter dynamics, to the hierarchy in vampire covens. It was imperative they learned about each other again, their species having been separated and declared natural enemies for too long. There was nothing natural about hate, his mate told them. Wick and Justice were here to show there was another way to exist. A peaceful way. Soon, they’d all be traveling and working together to protect each other.

  Justice hugged his brothers right before they shifted and headed back to the Humboldt lands. It was after four in the morning and shifters didn’t usually keep twilight hours. A moonlight run was fun and liberating... sometimes. The cabin was quiet for the most part, except for Henry humming as he cleaned the kitchen. Wick sent the others to go let loose a little steam in the city and feed from a live donor, saying they’d earned it.

  “Does he hum a lot? He sounds different. Sounds—”

  “Happy. And, no. In the thirty-seven years he’s been with me, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him hum. But I’ve also never seen him prepare a rack of lamb and successfully feed four large alphas, so… New things abound, moja miłość.”

  Justice smile got wider. “What language was that?”

  “Polish. It means ‘my darling’.”

  “How many languages do you speak?” Justice crowded even closer, always eager to learn more about him. He felt good. His pack was happy, his belly was full, and his mate was back in his arms.

  “I speak nine fluently and I can hold a minimal conversation in quite a few others.”

  “That’s so impressive.” Justice pushed his growing hardness against Wick’s pelvis, pulling a salacious moan from him.

  “Sure, for a regular person who’s in their forties. That’s an extremely difficult accomplishment to master in the short amount of time. It’s not really all that spectacular for a nonhuman who’s going on two centuries old. I should know all six thousand plus languages having lived that long.

  “You hate giving yourself any kind of credit don’t you. Come on. Let’s go for a run. You’re not ready for bed?”

  Wick looked at his expensive timepiece. “But it’ll be daybreak in a couple hours.”

  “No worries. I’ll have you back in plenty enough time.”

  He and Wick alternated between running, tousling, wrestling, to simply walking and talking under the moon’s light. Justice shifted when they got back to the lake and dove in, hoping Wick would join him. Justice slung water off his face when he resurfaced. Sputtering water out his mouth he grinned back, his naked mate still standing at edge of the water. “What are you waiting for?”

  “Didn’t
you say cats don’t like water?” Wick sat down on the bank and sprawled back against the cool earth.

  Justice flipped over his back and floated along the surface while talking. “No. Big cats can swim but they avoid it. Now, tigers on the other hand, are great swimmers.”

  “I still think I’ll just stay right here, dry and comfortable.”

  “Buzzkill,” Justice grumbled.

  “Why would you want to have sex in the water the shifters use to drink from? That’s not proper,” Wick scolded teasingly.

  “I didn’t say a thing about having sex. I just wanted to see you dripping wet.”

  “Then watch me shower.”

  “You’re asking for it. Smart mouths lead to sore asses.”

  Wick’s contentment and joy flooded Justice while they continued to banter. “I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.”

  “Oh, you don’t, my Lord?” Justice mimicked in his best British accent that wasn’t all that good. He saw Wick shaking his head disbelievingly, his smile so bright and broad it challenged the stars.

  “Shut up, you.”

  Justice smirked at how hard Wick pronounced his Ts. “Come shut me up.”

  “I’ll wait until you come out.”

  “You’re my protector, what if something gets me in the water.”

  Wick propped himself up on one elbow and sniffed the air. “You’re safe, my love. Nothing around for miles.”

  Justice finished his swim and joined Wick in his comfortable position on a thick patch of fallen leaves from the tall oak tree, his body inclined on the slight slope while he lay gazing at the clear sky. “You want to shift back to your animal? I didn’t expect the temperature to drop this much. Feels about forty-five.”

  “Is that normal for Nevada in late fall?” Wick turned in to Justice’s heat, soaking up his warmth instead of shifting, and he was glad to let him do it.

  Justice yawned, wrapping Wick up tight. “I’m not sure. Remember, I don’t live here.”

  “Mmm. Yes, I remember. Tell me all about Maine and the White Mountain Forest, again.” Wick snuggled up like he’d just asked Justice to tell him a bedtime story.

  “I guess we have a little time before we have to head back.” Justice loved to talk about his home. Because he was Siberian, he and his pack preferred to live in cooler climates, and snow was a must for them. He couldn’t wait to see Wick’s gorgeous tiger in his element. As he thought of the scenic parks and towering snow-capped mountains, his voice drifted off and sleep claimed a few moments later.

  “Ahhhh! Justice! Help me! The sun!”

  Justice lurched awake so fast he didn’t know where he was or what he was doing there. They were still laying on the lake’s bank; the Nevada sun was up high over the water, and toasty on his back. Scrambling at the desperate sound of his mate’s cries, Justice used his body to cover Wick’s balled-up form as he hid from the dangerous rays.

  “I’m gonna die!”

  Justice couldn’t handle hearing that. He shifted to his wolf, desperate to protect his mate. He was trying to ensure every inch of Wick’s sensitive, pale skin was covered when he realized Wick’s body was barely warm. Sure, the sun was beaming down on them, but Wick wasn’t bursting into flames.

  “Shh. Calm down. Wick, please, calm down before you make my wolf do something crazy like drag you into the lake. Please… easy… Easy,” Justice crooned as Wick’s body finally stopped trying to climb inside of him. His wolf whined. “Listen, baby. I have you fully covered, nothing can touch you.”

  “Justice, get me out of here!”

  Justice hissed at the feeling of Wick’s nails digging into his underbelly. “Wick, calm yourself.”

  “I can’t think. I can’t… someone’s coming!”

  It was his pack. His brothers were charging up the mountain, reacting instinctively and immediately at the feeling of Justice’s fear.

  “We’re coming, Justice, hang on.”

  It was Alek, and it was far too late to stop them, so he didn’t try, he had to focus on Wick. The terror and dread he was feeling manifested inside Justice and threatened to eliminate his rational thought. “I’ll never let anything happen to you. I don’t think the sun will—”

  “What?! No.” Wick cut him off his fear ramping back up. “I can take dusk sun, for a couple minutes at most. I will burn in full sun, Beloved, please.”

  Justice hadn’t feared death since he grieved for his mom. But right now, he was petrified of it and he knew he had to take back control. “Wick.” Justice pushed love and trust at his mate, hoping Wick could hear what he had to say. “Stick your hand out from under me and try.”

  Justice lay there practically suffocating Wick’s trembling body, but he wouldn’t move until he felt safe. Justice thought for a second Wick wouldn’t trust him, but after a few more minutes, he could feel one of Wick’s hands untangle from the long hair on his belly and reach out from under him. “That’s it, baby. Trust your mate.”

  He hadn’t felt such fear since he was a boy and he’d gotten lost on one of his numerous, father-forbidden adventures into the Forest of Dean. He’d been lost for days. Wandering helplessly at night and buried under the earth during the day. The Royal Court and his father had to initiate an emergency search and rescue. But as Justice flooded Wick’s mind with trust and confidence, he very slowly reached his hand out from underneath Justice’s heavy body. He slammed his eyes shut, half expecting his hand to explode… but… nothing happened. It was like his mate said… barely warm. Wick’s body temperature was typically about seventy-four, because of his age, sometimes lower. So when he woke and felt the sun on his face, his regularly cool skin was warm. Warm enough that it scared the hell out of him. Too scared to even think of shifting.

  He let his hand linger in the light until he was absolutely sure nothing would happen, then he pushed out a bit more, until his wrist, elbow then shoulder were in direct sunlight. After being accustomed to avoiding sunlight from birth, this was a major shock to Wick’s system. He’d seen vampires get thrown into the sun… it wasn’t pretty and far from painless.

  Justice shifted on top of him, exposing more of his body. Wick flinched but he didn’t run. Justice was staring at his face as if he’d never seen him. Most of the sun was blocked off his face by Justice’s, but the heat couldn’t be shielded.

  “What’s wrong? Do I look different? Because I sure feel different.”

  “You look as beautiful, as always. You’re not even flushed from the heat; you’re just… a bit warmer.”

  “Let me up,” Wick whispered in shock.

  At the same time he was slowly climbing to his feet, Justice’s brothers charged out of the trees, three huge wolves, skidding to dramatic halts in front of Justice. They shifted quickly, anxious blue eyes darting back and forth between him and Justice, waiting for an explanation.

  “I said everything was good and you could turn around,” Justice murmured to Alek, still staring at Wick.

  “You literally said that about five seconds ago. We were already here,” Alek said, bending over with his hands on his knees while he caught his breath. “What the hell happened? I’ve never felt distress like that... not before—”

  “I almost killed my mate.” Wick heard Justice confess.

  “That’s not so.” He sent his mate, but Justice ignored it.

  He’d console his mate later. Wick was sure he’d scared Christ out of him, and he was sorry, but that emotion was gone from him right now, replaced with overwhelming gratitude to the Mother for yet another amazing gift. He turned in the other direction so he could admire the brilliance of it all. The emerging and chattering of diurnals, the songbirds singing good morning, the ripples in the lake reflecting the beams of light. It was all affected by the life-giving sun. Wick was a vampire marveling at the exquisiteness of daylight.

  The big brothers all crowded in closer to Justice as he explained, and it hurt Wick that his mate was taking all the responsibility for this on himself. “He said it w
as late to go out, but I insisted on a late run.” Justice pressed his knuckles into his eye sockets. “I fell asleep and….”

  “Whoa… go back.” Taleb stepped forward. “A run. He’s a runner.”

  “Not quite.” They’d been waiting for the right time to reveal Wick’s gift to Justice’s pack, and now was as good a time as any. “Wick.”

  Justice’s sorrowful frown morphed quickly into a bright-morning smile when Wick turned and leapt right into his arms, clamping his toned legs around his waist, throwing his head back and laughing loudly.

  “Is he sane?” Mac eyeballed Wick cautiously.

  “He’s a vampire walking around in the daylight. I think we can give him a minute to enjoy it.” Taleb smirked.

  “Well at least he ain’t fuckin’ sparkling like a diamond.”

  Wick reared back, cocking his head to the side like a confused pup, pulling a laugh from them.

  Mac waved it off. “Forget I said that. I’m sure you have no idea what I’m talking about.”

  “I’m humiliated that I do know what you’re talking about. Now shut up.” Taleb balked.

  “Day-walking isn’t all he can do.” Justice put Wick down on his feet. “Show them, baby.”

  Like before, Wick’s shift was just as fast as his Beloved’s.

  “Jesus!”

  “Fuck!”

  “Holy shit!”

  All the brothers had a different verbal reaction to staring into the eyes of Wick’s enormous white tiger however, they had identical physical reactions of falling on their assess at the boom that resounded when Wick’s bones reformed.

  “Holy shit is right. My sunlight-loving Vampire King true mate is also a shifter. A blessed gift from the Mother herself. A protector sent to keep her children safe.” Justice sounded so proud.

  “Are we sure?” Alek frowned, slowly getting up off the ground. “Is he coherent in this form?”

  Wick chuffed and stalked past Alek, slapping him in his face with his long tail.

  “That answers your question.” Mac laughed.

  “He doesn’t smell like a shifter,” Alek added, catching Wick’s tail and giving it a slight tug when he tried to slap him again.