A Mate for Lazarus

by Charlene Hartnady

  “I’ll be back soon.”

  Alex nodded some more. She closed the door and turned the lock. She leaned her forehead against the door for a bit, trying to regain her composure. Falling apart was not going to help anything. Then she walked back to her bed and sat down.

  Alex had been trying so hard not to touch her belly. Her hands shook as she rubbed them against her stomach. “Looks like it’s just you and me kid.” Her voice hitched. She should let someone know about this. The only problem was that she didn’t want to because she still didn’t know what to do.

  Chapter 18

  Two days later…

  The sound of laughing in the suite down the hall was enough to grate the hell out of every nerve in his body. It had been going on for an hour and enough was e-fucking-nough. Lazarus slammed his door shut and strode in the direction of the noise.

  As he drew closer he realized who it was. No fucking way. He would rather put up with the racket. The air was thick with hearts and cupid’s arrows. It made him sick to his stomach. Just as he was turning around, Griffin strode from the room. “Hi, Lazarus…we were just talking about you.”

  The human female that had stood up for Griffin, a few days before, walked into the hallway as well.

  “Lazarus!” York bellowed from inside the suite. “Get your ass in here. I have news.”

  He had to roll his eyes and he took a step back. Lazarus did not want to be here. Fuck no! “I was just leaving.” He grunted, jamming his hands into his pockets.

  “I’m going to be a dad. My Cass is with child. We found out this morning!” York shouted. A loud, feminine giggle erupted. Lazarus could hear York murmuring words of love to his female.

  “Lazarus.” Gideon put his head around the jamb. “Please come in. This is my new place.”

  “Our new place.” Jenna said as she wound her arms around Gideon who had made a full recovery. The male looked like nothing had happened. He looked so fucking happy that it made Lazarus feel sick just looking at him. At them. Then he felt guilty because they were his friends. He wanted them to be happy and content. He just couldn’t bare the sight of it right now.

  “Congratulations all round.” He tried to sound like he meant it and failed. The joy had been sucked out of him. He wanted to be happy for his friends but he couldn’t. Not when he felt dead inside.

  “Please come in.” Gideon gestured into his suite.

  “Yeah. We’ve missed you.” Jenna smiled.

  “Not too fucking much I hope.” Gideon narrowed his eyes at his female. The male was still smiling.

  Jenna giggled and slapped his arm, reminding him of how Alexandra used to slap him on his arm like that.

  “You should spend some time with your friends,” Griffin said. “We need to go though, so maybe later?” He looked down at the human at his side and then back at Lazarus.

  Lazarus didn’t respond.

  “You should call me, we could…talk.” Griffin gave Lazarus a look.

  Lazarus nodded, taking another step back. He didn’t feel like chit fucking chats. There would be no calls.

  “Come on. Come inside.” Gideon pulled his female more firmly against him and Lazarus only felt emptier watching them. More fucking heart sore than ever. It made him want to hurt things. Break things.

  He shook his head. “Next time.”

  “Promise?” Jenna raised her brows.

  Lazarus grunted, not wanting to commit to anything. He put a hand up and turned to leave.

  “Wait.” It was the human at Griffin’s side. “I need to have a quick word, please.”

  He gave a shake of the head. No fucking way. She would try to talk to him about Alexandra. So far he had done a good job of avoiding her. At least, he had avoided her when she had tried to see him initially. It seemed as if she had given up and so damned soon. It was clear that the female had never felt anything for him. Lazarus took another step in the opposite direction. He wasn’t sure what he would do if she was with child. Fuck!

  “I’m worried.” She did sound fearful. Her voice shook a little. “Please. One minute.”

  Fuck!

  His heart beat faster. Was there something wrong with Alexandra? Was she ill?

  Lazarus swung back around. “What is it?” He growled and the female flinched. He sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I won’t hurt you. Please just say what you need to say.”

  The little human looked from Griffin to where Jenna and Gideon stood in the doorway and then her gaze flew back to him. “I need a minute…alone.” She emphasized the word.

  Her eyes were overly large and her heart raced. Lazarus could see that the female was afraid of him yet she still wanted to talk in private. It must be important. He nodded once. “Come with me.”

  She swallowed hard and walked towards him. At the last second, she turned back to Griffin. “I’ll be right back.”

  The male’s jaw was clenched and his whole frame radiated tension. After a few beats, he nodded. “I’ll wait here.” He folded his arms and gave Lazarus a hard stare. Then his demeanor softened and he gave Lazarus a small nod.

  They walked down the hall a ways, stopping outside his suite. “Do you want to come in?” He tried hard not to growl or to narrow his eyes.

  “No, this is fine.” She wrung her hands together in front of her. “I haven’t seen Alexandra in two days. She won’t open her door or accept my calls.”

  Lazarus wasn’t sure what to make of that.

  “She wasn’t herself when I saw her last either. She seemed really sick or…I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it. There is something wrong though, I just know it.” Her eyes were filled with concern.

  “You are a good female,” Lazarus finally said. “You look for the good in others. Alexandra is doing this to try and get attention. She wants to speak to me about what happened. This is exactly what she was angling for.”

  Sarah shook her head. “You’re so wrong. Alex told me everything and she didn’t go easy on herself either. I don’t agree with what she did but I understand. The bottom line is that she really loves you. She didn’t expect to fall in love, but she did.” The human inhaled deeply. “Look, I didn’t come to see you to try and get you guys back together. You have every right to be angry. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t take her back. People make mistakes though. Some people learn from their mistakes and grow. I think that Alex is one of those people.”

  He felt like putting his fingers in his ears and making strange noises because he sure as hell didn’t want to listen to these sob fucking stories. He didn’t want to hear how much Alexandra loved him. Hearing those words was like silver to his wounds.

  If he was truly honest with himself though, hearing Sarah talk made him want to run back to the human. Made him want to forget her lies and deception but it wasn’t going to happen.

  “I know that she’s upset. I realize that she might not want company right now but there’s more to it than that. Something is wrong. She won’t let them clean her room and she makes the kitchen staff leave her food outside the door. No one has seen her in two days. I was the last person to see her and she looked…ill. I’m really worried.”

  Two days prior would have put her at two days after she had been in heat which was too soon for her to start craving blood. It couldn’t be that. He would expect those symptoms to show up today or tomorrow. What the fuck? He didn’t like the sound of this. Not one fucking bit. Mostly because it felt like a trap.

  “Please, Lazarus. I’m sure she’ll let you in.”

  I’ll bet. Fuck! He didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. After a few beats, he nodded his head. “Fine.” He grunted.

  “Thank you.” She huffed out a breath. “Would you like me to go with you?”

  He shook his head. “Griffin is waiting for you.”

  “Please let me know if I can help in any way.”

  Lazarus nodded and made a noise of affirmation. “Griffin is lucky to have a female as sweet as you.”

 
She choked out a laugh and shook her head. “You might want to tell him that.”

  “I will.”

  Her eyes widened. “No don’t. Please.”

  Lazarus gave a nod of the head and walked towards the stairs. He walked quickly until he exited the castle, at which point he jogged.

  There was a niggling voice inside of him. What if there was something wrong with Alexandra? What if something happened to her…fuck! He shouldn’t care but he did. His only worry should be for his unborn son…if she was with child. Yet, he was worried about her as well, it made him pick up the pace. The guard at the entrance to the human accommodations looked at him funny but he raced inside and up the stairs.

  He knocked twice on her door. Silence. After waiting a few seconds, he knocked again and then a third time. “Alexandra. It’s me,” he growled. “Open up.” He knocked again. “Are you okay?” He pounded on the wood and there was a cracking noise. Any harder and the wood would split.

  “Open this door right now.” It didn’t feel right. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He could hear her heart racing.

  “I’m fine. Go away.” She didn’t sound fine. Her voice sounded…different.

  “Open the door.” His chest was heaving. Something was wrong, something was off. “Open it now,” he growled.

  Silence.

  With one hard, well-aimed kick, the lock gave and the door sprang open on a loud crash. He walked in, slamming the door behind him.

  By fucking blood. Alexandra was crouched in a corner. Her hair was wet about her shoulders. She wore a t-shirt and nothing else. He could scent that she had recently bathed or showered.

  “Look at me.” He tried hard to speak softly. She reminded him of a wounded animal. From the way she held herself to the tremor of her hands which rested on the floor on either side of her. She looked ready to flee at any second.

  Alexandra shook her head. “Go…away,” a whisper.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Look at me.” This time he did growl as frustration rose in him.

  She shivered. Fucking shivered.

  “You have nothing to be afraid of.” He spoke more softly this time.

  “No…” Her voice was hard, cold. She suddenly didn’t look like she was readying herself to flee but to prance. “But you should be.” Alexandra looked up at him.

  He had to work not to take a step back.

  Her eyes were blood fucking red. She hissed. His gaze was drawn to her sharp, little fangs.

  “Oh my fuck,” he growled.

  “Run.” Her ferocious stare turned panicked for a quick second. Then she hissed again, looking like she wanted to hurt him.

  Lazarus shook his head. “You need to drink.”

  “No,” an anguished sound of torment. “I’m not, I can’t.” But even as she said the words, she moved towards him.

  “You must. You can’t hurt me, Alexandra.” He pulled off his shirt. “Come and take what you need.”

  “I can’t be pregnant. I can’t stay here. I just can’t.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I refuse.”

  Her pain and need had to be excruciating. He couldn’t believe that she had lasted this long. “Fuck, Alexandra. You are with child. You need blood and you need it now. You must take from me.” All he had to do was breathe in her scent and he felt the change come over him. He hated how much he loved her smell, he craved it. Lazarus felt his own fangs erupt, felt his claws descend. Using his index fingernail, he sliced an inch along his neck. Sure to pierce deep so that he wouldn’t heal too quickly. Blood dripped and Alexandra hissed.

  She made the sound of a wild animal, her focus on the warm blood that pumped from his neck. Then she was on him. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her teeth sank into him. She sucked so fucking hard that it hurt. Every nerve ending sprang to life. This included the ones in his dick.

  His own need to drink became all consuming. Those bags in the fridge helped take the edge off but that was it. He hadn’t been able to force himself to drink from someone else. He couldn’t.

  On a hard growl, he dropped his mouth to her neck. His fangs pierced her flesh and his mouth instantly began to fill with her blood. Rich, sweet, divine. His eyes rolled back and he groaned as he sucked harder. At the same time, he was careful not to take too much.

  Alexandra whimpered and her greedy little mouth suckled on him. His dick throbbed. His veins felt like they had been set on fire. His mind blanked as his need for her deepened. She moaned while grinding up against him, still drinking in loud gulps.

  It was as if he was starving, for her blood, for her touch, for her.

  Alexandra was starving as well. She clawed him with her hands, suckled him with her mouth and was dry humping the hell out of him.

  Lazarus growled. Fuck this. Fuck. He ripped his pants open and his dick sprang free, instantly making sweet contact with her dripping pussy. Without breaking contact. He lay her on the bed and rammed himself deep inside her. She cried out even though her fangs remained buried inside him.

  It was as if his body had a mind of its own. Lazarus pumped in and out of her on hard grunts. He sucked hard and Alexandra screamed. Her pussy spasmed and her fangs dug deeper as she sucked harder.

  His own orgasm was just as potent. It ripped through him with such force that his hips jerked and his mouth turned slack. A deep rumble erupted from somewhere deep in his chest. Alexandra sucked again and another sharp zing of pleasure laced through him. She sucked again and it felt like his skin was too tight for his body. Like his balls had turned inside out. So damned good that it hurt.

  Another deep draw had him pulling away. “No,” he growled. “That’s enough.”

  Her eyes were the brightest blue he had ever seen. So beautiful that it hurt to look into them. Her hair was still damp and beginning to curl. Her lips were swollen and dripping with blood. So stunning that she took his breath away. His chest clenched so tight that it was difficult to breathe.

  Lazarus cursed and got up off the bed. His legs almost buckled underneath him. Somehow he managed to find his footing.

  Alexandra wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She made a sobbing noise when she saw the streaks of blood across her skin. She pulled her legs underneath herself and pulled her shirt down, covering herself as best she could.

  Lazarus tucked his still semi-erect cock away and zipped his pants. What the fuck had he just done? What the fuck? “I’m sorry.” He paced to the other side of the room. “That should never have happened.”

  “Don’t say that.” When he glanced down at her, Alexandra’s chest heaved. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I’m the one that’s sorry but not for that. Don’t apologize for making love to me. We love each other, Lazarus. You should not be apologizing.”

  “I hate to break it to you but that was fucking. It’s what I do when I drink from a female. I told you that before. There were zero feelings involved.” He ran a hand through his hair.

  This should’ve been the happiest fucking day of his life. Fuck! Seeing Alexandra, drinking from her. It was too much. He did love her. He didn’t want to but he did and it pissed him off.

  He should never have rutted her. It made him want to tell her that it was going to be fine, that they were going to be fine, but it wasn’t and they weren’t. The only reason she was still here was because of the baby. It would be best if he kept that piece of information at the forefront of his mind at all times.

  Alexandra had even been trying to hide her pregnancy from him. She didn’t want to be with child, that much was clear. It was also clear that she didn’t want to be here, she’d said so herself.

  She shook her head, a single tear fell. “Please don’t say that. It’s not true.”

  “What the fuck would you know about the truth?” He shouted, feeling his hands curl into fists. He wanted to say nasty things, to hurt her just as much as she had hurt him. More.

  That’s why he needed to leave right fucking now. Needed to get a handle on his emotions. “It is importa
nt that you know that I want this baby.” His voice shook, his eyes stung.

  She frowned. “I know you do.” She licked her lips. “We need to talk. Please.” She stood up and walked to him.

  “No.” He put his hands up but she kept coming.

  “Lazarus.” The way she said his name almost brought him to his knees. If he didn’t know better he would say that she cared. “Please.” She took his hands, stood on her tippy toes and kissed him. Her mouth crashed against his, her tongue breached his mouth in a hot assault against him. For a second he allowed himself to be swept away in the madness. It felt good, it felt real, even though it was a lie. Fuck! Why was she doing this? Was she trying to totally devastate him?

  He tore away, pulling his hands from her grip. “What the fuck…?” He snarled.

  “Just kissing you like I mean it and I do mean it, Lazarus…I lo—”

  “Don’t say it. People who love each other don’t lie to one another. They don’t have agendas. I don’t believe you. I wish to god I could but I can’t.”

  “Let me explain.” Her voice hitched.

  “Did you come here with the intention of getting a story for your paper?”

  “You know I did,” she whispered. Another tear fell. “I never lied to you about wanting the story.”

  Lazarus had to look away. “It’s why you were with me in the first place though?”

  “Initially, but my feelings changed. Everything has changed. I wasn’t going to go through with the whole thing. Not after I started having feelings for you.”

  “Only because the kings were going to give you an interview. You didn’t need to go behind my back after that. You would’ve left as soon as you got what you wanted. You would be gone now if it weren’t for this baby.” He leaned in. “Admit it.”

  “You’re wrong.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Go and write your fucking story. Leave the baby out of it. It’s all I ask. Don’t hurt him over this.” His chest felt like it was in a vice. “We have fuck all to say to one another. The only thing we talk about going forward is this child…my child.” He growled.