“Of course not. He was defending his tribe and his mate. Me.”
“Exactly. I have to do the same. The people you see around me here are my tribe, though we use the term coven. They are mine to rule, to protect, to guide. Any that would seek to harm them must be stopped. I can’t do that if I’m seen to be soft. I’m not cruel or abusive, though.”
“And they did directly attack Trace, Jason,” Keith added.
“True.”
“I’m not sure how they figured out our connection, but trying to rip out my fated heart’s throat is an automatic death sentence when I find them.”
Trace whipped his head up to stare at Sasha. They’d agreed never to discuss that, much less in front of others. Why was no one else surprised at his pronouncement of that concept? “What?”
“They know, Trace. Your alpha demanded to know if I was your mate when he figured out it was the feline, not the human side of you in the human body.”
“But—”
“Trace?” Keith demanded his attention in tone alone. “It was vital based on how you were acting. Your lynx was trying to claim Sasha. Not sexually, but in every other way. You wouldn’t let anyone near him, wouldn’t even let him sit up. You were both going to get hurt if we didn’t do something to fix the problem.”
He slumped his shoulders, but he nodded. “Fine, but that doesn’t change anything.”
Chapter Eight
“WELL, IT does and it doesn’t.” Sasha slid his fingers through Trace’s hair again and tugged lightly. Damn, but touching Trace felt good.
“What’s that mean?”
“It means Keith determined, after some kind of kitty conference with your lynx, that the way to get you back was for me to bind you to me.”
“I told you I’m not taking a mate!” Trace jumped up and stalked across the room, balling his fists at his sides. “It’s not…. I won’t and that’s all there is to it.”
Sasha’s voice didn’t rise. There was an edge and a sadness to it he couldn’t withhold, though he tried. “I know, and I’m not asking you to do that. But I did do what he asked of me. It doesn’t force the mating on your side. Don’t worry. But it did heal your mind so the human side is back in control of the human body.”
“Fool prince,” Dr. Niko grumbled. “And you’ve made yourself weak and sick in the process. I understand wanting to help, but I still don’t understand doing this for a bond that will only serve to weaken you.”
“Shut up, Doctor.” Sasha damn well knew the “risks” and consequences of what he’d done. And he’d make the same choice again, even hearing Trace reject their bonding afterward—no matter how much it hurt. “I’ll be fine shortly, and as soon as Trace has adjusted fully and he settles back down, he can return to his home, if that is his wish. He will have access to all my homes any time he wishes, permanently, no matter what you or anyone else thinks of my choices or actions. And I will work with the shifters to figure out who wants our people separated and why.”
“I still don’t understand.” Trace huffed even as he tilted his head to glare at Sasha. “What exactly did you do? And why did it weaken you?”
“You said it would only temporarily weaken you, Sasha,” Jason added, his voice cracking on Sasha’s name.
Sasha inhaled loudly, then held his breath a moment before releasing it slowly. “I will be fine once I feed and have time to properly rest. The side effects for me are my problem to deal with, not something for any of you to be concerned with. The only concern Trace needs to worry about is that his life span will mimic mine now. Otherwise he is free to live his life as he chooses. I swore I would not force a mating on him, and I won’t.” Sasha turned a cold stare on Trace, determined to make his fated heart hear him even if he didn’t want to accept anything about them being bonded. “The only thing I demand is that you not flaunt any males you choose to take in front of me. If that—” He paused and closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them and continued. “—is not adhered to, I will not be held accountable for the outcome.”
“What?” Trace squeaked.
“That seems more than fair,” Keith said, his voice as level as his gaze on Trace.
“But—” Trace began again.
“You can’t really expect me to tolerate that, Trace. I’m not holding you to what our bond ought to be, but don’t push me that far. I told you I’m not known for my patience or tolerance. I would never harm you, but a trick? A lover?” Sasha struggled for a moment before he managed to wrap that calm he was known for around himself—a mere facade, at least in this case. “Just don’t put him or me in that position, Trace. Respect me that much. Please.”
The last word cost Sasha personally to have said in front of the others, but he had to make Trace understand. He had to. He would kill anyone he found with Trace now. It was bad enough before, but now? There was simply no way he would be able to control the impulse to destroy any who would take his heart from him.
“I’m sorry. For all of this. I won’t do anything like that to you.” Trace sat again, then leaned against Sasha’s leg, his warmth seeping into Sasha, soothing and painful at the same time.
“Thank you.”
Jason opened his mouth, Sasha assumed to ask something else, but the knock on the door startled Trace and Jason while it drew everyone else’s attention.
“Come in, Jalin,” Sasha said, his voice still tired. He really needed to feed, and soon. Had he been with Trace and truly fed from him when he released the bonding serum, Sasha would be fine now. Unfortunately Trace gave neither enough blood nor any energy to nourish him during the bonding. Sasha fought the depression that wanted to settle over him as the knowledge that Trace never would again echoed through him.
Jalin stepped into the room, closed the door, and gave a short bow. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, sir. I thought you would like to know that your uncle has sent word that he will be here at the end of the week. He will have Tatiana with him. He seems to be under the impression that you called this meeting as a preliminary to accepting the betrothal.”
“That’s because I allowed him to believe that. I want to know what’s going on, and either he’s behind this, she is, or they are both in danger. Pawns, at the very least.”
“Makes it look like you’re playing the game to whoever is behind this as well.” Keith nodded. “Well, other than still having shifters in alliance with you and Trace alive.”
“Yes, and that worries me. Why, out of all the shifters in the area they could have gone after, did they pick Trace?”
“Um….” Trace swallowed loudly and stared down at his hands, twisting his fingers together hard enough Sasha was concerned Trace might injure himself.
“Mal’chik, calm your hands. Hurting yourself is not acceptable to anyone here.”
Trace froze, not even breathing for a moment, then slowly laid his hands in his lap and exhaled gently. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Now what was it you wanted to say?”
“Well, the one, the male vampire, said they picked me because your uncle had been watching you, that they needed to get rid of me so you would bond or marry that Tatiana chick or something.”
Sasha almost smiled at the way Trace said Tatiana. He wondered if Trace realized he nearly spat her name. It didn’t matter in the end, as his fated heart still rejected him, but it still felt good to know at least a part of Trace wanted him. Knowing the lynx side of Trace wanted their bonding helped too. More than he wanted to admit, truly. Sadly that wasn’t the kind of bond he wanted, as half a bond was still not a true bond. Besides, now that Trace was whole, his mind would be present when in lynx form, so even the lynx side wouldn’t show the level of devotion and protectiveness, much less the frustrating parts now.
“Tatiana isn’t some ‘chick,’ Trace. She’s the younger princess from one of the other covens—Pennsylvania, to be exact. Not the oldest, obviously, or she wouldn’t be the one they are trying to marry off to me, but close.”
Trace shifted
on the floor but didn’t move away or stop leaning against Sasha’s leg. “You, um, know her?”
“I do. She’s a strange choice, honestly. She doesn’t believe in arranged marriages any more than I do. However, she is who they’ve been trying to marry me off to for….” He looked to Jalin and sighed. “What, two, three years now?”
“About that, yes. They want you to have an heir and a spare, as the last missive said, with a respectable female from a decent bloodline.”
Sasha snorted at that. “I still want to know what my uncle gets out of the deal, because I don’t believe he cares about the succession of my coven.”
“What would happen?” A deep frown marred Jason’s typically sweet face.
“If I were to die without an heir?”
“Y-yes.”
“You’re not usually so morbid, hon.” Jason glared at Sasha. Trace gripped Sasha’s ankle, drawing Sasha’s attention away from his best friend. “What is it?”
“What would happen? He’s right. It’s a legitimate question. In the tribes there’s a very particular set of laws set up for if there is no apparent heir, though it’s extremely rare that there would be no family fit to take over if the alpha died and it wasn’t a challenge.”
“I have a couple of cousins who could take the position as prince or princess, though they would have to fight for the position, both physically and politically, to prove themselves worthy and capable. Neither is powerful enough to do so outright. If my sister were alive, it would go to her and any offspring she had.”
“So then you having children is actually imperative. Why haven’t you done so yet?”
He couldn’t help it. Sasha gaped at Trace. Was the male really going to chastise him for not having sex with and getting some female pregnant? “Children should be raised in love.”
“True, but for the sake of your coven, of the vampires you rule and care for, it seems wrong to not ensure your line and your beliefs endure.”
Sasha couldn’t believe he was having this… conversation?… with Trace. What the hell? “So I should be a single father, a prince, a CEO, be everything alone, and teach my children what love is, what proper relationships are, when they can’t see them in action?”
“You know, millions of people are single parents and do just fine. If you show your children love, if you’re there for them, that’s what’s important. Besides, you would have nannies and valets and such to help you, so it’s not like you would have to do it all by yourself.”
“You’d be a great father,” Jason chimed in. “You make an excellent uncle already.”
“And I love Sean and Zeke, you know that, but I never wanted to be a single dad. I want to be….” Sasha closed his eyes and fought the nausea that swelled suddenly. “It doesn’t matter what I wanted. You’re right. I will be a single father because there is no longer a reason to put it off. It’s dangerous for my coven and pointless for me.” He looked up at Jalin, who still stood before them. “But I will not look for a consort, so don’t start that again.”
“Yes, sir. Of course. For now you wish the guest wing prepared for the sets of arrivals?”
“If we must. They are to be treated with respect, but they go nowhere unchaperoned. That will include their servants. I know that will be a burden on the staff here, but I will not have anyone using the unseen servant as a spy in my home. Especially not right now.”
“Of course.” Jalin bowed and a moment later left, securing the door behind him.
Jason smiled after a minute of no one speaking. “So I’m going to be an uncle?”
Sasha rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I only just agreed to this, and you’re already plotting outings and how to spoil the royal babies, aren’t you?”
“Of course.” He grinned wide. “Like you didn’t the moment we told you we planned to talk to Taylor about her acting as our surrogate.”
“True.”
Trace’s cell phone vibrated and pinged in his pocket just then. He shifted away from Sasha long enough to pull it out, but much to Sasha’s delight, Trace leaned against him again as soon as he had it out. Trace swiped his thumb over the screen in a pattern and then scrolled through something while Sasha continued to run his fingers through Trace’s hair. He was determined to soak up every bit of touch Trace would allow before Trace returned to the tribe lands.
“Um, I have good news, and it’s fortuitous that both Keith and Sasha are here, as well as the doctor. The tribal rep doctor will arrive in three days. One Dr. Liliana Petronia. She’ll need accommodations, which I’ve already arranged. Access to Sean, Taylor, Jason, and Alpha Keith, of course. And, uh… the e-mail says…. I’m sorry, but I’m instructed to relay that if she’s to work with a vampire, he needs to make sure to bring his own lunch. She won’t be providing catering.”
Sasha and Dr. Niko both laughed at that, though Keith and Jason looked aghast at Trace. “Trace!” Keith snapped.
“I’m sorry. That’s what it says I’m to say, and I assure you, I cleaned it up from how it’s actually worded.”
Dr. Niko smiled and held up a hand. “It’s all right, Alpha Keith. I’m honestly amazed that she’s willing to work with me. Once upon a time, your tribe and this coven were close, but that’s been an age. The council you answer to never actually approved, even with it being due to the last Chosen of Baast’s bonding to our princess. And Trace, you can assure her I will not have blood around her. I will, however, have food around her, as we do eat, just smaller portions, as you know.”
“I’ll remind her when she arrives. Most shifters don’t really understand about vampire diets, believing that you only consume blood and that it’s always forcibly taken. The council knows that’s against the rules of this coven, but that doesn’t mean she truly understands or believes it. I don’t know her, which means she’s being brought in and isn’t one that usually resides at the council compound.”
“I’m not worried.”
“Nor am I.” Sasha shifted in his chair but made sure not to dislodge Trace from his leg. “I’m glad they are taking such care with Sean, as long as they don’t try anything unethical or harmful.”
“That won’t be allowed,” Keith rumbled as he folded his arms across his wide chest. “No one will harm my son. I don’t care who they are or what species.”
“Which is as it should be.”
“And as important as all this is, I t-think we should g-go for now.” Jason gave a shy smile and began to reach toward Sasha but stopped, then dropped his hand back to his lap. “Sasha looks too tired, and Trace does too. I think they b-both need more rest. The doctor and Sasha’s problem vamps don’t arrive quite y-yet, so….”
“Agreed. We can meet again later.” Keith stood, pulling Jason up with him. “Call when you’re up for more discussion, please. We need to figure all this out, but you need rest and to feed, as your doc here keeps saying. I don’t want to think about that too much, sorry, but it is what it is, so go take care of yourself, and take care of Trace.”
“Of course. Take care of Jason and my nephews. Safe journey.”
“And Trace, get well, okay? You are not only welcome and free to come home whenever you want, but expected. I know you were afraid I’d banished you, but nothing could be further from the truth. Just let someone escort you back. Someone obviously has decided you are the way to hurt Sasha, so you’re a target until we figure all this out.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Sasha stroked his hand over Trace’s head a few times, then stood. “Stay here a moment.” He stepped forward and hugged Jason tight. “Be safe, hon. If they’d go after Trace, they might go after you. You’ve been under my protection for years, but someone obviously wants to cause trouble.”
“I know, but it sounds like it’s more in the relationship department, not friendship area, so I should be safe.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Jason. If someone wants to hurt me, going after you is a known way to do it. So let your big bad kitty make sure you’re safe, okay?�
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“I will. And you be careful too, please. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Jason huffed and tightened his hold before he let go and stepped back. He glared down at Sasha. “Uh-huh. You’re weak, pale even for you, depressed, and your doctor is worried. You’ve got some nut after you willing to hurt Trace to get to you, no less. Pardon me if I worry, oh great and mighty prince.”
The laugh slipped out before Sasha could contain it. “God, but I love you, hon. I promise to go feed, jeesh! I am protected and can take care of myself. Trace will have his own guard from now on, by the way, so relax. Now go home and take your hubby with you.”
“Fine, but even vampires need to be cautious, right?”
It didn’t take long to get them to all go, other than Trace. He still sat next to Sasha’s chair, looking the same: confused, scared, and haunted.
“Trace?”
“Huh? You need me to go too?”
“No, not until you’re ready, and only if you want. But I need to rest more.”
“You need blood too. Your grumpy doctor said so repeatedly.”
It was hard not to yell about the feeding issue, as Sasha didn’t want to do that with any but Trace. Unfortunately that wasn’t an option. Blood from any other source would be like gruel to a human—able to sustain him but not really what one would call food, much less appetizing or palatable. Still, it was better to endure this and have even this much of Trace, and a healed Trace, than nothing. He would just remind himself of that… a lot.
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