“One is my cousin, Veronika. The other is Tatiana’s youngest brother, Ivan. She’s going to be livid when she finds out he was in on this. So is Vlad, for that matter.”
Trace turned in his seat as much as he could and faced Sasha. “Does this mean your uncle is behind this?”
“Possibly, but I won’t know until I find out from them what is going on. Considering how easily the two were caught, I’d say no. I can’t believe my uncle would plan something this poorly. Ivan and Veronika, though….” Sasha shook his head. “Stupid, the both of them. Both are spoiled, entitled morons that wouldn’t have half a brain if you put the two of them together. Well, maybe half. They did manage this long to pull this off, so I have to give them some credit. But still.”
Trace slid one hand over, placed it on Sasha’s thigh, and gave it a slight squeeze. “I just hope that this will be the end of it.”
“Oh, it will be, if I have to hunt down every one of their associates personally. Seeing you at Ivan’s mercy again….” No, that was not something Sasha could handle even contemplating, much less deal with the reality of again. “I’m not that strong, Trace.”
They were both quiet, much to Sasha’s relief, as they drove back to the covenstead. He wasn’t looking forward to the coming “talk” with the two behind all this. Nor was he eager to confront his uncle, who would wish to plead for his daughter’s life, Sasha was sure.
Treason only had one punishment.
They should be glad Sasha was willing to be merciful for Trace’s sake, if for none other.
SASHA SAT in the large ornate chair in the main chamber of his mansion, Trace to his right in a comparable, though slightly less ostentatious version. If it were anywhere but the US, it would be his throne, though that’s basically what it was. He hated it, though more for why he was there than for the chair itself. It was actually rather comfortable, as his mother had had it made for him for his coming of age, long before they knew how young he would be when he’d first have to sit on it to rule instead of to sit beside his parents.
Before him was his uncle, unbound, as they had found no evidence he had anything to do with the attacks or the reason behind them. Indeed, what he’d so far learned painted his uncle—and Vlad’s older son, Karl—as victims as well. Much to his annoyance. His current rant, however, was wearing out what sympathy he’d earned himself.
“Vlad, do shut up,” Sasha snapped.
Vlad inhaled sharply as if to begin another long string of noise, but Sasha held up his hand to stop him. “Did you know what your daughter, along with her fiancé, Ivan, was planning? The family you yourself tried to browbeat me into marrying into when you arrived.”
“No! I do not agree with you bonding with your animal,” Vlad spat, gesturing at Trace, “but I would never agree with attacking him. Especially not with what tribe he’s a part of. That’s… that’s suicide,” he sputtered.
“Agreed. It’s also stupid.” Sasha reached over to run a hand down Trace’s arm, though he didn’t touch skin. Trace hadn’t done so well with direct contact since Sasha’s interrogation of his prisoners. Trace hadn’t witnessed any of it, but he seemed to know, on an instinctive level, perhaps, that Sasha’s methods were painful for the ones being questioned. Had they been more forthcoming with their answers, it wouldn’t have required so much pain… or blood. That was their mistake. Both had acquired the delusion that Sasha working with and bonding a shifter somehow made him weak. Veronika even went so far as to claim his love for Jason, his best friend and a human whom he considered part of his family, made him soft. They both were disabused of those ideas.
“Beyond that, touching of another’s fated heart is a serious crime. Treason when it’s the royal prince’s heart, as Trace is my royal consort. You know the punishment for that.” He made sure there was no question in his tone when he glared down at his uncle.
“But she’s your cousin! It’s that boy. That Ivan!”
“It doesn’t matter, and no, it wasn’t. I spoke to each of them separately. She knew exactly what she was doing. She planned for you to be dealt with as well so she and lover boy could rule my coven. As if those loyal to me would ever allow themselves to be subjugated under the likes of them.” Sasha snorted before he continued, “His father has been contacted and informed of both the charges and the sentence.”
Trace spoke for the first time since they had entered the room. “My liege? Will you allow his father and mother the chance to say good-bye? Or at least his sister, Princess Tatiana?”
“Royal Prince Yuri, no. Princess Tatiana and, once Princess Zamira arrives shortly, they may say their good-byes.”
“Why not Yuri?” Vlad demanded.
“You know full well he is not welcome here, Uncle. I will not allow him near Princess Tatiana or near my royal consort. Besides, he did not request to visit, only to know when I planned to marry his daughter.” Disgusting male! “Now if you have nothing further, I have things to do. I only provided you this formality as a courtesy, as you are family. Once things are over, you will not return to any lands or territories that are mine until—or unless—invited. Am I understood? That goes for your only child as well.”
“I have two children.”
“You have an only child… that you have publicly claimed, at the least.”
Vlad ground his teeth but said nothing else.
It took only a short time for Sasha to be in the main corridor with Trace again, though Trace still wouldn’t touch Sasha’s skin, but at least he was beside him and still talking.
“Thank you for allowing them to say good-bye, Sasha.”
“I’m not heartless like some would like to claim. I would like to focus on something else for now, however.”
“Hmm? What’s that?”
“You. You are my royal consort, and as such, you will have a certain amount of power and sway at times. You are a trained diplomat, mal’chik, so all this shouldn’t be too difficult for you to deal with, other than the fangs part,” Sasha added with a wink.
Trace gave an anemic smile, but at least he offered the attempt. It gave Sasha hope they would be okay once Trace came to terms with everything. “I know I am, and I suppose I do need to begin learning what you will require of me here. Will I still be able to serve my role for Alpha Keith and the Glacier Rim Tribe?”
“I don’t need an assistant, hon. I want a partner. Don’t worry. You will be able to still have your job. You’ll have an assistant, remember? He’ll help you keep track of any appointments or plans that will require you be here. He will simply need you to let him know your schedule there so he can keep it all straight.” Sasha paused and turned to smile at Trace. “Even I make sure that I don’t allow this to be all I am. I run a very successful hospital where I make sure the humans are well cared for, remember?”
“True. Thank you. So where are we going?”
“I thought I ought to show you around the parts of the mansion that you haven’t gotten to see yet.”
“Oh?” Trace perked up. “What parts would that be?”
He took Trace’s elbow and tugged him through a door one down from his own office, then flipped on the lights. “What do you think?”
TRACE BLINKED as he stepped into the large office and stared. “Um, what is it?”
“It’s your office for when you’re here. I know you have your office there on the tribe land and all, but that doesn’t do you a bit of good when you’re at the covenstead. So I had this set up for you. You are, of course, free to redecorate as you wish, just as you are in your rooms.” Sasha’s voice cracked on the last word.
Looking around, Trace took in the large wood desk, the delicate inkwells, the assorted pens, both fancy ballpoint and nibbed quill, and he noticed there were even the items needed for making wax seals on letters and parchments. Along with plush carpeting over hardwood floors, gorgeous draperies, plush chairs, and plump throw pillows and cushions, there were also many little Egyptian flairs scattered about the room. Near the desk the
re was a small shrine to Baast set up along the wall. One wall was nothing but bookshelves, part of which were already full of books. He wandered over, trailing his fingers over the spines, noting the names of such things as histories of the coven or the Tolstoi family specifically, or particular other families of note, or areas around the Americas and the world, and a few he couldn’t read even with his extensive language knowledge.
“I have more I’d like to add, and I see there’s certainly plenty of space.”
“Add whatever you wish, just remember that this, while it is your office and does have locks, is a part of the more public part of the estate. Others will be in here, so don’t place anything here you wouldn’t wish others to see.”
“I know you’re older and wiser, but I’m really not an idiot, Sasha.”
“That’s not what I meant, mal’chik.”
“I know.” He looked around again, knowing it was killing Sasha, the not knowing what Trace thought of the room. “Other than adding a few personal touches and maybe a little feline flair,” he finally said as he turned toward Sasha, “it’s perfect. Thank you.”
Sasha held his hand out and waited. Trace sighed but slipped his bare hand into Sasha’s, shivering as their skin met.
“Does my touch truly revolt you so?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s…. I don’t know how to explain it.” Trace paused as he tried to order his rampaging thoughts into some kind of useful order. “Can we…?” He gestured toward one of the chairs and tugged Sasha over, waiting for him to sit before he moved back over to the door. He locked it, then walked slowly to first stand before Sasha, then kneel in front of him. He worked to control his breathing as he stared at his hands.
“I was afraid of you for a long time, but I’m not now. Not really. I’m having a hard time reconciling the fears, the brutality I’ve witnessed, the executions you plan, with the passionate, protective, loving male I know you are. You have shown me nothing but care, loyalty, and l-l-love since I was attacked. Before that in a lot of ways, really. I don’t understand it, but then, I don’t understand how you managed to remove a mating bite or to win over Duncan either.” Trace paused as he caught his breath and fought for control of his body—neither trembling nor shifting right then seemed like a good idea. Well, not if he wanted to get this all out.
“When I heard about Tatiana, I was so angry, but I was scared too. I still couldn’t admit to even myself that I wanted you. That my lynx was right about you, but the idea that someone else would get to bond with you made me ill and near violent all at the same time. I know it doesn’t make any sense—it doesn’t always to me, and it’s my head—but that doesn’t change anything. Still, to know you are capable of being this… violent, brutal killer is hard to handle. The part of me that lived through F-Ford—” He gulped as he forced himself to continue. “—whispers that you could turn that on me if I were to displease you enough. That you could succeed where he didn’t in killing me.”
Sasha leaned forward. “Mal’chick, I swear to you, I would never abuse you. I would never use my powers or abilities against you like that. I would never use your love against you.”
“The rest of me knows that, truly. It’s not that I don’t. It’s that I’m still dealing with a past that may never fully leave me. Can you handle that? Can you accept that, even years, decades, who knows how long down the road, something could cause a trigger, and I might pull away or panic for things that he did? It’s one of the sad side effects that those who choose to love people who have been battered and abused have to deal with. Even as your fated heart, even though you managed to remove his mating mark, I still went through all that. I still almost died in a relationship. It’s why I give so much to domestic abuse shelters and such. Why I wish more places would understand that men can be victims, not just the abusers.”
“Hon, Trace, I don’t care about that as long as I know why you are having trouble. I’ll always be willing to help you. As for the shelters, maybe we can work to help more? For now let’s focus on getting through the current issues. You look tired, and we have more visitors coming.”
“True. Tatiana’s mother is coming. That should be… interesting. She said there’s a ritual she wants to do before her mother and entourage leave that has to do with you taking her in?”
“Yes, it’s very old and rarely done now. It will make her my little sister, sort of. Adoptive and sheltered, basically. It’s not long or elaborate, but it is something taken quite seriously and will likely shake her mother horribly. I’m not sure how she will take it.”
“After things settle we should discuss the ritual you need to do with me, the public one, and then you need to think about choosing your surrogate so you can begin filling your home with laughter and love.”
Sasha sat back and stared at Trace with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. “You mean…. Um.” He cleared his throat. “You mean the royal consort wedding and for us to have a child?”
Trace nodded. It was time Sasha had the family he had obviously always wanted. “Just, um, let’s get through all this first, yes?”
“Yes, my sweet boy. Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
TRACE LOOKED around the small clearing and smiled. The blanket was spread, the basket set out with small finger foods he knew Sasha liked and could eat. He’d also thrown in a few items he hoped he could actually manage to have Sasha use. Now he just had to hope he could convince his nerves and the fear set on loop to shut the hell up long enough to allow him this—to allow them this.
“Sir?” Vasily said as he stepped into view.
“You don’t have to call me that. Trace is fine.”
“It’s not proper, sir. I’m your servant. Prince Sasha gave me to you to serve. Now I have the last of the items you wanted set. Carlton, one of Kelley’s men, has made sure this part of the forest is cleared of all shifters, and I’m the only vampire other than the doctor on your tribe’s land. Until Prince Sasha arrives, that is. Do you need anything else?”
He couldn’t help the sigh that slipped out. Sasha had told him he’d have to have a valet of sorts, though he hadn’t really expected to get one—he’d thought the male was only to be his assistant. Try telling that to Vasily. Trace still wasn’t sure what to do with the boy. He was a trainer and a diplomat for the lynx council, but now he was a royal consort to a vampire prince and had a vampire boy who followed him around to help him all the time. And of all valets to get, he found it almost funny Sasha had to give him Vasily—the boy he had rescued from Vlad that first night, whose excellent training had been wasted under Vlad’s abuse.
“No, things look perfect. Thank you. I’ve told you that I don’t want anyone within hearing range. That includes you.”
“Yes, sir. I know. I will return to the main compound and await you.”
“Thanks.”
Vasily smiled softly. “You will be with the prince, so I won’t worry. Thank you for trusting me with your preparations. If you need nothing further?”
“Have a good night, Vasily.”
“You as well, sir.”
Moments later Trace sat on a fallen tree trunk, alone. He took a few deep breaths as he worked to keep his nerves at bay and his mind focused on what he intended for the evening.
When he heard the slight fluttering of leaves that didn’t quite match the wind, he smiled. “Hello, Sasha.”
Sasha moved up behind Trace, slipping one arm around his chest and nuzzling his ear. His cool breath tickled Trace’s neck when he spoke. “Mmm, hello, mal’chik. Will you tell me what all this is about yet?”
“Us. More.” Trace pushed back into Sasha’s touches and hummed. “I wanted to bring you here to try to….” Dammit, why is it so hard to get the words out? He’d practiced a whole little explanation a few different ways, but when Sasha was there, nope, the words wouldn’t come. Words were what his life entailed, but when he needed them most, nothing!
“Do you need me to step back, love?”
“No! No, I want more. More with you.” Trace closed his eyes tight and fought to push the words out. “T-take me… here… please.”
Sasha twitched against him but didn’t otherwise move right away.
“Stand up.”
Trace stood but didn’t turn. Sasha plastered himself to Trace’s back, somehow lining himself up so his now-rigid cock pressed against Trace’s ass, even though he was much shorter than Trace. Trace wanted to know if he stood on the log or if he was using his abilities, but couldn’t make himself look.
As Trace debated what Sasha was doing, Sasha continued to nibble and kiss up and down Trace’s neck, sucking Trace’s ear before following the edge and whorl with the tip of his tongue, making Trace tremble and whimper. “Take you how, mal’chik? How far do you want me to go?” he rasped.
I want you to fuck me and feed on me! Why can’t I say that? I want to say it. Goddess dammit!
Instead of speaking, Trace rubbed his butt against Sasha’s hard dick and pushed his neck into Sasha’s nips, hoping he would get the idea.
“Mmm… you want me to fill you, mal’chik? Because if you don’t stop rubbing against me like that, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
Trace let out a deliberate moan and rubbed himself against Sasha more.
“I know it’s hard for you to give up control, Trace. To give up your body even to me, but there are times when letting someone else have control—” Sasha maneuvered Trace over to the blanket.
“—is what we both need. Please, Sir,” Trace finished for him.
“You give yourself freely? This isn’t like before, Trace. I cannot do this with you if there is even a touch of another’s influence in this.”
“After….” Trace paused and took a couple of breaths as he worked to find the right words. “After what happened with F-Ford, I didn’t think anyone could want me. Love me. Not really. But even more, the idea of trusting someone with me, with my body again… still terrifies me. However, I know you will never betray my faith in you. You can be violent and a killer, but are also loyal, loving, gentle, and—” Trace finally turned to face Sasha. He slowly lowered first to one knee, then the other, before he bent and kissed the top of each foot. He then sat back up and bowed his head. “—I believe in our bond and in you.”
Fangs with a Heart Page 22