The Vampire Prince’s Bride

by T. S. Ryder

  He'd had casual flings in the past, and of course there had been Melissa, but looking into Claire's eyes he wanted something more. Something deeper.

  Shit. Adam's right. I want her for life.

  "I… like that idea more than I should," Claire said, licking her lips.

  He stared at the two plump bows, red as raspberries. Everything about her was edible, and Roland wanted to eat her up. If the way her eyes kept flickering to his mouth meant anything, she was feeling the same way. He stepped closer to her, twisting one of her curls around his finger.

  "Because I'm connected to an open investigation?" He was surprised at how low and husky his voice was.

  "Yeah." Claire swallowed. He could almost hear her heart thumping. "And because I don't think you're asking me to stay for an innocent slumber party."

  He stared into her eyes. "I'm not."

  She moved so swiftly that it surprised him. Her mouth was on his, filling him with the taste of chocolate and raspberries. Roland's eyes widened, but his wolf howled just as it howled at the moon and he grasped her, pulling her closer, parting her lips with his. Their bodies pressed flush against together, heat building with every touch.

  "We can't," she gasped suddenly, pulling away. "You're not a suspect so there's nothing actually against the rules about it, but I'm still investigating the murder of the woman you were sleeping with. After the case is closed will be fine, but right now… it's just too complicated. We have to stop."

  Roland actually growled. His whole body felt tight, and he picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Claire squealed in protest.

  "Put me down! You'll hurt yourself."

  "I won't hurt myself. And as for stopping… it's too late for the two of us." He pressed her back against the wall. With a moan, Claire tangled her hands in his hair and pressed her full, raspberry lips against his, thrusting her tongue into his mouth.

  Roland gladly returned the gesture, his wolf howling with delight.

  "Okay," Claire gasped as he moved to kiss her neck. "I'll stay the night. But you'd better make me waffles tomorrow."

  "Waffles," Roland agreed, carrying her towards the guesthouse. "And bacon and eggs. Anything you want."

  Chapter Four

  Claire groaned, pacing back and forth as her laptop loaded. It was the middle of the night, but her stomach was cramping so badly that she couldn’t sleep. She had taken some of the medicine her doctor prescribed for her period cramps. It was just starting to kick in, but in the meantime she thought she might as well work a little on the case to take her mind off the pain.

  There was a new email from the ME in her inbox, and Claire settled down, rubbing her tender stomach. These cramps weren't as bad as the ones she usually had during her period, but they still felt like she had been kicked in the ovaries. She briefly glanced at her other emails. Most could wait, but one from Roland caught her eye. They had been emailing and texting regularly ever since the night of Melissa's wake.

  Claire's cheeks flushed, remembering the night she had spent with him. She had caught herself off guard, kissing him so fiercely. The night had been explosive, magical even. She wasn't usually the type to set herself up for a one night stand, but she had felt no regrets at all at tearing off Roland's clothes and devouring him. And it wasn't really a one night stand, was it? After all, they were in regular contact, and even if she was too busy for coffee or dinner, Roland was still insisting that they go out when they both had an evening to spare.

  She opened the ME's email, saving Roland's for later. A frown crossed her face as she read. The tox screen for Melissa's blood had just come back. High levels of adrenaline and cortisol, expected from the stress of being attacked and beaten.

  There were also high concentrations of mifepristone and misoprostol in her blood. They were drugs used for abortions, but there was no evidence that she had been pregnant recently. There was nothing to account for these drugs.

  Claire winced as a cramp shot through her stomach, but breathed through it. Roland had outright said that he was sleeping with Melissa. It was possible that she had gotten pregnant and then gotten an abortion, but the ME had specifically said there was no indication she had been pregnant recently. There was no reason for her to be taking the drugs. Even if she had been pregnant, the doses were far too high: so high they were enough to kill her.

  "Was she purposely taking the drugs to make sure she didn't get pregnant?" Claire's brow furrowed. She stood again, pacing as her cramps intensified. Walking helped to ease them somewhat. "Birth control would be less dangerous and more effective."

  She glanced at the clock. Great. It was 4:30 in the morning and she hadn't slept the whole night. Claire dragged a hand through her hair. If she left now, it would be at least 6:00 before she got out to Roland's house to confront him with this new information.

  "Can't go by myself," she muttered, needing to fill the silence of her home. "If I talk to Roland, maybe Grace can speak with Adam at the same time."

  The head of security didn't seem to like her much. Claire didn’t know why, and she didn’t really care. All she knew was that Grace got a lot more information out of him than she did. Quickly dialing the younger detective, she left a message to meet her at Roland's mansion as soon as she could, then headed out. She could at least take another look at the crime scene, and see if there was anything she had missed.

  She kept the windows down as she drove. The night was bright, the full moon hanging heavy in the sky, but the air was cool and helped to ease her cramps. Her foot might have been a little heavy on the gas, because she arrived at Roland's mansion half an hour earlier than she had intended.

  Claire mentally shrugged as she got out of the car. She had keys to the mansion and the crime scene. Roland had told the department that nobody was living in the mansion until all this was sorted out, so it wasn't like she would be disturbing anybody if she took another look around.

  Before she reached the front door of the mansion, a bone-tingling howl pierced through the still, dark air.

  Claire froze. Under the light of the moon, she could see everything around her clearly. She had never paid much attention to the grounds before, as she had always been fascinated by the huge white mansion, paired with the cozy guest house several yards away. The grounds were smooth and perfectly manicured, bright green like a golf course. But just beyond the lawn were trees.

  In the day, they looked weary, old even. They were cedars with drooping branches and curtains of scaly leaves hanging down. In the night, they looked downright threatening. Claire shivered.

  "Just a dog," she muttered.

  The howl sounded again. It was closer this time, and a second answered it, then a third and fourth, more howls joining in until it sounded like an orchestra, all in perfect harmony. The sound echoed around Claire, making her shudder. Wolves? She was always a city girl–the one time her parents took her camping as a child, they'd packed up and left in the middle of the night because she had got scared and cold.

  When the howls faded away, Claire let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Maybe it would be better to lay down in her car for a little bit, to try to get some rest.

  As she stepped off the porch, a movement at the forest edge caught her eye. Something huge exited the trees. Was it a bear? Claire narrowed her eyes, peering at it. No, it wasn't shaped right for a bear. One of the wolves she had heard? But it was standing, like a man. Could Roland be out hunting in the middle of the night?

  The creature dropped to all fours and bolted across the yard at her. Adrenaline surged. Claire rushed back to her car, heart in her throat. She slammed the door behind her and stuck the key into the ignition.

  The creature was on the porch now. In a single bound, it leaped across the remaining space and landed with a solid thump on the hood of her car. Claire's eyes widened. The thing was humanoid in shape, with a barrel-like chest, thick, banded arms and thighs the size of tree trunks. Yellow eyes glared out of a wolfish face, teeth p
ulled back in a snarl. The whole car seemed to vibrate with its growls.

  A sharp-clawed hand curled into a first and smashed against the windshield. Claire screamed, hands shaking so badly she almost couldn't turn the key. The engine roared to life and the headlights flickered on. A dozen more creatures like the one on her car were at the edge of the yard now, snapping and snarling.

  The windshield cracked, spider webs spreading over the glass. All the creatures were on her now, fists and claws flying, jaws ripping off the mirrors and tearing at the metal. Claire stomped on the gas, but before she could go more than a few feet, the creatures had all gathered on one side of the car. They caught her vehicle, flipping it easily. The windows popped, showering her with glass, as her car landed on its roof.

  Growling surrounded her. Yellow eyes glowered at her. The nearest creature lunged.

  A black shape bowled into it, snarling. The creature yelped, howled, and yelped again. The others drew back from her car as a second creature charged at them. They gathered back in the yard, crouched on hands and knees, heads bowed.

  Claire gasped as she watched her rescuer tear into the creature that had been coming for her. Dark liquid splashed around them, and it was only when her attacker slumped down, panting heavily but not moving, that her rescuer stopped its ferocious attack.

  Werewolves.

  It was only now, staring at the creatures as they cowered on the lawn before the one that stood over her attacker, that Claire allowed the impossible word enter her mind. Werewolves. They were werewolves. Her eyes were wide as she hung upside down, her seatbelt digging into her flesh. She didn't dare move to unbuckle herself as she stared at the creatures that could not exist.

  The werewolf that had rescued her from the others grabbed the one it had defeated by the neck and threw it in among the others. It–he–tossed back his head and clenched his fists. A howl echoed through the air, making Claire's heart beat faster.

  The other werewolves were silent. All flinched and backed away.

  She didn't know how long they stayed there, but it seemed like all of a sudden the night turned to day. The sun crept up over them, casting long shadows. The werewolves moaned, shielding their faces. Sounds like splintering bone filled the air. Claire watched, eyes wide, hardly able to believe what she was seeing as the beasts began writhing. First one, then another; claws retreated, fur fell off in clumps and men were left naked and shivering on the ground.

  Her rescuer was the last to change back. He didn't flinch or writhe, standing absolutely still his as fur fell off him, revealing strong legs, ropes of muscle on his back and tousled blond hair.

  Claire's eyes darted over the werewolves. She recognized them. All of them were Roland's employees. Adam was on his knees when his face changed back, and he glanced over at Claire with terror in his eyes.

  A strong, clear voice sounded. "Get them out of here."

  Claire's heart rate increased again, and she tasted bile. She knew that voice. She knew who her rescuer, the leader of these werewolves, was. She didn't want to believe it, but then he turned. Roland's amber eyes pierced into her own.

  Chapter Five

  Claire didn't fight him as Roland carried her into the guesthouse. Her warmth in his arms, her scent in his nostrils, everything about her made him want to throw back his head and howl. He wanted to claim her in every way he could, wanted to show her that she was his and that no one else could ever touch her. His wolf was still strong inside him, demanding that he take his mate.

  His mate.

  He had resisted thinking of her in those terms until he had nearly lost her. If he had been two seconds later when the wolves attacked… It should never have gotten to that point. He should have kept the pack with him at all times. Brian had challenged him in the forest, and he had turned his back on the challenge, not wanting a fight. He had thought that they would both regret it in the morning.

  It was a mistake that had nearly cost him everything. When the wolves scented Claire they had all run after her, Brian at their head.

  If Roland hadn't turned his back, if he had taken on the challenge and put Brian back into his place at once, then they would never have gone after her. They would have scented the sweet smell of his pup inside her and cowered before her, the Alpha's mate. They wouldn’t have attacked, trying to kill.

  Roland kicked the door shut behind them and carried Claire to the couch. She hadn't said a word since he had pulled her out of the car, though he could smell no injuries on her. Shock, then. Anxiety coursed through him as he settled her onto the couch.

  "Are you hurt?" he asked, kneeling in front of her.

  Adam could deal with the pack for now. Right now Roland was too tempted to beat them all senseless. But they could not be held accountable for their actions under the full moon's sway. They couldn't keep their minds when their wolves emerged.

  Claire stared at him. "You're a werewolf."

  Roland winced at her flat tone, but nodded. "I am."

  "A werewolf," she repeated.

  "Werewolf," he agreed. "I'm going to go dress and then we can talk, okay?"

  Claire snorted, her eyes turning hard. "I don't think so. You're going to answer my questions right now or I'm leaving."

  "In your car?" Roland raised an eyebrow at her. "Claire, you're in shock—"

  "I get shot at on a regular basis. Some werewolves," she bit out the word, face twisting, "aren't going to faze me. So is that what happened to Melissa? Did she find out about your secret?"

  Roland growled at the unspoken accusation, but clamped down on his rising anger as her eyes widened. He swallowed thickly. "Melissa was part of the pack. She was a werewolf, too."

  "And you were sleeping with her."

  "Yes."

  Claire's eyes narrowed. "So she was like your mate?"

  Roland almost laughed. It was a question that all new werewolves asked, whether having sex with somebody meant they were mated to them. He shook his head. "Mates are drawn to each other on a genetic level. Just because we had sex doesn't mean we were mates or even loved each other. It was…"

  He sighed. Claire waited, her gaze not moving, but he was reluctant to tell her. Eventually he began talking, telling her about how he was a born werewolf, as was Adam, but the others had all been human. He told her about how that made their wolves too strong during the full moon to keep their wits about them, and why they needed him, their Alpha, to keep them from doing things they would regret in the morning. He could almost see her eyes turn green with envy when he explained that he and Melissa were trying to have children together for that very reason.

  "You two were trying to have kids?"

  "We didn't love each other," he hurriedly explained, as her hands clenched. Her jealousy surprised and thrilled him. "We knew what needed to be done and agreed to do it. That's all there was to it."

  "There were drugs in her system that would cause abortion, though." Claire's brows knit in confusion.

  A shock went through Roland. Why would she be taking abortion drugs? Her pain at every miscarriage had been so strong. She'd never have ended a pregnancy on purpose. He wet his lips. Did she think he'd be angry with her for not wanting to go through more miscarriages?

  "We hadn't had sex in months. She always lost the babies during the full moon. If she was pregnant, it wasn't mine."

  "She didn't have any signs of being pregnant recently."

  Roland pulled back, forehead creased. "Why would she be taking the drugs, then?"

  "Maybe she didn't know she was taking them. The other members of your pack, did any of them have designs on Melissa?"

  He couldn't help but admire how quickly she slipped back into the role of detective, despite what she had seen. Hesitantly, he put his hand on hers, hoping she wouldn't pull away. He breathed a sigh of relief when she spread her fingers to twine with his. His wolf sighed in contentment, but Roland knew better than to get his hopes too high. She was human. Even if she was his mate, that didn't mean that she would se
e him as her mate, or that she would ever agree to be with him again.

  "During the full moon, all the males were drawn to her," he said quickly, trying to pull his mind away from the fact that he might lose Claire. "But as soon as she made it clear she wasn't interested, all attentions ended. It wasn't my pack. None of them would have hurt Melissa. They knew how important she was."

  Claire nodded slowly. "Does anybody else—"

  "Claire, I know it's your job to solve that murder, but I have to tell you something." His heart hammered. She needed to know that she was carrying his pup. If he didn't tell her now, he might not have the courage to ever say it.

  "We have to examine the possibility that Melissa was targeted because of your… um…"

  "Lupine nature?" Roland couldn't help but smile. "Please, there is something more important."

  Claire yanked her hand away from him, eyes narrowing. "More important than solving the murder of a woman?"

  "I didn't mean it like that. I meant that it's more personally important. For you."

  "Are you seriously trying to deflect me from doing my job? You do want—"

  "You're pregnant."

  All the color drained from Claire's face, leaving her looking almost like a corpse. Her eyes widened and, even with his deafened senses, Roland could hear her heart rate pick up. She swallowed several times. Roland hesitated. What did he say to her now?

  "It's mine," he added uselessly.

  "How do you even know that?"

  "I could smell it. When the moon was up."

  "You could smell it."

  Claire's eyes widened and she clutched the arm of the couch. It struck Roland suddenly that he was still crouching naked before her, but he pushed the thought aside. He wanted desperately to comfort his mate, but what could he say? Telling her that she was his mate would only serve to terrify her further.

  "Will it be a we- like you?"

  Roland sighed and nodded. "I told you I was a born werewolf. Well, that's how it works with us. It seems that being a werewolf is a dominant gene. You only need one werewolf parent to become a werewolf yourself. And getting bitten injects the gene or mutates the DNA or something. I've got people researching it, but without actually being able to tell them… Anyway, yes. The baby will be a werewolf."