The Shifter’s Hostage

by T. S. Ryder

Gavin turned. Aria's eyes were wide, a pale flush in her cheeks, horror on her face. But was that all there was? Was there desire as well? Anger and jealousy flooded him. He seized Aria around the waist and pulled her towards the door. Monique rose a brow at him, and he snarled at her.

  "This conversation is over."

  Aria was silent as he headed back towards their room. She had said she wanted to go see some of the famous Paris sights, but after that, he was inclined to just take her home. He didn't need to deal with this. The anger built the further they got from Monique's study.

  When they were back in their rooms, he turned on Aria. "What were you doing?"

  "I was calling her out for her—"

  "I meant with him." He narrowed his eyes. "I saw the way you were ogling him."

  Aria blinked. She stepped back from him. "You're angry with me because that… woman pulled out a man to breed me with?"

  "Humans are ruled by their hormones—"

  "Don't even start." Aria put her hand on his chest and shook her head. The pale flush that had been in her cheeks darkened. "I don’t go around sleeping with every person I think is attractive. And don't you dare get mad at me for something somebody else did. I don’t need that in my life."

  "You and I have an agreement," Gavin said, ignoring her words. "You belong to me—"

  Smack! He didn’t even see her hand until it slapped across his face. Gavin jumped, startled.

  A look of horror flashed over Aria's face, but she quickly schooled it away. She stepped back from him. "I don't belong to you. I belong to me. And if I want to have sex with some over-buffed caveman, I will. You don't own me!"

  Gavin opened his mouth, but she turned on her heel. She marched away from him, head held high. An awful, sick feeling sank into his stomach. He wanted to go after her but didn't know what to say.

  What does it matter? She's leaving as soon as we get home.

  He turned away and repeated that to himself. It was true. He didn't own her. And it was a good thing, too. He didn't need someone that temperamental and hot-headed in his employ. So she had good blood. He could find a million others like her who would be more than willing to be with him and not demand anything back.

  He didn't need her… He closed his eyes, breathing deeply to calm his mind. I don't need her.

  Chapter Five – Aria

  If he'd just apologize, she would forgive him in a heartbeat.

  Aria stared out the window, her arms folded over her chest as the French landscape zipped by. Getting mad at her because of something somebody else did was bad enough, but Gavin was acting as if she should be apologizing to him. Yeah, slapping him had been a mistake – and she had apologized for it – but she wasn't going to back down on everything else. He had no right to be angry with her over Monique's caveman – as if the vampire queen saying she chose a man for Aria to 'breed' with instantly made her a guilty party.

  She certainly wasn't going to apologize for being angry that he said she belonged to him. Like she was his property. Like it was her job to keep his ego intact.

  Gavin sat across from her in the limo, looking poised as ever, also watching the scenery. She hated seeing him like that. As soon as she opened her mouth to talk to him, he'd be cold and distant, like he had been since the whole incident happened. They had spent two days in Paris, and every minute she was on her feet, at his elbow while he talked trade and other diplomatic things that she had no interest in. At night, he'd gulp down a mouthful of blood and send her away.

  It was almost as if now that he'd taken her virginity, there was nothing else about her that interested him. Aria hadn't expected any sort of deep commitment. She hadn't even expected to start dating. But it would have been nice to at least be acknowledged. Maybe sleeping in his bed that first night they were there had been too much. But he hadn't protested.

  "Are you still mad at me?" Gavin asked suddenly.

  "Yeah. I am."

  Gavin growled. "Why?"

  She narrowed her eyes at the king. "If you're seriously asking me that… You know what? This is over. As soon as my father's debt is paid, I'm out of here."

  Gavin's eyes widened. "What?"

  "What, what? I want nothing more to do with you." Tears pricked her eyes and her stomach churned. "You acted like a decent person until I spread my legs for you. Then all of a sudden humans aren't people, they're just your trade resources. We're nothing more than hormone-driven animals to you."

  "I never said that."

  "Yes, you did. You got mad at me because of Monique's breeding program, and I never heard you say anything about not participating in it."

  Gavin folded his arms and turned his face away, chewing the inside of his cheek. The fact that he wasn't denying it made it that much worse. Aria's fists clenched. She wanted some sort of reaction from him, something to show that he understood where she was coming from!

  "Well?" she demanded. "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

  "I think you've said it all."

  Aria swallowed down bile. What else had she been expecting? Her father's debt would be paid in two years. She'd have to find a way to make this bearable until then. But, for the moment, she wanted to be as far away from the king as possible.

  "Stop the car, I'm getting carsick. I need some air."

  ***

  Four Months Later

  The universe hated her. There was no other explanation for everything that was happening. Everything from finding out her father owed Gavin a massive debt to… this moment. Aria stretched out on her plush couch, phone to her ear as she waited for her father to pick up. Her natural weight was helping to conceal it for now, but it wouldn't be long until Gavin found out.

  "Hello?"

  The sound of her father's voice made relief wash over her and her eyes fill with tears. "Hi, Papa."

  "Aria? What's wrong, honey? You sound like you've been crying."

  "No. No, I'm not crying." Not yet at least. "Papa? I'm pregnant." Silence. Nausea hit her, but she breathed through it. "Papa? Are you still there?"

  "I'm here. What happened? Did he… hurt you?"

  She knew he would react this way. Her father had always seen her as the perfect angel girl. She had never felt comfortable talking to him about any feminine things. They hadn't actually ever had a discussion about sex or menstrual cycles. Sonya's mother had told her about that kind of stuff. In fact, she had her period for almost two years before she told her father. And that was because all of her allowances was being spent on pads, and she was tired of having no money for herself.

  "He didn't hurt me, Papa. I… I may have lost my head, but he didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do. But I don't know what to do now. I don't know if he's going to believe me…" Aria sniffed. "I didn't know a vampire could get me pregnant."

  "Come home, Aria. If you can't trust him, then he's no good for you."

  Aria sighed. Leaving Gavin and returning home was tempting. Their relationship hadn't improved at all since Paris. Was there any hope for the future? But even leaving wasn't an option. "If I come back home, you'll go to jail to settle your debt. I can't have that happen, Papa."

  "No." Her father's voice was shocked. "Aria, honey, the debt has been expunged. I heard about it about four months ago. I thought you knew. I thought you were staying to earn more money to help with your university."

  The debt was paid? Ice flooded her as she remembered the first day she had been here… when things were growing heated between her and Gavin, and she told him that if he wanted to sleep with her he had to wipe out her father's debt. Apparently, he had taken it to heart.

  And when he had taken her in the limo on their way to Paris, he must have decided that she was worth the price. No wonder he had gotten so angry when Queen Monique brought out that caveman. Gavin thought that he had bought her. He thought she really did belong to him.

  Her stomach churned. The tears she had been fighting started to pour down her face. "I've got to go, Papa. I'll call you later."
/>
  "Aria—"

  "I have to go."

  She hung up. What an idiot she had been… sticking around here for four months when she should have known that Gavin would have considered their intimacies just a business transaction. All the blood she had given him since – was she getting paid for that? Her chest ached as she held in a sob. She hated this. Hated that this is how she was going to have her first child.

  And that was another thing. Both her hands rested on her belly. When she realized she was pregnant, her first reaction had been sheer joy. But that was quickly tempered by uncertainty. How could she be a mother in this situation? Especially with a father who was the vampire king…

  She hadn't told Gavin about her pregnancy. He probably already knew. He probably didn't care. Or maybe that was why he was keeping her around now, even though the debt was paid. Maybe what he wanted from her now was the baby. In any case, it hurt more than she cared to admit, knowing that he had treated her like a prostitute. Even though he had no reason to treat her any other way.

  She glanced at her cell phone and jumped. It was almost time for Gavin to drink from her. She hurriedly turned on a movie, fast-forwarding it to a sad part to excuse her tears.

  She was just in time. Gavin entered the room moments later. He stopped in the doorway, looking startled for a moment. His gaze flickered to the TV and he sighed. Aria paused the movie as he came in, wiping her face while she shrugged off her cardigan.

  "How are you today?" the king asked her stiffly. "Do you feel better?"

  "A bit. But I'm still really tired." She had told him she had a cold, and that was why she had been staying in her room rather than standing at his side throughout the day's business. "I'd like to stay in and rest for a few more days, though."

  Gavin nodded. He sat down beside her and took her wrist in his hands. She tugged it free. If he drank, he would leave right away. She needed to talk to him about this. But how? Just blurting out that she was pregnant didn't seem like a great idea. Although if he already knew, it didn't matter the way she told him.

  "I heard that vampires and humans can still have babies together," she blurted. "Even though you're undead… I mean, all the myth stuff isn't true. You can go out into the sun and you don't turn into a bat… And you used to be human, right? So it's possible?"

  The king snorted. "No. It is impossible for vampires to either become pregnant or father a child. I've heard of those myths where a human claims to have gotten pregnant by a vampire, but that's all it is. A myth. Those humans are just covering up their infidelity. They're liars."

  He'd think she was a liar, too. Aria knew she shouldn't care, but his words stung. As Gavin grasped her wrist again, she thought about telling him. Maybe even telling him she knew that her debt was gone and there was no reason for her to stay. As his fangs pierced her skin and she began shuddering, she decided that she wasn't going to say anything. Not yet, at least.

  It's because I don't want to give up this finery, she thought, her toes curling into the silk rug. That's it. I just don't want to give this up.

  Chapter Six – Gavin

  He would never tire of the noises she made while he drank from her. It made his skin tighten, burning fires rage inside him, and his mind to drift to images of bliss. Gavin had found himself coming to her more often than was necessary, just to hear these noises and feel this close to her. She had stayed with him for four months longer than was necessary, and he wanted to believe that maybe this was more than business to her.

  But then there was this. The king withdrew, licking her blood from his lips, and she immediately pulled away from him. Frustration welled inside him. What did she want from him? Why stay when she made it clear she was disgusted by him?

  Or maybe the question was, what did he want from her?

  This was a business agreement. He agreed to this because of her blood type and wanted her to stay because she was a spitfire and he liked that. He had thrown caution to the wind and had given her himself, despite knowing it would mean he'd lose her. He'd have lost her eventually anyway, and he wanted to give her something of him that she would have forever. And yes, he also wanted something from her that he could have forever… but ever since Paris, she had been distant with him.

  Maybe he should just apologize for the way he had overreacted there…

  "I thought maybe we could go for a drive later in your new car." He fished a set of keys from his pocket and pressed them into her hand. "It's a Lexus. I remember you saying that you wanted one when you first came to the palace. And this is my gift to you. You don't have to give it back when… our arrangement is done."

  "Thank you."

  Gavin waited for a beat. "You're still mad at me for Paris, aren't you?"

  "What makes you think that?"

  Gavin stared at Aria's profile. She looked straight ahead, stubbornly not meeting his gaze. He opened his mouth to say he was sorry, but the words choked him. He closed his mouth again. What did he owe her? They had been clear when they came into this what they wanted, and that wasn't going to change.

  "I'll see you later," he snapped. He almost winced at his tone.

  Aria turned a dark look on him. "Don't bother. I'm going to go back to bed. I don't think it's a good idea for me to be giving you blood when I'm sick."

  His hand clenched. He turned on his heel and left her apartment, irritated with her and with himself. How could he entertain diplomats the world over? Why did he always talk himself into such a bind with one person?

  He stormed through the halls, grinding his teeth and muttering oaths to himself. It was half an hour later that he realized he was late for a meeting with the human chief of police. Apparently, the kidnapping problem had not been resolved, despite him sending more resources to figure it out. He marched to his study, where the sniveling little man was waiting. He held an armful of paper files. The human bowed to the king, some of the files slipping from his arms as he did so.

  "My lord, thank you for agreeing to see me."

  "And what am I seeing you for?"

  "We have reports of kidnappings."

  Gavin rolled his eyes. "And this is new because…?"

  "Over twenty-five humans have been taking in the last four months. And eye-witnesses from multiple kidnappings claim that vampires are to blame." The chief placed his files on Gavin's desk. "It's fairly damning evidence, my lord."

  Gavin frowned. He opened the first file and flipped through it. It was a pretty, mid-twenties girl with black hair and blue eyes. The next was a man. Late sixties. The next a heavy-set woman with a nose ring. The king's brow furrowed as he read the information on them. None of the victims appeared to have any sort of connection to each other. As if they were taken by separate people… or by random. Could this be retaliation from Monique because he refused to take part of her breeding program?

  "Investigate the possibility that this might be Queen Monique. But be discreet. I don't want her to find out and get offended if she isn't part of this."

  The chief nodded. "We would like to assign a position to an undercover agent to try to follow the trail."

  "Do it, then."

  Gavin moved to the window as the man continued talking. If Monique was stealing his citizens, he would have to—

  He jumped, startled, when he saw a familiar figure moving through the courtyard to the garage. Aria. His heart leaped to his throat and he turned back to the chief. "Coordinate with my head of security. You have my authority to do whatever is necessary to solve this."

  "My lord—"

  Gavin waved his hand, already out the door. She said she was going to sleep. Why would she be heading out, then? He rushed out of the palace in time to see the new Lexus he had just bought for her drive away. There was no need for her to leave. Anything she wanted or needed, she could send for… unless she was leaving leaving.

  His skin was cold as he raced for the garage. There were no guards around, but he ignored that fact. He was a king and a powerful vampire. He could take
care of himself. The regular limo sat in its normal spot, but it was too ostentatious to be bothered with today. Instead, he hopped on one of the motorcycles his messengers rode and took off after the Lexus.

  As soon as he left the palace grounds, he lost her in traffic. Gavin cursed as he wove between vehicles, searching for Aria. His mind raced. Could she be going to pick up something for her cold? Or maybe she was visiting home… Yes, that had to be it. She was going to visit her father. With a destination in mind, he turned the bike over the center line and headed for her childhood home.

  He got there just in time to see Aria entering Sonya's house. He drove the motorbike right onto the lawn, dread and anger warring within him. If Aria didn't want to be with him, and she came here, to her ex lover's house…

  He hesitated just outside the door. It didn't have to be anything sexual going on here. So what if she was visiting her friend? She could be feeling cooped up and needed a break. Maybe her friend had called with an emergency. There was any number of reasons for this, and not one of them required him to be jealous.

  I don't own her.

  Aria's voice drifted from an open window. "I just don't know what to do."

  "You can't hide it forever."

  "I know. But Gavin doesn't believe that vampires can get humans pregnant, so how am I supposed to explain this?"

  Ice flooded Gavin's veins. Aria was pregnant? That meant that she… Had her actions on the way to Paris just been her trying to convince him that he was the father? Or had she left her chambers while they were at Monique's palace to be with the man Monique had chosen to breed with her? Had she slept with him in defiance of Gavin's declaration that she was his?

  And this morning, she had asked that to see if she could claim he was the father.

  He slammed the door open, storming in. Sonya and Aria were standing nearby. Both jumped when he came in. Sonya's hand flew to her mouth, but Aria quickly regained her composure.

  "Gavin, what are you—"

  "You're pregnant?"

  Aria closed her eyes briefly. She nodded. "Yes. I am. But—"