by T. S. Ryder
"Now that we're all here," Aspen said, settling down on a large rock. "We ought to continue our discussion from before. Leon has expressed concerns that the vampire king is using his wiles to lower our guard and restart the war. I have noticed that he's been overly friendly towards me lately as well. And any time a vampire is friendly… well, that is certainly cause for concern."
There were scowls and nods around the circle. Sam narrowed his eyes at the Alpha Wolf.
"If you were so suspicious, why did you take a vampire as your mate?"
Leon frowned back at him. "Originally it was just to stop from giving Harold an excuse to be insulted. But the more I get to know Yuliana, the more I care about her. She is my mate, not only because of convenience but also the mate of my heart."
Sam opened his mouth again, but before he could speak, a sharp howl rang through the air. All the Alphas turned towards the camp below them.
"What is it now?" Aspen grumbled, but Leon's heart was already in his throat.
Below them, vampires were pouring out of the trees and attacking the Shifters that were camped below. And there were a dozen vampires headed right for Yuliana's lean-to.
Chapter Seven – Yuliana
"Let me go!" Yuliana fought against the iron grips around her arms.
She'd never noticed before how bad other vampires smelled. Out among the Shifters, everything was clean and fresh, with a noticeable earthy smell to the world. But these vampires smelled stale, like a room that had been locked shut for a thousand years. It made her gag as she struggled to free herself.
"Yuliana, stop fighting us," a familiar voice ordered.
"Zak?" Yuliana twisted to find her old friend backing up the three vampires that had her in their grips. Her jaw dropped. When the horde of vampires had burst through the trees, attacking the Shifter camp, she had thought it was the king taking the offensive again. But if it was Zak here… "What are you doing?"
"Saving your life." Zak took the place of one of the other vampires. They picked her up bodily, grunting a little, and began running from the camp.
Loud, deep roars and howls echoed down the mountainside. That was why they were running. The Alphas were attacking. Leon was attacking.
"Let me go," she said again, trying to hang as limply as she could while still kicking at the vampires that carried her. "I told you before that I am here—"
"Yuliana, I was never here for you. It was a cover." Zak glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "The king sent me to follow the Wolves and learn more about them. I'm only taking you out of the fight right now because you gave me that knife. You haven't been completely brainwashed by the Shifters yet."
So it was all a ruse all along. Yuliana snarled. When she was free, he'd pay for this! She continued to struggle uselessly. Eventually, the vampires put her down and tied her hands behind her back. Zak threw her over his shoulder and raced away while the other two turned back. The faint scent of Shifter told her why—
Leon was coming after her.
"Leon!" Yuliana shouted. "Leon! I'm here!"
Zak grunted, running faster. Yuliana rocked her body from side to side, making his grip slip. She tumbled off his shoulder, onto the ground. As she scrambled to her feet, Zak lunged for her. She fell again. Her head struck a rock and everything went black.
***
Yuliana's head pounded like she had drunk ten thousand gallons of straight vodka. She didn't want to open her eyes, but memories of what had happened just before she passed out returned. Her heart rate spiked. Hitting her head, even hard enough to knock her out, shouldn’t have kept her down long. But as she blinked open her eyes, she found herself not staring at the forest canopy. Not at the familiar sight of the lean-to canvas. Instead, she was staring at a pale pink ceiling.
Her ceiling. The ceiling she had at home with her parents…
"Leon?" she whimpered.
"You're awake!"
Yuliana's heart jumped at the male voice, but it didn't take long for her brain to register that it wasn't Leon's. She turned her head to find her father sitting beside her. A smile broke over his face. He stroked her hair back from her face.
"Don't worry, Yuliana," he said. "You're safe now. Zak told us about how the Shifters had you drugged at their camp. But you're safe now, you're home and the drugs have worked their way out of your system."
Yuliana frowned. Why would Zak tell them a lie like that? He'd have to know that as soon as she woke up, she'd reveal the truth… But he must have drugged her. He wasn't looking for a lasting lie, just one that would allow him to get out of here as quickly as it could. Anger bubbled in her stomach.
"I wasn't a captive," she growled, pushing herself up. "Where is Leon? Where is my mate?"
Her father stared at her with puzzled eyes. "What?"
"My mate," she repeated. "Where is he? King Harold double-crossed him. I was supposed to help bring harmony between our people, but the king still attacked. Where is he?"
"The Alphas had gathered, to discuss a war strategy against the vampire kingdom."
"No."
Her father put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Yuliana, you—"
"Where is he?"
Her father stared at her for a moment longer before his shoulders slumped. He shook his head and Yuliana's heart stopped. What had the king done with Leon? Had he…
"The Wolf and the rest of the Alphas were taken as prisoners. They are being held at the vampire palace, awaiting their trial and execution."
Yuliana blanched. What was the point of a trial if the execution was already set as the punishment? The anger that had bubbled in her was almost doused by fear, but it came back stronger than before. This was not going to happen! With another growl, she swung out of bed. Her feet were a little unstable–due to Zak's drugs, no doubt–but she wasn't going to let that stop her.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"The palace," Yuliana said. "I'm not going to let him get away with this. Leon is my mate, he's not going to be killed for something he didn't do!"
***
If he was anybody but the king, Yuliana might have attacked him the moment she saw him. But he was the king, and when he smiled at her, his fangs flashing. She was reminded that he could have her ordered beheaded as easily as snapping his fingers. So she forced herself to curtsy and wait for permission to speak.
"Yuliana. What a pleasure to see you again. What brings you here?"
"My mate."
"Your—" The king laughed, clapping his hands lightly. "You mean the Wolf? Don't worry about him. You served your purpose when it came to the Shifters, and unfortunately, Leon decided not to accept the olive branch I extended to him. You can return to your home now."
Yuliana's hands clenched. "I don't think so."
The king sighed heavily. "Oh, I think I know what you want. I can smell pregnancy on you. Don't worry. I'll have my healers terminate it at once, so you don't have to deal with a mongrel child."
Yuliana fell back a step, wrapping her arms around her middle. Was that a threat? That if she didn't just fall back in line and not fight for Leon's life, he'd take her child from her? She couldn't bring herself to ask.
"No," she rasped. "I'm not letting anything happen to my baby."
"Your baby?" The king stepped forward, catching her face in his hand. "Don't tell me you've gone and fallen in love with a Wolf? Is it just because he gave you things you never thought you'd have? You're a pretty girl, Yuliana. You've got a delightful scent. It was why I chose you for that failed mission… but I won't let you be alone again. Let go of the Wolf, and you will have a place as one of my queens."
Yuliana struck his hand away before she knew what she was doing. The king's face darkened, but Yuliana threw back her shoulders and stared him in the eye. Even as she was wondering if she was actually brave enough to say what she wanted to say and do what she wanted to do, she found herself speaking.
"I would never marry you! You are a disgusting liar and I hate you!"
Blood rushed to Yuliana's face. But the implication of her actions also rushed to her mind, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She couldn’t just blow up like that… Apart from not helping Leon and the other Alphas at all, there was also the fact that it could also get her in big trouble.
"Leon never conspired against you. He called that meeting so that the other Alphas could know me as his mate, not to form any sort of attack."
King Harold leaned forward. "Ah, so it was the Wolf that called the meeting? Excellent… it will make proving his guilt even easier."
Yuliana stepped back from him, shaking her head. "He didn't plan to fight against you! You're just looking for an excuse to kill them all. Why?"
"Clearly they have done a number on—"
"I want to see my mate. Please, let me see Leon."
The king drew himself up. Any trace of friendliness disappeared from his face. "I have given you plenty of time to come to your senses. More than what most people would think you deserve. Fine. You want to be with your mate? You can be with him. You will be locked in the dungeons with the Wolf until the operation to terminate your pregnancy."
"I won't—"
"You will terminate the pregnancy or die as a traitor."
Yuliana froze again. The king seemed to like her silence because he smiled again before he called the guard. Her arms were wrapped firmly around her middle as she was lead down to the dungeons. What was she going to do? Everything she wanted, a man who loved her and now a child, were about to be taken away from her. And what could she do about it?
If I had agreed to marry him, would he have spared my little one?
Her stomach churned at the thought, but as she was taken down past the dank levels, that thought kept coming back. There was nothing she could do to save Leon… but maybe there was a way to save their baby…
Chapter Eight – Leon
Leon thought his heart might burst with relief at seeing Yuliana alive. But when she told him what had transpired, he could feel it breaking in two. He held her as she broke into tears. Harold's whole plot was terribly obvious to him now; offer him Yuliana as a mate, send a spy with a near-perfect cover after him. Of course, he'd call the Alphas together to discuss it all. And with the packs there, it was the perfect opportunity to accuse them of restarting hostilities.
All Harold had to do was threaten the innocent to make the Alphas surrender themselves. Even braggarts like Aspen.
He and Yuliana spent the night trying to think of ways to escape this situation. Yuliana kept shivering, making him think that there was something she wasn't telling him. But there was no pushing her on that, not when they had to face the very real threat of Harold forcibly ending her pregnancy. By the time morning came, though, he had a plan–a desperate plan, but what else was there to do?
Harold had gotten his position by proving to everybody that he was the strongest, smartest, and bravest vampire available for the job. If he was challenged, it would be more than a matter of pride that would make him accept. If he didn't fight when challenged, then his position would be weakened.
So the best bet Leon had to protect his unborn child was to challenge Harold to a duel. He'd have to do it publically. The more witnesses there were, the more likely Harold would be forced to accept the challenge. After that…
The door to the cell clanged open. Leon growled as a vampire stepped in. He tried to get to his feet, but the shackles binding his wrists to the floor stopped him.
"It's nice to see those filthy beasts where they belong, eh?" one of the guards chuckled. He pointed at Yuliana. "King Harold wants you. Come along now, quietly."
Leon yanked against his restraints, snarling so fiercely that despite the fact there was no way he could reach him, the two guards accompanying the first backed away. He felt a sense of grim satisfaction at the fear in their eyes, but their fear wasn't going to get him close to Harold. He still growled but forced himself to calm down.
"Wherever she goes, I go," Leon said. "Understand me, vampires?"
The one that seemed to be in charge narrowed his eyes but shrugged. "The king said to bring you, too. I don't know what it's all about, but who am I to argue against the king? But if you cause us any trouble, you won't be coming back to the dungeons. You'll end up sitting on a spike outside."
Leon resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the vampire's theatrics. The two others came in and pulled Yuliana away. They put a second set of shackles around Leon's wrists before undoing the first set. Clearly, they had no confidence in their own strength. It was laughable.
Soon they were brought before Harold. A woman in a long, white dress stood beside him in a stark white room. Her face was blank, hands behind her back. A surgical table sat in the center of the room, and Leon's blood ran cold. This was why he was brought up here. They were meaning to…
"Fight me," Leon snarled.
Harold glared at him. "Excuse me?"
"Fight me! Unless you're too afraid of a Shifter."
Were there enough witnesses to actually provoke him into action? At first, Leon thought Harold was just going to laugh at him, but when he glanced at the other vampires, the Alpha knew he had him. The vampires stared at their king with expectant expressions. Harold shrugged.
"If that's what you want. What you think you'll accomplish from this, though…"
"I intend to protect my mate and unborn child, Vampire," Leon snarled back. "I am going to defeat you, and you will let her go unscathed."
Harold snorted. "We will go out to the courtyard, then, so everybody can see your defeat."
Yuliana reached towards Leon, but the other vampires grabbed her and held her back. Leon growled but kept himself calm. He needed to do this by the book. Defeat Harold squarely. Still, he had to struggle not to attack the guards as they hustled him and Yuliana out of the surgery. As they headed down to the courtyard, more and more vampires joined the procession. By the time they made it to their destination, it seemed like the whole palace had joined them. Word traveled fast.
"This Shifter thinks that he can defeat me," Harold proclaimed. "But we'll see about that. Let loose his shackles."
Harold made a big show out of taking off his shirt while Leon was unshackled. Yuliana was still guarded. She caught his eye and shook her head, but he ignored her silent protest. This was how it would be. He wasn't going to just give up, and if he had a chance to knock down this vampire a peg or two in the process of protecting her and their child, it would be worth it.
He slid down to a crouch when the shackles were let off him. Leon kept his eyes on the vampire king as the others backed away, leaving a wide space that was just him and Harold. It was reminiscent of his recent fight with Sam, with one major difference.
Harold would not hesitate to go in for the kill, and neither could Leon. He took a deep breath in, savoring the scent of Yuliana, and then shoved all his emotions away. In this arena, emotion would only end up killing him.
"What, not going to Shift?" Harold sneered. "I thought you cowards always—"
Leon sprang from his crouch. Harold barely had time to dodge him as he landed lightly right in front of the vampire. He slammed out both fists, one from each direction. Harold easily slipped through and jumped at him. He grabbed Leon around the neck and let his body hang limp. Leon yanked back against the deadweight, but even as he did so, Harold used his momentum to swing around behind him.
Thick, strong arms crushed Leon's throat. His position made it nearly impossible to reach Harold–nearly. He caught the vampire's legs and held them fast as he threw himself backward. As he landed hard he heard and felt a satisfying crunch. Harold gasped for breath, but Leon wasn't about to give him any advantage. He shifted h
is grip so he had Harold in a wrestling hold, then jumped to his feet and threw him across the courtyard.
The vampire hadn't even landed when guards darted in from the sides and grabbed Leon's arms. He shook them off briefly before they were on his again, punching and kicking at him until he was driven to his knees. He grunted in pain.
Harold got to his face, his pale features twisted with fury. His eyes narrowed and his fangs flashed. Leon growled, struggling against the vampires that held him down. Perhaps he had misjudged vampire culture. Perhaps proving himself strong wasn't actually something Harold cared to do.
"You cannot fight me fairly, yet I am the coward?" Leon snarled. "But then, why should I have expected honor from the likes of you?"
Harold pulled a silver blade from his belt. "I will cut out that tongue of yours before I put your head on a spike!"
He started forward, eyes blazing. Leon intensified his struggles. He was able to get one arm free before the vampires subdued him again. Harold stopped before him and grabbed a handful of his hair. Leon braced himself, not for the pain about to come, but for the opportunity it would present him. All he needed was one small opening—
"Stop!" Yuliana screamed. "Please! Stop! Don't kill him."
Harold didn't release Leon's hair but turned. "Why should I?"
"I'll do whatever you want me to do–I'll marry you if that's what you want from me! Just please don't—"
"Marry you?" Harold's eyes narrowed. "My dear girl, I offered you a place among my queens for one purpose. To show my subjects that I reward them for the sacrifices that they make. I asked a terrible thing of you, mating with this mongrel, laying with him, conceiving his child. But believe me when I say it would have been no pleasure on my part to play the duties of a husband with you."
Yuliana shook her head. Her eyes narrowed. "Is that why you were so angry when I rejected you? Because I insulted your pride?"
Harold roared, wheeling away from Leon. He charged towards Yuliana. She stepped back but rose her chin defiantly. Harold stopped just before her, glaring downwards. His chest heaved. Leon tore his arm free again, only to be caught seconds later. His heart pounded. His throat went dry.