The Shifter's Catch

by T. S. Ryder

  He laughed and Alexandru had to fight the urge to rip off his head right then. He did not have the authority to kill Vlad and he would be executed himself if he did. "Get out of my home."

  "Tut, tut, so touchy."

  "Out!" Alexandru roared, advancing, but before he could reach Vlad, his brother had slipped out the window and out of sight.

  Alexandru rushed to the window, looking down. There was no sign of Vlad. He scowled. Vlad was like that, the slippery devil. Their brothers had often complained of the same thing. He was able to slip in and out of even the most heavily fortified palace, leaving hardly any trace behind. Some thought he dabbled in witchcraft, or could turn into a bat as some humans believed vampires could.

  Both were ridiculous notions, but Vlad did have some sort of skill that the rest of them didn't. Alexandru suspected that was the reason the Empress put up with him.

  When I rule the vampires, Alexandru thought, returning to his blood supply, the worm will be locked away in the dungeons until I get every last one of his secrets out of him.

  The thought was comforting.

  ***

  Found was alone in bed when she woke. Disappointment coursed through her. She'd hoped they could go for another round of mating, but when she started to move, she changed her mind. She felt like she had run a marathon, uphill, while wearing a backpack of camping gear. Every joint ached and her muscles were stiff. She'd need some time to adjust to this.

  It was worth it, though. She grinned widely, thinking of the powerful pleasure that had coursed through her the last night. It was so much better than anything she had felt before.

  Wava bustled in shortly after, as if she knew that Found was awake and smiled cheerfully.

  "Good morning! Let me open these windows for you. It's a beautiful day outside."

  Found blinked in the bright light, shielding her eyes and pulling the blankets up to her chin, having just realized she was naked.

  "I've brought you breakfast as well as a new wardrobe. I'm afraid I haven't had time to do all the alterations I'd like, but you need some clothes for while you're here." Wava put a silver platter on Found's knee and hung a silk robe on the post beside her head.

  "Thank you," Found said.

  "You eat and get dressed in that while I run you a bath. Oh, it's so exciting to have a woman around here! Well, I mean a woman I can dote on. We have plenty of servants, but they all dote on me. Dear Sandru. As much as I love him, I'm afraid he can be a little stodgy at times."

  Found nearly choked. She hadn't thought much about it when Wava referred to 'Sandru' the previous day, but there was definite affection in her voice. A wave of jealousy crashed over Found. What was this woman to her husband?

  "You mean Alexandru?"

  "Yes, I—Oh!" Wava's eyes widened as Found's narrowed. "He's my brother. I'm sorry, I thought you knew."

  Found relaxed. "Oh. He didn't tell me he had a sister. So you're a daughter of the Empress?"

  "No."

  Found's brow furrowed. "But he's one of her sons."

  "It's a little complicated… you see, after a certain time taking vampire seed into your womb, the transfer of blood will change your body and you'll become infertile."

  Found gasped. She hadn't known that.

  "Don't worry, it'll be a hundred or so years, far more than the average human lifespan." Wava smiled brightly at her. "But when the Empress reached that age, her husband took other mortal women to give him children. Sandru and I were both born out of one of those unions. Our mother raised us, but Sandru is still considered a son of the Empress because he is the Emperor's son."

  "Oh," Found muttered. Her brow furrowed as Wava talked. The other woman had slightly elongated canines, but not fangs. Perhaps, like with many species, men simply had more sizable weapons.

  Her stomach rumbled and she started on her breakfast while Wava bustled to the bathroom. The sound of running water made Found smile. She loved baths, but rarely had a chance to indulge herself in one.

  The bath helped with her aches tremendously. Found lounged in the water for hours, until it was too cold to stand anymore and she got out. It was noon by then and her stomach rumbled again. Wava was still in the room, putting away clothing and answered the door when there was a knock.

  A man handed Wava a silver tray. No, not a man. Found saw fangs flash when he spoke to Wava.

  Suddenly the vampire stiffened. His head whipped around and his black eyes delved into hers. Fear flooded her and she stumbled backwards, unable to break eye contact with the vampire. He stepped forward.

  Then a deep, threatening growl reverberated from the hallway. The vampire jumped, backing away from the door. He looked fearfully over his shoulder and in a moment Alexandru strode into view. The other vampire dropped to his knees, exposing the back of his neck. Something silver flashed in Alexandru's hand and blood spurted into the air.

  Found gasped. Wava wrapped her arms around her, comforting her. "Shhh. He's not going to hurt you now."

  "But he'll die!" Found's voice rose. She'd never seen a person die before.

  The vampire sent her a puzzled glance, but a growl from Alexandru made him look at the floor again.

  "He'll heal. I'm afraid young Ivan here has not had many interactions with humans before. He lost his head a moment." Wava's voice was perfectly calm. "Alexandru is re-establishing dominance. Bloodletting is necessary. Vampire blood is very potent, more potent than human. By washing himself in it, he's erasing your scent. Sandru won't let him up until it's completely safe for you."

  Found's heart beat hard in her chest. It seemed to take forever, but eventually Alexandru pulled Ivan to his feet and whispered into his ear. The other vampire was ashen, but nodded and stumbled away.

  Alexandru stepped into the room and shut the door. He stared at Found for a long time, nostrils flaring. For a wild moment she thought he was angry at her, but eventually his shoulders relaxed.

  "I apologize. Your scent is very powerful. It's difficult to resist."

  Found nodded, her heart rate returning to normal. She knew Alexandru wasn't going to hurt her.

  "Wava, you must not leave Found's side," Alexandru said, eyes not moving from Found's face. "She carries my child and will be irresistible to the inexperienced young ones."

  Found gasped. "What do you mean, I carry your child? I surely cannot be pregnant already!"

  Wava squeezed her shoulders. "Congratulations!" she trilled.

  Alexandru nodded stiffly. "I… am very pleased."

  Found nodded, finding that there was a bubble of joy blossoming in her as she pressed her hands to her stomach. "So am I... I think."

  "Good."

  Found glanced at Alexandru. He didn't look happy.

  "Sandru, your wife and you have just shared some wonderful news. The least you can do is kiss her," Wava urged him on.

  Alexandru held his breath as he moved to Found's side, pressing a kiss to her cheek before retreating. "It will take time for me to adjust to your scent."

  Found nodded, not knowing how to reply.

  "I'll start on the baby's wardrobe right away," Wava clapped. "What luck, you getting pregnant so soon."

  Chapter Three

  It was hard to concentrate on his lieutenant's words as he stared at the large map that showed his territory. Alexandru's mind was consumed by the beautiful mortal woman who carried his child.

  Some vampires could scent a pregnancy almost from the moment it happened, Alexandru was one of them. If he hadn't had the herbs in his nose on their wedding night, he would have been able to scent the pregnancy then.

  He had to admit, he had not expected for her to accept his seed so quickly. The flood of hormones into her bloodstream resulting from pregnancy created a near-irresistible cocktail. Her scent had become more powerful over the past three months since their wedding and it was dangerous to be near her.

  It was why he could not trust himself to go to Found, even though he wanted more than anything to see her, to
hold her in his arms. He hardened at the thought of her tight walls, her succulent breasts, the smell of her arousal. Just thinking of her and knowing he couldn't touch her, was torture.

  His lieutenant, Marcus, must have scented Alexandru's arousal but continued speaking.

  "The Bears have brought in Wolves from the Americas," he said. "They're testing the strength of our borders. Sir, it is my belief that we must do something quickly, before they grow even bolder."

  Alexandru nodded, trying to push Found from his thoughts. It wasn't easy. His fingers twitched, aching to reach for his cell phone and call her, just to hear her voice. Though he had seen her just two hours earlier.

  Wava is taking good care of her, he reminded himself. "I agree, Marcus. I want you to increase the patrols on the borders. My brother, Dmitri, lost half of his territory because he could not defend it against the Shifters."

  "As you wish." Marcus bowed and turned to leave.

  "Wait." Alexandru's brow furrowed. If he was going to someday take the crown, he needed more than just to defend his lands. He had many brothers that were hundreds, even thousands, of years older than him. He was just a child to them, his possessions just a spit of land. He needed to expand if he wanted to be taken seriously. "Send a message to the Bear Matriarch. I wish to engage in battle for territory."

  Marcus bowed again and slipped from the war room. Alexandru groaned, thoughts of Found instantly invading his mind. He was fighting a battle on two fronts—one at his borders and one in his mind. How was the little female so pervasive?

  He knew he would need to drink from her, to mark her as his own, but now that she was pregnant, he didn't want to risk it. He should have drunk from her before the wedding night. He knew that now. But what was done could not be changed.

  Laughter brought him out of his half-stupor. Vlad's scent curled around his nose and his head jerked up.

  His half-brother sat in the large, comfortable office chair behind Alexandru's desk, fingers touched together, eyes gleaming. "You have a wife, do you not, brother? Can't she take care of that?"

  He gestured vaguely and Alexandru pulled down his suit jacket, though he knew it wouldn't go low enough to hide the bulge in his pants. "How did you get in here?"

  "I'm a ghost. I flit through the walls. I wanted to see how your marriage was coming along, but you don't seem to be enjoying your wife… Do you mind if I take a quick go at her?"

  Alexandru roared, lunging forward. Rage burned through him at the thought of Vlad's eyes on his mate, his breath on her skin. He would never let that happen! But Vlad slipped from his fingers like an eel and danced around the room, his lithe frame quick and nimble.

  "Come on, brother, certainly you can do better than that?"

  Alexandru pulled up short, hands clenched. He had to remain in control of the situation, something he was clearly failing at.

  "You are not welcome here. Go before I decide to kill you."

  "You can't kill a ghost," Vlad laughed. "Besides, the Empress would be furious with you. But back to your female—does she taste good? I could scent her ovulation on you the last time I was here… does she smell better now that she's with child?"

  He knew? The vampire general tensed.

  "I can't smell her on you," Vlad continued, inhaling deeply. "Are you afraid you'll kill her if you mark her as your own? You know those human marriages you are obsessed with, mean nothing… if you don't drink from her, she's not yours… Maybe I will claim her, if you're too afraid..."

  A red haze filled Alexandru's vision. He rushed to his brother, but Vlad easily sidestepped him and bolted for the corridor, laughing as he went. Alexandru chased after him. Forget the consequences, he was going to throw the boy in the dungeons and keep him there until the Empress herself sent for him.

  Vlad was quicker than he was and by the time Alexandru was in the corridor, he had already turned the corner. The general followed, feet pounding the carpets. Vlad's scent hung heavy in the air.

  He reached a window and the scent cut out, as though Vlad really was a ghost that had disappeared. Alexandru snarled, kicking the wall. How did he do it?

  "If you can hear me, Vlad, know that someday I am going to remove your head from your shoulders," he roared.

  There was the faint sound of laughter from outside and when Alexandru looked out, his jaw dropped. Vlad was climbing down the side of the palace, dropping from window ledge to window ledge. He moved as quickly as a spider and with the ease of a mountain goat.

  "Can you remove my head before I get to your wife?" Vlad shouted back up to him.

  Alexandru withdrew. His normally unnoticeably slow heartbeat sped, kicking adrenaline into his system. Vlad could get anywhere. He could get into Found's room.

  She wasn't safe here. He couldn't be with her all the time and if Vlad killed her in Alexandru's own home, then the fault would be on Alexandru. He would be viewed as weak for not being able to protect his own wife and child. Vlad would go unpunished. Alexandru would not be given the authority to kill him.

  He spun on his heel, racing down the way he came, to Found's room. The only way to protect her was to get her out of here.

  ***

  Found fingered the fine cotton, her eyes running over the frills and bows Wava had sewn onto the tiny dress. Would her baby really be this small? A hand drifted to her stomach. She was only just starting to round out more than her natural curves. It seemed impossible that she was already pregnant. And yet she was.

  "Don't you think it's a little premature to be making baby clothes?" Found's fingers wandered to the tiny sailor suit Wava had made if it was a boy. "I mean, it's only been three months. Something could happen."

  "You've got vampire DNA in that baby. It doesn't matter how far along you are, if you're pregnant, you'll be pregnant until he is born. Even if somebody came in here right now and beat you half to death. Vampires make hardy men."

  Found turned from the baby clothes to see that Wava was at her sewing machine again. Alexandru was worried about the other vampire's reactions to her and didn't want her wandering the palace. Found didn't really mind staying in her room, as long as Wava was there to talk to and alleviate the boredom. All the baby talk and sewing was getting a little tiresome, though.

  "You say things like that often, you know," Found said, trying to change the subject. "That vampires make strong men, or vivacious men, or intelligent men. What about vampire women?"

  "Oh, there aren't any vampire women," Wava responded matter-of-factly, “well, at least not in our vampire race. There may be in other vampire races.”

  "What?"

  "Why else would human women be needed to create new vampires? Oh." A look of horror came over her face. "You're not one of those people who think that when a vampire bites somebody they became a vampire too, or that vampires become ash in sunlight or turn into bats, are you?"

  Found shook her head.

  Wava sighed in relief, smiling again. "Good. Because those rumors are so ridiculous. I think the Shifters must have made them up, to make humans fear vampires and fight against them."

  "But there aren't any vampire women here?" Found pressed.

  "Correct."

  "I thought you were a vampire."

  "No. My father was a vampire, but I'm not."

  Found's brow furrowed.

  "We don't know why, but only our male children are born as vampires," Wava continued. "If you have a girl she'll be human, although she will admittedly be stronger, faster and smarter than your average human, like me. But don't worry. Even if you're carrying a little girl, your pregnancy isn't at any higher a risk. She still has vampire DNA and will keep to term, no matter what."

  Found absently stroked her stomach, thinking of a little girl with Alexandru's big eyes. She would be adorable. "Will he be angry?"

  "Will who be angry?"

  "Alexandru. If it's a girl."

  Wava shook her head. "There's plenty of times for sons. This is just proof he can live in harmony with humans
."

  Found sighed, but before she could continue the door slammed open. Her heart jumped to her throat as Alexandru strode in. His eyes were fiery, hands clenched. His eyes briefly ran over Found and focused on Wava.

  "Get her ready to leave. We're going to the Empress's palace."

  Wava frowned but instantly began bustling around the room, throwing clothing into a suitcase she pulled from under the bed.

  Found wrung her hands and stepped closer to her husband. "What's wrong?"

  Alexandru closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. His body literally radiated cold, making Found shiver. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer and rose her mouth to his. The moment her lips brushed his, he released her and backed away.

  "I won't let anybody harm you."

  Found's stomach clenched. "Who would want to hurt me?"

  "My brother, Vlad. Years ago, his land was given to me. He's been trying to provoke me into attacking him ever since so that the Empress will give him back the lands. He's growing impatient and has set his eyes on you."

  Alexandru stepped forward again, putting a hand on her shoulder.

  "But I will not let him harm you. I am taking you to the Empress's palace. He won't dare touch you there."

  Alexandru pulled away from her again. He took the suitcase Wava had packed and turned, swiftly walking away. Found shivered again, but followed with Wava close to her side. Everything would be fine. Alexandru would protect her.

  Chapter Four

  The Empress's castle was three times as big as Alexandru's, and was as ancient as the Empress herself. Alexandru had been awed the first time he was brought here, when the Empress claimed him as her son. He continued to be awed every time he visited since then.

  "It's beautiful," Found whispered as she stepped up beside him on the balcony overlooking the Black Sea. The waves were calm today, reflecting the sky so clearly it appeared that the ships on the water were floating among clouds.