by T. S. Ryder
I'm not a virgin anymore.
She waited for some rush of emotion to overwhelm her. Shame, maybe. Euphoria. Even just being numb. Something to acknowledge what she had just done. But there was nothing, only a vague sense of satisfaction. She twisted her hands together. Maybe once they were in Paris she'd suggest they do this again…
She smiled as she leaned back against the seat. Yes. Paris. She'd have more of an emotional reaction to this there. Wouldn't she?
Chapter Four – Gavin
Paris. Gavin dressed in his favorite navy-blue suit, frowning as he did so. He and his retinue had arrived late the previous night and had been welcomed by Queen Monique's greeters and shown to these quarters. As soon as they were alone together, Aria had climbed into bed with him and slept with her head on his shoulder. He hadn't expected her to suddenly become so warm to him.
He was used to women wanting a quick bit of fun and going on their way. From the way she had reacted the first time he had drunk her blood and the conversation they'd had about her desire for sex, he expected the same to happen now. Not for her to climb into bed with him just to sleep, not for the smile to light up her face when he woke her the next morning. Had he made a mistake in thinking she just wanted the experience? What if she wanted more?
Maybe he was reading too much into this. After all, she had made it clear that she wasn't going to sleep with him unless he wiped out her father's debt. Maybe she was looking for extra cash. She was probably going to leave as soon as soon as they returned to his kingdom since her father's debt was paid now.
He'd miss her. But he'd get over it. He had been alone for centuries, other than the odd woman every now and then to take the edge off. He could survive another few centuries. He nodded, satisfied. She was just happy that she no longer had to stay with him.
Aria waited for him in the main room and smiled shyly. She wore an elegant blue number that was classy and stylish. He nodded at her as he left his rooms. He didn't bother checking to see if she followed, knowing that she would.
A small, bald vampire met him just outside the door and showed him to the queen's study, where they would be discussing their business. Monique was a dark-haired, sallow-faced woman with a temperament that was like arsenic-laced candy. Sweet and deadly. The study was draped in gold with red velvet-cushioned furniture. A wide smile crossed her face as Gavin entered the study.
"Queen Monique." Gavin bowed to her. "You are looking radiant as ever."
"And you." Monique giggled as she curtsied.
She had been only in her teens when she was turned into a vampire and had always used her youthful beauty to her advantage. Gavin never liked her. He had no choice but to do business with her, though. Her kingdom, seated around Paris, was almost as powerful as his own, and in the end, he had to interact with her far more than he would have liked. But such was being a ruler.
He took a seat across from the queen. Aria lingered at his elbow. He wanted to tell her to sit with them, but Monique was notorious in asserting her superiority over humans. In his own kingdom, he wouldn't stand for it. But he wasn't in his kingdom.
"So, this must be your newest little human chew toy," Monique said, looking Aria up and down. "I prefer the fatty ones, too. Their blood is always so sweet."
"Excuse me?" Aria's voice was a growl. "Did you just call me fat?"
"Aria. Not now." Gavin gave her a stern look. "Monique, I assume there is a reason why you asked me to come here."
"Ah, yes." The little vampire squeezed his knee. "And you were so good to come. I want to discuss a proposition to make our kingdoms stronger. Oh, not just our kingdoms, I should really clarify. It will strengthen our food supplies which will make us all stronger. We all know humans have been weakening over the years, and I have just the plan to bolster their stocks again."
Gavin frowned. He was interested in what Monique had to say, but he could also sense the fury rolling off of Aria. Perhaps he should send her off before the talks continued. Humans didn't like to be talked about as if all they were good for was blood. He turned towards Aria, intending to send her off, but Monique continued, oblivious.
"What we need is to control their breeding. The strong ones paired with strong ones, the weak ones—"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Aria exploded. "Controlling our breeding? We're not animals. You can't just decide to create a new breed of human. That's sick. You're sick."
Gavin gripped Aria's wrist and shook his head. "Be quiet. These matters do not concern you."
Aria's eyes narrowed at him. "They do concern me. If I went around saying that vampires should be cut up and ground into medicine, it would concern you. That's exactly what this little witch is doing."
"My, my," Monique said, her voice amused. "Is this how your subjects speak to you?"
Gavin got to his feet and pulled Aria in closer to him. "Do not speak again or I'll have you locked in your room."
She glowered back silently.
The king released her, turning back to the queen. "Your proposal is interesting. But I very much doubt it would work. The costs alone would be exorbitant, and there is simply no controlling humans to that extent. They have minds of their own, and if we vampires tried to implement such a program, we'd certainly have an open rebellion on our hands. They're sentient beings, not toys."
"Hmmm." Monique's eyes gleamed. She rang a crystal bell and leaned back. "I thought you might say that. So I took the liberty of selecting a mate for your little human here."
What? Gavin tensed. A hot feeling squeezed his chest, and he had to work to stop himself from snarling out at the queen. She smirked as the doors opened again. Two vampires led in a handsome, muscular man. He was dressed in little more than a loincloth, cuffs on his hands, his head bowed in submission. Monique stood and walked behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her gaze went to Aria and she smirked.
"Do you like my little pet here? You wouldn't mind breeding with him, would you?"
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 t
hing, 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?