by Jen L. Grey
"I ran into a vampire." I tried downplaying it and escaping her wrath, but she snagged my arm. I shouldn’t have let her talk to me this way but I struggled. These two women raised me and it was so hard to treat them like I was over them. They deserved my respect.
"Do you think you can drop that bomb and then head to the house?" Kassie's mouth dropped in disbelief.
"No, but I was trying to stay out of trouble." It was strange that I was enjoying this moment so much. Maybe things weren't quite as different as I feared they were.
"If Mason hadn't told us to stay back and be alert, we'd all have run after him." Mona sighed, and her shoulders slumped. "I knew I should've gone with my gut and not let you go."
"We can talk about that later." Kassie pointed at me. "Tell us what happened. What did the vampire want?"
Mason ran back out of the house and straight to me. He pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
Wow, now I was getting lectured by three people. "I'm sorry. It's just... all the attention made me feel uncomfortable. It's going to take a while for me to get used to it. I've lived my entire life, trying to stay under everyone's radar and not garner attention."
I hadn't even considered that. Mason pulled me away from his chest for a second and looked me in the eye. I should’ve known. "You just did something so amazing for our family. We weren't trying to make you feel uncomfortable."
The word ‘our’ wasn’t missed by me. I finally had a family again. "I know that, but I didn't do anything. Each one of you has played a part in making me what I am… someone who is becoming a stronger person, not weaker." I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his lips. "I need you to be my partner and not change who you are." Lately, it felt like he had been holding his wolf back, and it caused everything that had been bothering me to come out. I need you to be an alpha with me and not try to let me do it all alone.
Of course, I'm with you. His hand cupped my cheek, and he smiled. I wanted you to rule as the queen. I thought you needed people to see you stand on your own.
There is a reason why royals’ mates are alphas themselves. They're stronger when they rule together. I needed him to see that.
"Okay, I know you guys are having a moment, but I’m damn impatient and need to know what the hell is going on." Kassie appeared right next to us, so close I could feel her breath.
"If that's not an effective way of breaking that up, I don't know what is." Mona chuckled as she watched the whole thing.
"All right." I turned toward her and took a deep breath before filling her in.
Ella and Louis stayed at her parents’ house that night, while the rest of us went back to the place that was truly home to me. Besides, our small house was only a few minutes away from Mason’s father’s pack.
When we walked into the house, some of the stress and tension that had been plaguing me seemed to dissipate.
"Is there a certain place I'll be sleeping?" Teague glanced around the house with his nose wrinkled.
It was obvious he wasn't used to a standard, middle-income home. Our house was nice but nothing that would wow anyone. That was part of the charm. Here, I wasn't a queen or an alpha. It had taken a while with us moving around, ensuring we weren’t tracked. Somehow though, we’d finally found the first place that felt like home after my parents died. "Do you two ladies mind sharing a bed so Teague can have his own?" I gave a small smile to Teague. “This place only has three bedrooms.”
"Why am I not surprised?" Teague mumbled the words, but we were able to hear him clearly.
“Yeah, that’s fine with us.” Mona smiled and glanced in Kassie’s direction.
“Fine.” Her words were gruff.
"We'll be back in New York by tomorrow, Teague." I tried to hide the smile from my lips. "So if you could tough it out one night, I'd appreciate it."
"Of course." His smile was forced, which made Kassie snort.
"I'm beat." I glanced at the clock and realized how late it was. It was approaching midnight.
"We need to be at the airport by ten in the morning." Mona began up the stairs. "I've already made the plans." Her eyes landed on Teague. "Let me show you to your room."
The night had felt short and joyful. After we had calmed down from the vampire confrontation, we all had dinner together and spent time with a healthy Dehlia. She was so much stronger than I'd ever realized before.
"Let's get to bed." Mason took my hand and tugged me in the direction of the stairs. "Goodnight, everyone."
"Goodnight." Kassie nodded. "Oh, and Elena, don't sneak out or do something else equally dense."
Well, at least she hadn't outright said ‘stupid’.
"Don't worry," Mason said right before he disappeared. "I'll keep a close eye on her."
Will you now?
Yup. When we reached the top of the stairs, he took the first door to the right into my room.
The room wasn't anything fancy, but it had a queen bed, a makeup table, and a closet where all my old clothes stayed. The bathroom was in the hall right next door, separating mine and Mona's rooms.
He pulled me into his chest and then shut the door. As soon as it clicked closed, he kissed my lips and grabbed my ass. I love you.
Instead of trying to form words, I matched each one of his tongue strokes and pressed my body firmly against his.
A low growl escaped him. He lifted me, so I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he walked us over to our bed.
I thought you didn't want to do anything here while Mona and Kassie are so close. He'd always teased me because the walls were thin here.
Tonight, I don't give a flying fuck. He nipped at my lips, making me moan. Let's just try to be a little more quiet than usual. We can make up for it tomorrow night when we're back in our soundproof bedroom.
His promise made my stomach flutter. He carefully placed me down on my back as he stood over me.
I reached forward and peeled his shirt from his body. His abs were on display, and his muscles bulged as he removed my shirt as well.
His body covered mine as he leaned down to bite and kiss my neck. Within seconds, my bra disappeared. I'm sorry. Tell me if I'm going too fast.
Normally, we made love to one another, teasing and terrorizing each other until we were both desperate for a sweet release. Tonight though, I wanted something different. Faster. I need you.
Well, we can’t have that now, can we? He lowered his hands, yanking my jeans and panties off in one go.
I wanted him desperately, so I unbuttoned his pants, tugging them hard so they dropped to the floor. When both of us were finally undressed, he grabbed my legs, lifting each one against his shoulders and chest. He remained standing as he slammed into me over and over again.
The quick thrusts made me dizzy as the pleasure was overwhelming.
Soon, we both climaxed and fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, we woke and quickly got ready to head back to NYC. It wasn't long before we all were dressed and heading over to James and Dehlia's to pick up Ella and Louis.
As we turned down the drive to his parents’ pack, we noticed that wolves were strategically placed throughout the woods.
At least, James knew to take the threat seriously. I wasn’t quite sure what we’d do if something happened to either one of Mason and Ella’s parents right after Dehlia was healed. However, it made me doubt my decision even more. Maybe I should meet with him?
Hell, no. Mason turned his head toward me, narrowing his eyes. Dad has taken precautions, and the entire pack is on alert. There is nothing to be gained by going out there. And let’s be real. If you disappear, we’re all going to hunt you down, which would only cause the packs to become stretched thin, and an attack on the pack could happen.
He did have a point. No one was going to let me out of their sight. Especially, not with a vampire stalking me.
All four of them were waiting outside in the yard and waved as we pulled into the house. Bot
h Mason and I jumped out to say a quick goodbye to his parents.
"I'm going to miss you all so much." Dehlia squeezed my waist as she hugged me. "I understand that you have to go, but having you here makes the place seem lighter and happier."
I almost laughed. Everywhere I went usually involved threats, vampires, and everything else in between. "The two of you need to come visit us soon. After we do some more traveling and get things situated, we'll be spending some time in the Hamptons. It's nice, but NYC has a lot of trouble we can get into."
"Oh dear. We'll save up to come see you." She let me go and smiled.
"Just let me know when you want to come." There was no way I was going to make them spend money when I could afford to pay for their travel now. "One of our planes will be here to bring you to us."
"We couldn't impose." James started, but I held a hand in the air.
"Mason is my mate, and you are my family. All you need to do is ask." I understood that they couldn't come for long. James had his pack to care for. But maybe they could come for a few days now and again.
"Okay." He nodded and patted his son on the shoulder. "You found a good one."
"Fate knew what it was doing." He wrapped an arm around my waist and leaned down to kiss my lips.
“Ew.” Ella frowned and shook her head. “Every time, I think it won’t be gross the next time it happens. I should be building up some kind of tolerance, but nope. It’s still gross.”
Kassie blew the horn and rolled down her window. "We're going to be late if you don't get your asses moving."
"All right. Let's go, people." Ella clapped her hands and pointed to the car. "We got places to go and people to see."
I had to blink twice when I saw Louis not only carrying his bag but Ella's too. "Did you make him carry your luggage?"
"I told him that's what gentlemen do, and if they don't, they come off as uncultured jackasses." Ella winked at me. "Who would've known it would work."
“Anything for a hussy.” Louis smiled at her like he was giving her the biggest compliment in the world.
She was something else, and I hoped she never changed. "You are incorrigible."
"And yet, you love me." She winked at me and skipped over to the Suburban.
Dehlia whispered to her husband. “Did the European prince call our daughter a hussy?”
“Umm … yeah, he did.” James’s brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed.
“It’s a nice compliment, yeah?” Louis grinned, all proud of himself.
Her parents stared at him with blank expressions.
It took everything in my power not to burst out laughing. Aren’t you going to help him?
I already told him, and he didn’t listen. Mason closed his eyes and shook his head. He’s on his own.
We all climbed into the vehicle and, within minutes, pulled out of the driveway. My eyes flickered over to the woods. I wasn't sure what the right call was when it came to handling the vampires, but if they wanted my blood that badly, it couldn't be a good thing either way. I just hoped I figured out why they wanted it before it was too late. I had to find a way to protect my people and avoid a war.
Chapter Six
It had been two days since we returned to NYC. Teague took off to Europe the very same day we got back, which surprised me. He initially said he’d take a couple of days to visit and tour the city, but that quickly changed in the last twenty-four hours. I was surprised that he was okay doing that much travel in such a short time. Though, in all fairness, he was using my and King Adelmo's private planes, so it probably wasn't that much of a hardship.
I stepped out onto the balcony off my bedroom and sighed. Memories of my dad came crashing back into my mind. He'd always stand out here and look down on the city. I'd always thought he was keeping an eye out, to protect his people, seeing him as a superhero looking for any signs of distress. Now, the gravity of the reason behind why he did it settled on me. It was more so for when he needed air and time to reflect on the difficult decisions he needed to make.
"Hey, are you okay?" Mason joined me and placed an arm around my waist. "You haven't been yourself since we returned."
"The vampire prince threatened me, and I didn't show up in that clearing as he demanded." He already knew this, but I still struggled with whether I made the right call. "Now, I'm waiting for the shit to hit the fan. His inaction is making my stress levels worse. There’s no telling what he’s up to."
"You can't let him get into your mind like this." He shifted so he was behind me and placed both of his hands on my shoulders. "That's what he wants. We need to continue as if you didn't have a run-in with the prince. Didn’t you have plans to go visit all the packs? Let's figure out which one to visit first."
"You're right." I needed him. He kept me focused and on task. We were stronger together. "Okay, I'm guessing the first packs we need to meet are the ones here and in Chicago. Then shortly after, we’ll need to head south to Atlanta." Chicago and NYC were the two biggest paranormal hubs with Atlanta coming in at a close third. The two alphas here in the city had attended my coronation, but we didn't get a chance to chat beyond congratulations. The crowning hit me harder than I had anticipated. Not only was I gaining a ton of responsibility, but in a way, I had to finally accept that my parents weren't coming back. Granted, I’d always known, but the finality of it rocked me.
"All right. What do you need for me to do?" Mason massaged my shoulders, working out some of the knots that had formed.
"I'd love for you to schedule the meetings, but that's something I should do." It probably needed to come from me. "Can you track down anything on this vampire prince who threatened us? I grew up believing that wolf blood killed vampires, so why do they want my blood?" Every day, it grew more and more apparent that I had so much to learn and fast.
"I'm on it." Mason turned me around and brushed his lips against mine, lingering there a moment longer than necessary. "I'll be down in the library." Reluctantly, he let go and walked back into the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled my phone from my pocket. Delaying all of this would only make things worse. It was time for me to be the queen.
After making the phone calls, I headed downstairs to the den. I wasn't surprised to find Ella and Louis together. They'd been spending more and more time together. It worried me, but Louis had a certain charm. "What are you two doing?"
She smiled at me from the couch the two of them were sitting on. "We're considering venturing out and grabbing some dinner. You wanna go?"
The fact that I hadn't been seen in the city had been brought up by both of the alphas during our call just moments ago. They felt like I wasn't trying to be part of the community. "Sure. Does Italian sound good?"
"Is that even a serious question?" Her jaw dropped, and she arched an eyebrow. "Italian is always good."
I couldn't hold back the chuckle. "Okay, I'll get us a reservation at Bella Lupo." That was the restaurant one of the alphas owned.
"Are you okay?" Louis's all too observant eyes scanned my face. "You've been out of sorts since we got back here."
"Uh ... how would you know?" Ella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "You don't even know her. If anyone would note that, it’d be me. I’ve known her the longest." She lifted her head in the air, and her gaze landed on me. She cleared her throat. “So, are you okay? You’re acting weird.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to not laugh at her antics. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." I had hoped to catch Ella alone. We hadn't talked about what happened the other day. Granted, her dad was still her direct alpha, but now we had a link as well.
"Let me go get the reservation made." I turned to head into the kitchen. I needed a cup of coffee pronto. "Does six sound good for you two?"
"Yup." Ella nodded. "I can eat anytime and anywhere."
She wasn't exaggerating. Hey, are you okay with going out for dinner tonight?
Sure, just please tell me I d
on't have to dress up. Mason's voice filled with dread and made me smile.
Not too much. I was going to wear some slacks and a blouse. I couldn't stand dresses. Maybe khakis and a polo.
Fine. He didn't sound happy. You better be glad I love you.
Damn straight, you do. He and his sister were so alike some times. I grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and dropped a pod in the Keurig. As the magical liquid brewed, I dialed Matteo, who was the alpha over the Manhattan, Bronx, and Queens boroughs.
"Queen Elena. Two calls in one day." His deep voice held a trace of humor. "What may I assist you with now?"
"I figured I should take you up on your offer." Here it goes. There was no turning back now. "Is there any way I can get a reservation for a party of six tonight?" Kassie and Mona would demand to come along, seeing as we'd be out in public.
"Certainly." I heard some typing on his side. "Is there a certain time you'd like?"
"Six?" That was only a few hours away. "If that doesn't work, we can do it later."
"Six works fine, My Queen." He cleared his throat. "Are we still on for our meeting tomorrow?"
He'd assume I was doing this to get out of having to speak to him directly without others around to hear. "Of course. I just took note of your point and could see how I came off distant. I figured it was time for the Royal Mate and me to make our rounds."
"I'm glad." He paused for a moment. "Your father was an amazing king, and I have no doubt you will follow in his footsteps."
The lump in my throat appeared once more. "Thank you. I look forward to seeing you tonight. Goodbye." I hung up the phone and took a steady breath as I cupped the mug with my hands. The warmth felt good as it fought back some of the cold inside.
Over the years, Mona and Kassie had promised the pain would fade with time. I was still waiting for that day to come. Every time I thought about my parents, it caused gut-wrenching agony. It appeared to be building up even more now that I was taking my place in the supernatural world.