by Erin R Flynn
“What?” Nora whispered in horror, her eyes bugging wide. “Why the bloody fuck does he believe that, and why did he tell you that?”
“He didn’t,” I admitted. “He—I got fried out with the ghosts and things spun out. Bad.”
“He mentioned that,” she murmured. “How bad?”
“I was completely out of my fucking head, paranoid and just—I wanted the darkness to swallow me,” I confessed. “I really did.” Tears fell as I realized I could finally talk about it with people who might understand. “I was completely convinced they had trapped me into needing their blood, controlling me through it. I had used iron supplements before meeting Darius—”
“You would have died from that,” Hanna muttered. “Eventually. We’re too powerful for that. Even normal vampires can’t survive on that or a rare meat diet. It used to be the way to kill the humans, and some couldn’t stomach that, and would die when they abused their bodies too long.”
I nodded I heard her. “Sebastian came to talk to me because his mother had the ghost gift and wanted to help when I was trying to come back. I asked him if it hurt him that you had a Night and it wasn’t him. He didn’t answer but the look he gave me, what I felt, said it all.”
“Fuck me dead,” Nora sighed. “Stupid, stupid men. They never listen. I love him just as much. I simply fell for my Night first. He was my first love. There’s a bond with that. I would never have had children with Sebastian if I didn’t love them equally. You name a Night; it’s expected and mine had the biggest house to align with and my mother needed it at the time.”
“I have a few like that,” Hanna grumbled, taking something out of the container and passing it to me. I snagged a donut and set the container down when I saw we all had some. “Yes, there are some you take for alliances. I have two who are gay and want nothing from me. No one else knows that but I know. They know. It’s fine.”
“I didn’t know you had any gay nobles,” Matilda admitted.
“Because I would never tell,” Hanna replied. “They are dear friends and we play the part now and again when we have to. They came to court me and we became friends. I promised to protect them if they were loyal and never got caught in their affairs. They haven’t. One is desperately in love with a shifter who’s his spirit animal. Good for them. I’m sorry they have to hide it, but that’s life. Life is hard.”
I thought about that as I chomped on my donut. “Yeah, I could see doing that. If like Eddie was gay and we’re friends, I would do that for him. I never thought of the layers like that. The way they talk about it is…”
“Yes, all princesses are evil,” Matilda chuckled, shaking her head. “We’re not as caring or loving as real women. We’re cold and calculating and that’s not always wrong. Showing we care is also used against us.” She gave me a soft look. “And some are evil like the one who hurt Cerdic. I never thought he could be healed from that wound and yet he acts like he did before he met her, better even.”
“You were so upset when that happened,” Nora murmured. “Bloody fuck, I thought you would gut the wench.”
“How could I? My other son stands at her side. How could I pick between them? I let him know I wasn’t a fan of what he did and he basically told me to sod off because Cerdic was my favorite and it was obvious.”
“It wasn’t, not to anyone else,” Hanna comforted.
“I didn’t have a favorite. I loved them both equally. Yes, Cerdic was an overachiever and excelled in most things over his twin, but that did not make me love him any less. He had other wonderful talents. A part of me died inside when I heard he thought we never loved him like Cerdic. His own jealousy twisted him up into doing something horrible that he couldn’t come back from.”
“Do you love Jacob as you do your Night?” I asked Matilda, knowing I shouldn’t.
“Jacob doesn’t love me as my Night does,” she answered, staring out at the trees. “He did not want the alliance but his house came before all else, even his own desires, and he told me that after I accepted his oath.”
“That might have changed,” I warned.
She chuckled darkly. “Oh yes, that is a wound I wish to risk reopening centuries later. I have enough wounds from my own daughter at the moment, so I think leaving that in the past is best.”
“Okay, being a princess sucks for everyone,” I grumbled. “They make it sound like life is perfect for all of you.” I smiled as all of them made disbelieving noises.
We ate all the donuts and kept drinking in silence.
“She’s been in the hot water long enough,” Nora said quietly. “Lead us to a nice beach there’s no chance she’ll get eaten on.”
“And an umbrella, as we all burn like fuck,” Matilda added. “What treats do you have?”
“Chocolate covered every type of fruit Nick could find,” Kristof said as he stood over me. “Are you okay?”
I opened my mouth to answer and hiccupped. “Better. Realizing I’m not the only freak after all.” I held out my hands for the container. “Gimme. And if you bring back some mini tarts next I’ll be your naughty princess later and blow you in front of whoever you want.”
He blinked down at me a moment before sighing.
However, the three other princesses burst out laughing.
Oh fuck.
“My bad,” I giggled, realizing I was buzzed. “That’s good shit.”
“It is,” Hanna muttered. “So sucking you off was the way to win you, Kristof? Who would have guessed?”
“Hanna, I say this with respect because you’re one of the few princesses I do respect, but you could have sucked my cock every day for years and I still wouldn’t have come to your court.”
“Then what won you over? Really, because she’s lovely, but you loathe young vampires and don’t hide it, so none of us can figure it out,” Nora asked. “I can’t even count how many princesses have tried to win you over and failed. Is it her being Aether’s champion?”
“No, as that made me want to run from her,” he replied, his tone saying to drop it.
But she didn’t. “Then what was it? What made you love her, accept her, when so many others tried and you didn’t want them?”
Wow. I blinked at her and realized she was jealous. Of me. Wow.
“That’s not your business, Nora,” he said in a gentler but still firm tone.
“Will you tell me?” I blurted. “I don’t get it either, especially now seeing Nora. How the fuck did you turn her down and want me?”
He sighed and squatted down, plucking me out of the water and moving his hand to my forehead to check something. Then his eyes ran over me. “I understand you were mistreated in your years of running, but you are just as gorgeous as Nora. She has a refinement you do not, but I prefer your wild and natural beauty. I’ve said that.”
“Why pick me?” I pushed, leaning in closer. “What did I do?”
“Nothing. You did nothing, my love,” he murmured, tucking my wet hair behind my ear. “You didn’t try to seduce me or offer me what you thought I wanted to have me stand at your side. You couldn’t give a shit I was thousands of years old or from house Priest. All you cared about was my not hurting Darius and Jaxon. You were willing to do anything to protect them.
“You loved them so fiercely that you would have let me have you not for power or to be yours, but so I did not touch them. And then you worried about me. You actually asked if I’d be okay when the corrupted attacked. Do you know who has ever worried for me? Worried about my safety?”
I shook my head.
“No one. Not my family. Not any coven I visited after I fled that horrible coven. Not one single person before this baby vampire princess who was terrified of me and my strength, worried I could get hurt when corrupted came for you.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. “That was what made me look at you, made me unable to look away from you. That’s all I say in front of others.”
“You are such a conundrum,” I whispered even as I leaned in. “You won’t
say more, but you want me to play in front of your friends. You want to be scary to show you’re the protector at my side, but you’ll beg me to forgive you and accept you when you hurt me.” I nuzzled his neck. “I should have smacked that bitch who said shit about you.”
“I’m sure you will the next one who does,” he chuckled as he lifted me up.
I bit my finger and drew a heart on his neck, wrapping my body around him when he groaned. “You’re stuck with me now. You told others you love me best, so now you have to keep me.”
“That is a gift, not a burden, Inez,” he promised as his large hand massaged my ass. “Let’s get you to a nice beach closer to us so they can each check on you and stop worrying so much.” He kissed my neck. “We’re worried about you, My Princess.”
“Would you still love me if I wasn’t a princess?”
“I might have fallen for you sooner if you weren’t,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t ever love a human or get involved with one as they die; however a few shifters I thought might be my hope of happiness, but I couldn’t give them the children they wanted.” He kissed me before I could even ask. “No, I didn’t feel for them what I feel for you. I didn’t realize it wasn’t real love until I fell for you. It’s always been you.”
“I love when you’re all snuggly and mushy with me because you only are with me and such a hard-ass to everyone else,” I admitted. “I want to keep drinking and talking. It helped, but then will you make love to me? Tonight? Someplace special, just us? Maybe in that position again?”
“You really liked that way, didn’t you?”
I nodded. “Every inch of me touched you and you moved us like we were one. It was really—”
“I know, I felt it too,” he promised. “Fine, we can even have drunk sex if you want.”
I snorted. “Sure, sign me up. Any sex with you guys is super hot.”
“Ladies, follow me,” he said and I realized the others were out of the water and holding all our stuff. He blurred us away and I hung onto him tighter than normal. “You felt that more because you were drinking, huh?”
“No, I had started to lean away to ask you something,” I admitted, hiccupping again. “Next time make sure I’m completely against you, please.”
“Always.” He kissed my hair as he set me down. “Are you okay?”
“Yuppers. I’m all good in the hoodie,” I promised as he set me on my feet. I went over to Hanna who had the bottle and frowned. “You lushes.”
“It was good,” she giggled as she handed over the almost completely empty bottle. “Have anything else that good, Kristof?”
“Yes, if my princess wishes it,” he murmured, studying me. “And waits for me to bring what she needs without falling on her head.”
I rolled my eyes and knelt down, sitting on my feet… And staring up at him.
“Inez, for the love of fuck,” he groaned. “You are—woman, you just push every button of mine.”
“No, you do that to me when you do that finger thing,” I giggled, pursing my lips at him.
He gave me a quick kiss. “Do not tell them what I do when they ask after I leave.”
I wiggled my eyebrows at him and took a drink from the bottle. “You’d have reason to spank me later if I do, huh?”
“You’re going to regret letting them know you let me do that,” he warned me.
I shrugged. “Whatever. Jaxon and Darius are the ones all stuck on what I can and can’t do. Cerdic knows. He’s said he’s going to spank me and do everything to me. My Zen master gets aggressive with me.” I shivered. “It’s fun.”
“I didn’t need to know that,” Matilda drawled.
I burst out laughing, forgetting she was there. “Oh shit, now all I need to do is tell Nora how Jaxon—”
Kristof moved his hand over my mouth. “You will regret it later, I promise. If you want to tell her sober to poke at Jaxon, I will love seeing it, but you have loose lips when you drink, my love.”
I beamed at him. I liked being his love. I nodded, trusting him and simply taking another sip of the booze. Then I reached over and grabbed the container of nummies, going for a strawberry. I moaned as I ate it, blinking at Kristof.
“Chop, chop, I’m sitting here not falling on my head because you were worried, not so you can stare at my tits and get turned on.”
“Yes, My Princess,” he chuckled, and then he was gone.
I smiled when Jaxon appeared seconds later with some beach towels. “I was good. I didn’t tell your mom how you—”
“Please don’t tell Mother anything,” he cut in, laying out a towel for me. “I’ll give you whatever you want, just please don’t.”
“I’ll need a shower later,” I purred, batting my eyelashes at him. I laughed when his gaze filled with heat. “No wonder you’ve suddenly been so quiet.”
“Inez, please, I beg you,” he groaned as he moved closer and gave me a quick kiss. “Please, please be nice.”
“So don’t tell her how you watched Darius—”
“Yes, like don’t tell her that,” he growled, picking me up and moving me to the towel. “Just drink your booze, eat your nummies, and look fabulous as you always do. If you want to talk about princess stuff, good, you’ve not had anyone to discuss that with. I think this is healthy, but no more private secrets. Those are for just us.”
“Just us,” I agreed, stealing another kiss. “As long as I get tarts and brownies and maybe someone rubs me down with sunscreen.”
“Is she telling secrets?” Cerdic asked, frowning down at me.
“Yes, and I didn’t need to know any of it,” Matilda grumbled, already wrapped in a towel, as were Hanna and Nora. Time to cover up?
“No, you can stay naked, but it’s not exactly proper for visiting princesses to be nude for your nobles,” Jaxon explained. “Yes, you were muttering to yourself again.”
“I’m too buzzed to care that I’m nakie for you pervs,” I admitted, rolling onto my stomach and snagging more fruit. “Crap, I wouldn’t have thought apple slices were so good with chocolate. Totes nummy.” I munched on another one before sitting up and staring at the princesses. “When did you have sex with your nobles? Did you wait until you were engaged?”
“Oh, I do not want to know that answer,” Jaxon muttered, waving me quiet.
“Right, bring Sebastian. Nora needs to spank him.” I smiled at him. “It’s good, I promise.”
“He does enjoy it when I do,” Nora purred as she accepted a bottle from Kristof, who came back fully loaded.
“Wait, we can spank them?” I whispered, blinking at Kristof and then up at my other nobles. “Okay, why do I like that so much?”
“Because you’re the boss of us all,” Darius said as he caught up to the rest. “And wow, did I not think that was where this conversation would have been when I got here.” He squatted down and gave me a worried look. “I know you got upset when we brought up the book and research, so I’m not sure what to say or how to handle this.”
I felt the fun instantly leave me thinking about that. I grabbed a different towel and covered up. “That was—that was different. You were all shocked and that was a huge group of people being jerks to me too. I was just teasing because Kristof kept trying to get me to stop talking and oversharing.”
“I’m sorry I brought it up,” Darius muttered. “You just seem to be all over the place and today was rough.”
I let out a slow breath and nodded. “Yeah, bringing up other bad doesn’t really help that, dummy.”
“Good point but I walked in on the conversation late.” He moved to sit on the towel with me and then pulled me between his legs, hugging me to him. “You okay?”
“Someone tried to kill me again. Not just corrupted. Do you need to ask?”
“Can I tell you something funny?” he tried instead, waiting until I nodded. “Tian thought you were going to kill him again.”
I laughed. It wasn’t really funny, but there was an again option which was… Well, it was something.<
br />
It was all really something, but I didn’t know what, and I wanted some of it to end.
14
Cerdic
Sebastian joined us and at Nora’s invitation, carried her off for something that was apparently going on there. I hoped it worked out, but I only had eyes for my princess who we were worried about.
“Let’s go play in the ocean a bit,” I offered as I got undressed, holding my hand out to her in hopes it would change the mood. “We’ll have some fruity drinks and yummies before a nap.”
“Okay,” she whispered, taking my hand.
I pulled her to her feet, and my heart hurt when she immediately wrapped around me. I wanted her close always, but knowing she was upset hurt me. I held her tightly and spun us a few times before we reached the water. She gave a squeal she wouldn’t admit to, but it wasn’t her normal happy, open one.
We played for a while but then she was getting too much sun so I brought her back to the towel someone had brought along with others and umbrellas. Mother and Hanna were done, Kristof saying they returned to the hotel as they couldn’t stay much longer anyways.
“Do you want some updates?” I asked Inez as she stared out at the water.
She took another chug of her drink and shrugged before reaching for the tarts Kristof had gone back for. Then she seemed to think better of it and nodded.
I told her we did a bunch of hunting while she’d taken a break and there were at least two shipping containers’ worth of geese to feed a lot of people. We had gone over to the North Dakota side when we realized how their wildlife had exploded as well. She smiled when I told her there were a lot of ducks that needed culling, as the populations were ridiculous, so duck would be on the menu a lot, which she loved.
“It’s about a day drive with the train, so they’re planning to set off in the afternoon with full freezer containers. The jerky they’ve already got marinating will be ready by then too.”
She nodded, hearing me but distracted. I didn’t know how to push past that or what to say. Glancing at the others, I saw they felt the same.
