Crimson Kisses: Valentine’s Day Edition: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance Anthology

by Shifters, Zodiac

  “Do we have a new life in the village?” her mother asked.

  “We do.” Her frown changed into a forced smile, her eyes dull, without their usual twinkle. “It was a difficult birth. If you’ll excuse me, I need to clean up.”

  Alazor waved her off before turning his attention to his son-in-law. Karolus bowed his head as their eyes met. She returned his greeting with little nod. He rubbed the stubble on his chin intrigued by the lack of interest. After she disappeared, he stood.

  “Where are you off to?” Alazor winked. “As if we didn’t know.”

  “To the kitchen to take a tray up to Styssi. Her hunger radiated off her.”

  Alazor waved off his idea, “’Tis a woman’s job. Let them handle it.”

  “It is a mate’s job to see to her needs,” he managed though gritted teeth. “It is not beneath me.”

  The room went silent at his harsh response. But rather than wait for the low roar of chatter to return, he stormed into the kitchen, not surprised they greeted him with the same silence he’d left. “Good evening, ladies.”

  “Milord,” one of the older women squeaked out.

  “I hoped to get a tray for Styssi.”

  “We are creating one now. One of the servers will take it up to her.”

  The kitchen bustled. “I’ll take it to her. You all seem to have your hands full.”

  The other woman blinked once then twice before opening her mouth then closing it. She handed him a silver-dome covered plate.

  He thanked her before making his way through the caverns to her apartments. Though, as her mate, his DNA had been imprinted into the door and its lock allowed him access, he chose to respect her privacy and knock. On his second knock, the door opened, but his reception was less than warm.

  “Can you give me until tomorrow?” she asked, lingering in the doorway, subtly blocking the entrance. Her long red hair, still wet from a shower, dripped on the silk robe she wore, leaving wet spots on the shoulders.

  “I simply wished to deliver you dinner.” He indicated the tray.

  Once the shock waned, she managed, “One of the servers would have brought it up to me.”

  “They are very busy. Besides, I wanted to check on you.”

  She stepped to the side. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.” He laid the tray on the low table before the sofa. “Mother and baby okay?”

  “Excuse me?

  “You said the birth was difficult.”

  She relaxed, pulling the belt on her robe tighter. “Yes. Big baby, little mother, but ultimately both came through, and that is all that matters.”

  “Boy or girl?”

  She took a deep breath as if bracing herself. “A girl.”

  “A blessing to the family.”

  “You feel a girl is worth your time?”

  “I’m not your grandfather, and his views are not my own.” He lifted the dome. “Eat before it gets cold. The kitchen outdid themselves tonight, and we can catch up while you eat.”

  “What could we possibly have to catch up on?”

  “We haven’t seen each other in eleven months.”

  “Or talked.”

  He pushed the tray toward her. “If you needed me, all you had to do was call.”

  “Better to discover my mate had no need of me.” She shoved a forkful of chicken into her mouth.

  Finally, the reason for radio silence. He’d wondered, at first, but had been so busy the break from her daily calls the year before to rattle on about gossip and who did what had been a relief. To his dismay, months had passed before he realized she hadn’t called. “When did you decide to become a midwife?”

  “There aren’t a great many options for a woman. The kitchens, the laundry, the gardens, or midwifery. I can’t cook, nor sew. I kill anything I try to grow. No one wanted me in those professions. My mother is a midwife, so it made sense to follow in her footsteps.”

  “A noble profession.”

  “Not according to my grandfather who believes giving birth is natural and in no way need of any sort of help.”

  “I think I have mention Alazor’s Neanderthal beliefs are not my own. To me there is no greater importance than that of those who bring life to the world. Whether it be in the gardens or by having a babe take its first breath.” He poured her some wine from the side board. “Were you aware that, in the world, there are men who deliver babies?”

  “Men? No that can’t be right.” She froze mid-bite.

  “Oh it is. I don’t think they can possibly understand what a woman goes through, but who am I to say?”

  “Does grandfather know this?”

  “If he does, he looks the other way. He has little interest in bringing the valor into the twenty-first century. But I believe it’s high time.” After placing the wine before her, he took a seat in the single chair on the other side of the table.

  She took a sip and relaxed back into the sofa. “I’ve been working with my mother for years, but this year I started going to my own births, and I will attend the two dragon births this year.”

  “Only two?” He let his head fall back. Their low birthrate was not getting any better.

  “Yes, same as last year, but one I believe might be twins.”

  “We cannot sustain our numbers with but two births a year.” Even three didn’t make their numbers any better.

  “Mates are hard to come by.” She swirled the wine in her glass.

  “Only because your grandfather doesn’t allow our people to travel.”

  “You travel.”

  “Because I don’t allow him to dictate my life.” He leaned forward gaging her reaction to what he had to say. “I would bet a large number of our unmated dragons would or could find their mates in the human world if they were able to get out and explore it.”

  “Human mates? Certainly not.” She dropped her fork.

  “Don’t tell me you are against it.” Oh, he hoped she wasn’t against it. He needed his future queen on his side. The outside world might be their only hope.

  “No. Just how would that work?”

  “I don’t know, but the Leos’ prime is mated to a human. Hell, the pride is regulated by the fates to only ten babies a year. Their numbers are so great the fates have a cap on births. Can you imagine ten births a year?”

  “The prime mated a human?”

  “He did, and she is his perfect match.” She was, in fact. Kalista couldn’t be more perfect to the Leo prime. She had earned the respect of most of the lions with hard work and persistence.

  “How would you know this?”

  “Because I’m in contact with all the primes. I act as your grandfather’s representative.”

  She took a sip of wine. “We’ve never talked about what you do before.”

  “You never asked.”

  “I didn’t ask tonight,” she pointed out.

  She hadn’t, but the conversation had brought them there nonetheless. “No, but you’ve matured and become interesting.”

  “So I was boring?” she demanded slamming her plate down on the table.

  “Not boring so much as our interests didn’t align.”

  “Now, because I no longer fawn over you, I’m ‘interesting.’ Sorry I’m not much of a fan girl with a crush these days.”

  “About time. What I need in a mate is a strong woman with her own thoughts and ideas, not the screaming teenybopper.” He stood. “You must be exhausted, and although I would very much like to talk some more, your needs must come first.”

  “You’re not staying?”

  “For sex? No, you have made it clear, if not by words, by actions, you have no interest, and I can see you are about to drop where you sit. My bringing you a tray was simply to make sure my mate had what she needed. As I am sure your whole focus during the labor and delivery was on what the mother needed and not yourself.”

  “How would you know that?”

  “Because selfish people don’t become midwives, and the granddaughter of th
e prime has no need to work if she chooses not to.”

  “Will you expect me to stay at home and do nothing when you are prime?”

  “I expect nothing. You will be free to do what you will. And for the record, I do not wish to be prime.”

  She gaped at him. He took the opportunity to place a chaste kiss on her right temple before making his exit. Best to leave her in question. For the first time since the fates deemed them mates, he looked forward to meeting with her in the morning. She had matured in a lovely intriguing way. She held her own in their conversation, argued with him, and didn’t shy away from saying things she thought might anger him. Her defiance for good or bad had the opposite effect he believed she meant it to have.

  His rooms lay on the next floor up. Originally, he had been offered one of the grander suites but he declined them as he spent eleven months away, it seemed a waste of space to give him bigger accommodations when a young family could use them. And the last two years he had spent most nights in Styssi’s bedchamber anyway. Her need for physical attention from her mate had overwhelmed him and his good intentions. Now, he looked forward to anything this sprite could give him. He closed the door behind him and started up the staircase at the end of the hallway.

  As he arrived on his floor, his closest friend and the man he planned to make his top beta when he became prime approached. “Alazor is none too pleased with your leaving the dinner.” Gregoreo grinned. “I wish I had my phone to record him. The man turned near purple.”

  “As much as his displeasure amuses me, it wasn’t the reason for my departure. The needs of my mate came first.”

  “Her demeanor toward you seems to have…altered. No more fangirling.”

  “Thank the goddess for that.”

  “Her disinterest in her mate amuses you?”

  Karolus opened the door to his room. “Drink?”

  “Fireball?”

  “You know it.” Leading the way inside, he crossed the room to the bar and poured a shot for each of them “I wouldn’t say I’m amused as much as relieved. I need a strong partner if I plan to bring the changes needed to this valor. A girl with stars in her eyes and daydreams between her ears isn’t ready or able to step into the shoes of the prime’s queen.”

  “And now?”

  “She’s become interesting and seems to have grown a backbone.” He sat back, pouring another drink. “My fears about her strength have been allayed for the moment.”

  “And Alazor? What do you plan to do about him?”

  “Have you heard of no one who wishes to challenge the old man?”

  “Not one. Everyone is in agreement you should be the next prime.”

  “What about you, Gregoreo? Would you seek this position?”

  “Oh, I will throw myself on a great many swords for you, my friend, but this is not one of them. Accept your fate. You will, by this time next year, be the prime.” Gregoreo reached over and grabbed the bottle. “It should bring you some joy to know Alazor is far less happy about it than you. He knows your views, knows you plan to bring the valor into this century.”

  “The dragons will die off if we don’t do something. Our men outnumber our women five to one.”

  “And with women unable to breed unless bonded to their mates…”

  “Our numbers will continue to fall.”

  And that was the crux. Although he didn’t want prime, he might be the only chance his people had. And, in the end, what he wanted wasn’t important. His people were. He would sacrifice everything to ensure the livelihood of the dragons.

  Chapter 2

  The roars from the contenders rang echoed through the cavernous halls. The surest way to tell her mate was back in residence was the cheers coming from the usually empty rings. As a girl, she would sneak down and watch him when he trained or sat in the great hall before the fire with the other men drinking ale and telling tales. In her twenties, she couldn’t take her eyes off him, the sweat dripping off his hard, muscular body. Muscles she’d dreamt about at nauseam the evening before. No amount of coffee could help with the exhaustion her vivid dreams conjured up.

  How the hell was she supposed to last one more night, let alone twenty-five? Her resolve had faltered last night. Damn fates making it impossible for mates to resist each other, or so she kept telling herself. She couldn’t deny her affections in the past had been puppy love, and, until last night, she hadn’t thought of her behavior as anything but correct. She never once saw it from his side. He hadn’t said a lot but enough to make her see things from his point of view. With so few children born, those in the valor were pampered and spoiled. So, she might have been a bit less mature than what would have been expected.

  Karolus, on the other hand was over a hundred years, old still young for a shifter who lived sometimes over a millennium, he spent the years away from Atlantis and valor, only returning during the month of Aquarius. Not many ever left but those who did always returned when the foniás, zodiac slayers, could track and hunt them. Her grandfather had inferred he believed they weren’t safe in other months as well. Ensuring that very few ever left. She had never been off the island and only ventured into the villages surrounding the volcano to help with laboring mothers.

  She entered the stadium seating area high above the ring and sat trying to stay out of the way. She expected to watch him spar with the strongest of the valor, the guardians, not an omega. Thin and pale, he was the complete opposite of Karolus’ tanned skin and muscular physique. She made to stand to demand what the hell he was thinking but froze. Karolus faced Eneron. She couldn’t hear what they said but Eneron shook nervously, rubbing his arms and fidgeting. With a grip to his shoulder, the smaller man glanced up at Karolus, took a deep breath, and relaxed. Karolus, who stood a good six-foot seven, leaned in, curving his shoulders down, making himself seem smaller in stature.

  He took Eneron’s hand and placed it on his shoulder then showed over and over how to move Eneron from an aggressor to defensive position until they switched, allowing the omega to repeat the moves on Karolus. First slowly until Eneron appeared comfortable then faster, making sure he could run the situation should he need to. Though Eneron would never be able to overtake someone like Karolus, he could defend himself in most situations. Her mate continued the training with three more omegas before he turned and acknowledged her presence.

  At her wave, he cocked his head and offered her a coy smile then jumped the fifteen-foot wall with ease to enter the area seating, taking the steps three at a time. He leaned in and kissed her lips before sitting next to her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m spying on you.”

  “I need to teach you how to spy, then, because you aren’t very stealthy about it.”

  “I’ve been watching you for about thirty minutes, and you never noticed.”

  He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “If you think you can be within a mile of me and go unnoticed, you don’t know the power of a mate.”

  “So, you knew I was here the whole time? Right.”

  “I knew the moment you left your apartment. I could smell you, feel your heat.” He played with a stray curl of her hair. “But I can work through the need to have you, or you would have found yourself pinned against the wall. I wasn’t sure you were ready for the sexual side of our relationship to begin again.”

  Butterflies churned in her stomach at the mere hope he might her with even a small percentage of the desire she felt for him. “And you? Do you want it to begin again?”

  “Yes, I do. This new you intrigues me in every way imaginable.”

  Hurt, she pulled away from his touch. “And the old me? If you weren’t interested, why sleep with me?”

  “Because you needed me to.”

  “Excuse me?” She reeled back as if he had slapped her.

  “When my mate needs something—not a want but a deep need—I can do nothing but meet that need. Whether it be food, like last night, drink, or, as in two years ago, sex. You couldn’t focus on anyt
hing else. Do you deny it?”

  Flushing, she wished she could. “No. I was a walking mess. So, was I simply another woman you took?”

  “You could never be just another woman. Not to me.”

  “So you needed sex, too?”

  “I had already been celibate for five years. Another wouldn’t have made a difference. Did I physically want you? Of course.”

  “Celibate?” No, that couldn’t be true. He left the valor every year, and her grandfather joked endlessly about the trail of women he left in his wake.

  He faced her searching her face for something. “Has no one explained to you about mates?”

  She shook her head then nodded before shaking it again. “I thought I knew, but apparently I don’t know something.”

  “I’m thinking it’s more than something. Once the fates deemed us mates, I no longer had sexual interest in other women.”

  “You mean you couldn’t or wouldn’t?”

  “Both. Though I couldn’t sleep with another, even if I wanted to, I would never disrespect my mate that way.”

  Something about his statement eased a huge knot deep in her soul. All those nights she’d wondered if someone warmed his bed when he traveled far and wide, now she knew he never cheated, never took his pleasure elsewhere. Still, he’d given her years to mature and learn who she was as a person, dragon, and a woman. It said more about the man than she had ever known. Honor and respect went hand in hand. “Thank you for that.”

  He lifted her hand to his lips.

  “I hate to break up this lovely moment.” Gregoreo followed with a cough.

  “But you will anyway,” Karolus grumbled.

  “Welcome home, Gregoreo.”

  “Lovely to see you again, Styssi.” Gregoreo had always been kind to her, to everyone. Yet no one crossed him; he was only second to Karolus. “You have a meeting with the prime, Karolus.”

  “Whatever does Grandfather want with you today?” Styssi asked.

  “Oh, the list is so long.” Gregoreo counted on his fingers. “First, his doing women’s work by bringing you a tray of food. For shame he stoops so low. Second, that he deems it necessary to train men the prime feels are little better than women.”