by Ariel Marie
“Miss Shamus, the limo is ready for you.” The gentle voice of Tiffany, the funeral coordinator, appeared at her side.
Samara turned to Rashad, unable to form words. The funeral was moving too fast. She glanced back at the closed casket, barely able to see it as tears blurred her vision.
“Thank you,” Rashad said for her. “I’ll help her to the vehicle.”
“He’s really gone.” Samara’s voice broke as Rashad gathered her to him again. She went into his embrace as the sobs broke from her. How would she make it through life alone? Why? Why was fate so cruel as to take her other half from her and leave her alone to face the world?
Chapter Fourteen
Nicu
Nicu knew he shouldn’t be here, but he couldn’t help it. He was parked discreetly across the street from the funeral home, where Samara’s brother’s funeral was being held. It had been three months since they had parted ways. He just needed to catch a glimpse of her to make sure she was okay. He had done as he had promised.
The Shadows had been on a mission to hunt the necromancers down. After the bust at the hideout where he’d been held prisoner, he had radioed in to Phaelyn to take Samara home.
Today was the first day he had caught a glimpse of her. He shifted in the truck as people began to make their way out of the funeral home to their cars. A few stood around, talking with each other.
Nicu watched as a dark limo pulled up to the front entrance of the building. He stiffened as he watched a handsome black man step out, with Samara tucked under his arm. Nicu growled at the familiarity that the man used as he assisted her into the waiting limo.
He thought back to their one night of passion and realized he didn’t ask her if she was romantically involved with anyone. He let loose a curse as he watched the man jog around the limo and enter from the other door.
Who the fuck was this man?
Was this her boyfriend, lover, or husband?
He knew that night she’d been vulnerable, and he knew he shouldn’t have touched her in the state she was in. But, was it her who used him?
Nicu tried to calm down. His anger was mounting at the thought of the man laying a hand on Samara, tasting that same sweetness he had months ago.
The last three months had been a blur. He’d thrown himself into his work and pushed his team further than he ever had before. They would not rest until every necromancer was dead.
Not only was there pressure to end this war, but his family was still receiving pressure from the vampire council. Tonight, they would finally make their decision. They had respectfully waited to make a decision since Nicu, the heir to the throne, was kidnapped by their mortal enemy. But now that Nicu was back home, safe and secure, they decided it would be best to announce whether or not the royal heirs could mate with their destined mates, or if they would have to marry into prominent families.
This would prove to be a problem if the council decided to vote on recognizing only marriages between families, considering that all the Olaru heirs, except for Nicu, were already mated to their destined mates.
The sound of his phone buzzing grabbed Nicu’s attention as he watched the limo pull off, with mourners trailing behind it. He wouldn’t have time to go to the cemetery. He glanced down at the smart phone to see who was calling.
The king.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“Nicu, where are you?” his father asked. Nicu could hear his mother rambling in the background.
“I’m out. I needed to go see someone,” he replied, keeping his answer short. He didn’t want to tell his family that he needed to get a glimpse of Samara. None of them questioned the promise he’d made to her in finding and retrieving her brother for her. Any one of them would have done the same thing.
“We need you home, now,” Vladimir announced. “The council would like to have a meeting with our family first, before they announce their decision to the world.”
Nicu strode into his family home, going straight for his father’s office. He knew that would be the place his family would be gathered for the videoconference with the council. He didn’t stop to knock, but pushed the large doors open that led into the room. His family was gathered there, waiting for him.
“Nicu, glad you were able to come join us,” his mother said from her chair next to his father’s desk. He nodded to his siblings and their mates as he made his way to his mother.
Alin Olaru was as beautiful as she was regal. She held out her hand for him to take, but he leaned down and kissed her on her cheek instead. He may be a four hundred and twenty-year-old vampire who led the Dark Shadows, but he would always show respect to his mother, the queen.
She smiled and patted him on the cheek as he moved away to join his father’s side as they waited for the videoconference to begin.
“Everything all right?” his father murmured.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he grunted. He couldn’t shake the vision of Samara wrapped in the mysterious man’s arms. He blew out a breath, trying to push the image from his mind, but it wouldn’t leave. It had been three months since they parted. Who was he to care who she was with? They had made an agreement—one night. But why was his cold heart feeling heavy?
Mate.
The one word he’d tried to avoid appeared in the back of his mind. She couldn’t be. They had spent less than twenty-four hours together. They may have slept together, but that couldn’t have given them enough time for the bond to form.
Could it?
Nicu shook his head as the television screen popped on, revealing the council as they sat around their semicircular table.
“My King,” Cesar Nasso, Lord of the Greek region, greeted Vladimir.
“Cesar, how goes you?” Vladimir asked, appearing cool and collected. But Nicu knew his father. He knew that his father was playing the politics. He may be king, but the council still had a say in most of the vampire nation’s affairs. It was a checks and balances system.
“I’m doing well. We might as well get straight to business. I see you have the entire royal family present,” Cesar remarked.
“Of course we would all be present for this meeting,” Toma snapped. Nicu knew that this was a touchy subject for his brother, being that his mate, Anika, was a human.
The council believed that the heirs of the future royal family should remain pure. The belief that keeping the Olaru lines would ensure that the future heirs of the throne would be strong was their main concern.
Nicu looked on the screen and noted that all council members were present.
“Over the past years, the royal family and council has debated over the subject of mating,” Christos Procopio, Lord of the South American region began. “We have heard testimonies from the king and queen on behalf of the heirs to the throne.”
“We have heard testimonies from the other lords of the other regions around the world, and we have finally come to a decision,” Hector De Mario, Lord of the Central American region said.
“And what conclusion did you come to?” Alin asked, coming to stand in-between her husband and son.
“We were getting to that, Your Grace,” Cesar said respectfully. “We just wanted to give you a background of what it took for us to come to our decision. As you know, this was not something that we were taking lightly.”
“We weren’t either,” Vladimir noted.
Murmurs echoed around the room in agreement. The Olaru family was passionate about mating with whomever fate chose for them. Before his siblings began finding their mates, they each probably would have gone along with the outdated laws.
The eight council members glanced around at each other before Cesar stood from his chair and walked toward the camera.
“The council has decided that since four of the five heirs to the throne have already mated, we will honor those matings,” Cesar said. Excitement could be heard around the room at the announcement.
Nicu paused as he took notice that they said four of the five heirs.
“An
d,” Nicu snapped, unable to keep quiet any longer. He was the only one that hadn’t mated yet. It irritated the shit out of him that someone else had control over an aspect of his life.
“Well, since you are the only one that has not mated yet, My Prince, the council will give you six months to find your fated mate,” Cesar announced. “If she is not found within that time, then you will need to mate with a pure vampire and secure your heir.”
Chapter Fifteen
Samara
“Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?” Rashad’s voice was sincere as it came through the speakers of her car.
He had been a godsend since the funeral last week. He had helped her pack up Stefan’s apartment. He’d also helped to donate clothes and furniture, and tie up most of her brother’s loose ends. She truly didn’t know what she would have done without him. She had literally been in a fog the last few months.
“I’m okay. This is just my regular yearly physical. I made this appointment almost six months ago. I’m so glad I put the reminder in my phone. If I’d missed this one, I wouldn’t be able to get in for at least another six months.”
“Okay.” His deep chuckle floated through the car. She smiled, which was something that had become rare lately. She knew that in a couple weeks, he would return back to Dallas, and she would miss him greatly. He had extended his time in Cleveland to finish helping her. “Call me when you can. We can grab something to eat tonight. My treat.”
“What am I going to do with you?” she joked, pulling into a parking spot at her physician’s office. “You’re so good to me. Thank you.”
“Aw, now don’t go getting all mushy on me like you women do,” he laughed. “It’s an honor. Stefan was my best friend. He would have my balls if I didn’t take care of you.”
“But—”
“No arguing,” Rashad said, cutting her off. “We’re family. If you want to leave Cleveland and move to Dallas, my parents would love to have you closer to them. My mom doesn’t like the thought of you alone in the city. She wanted me to ask you, but I didn’t know what you would say.”
Tears filled her eyes as she took a deep breath. Over the years, the Bell’s had invited her and Stefan down for holidays, and they had taken them up on their offer multiple times. It gave them both a chance to take mini-vacations. She had become fast friends with Mrs. Bell.
“I don’t know. I would have to think about it,” she admitted. It wouldn’t take much for her to get up and go. Her job for the insurance company could be done from anywhere. The only thing that kept her in Cleveland were the memories of Stefan. Just thinking of leaving made her feel like she would be abandoning his memory. “I’ll think about it.”
“You do that. My mom will ready the guest room. All you have to do is say the word.”
“How have you been feeling?” the nurse, Suzie, asked as she checked Samara’s blood pressure.
“Okay, I guess.” Samara shrugged her shoulders and tried to draw up a smile to offer the bubbly nurse.
“Now, I’m going to ask some general questions for you to answer that are standard, so just bear with me,” Susie said, putting the blood pressure cuff away as she sat down at the computer.
“No problem,” Samara murmured.
“Any issues with eating or swallowing?”
“No.”
“Do you feel safe in your home?” Susie asked, clicking away at the keyboard.
“Yes.” Samara snorted at the question. She lived alone. Who would she be scared of, herself?
“When was your last menses?”
That question stumped her. She stared off into space, trying to recall when she last had a period. With everything that had happened in the last few months, she knew she hadn’t been up on keeping track.
“Um…,” she paused. “Let me look in my phone.”
“Of course,” Susie said with a smile. “Most women keep it in their calendars on their phones nowadays.”
Samara nodded. Snatching her phone out of her purse, she swiped her screen. She pulled up the calendar and looked through the past months, and saw that her last period had been almost four months ago. She rattled off the date, unable to believe what she was seeing.
“Anything stressful? You know stress can make a woman miss her menses.”
“My brother had been missing for months. The police finally found him and I buried him last week.” Samara uttered the words, but was frozen in shock. She thought back to the last time she’d had sex.
Nicu.
They didn’t use protection that night, but a vampire couldn’t get a human pregnant.
Or could they?
“Oh, my! Honey, that will do it for sure,” Susie exclaimed. She jumped up from her chair and went over to the cupboard over the sink. She produced a small cup and handed it to Samara. “Dr. Cobb will want a urine sample, just so we can ensure you aren’t pregnant. Do you think you can give us a sample?”
Unable to speak, Samara nodded. In a fog, she took the cup and followed Susie to the restroom. She had to make a conscious effort to put one foot in front of the other as she closed the door to the restroom.
She stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself from the side. She couldn’t be pregnant. She would know if she was pregnant.
Don’t women just know those things?
She hadn’t had any signs of being pregnant—no sickness or anything. If anything, just fatigue, but that could be because of recent events. This was a time she really wished her mother was alive.
She quickly took care of business, then left the cup on the metal stand in the bathroom before returning to the exam room. Suzie met her back in the room and handed her a hospital gown to put on, announcing that the physician would be in shortly.
Samara nervously waited for Dr. Cobb to enter the room. Time seemed to go by in slow motion before a small knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” Samara called out.
She fidgeted on the exam table. The door opened and a short, thin, African-American woman entered. She had a short, perfectly styled haircut and a wide smile on her face.
“Hello, Samara,” she said, shutting the door. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
Chapter Sixteen
Nicu
“Mother, inviting random vampire females to our home is not the way for me to find a mate,” Nicu growled. He was painfully trying to keep his anger in check as his mother paced in front of his desk.
His temper was on a short fuse, and it took all his strength to keep from blowing a gasket. Six months! Six months to find his fated mate. Of all the females in the world, it would be like finding a needle in a very large haystack.
“What else can I do to help you find your mate? It’s not like you could go on a dating website—”
“Don’t even think of it,” he growled.
“Of course not.” She waved her hand. “How do you want to go about it?” She turned to stare at him.
He sighed and sat back in his chair. He knew that his mother meant well. She had insisted repeatedly that she wanted him to be as happy as his siblings were, now that they were all happily mated. He loved each of his siblings, and was extremely happy and proud of them for following their hearts.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. Here he was, the commander of the infamous Dark Shadows, and he couldn’t formulate a plan to find a mate.
She’s out there, a voice whispered in the back of his mind, but he promptly ignored it. There was no way the human could be his mate. They hadn’t even spent a full twenty-four hours together. Forming a bond with someone took more than a couple hours of hot, sweaty sex.
His thoughts were drawn to the night of unbridled passion that he and Samara had shared. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. He knew that he could be aggressive and demanding in bed, but that night, something came over him. He wanted to possess her. Her sweet body fit his perfectly. The sounds of her whimpers still echoed in his mind.
“Ni
cu.” His mother snapped a finger in front of his face.
“What?”
“You’ve already met her,” she said, as understanding dawned on her face. She lit up with excitement.
“What are you talking about?” he snapped, irritated by the way his mother was looking at him.
“Don’t take that tone with me,” she ordered, walking over to him. He refused to back down from looking into the ice blue eyes that he and his siblings had all inherited from her.
“Who is she?” She reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He abruptly pushed his chair back and stood. He strolled over to the floor to ceiling windows and stared out at the perfectly manicured landscape.
“You can’t run from what fate has planned for you, my son,” the queen said quietly from behind him.
He couldn’t think of fate right now. He had an entire vampire nation that he was in charge of protecting. That was what fate wanted from him, to ensure that vampires had a future.
“You know I have much to do,” he said without looking at his mother. “We have been working tirelessly, going after the necromancers. It’s as if they’ve left the realm again.”
“It’s good to have you back, son,” she said. “But, just know that you can protect our people and find happiness. There is nothing wrong with finding someone to spend your life with. Whoever she may be, she will balance you out. You need her.”
“Invite the females, Mother,” he said, giving in to his mother’s first request. He would rather pick a female than have the council do it. “I’ll at least meet them, but I won’t promise anything.”
He felt a slight pat on his back before the sound of her footsteps filled the air as she moved away from him. The door opened and shut as she left his office.
How could he think of happiness for himself when the people he was charged with protecting were in danger? The rogues had been an increasing problem. Over the last few months, they had increased in numbers, thanks to the necromancers. Rogue attacks had doubled, causing a larger problem in the city. The rogues had officially sided with the necros against the vampire nation.
