“So, you’re a princess, huh?” Vaughn asked.
Naya was looking out the window in a daze. While he’d known she was a vampire, he hadn’t realized she was a princess. Her last name was the same as the King and Queen’s, but he’d had no idea how many Kensingtons there were. The arranged marriage and her sense of responsibility all made sense now.
She turned his way and sighed. “Guilty.”
Vaughn laughed out loud.
Naya looked at him. “What’s so funny?”
“You’re a vampire princess, and I’m next in line to be alpha of the Minnesota Pride. It’s not quite the same as you being a princess, but still, it’s crazy weird that you and I found each other.”
“So, you’re saying that you’re kind of the equivalent to a shifter prince?”
He laughed again. “Guilty,” he said, repeating her word.
She turned back to the window. “Somehow, I don’t think that would make my parents feel any better,” she said sardonically.
Vaughn grabbed her hand and squeezed, making her look at him again. He met her eyes as much as he could while still keeping the car on the road. “Naya, don’t worry about them. You and I will figure this out together. You don’t need them.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “You have me now.”
She’d always had him. She just hadn’t known it.
She squeezed his hand back and gave him a small smile.
“So, your mother yelled something about you needing to feed from me. Do you know what she meant?”
“No. They haven’t told me anything. My lack of knowledge is embarrassing and sad.”
“The embarrassment is on them, not you. Do you know anyone you could ask about any of this? I want to make sure you and the baby get proper care.”
“Not really. Hmm…well, I guess I could go back to the vampire clinic and see if they would help me.”
“We should go right away.”
“Good idea. I was thinking…”
“What?” He quickly glanced at her.
She was chewing on her bottom lip.
“Naya, you can tell me. What were you thinking?”
“I thought maybe I should stop by my house on the way to the clinic, so I can get some clothes and other things before my parents get home, but then I realized that I don’t know where I am going to stay. I just know I can’t go home—at least, not now. I need to process some things before I see my parents again. I should probably call Kenzie and ask if it’s okay to stay with her. She’s going to flip when she hears the news.”
He growled. “I don’t think so. You’re not fucking staying anywhere but with me,” he commanded. “Now, where do your parents live?”
She gave him the address and directions. “You’re kind of demanding. What if I don’t want to stay with you?” she said with a small smile.
He knew she was teasing him, but to him, it wasn’t something to joke about. “Naya, you are carrying my baby inside you. I’m not letting you go anywhere.”
What he meant was, he wasn’t letting her go—period. There was no way he would lose her a second time. He kissed her hand again to take away the sting of his possessiveness, but when he glanced at her face, she looked happy.
After a few minutes, she nodded off.
When they arrived at her house forty-five minutes later, he shook her awake. “Naya, we’re here.”
She sat up and yawned. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so tired lately. I guess I know why now.”
They both exited the vehicle and went to the front door. Her house was large and beautiful. It was a home built for a princess. Upon entering, a short human man dressed in a suit waited by the door.
“Hans, I am just going to get some things from my room. Mother, Father, and Arianna will be home soon. This is Vaughn,” Naya said and pointed to him. “He’s going to help me upstairs for a minute.”
Hans bowed. “Yes, Miss Naya.”
They walked up the large staircase.
“You have a human working for you?” Vaughn asked.
“He’s our butler. Humans work for us since they can go out during the day if needed.
Interesting. But he supposed vampires didn’t have many options. Well, Naya wouldn’t need to worry about having a human go outside in the daylight for her. She had him to do things for her now.
Halfway to the second floor, Vaughn’s phone started vibrating, so he paused on the stairs to take a look. He saw several texts and missed calls from his parents, his sister, his uncle, and Sawyer, which meant everyone knew what had happened. Her parents were probably on their way home. He took the stairs two at a time to catch up with Naya. When they reached the top, he followed her down a hall into what had to be her bedroom.
“How can I help?” he asked.
She pulled some suitcases from her closet and set them on the bed. “Please empty the top two drawers of my dresser.” She pointed to where it sat along the wall. “Also, could you grab at least three pairs of jeans from my closet? I’ll get the rest.”
He nodded, and they both got to work, packing as much as they could. She went into her bathroom and snatched a bunch of stuff to throw in a suitcase.
She looked up and asked him, “So, do all shifters live on the Minneapolis side of the Twin Cities? Is that the reason vampires stay on the St. Paul side?”
“From what I understand, that’s pretty much it. Over a hundred years ago, when the land was being settled, both shifters and vampires wanted to live here. They didn’t want to share though, so they decided they would each stay on their side of the river,” he said as he continued to pack.
Naya stood still at her spot by the bed. “So, there wasn’t a feud or anything? You and I aren’t like Romeo and Juliet?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Not from what I understand. When most of the shifters and vampires came here in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the humans already had a rivalry among the two cities. They were always trying to one up the other and would compete over everything from baseball teams to daylight saving time. The competition between the two cities made it easier for the shifters to stay on one side and vampires on the other. The humans have evolved so it’s not such a Minneapolis-versus-St. Paul thing—the Minnesota Millers versus the St. Paul Saints—and more of a united Twin Cities—Minnesota Twins—thing. Unfortunately, the shifters and vampires held on to the old traditions. There’s always been peace between the vampires and shifters, but as far as history goes, they haven’t really liked each other much and have remained separate.” Vaughn cleared his throat. “No offense, but I’ve heard some vampires are kind of…opinionated.”
She snickered. “You’re being polite. I would have used words like arrogant, aloof, formal, or stuck-up—at least considering the vampires I know. I suppose there are more vampires who might feel like I do.”
He looked around her bedroom that could hold two small apartments in it. “You’re probably right, and I’m guessing not all vampires are royalty?”
“True. Just because I grew up in a stuffy and repressed upper-class household doesn’t mean all vampires did.”
She looked down and picked at the stuff in the suitcase, but she didn’t really place it anywhere different. Something was clearly on her mind, but he didn’t push her.
“What about now? I didn’t know shifters existed, but it’s obvious my parents did, and they still don’t care for them. How do shifters feel about vampires?”
“Honestly, vampires aren’t discussed much. They don’t pose a problem to our kind. They don’t bother us, and we don’t bother them. However, I don’t think my parents were exactly thrilled about our whole situation, so maybe they feel the same way about vampires as your parents feel about shifters. But it could just be because I”—he gestured toward her stomach—“you know, knocked you up.”
Naya was still staring into her suitcase, not meeting his eyes, as she whispered, “How do you feel about vampires?”
He paused. So, this is what is both
ering her.
He set down her stuff and walked over to her. He pulled her into his arms, breathing in her familiar vanilla scent and the richness of her pregnancy.
When she looked up to his face, he told her, “Naya, I could not care less that you’re a vampire. I don’t have any prejudice toward them or you. I am not my parents. I am not your parents. I can make my own decisions about whom I like or don’t like. Okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Since the night we met, I thought I’d made it pretty clear that the fact that you’re a vampire doesn’t matter to me.”
“I suppose, but remember, I just found out that you knew this whole time. And having a one-night stand is different than having a baby with someone.”
He rubbed his thumb across her cheek. “It still doesn’t change the way I feel.” He bent down and kissed her.
He’d meant for the kiss to be gentle and sweet, but then she kissed him back, and he was suddenly as hard as a spike. He was ready to throw her down on the bed. It had been too long since they’d had sex, and he wanted to be inside her.
Reluctantly, he broke their kiss before he forgot where he was. “We’d better hurry up if you want to be gone before your parents get home.”
Her breathing was ragged, and it was nice to know he wasn’t the only one aroused.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
They hurried and finished packing, being careful not to touch each other intimately.
When they got downstairs, she told Hans, “I’m going to be gone for a while. Please tell Mother and Father that I will be somewhere safe, and I will contact them when I’m ready to talk.”
Vaughn squeezed her shoulder, reassuring her that this was the right thing to do.
“Tell them I need some time and space right now.”
“Yes, Miss Naya,” Hans said.
“Thank you.”
They grabbed everything, headed to the car, and loaded it all in. When they pulled away, Vaughn noticed that Naya didn’t even look back.
Dwyer Lowell, wolf-shifter and alpha of the Minnesota Pack, opened his cabin door to see the cat-shifter standing on the other side. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I need to speak with you.”
“We aren’t supposed to be seen together.”
The cat sighed. “You aren’t going to make this easy, are you?”
“Nope. In case you didn’t know”—he leaned closer—“I’m not your biggest fan.”
“I know, but we have an agreement.”
“Fine. Get in here, and get it over with.”
The large cat glared at him while he entered the room.
“Now, what do you want?”
“First, did you tell your men to be more careful? Vance’s daughter spotted them a couple of days ago. He’s sending a team out to investigate, so they’d better not find anything.”
Dwyer growled. He didn’t like this cat telling him what to do.
Understanding he’d overstepped, the cat put his hands up. “Sorry. Please just tell them to be more cautious.”
“What else?” Dwyer asked.
“Second, we have a change in plans. I just found out Vaughn knocked up some vampire bitch with his spawn. I don’t know where he’ll be staying or if she’ll be with him, but she needs to be included now that she’s carrying a Llewelyn. So, we have to put the plan on hold for a while.” He shook his head. “Stupid kid. Why did he have to go and make things more complicated?”
This asshole just thought they were at his beck and call. “How long do you expect us to wait around?” Dwyer barked.
“I don’t know. I will let you know as soon as I know anything. Why does it matter? I’m paying for all of you to be here anyway.”
“Yeah, and the longer you have my men and me stay around here, the more we risk exposure. We can’t lie low forever. We’re wolves. You have two months before we head out. Deal or no deal.”
“Fine,” he agreed. “I will keep you updated.” He stomped out the front.
Just as Dwyer closed the door, his youngest son, Damien, walked in from the back of the cabin.
“Who was that?” Damien asked.
“Not important. Doesn’t concern you.”
His son exhaled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t you think it’s about time you explain to me what we are doing back here?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he bit out. “When I want you to know, I will tell you. Drop it.” The little shit thought he was better than his old man.
“You know we’re not supposed to be within sixty miles of the cities—at least, not all of us together. Aren’t you worried the Llewelyns will find out?”
“I said, drop it.”
“Dad—”
“I’m going to bed.”
Dwyer walked into the bigger of the two bedrooms, stripped off his shirt and pants, and climbed into bed. He loved his son, he supposed, but Damien was too honest, regardless of the circumstances. If only Donovan were still around, then he would understand why his old man had made a deal with the enemy.
Donovan was his firstborn son and next in line to be alpha. But seventeen months ago, he’d died in an accident. The accident never would have happened if the Llewelyns hadn’t kicked his family and pack out of the Twin Cities. It was Vance Llewelyn’s fault his son had died. It was Vance’s fault he had lost their half of the business and were practically bankrupt.
Now, Vance would pay for what he’d done to his family.
Dwyer knew part of his thinking wasn’t rational, but he really didn’t care. All he wanted was revenge.
Damien Lowell stood outside his father’s bedroom, debating if he should knock. Deciding it would be pointless, he turned away. His father wouldn’t tell him anything. His father didn’t trust him the way he had Donovan.
But Damien couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. His father was stupid if he thought Damien hadn’t smelled the cat-shifter who had just left. He needed to find what the cat’s business was with his dad and if that was why they were back in Llewelyn territory.
“Fuck.”
His father had always been impulsive, but ever since his older brother had died, his father had gotten worse. He wasn’t thinking about the good of their pack anymore. Unfortunately, Damien was the only one wise enough to see it. Everyone else blindly followed his father. After they had been driven from the cities, the pack had been too afraid to question anything. Nobody wanted to cause further problems even if it was the right thing to do.
Damien wanted the pack to stay together, too, and of course, he’d also wanted to come back home. He’d grown up in the cities, and his mother was buried here, but he wasn’t willing to break any shifter laws to do it. Even if he was all on his own, he was determined to find out what his father was up to before he did something that would ruin the Minnesota Pack forever. Now that his brother had passed away, Damien was next in line to be alpha, and he had to make sure there would be a pack left to lead someday.
No matter what, Damien would do everything in his power to make sure it happened.
VAUGHN AND NAYA went straight to the vampire clinic after leaving her parents’ house. She hadn’t even officially moved out, and already, she thought of it as her parents’ home rather than her own.
As they walked from Vaughn’s car toward the clinic, she found she was considerably more anxious than on her first visit tonight. She hadn’t welcomed their treatment of her earlier this evening, and she was nervous about what they would say about her hybrid pregnancy, yet at the same time, she craved any information they had for her. She needed to know what was going on. She could only hope there would be good news. This pregnancy had been unexpected, but she already knew she wanted this baby—she peeked at Vaughn—more than anything.
Vaughn held the door open for her, and she noted the empty waiting room. She was relieved because she felt like this was a private moment. Even the reception desk was empty, so she had to ring the
bell for service, but it was definitely better than having rude Nurse Tina there.
A female vampire came around the corner with a smile on her face, but her steps faltered, and her smile turned into a frown when she noticed Vaughn. Then, the female hurried to the reception desk.
Shooting daggers at Naya, the receptionist hissed, “You can’t bring him here.”
Taken aback, Naya asked, “Why?”
“He’s a shifter. This place is for vampires only.”
The female vampire wasn’t much older than her. Apparently, there was still some prejudice in her generation.
The receptionist looked Naya up and down like she was infected with a horrible disease. “Rumor has already spread about your…transgressions.”
This lady was worse than the nurse.
To top it off, the receptionist turned to Vaughn with a look of disgust. “Do they all smell like a litter box?”
Naya felt Vaughn stiffen next to her, but he didn’t say anything. She was exhausted, hormonal, and intolerant after everything that had occurred earlier in the night.
Her patience snapped, and she leaned over the desk and grabbed the female by the shirt. “Listen here, bitch. You don’t talk to him like that—ever. He is the father of my unborn child, who happens to be the King and Queen’s future grandchild. So, unless you want to find yourself without a job, you’d better apologize—now.”
She was definitely hormonal because she’d never done anything like that before.
The female looked shocked and nervous. “I-I’m sorry, Princess.” She looked at Vaughn. “Sir, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
Naya let her go and smoothed down her shirt. “That’s better. Now, will you please find Dr. Montgomery and tell her I need to speak to her immediately?”
The female ran off to find the doctor. As soon as she was out of earshot, Vaughn smiled and laughed.
“Babe, that was awesome. I didn’t know you had that in you.”
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