Kidnapped By The Vampire Prince (BBW Paranormal Romance)

by T. S. Ryder

Every step felt like it took forever. Rachel was almost ready to use her magic to make these vampires go faster when she was brought into the light again. She was taken to the king and seated at a long, ebony table. The table was set with a roast chicken, but the smell, rather than making her mouth water, made Rachel think of Henry being strangled by his father. She swallowed down bile.

  "I did not expect that you would turn yourself in," the king said, pouring her a glass of wine. "I had my men hunting for you the moment my son returned."

  "Did he tell you that our child was born?" Rachel's voice shook, no matter how hard she tried to keep it calm. "A girl."

  "He told me. I don't believe him. Or you, for that matter. You would say anything…" The king shook his head. "What is it about you that turned my son from me? You're nothing special. I always thought my son cared for me. I didn't think he wanted to kill me."

  "He doesn't."

  The king offered her a smile, his two pearly fangs flashing. "We'll see about that."

  A shiver ran down Rachel's spine, but she raised her chin. "Have you ever considered that it could be your insistence that Henry kill me and our child that will lead to your death?"

  A dark look flashed over the king's face. He didn't answer, but at that moment the door opened. Leila and Henry were pushed into the room. Rachel jumped to her feet, but the king grabbed her by the arm, preventing her from running to her prince and sister. Henry went rigid when he saw her, his hands curling into fists.

  "Father, please. It doesn't have to—"

  The king held up his hand. "I don't know what this witch did to you, Henry. Some sort of spell, no doubt. It's the only explanation for any of this. You were a loyal son until you met her."

  Henry shook his head, his shoulders slumping. "No, father. I was a loyal son until you told me to kill her. I would have given up my claim as your heir, I would have left and lived on the surface for the rest of my days. You could have had another son, and none of this would have happened. But you told me to kill my bride and unborn child, and when I tried to run you wouldn’t let me be and continued to hunt us. You forced my hand."

  "You truly believe what you're saying." The king shook his head. "Do you really think that just because your son wasn't born under the surface, it would spare me from my fate as his grandfather?"

  "Look, asshole, the baby's a girl," Leila said, her hands curling. "And you're just talking yourself closer and closer to forcing Henry to kill you, so why don't you just let it go?"

  The king released Rachel, taking a threatening step towards Leila. Rachel raised her hands, ready to call on her magic, but the vampire stopped. Shaking his head, he turned to Henry again. "I am going to give you one last chance, Henry. Kill this woman and bring the child back to be taken care of. Do it." His voice softened. "I don't want to kill my son."

  Henry's shoulders slumped forward. He shook off the guard who held him and strode forward. He wrapped his arms around Rachel. She held him back, squeezing him tight. Her heart hammered as she looked at the king over her prince's shoulder. He stood tense, eyes hard, and Rachel knew he wasn't going to let this go, no matter how much Henry begged.

  "I will not kill my bride," Henry whispered. "And I won't let my daughter die. If you want this woman to die, Father, you will have to kill me with her."

  The king closed his eyes. He let out a deep, shuddering breath. "Very well, Henry. Say goodbye."

  "Leila," Rachel blurted, yanking herself away from Henry.

  Her sister knew what she meant to do and stomped on the instep of the vampire holding her. The guard winced. His grip didn't loosen, but his cry distracted the nearby vampires enough. Rachel threw her hands forward, pouring fire from her palms. The ebony table caught quickly. As the vampires shied away from the flames, Leila coated her own hands with black flame and grabbed the face of the vampire who held her. He howled and jerked away from her.

  The king snarled, lunging for Rachel, but Henry was between them faster than Rachel could see. Father and son clashed, both swinging fists and dodging blows.

  Rachel raced to Leila, grabbing her hand. The guard came at them, but they spun in a circle, drawing a line of dark fire between them and the vampires, who stumbled back from the heat. Leila's grip on her sister's hand tightened.

  "What now?"

  Rachel shook her head, at a loss.

  One of the vampires leaped through the flames. Grasping hands reached for her and she screamed. She heard Henry cry her name as Leila sent a blast of energy at the attacking vampire. His clothing was already all in flames, and as he passed through the fires again he shrieked, writhed and was consumed, crumbling into ash. Rachel turned to where Henry and the king were fighting. Henry was fending off blows weakly, black cuts ripping open his chest. A silver knife flashed in the king's hand.

  Even as she watched, the king kicked Henry's legs out from under him, wrapping his hands around his throat.

  "Sunlight!" Rachel blurted. "Is Henry still shielded?"

  Leila turned wide eyes on her. "Shielded?"

  "The sunblock spell." Rachel grabbed Leila's shoulder. "Help me with the spell."

  Her sister stumbled a little but nodded. Together they started chanting, desperate. Henry writhed under his father's grip, eyes wide as he punched the king's ribs to no effect. The energy formed around him, absorbing into his skin. Rachel clutched Leila's hand tighter and held a hand to the ceiling. She closed her eyes, thinking of the sun, remembering its warmth, the feel of the light on her skin.

  She felt that light again and when she opened her eyes, she and Leila were surrounded by it. The vampires screamed and howled, drawing away from the light. The nearest ones blistered all over their bodies, skin scorching black.

  There was a cry of pain from the king. He stumbled back from Henry. The silver knife was buried deep in his chest.

  Rachel let her magic go and the light faded from around her and Leila. Everybody was silent as the king fell to his knees. Henry rushed forward, grabbing him, pulling him close. Tears ran down his face as his father went still. The fire ring around the two witches disappeared.

  "I didn't want to kill you," Henry whispered. "I loved you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

  Rachel moved forward slowly as Henry wept. She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him, and glanced at the remaining vampires. One by one, they got to their knees and bowed to Henry.

  "What are you doing?" Leila demanded. "You're not going to try to kill us anymore?"

  Henry closed his father's eyes and stood. "My father is dead. I am the king and you are my brides. They know that without me, the kingdom will fall. And if they so much as lay a finger on my queens, they will die."

  His shoulders still slumped, and he stumbled as he embraced Rachel. She held him, trying to lend him her strength.

  "I'll send for Becky and Cheri," she said. "The vampire kingdom must welcome their princess."

  Henry nodded. "And we will bury my father with grace and dignity. But first… I need to restore my strength."

  Rachel nodded, holding his hand as she led him from the room. Leila snorted at the vampires, who were still kneeling, and followed.

  Chapter Ten

  What used to be his father's study was now his study. His father's chambers were now his chambers. The crown that had once looked so noble on his father's brow was now his burden to bear. Henry slumped in his father's–no, his–office chair, staring at the detailed map that showed every tunnel and corridor of the kingdom he now ruled.

  As a boy he used to sneak in here and sit in this chair, looking at that map, pretending he was king, deciding what supplies went where and what armies would be sent to subdue what uprising. It didn't matter that there hadn't been an uprising since this underground kingdom was founded. All he had thought about was how magnificent it would be to prove his worth in battle.

  At that time he was too young to understand that his father had to die before he could be king.

  Henry sighed, loosening the tie that
he wore. He'd updated his wardrobe to what was current on the surface, but the suit just felt oppressive, especially after the grand funeral he had just held for his father. He doubted he would ever get over how he had received the kingship of the vampires.

  If he had listened to me, he would still be here.

  Or perhaps he wouldn't. Henry had a child. A daughter rather than a son, but perhaps the next monarch would be a queen rather than a king. It was a year to the day since Rachel had told him she was pregnant. Maybe his father would be dead anyway, one way or another.

  In any case, he was not going to make the same mistakes his father had. He would accept his future with the grace being a king demanded, and when his heir had an heir of his or her own, he wasn't going to demand that they kill the one they love just so he could live longer.

  The door opened. Henry turned, expecting to see one of his father's witch-brides. He had thought that they would cause more trouble than they had, but they understood just as well as the vampires that the kingdom would crumble without a king, and most had taken voluntary exile. Those few who had stayed had tried to convince Henry that he needed more brides as if Rachel wasn't enough for him.

  It wasn't one of his father's consorts who came into the room, however. It was Rachel herself, carrying their bright-eyed daughter. The baby had his blue eyes and Rachel's dark hair, and a little wrinkle between her eyes when she was about to cry that looked like Rachel when she sneezed.

  "I thought you might like to see your daughter," Rachel said, handing the baby to her father.

  Cheri waved her fists at him and smiled a toothless smile. Her fangs would be coming in soon, and they were already preparing to use a pump and bottle to allow her to continue to drink breast milk. They didn't know if witch blood would be deadly to a baby who was half-witch, but they didn't want to take the chance that Cheri would nip her mother while nursing and drink her blood.

  "It was worth it, you know." He looked up at his queen and smiled sadly. "As much as it hurts to have killed my father. You and little Cheri… our family was worth it. Protecting you… I'd do it again."

  Rachel kissed his forehead. "I just wish we could have made him see reason."

  "My father was not one to take advice or listen to anybody else. How many times did I beg him to stop the tradition of kidnapping women from the surface? No. I loved him, but he would have never listened to me about you and little Cheri."

  "At least you can get rid of that horrible tradition yourself now."

  He nodded, stroking his daughter's cheek. "How is Cheri?"

  His father hadn't harmed his oldest bride. She had been locked in her room but was given everything she needed. She was old, though, and her strength was failing her, although she had been thrilled and honored that he and Rachel had named the little princess after her.

  "She's doing well. She has a bit of a cough, but the healers think that she still has a good five years left."

  Five years sounded like no more than the blink of an eye, but Henry would take it. Deep down, he thought that Cheri might be ready to pass on. She remained cheerful and bright-minded, but she was tired, and the events of the past year had been hard on her. More than once she had mentioned that she was ready to sleep.

  "Leila started her schooling today," Rachel said, sitting on the desk. "She's looking forward to learning how to use her magic properly. And I think she might have her eye on one of the other students. I would never have thought… but I guess now that she doesn't think she has to look after her older sister, she can relax."

  At that, Rachel rolled her eyes, and Henry laughed. "She'll do just fine. What about you? Are you going to rethink going into school?"

  "No. I'm going to learn how to control my magic, and that's it. I don't need to learn all those spells and incantations. I'm getting a better handle on how to control these visions, and that's good enough."

  Henry nodded. Cheri gurgled and he sat her up, bouncing her in the way that always made her smile. His heart always felt lighter when he saw how bright and alive his little girl was. All his brides–they were still his brides, even though he knew he would only ever sleep beside Rachel–were doing well in their chosen tasks. Becky had returned to the surface to complete her medical training, but she was going to return once she graduated.

  He looked up at Rachel again to see a soft smile on her face. She looked so utterly relaxed and so very beautiful. He fought the urge to pinch himself at having a woman like her looking at him in that way.

  "So, I had a dream last night."

  "A dream or a vision?"

  "A vision. I can't remember everything about it, but I do know that you have a long and happy reign ahead of you. And we have a long and happy life together."

  Henry reached for her hand and kissed each of her fingertips. Cheri giggled. "How long?"

  "Long enough to be forever." Rachel bent over him, pressing her lips to his. Her lips were so sweet, her sighs like the sound of heaven. "I love you, Henry."

  "And I love you." Holding Cheri carefully, he wrapped an arm around Rachel's waist and pulled her closer. "Until I take my last breath, I will always love you."

  *****

  THE END

  Bonus Book 4: The Shifter's Vampire

  Description

  A vampire virgin who’s given away PLUS a huge shifter protecting his pack PLUS an ancient war about to escalate…

  Curvy Yuliana is a low-born vampire who’s never been with a man. So she’s terrified when the vampire king asks her to make a sacrifice for the kingdom… to become the mate of the Alpha of one of the most powerful shifter packs in existence. The only thing she knows about shifters is that they are huge and dangerous…

  But when she sees her new mate, all she wants to do is wrap her legs around his hips.

  Leon agreed to take a vampire mate to bring peace to his pack. What he didn’t expect was to be paired with the hottest woman he had ever seen, let alone develop feelings for her.

  Is this a trick, a game of war in which Yuliana is only a pawn? Is the vampire king out to get him?

  But it's not just the vampires Leon has to worry about. The shifters are angry that he chose to take a vampire as a mate. Before the end of it all, his and Yuliana's bond will be tested.

  And if it breaks, everything will be destroyed.

  Chapter One – Yuliana

  The billowy robes that they had put Yuliana in did nothing for her figure. But the puke-green, tent-like garment was meant to be a sign of humiliation, and so it made sense that it would be actually humiliating to wear it. Her hands trembled a little as she waited in the opulent room. She was a low-born vampire. Her parents weren't even servants in a noble household. They rented a little plot of land from a human landlord and worked in the human sector of town. In vampire society, one couldn't get any lower than that.

  And yet the king himself had called her and her parents to meet with him.

  "What do you think he wants?" she asked, brushing her fingers through her chestnut hair yet again.

  Her mother caught her hand and pushed it down firmly. Yuliana could feel her slow but steady pulse. "Rumor has it that the king is looking for another maid to expand his household harem. Not many girls stay virgins these days, but you—"

  "Mother, please don't say things like that!" Yuliana's pale olive tones flushed red. Vampire didn't care about virginity or sexual prudence, but her mother never accepted that. "The king doesn't want me in his harem."

  She caught a glance of herself in one of the highly polished mirrors that were spread around the opulent receiving room that they were in. Despite the fact that she was born from two vampire parents, her skin had never had the ghostly pallor that was prevalent among the nobility. Yuliana suspected it was because her mother was human-born. She had only turned into a vampire after she met Yuliana's father. Yet another reason why the family was on the lower end of society. Human-born vampires were always seen as second-class citizens, the vampires that turned them a step above
criminals.

  Yuliana's figure, too, was undesirable of vampires. Given their low position, Yuliana and her parents couldn't afford to purchase enough blood to fully sustain themselves and had to supplement with raw meats and iron-rich vegetables. The result was that instead of the slim, almost gaunt silhouette that the elites espoused, Yuliana was full-figured. Round cheeks, round thighs, round stomach. She was even bigger than most of the human women she knew.

  It wasn't as though she wasn't pretty. Her eyes and mouth were both well-shaped, her hair thick and shiny, her proportions reminiscent of a thicker Marilyn Monroe. She just wasn't beautiful, and the king only took beautiful women for his harem.

  One such beautiful woman, dressed in a gorgeous emerald-green gown that clung to her thin frame, stepped into the receiving room. A tattoo of a crown gleamed from her bared, creamy shoulder. "King Harold will see you now."

  The slow pace of Yuliana's heartbeat jumped. She smoothed the green robe as she and her parents fell in step behind the woman. What would King Harold say? What did he want? The letter she had received summoning her had been addressed with her name, and the invitation to bring her parents only came at the end. But what had she done to get this attention? Until the letter, she hadn't even thought that the king would know she existed!

  Her breath caught in her chest when she finally saw the king himself. He was in a large room, empty save for a piano in the window and a few couches, loveseats and chairs scattered throughout the space. The king sat at the piano, playing a delicate tune. His face was turned towards the window, but just his profile was enough for Yuliana's throat to go dry.

  Skin pale as death, sharp cheekbones, deep, dark eyes. The black suit he wore made him radiate all the more power. Yuliana could hardly make herself move but somehow managed to sink low to the floor in a curtsy as she was meant to.