by Eve Newton
“He does know. I wasn’t aware that he cared,” she says softly. “I didn’t get a chance to ask you earlier, how come you are here?”
“Aelfric came to get me. My presence as your future husband and prophesized baby daddy was required for your Coronation,” he says blandly.
She snickers but then says, “I’m still so mad at you, but I am glad you’re here.”
He holds his hand out to her with a small smile, palm up, and she takes it gratefully, gripping his fingers tightly and she pulls on his energy slowly and he feels it leave him. It is so sensual it makes him want to push her up against the wall and take her right now. He doesn’t think she knows how it makes him feel. It’s no wonder that Xane always wants to do this with her. It also makes him wonder why Constantine doesn’t. She lets him go and he can see she feels a bit better.
They have reached her room by now and he ushers her in, closing the door quickly. She has her fangs down and is on him before he has reached up to pull his shirt down. She rips it off him and climbs up him. He circles her with his arms to hold her up high enough to get to his neck. She sinks her fangs into him, and he leans back against the door to brace himself. She is starving and this is going to be one Hell of a draining. She goes beyond the limit and he slowly lowers them to the floor. She is squirming on his lap, getting him all riled up and in a fit of lust he runs his hands up under her gown. She groans as she feels what his hands do to her and snaps her fangs back suddenly before she plunges her blood-covered tongue into his mouth. Oh, wow is the only thought that goes through his head as she devours him with her teeth, her tongue, and her lips. Her hands claw at him and he takes full advantage of it, only hating himself just a little bit because of it. She wants him and he loves her. He is not saying “no” under any circumstances. She is wiggling about, moving against him. She makes a noise of frustration and pulls away. Sebastian wails in his head because she is no longer kissing him, and he opens his eyes to see her struggling with her gown.
“Help me,” she growls at him and he blinks in surprise.
“Can’t you just magick it off?” he asks.
“Does it look like I can?” she snarls. “It is unpredictable, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” she adds a bit gentler and he hides his smile as he reaches up to remove her crown. He then pulls on the laces at the back of her gown, entwining them with his fingers and pulling outwards so they loosen. As much as he loves modern-day dress, all tiny skirts and tight-fitting tops that show off a woman’s best assets, there is nothing as sexy as a laced-up gown. When you loosen the ties and it falls away revealing what is underneath, it is enough to make his mouth water. Especially when it is her. She hasn’t changed her body at all, only her hair and her eyes. Her perfect tits are the same as he remembers. Her nipples are like rosebuds, beckoning him to suck on them. She pulls her arms free of the gown and runs her hands through his hair as she pulls him close to her. He takes her in his mouth, and she makes a little mewling sound, which makes his cock ache to be inside her. He runs his hands down her ribcage and around her back to her very sexy ass. He grabs it and she pushes her body further into him. His arms engulf her tiny frame and he likes the feeling of protecting her. He forgets all about everyone else as she climbs off him and steps out of the gown, pulling him up when she’s discarded it.
She leads him to the bed, and he watches her crawl onto it as he undresses. He wants nothing more than to be inside her, pounding away until he releases himself into her. But he is not a selfish lover. He wants her to be dripping wet for him, because of him. Teasing her, touching her, kissing every inch of her.
Oh, gods, his cock jumps in response to those thoughts. She sees it and eyes him hungrily. She wants him as much as he wants her. With just a fleeting thought to their sire, knowing they are betraying him by being like this together, Sebastian climbs onto the bed in front of her and his body reacts to her. It is like a fire running through his veins and he can feel the markings on his back start to swirl.
This has only ever happened the one other time that they were together like this. It didn’t even happen when he was with the Other her. It tickles, like a soft caress. Her own markings, that are now complete and absolutely beautiful, start the same swirling as she reaches for him. They both gasp as the current of electricity flows through them as they touch and then he can’t hold back any longer. He kisses her, pulling her to him and under him as he pushes her back to the bed.
He wanted to take his time with her, to give her pleasure before he took his own, but he can’t. He cannot stop himself from entering her, but he needn’t have worried. She is completely ready for him, lifting her hips to meet him, just as eager to have him inside her as he is to be inside her. She soaks him with her desire, and he groans in response, sliding all the way into her. Sebastian wants to feed from her as he takes her, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to take anything from her that will cause her any weakness here. She doesn’t realize this is a hostile place for her to be, and he is fairly certain her father won’t defend her should she find herself in trouble. He has seen the way his sons, he doesn’t think of them as her brothers, look at her.
A mixture of disgust and yet desire. She said she trusts the youngest, Trystan, but he doesn’t trust any of them. Never, ever trust a Faerie. He must remember to tell her that, he thinks to himself before all other thoughts go out of his head as she rolls them over and starts to ride him. He pulls on her ass to get her even closer to him, she steadies herself with her hands on his chest. She is just as lost in him as he is in her and she comes around him in pulsing waves, which sets off his own. He releases himself into her with a loud groan and then his eyes flick quickly to hers, as hers do to his. She jumps off him, quick as lightning, but it is too late. She holds her hand up and he bites his lip.
“Shit!” she whispers. “Shit. Seb.”
Sebastian doesn’t answer her, as he has nothing to say. Well, nothing she wants to hear, anyway. This was an honest mistake, he had totally forgotten about the prophesized baby, and so had she. However, he can’t say that he would be disappointed if she did get pregnant. Then she would be his and there isn’t anything anyone – not even their sire – could do about it. She is staring at him in growing panic, so he tries to reassure her. “Livvie, I am still certain that this is not going to happen. We are still Vampires, regardless of our Fae heritage.”
She doesn’t look convinced and he knows it is because she thinks she is able to reproduce. “But what if?” she asks him.
He shrugs, what does she want from him? “Then we deal,” he says.
“That’s all you have to say?” she asks him angrily.
“Look, the odds are against this, but even if it did happen. Is it so bad?” he asks her and her eyes blaze with fury. “We are supposed to be together,” he adds, sitting up and taking her hand. She pulls away from him.
“What about our sire?” she asks quietly, and he frowns at her.
“I was under the impression that you never wanted to see him again after what happened,” Sebastian ventures cautiously. He is stepping out of the frying pan here, and into the blazing flames of Hell, because he is also reminding her of his role in all of this.
Her face goes cold and she climbs off the bed and pulls on a robe. He sighs and curses himself, but this had to be dealt with. He is surprised she was so happy to see him in the first place.
“Oh, yes. That reminds me of an arse-kicking that needs to be issued,” she says with her back to him as she ties her robe tightly. “I suggest you start to explain yourself.”
He also climbs off the bed and gets dressed. “He asked me to do it. I wanted him to be happy, so I did it,” he says, and she glares at him, her violet eyes crackling with an anger that he has never borne witness to from her and hopes never to again.
“That’s it? That’s your whole explanation?” she hisses at him.
“Pretty much,” he says. “There is nothing more in it than that from my side. If you want more, y
ou need to ask him.”
“Oh, have no fear that I will be asking him that and a whole lot more,” she says.
He can hear her teeth grinding from where he stands. “Tell me, what you were asking me to do?”
Sebastian hesitates and she steps forward, murder on her mind. He opens his mouth to betray his sire, because he just can’t lie to her anymore. “He wanted you to leave Cole. Just as a wife, not as a sire. He wants you desperately, Liv. I have never seen him like this. Everything he has done for you and given you. All he wanted was for you to be his.”
“He said he would wait,” she says stiffly. “It is no excuse.”
“I know. He had every intention of waiting at the beginning, he really did, but as his feelings overwhelmed him, he wanted more. He tried to fight for you, but when you blackmailed him into backing off, he got desperate.”
“And Devon?” she asks.
He squints at her. He also told her about that? Fuck’s sake. He is in deeper shit than he first thought. “That had nothing to do with you, per se. Constantine, well, you know how he is about irresponsible sires. He just wanted Devon to become a proper sire to the girl so that he didn’t have a Rogue to deal with, and you know what that means…” He gives her a pointed look. Christ, he just pulled that out of his ass and by her pale face, it worked.
“He would have had to kill Devon,” she mutters.
“He did it to protect you, both,” he drives his point home and she softens. Considerably.
But he still needs to defend himself first and foremost in this moment. “I wanted to stop doing the Cole thing. I asked him to let me off the hook, but he has that way. You know that as well as I do…”
“Yes, I do know,” she says quietly. “I understand about Devon. But what you did to me was…”
“I am sorry about my part in all of this. Forgive me, Livvie, I swear to you I will never, ever use any of my powers on you ever again.”
“Damn straight,” she mutters and sighs. “How can I trust you now? Every time I look at you, I will be wondering if you are spelling me.”
“You can trust me, Liv, because I love you. I won’t hurt you again. Please forgive me,” he begs her.
“How is it that your powers work on me anyway?” she asks suddenly.
“Faerie are strong and as they don’t fall under your rule, you are not immune to their powers,” he says, knowing he is leaving a whole load of information out of that explanation, but she doesn’t need to know it. Not yet, anyway.
“Great,” she says and sits at the dresser.
“Do you forgive me?” he asks, going up behind her, and with a manipulation that he dislikes himself for, places his hand on her shoulder, sending a current through her that she can’t ignore.
She sighs and says, “If I ever find out that you have been violating me again, I will have your head.”
“I know you will, Princess,” he says with a soft smile at her that she returns weakly in the mirror. “You need to rest now.”
She nods wearily and lets him lead her back to the bed. He tucks her in and kisses her forehead. “I will leave you to sleep,” he says to her.
“You’re leaving?” she asks.
“I need to go and see my father. There are things that need discussing now,” he says as he strokes her hair.
She frowns at him and his evasiveness, so he adds, “I will fill you in when I get back.” She is happy with that and without a second thought to what they were originally discussing, she closes her eyes and falls asleep.
Sebastian leaves the bedroom and the two guards posted outside her door bob their heads at him, he returns the courtesy. He can’t decide if they are there for her protection, or as her jailers. He hesitates, as she is completely vulnerable while she sleeps. What if they let someone in to hurt her?
“Kalen,” Aelfric’s voice booms at him from down the corridor. He turns to see his father and Drake stalking towards him. “Kalen, I need to speak to you,” he says.
“Is Aeval resting?” Drake barks at him before he can respond.
It takes him a second to register that he means Liv and he nods. “Yes. She is sleeping. She will be safe?” he asks with a tilt of his head towards the guards.
“Of course,” Drake sneers at him. “She is of the utmost importance to me. To all of us.”
Well, it’s not exactly that he cares about her well-being because he loves her, but he’ll take what he can get.
Aelfric looks at Drake and says, “I need to speak to my son. I will catch up with you later. Now that we have our children in place, there is much to discuss.”
Drake nods back in agreement and Aelfric takes Sebastian by the elbow and steers him away. “There is something you need to know,” he says without preamble. “The prophecy has changed.”
“What do you mean?” he asks. “How can a prophecy change?”
“Well, not so much changed, as amended, then,” Aelfric says in a low voice. “The Dark don’t know about this yet and we won’t be able to keep it quiet forever, but you need to get back in that room and make this baby now before your brother decides to take it upon himself.”
“What?” he asks, dumbfounded. “What the Hell are you talking about?”
“The Seer has seen a change. It is not necessarily you who will be the father of this child, it has been told he will be a King. Due to your…status,” he adds, “we always assumed Thrace would be King.”
“I beg your pardon?” he asks. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Kalen, I know you love her. I can see it. Do this for yourself as well as your people. If you don’t see to her today, I will have no choice but to let Thrace try. You know he is next in line with you gone.”
Sebastian stares at his father in shock. He intends to whore her out to his son just to get this child conceived? “I am next in line,” he says, making a snap decision that he may live to regret one day. “And we have already been together,” he adds quietly. He dislikes having to tell him that, as it is intensely private what they share, but over his dead body is he letting his younger brother anywhere near her. His brothers, he thinks morosely. He doesn’t even know most of them. There were only three of them before he was turned. He knows there are plenty more now.
“Good,” Aelfric says. “I don’t want to have my son tainted by her lack of innocence.”
Sebastian glares at him. How dare he talk about her like that. And what was that act of caring about him, and doing this for himself? What a load of bullshit. He doesn’t really expect anything from his father. They have been estranged for nearly three thousand years. Just because Liv has turned up as the Dark Fae Princess doesn’t mean they get to just pick up where they left off.
“And while I wouldn’t mind giving it a go myself, as being the current King it is a strong possibility, I am sure your mother would throw a fit at me if I conceived a bastard child,” Aelfric adds with a look that suggests he would give it a go regardless of his mother’s feelings if he doesn’t get back in there.
“Lay a finger on her and I will kill you, do you understand me? You stay away from her and keep your son out of her sight as well. She is mine,” Sebastian says forcefully, wanting to beat the shit out of him for daring to even think it, let alone suggest it out loud.
“Now, now,” Aelfric says with a wicked glint. “No need to be all testy. Go back in there and do your duty if you want everyone else to stay away.” He slaps Sebastian on the shoulder and walks off in the direction that Drake went. He has half a mind to tell Drake about what Aelfric just said. Surely, he would protect his only daughter from being ravaged by a horny Prince who, despite his father’s words about becoming tainted, would love nothing better than to get her in the sack. He grimaces as he thinks of his younger brother. Only five years younger than him, Thrace was thirteen when he was turned, and every bit as ruthless as their father. Don’t let the “Light” fool you. Doesn’t mean they are all sunshine and roses. He has no doubt in his mind that Thrace has grown to be an exa
ct replica of Aelfric. He would be next in line with Sebastian gone, and he would have been groomed accordingly. He changes his mind though. Drake wants this child as much as Aelfric does and it probably wouldn’t surprise him if he let everyone have a go just to get the job done. Well, it is up to him to protect her and he will. If he has to kill every last one of them to keep her safe, he will do it.
He heads back inside her room and watches her sleep. He could watch her for the rest of his life. It is strange that even though she looks different, he barely notices it. All he sees is her. He sighs and sits heavily on the chest at the end of the bed. He drops his head into his hands. This is such a disaster. He can’t win her. There are too many people in his way and if she does decide to forgive Constantine, then he will have no hope. He cannot compete with him. He never could.
Chapter 13
Ancient Rome, 751 BC - Vincentius
He picked himself up from his backside for the thousandth time that day. He couldn’t beat him. Not like that. He held his hand out and felt the spark go over his palm and then slammed his fist closed. His father threatened him with his life if he used magick out in the human world. At times like those, he felt it would be worth it. He wanted to beat him so badly, it was killing him, especially as Isebella was watching from the sidelines. She, along with all the other girls, were laughing behind their hands at him and it infuriated him. She saw him watching her and she stopped laughing and shifted her gaze away from him and to his sparring partner. He was standing there, hands on hips with an amused look on his face. All the girls wanted him. Constantinus Kaius Aquila, son of a senate member, his blood was of the purest breed. He was two years older than him, but already a seasoned warrior. Vincentius continued to stare at Isebella, wishing she was looking at him with those pretty, brown eyes. Constantinus didn’t notice her. He never noticed any of them. Even his own betrothed mattered less than nothing to him. He flicked his wrist and his sword came back in line with him.
