by Jayha Leigh
The ladies watched as Reign’s den was filled up with wall-to-wall fine ass men. The Norsemen entered first: Steele followed by his brothers ‑‑ Egil, Haakon, and Håvard and his cousins ‑‑ Njord, Roald, and Sigurd. Then came Hannes followed by men who were obviously his kin. The Southern boy brought up the rear. It wasn’t that he was unassuming; it was precaution in case one of them went on a wild out. He might not be paranormal but he had a pocket full of dynamite and a big enough explosion would take care of any problem regardless of how big, fast, and strong you were.
One thing the ladies of the Posse didn’t do was play dumb ‑‑ for anybody, for any reason and they didn’t start then. They waited for the men to take seats before beginning the interrogation. “Hannes, your family?”
“Yes, Silana,” Hannes answered as he handed Reign a cake box, which Victorious and Aloha promptly relieved her of. “Allow me to introduce my brothers. This is my twin Mathis, and my younger brothers Gevehard, Lothair and Konstantin.”
“I’m guessing y’all were involved in a lot of fights with those names,” Aloha piped up.
“Yes, but we didn’t lose any,” Hannes assured her.
“I didn’t suspect otherwise, however, I’ll be nicking your names. That’s completely ridiculous.”
“From the woman named a greeting,” Victorious threw in.
“So says the woman named an adjective,” Aloha returned.
“Children, please.” Silana interrupted their bickering, before it became a full-fledged argument. “Might we return to the matter at hand?”
As Hannes made introductions the ever watchful Jack took note…of everything including the fact that Hannes’ brothers were unusually golden in the dead of winter especially for men who hailed from Europe.
“How do you plan to be of service to us?” Silana inquired silkily.
“Ladies,” the always impeccably-mannered Steele addressed them after he’d kissed his wife breathless and disarmed her. “Know that we only hold the highest respect for you as professionals and individuals. We know that as women of superior intellect and great strength that you’re accustomed to handling life’s little events on your own, but what made you think that the men in this family would allow you to continue to do so?”
Iain spoke in the face of their silence. “I’d like to know the answer to that too. I don’t know what the hell y’all are plotting but y’all placing yourselves in danger isn’t happening.”
Gasping, Victorious turned to her husband who as always placed himself between her and the area of greatest danger. “You ratted us out, didn’t you?”
Snatching her to him, Iain answered. “Yes, Victorious, I did. Unlike you, I wouldn’t dream of oh, I don’t know considering an overthrow of vampire hierarchy without help.”
“Iain, I’m not talking to you.”
“You don’t have to talk ‑‑ all you have to do is moan out your pleasure. I’m not going to lose you or any of my sisters-in-law to your foolishness.”
“I understand the Norsemen being here, but what is your stake in this Hannes and what are you?” Jack asked.
“I’m Zuri’s shield from whatever danger is close to her.”
“But I didn’t ask,” Zuri said.
“And you will never have to, liebling. We are shifter, Jack.”
“What type?” Reign inquired with a gleam of excitement in her eyes.
“The dangerous kind.”
“Specifically?”
“Grizzly.”
Before Reign could pelt all and sundry with more questions, there was yet another knock and a question regarding entrance before the room was filled with the vampire contingent. Ianikut and his five brothers ‑‑ Zhenechka, Antosha, Fyodor, Vyacheslav, and Tosya ‑‑ entered.
“I’m not surprised to discover my wife and her sisters planning a coup; I am surprised to find all of you here,” Ianikut addressed the other paranormals and the Southerner.
“Because I loathe, hate, and despise you doesn’t preclude me or the men of my line from protecting your house, Vampire. After all, these women are our wives and our sisters.”
“Shifter?” He inquired.
“Vampire?”
“Your reason?”
“Zuri. What hurts her hurts me and while I’m here, nothing hurts her…and lives.”
“And nothing hurts our brother and lives,” Mathis added as his younger brothers nodded their agreement.
“Hannes,” Zuri cried as she scrambled into his arms and basked in the comfort of his strength. “I love you.”
“And I love you, liebling, but we shall discuss your putting yourself in danger ‑‑ regardless of how much you tempt me to do otherwise.”
“Really, because I have some things I’d like to discuss with you too, like how you thought I’d ever like that asshole who shared a womb with you,” she spat as she glared at said asshole.
“Jealous of all the time I get to spend with Hannes, little woman?” Mathis taunted.
Zuri made to stand when Hannes stopped her with a firm hand on her luscious hips. “Be calm, liebling.”
“I am perfectly calm, Hannes. If we didn’t need you Mathis, I’d fuck you up right now.” Turning to the unmated vampires, she warned them. “Watch out for Mathis. Not only is he a fucking moron but he’s probably on the prowl for a handsome alpha.”
“Just because I don’t like you doesn’t make me gay,” Mathis returned calmly.
“No, it doesn’t and saying that you were gay would be a slur to the stellar gay men that I know. The fact is that you are a fucking asshole Mathis.”
“Children, do not make me rise from my seat.”
“He started it, Silana.”
“Zuri, I’m sure he did, but we have a greater issue on our hands. After this issue is closed you can go back to arguing with Mathis but until such time, not another word from either of you. Understood?”
“Fine,” Zuri pouted.
A stern look from Hannes prompted Mathis to respond to Silana’s request. “Yes, Ms. Toussaint.”
“Good. Now, let us repair to the dining room and discuss our plans over lunch.”
“You never planned to take on the vamps alone, did you?”
“Oh, we planned, but that’s called a worst case scenario, Ianikut. I’d never let my girls walk into danger unless there were no other options, and even then we wouldn’t walk. We’d run straight at it ‑‑ hard and fast.”
“Silana, you do know that though we are powerful, we’re sadly outnumbered,” Ianikut admitted in a somber tone.
Patting his back, Silana smiled. “I understand that, Ianikut but I also understand that both Steele and Hannes command many men and should any of them be harmed, your father risks war with not only the vampires who’ve chosen not be part of the empire, but also with the berserkers and all of the shifters. That’s a death wish for all involved and one thing I know about wealthy, white men is that they’re generally avaricious about their privilege. I don’t imagine many would be willing to risk that simply because you are willing to concede your privilege for your woman. Now come, all of you look like you could use something to eat.”
Everyone in the room paused and looked at Silana realizing just why she was so successful at her profession. She was thorough, crafty and not above manipulation if it meant justice would be the reward. They all looked at her and nodded in respect.
“Silana,” Ianikut said as he walked to her. “I am in awe of your brilliance and I feel privileged to have you on our side.”
“Are you awed enough to let us fly on your pimped-out private jet?” Reign asked.
“As if I would have it any other way,” he answered.
“Woo hoo! This is going to be the hotness!”
“I have a feeling Russia will never be the same,” Ianikut said.
“It won’t be but if no one nuts up, we’ll leave it mostly intact,” she promised.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Aloha had experienced some unbelievable events i
n her lifetime including: riding Corkscrew, Gemini, Magnum XL-200, Mantis, Maverick, Mean Streak, Millennium Force, Raptor, Top Thrill Dragster, and Wicked Twister ‑‑ the aggressive-thrill rated roller coasters at Cedar Point; kicking it at the Googleplex; attending the Conch Republic Independence Celebration; rode all five slides of the Mayan Temple at the Atlantis Resort; beating Madden on the All-Madden level, with every team, twice; going to the Tokyo Game Show and E3; chugging back a peach slushy in under thirty seconds before chasing it with a bag of Skittles; and, watching Carolina win two championships in men’s basketball and the women win one. But nothing compared to walking into the castle that served as both home to the Aleksandrovich family and vampire headquarters.
As soon as they disembarked they were ushered into waiting limousines. The ride to the Aleksandrovich Estate was made in silence as everyone was on high alert. Once they pulled up to the front doors of the castle, Ianikut pulled her onto his lap and spent ten minutes kissing the tenseness out of her. She hadn’t realized that she was so on edge until she melted into him.
“I love you, angel moya.”
“I love you, Ianikut.”
After trailing a few more kisses down the column of her neck and across her collarbone, he set her off of his lap and signaled the driver to open the door. After exiting, he assisted her from the vehicle and held her against him. Taking her hands he pressed a kiss into each palm. “I will protect you,” he said.
Aloha shushed him with a soft kiss. “You always have,” she breathed as she smiled up at him before pulling him down for a kiss. Turning around, Aloha finally noticed the sea of men standing on either side of their party. Besides the vampires, berserkers, and shifters, there were men she could only describe as unknowns. She wondered who they were but before she could ask, her grandmother asked.
“Young man, who are all of those men?”
“Allies, ma’am.”
“That’s good to know who is foe and who is friend.”
Experience had taught Aloha to be concerned whenever her grandmother asked questions. “Grandmother, why are you so concerned?”
“Because if something goes awry, I need to know which men I should kill, baby. Now, fix your lipstick. You have some stereotypes and obsolete opinions to crash.”
Perusing the contingent of men she knew that under the three-thousand dollar suits that they wore lay straight up warriors. Aloha loved Ianikut but when she saw the lengths he was willing to go to for the people that she considered to be her family, her heart swelled. There was nothing more she could say so she placed her hand on his arm, drew herself up to her full height of five feet five inches (yes, dammit in heels) and acted as if she’d been groomed to be a lady of leisure. She was, but she’d spent the last fourteen years doing her best to forget that. Aloha knew she’d done well when her grandmother made a sound of approval and looked at her with eyes full of love and pride.
As always, whenever Ianikut looked at his petite angel he had to tamp down the beast. She was simply beautiful. She wore an ivory gown that ironically matched the complexions of most of the women in the vampire universe. On the hanger it appeared to be an understated gown that bespoke money and class but on her it was a red flag in front of a bull. Growling low in his throat he led her into the castle.
Their party looked good ‑‑ damn good. If this had been a movie, their party would’ve won an award in costume design because Zuri and Silana combined their superpowers to insure that they all looked their best. Zuri simply wanted to look good for the sake of looking good, but Silana insisted that if things went bad that they should look their best going down. Aloha smiled thinking bloody entrails didn’t do much for an outfit regardless of how kickass it was. Her gown was simply cut but beautiful. Diamonds glistened at her throat. The only other jewelry she wore were her wedding rings but that was all she needed, for everything about her screamed money and privilege.
Ianikut looked devastating, but then he always did. He wore a dark gray tailored suit that was going to look so good scattered about their room when she had him on his back. She couldn’t believe that in spite of the gravity of the situation all she wanted to do was fuck him like there was no tomorrow.
Aloha had been so wrapped up in her fantasies of fucking Ianikut that she’d failed to take in her surroundings. She recalled ascending the stairs and now she stood in front of a man that left no doubt who he was. Ianikut’s father was a handsome man to be such a fucking asshole. Seated beside him was an elegantly-dressed woman who could’ve been a stereotype for vampire queens. On either side of his parents were two sets of vampires consisting of handsome men and women beautifully put together. These were individuals accustomed to money, power, and a life of ease, and it showed. She might have been intimidated by them except for one thing: she had Ianikut to her left, her grandmother to her right, and the Posse at her back. And every damn one of them looked good. Lifting her head high she sent them all silent thank-yous and returned her attention to the dais.
Now that she’d gotten past her nervousness and feelings of inadequacy, she noticed the man standing sentry over the king and queen. Seemingly carved of granite, he wore a kilt, the biggest fucking sword she’d ever seen, and a shitload of arrogance. This man could only be described as a barbarian. She didn’t know what he was and she sure as shit didn’t want to find out.
Though the expression in King Aleksandrovich’s eyes didn’t change, she noticed the brief flash of emotion. She wasn’t sure if that look was because of her specifically or the Posse in its entirety and their contingent of guards. Considering the picture they made, she was betting it was all three.
Ianikut stood before the dais and faced the council…and then he looked to his right and smiled at his destiny before returning his attention to the front. His parents, Vsevolod and Bronislava, occupied the center throne. His paternal grandparents, Nikodim and Sofiya, were seated to the right of his father and his paternal great-grandparents, Vikenti and Anushka, were seated next to them. His maternal grandparents, Grigoriy and Viktoriya, were seated to the left of his mother and his maternal great grandparents, Gavrie and Ustinya, were seated next to them. As always, Andrew Treunmhor stood guard over the reigning rulers. The Scot didn’t blink nor did he move from his prone position yet Ianikut had no doubt that Andrew saw everything. Not a vampire, but nevertheless feared among his people and for good reason. Andrew Treunmhor was death to any who crossed him.
Ianikut’s eyes settled upon his father and he sighed inwardly. For the first time in his life he faced this man as a subject rather than as a son. In this moment Vsevolod was not simply the papa who moonlighted as an executive chef or the husband who doted on his mother. Vsevolod Aleksandrovich was the leader of the most powerful and largest sect of vampires, whose rule went unchallenged, whose reign was marked with prosperity and marked by fairness, whose temper was legendary. Turning to Steele, he nodded before he and his brothers stepped forward and formally bowed.
As soon as Ianikut moved from Aloha’s side, every male in their party stepped up. They moved with military precision, smoothly stepping forward effectively shielding Aloha and the other members of the Posse. Their move was noted by all in attendance. The vampire contingent collectively held their breath knowing that though Ianikut was of the law ‑‑ meaning that when necessary he acted as lawyer, judge, and executioner ‑‑ and was next in line to be ruler, that he was on the cusp of fracturing the powerful vampire kingdom. It wasn’t simply the fact that he’d openly challenged the king, it was the fact that his brothers made it apparent that they all sided with him. Then there was the fact of whom he’d brought with him. Though the paranormals were few in number, they presented a problem of immense magnitude. It was obvious that these paranormals were not simply part of the masses, but part of the ruling elite within their spheres. To injure one was to initiate a full-scale war between vampires, berserkers, and shifters. Regardless of who won, they’d all lose.
Ianikut and his brothers remained kneeling u
ntil his father gave them leave to rise. “You and your brothers may rise, Ianikut.”
“Thank you, King and Queen Aleksandrovich.” Pausing, he held out his hand to Aloha. “I would like to present my wife, Aloha Carrington-Aleksandrovich.”
“So this is the woman that you’ve thrown your life away for?” his father inquired.
Snarling, Ianikut’s fangs descended and his eyes went pitch black. “King Aleksandrovich, you may stand in judgment of me, but you may not insult my zhena with impunity.”
“Are you challenging me, Ianikut Maksim?”
“I will do whatever is necessary to protect not only this woman, but also her grandmother, her sisters that stand with her and the men that stand with them.”
“I was hoping to appeal to your sense of duty, propriety, and reason.”
“Then obviously, King, you do not know me for my sense of duty is to my wife and I make this proclamation with a sound mind and a sound sense of propriety. I do not wish to challenge you however,” he said.
“Then why did you come here, Ianikut Maksim?” The king interrupted.
“Because my zhena deserves all the pomp that mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and every woman marrying into the Aleksandrovich lineage has received.”
“Don’t you dare put that woman in the same sentence as the women who sit on this dais and those who’ve sat here and gone on.”
“How can I do anything less? Aloha has the same qualities as the women who’ve ruled with the past kings.”
“She’s nothing like the women who’ve ruled here. Look at her! Look what she doesn’t have, son.”
“I am looking at her. Even when I close my eyes, I’m looking at her. When I look inside myself, I’m looking at her. When I look upon the miracle of life, the sea, the mountains that surround us, I’m looking at her. Even when I cease to be, the last image that my eyes will process is her and God willing the first thing I’ll see when I cross over is her,” Ianikut said as blood red tears trekked down his face.
