by T. S. Ryder
"We have to discuss payment first." Why did her voice rasp so badly? Naya had never been good at demanding things.
The vampire dropped his shirt to the floor. "You'll be checked for how much blood I took after we're done here. We can discuss it afterward."
"But—"
"Remove your dress or I'll have to rip it off you."
Naya took a deep breath and reached behind her neck to undo the tie keeping her dress in place, her hands trembling. But as she let the dress fall, leaving her in only her underwear, the door opened. Naya gasped, instinctively covering herself as a second vampire stepped into the room. He was taller than the first, who instantly dropped to one knee as the second turned blazing eyes on him.
"My king—"
The second vampire seized the first by his throat and yanked him to his feet. Without a word, the intruder dragged the first vampire out of the room. Naya stood where she was, eyes wide and heart hammering, as he lifted the first vampire over his head and hurled him over the edge of the balcony into the ballroom below. There were a few gasps and screams, but the vampire ignored them, marching back into the room where Naya was.
He slammed the door and pointed a finger at her. "You are mine."
Naya was in too much shock to react to his statement. Even if the first vampire hadn't identified him as the king, she would have recognized him from the news. His skin was dusky, darker than it was in pictures, and he was far taller than she could have imagined.
Deep eyes stared at her and, inexplicably, heat began rising up her neck and into her cheeks. She was his? Though she knew she should object to being treated like a possession, she couldn't.
"Dress." Even as he gave the order, he removed his tuxedo jacket.
He had to repeat the order before Naya gathered her wits about her and pulled her dress back into place. Her hands trembled, and she found herself wishing that he had ordered her to completely undress, rather than cover herself back up. She hadn't been with a man since Ivanna's father, but here in this small room, with this huge vampire watching her every move, her body ached for his.
Was it wrong for her to feel this way? She had specifically signed up for Living Blood so that she wouldn't end up working the streets. Now, on her first assignment, why was she more than willing to sell herself? He hasn't even offered me anything.
"Sit," the king said and, when she did, he draped his jacket over her shoulders. It smelled spicy, like her favorite chili dish, and she bit her lips together. It was only then that she realized she was shivering. The jacket was so cold it only made her trembling worse.
"I am Gabriel, the king of vampires in this region."
"I know," Naya replied, and her voice wasn't shaking as she had expected it to. She couldn't stop staring. He was so beautiful. Contoured muscles were visible beneath his shirt, and his clean-shaven chin was strong.
Gabriel sat next to her, his gaze still unblinking. "What's your name?"
"Naya." Her heart started beating faster as he moved closer, pounding in her ears. Not even Ivanna's father had made her react like this to his presence.
"Are you afraid?"
She mutely shook her head.
"Good. I am going to feed on you now."
A small gasp escaped at his words, but her wrist rose, offering itself to the king before she even had time to process his words. Gabriel smiled at that, and his smile made him look even more handsome. His jacket fell off her shoulder as he took her wrist in his hands, bringing it to his nose. He hummed in satisfaction as his nostrils flared, then he bit down.
There was a pinch of pain as his fangs sucked deep into her flesh, but it was over before Naya could react to it. A pleasant tingling feeling worked its way up her arm. Naya gasped again.
"Am I correct in assuming you've never fed a vampire before?" Gabriel's tongue flashed quick and wicked against her skin as he lapped up the rivulets of blood that flowed from the two punctures in her vein.
"Correct."
A grin skittered across his face, and he closed his mouth around the bite-mark. With the first suck, the pleasant tingling tightened into flames, shooting throughout her body. With the second, her skin felt tight and her head lolled back, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. He drank greedily and Naya's body jerked and writhed. She fought to hold herself still but couldn't; desire pooled in her belly but, when she reached between her thighs, Gabriel's arms wrapped around her and held her still.
When he was finished, the king lay her back on the chaise, retrieving juice, cookies and bandages from the table. Naya's heart beat like a hummingbird's, her eyes squeezed tightly closed. Her chest heaved as Gabriel bound up her wrist.
"Vampire saliva has a coagulant in it. You'll be healed in a couple of days." Gabriel stood, tilting his head as he peered down at her. "Did you enjoy that?"
Naya could only nod. Shivers were still running up and down her spine. But she was left with an unsatisfied, aching feeling.
"Would you like more?"
She jerked, her body heating instantly. The king still hadn't moved and, with a gasp and sigh, she reached to tug his shirt from his pants. He caught her wrists and chuckled, shaking his head. "Not right now. I have a proposal for you."
Naya forced herself to sit up, though she felt weak and shaky now. "Yes."
Gabriel laughed, sitting next to her. "You haven't even heard it yet."
Blood rushed to Naya's face and she looked at the floor. "Oh."
"For several years now, I have wanted to be a father," Gabriel continued, brushing some of her dark hair from her cheek. He readjusted the jacket on her shoulders as she turned wide eyes on him.
"You want me to have your baby?" she blurted. Her? Why? Was it just an excuse to have sex with her? But she was more than willing. Why would he need to have an excuse? Was it because if they had sex right now, he'd have to pay Living Blood a commission? Naya stared at the beautiful vampire king, not understanding.
"I want you to have my baby," he confirmed. "I will compensate you handsomely for it. You're a strong, sturdy woman. You will be mine exclusively, though. No one else can taste your blood but me."
This was more than she expected when she came here tonight–if she agreed, she would be selling more than her body. She would be selling a baby! Where would she be afterward? Would she be a part of the child's life? Naya shivered for a completely different reason than before. What kind of woman would agree to have a man's baby for money?
The kind with a little girl of her own who cried whenever she had to put on her old, tight shoes. The kind who couldn't afford to buy fresh vegetables for herself or her daughter. The kind who worried that one day she would have to give up her child because she couldn’t take care of her.
Naya raised her eyes to Gabriel's and nodded. "I'll do it."
Chapter Two: Blood Moon
Gabriel watched the human exit the car he had sent for her. His human. Naya Valadez.
The name was like honey on his tongue, and her blood had been just as sweet. It wasn't until he had drunk from her and felt her reaction to him that he had known why he had felt such a strong urge to claim her. She had been so receptive to him, her blood had tasted of being a mere day from ovulation and, in that moment, he had known that he wanted to make her the mother of his child.
Naya carried a little girl with her. While her mother looked at the ground as she walked, the child peered around with great interest, her thumb stuck firmly in her mouth. Gabriel smiled at the little one as they approached. Babies and children were extremely rare among vampires, and so were always highly prized and well cared for.
He glanced over his shoulder at his assistant, Angel, a leggy vampire who had only been turned a hundred years ago. At the time, she had quickly become his favorite lover. If vampire women could bear children, he would have once considered marrying her. But lately they were growing distant, and she was becoming more and more exclusive to one of his guards. Besides, while they had always been comfortable, these was never
love between them, and love was something that Gabriel desired.
"Naya," Gabriel greeted. "I take it this is your daughter, Ivanna?"
"Who's you?" the little girl demanded. "Can I have a cookie?"
Gabriel felt a smile tugging his lips, and Angel laughed aloud. "Of course, precious. You and I are going to spend a lot of time together while Mommy and Gabriel get to know each other."
Naya cast the vampire female a wary look, and Gabriel quickly made introductions. Just looking at the beautiful human with her long, black hair and wide hips, perfect for holding while thrusting into her, made desire tighten in him. But he knew he had to be patient.
"May I?" Angel held her arms out to the little girl, and Naya cautiously handed her over. "She's so beautiful."
Ivanna beamed. "Cookie now?"
At Gabriel's nod, Angel bustled towards the kitchens. Naya made to follow, but Gabriel took her arm and led her in the opposite direction. The human pulled against his grip, her eyes following her daughter, expression creased with worry.
"She'll be fine. Children are precious to vampires, and you won't find a female better suited to childcare than Angel. You and I have to talk, since we will sleep together tonight."
Naya's eyes flew to him, and her jaw dropped. She jerked back minutely, but didn't fight him as he led her through the corridors of his palace. He'd had servants working ever since she had left the previous night, cleaning and polishing, wanting everything to be perfect for his human.
"Why so soon?" Her voice, though soft, was still strong.
"It's the Blood Moon tonight, and we won't get another one for another twenty years. I am not going to wait that long."
The human shivered. "Blood Moon?"
"When there are four total lunar eclipses in a row, the fourth is a Blood Moon. It changes vampire physiology; just for the night, we're human again."
"Human?" Naya stopped walking. Her hunched shoulders straightened. "You'll be human tonight?"
Gabriel enjoyed the look of shock in her eyes and the scent of her arousal that drifted to him. Her dark eyes were darkening more, and her breasts pushed up as she breathed. So she did want him. Good.
"I'll be human. Sex when I'm a vampire is perfectly possible, but I have to fill you with living seed in order for it to take in your womb. So we must mate tonight if there is a chance for you to carry my child. I will also be … donating for future use in case you don't get pregnant right away, but I have been assured that being together on the night of the Blood Moon will give us the highest chance of success."
Naya's eyes were round like saucers, but she nodded. "That makes sense."
Gabriel smiled kindly at her, putting his arm around her waist. His nostrils flared as he took in her honeysuckle scent. She was only a couple of hours away from ovulation. Good. She would be ripe by the time night fell. "I will show you to your chambers now and send Angel for anything you need. There are only a few hours until dark, when my change will begin."
"Thank you." She looked at the floor again, her soft hair curling around her face.
The king so wanted to kiss her. He wanted to remove her clothing and have her right here, against the wall, on the floor, everywhere. If not for the necessity of waiting until he had become human once more, he would have done so in a heartbeat. He groaned internally as she began moving again, her succulent hips swaying as she walked. Did she know what she was doing to him?
I can wait, he promised himself. And it will be worth waiting for.
***
The first sign of change was the thumping in his chest. Gabriel put a hand to his ribs, feeling the beating of his heart start again. This was the part he always hated. The dreaded drum within his body signaling that his strength, speed and senses were about to diminish so drastically he would be left a shell of his true self.
Gabriel liked being a vampire. He had liked it since the moment he had been turned. He hated turning back to a weak, pitiful human, even if it was only for a night. But tonight he had something to make up for the change. He glanced at the clock; an hour before the time he had told Naya he would go to her. Would she be ready for him? Would she be eager, or had time cooled her desire for him? Should he have drunk a little before the change started, for her passion to flare?
A knock at the door roused him from his thoughts, and the king answered. The head of his security, Alberto, stood on the other side.
"Sire, we caught an intruder."
Gabriel groaned, but gestured for Alberto to continue. Why tonight, of all nights? Was it one of those annoying females who liked to try to sneak into his personal chambers naked? If it was, he'd have her jailed for public indecency for a few weeks. Perhaps that would send a message to the rest of them!
"He was carrying a rifle armed with silver bullets."
Gabriel instantly went rigid. "Silver bullets?"
Alberto nodded gravely. "He claims to be a member of Take Back the Planet."
"An assassination attempt," Gabriel muttered.
He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. While there had always been human resistance to his rule, it was only recently that Take Back the Planet, a group dedicated to killing every vampire that lived, had started to be a true threat. They were developing technologies specifically to kill vampires, and there were an increasing number of human casualties resulting from their efforts.
Funny that an organization that stated vampires were a threat to humans would kill more of them in a year on this continent than vampires did worldwide.
"Find out all you can from him. See if you can get him to give up who recruited him and how he got his hands on silver bullets. I had all the silver gathered from human populations centuries ago. If they have a mine somewhere…" the king didn't finish his thought.
Alberto bowed deeply to him, turning on his heel as he strode off to do as he had been commanded. Gabriel shut the door to his office, pacing from one end to the other as the tingling of blood spread through his limbs.
Yes, humans had been treated terribly in the past but, as soon as he had fought his way to rule the vampire nation, Gabriel had put in measures to protect them.
Humans were not permitted to be hunted. If a vampire fed on a human and killed him, that vampire was put to death, regardless of circumstances. Stores of food were set up throughout Gabriel's territory, buffers against famine, drought or other natural disasters that would hurt the human populations. He spent over ten billion dollars every year developing new, cheaper, more effective cures for human ailments and researching alternatives to human blood for vampires.
And yet people like Take Back the Planet still wanted him dead. What else did they want from him?
The king sighed. There was no way to appease the humans who wanted to kill him except to die. And that was something he wasn't planning to do anytime soon.
He put the intruder from his mind. Alberto would deal with him and, on this night, when they were all so much more vulnerable than usual, security measures had been tripled. There was nothing to worry about at the moment.
His blood coursed through his veins, filling him with warmth. Gabriel turned his thoughts to Naya and, with his heart increasing its rhythm, he headed for her.
Chapter Three: Two Weeks
Naya stared at Angel as the female vampire sat on the sofa in her tiny, two-bedroom apartment. She had looked like a movie star in the glamor of Gabriel's palace but, here in the peeling wallpaper and dripping faucets, her beauty was unreal, unearthly. Ivanna sat on her knee, playing with Angel's cell phone while the vampire beamed at Naya.
"I didn't expect to see anybody from the palace," Naya said honestly, twisting her hands together. She wondered what there was between Gabriel and this leggy vampire, but tamped down on the thought–it wasn't any of her business, and it wasn't like she cared. The only thing between Naya and Gabriel was business. Even if the sex he had given her was the most mind-blowing experience she had ever had and she had dreamt about him every night since they'd been
together.
"You tell us you're pregnant and you don't expect us to come and congratulate you?" Angel laughed. "Gabriel would have come himself, but he's busy preparing your room at the palace. You will be moved in at once, of course."
Naya's eyes widened at that, but Ivanna beamed. "We're going to live with you?"
"Yes, precious," Angel cooed. "For as long as you like. And you're going to have pretty dresses and lots of good food to eat."
"No rice!" Ivanna wrinkled her nose.
Naya had to laugh at that. "No rice or beans," she agreed. "Ivi, why don't you go pick a few toys to bring with us? Mommy will help you pack in a moment."
The little girl nodded and slid off Angel's lap, scurrying out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Angel looked around the apartment with a concerned glance. Naya opened her mouth to ask exactly what she was expected to do at the palace, but the vampire woman spoke first.
"Gabriel will not be happy when he learns of how you've been living. He spends an exorbitant amount of money on social welfare. Places like this ought not to exist. And all I can smell in here for food is spices and basic staples. Why aren't you receiving any assistance?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Naya replied, perhaps a little more sharply than she intended.
Angel looked down at her hands, and Naya sighed.
"I was approved for assistance. That's how I can afford this apartment and enough food for the month. It's enough to live on, but only month-to-month, and only if I'm careful. And if I took a job, even flipping hamburgers at McDonalds, my assistance would be cut in half. Adding the costs of childcare, I'd be getting less than I do now. But that doesn't matter anymore because Gabriel promised that I would be well paid for my… services."
Angel still frowned. "I'll still have to talk to him about this. But anyway, you won't have to put up with this apartment much longer. Gabriel is already setting up a bank account for you with enough money to last the rest of your lifetime, as long as you don't go out and buy a dozen yachts. But you'll get a new house, car, and some other things as well."
