by T. S. Ryder
He was well aware that this whole situation could very well be a trap, but he didn't care. Naya was too important. If she died, then he would hunt down every last one of those vile creatures, or die himself in trying.
Naya was in an old warehouse. Guns immediately started blazing as the vampires burst in, but they had come prepared; the silver bullets bounced harmlessly off Kevlar vests and bulletproof riot shields. Gabriel charged forward, his men in a tight formation behind him. He could smell Naya and Ivanna both, faintly, and ignored the human warriors lining the walls. Alberto broke away with a dozen vampires, leaping onto scaffolding and over barriers the humans had built to protect themselves.
Screams followed Gabriel as he followed the scent of his human through a rusted door. He entered a long hallway. The scent of explosives met his nostrils, and he waved a hand at his men. The demolition experts surged forward, quickly finding and disarming the bombs that had been placed in this hallway.
Gabriel didn't slow his pace.
He only stopped when he came to a locked door. He could sense Naya laying on the floor inside, Ivanna beside her. Gabriel stopped breathing and he slammed himself against the door, but it wouldn't budge. He heard someone speaking behind him, but couldn't spare a thought to hear what they were saying. The steel was unforgiving, no matter how hard he rammed into it.
A strong scent of gunpowder met his nose and the sound of gunfire erupted all around him. Dozens of human poured into the hallway, firing weapons at the vampires. One lobbed a grenade at them, but Gabriel easily swatted it right back at the human had thrown it; the explosion rocked the room, filling it with smoke.
Gabriel snarled, lithely leaping into the fray. He drew the knives from his belt, slicing across the throats of the humans who were nearest to him. The scent of blood wound its way to his head, and he lost himself in the battle. His vision filled with red and he cut his way through the humans, howling his fury.
It was only after they were all dead that his bloodlust faded. Gabriel looked at the carnage around him, regret welling in his chest–he had become king to stop this kind of destruction. And here the humans were, forcing him to battle once again. Why couldn't they see he only wanted the best for them?
Tossing aside his knives, Gabriel rushed back to the door that separated him from Naya. Alberto had caught up with them by this time, and together they crumpled the steel.
Gabriel rushed inside, dropping to his knees. "Naya," he breathed.
Her heart was still beating, her breath deep and even. Ivanna's as well. Relief broke over Gabriel like a flood. He ripped off his Kevlar vest and put it on Naya, just in case.
"My lord—" Alberto started.
"Carry Ivanna to the vehicles. Quickly," Gabriel ordered, gathering his love into his arms. The heartbeat of their son was strong, and tears filled the king's eyes. He brushed them away quickly–until they were safely back at the palace, there was no place for emotions.
Naya stirred as he stood, and he pressed a quick kiss to her temple. His men gathered around him as they headed back outside.
As soon as the sunlight touched his face, he heard the distant crack of a gun. Something burned into his chest, piercing his body. Pain lanced through him and he stumbled. When he looked down, he saw a hole in his chest, inches above Naya's body.
His knees buckled and everything went black.
Chapter Ten: When the World Stands Still
Her head felt like it had been packed with sandbags. Naya's eyes slowly blinked open. Sounds blurred all around her, but the sky was clear and blue above her. She was being moved. She was lying on something that was being pushed. She strained, trying to remember where she had been. She remembered a gray room. And Ivanna…
Ivanna! Naya jerked, opening her mouth. She groaned out her daughter's name, and a face leaned over her. It was not Gabriel. She recognized the face, but all she could think was that it wasn't her vampire.
"She's safe," the face said. "She's right here. Asleep."
Naya's head lolled to one side as she searched for Ivanna. Her vision swayed, but it soon settled. Ivanna was close to her, laying on a stretcher parallel to her. Her eyes were closed, but blankets were tucked in around her chin and her thumb was in her mouth. Naya smiled. She was okay.
"The king was shot."
The relief at seeing her daughter vanished. Her clouded head cleared long enough for her to push herself up onto her elbows. There was another stretcher nearby. Gabriel lay on it, his body utterly unmoving, eyes wide and glassy. His skin had an unnatural pallor, chalky almost. Naya screamed, lurching towards her vampire.
Something caught her around her waist and hands pressed her back onto the stretcher.
"He can still hear you," a voice said in her ear. "The silver has paralyzed him but there's still time to save him. And he can hear you. Don't scream, don't scream."
Naya held her breath, her heart pounding. She tried to escape the hands that kept her in place, but they were too strong.
"We need blood!" a vampire shouted from somewhere. "Get blood out here now!"
Naya and Ivanna's stretchers were both brought to a halt so that Gabriel's could pass. Naya slapped a hand over her mouth as he was brought by. He was dead. Whatever she had been told, he was dead.
"Let me kiss him," she blurted. Maybe if she could get to him, her love would call him back. Maybe she could save him! She struggled. "Let me kiss him!"
"There's no time. He needs the bullet removed and to be fed blood."
"Give him my blood."
"We have medical stores for this sort of event."
Naya stopped struggling as she watched Gabriel's stretcher be carried up the stairs. Her blood rushed in her ears, drowning out the nervous chatter around her.
"I love you!" she shouted. "Gabriel, I love you!"
***
She was examined by both a human and vampire doctor and given a clean bill of health. Take Back the Planet hadn't harmed her or Ivanna in any way.
But then, they hadn't been the target. Gabriel had been.
Ivanna seemed no worse for wear. She was a little quieter than normal, but Angel had put her in a bathroom when she realized they were about to be attacked, and the little girl hadn't witnessed any of the violence that had happened in the zoo. Naya didn't want to press too much about her time in captivity, but Ivanna told her that she was kept in an ugly room and she had watched cartoons the whole time she had been kidnapped.
It was a small relief, but even that tiny blessing was something that Naya could cling to.
It was a full two weeks after the incident before she was allowed to see Gabriel. By that time Angel was fully mobile and, though she winced once in a while, she bore no outward scars of the attack.
"Stay here and be good for Angel," Naya told Ivanna, just outside Gabriel's bedroom.
"But I wanna see, too," Ivanna protested.
Angel pulled her into her lap. "Mommy wants to talk to Gabriel alone for a little while first. You'll get to see him soon."
The baby was kicking, and Naya laid a hand on her belly as she entered Gabriel's bedroom. He sat up on the bed, his skin having regained its normal healthy, dusky glow, dark eyes bright and clear. A dozen or so empty blood bags were scattered on the floor to one side, and a cooler sat next to his bed, presumably full of fresh ones.
A smile broke over his face at the sight of her and he held out his arms. Naya gratefully ran to him, wrapping herself in his strong embrace. She breathed in his deep, manly scent as his hand stroked her hair.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. Your daughter was in danger. You did what you needed to do." Gabriel put his hand on her shoulders and gently backed her away. "They told me you were fine, but I am glad to finally be able to see it with my own eyes. Naya… Naya, I love you so much."
Naya pressed a hand gently to his chest. Beneath the silk pajama top, she felt bandages. "Does it still hurt?"
"Yes. Quite a bit. But it missed my h
eart, and they were able to get the silver out in time. I'm going to be fine. I just need a lot of blood." He made a face as he gestured to the bags. "They're making me drink this medicated stuff. Tastes awful."
Naya held her wrist out to him, but Gabriel shook his head. He kissed her wrist, then moved it to his lap and smiled gently.
"I'm still not strong enough for that yet, love. There's a reason I didn't want you to see me before now. The thirst… it can get overwhelming. I dare not drink from you again until I'm fully healed.
"Of course," Naya whispered.
Gabriel cupped her face in his hands. "What happened? When I arrived at the building, you were already unconscious. Did they say anything to you?"
Naya shivered. The question of why Take Back the Planet hadn't killed her outright had haunted her for the past two weeks, but she still had no answers.
"They took me to see Ivanna. I remember going into a room, seeing her laying on the floor and then feeling like I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to be killed and I was so… angry that I hadn't been able to save Ivanna. The next thing I remembered was waking up here again. And seeing you on that stretcher."
Gabriel's hands tightened slightly. "Take Back the Planet was probably hoping to use my child as a way to control the vampires somehow, and that's why they didn't... But let's not dwell on them right now. Alberto is hunting the organization and soon they will no longer be a threat. You're okay, Ivanna is okay and that's all that matters."
"You're okay. Or, you will be." Naya pressed her lips to his. "That matters, too."
Gabriel smiled. "Yes, that does matter. I can smell Ivanna out there. Does she want to come in and see me?"
Naya nodded and hurried back out to the living room to retrieve her daughter. Angel stayed on the sofa. Ivanna wrapped her arms around Naya's neck and then, when she was put on the bed beside Gabriel, the little girl twisted her hands into the blankets.
"Hi, princess," Gabriel said, smiling. "How are you doing?"
"I'm not a princess."
Naya's brows rose at Ivanna's angry tone. "What do you mean?"
Ivanna glared up at her mother. "Gabriel's not my daddy. That means I'm not a princess."
"Oh, honey." Naya reached for her daughter, but Gabriel was quicker, pulling her into a hug.
"Ivanna, there are different types of daddies. I might not have put you in your mommy's tummy like this baby." Gabriel touched Naya's stomach. "But that doesn't mean that I can't be your daddy. I love you, princess."
Ivanna sniffled, her big, dark eyes full of tears. "Do you love me as much as the new baby?"
"Yes," Gabriel said firmly. "I do. And I'll always love you. I promise."
"Okay," Ivanna smiled, laying down beside Gabriel. Her tiny head rested against his shoulder, and she looked over her shoulder at Naya. "Come snuggle, Mommy."
Naya laughed softly and joined them. Gabriel's fingers combed through her hair, and more love than Naya thought was possible welled in her heart. The baby began kicking and she took both Gabriel and Ivanna's hands and pressed them to her stomach, helping them to feel it as well. Ivanna laughed, squirming between them.
"Look! I think the baby loves us, too, Daddy."
Gabriel's eyes widened slightly. A smile blossomed on her face and he nodded. "Yes. Yes, I think the new baby loves us. Just like I love you and Mommy." His eyes met Naya's. "Forever."
***
THE END
The Vampire Prince's Mate
Description
A BBW trying to save her coven PLUS a hot vampire prince claiming her PLUS a brewing war between humans and vampires!
It’s not easy being a vampire, and Calissa knows it better than anyone else. She hates having to hide from the world and strategize as a top militant official, locked away in the vampire manor. But she hates even more that Lee, the sexy vampire prince of her coven, has an insatiable appetite for her and her alone. He will stop at nothing to win her heart and claim her as his mate and future wife.
Meanwhile, a storm between human hunters and the vampire coven is brewing, meaning that if she wants her race to survive, Calissa will have to set aside her hatred for Lee and work together with him to destroy the hunters before it is too late.
Can Calissa convince the Lords of the Vampire Council to defend the coven? And can she resist Lee’s attempts to make her his?
Chapter One
The sun had long since risen above the horizon line, and yet Calissa found herself wide awake. Her ruby red lips, redder even than the blood she was drinking from the wine glass to her left, were pursed in frustration, while her long, immaculately manicured fingernails drilled rhythmically against the hard wood of her desk.
Three younglings had been staked the previous night, and it had been due to a serious lack of foresight on her part, something she found highly inexcusable.
As she looked over a hand-drawn map, detailed with all the attacks against vampires in the past month, the door to her study opened. A male vampire dressed in simple blacks entered, without any form of warning or permission.
A sigh escaped her lips and she bared her fangs in an unfriendly fashion as the man invited himself to a chair, flopping into the soft, maroon cushion with a noisy sigh.
“You’re not invited,” Calissa snapped, eyeing the man in clear irritation, at which he merely shrugged, a grin on his face.
“And I didn’t ask for your permission to be here. Last I checked, this manor belongs to me, so I can go anywhere I want. This chair is the most comfortable, so I think I’ll sit here for a while,” he hummed.
“If you enjoy it so much, why don’t you take it somewhere else, hmm?” she asked, rolling her eyes when he merely sank deeper into the chair and made a show of getting more comfortable. “I don’t have time to deal with you today, Lee. Your people are dying. You’d think you’d be a little more interested in how to stop the humans from killing them.”
This highly infuriating creature was none other than Lee Dameron, the prince of the vampire coven she belonged to. The fact irritated her to no end, particularly because he showed absolutely zero desire to rule his coven, which meant that, as the coven warlord (or lordess, in her case), any responsibility not fulfilled by his “royal highness” fell to her.
As if she didn’t have enough problems in her own job description to handle.
“Oh come now, Leesi—”
“Calissa,”
“It can’t be nearly as bad as you say. You’re just simply not sending out the right vampires to put a stop to the humans’ shenanigans,” Lee hummed. Had Calissa had anything but her map and the wine glass of blood, she’d have thrown something at his smugly smiling face. “Besides, one of these days the Council will step in.”
“Careful, Lee. Arrogance is not a trait that attracts women,” Calissa snapped. Her eyes, dark brown and brooding, glared daggers at the crowned prince, yet, as always, he didn’t seem perturbed in the slightest.
In fact, he snatched her glass from her desk and took a deep drink, his eyes fixed on her in amusement.
Disgusted, Calissa slammed her hands down on the table, stood up from her chair and walked threateningly over to Lee, her skin tight jeans and low cut shirt accentuating every curve and angle of her body.
“Listen here, Lee Dameron,” she hissed, a strand of her usually perfectly curled, pinned up hair flopping into her face. “If you have nothing productive to contribute towards destroying the human hunters, then you can march your pretty little ass out of my office so I can try to save your people. Understand?”
To her surprise, a feral light flashed in the vampire prince’s eyes and he moved with inhuman speed and grace, so fast that she could barely track him with her eye. Before she really understood how it had happened, she was pinned against the wooden wall of her office, his hands on either side of her shoulders and his fangs sinfully close to her throat.
“Be careful, Leesi,” he purred. A tongue like ice flicked out from between his lips and licked against her
neck, while the very points of his fangs pricked against her skin, leaving beads of dark, red blood welling up to meet his tongue.
Calissa shivered softly and her hands instinctively tangled in Lee’s dark hair as she pulled his mouth closer to her throat. Faint memories swirled in her head; memories of many nights of passion, drunk off lust and with the thirst for blood satiated by the taste of another vampire.
A hum rumbled deep in Lee’s throat as he sank his fangs deep into Calissa’s pale throat, his lips locking around the wound he had made. Blood welled up into his mouth, leaving the searing burn of lust on his long dead heart. As he pulled away, and Calissa whined despite herself, a smirk crossed his bloodied lips.
“That’s what I thought,” he purred smugly. “Now, where can’t I be?”
Calissa just glared as she brought her hand up to cover the bite wound in her neck.
“Satisfied?” she growled, a husky, lustful hint in her tone despite her hostilities.
Lee nodded and licked his lips free of her blood as he moved toward the door. Just before he shut it, he poked his head back in and grinned wolfishly. “Oh. If you happen to finish anytime soon, you know where my bed is,” he winked, cackling as this time Calissa chucked her wine glass at the door.
By the time it shattered against the wood, Lee had already disappeared, leaving a trail of laughter behind him.
Chapter Two
Like every other time Lee had interrupted her planning, Calissa found herself waking up naked in his bed, wrapped up in his arms, the following evening. His chest rose and fell softly as he breathed, and, as if he was mocking her even in sleep, a smirk quirked at his lips.
