by Annie Buff
“Aye Mak, I see ye carried me angel back, everything ok?” Lachlan asked once Mak came in.
“Yes Sir, it annoys her when I do that, and honestly it’s quite fun, she’s got spunk.” Lachlan shook his head, looking towards Mehmet.
“Told ye he was a brave SOB.” The ancient Vampire just chuckled, brave wasn’t the word he would have used, but he’d leave it at that. Annalese was a force to be reckoned with and if she allowed Mak to carry her, it had nothing to do with him being brave. About then Mehmet put his nose in the air, he had company.
“Vlad is here, Zhor I will assume you would like audience first so you can return to the pack?” He gave one simple nod, sipping on the Cognac in hand. When the door opened, Mehmet could see the relief on his old friends face, knowing he was taking his family home.
“T, damn it’s good te see ye.” Lachlan embraced him briefly before Vlad spoke.
“Where is she?” Was all he said.
“Upstairs napping. She’s been verra tired.” Were the only words Vlad heard, he took the stairs in two leaps and followed the scent of jasmine until he found her. She lay curled up on her side sleeping, making soft little soring sounds. He stood for a moment watching, admiring her beauty and how her skin glowed from the pregnancy. Sitting gently next to her on the bed he brushed a stray curl from her face.
“Annalese, my love, it’s Vlad. I am here.” She opened her eyes, seeing that it was really him. She moved into his arms immediately.
“Baby!” She was crying, clinging to him like if she let go he’d be gone.
“Shh my love do not cry. You know how that tears at my heart. I am here and we will go home. Truth be told, it was the worst few days of my existence and I will do everything in my power to make sure this never happens again. Annalese I was going out of my mind without you home by my side where you belong. He held her and let her cry, Vlad knew the tears were inevitable. After a few minutes she calmed, Vlad put his lips to hers and sat sweetly kissing until a knock at the door interrupted them.
“Miss Annalese, it’s Mak, May I intrude?” When the door opened Mak was face to face with the Dark Prince himself. Out of respect he hit his knee, staying down until Annalese let him have it.
“Mak, for the love of the gods, get up! We don’t do that. Didn’t we have this talk… twice?”
Mak had to laugh, she hated the formalities, and Annalese was laughing too. Vlad knew it had to be an inside joke so he let it go.
“Yes, my royal pain in the ass, I believe it may have come up.” Vlad extended his hand. Mak took it, shocked at how relaxed and informal Prince was.
“Makhi, thank you for what you’ve done, Annalese is my entire world and I could not go on without her so from the bottom of my heart I’m so very grateful to you for keeping watch over her. I must seek Zhor, please feel free to stay with her or join me, either is acceptable.” Mak knew he would stay, she would need help with her things and talking with her was nicer than listening to business that he didn’t understand.
“Sir-” Mak was stopped cut short as the Dark Prince held up his hand palm out.
“Stop! Sir is completely unnecessary. Vlad, T, Tepes or even hey asshole, but most definitely not sir.” This was mind blowing; no one had ever declined his respect before. The Dark Prince was shocking to say the least. Mak nodded, not really sure what to do. Vlad continued, “No more bowing, you shall collect a paycheck from me, but she cares for you which means you are family now.”
Vlad kissed Annalese on the forehead, giving her belly a rub and a kiss. “I will return for you soon my love. I am assuming you are staying here Makhi?” Mak nodded, he was more comfortable with her.
“Yes sir - Vlad, I’m sorry. I will adjust. It’s just that I am so used to the formalities, it may take some time. And yes I would prefer to help her gather her things and bring them down stairs. I’ll keep her company until your business is concluded.” Vlad nodded, just like always, and left to conduct his business with Zhor. Once he had gone, Mak felt like he could breathe again.
“See Mak, he’s not scary, and you being a wolf should not be afraid of Vlad Tepes,” Annalese had no idea why Mak would be afraid of him, but she was about to find out.
“No, he shouldn’t scare me… You see growing up here; your Vlad is the spook all of the local stories were about. Parents used the threat of the Dark Prince to frighten children into behaving. So in a way I’m terrified of him. I am sure it will pass.”
Annalese couldn’t quite see Vlad as something from spook stories, he was just her Vlad. She wasn’t completely aware of what he was capable of; she just didn’t see that man when she looked at him. Her Vlad was the kindest, sweetest man she had ever met. Annalese knew without a doubt Vlad had the bigger piece of her heart and if she had to choose it would be Vlad. She was just thankful she would never have to make that choice, Lachlan was an amazing man and she loved him deeply, but no one could ever compare to Vlad.
“So would you like to take a walk out in the gardens while your Prince conducts his business?” A walk in the night air sounded lovely, and she knew Vlad, he tended to be long winded, so no chance of him finishing anytime soon. Mak extended a hand, helping her down the stairs. He grabbed her cloak, in case she got a chill.
The two wandered through Mehmet’s gardens, admiring the night bloomers and all the lush foliage. Mak was going to miss Turkey, he knew no other home.
“Would you object to walking with a Lycan? I would like to feel the soil of home once more before we leave?” She nodded, understanding what it was like to leave home. Annalese had left with Lachlan, assuming they would return to the states one day, and maybe they still could go visit.
“Mak aren’t you always a Lycan? And of course I have absolutely no objections, but are we ruining clothes tonight, you know from shifting?” He hadn’t planned on this or he would have been better prepared but he needed it.
“It’s sudden and unexpected, but if you could forgive this just once, I will be quick.” She nodded letting Mak turn his back and undress. He was right; the shift was quick, after just a few seconds Mak had transformed into a huge magnificent grey wolf. The two wandered through the garden smelling all the night blooming flowers until Mak nudged her hand letting her know it was time for the man to reappear. Again with his back to her as he dressed.
“Cute butt Mak!” Annalese giggled like a teenage girl that had seen her first behind. Mak just shook his head.
“You are determined to get me in trouble, my Pita.” Puzzled by his term she asked and laughed as he told her.
“You said find something and make it my own right? Well pain in the ass is too long so Pita works well.”
“I love it! I suppose I am a pain in the ass, do you think they’re done? I just wanted to monopolize Vlad’s time for a while.”
“Ah, maybe let us go see, I’m envious of him you know. To have someone love me the way you love him, I can only hope one day I will be so blessed. You my friend are an incredible woman and they are damn lucky bastards.”
They took the walk back to the house at a leisurely pace. Being in the last few days of her pregnancy, Annalese wasn’t moving too quickly. Mak didn’t mind, he enjoyed their time together. She was like having a sister to talk to, someone that listened.
“May I ask a question, it’s fairly personal?” Mak asked, feeling inappropriate.
Annalese smiled, nodding at him. Mak was pretty sure she would let him but not sure his question would be received as easily as her nod.
“I have seen you with Lachlan these past few days and it is quite obvious how you feel about him. Then I saw you and the Prince, never have I witnessed a man more in love than he is with you. And I saw how you looked at him. He’s the one you’d choose if you had to make a choice isn’t he? What I’m trying so hard to ask is how do you split time equally and give both what they need without jealousy between them?”
She remembered trying to figure that out herself, going from one to the other. Damn near killing hersel
f to make sure they both had enough time.
“Well Mak in the beginning it was hard. One night with one, the next with the other. I finally had to tell them it wasn’t working. They still each get alone time but we handle it differently now. When we’re together we’re all together.” Mak paused midstride, letting her words soak in. All of a sudden Mak completely understood.
“Oh! Wow ok! No wonder why you are always smiling!” He joked with her but in his mind he knew why her men were happy. That was the stuff fantasies were made of.
“No Mak I’m sure it sounds more… What’s the word I’m looking for?”
“Perverse, kinky, pornographically intense.” Mak was grinning until Annalese smacked his arm.
“Mak, you’re awful!” He screeched like a girl being smacked and started to laugh. It was only a small laugh but the more he watched her face the louder it became, it was a full blown belly laugh before too long.
“Yes, I suppose I’m awful, and I am sorry. Come, let us go get you your Prince.” Mak held out his hand as they finished the stroll to the house.
As they entered Mehmet’s study, Vlad held out his hand for Annalese but continued his conversation with Zhor. She took his hand and snuggled in close. Mak backed away to give the Prince and his Alpha the privacy and respect they deserved. Lachlan motioned for Mak, so he joined him and Mehmet and was handed a scotch.
“No Sir, I should not. I am still on duty.”
“Bullshit.” Mehmet stated matter of factly. “She is fine, quite happy and extremely safe. Have a drink, you’ve earned it, and I am trying to apologize for before, just let me. It doesn’t happen very often.”
Mak nodded, stepping towards Mehmet’s bar. “I am more of a tequila or vodka man. Have any of that?” The three dug through all the bottles until they found what Mak was looking for, a bottle of Patron Silver. He poured and threw back a shot before filling his iced glass with the clear liquid and a lime, sipping alongside of the vampires.
“Sir if I may, how do you handle this? Not being jealous of the other? I’m stupefied at how well it works.” Lachlan completely understood, what they shared was very different, even by vampire standards. The funniest part was it was so easy. What they all shared together was as easy as breathing.
“Aye Mak, I’m sure she told ye the story about all of this. T and I have known each other over two hundred and fefty years and he’s me sire. That may be part of why tis so easy for us. A big part is me love for that woman, she’s everything to me and I love her verra much. She loves me back just the same. That she loves him too isna a bad thing. It works, and all that,” Lachlan pointed at Vlad and Annalese, “It really is ok. I did get her all to me self for a few days, now it’s his turn. T doesn’t do well away from her, so I know he needs this. When we get home it will be normal again, well as normal as this is.”
Mak gave a short nod, sipping his drink, trying to imagine sharing a mate. He knew there was no way he could. Annalese had said together, that wasn’t as odd as having two mates. Being a wolf the Alpha would sometimes share his mate with his Beta on a full moon shift and run. But even then there were rules, and only if the Alpha’s mate wanted it, and everything was instructed by the Alpha unless his mate wanted more, but the Beta couldn’t touch or partake until invited in.
Mak stood watching his charge, wondering if he would ever find love. Not just any love, the feel it in your bones kind of love, the kind he saw when the Prince looked at Annalese. It was a soul deep, earth shattering kind of love. Vlad said if anything happened to her, he would follow her into the next life. Watching them together, Mak truly believed it. He had been around long enough to know what real love looked like and he was watching it in action.
Although not Immortals, Weres lived incredibly long lives. Mak was just under 100, and that was considered young. Zhor was close to 409, and he’d heard Nico was just a little over 300. He also knew the older a wolf got, the harder it became to sire a litter. He had been given new hope these past few days that he too might be blessed by Gaia and find his mate. For now he had a job to do, but the future was looking bright.
Mak's life was changing. New country, new home, new Alpha, but he would adapt. He only hoped these changes brought him closer to the love he wanted. Mak didn’t even give it much thought. Beta duties took up most of his time but after meeting and spending time with the feisty Princess with the strawberry curls, he knew exactly what he wanted. “Damn she’s contagious.” He laughed to himself but the smile stretched across his face, the vampires he was sharing company with stared in wonder.
“Mak, what are ye grinning like dat for?” Lach asked incredulously.
Mak just shook his head. “Just thinking Sir.” And he was, about so many things, the biggest was how one event could change so much of his world. Meeting Annalese and becoming not only her private security, but her friend as well had altered the course of his life completely.
Vlad had finished his business with Zhor so he and Annalese could quietly slip away to spend some much needed time alone. She had missed him more than she expected, being the first time in close to two years she had slept away from the castle and only the second time they had been separated since coming to Romania. Vlad led her to a bench in Mehmet’s garden to have some privacy. Vampire hearing was entirely too keen and he wanted to say things best kept private.
“My dear Annalese,” He told her as he took her into his arms, “Never again, my love. I cannot be away from you, not like that.” Vlad laid his hands across her swollen middle. His daughter felt him and began to kick.
“She missed you too baby, I’ve been worried and she knows it.” Within moments the babe had calmed and was just lying inside her mother’s womb. “Vlad what did you do? She hasn’t been this quiet since we left.” He knew Annalese had to be a nervous wreck, the baby could feel her stress, the one sure way to fix the issue was a little vampire mojo, he spoke to his daughter, letting her know everything was ok.
“Exactly what I said I would, I calmed our daughter. Now on a different note, you said not to tell you what I did and I will not. Should you choose to ask, I’ll answer.” She knew in the pit of her stomach she didn’t want to know, but there was a need. Annalese needed to know so she asked.
“I think I already know the answer, but I’m asking anyway. Did you kill her? I have to know that much.” Vlad had a sneaking suspicion she would have that need, the women had been friends and no matter what had transpired, Annalese was a kind and gentle soul.
“No my love, I did not kill her. I caused her pain as she did you, but when I left her she was very much alive. After I departed however, I cannot say what became of Sophia.” That sounded so ominous, Annalese was sure she should stop, but her curiosity got the best of her.
“I know I’m going to regret this, but where exactly did you leave her? Please tell me she’s not running around Romania cooking up some other half-baked plan to try to get our daughter. I can’t deal with any more shit Vlad, this was enough. I’m totally at my breaking point.”
Vlad took her face in his hands and kissed her, a very passionate, loving kiss, when it broke he kept his forehead to hers, letting her feel his love. “No my love, she will never roam the streets again, does that answer your question?”
She nodded, touching his face. He had several days’ growth on his chin and was still the sexiest man she had ever seen. Annalese continued to caress his face, loving the feel of the whiskers.
“I know my love,” Vlad soothed her, “I will handle the beard when I shower, it just seemed so unimportant, considering the circumstances.”
She could only imagine what he meant, Vlad like all of his kind liked riddles, this one was easier to decipher than most. “No, don’t! Never in my life did I think I would want your beautiful face covered, but this,” Annalese continued to stroke his cheek,” is by far the sexiest thing ever. I can’t even find the right words to describe it. Keep it, just exactly like this, I love it. How can one man be so perfect, so sexy and have
no clue.”
Vlad kissed her again, harder this time, rubbing his beard on her cheeks, letting her feel what she loved so much. She was giggling, he knew she would. “It tickles.” She told him, getting a very sly, sensual smile from her man.
“Just imagine how it will feel on the inside of your thighs.” Annalese bit her bottom lip, anticipating their love making. Being intimate with Vlad took her to places she had only dreamed of. He had been called the great lover and she had to agree, Vlad was incredible in bed.
“Before we go in, there’s something we should talk about.”
He looked to her raising his brow, giving her an overly concerned look. “Is there? What, my beautiful love do we need to discuss?”
He needed to know, it was a long time coming and Vlad needed to know exactly how she felt. This was just not the way she wanted him to find out. “Mak noticed something, something I thought I hid pretty well, but he saw it and if he can see it don’t you think everyone else can, including Lachlan. God if he really knew I think it would destroy him!” The tears had started to fall, she knew he hated them but she couldn’t stop them.
“Shh my love,” he took her in his arms, giving her comfort. “Do not cry, and please tell me what Makhi saw.”
Annalese wiped away the wetness from her cheeks. “He said he knew if I ever had to make the choice that I’d choose you. That he could see it when we looked at each other, and damn if he isn’t right, I would choose you. I love Lachlan, that hasn’t changed, but you hold the bigger piece of my heart.” That shocked the Prince, he had no idea. He always assumed it would be Lachlan.
“It is ok, please do not cry anymore. We both knew you would love one more than the other, so he probably knows, but like me it wouldn’t make any difference as long as you love me. I was perfectly happy believing I was second, and that is how we will keep it. Spend a little extra time with Lachlan, does this make sense love?” It did make sense, but Annalese had missed Vlad so much she didn’t want to be away from him.
