The Breeder

by L G Nauck

  Tane clenched his fists, his claws curling into his skin until small droplets of blood escaped to the ground below.

  He wanted to show the other king fear as he had never known. He wanted those who wished to challenge him to shit their pants in fear. And he would do anything to make it happen. He thought of his little secret weapon and grinned. She would be the key to this. He could just imagine the look on the other king’s face when he saw what his little beauty could do.

  He knew she thought that she had a choice in the matter. That she could refuse, or worse, turn against him. But his mating of her assured that possibility was eliminated. Unbeknownst to his little mate, he had initiated their relationship for multiple reasons. One, to assure the legitimacy of their children. And two, that she would be unable to turn against him. The mating bond was a joining of spirits that only grew over time. One mate could not kill another. It was as if killing oneself. Not only could he track her through the bond, but he could also influence her.

  But he would need to strengthen it first.

  Even though he had been away from her for quite some time, he had been reaching out mentally, building strings that connected them. He had started to enter her mind, whispering to her soul, forcing it to open to him. He was cementing himself within her very being. He would have her, body and soul.

  "My king?"

  He turned to look at his general.

  "Put out the fires and see what you can salvage. You are to bury the bodies. We must strengthen the security at our borders, but we cannot allow for our forces to be too thinned out. We cannot put soldiers at every outlying territory. The Kathalians know this. They will be trying to pick off our towns one at a time. A threat."

  Tane paused, allowing his eyes to drift over the wreckage again.

  "Send scouts out to follow the scent. They will no doubt try to cover it up, but they don’t know we have the best trackers in the world. Have them follow the trail and update us on any information."

  Another bonus to the Dryken species was their pack connections. Members could build mental connections which allowed them to communicate easily. However, it was a weakness when a pack member was cut down because their comrades would feel it. The pain and loss could be excruciating. And that's why packs fought so hard together. They did not lose because they could not afford to.

  Tane turned from the wreckage and decided to head back to the castle. It would take some time to get back and he needed to cement the bond before he could unveil his ultimate tool to the world.

  It was about time to show the world who was the most powerful.

  Tane mounted his horse and turned in the direction of the capitol city. He decided he would send a few more gifts ahead of his arrival to further pave his way.

  He could not allow for more of his people to fall. For more of his territory to be destroyed. His kingdom deserved better. The deserved security. If he could not provide that, then he was not a worthy ruler.

  Strength was all that mattered. And his strength was being questioned.

  He could not allow this to continue.

  His hands tightened on the reins as he thought back to what his father told him when he was younger.

  “If you cannot make people fear to question your authority, then you will fall by the tiniest mouse.”

  Tane had appreciated the constant beatings from his father because it had strengthened him. It had built emotional resilience as well as callouses. He knew that strength did not purely come from genetics. And he had worked tirelessly to perfect his skills and take every opportunity to showcase his strength. At the age of sixteen, he had torn a basilisk’s head from its’ body using nothing but his claws. At seventeen, he had killed all top opponents in the seasonal test of skill that the nations used to determine the power ranking. When he was twelve, he had to kill one of his closest friends for deciding to run instead of remaining to fight when they were confronted by a group of hostile soldiers. Drykens did not abandon the pack. He still remembered the last look in Kita’s eyes as he delivered the execution.

  There was no room for weakness and Tane was well-accustomed to fighting. He had to keep his people safe at all costs.

  If he failed…. There was no limit to the destruction that would ensue.

  If there was one thing he committed his life to, it was the survival of Barthamos and the protection of his pack.

  As he nudged his horse into action, he was surrounded by some of his top soldiers. Messandra to his left and Eric to his right. They had fought next to him time and time again and had proven their worth. This gave them special perks such as being able to live in the palace and access all its’ luxuries.

  Although soldiers did not often marry or mate because of their busy lifestyle, it was not forbidden. Some had decided to settle down and buy houses in the Northern district.

  The soldiers that had worked their way up the ranks to be part of his personal guard had no families though. Their entire life was committed to serving the kingdom and their ruler. Tane respected their devotion.

  “What do you think is the next target?”

  Messandra was the first to speak up. Although she answered, her attention was on the surrounding environment, ever vigilant.

  “I worry about Omun. It is a smaller village, but it is closer to the ocean where many of our ports are located. While it may not seem like a valuable area, it could provide them better access to some of our more prominent territories.”

  Tane nodded slowly, contemplating the ramifications of one of their port cities being taken over. They already had some defenses within their port cities but if Kathal took over an area close to one… It could provide an easier “in.”

  “I can see why you are concerned. What do you think, Eric?”

  “I agree with Messandra. It seems their approach is to pick off the smaller villages. Their intent is probably to put fear into our people as well as gain strongholds in our outlying territory. Although it is not drastic, they are slowly decreasing our territory.”

  Which would not do.

  “We will face them head on then and show them just why they should be afraid of us. I would like some scouts to be sent out to Omun as well. I want any suspicious activity to be reported. If there is even a bush out of place, I want to know. We need to know where they are going so we can counter-strike. I know exactly how to have them running back to their shit city with their tails between their legs.”

  Tane grinned, thinking about his little secret weapon. He wondered if she had grown stronger since he had left. He hoped so. Even though he, of course, wanted to be dominant, there was something exciting about his mate having so much power.

  He wondered what she was doing at this moment.

  Was she training?

  Bathing?

  Contemplating his downfall?

  He chuckled at the last thought. Most likely that was her favorite past-time.

  He wondered what she thought about his gifts.

  Learning how to be kind and patient was different.

  He found himself actually wanting to please her.

  It was an odd feeling because he had never felt that way about anyone else. He simply did not care about what others thought or felt. Especially if it did not serve his purposes. And although he was still irritated at needing to cater to another person’s needs, he also thought about the potential reward. What would it be like if his mate was happy? Would she be more willing to serve him? Would she turn her fiery spirit towards their enemies? Would she take pride in watching the life drain out of those that opposed them? Would she help the nation prosper? Would she take pride in bearing his children?

  It was odd to contemplate since he had never needed to worry about a partnership such as this. And he had always expected matehood to be simple. That he would choose to mate a Metician for political alliance. They would work together to grow their power while spending their free time sparring and fucking.

  However, he was mated to a human. A Dayuki actually
.

  Which meant he needed to reevaluate his future and his approach. He no longer wanted to watch his mate suffer. The opposite, in fact.

  He wanted to watch his mate excel.

  He felt his heart pump faster at the thought of seeing her face and he spurred his horse on faster.

  Soon, he would see her.

  Soon, she would showcase her powers.

  And soon, they would have the world at their fingertips.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Seven days of gifts.

  Alena had woken each day to a knock on her door with something new delivered to her. Some of the gifts she used. And those usually consisted of things that looked like they would taste good. The others she had dumped in a corner of her room without another thought. She had no use for silk, gold, or jewelry. She would not be paraded around like a prize. Like she was cared for. Like she was anything else other than an unwilling captive.

  She wasn’t surprised that on the eighth day, the one who knocked on her door was Tane himself. With a grin that made her want to incinerate him. She kept her response controlled as she stepped aside to allow him entry. She considered closing the door in his face, but he had moved too quickly for that. Plus, she didn’t want him to think she was afraid of him. Of course, a part of her was terrified but another part wanted to show him he could never destroy her spirit. That she would ultimately win this game.

  She felt a measure of satisfaction when his eyes drifted to the pile of gifts in the corner.

  “Were they not to your liking?”

  Alena moved farther away from him, crossing to her vanity so she could start braiding her hair while keeping him in her line of vision.

  “I have no need for those things. If you really wanted to give me a gift, you would use that money to give back to the people you are meant to serve. Perhaps you could give it to the many orphanages that struggle in this city or send it to Kaleck. I’m sure he is having difficulty in his new life you assigned to him.”

  She didn’t flinch when she saw him turn around and give her a hard look.

  Has she said something that upset him?

  She hoped so.

  The expression then turned to amusement as he began to walk towards her. Her back stiffened as he stepped behind her, his clawed hands coming to rest on her shoulders. His touch sent waves of disgust through her. She tried to brush him off, but his hands only tightened their grip. The way his claws dug into her skin reminded her of his strength. And what he could do with it.

  She detested him.

  “I almost forgot how beautiful you are.”

  One of his hands drifted through her hair, bringing up some of the strands so he could inhale her scent. Her hands clenched at the vanity in front of her, a mix of rage and panic making her want to run.

  “You know I only want to make you happy.”

  She glared at him in the mirror.

  “This is your idea of happiness? If you want me to be happy, you should go somewhere and die.”

  His jaw clenched and she was roughly turned around, his hands digging into her shoulders as his eyes flickered red.

  “I have given you more than enough time to recover. I have given you gifts and degrees of freedom. You should be grateful for how magnanimous I have been.”

  “Magnanimous!? You call this magnanimous!? You want me to be your weapon and your baby maker! That is no life! I want to be free. I want to be able to live my life without my body being used for someone else’s purposes. You can take your gifts and shove them up your royal ass!”

  She knew it probably wasn’t wise to keep talking. Especially to a man who took great pleasure in causing her pain. But she was only human. And that meant she could only take so much.

  His silver eyes were encased by red and her heart stuttered before going into overdrive. She gasped in surprise and then pain as his fangs sunk into the crook of her neck. Searing pain shot through her and her body went limp, falling into his. It felt as if her body was paralyzed, heat pulsing through her veins. She felt as if a mysterious energy was being forced into her body, originating at the point in which they were connected.

  What was in his bite? Was it some sort of toxin?

  Although her body couldn’t move, her skin felt hyper-sensitive. She felt as one of Tane’s hands drifted down her back and cupped her bottom. She wished she could bite him back. Instead, she closed her eyes, forcing her mind away from the sensation coming from his mouth to focus on channeling her energy. She searched deep within herself for the power she was starting to become accustomed to. She called to it, willing for it to aid her. She focused on her feet at first, picturing her toes moving.

  Move.

  Move.

  Move.

  She felt a wave of satisfaction as she felt a toe twitch.

  Her power was greater than his. She was stronger than him.

  She focused more on her hand then. She imagined her fingers moving and energy forming in the palm. She imagined light. She focused entirely on the image until she felt a spark of something. Alena smirked as she pushed through, pushing back on the dark heat that was being forced into her body.

  She would not allow herself to be browbeaten.

  She was not weak.

  She would overcome.

  With a cry, she forced her body to jerk backwards, causing Tane’s fangs to slip out of her neck. She had a split second to grin in triumphant at his surprised expression before she raised her hand and blasted him in the chest with an orb of energy. The Metician king shot backwards through the wall, breaking the stone with the impact.

  Alena grinned, finding herself tired but in control of her body once again. She had shot the king through her bedroom wall, leaving a decent sized hole and a mess of dust. She let out of a breath before tossing her hair back and leaving her room. She wasn’t surprised to see two guards outside of her door. They looked uncertain as they glanced from her to the room behind her. Obviously, they had heard the crash. And instead of seeing their king exiting the room, they saw her. They had probably assumed he was throwing her around instead of the opposite.

  “I will need to have the hole in my room fixed before tonight.”

  The Metician she spoke to kept looking from the room to her, unsure of what to do.

  “Do as she says. It seems my mate has quite a destructive temper.”

  Her back straightened as she heard Tane’s voice behind her. She didn’t turn as she felt him walk up beside her, brushing off some of the left-over debris that was on his outfit. From a quick glance in his direction, she was surprised to see Tane did not look angry. If anything, he appeared amused.

  “My mate also appears to need some clothing. Unless, of course, my dear, you would like to walk around in that silk ensemble. I certainly do not mind this choice, but I do not think my possessive side will allow for it.”

  She looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed. Was he really trying to play with her? Was this some sort of joke?

  She watched his lips upturn into a grin as he held out his hand towards the open door to her destroyed room.

  “I can assist you in dressing if you would prefer not to wait on your maids?”

  She sneered at him and went to stride past him when she remembered something.

  “I remember a maid when I first got here. I believe her name was Ann. I liked her. I would like her sent to me.”

  At the sound of a deep laugh, she snapped her head around to see Tane’s gaze piercing into her, his demeanor relaxed in a way that made her want to punch him. And she just may.

  “What?”

  “She is gone. Apparently, she had been putting her nose in places she did not need it to be. How fickle help can be, so hard to trust. You give them a job and a place of esteem and see what happens? So ungrateful.”

  The guards snickered but her eyes never left the king’s face. He was smiling yet his eyes were hard. The expression made her heart stutter. She was facing a demon. A creature that enjoyed playing with her and cou
ld destroy people without a second thought. She knew exactly what he was referring to. She had been removed because she had helped Alena. And he wanted her to know he was in control. That he knew everything that was going on. That anyone who helped her would face the same fate. She clenched her fists and turned to walk into the room, closing the door to close out the sound of his cruel chuckle.

  ‘You will never escape me.’

  She gasped, twirling her body around while grabbing a chair and hurling it towards the door, the wood splintering immediately upon impact.

  She could hear him in her head. His laughter infuriated her and made her feel like she wanted to claw through her skull.

  ‘It seems we will need to replace some of your furniture as well. Tsk. Tsk. You should get that temper under control or my funds may suffer.’

  Alena couldn’t help the tears that came to her eyes as she fell to the floor and hugged herself. He was in her mind. Was she going insane? Her face fell into her knees as she sobbed until maids came and picked her up to help her dress. Their faces were expressionless as they went about their task, preparing their king’s breeder for her day living in her gilded cage.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Tane was impressed. He was more than impressed. He was fascinated. Intrigued. Mesmerized. Never had he thought he would be enraptured by a human. Especially one as small and petite as his mate. Such power trapped in a tiny package.

  And when those violet eyes of hers flashed in anger…

  The thought immediately made Tane harden. With a grunt, he readjusted himself, the thought of his pretty little mate stuck in his head. It seemed as if the time away had given her time to grow in her strength. No longer was she wilted in a corner. She faced him with stubbornness and fire. She almost fooled him into thinking she was a Metician. Well, if it were not for the fact she still had a kind side. Perhaps not towards him, but towards others.

  When he had been updated on the activities while he had been gone, he had learned that his little summoner had overheard someone talking about a recent plague in the city and had demanded supplies be distributed. Not only that, but many of his soldiers reported how she would sometimes joke with the guards and her laugh had even appeared once or twice during the past couple of weeks.