Mated to Two Beasts

by T. S. Ryder

  Maribel had never felt comfortable wearing a swimsuit in public. Add to it the insanely gorgeous vampire women that always seemed to be in skimpy bikinis, and she suffered some serious body-image issues at the ground-level pool.

  Soon she was relaxing in the waist-deep water of the small pool, idly paddling from one end to the other. The water smelled slightly of cucumber.

  Everything about the vampire world was rich and lush. When Sheridan took her out around the vampire town, she hadn't seen one building in need of repair. Vampires, it seemed, took care of each other better than humans did. And they all seemed to be quite happy to see her, although Sheridan had told her there were some who weren't happy that he married a human.

  "Hello."

  Maribel jumped at the sound of the voice. She looked up to see a vampire peering over the lip of the pool, smiling down at her. He was as gorgeous as any other vampire she had seen, although not as good looking as Sheridan. Unlike any of the others she had seen, he was blond, although his eyes were black like the rest of them.

  "Hello," Maribel replied uncertainly. She hadn't met this vampire before, and she usually didn't see anybody in the pool unless Sheridan was with her.

  "Mind if I join you?"

  "Um…" She didn't like the way he was looking at her. Even though her one-piece swimsuit was as modest as they come, the gleam in his eye as he stared at her made her feel like she might as well be naked. "Actually, I was just leaving."

  She climbed out at the other side of the pool, but the vampire had circled it and was standing at the stairs with her towel outstretched before she made it to the top. His grin increased.

  "I don't think we've met," she said, her heart starting to pound. "I'm—"

  "I know who you are. The human the king married. But he hasn't marked you yet."

  Maribel quickly made it to the floor, putting some distance between her and the vampire. "Marked me?"

  "I don't see any scars from where he's drunken from you, or smell him on you." The vampire smiled as her eyes widened with horror.

  "Don't look at me like that. He hasn't claimed you, which means you're free to give to whoever you want. And you smell so good. I don't usually go for your blood type, but you've got a special fragrance… What harm can one taste do?"

  The roar from the other end of the room was the only warning they got that Sheridan had just entered the room.

  Before Maribel could even process it, her king was there, standing between her and the other vampire. The muscles of his back strained as he picked up the blond by his throat. He threw the other vampire across the room. The wall cracked from the impact.

  "She is mine!"

  Sheridan wrapped his arms around Maribel's waist. She yelped as he picked her up, and then they were off. Her arms tightened around his neck, her heart hammering as the corridors rushed by. They were moving so quickly that it made her sick. When Sheridan finally put her down, she swayed on the spot and had to cling to him to keep herself upright.

  "Did he touch you?" Sheridan's hands cupped her face. "Did he bite you?"

  Maribel's stomach stopped spinning and she stepped away, glaring at the vampire king. "What was that all about? He was being a creep, yeah, but you didn't have to throw him across the room and then carry me away like I was a damsel in distress and you were my white knight!"

  Surprise flickered across Sheridan's face. "I had to get you away from him."

  "A simple, 'she's my wife, stay away from her, we're leaving, honey' would have worked." Maribel put her hands on her hips. "You didn't have to act like he was trying to kill me!"

  "He was challenging my authority, trying to drink from you."

  "I wouldn't have let him. Do you really think I would let him drink from me?"

  Sheridan held up his hands and shook his head. "No. No, of course not. I didn't think that, Maribel. I'm sorry if I scared you."

  Maribel put a hand to her chest, where her heart was still pounding wildly. "Well, you did."

  "I'm sorry. And you're right, I overreacted." He turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have jealousy issues. I thought I'd gotten over them, but apparently not."

  "Jealousy." Maribel stared. A smile twitched her lips, no matter how hard she fought it. If she was honest, even though she was still mildly freaked out by his display of violence, knowing that he was jealous made a bubble of happiness rise up in her. "Well, okay. You're forgiven this time."

  Sheridan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "That vampire's actions do raise another point, though. I haven't claimed you in any official capacity except marriage, and many won't accept that as binding. We'll have to make a video to release on the internet stating that we are together and that you are mine."

  "Wait. You want to release a video on the internet?"

  "Yes. That way the whole world will know that you’re mine."

  The dominant way he said it had heat swirling inside of her. Maribel clung to his warmth, breathing in his heady scent. A giggle burst from her lips. Funny how her irritation at him could vanish just like that.

  "Will a video really work?"

  "Yes. Of course it will."

  "Good. I don't want to be anybody's but yours."

  Maribel pressed herself to her toes and threw her arms around Sheridan's neck, kissing him passionately.

  Chapter Four – Sheridan

  The smell was what woke him up.

  Earthy yet sweet, like a cinnamon bun with just a little too much cinnamon in it. Maybe with a hint of nutmeg as well. Sheridan's arms tightened around Maribel as the scent of her pregnancy roused him. It was the middle of the night, but there was a full moon outside, and the vampire king could see as well as if it had been daylight.

  His human was cuddled in against his arm, her arm over his chest. The black silky nightdress she was wearing barely contained her breasts, and she had kicked off the blankets sometime during the night, revealing that it had twisted up around her waist. She was wearing white 'granny panties' that looked adorable on her. Sleeping in the same bed was difficult, although the closer he was the easier controlling himself seemed to be. He wanted to take this in steps, and sex would have to wait.

  Pregnant. Sheridan smiled, resisting the urge to wake her and tell her. Happiness bubbled up in him, making him feel warm and cozy from the inside out. His human was pregnant. After all these weeks of waiting, the treatments had finally taken.

  His smile faded.

  She was pregnant. That was good news. But he still hadn't figured out what to tell her now. He sighed, staring at the ceiling. Perhaps it would be best to tell her the truth of why he was holding back, why he couldn't drink from her or make love to her. He longed to taste her blood, longed to be joined in body.

  But he was afraid.

  When vampires had sex with humans or tasted their blood, it was far too easy to lose control. Far too easy to snap fragile bones or drink them dry. If he did that to Maribel…

  His cellphone buzzed. Too quiet to disturb Maribel, but loud enough that it would have woken him up if he had been sleeping. The king eased himself out of his wife's grasp and grabbed his cell phone as he left the room. It was Billie.

  "This had better be an emergency."

  "We have a situation, my lord. You had better come to the entrance quickly." Billie's voice was stressed, and Sheridan could hear shouting in the background.

  He repressed a groan. But then, that was the life of a king. He belonged to his people, and his time was not his own.

  "I'll be right there." He quickly dressed and headed down.

  There was a human male in the main hall, being restrained by two guards. The male was dark-haired and dressed all in black.

  Sheridan frowned as he approached the group. "What is going on here?"

  "Sir." Billie hurried to his side. "The wall guard caught this man attempting to sneak into the city. He says his name is Phil Bennet, and he's demanding to see Maribel."

  Sheridan's
head jerked as he whipped around to narrow his eyes at the human. He was glaring at the king at this point, and Sheridan met the challenging eyes with a glare of his own. The human immediately flinched and looked away. He was quite muscular, for a human, and had an air of self-confidence about him, despite clearly being intimidated by the vampires around him.

  "What do you want with my wife?" Sheridan demanded.

  "She's not your wife. I saw that stupid video you made on the internet, but she's not yours. She's my fiancé and I want her back!"

  Sheridan blinked rapidly, but that was the only indication he gave of how much his mind was reeling. Maribel engaged to another man? Was this why she was so determined that they marry before their baby was born? So he wouldn't be able to change his mind once this came to light?

  But this man wore expensive shoes and had the look of a rather well-to-do individual. Why would Maribel come here seeking to be a living blood donor, half a million dollars in debt, if she was engaged to this man? Unless she had run away from him for some reason.

  "Billie, get Janet and bring Maribel to my office."

  His PA nodded and scurried off. Sheridan cast a dismissive glare at the human, then instructed the guard to take him to his office. He wasn't going to believe this man's word over Maribel's. He wanted to hear her side of the story before he made any decisions.

  Shortly after, Maribel came to his office. She wore jeans and a flannel shirt. Her hair was mussed and eyes still sleepy, but they widened at the sight of the man.

  "Phil!"

  "Mari, baby, I've come to take you—"

  Maribel didn't let him finish. She lunged at the man, fists flying. She got him good in the jaw before Sheridan stepped in and separated the two of them. He pulled Maribel back, repressing laughter. Well, that answered that question.

  There was no way that these two were engaged. If they had been together once, it ended badly.

  "Let go of me!" Maribel writhed in his grasp.

  Phil tried to step forward but Billie stopped him. "Mari—"

  "Don't talk to me! You con artist of an arrogant, fake boyfriend!"

  Sheridan put his hands on Maribel's shoulders and blocked her view of Phil. "Who is he? And what did he do to you?"

  "He was my boyfriend. At least I thought he was. He's the reason I had so much debt. He stole my identity, got a bunch of credit cards and ran off to Vegas! Why are you here, Phil? Trying to blackmail me or something?"

  "It's not like that. I know I didn't treat you right, but I regret it, ple—"

  Sheridan waved a hand to his guards. "Take him to the dungeons."

  Maribel's jaw dropped. She stared at him with amazement, although there was a sparkle in her eye that told him that she certainly wasn't opposed to her ex-boyfriend being jailed. The two guards began hauling the human off. Phil went red in the face and howled at them, jerking his arms around as though that would free him.

  "I am a human citizen, you have no authority to hold me in your prisons! I know my rights, you are legally required to hand me over to the human police—"

  "You were caught trying to breach vampire walls. I am within my rights to question you to find out your motive. Get him out of here." Sheridan glared at the human as he was taken away, then turned back to Maribel. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry for disturbing you so late."

  Maribel shrugged. "I never thought I'd have to see his stupid face again. I'm glad you're throwing him in jail, but… you won't get in trouble, will you? I mean, you won't get arrested to anything?"

  Sheridan shook his head. "No. Of course not. I'm a king, they can't just waltz in and arrest me."

  "Good."

  He smoothed her hair from her forehead. Should he tell her that she was pregnant now, or wait until morning? Maribel's sweet smile stole his heart as she pushed herself to her toes and brushed her mouth against his. The effect was instant. Sheridan wanted to order Billie out, to clear the room and lay his wife on the floor, worshiping every inch of her.

  He broke the kiss. "I have some business to take care of. Billie will see you back to our rooms."

  Maribel looked disappointed but nodded. "See you tomorrow, then?"

  "Yes. Goodnight." He sighed as he watched her leave.

  Chapter Five – Maribel

  Maribel yawned as Billie and Janet, the vampire servant who was always outside her door to get her whatever she wanted, walked her to the chambers she shared with the king. She stopped at the door.

  "I can take it from here, thanks."

  If she didn't tell her vampire escort when to leave her, they'd end up in her bedroom with her. It had happened before and wasn't very amusing. She hadn't noticed and even started undressing.

  "Are you sure there isn't anything we can get you?" Billie asked, blinking her huge eyes.

  "I can turn down the bed for you," Janet added.

  Maribel shook her head. "I'm fine. Just how late do you think Sheridan will be working?"

  Billie sighed. "I don't know. I'll tell him you were asking if you want. I'm sure he won’t be long, anyway. He just needs to complete the paperwork for holding Mr. Bennet in our custody."

  "Thanks," Maribel said goodnight and closed the door. She didn't like sleeping alone anymore, without her arms around Sheridan. If they couldn’t make love yet, at least they could sleep in the same bed.

  As she headed back to the bedroom, something jumped from the shadows. Before she had a chance to scream, a hand clamped down over her mouth. An arm snaked around her waist. The person clamped her tight against him, chest-to-chest. He backed her against the wall.

  Her heart pounded. She struggled, but the arms around her were like steel. A vampire. But who would dare sneak into the king's own chambers and accost his wife?

  "I told the king that we wouldn't accept a human as our queen."

  The voice was familiar. She flung her arm out, finding the light switch. The sudden brightness made her flinch. The vampire holding her hissed. When her eyes adjusted, she saw that it was General Romanoff. Billie had pointed him out once when they were in a formal dinner with the ancient vampire gentry.

  Romanoff pushed her harder against the wall, one of his hands still covering her mouth. "He wouldn't listen. So full of his own righteousness, Sheridan has forgotten that his power stands on the backs of his people."

  Maribel scratched at his face uselessly.

  "I know I will die for this, but it's for the good of my people. He thinks that because he is king nobody else will claim you? Well, I will. I will claim you and more. I will drink you dry. Close your eyes, human. It'll be over soon."

  Maribel gouged her fingers at his eyes. They gave way, soft and squishy beneath her nails. Romanoff reeled back, howling. Maribel kneed him in the groin and bolted from the room. She screamed, hoping Billie and Janet would be close enough to hear her.

  "Somebody he—"

  The hand hit her mouth before she got to the door. She elbowed him in the gut. Romanoff hissed but that was the only effect. She felt his hot breath on her neck, then his teeth graze his skin—

  The door burst open, ripping from its hinges. Billie and Janet rushed back in. They didn't stop to take in the situation before pouncing on Romanoff. He snarled at them but didn't release Maribel. His arm was crushing her ribs and she screamed again.

  "Let her go!" Billie shouted. "The king must know that he has lost his right to authority!"

  "Sheridan!" Maribel screamed. "Sheridan!"

  The grip tightened again, painfully squeezing out all her breath. Black spots swam before her eyes. And then he was there. Silhouetted in the doorway, the might of his presence stopped the fight at once.

  "Release her." Sheridan's voice was terrifyingly low.

  Romanoff's hold loosened. "The video you released is not a proper claim. You have not marked her. And you will not. She's human, she doesn't deserve to rule the vampires. You are spitting in the face of hundreds of years of tradition, and I won't let you forget our history."


  Sheridan came forward, one moment in the doorway, the next standing right before Romanoff. He easily took Maribel from the other vampire and withdrew, tucking her into his arms. The two female vampires struggled to hold Romanoff in place. Maribel's frame trembled as she sucked in deep breaths. It was okay. Sheridan would protect her.

  But she couldn't stop shaking.

  "You speak of tradition and history, but you forget what brought us here," Sheridan said, his voice guttural. "The deaths. The wars. Would you go back to the times when humans and vampires killed each other?"

  "I would return to the time when we held supremacy!"

  "We never did." Sheridan shook his head as several guards came running in. "Take him to the dungeons. I'll decide whether to adhere to the old ways and have you crucified by silver as a traitor, or if I'll show you 'new-age' mercy and let you live."

  Romanoff spat at him. The guards moved forward, taking hold of him. Billie and Janet moved to stand beside the king. Janet put a hand on Maribel's shoulder comfortingly. The human hid her face from the pure hatred on Romanoff's face as he was hustled out of the room. She was still shaking and continued to do so, even after Sheridan had Billie and Janet check the rest of the rooms. They were empty.

  "Place an extra guard outside the door," the king told Billie. "Just in case he wasn't acting alone."

  Billie nodded. She and Janet both left as Sheridan led Maribel to his room.

  "Did he hurt you?" Her king looked concerned as he checked her throat. "You're not bleeding. Do your ribs hurt?"

  Maribel shook her head. "I'm not hurt. I'm scared."

  "Scared? Of Romanoff? He can't hurt you now."

  "But you said that he wasn't the only vampire to feel that way."

  Sheridan stroked her cheek. "No. He wasn't. But the more you interact with the palace, the more the vampires who were unhappy with me for marrying a human have come to support my decision. It's probably why Romanoff acted this way. He's losing his anti-human followers because of you."

  "But you haven't marked me. You haven't drunk from me or made love to me, even though we're married. I know that you said it will make it harder for me to get pregnant, but I'm not getting pregnant anyway. Can't you just… you know. Mark me?"