by C. M. Steele
“You know when to surrender, my King.”
“Only for my queen,” I murmured against her neck. “Come.” We entered his chambers, and he halted his movements.
“How’s it coming along?” I coldly asked. Until I knew for certain, I couldn’t trust anyone but Nora and Draco. Charlotte, I had a strained relationship with. I wanted to trust that she had my family’s interests at heart, but in truth, she had everyone’s interests at heart. It scared me that we could be sacrificed for the rest of the world. William’s built strong like us which makes it even harder to trust him. He could be dangerous.
“Better,” he answered; the cracking in his voice improved. I began to pace, intentionally intimidating him. I noticed a stack of books in the corner near his bed. They were children’s books.
“I see you have some books here,” I observed, picking up a Thomas the Tank Engine book.
A blush stole over his face. “Yes, Charlotte brought me some. I need help reading a book with images, most embarrassing,” he remarked, tucking his lips inward.
“It seems your vocabulary isn’t stunted,” Nora cheered.
He acknowledged the compliment with a slight dip of his head. “The general skills are coming back to me,” he answered slowly, looking ashamed that he had to start from scratch.
I nodded. I grabbed Nora’s hand and pulled her to my side. She was apt to be too friendly to people and she felt sorry for him, but I continued to press for answers. “Yes, well that is good, but I need information about you now.”
He swallowed hard, then spoke, “I was born in Eastern Europe just outside of Greece.”
“What are you?” I questioned as he thought about his next tidbit he wanted to divulge. He brushed his hand across his jaw and around his neck. A tension built around the room.
“I am a vampire and a wolf shifter,” he tossed out.
“What?” I itched to lunge towards him, but I remembered what Charlotte said. My hands clenched with rage, turning my knuckles white and my teeth on edge.
“I swear I’m nothing like Stavros,” he hurriedly stated, flinching backward landing on the bed.
“Explain more,” I growled, stepping closer. Nora held onto the back of my shirt, trying to stop me from continuing.
He raised his hand, hoping I’d stop inching towards him. I’d give him that if he started talking. “I had been turned into that dog because of my loyalty to the Supreme Council.”
I scoffed, “Bullshit. You’ve been alive for over three hundred years?”
“I’m telling you the truth. I’m over four-hundred years old. I had informed the Queen, your mother, that something was to come. She believed me and praised my selflessness. Unfortunately, the traitors were aware of my actions. I’d been on my way back to Greece when I’d been attacked by a mob of vampires. Before I could slaughter them all, a sorcerer appeared and cast a spell on me. Suddenly the attack stopped. The next thing I knew, I was being helped by one of my former servants to safety.” He paused, pouring himself more tea and taking a sip before he continued, “I had been on my way to the castle to warn them the best I could in my new form when they died. Over time my protectors died and leaving me as a dog without a home. I stayed in Europe but came back to Lombardy every so often.” He took another drink of his tea. I supposed his throat was still tender.
“I’m sorry, William,” Nora said, offering her sympathies. “Would you be able to tell us about your family?”
He stopped his cup midway, freezing for a moment before setting it down. “Unfortunately, I am a cousin to Stavros.”
“What?” I roared as Nora gasped. I rubbed her back. It was the only thing holding me back from ripping at his throat. Taking deep breaths, I stared him down, waiting for him to explain.
He raised his hands defensively before he rapidly spoke, “Yes, I know it comes as a shock, but I am. The family was much larger than even Stavros knew. The family separated over time, many going into hiding for fear of reprisal. My parents were not pleased with Stavros and had mourned the loss of my life and your parents. He killed those who opposed him including them. It goes further back than you know.”
“Tell me, please.”
“My father and Stavros’s father and three other boys were the children of the first vampire and wolf shifter mates. I don’t know about the others because of the divide. Many of them stayed in America, unlike our fathers. My parents were good and kind like my uncle. Something went wrong with Stavros. He thought that if he had been a hybrid that he should be the ruler of all beings that he was different, special. None of us saw it that way, but he couldn’t let it go. I overheard him talking about his plans and that was when I acted. It cost me everything, but now your daughter set me free.” He smiled at the last part. I tried to place myself in his shoes and my heart thawed just a bit.
“Yes, about that…how?”
“I was told that only the gaze of the prophesized child could undo the spell. The sorcerer laughed because he believed it would never occur.”
“Yes, many have and still do feel that way,” Nora muttered.
“I have searched for a pregnant vampire throughout the years and nothing. Something about the Queen called for me to be at her side. It had been different than all the pregnant vampires I had come across. I felt it deep within me from the moment I was brought into the room. She saved me. I am forever in your debt,” he stated, bowing again to Nora.
I felt a wave of my own gratitude to him. Assisting my mother of all people and risking his own safety in the process, endeared him to me. He had been brave and selfless. That cannot be left unnoticed or appreciated. “Thank you for explaining your story to me. What did you do before you were cursed?”
“A bit of everything. I was a scholar, but Stavros would force me to fight with him. I had enough and began to train in combat.”
“A scholar? In what?” He may be more useful than I thought.
“The sciences. It has been forever since I’d been able to pick up a book and read. Even these children’s books have been a blessing to me. I can’t say I remember a thing in alchemy or the human body, but I wish to learn again.”
“I can understand that. We have many books on the science in the modern world. For the time being, you can guard Nora while she works in the lab. Maybe you can be useful to her. She’d like the security there.”
“That would be amazing.”
“But, know this. If you touch her, I’ll rip your head off and eat your heart,” I warned him, jabbing my finger in his chest. Nora ruled my universe. I was nothing without her and have waited centuries to be whole with her. No way in hell would I let a person put a hand on her and not die a grisly death.
“You know, I’m just like you. I can’t be intimate with anyone but my mate, and I can say I haven’t met her yet.” It was good to know. I had no idea if he was different.
“Just making sure you understand me,” I reminded him.
“I do. I’ll protect you all. It’s the least I could do.”
Chapter 16
Leonora
I laughed at Falcon. He snarled and growled as William walked me to the lab. “Don’t mind him. He’s a bit possessive of me.” He was the one that assigned William to help me. I couldn’t use William at the moment because he hadn’t been up to speed on the latest innovations in science. I didn’t know what he actually retained or absorbed while a dog, but the world was different, exponentially so since he was in his natural form.
“I’m sure I will be the same one day,” William replied, nodding his head toward Falcon as a symbol of some understanding. We walked into the lab and Falcon stopped to kiss me goodbye. He had plans for training with the soldiers and testing more of the weapons they had acquired. Gideon was going with him today, while Draco remained here as a safety precaution. Mary returned to the castle to spend time with Dante. The pain that she feels was visible every time she was around. I knew she longs for death, but she is waiting for the right time. “I wonder if I lost my
chance for a mate.”
“No, I’m sure you’ll find one. Goodness, you’ve been waiting longer than Falcon at this point. I hope you meet the one soon,” I exclaimed, thinking about it myself. They were roughly the same age and Falcon had me now.
“Yes, I have. It’s not nice, but in my old state, it didn’t affect me as much. You see. I’ve waited for you to have Speranza and that became the hard part. She’d been the one I needed to return to normal. It’s all I’ve longed for over the centuries. I almost forgot how it felt to be a vampire hybrid.”
“Well, since you’re eager to learn, why don’t you sit here and read. These are the notes I made from the old lab work that I could remember,” I told him, handing off the file then I slipped on my lab coat and tied up my long dark hair.
“What do you know so far?” he asked me his honey colored eyes wide with questions. I wondered if Speranza would one day be his mate. It was a strange thought, but that was where my head went. If his fate had been so tied to hers maybe they would be tied again. Would she have a mate? Goodness, she was so different. There were no references to look back on because she was one of a kind.
“Nothing. I lost so much data. All we knew is that there was no chemical reaction to any vampire blood we tested. Vigo had said something before he was captured, but I don’t know what it means.”
“What was it?”
“He said the fight with Nero had its benefits,” I told him.
“Benefits? I don’t know about the fight, but I’m curious. Will you tell me what happened?” he asked.
“I was working in the lab when he came in with the same skill as Draco and Falcon; he could teleport. He attacked me, and we fought a very brutal battle. Falcon saved me in the end, but not before I’d been injured. We wrecked the lab. So I’m thinking that maybe we knocked over something and the two things together led to the cure or in the right direction, but I assumed it was all destroyed.” There was nothing left to save after the blast. Stavros truly set us back. A big part of me still had a hard time working in the lab and made it difficult to focus on the task at hand. I wished that he got to say a bit more before we were cut off.
“Damn, well I’ll keep reading. Let me know if you need anything.” He shook his head, then ducked it as he read.
“I will.” I set up the new vials of blood from Draco, Mary, and Falcon. Now I needed to set them up on slides. After that was done, I compared the analysis. If only things were as easy as they made them look on CSI. I needed more blood samples, but with everyone depleted we wanted them to heal and finish the work on the castle. Maybe some of the vampires’ DNA was markedly different. I needed blood from those who were born into the darkness as well.
I had a timer on my phone to alert me when I had to leave. I could only do two-hour intervals of work because I had to care for my princess and myself. Falcon cared about the progress we were making but my health had to be a top priority. With breastfeeding, my body was being tested. I had to keep my strength up. Which reminded me that I need to return to combat training.
“Let me walk you there,” William offered, standing up from his chair.
“Sure, William,” I said with a smile, taking off my lab coat and hanging it up. I didn’t need an escort, but Falcon would be pissed if I wasn’t completely protected.
“No. I’ll take my wife.” Falcon teleported into the room. I jumped again, stumbling back against one of the other lab tables. Thankfully, William caught the microscope I almost toppled over onto the floor. “I’m sorry, Nora. I thought it would be better because there was someone else in the room.”
“I guess not. I thought you’d still be training,” I told him, slapping his broad chest. He had his workout clothes on and he was covered in sweat. I could smell his pheromones and my body heated to an inappropriate level.
“I had to see you, my love,” he growled, against my ear.
I tilted my head around Falcon’s arm, looked at William, and said, “Thanks for the offer. Please continue reading if you feel like it.”
“Thank you, are there basic textbooks around here?” William asked. The look of a scholar was written on his face. It said that he was eager for learning
“Yes, there are some in the library,” Falcon informed him while keeping his eyes on me.
“I will start reading more in there now. This is fascinating so far,” he said, but we were too lost in each other’s eyes to respond with enthusiasm.
“Excuse us.” Falcon teleported us into our bedroom.
“Where’s Speranza?” I asked.
“Asleep. I need you, Nora.” I smiled widely. His eyes were bright, rich blue that expressed all his emotion. He had us naked before my back could hit the bed.
“Falcon,” I hummed. He thrust into me, seating inside in one motion. I melted into the bed, his weight dominating me. My hands roamed his broad shoulders, his strength visible on every inch of his body. Moans poured from my lips as he rocked in and out of my womb. I clawed at his flesh, marking his skin as he stretched me. Every nerve buzzed like a live wire. His mouth came down on my neck and bit down. My orgasm ripped through me while my pussy clenched onto his cock, milking him. As my orgasm ebbed, Falcon filled me up until we were a sweaty mess.
Chapter 17
Charlotte
“Do you plan on telling them the truth?” I spun around to see William standing there with another book in his hand. He’d been constantly reading. He had been more voracious a reader than Nora. William finished books faster than I ever thought possible. It had been another week since he woke, and he read a textbook a day, plus novels for fun. He was a male version of Nora on steroids.
“What are you talking about?” I questioned.
“I’m aware of what you are. Even in my dog form, I knew the truth. You keep secrets that are important from your mate,” he accused. Damn it, I wondered if anyone else noticed.
“Listen, William, do you think I like keeping secrets from them? This is my lot in life. I can’t change that. Yes, I know more than anyone could imagine, but it’s not for me to reveal it. I do what I’m supposed to. Mind your business. If it wasn’t for me, Falcon would have killed you before you could speak.” I knew he was right, but fuck if I had to take his shit. I struggled with the secrecy and the pain of losing my Draco.
“I appreciate that but holding it inside is noticeable in your person and your mate. Falcon and Leonora are so happy, and you and Draco aren’t. Considering what almost happened to him, I’m surprised you aren’t clinging to him to ensure it never happens again,” he accused, narrowing his brows at me.
“Fine, William. You’ve given me a lot to consider.” I snapped my eyes shut, then popped them open. “Shit.” We have trouble.
“We’ve got to go.” Draco, find Falcon and come here now.
On my way, love. A minute later all of them including Nora and Gideon were in the library.
“What’s going on, Charlotte?” Falcon questioned, breathing frantically, holding Nora and his daughter in his arms.
“The Lamia are coming for the wolf shifters. Someone clued them into your visit. They’re going to attack in ten hours,” I told him. Falcon blanched.
“We need to warn them,” Nora implored.
Falcon grabbed his phone and called their leader. “Hunter, this is Falcon. We have word that they’re coming for you. Someone let them know we visited you. We’re on our way for support.”
“Do you have any idea when?” We heard Hunter ask through the phone.
“Ten hours,” Falcon replied, running his hand through his hair and pacing as he spoke to Hunter.
“Our people will be as prepared as possible.” From the possible number of soldiers coming, I hardly think that they will be prepared without the men. Wolf shifters weren’t strong enough to win against vampires.
“We’ll be there soon.” Falcon hung up and looked at me. “Do you know more? Is it going to be safe to leave my family here?”
“Yes, she’s safe. But there’
s something I need to tell you all.” I had to tell them the truth before we left, or it could come back to bite me in the ass.
“What is it?” Draco asked. The sirens blared loudly. Someone was approaching. “Shit.” Draco, Falcon who grabbed Gideon’s shirt collar teleported out of the room.
There was another attack and I didn’t know about it. What the fuck! William’s word popped straight into my head. I’d fucked up.
“What’s going on, Charlotte?” Nora asked me. I had no idea the attack was coming.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see anything.”
“Well, that’s not convenient, but it’s not the first time. We’ll be okay.” Nora hugged me and suddenly it dawned on me why I missed the impending attack. My personal struggles occupied my mind. It was my punishment for keeping such a secret.
Chapter 18
Draco
What the hell was going on with Charlotte? I noticed that William was already there when we got there. Her fidelity wasn’t an issue, but something else had been bothering her. I was stressed out about it but now wasn’t the time.
“What do we have?” I asked, looking over at the screens.
“Another two ships. I have a feeling this is a diversion to keep us from Washington,” Falcon said, arming himself for battle. We didn’t need to fight hand to hand, but we might want to do it.
“You may be right. Do you want to teleport to Washington?”
“No, I’m messaging Hunter now. This battle shouldn’t last long. I believe Charlotte’s right, but I’m taking my family to Washington with us. There’s no way I’m leaving them here.”
“Me either. Gideon can hold down the fort here or we can bring in Dante to handle it.”
“Shit, I have a feeling the castle will be next.” I turned to Gideon. “Wait to strike. Let them land. They have no idea what happened to their buddies, so they won’t know what’s coming,” Falcon ordered. Hell, I didn’t know what happened to them. I got a vague rundown of the last battle, but I’d been too weak to participate fully. If necessary I was the last resort to protect the women. I hated this uselessness. I’d always been the main soldier alongside Falcon. In no way was I jealous of Gideon’s place, but damn I wanted in on the action and I would get it this time.
