The Medici Queen

by Emily Bex

  As Gi led Rachael to the kitchen, Shade saw Cory staring out the window, deep in thought.

  "Let’s take a walk, son. I think we both could use some air."

  57

  Shade and Cory walked outside and down the road to the warrior camp. He wanted to give them some privacy and give Cory the chance to express whatever he was feeling, letting go of any unexpressed anger about the past, or fears of the future. Shade knew he’d held a lot inside over the years and it would be released at some point, and not always in a good way. He didn’t want Cory to begin their new relationship in this manner. Shade was already struggling with his own concerns about being a father, and now the task was upon him even sooner than expected.

  "Let’s take to the fields and talk it out, si?"

  Cory nodded but wasn’t sure he was ready to talk much yet. He was still processing all the information that had been dumped in his lap. He’d often thought of meeting his biological father. Everything he ever thought he’d say or do if he met him, didn’t play out as he’d imagined. But then, he never imagined Shade Medici was his father, either. A whole fuck load of emotions poured out. For years, he’d carried so much anger and shame, and now he felt relief and something like love for this man. His head was churning with confusing and conflicting emotions. He loved his mom, but they’d never been close. Cory knew that was more his fault than hers. He’d pushed her away, even when, deep inside, he’d wanted to be cared for.

  He walked beside Shade as they moved along the fence line, down to the vineyards. The night sky was clear and the light from the moon and stars glittered and sparkled around them. Shade stopped and climbed onto the fence rail and Cory could almost hear it groan as it took his weight. Cory climbed up beside him, and they were a picture of opposites. Shade was tall and muscular, and Cory thin and wiry. Despite the turmoil in his head, Cory admired him, and knew if he could have wished for a father, Shade was it.

  Shade didn’t really know what to say, but he began with what was in his heart. "You know, Cory, there was something my padre taught me that has stayed with me. It is something I live by and I hope maybe, this will help you. He always said to follow my heart. Never mind the rules, what others expected or thought, follow your heart. If you listen hard enough, it will always guide you to the right path. I’m following my heart here, because I know there is so much bottled up inside you and has been for a very long time. This news has brought out a lot inside of me as well. I don’t expect you to change who you are because of me but know that your future is open. I will help you achieve whatever it is you wish to pursue. Your life will be longer than a mortal’s, but eternity is not an option for you. That will be something I will have to suffer through when it happens.

  “I have already lost a son, he was like you, a half-breed, and he never made it to see a day of his life. If I had known you existed and survived, that would have changed my life drastically. I have to accept what is in the past, but we can change the future, together. Mine is looking great, the best it has ever looked in all of my life, and right now, I would hope yours is as well."

  Cory looked sideways at his newfound father, his black hair blowing in the cool air. He seemed relaxed, as if nothing ever shook him up much. But Cory had learned to read his eyes, he’d watched him a lot since moving here, and listened to him even when Shade didn’t know he was there. He knew Shade was good for his word, he did what he said, and he meant the words he spoke. Cory decided to speak from his heart as well. "The first time I saw you in the club, I couldn’t stop looking at you. My heart was telling me then, you were different, and I seemed to be drawn to you. When you fed from me, it felt different. With the others, I always got a heightened sexual thing, but I didn’t with you. It was more like…love or something. It felt so weird. I’d never felt that before, you know? The night you brought my lady into the club, I watched you with her, and I was jealous. I was so excited to see you back, but I could see she had you pretty hard. I was happy for you, but I followed my heart that night and approached you. I don’t regret any of that time we had together. But right now, I feel like everything I’ve ever known has been turned upside down. Like, somehow, my whole life has been this bad dream and now I finally wake up and everything I ever wanted is here." He sighed and shook his head.

  Shade listened and understood. This was just what he wanted Cory to do, speak his heart. This kid was his blood. He had to take him now by the hand, give him dreams for his future, and be a father. Shade reached his arm around Cory’s shoulder and pulled him close as Cory laid his head against him. Shade ran his fingers through his son’s hair. It was soft and hung in waves, like his.

  "Cory, I know how you feel. You can talk to me, you know. You can ask me anything you want to know. I am always going to be here now. You can come to me for anything and everything. If you need me, just come to me. I will stop whatever I’m doing for you. And that is how this is going to roll with us. We have to work at this together, because you never had a father and I never had a son, so now we are rowing the same damn boat, but we can get wherever we are going if we work together, si?"

  Cory didn’t fight the comfort of his closeness. It felt good, for once, to have someone who understood everything about him. With his head on Shade's shoulder, feeling his arm around him like a warm blanket, his struggle was over. He was home. "This is going to sound really stupid, but what do I call you? What do I call my lady?"

  Shade chuckled softly and squeezed Cory tight. "I hope you will call me dad, but if that feels awkward to you, then call me Shade. It may seem strange calling me dad in front of the warriors. It doesn’t bother me, but you might get some heavy ribbing about it, no matter what. I’m still your master. I am master to everyone in my coven. And I am damn sure you will feel my wrath at times, just like they will. You will call your queen, Kate. She is your queen as well, just like I am master. But she is not your mother. She is going to love you to death if I know anything about her, and she will spoil you so damn bad. But that is who she is, loving and caring."

  Cory smiled. "I can do that, Shade. Dad. That sounds so strange, but I’ll get used to it. What’s going to happen to my mom? I’ve been sending her money from my pay, it’s not a lot. I just want her to be okay."

  Shade had heard from Marco that Cory had been sending some of his pay back to his mom, and it made him proud.

  “That is no longer your worry, son. I’m going to get her a house, wherever she wants to live, something very comfortable in a safe neighborhood. Then, whatever debt she has, I’m going to pay off. Give her a clean slate. She can stop working and struggling, and maybe we can extend her life a few years. It’s important you have her in your life as long as possible. And I expect you to build a relationship with her, fix what is wrong. Get closer to her son, she is your madre, and you only get one of those. Trust me, when she is gone, you will be grateful for all the time you made to be with her."

  Cory sat up and looked at him, eyes wide. "You’d do that for us? I mean, you’d take care of her in that way? I don’t...I can’t believe..." Cory jumped off the fence and hugged him tight. He was overjoyed that Shade would take responsibility for his mom and help her as well.

  "I will do whatever it takes to correct my mistakes. She was someone who showed me kindness, and in doing so, it destroyed her life. I can’t undo the damage, but I can make sure her future is pleasant. And like I said, we will make this officially right in our world as well. We will go to Florence and get your name in the ancestral records. I am acknowledging you as my son. I’m not even sure anyone has ever done this before, but we are Medici and we break new ground. You will have to come with me, and so will Kate. We will take the jet to Florence as soon as possible and take care of that. Then get our asses back here because we both have some serious business to take care of concerning this camp. You are still going to work. I think if I told you not to do the leather work, I would have a damn riot on my hands and the warriors would beat the living hell out of me!"

  C
ory laughed. "I don’t think anyone could beat your ass, well, maybe Kate."

  Shade threw his head back with laughter. "Oh, my woman can do it too. But I think I would enjoy it too much. On a more serious note, just because I am the Medici, does not mean we are all safe. There are those who will take whatever they can from me, and that includes you. So, we will work on some basic weapon skills, so you can defend yourself. You need to pay attention, Cory, always be aware of your surroundings, especially when you leave these grounds. I do not want to frighten you, just make you aware. You are Medici now and there are some that will want you dead just because my blood runs in your veins. You call to me whenever you need to. I will speak with everyone in my coven, they will know you are my son and their allegiance will be to you, just as it will be to all my bambinos."

  Cory looked up to Shade and stared at him. "Does your blood run in my veins? I never fed from you. I know I was not allowed. But I never took the blood oath as a warrior, like the others did. You sent me to Florence and then, when I came back, we were so busy." Cory's eyes dropped to the ground.

  Shade pulled him close and Cory buried his face into Shade’s chest. Shade tipped his chin up and looked deep into those dark pools. “Of course, my blood runs through your veins, but say what is in your heart."

  Cory had watched as each new recruit had joined the coven, and drank their master’s blood from the chalice, bonding them to the Medici. He’d never been invited to share in that ritual, and never expected to. He felt he lived among them but wasn’t one of them. Even here, he felt accepted, but was still an outsider. He’d kept his hope of having a blood bond to the coven bottled inside, telling himself to be content with what he’d gained, but now his heart was screaming to have what he wanted more than anything. "I want to feel the blood bond to the coven and drink your blood from the cup.”

  Shade felt the boy’s pain wash through him, and it almost broke him in half. Shade reached out and put his hand around Cory’s head, pulling him to his neck.

  "Feed, mio figlio. Take me inside you. Feel your padre’s blood inside you. You will drink from me, not from some chalice."

  Shade felt no hesitation as Cory sank his fangs deep into his neck and something inside him opened up, warm and bright. He could feel his power swirling through him and into Cory, feeling everything Cory felt. Shade could feel his son’s heartbeat synchronize with his and the cells pulsating throughout his small frame. Shade knew then, this was where his whole life had led him...to become a father, to have his sons exist and thrive, and Cory was just the first to arrive. In that bright crystal-clear moment, as his half-breed son fed, he saw a vision of Lorenzo, his face a reflection of Shade’s, his body strong and vibrant. He knew he’d love them both equally.

  Shade whispered to his son, “Familia." Nothing would separate them again.

  Shade and Cory walked back to the house. Shade’s arm was draped casually around Cory's shoulders. As they entered the main house, Cory seemed a bit confused about where he should go, and Shade advised him to go back to the barracks for the night. His mom was already asleep, and no one in the barracks was aware of this news yet. Tomorrow he could get his things packed, and Kate would get a temporary room ready until she created a permanent space for him. Cory agreed and hugged his father, letting his guard down as he allowed himself to feel the new bond. Something had changed inside them both tonight and it was all for the good.

  As Cory left, Shade headed to the bar, poured himself a large Midnight and gulped it down. He’d not fed from Kate in several days and he was weakening. Cory's feeding from him didn’t help. He knew he should be going to Luca, but he was trying to delay that change as long as possible.

  58

  Kate had taken Rachael to the kitchen where she’d prepared a light meal for her as Gi and Theresa took her luggage up to the guest bedroom. Theresa turned down the bed, ran a hot bath and had everything ready when Kate escorted Rachael to her room. Giving her a hug, Kate told her good night.

  "I’m sure you’re exhausted. Take a long bath. Theresa has laid your night clothes out for you. Get a good night's sleep. Shade and I are up at night and sleep during the day. But Cory will be going to bed soon himself and the two of you will have all day to visit tomorrow. There are books here if you want to read a while. And feel free to call Theresa if there’s anything you need."

  Kate left her and returned to her own bedroom, waiting for Shade. She knew he’d left with Cory, just the two of them, and she could feel when Cory fed from him. She sat on the bed with the laptop on her legs, not able to really concentrate with everything that had transpired in the last few hours. She felt Shade enter the house and come up the stairs.

  Shade had to face her now, he knew she was waiting. Once again, he felt like he’d put her in a bad situation, and wondered if that would ever end. "You all right, mi amore?"

  She looked up as he entered their bedroom, reaching her hand out to him. "I'm fine. I’m more concerned for you." She pushed the laptop aside and patted the bed beside her. "Come, lay down beside me. Talk to me."

  Shade sat on the edge of the bed, unlacing his boots, and kicking them off. Sliding his tee over his head, he flung it to the corner and rolled to her, burying his face in her hair.

  "I’m sorry, mi amore. I am so sorry for all of this, I seem to put you into situations that are awkward and hard to handle, and they all stem from my past. I am so tired. I think I’m being emotionally drained, slowly but surely. So much is going around in my head. Cory fed from me."

  Kate pulled him to her, letting him lay his head against her shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Shh, rest now. I can feel how tired you are. I could feel him feed from you, and you’ll need to feed tonight from me."

  She put her finger to his lips as he started to protest. "I feel strong, Shade. I’m fine. And you don't owe me an apology. This is certainly nothing I saw coming. It’s not the way I saw this visit with Cory's mother playing out, but I’ve never loved you more. He’s your son, and it would have broken my heart had you rejected him. I welcome him to our family. I’ll make a place for him here in our home, and I promise you, I’ll love him as I love our own children."

  "It blindsided me too." Closing his eyes, he breathed deep, taking in her rose scent. "I love you so damn much! We will have to go to Florence, take the jet. You will have to come with me. I want this done as soon as possible. I am going to set Rachael up with a house, something comfortable. I plan to pay off any debt and then I‘ll have my accountant put her on the payroll. Give her a decent income, so she can live out her life in comfort with no worries, it’s the least I can do."

  Sitting up, Shade rubbed his eyes, letting his hands run through his hair, the agitation never leaving him. "What have I done, bel? How many could there be out there? There could be more half-breed children I know nothing of, growing up without guidance, and rogue in the streets. I could have killed one of my own sons. Damn it all to hell! I can’t stand this. The thoughts that go through my head at what I might have done. The damage I may have caused other innocent people in my past."

  Kate reached out to him. "Stop. Stop tormenting yourself. None of us can change what’s in the past. The important thing is you found this child. And I believe you were destined to find him. You were drawn to him, and he to you. If there were more children out there, then they’d have been drawn to you as well. The power of your blood in them would draw them to you. You’d feel them. You know this is true. You have a rare chance with Cory, to make up for the mistakes of the past. You’ve already altered the course of Cory's life by bringing him here. And now, by claiming him, it will open more doors for him. And Rachael, you can change her life as well. I’ll gladly go with you to Florence and stand before Council with Cory at our side. I want them to know I accept this child, your child. And he’ll spend the rest of his days as a Medici, with my full blessing and support."

  Shade clutched her tightly, wanting to climb inside her with his whole being. She brought him so
much comfort and light and love. "I would die without you. I don’t deserve all of this; all you keep giving me."

  His tongue snaked out as he licked the vein that pulsed in her soft white neck, moaning in sweet agony for her. He kept nuzzling, nipping, and kissing like a starved beast, needing her to fix all that was wrong in him.

  He spoke with his lips against her throat, "Lorenzo, he came to me."

  Kate slid her hand into his hair, pulling him closer as she lay back against the pillows, propped against the huge carved headboard. "Lorenzo? You saw him?" She smiled. "He’ll be just like you, a warrior tall and strong. He’s so eager to get here. I feel his spirit get stronger every day. Feed from me, lover. Feel him. Feel his young warrior spirit."

  There was no hesitation as Shade sank his fangs into her neck and drew deep. Her blood spilled across his tongue, sliding sweetly down his throat and hitting him with a swell of comfort. Her light and love traveled through him, filling every cell with desire. His body jerked awake and his beast stepped forward, taking over. Shade had waited too long to feed from her, and the beast wouldn’t be tamped down. He drew deep, knowing he needed to slow down but couldn’t stop. His body writhed against hers, his fists in her hair, not able to get close enough to her. He heard a small moan from her, and he unlatched, throwing back his head, her blood trickling down his chin and onto his chest. His eyes were ablaze, making the room glow with the tones of his red-hot love.

  Tugging at his jeans, he quickly removed them. He slid her gown up to her hips and buried his face into her heaven. Sucking and lapping at her sex, the beast wanted her to cum and cum hard, and he wanted every drop of her. His tongue pushed deep inside her while his fingers caressed her clit, as she responded to his greedy hunger.

  Kate felt the heat build between her legs as he moved swiftly to feed. She knew he’d waited too long to feed out of his concern for the baby inside her, and he’d resisted going to Luca. He drank deep from her, ravenous in his need, and she gave herself freely. She felt his beast emerge, as his mouth settled between her legs, lapping at her in the same hungry fashion his lips had sought out her blood. She gripped her hands in his hair, and lifted his face, drawing him up to her as he climbed on all fours over her body. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him down, feeling his cock slide into her as his weight settled on top on her. She clung to him, her arms around his back, and her mouth locked to his. Joined to him in every way she could. She rode the rhythm of his hips, as his cock slid deep, pulsing inside of her.