Chapter 21 #2
How was her human the voice of reason at a time like this? If anyone knew the laws of vampires, it was Dru.
And Tomesha was right.
She couldn’t take her if she was to be claimed by another.
Dru’s arm tightened around Tomesha even more.
“Dru. Please. Listen to me,” Tomesha pleaded. Her hands came to Dru’s face again, and this time she forced her to look at her.
Those big brown eyes of hers drew Dru in. Her heart stuttered at the look in Tomesha’s eyes.
“We can’t stop what’s out of our control. If you’re not registered for the draft, then you won’t have any claim on me.”
Dru glanced around the home. If Tomesha had been matched, the royal guards would have already been here.
There was still time. Dru knew what she had to do.
“I’ll go and register,” Dru murmured.
Once a human was entered into the draft, if there was no match, they weren’t removed.
They’d remain active in the registry forever until death.
Even if it was a year or three years from the time a human had been selected, once their vampire was entered, the system would make the match and the notification was sent out.
“What?” Tomesha gasped.
“I said I’ll go and submit for the registry.” Dru glanced down at Tomesha. This was one risk she was willing to take. She didn’t need science to tell her what apparently her body already knew.
Tomesha was her mate.
It just took Dru’s mind a little while longer to recognize it. She reached down and laid a palm against Tomesha’s cheek.
“You would do that? I thought you just wanted me for feeding and—” Tomesha’s voice faltered. She glanced at her brother and grandmother, a nervous laugh escaping her.
Dru sensed a spike in her human’s heart rate.
Tomesha leaned in closer and whispered, “—and, you know…”
“You’re not leaving with her. I don’t care what—”
“Tarek. I have to.” Tomesha looked at him over her shoulder. “I’m under contract.”
Tarek swiveled on his heel and walked a few steps while a multitude of curses fell from his lips. Tomesha cringed and turned back to Dru.
“You’re serious. You want to see if you match with me?”
“I already know it’s you.”
As certain as Dru was that the life of a healer wasn’t for her, she knew there was only one person for her, and that was Tomesha.
* * *
Dru escorted Tomesha to her quarters. Having her near was calming down all of the manic feelings and thoughts racing through her head. She opened the door and allowed Tomesha to enter first. She closed the door behind her and flipped the lock.
“So I take it I’m staying here for a while.” Tomesha spun around and paused.
Dru carried her bag over to the dresser and set it down. “Until I can make arrangements for you to go back to Crystal Cove with me.”
“Wait, what? You want me to move with you to Maine?” Tomesha said.
Dru strode across the room and paused in front of Tomesha. She tugged Tomesha to her until there was no space between them.
“What don’t you understand, miere? You belong to me. Where I am, you are,” Dru replied.
“But you haven’t even registered for the draft. How do you know I’m the one for you?”
“Because I do. Vampires have a sense about it. There’s nothing that a blood test can tell me that I don’t know already know.
I feel it here.” Dru slammed her palm over her heart.
It was frustrating to think that her mate couldn’t feel the pull.
She didn’t feel the bond that had been created between them.
The draft was created so that vampires could have a way to find their mates who they may not have otherwise found. It was a miracle discovery and it had helped so many vampires since its implementation.
“From the beginning of time, vampires have always been able to know from the moment they connected with their mates, who was meant for them.”
“Then how come you haven’t said anything before today? Why wait until now when you thought I’d been matched with someone else?” Tomesha’s voice dropped low.
Dru stared at her. She didn’t have any other answer but the truth.
“I just didn’t realize what was in front of me.
The signs were all there, but I just—” Dru looked away.
She should be ashamed of herself. She couldn’t bring herself to admit that she’d ignored what fate had been trying to tell her.
“It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that we do belong together.
I’m going to enter the draft just so I can prove it. ”
“I believe you,” Tomesha said after a long pause. She studied Dru then sighed. “But I can’t just leave my family behind. We’re all each other has.”
“Then they’ll come with us. We’ll make arrangements for them,” Dru said without hesitation. If her mate wanted her family with her, then so be it. She had plenty of funds to help set Tomesha’s family up into a nice home in Crystal Cove.
“Really?” Tomesha eyes grew round as saucers. A smile played on her lips. She reached over and took Dru’s hand in hers and entwined their fingers. “Why would you do that for me?”
“Because you’re my mate and I would do anything to see you happy.” Dru lifted their hands upward and brought Tomesha’s to her lips. She pressed a soft kiss to the back of one. “Now if you’re still tired, you can take a nap.”
At that exact moment, a yawn overtook Tomesha.
“Oh boy. I don’t know where that came from.” Tomesha chuckled. She glanced over at the bed with a longing expression. “I guess I could rest for a little.”
A knock sounded at the door. Dru bit back a growl. She’d given the order for her not to be disturbed. Tomesha stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Dru’s cheek.
“This shouldn’t take long,” Dru said.
“It’s fine. I’m sure you have general stuff to attend to.” Tomesha yawned again. She giggled and grabbed her bag from the dresser and disappeared into the bathroom.
Dru stalked over to the door, prepared to gut whoever had decided to interrupt her after she’d given specific orders. She unlocked the door and gripped the handle. She snatched the door open.
“What?” Dru growled.
Orenda and another warrior stood on the other side. The tall warrior met Dru’s glare.
“I know you said you were not to be disturbed, but you have an important phone call we were told you needed to take immediately,” Orenda announced.
“From whom?”
“Princess Lethia.”
Dru paused. If Lethia was calling again, then something must have happened. Dru stepped out of her suite and shut the door behind her. She pointed to the warrior.
“No one goes in here, and no one comes out. Is that clear?” Dru growled.
He nodded and stepped toward the door. He positioned himself in front of it.
Dru turned her attention to Orenda. “Where’s the call?”
“We have a secured feed in the study,” Orenda said.
Dru followed the warrior down to the first floor.
They came to a room that had a guard outside the door.
Orenda entered first with Dru behind her.
The room was small but held a few tables taken over by computers and equipment.
Two other warriors worked at their tables.
At the sight of Dru, they bolted from their seats.
“General.” They slammed their fists against their chest.
“You’re dismissed.” Dru went over to the fireplace in the corner.
The hologram device beeped a series of lights. Orenda followed the men out of the room and quietly shut the door, leaving Dru alone. She reached for the device and hit the incoming button. Within seconds, a hologram vision of Lethia stood in the center of the floor.
“It’s about time. I thought you were trying to ignore me,” Lethia murmured. The princess was dressed in pair of black leggings and a soft white tunic. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with a few strands remaining loose.
By her appearance, Dru could see the princess wasn’t waging war on anyone at the moment.
“I have been extremely busy, Your Highness,” Dru replied with a hint of sarcasm thrown in there. She smirked and walked in a wide circle around Lethia. “By the looks of it, you’re well rested.”
“Can a vampire spend a few hours alone with her mate? Alima hates when I’m dressed for battle all the time,” Lethia said.
“Please. We all know you love to play dress-up.” Dru snorted. She stopped in front of Lethia’s form and folded her arms. She eyed her princess. “So what’s the nature of the call if not to tell me you’ve found the alpha and we’re going to kill the bitch?”
“I wish I could say I was calling to tell you that, but unfortunately, the bitch is still eluding us all,” Lethia said. Her small smile disappeared, and she suddenly turned serious.
This was no longer Dru’s longtime friend, but Her Royal Highness.
There was always a shift in Lethia when she was conducting royal business.
It was ingrained in all of the sisters. Dru had seen all of them relaxed when amongst those they loved and cared about.
The moment it became official royal business, they all changed.
“General Moldark, I am calling you with news.”
“I had assumed you had, Your Highness.” Dru bowed her head out of respect of the woman in front of her. “How may I be of service?”
“This has nothing to do with you serving me, but you serving our people.” Lethia took a few steps toward Dru. Her bright-blue eyes didn’t waver as she stared at Dru.
Had Dru not known they were speaking through the hologram device, she’d have sworn Lethia was physically in the room with her.
“There has been a royal decree handed down by my mother, the queen.”
Dru paused. She studied Lethia. What had the queen announced that she hadn’t already known about?
“And what is that, Your Highness?”
“You are to donate your blood and enter the draft. All members of the royal court have been ordered to enter.” Lethia stared at Dru. “If you should defy the orders, there are warriors waiting outside the room—”
“Okay.”
“What did you say?” Lethia blinked for a moment before relaxing a bit.
Dru smirked and shrugged.
“I said okay,” Dru replied calmly. Now that she knew fate had been trying to get her attention all along when it came to Tomesha, this was just another sign that she needed to go and enter the registry.
“I thought there might be a little pushback or something.”
“You said it was a direct order from the queen?” Dru asked.
“I did.”
“And you do know that I am one of your most loyal vampires to the crown. Why would I defy a direct order from my queen?” Dru should feel insulted, but right now, seeing how shocked Lethia was at her reaction made everything better.
“I had hoped you wouldn’t.” Lethia took a few steps closer to her and inspected her. “Wait a minute. You’ve already found your mate, haven’t you? That’s why you’re being nonchalant about this?”
“That is classified,” Dru said with a straight face.
She was going to make her princess sweat this out for a little bit.
Dru wanted to be selfish and keep Tomesha to herself for as long as she could.
Once they arrived in Crystal Cove, it was going to be a whole new world for Tomesha.
She’d be the mate to a high-ranking member of the royal court. Her life was going to change forever.
“Classified, my ass.” Lethia rolled her eyes in the most un-princess-like manner.
She blew out a deep breath. “Now I need to call Kane and notify him. I’m sure he’s not going to respond as well as you did.
You have until midday tomorrow to report to the lab.
Failure to do so would be considered treason. ”
Dru gave a low bow to Lethia. If only she could see Kane’s face when Lethia broke the news to him. He was a vampire who’d vowed to never take a mate, nor did he want a family.
“Understood, Your Highness.” Dru turned on her heel and made her way back to the hearth where the hologram box awaited her.
“And Dru?”
“Yes, Your Highness?” She lifted the box and paused with her finger hovering above the disconnect button.
Lethia stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her waist. “Congratulations. I can’t wait to meet her.”