CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Omaera
Drak was quiet in the vehicle with me as I sat there, a bundle of terrified nerves.
My best friend could be in danger—again. And all because of me.
Or she could be dead, and it all happened while I was off in some parallel universe, having a threesome with two of my Fated Mates.
How could I be so stupid? So selfish?
I never should have left Gemma alone. Melissima was sweet, and a talented healer, but she couldn’t protect Gemma. Not the way I could. Not the way my mates could.
I stared out the window at the red neon lights for the Sunset Bar it was almost as rumbly as Zandren’s growl. Then, just to gather some strength at having to deal with such an emotionally stunted individual, I sucked in a fortifying breath through my nose and counted to ten in my head before finally opening my eyes again. “They’re not dead … yet,” I clarified, with the hope of sparking some kind of reaction in him. I had every intention of putting Howar on trial and quite possibly killing him if he was responsible for Gemma no longer being with the healer-mage. “And you’re not grieving them . You’re grieving the loss of their friendship. The loss of them from your life.” He remained stone-faced, which seriously grated on my nerves. “Haven’t you ever had a friendship go south, and it took you a while to get over it?”
“No.”
Fuck, he was a robot sometimes. “Seriously? Not even as a child?”
“I grew up with Howar and Raver. They were my childhood friends.”
“So the fact that they’ve betrayed you has to hurt. You’ve been friends for hundreds of years.”
Finally, a crack in his marble mask—a twitch of his lip and a flash of something in his eyes. It was tough to see in the dimly lit cab of the Honda. Our only source of light was that obnoxious neon sign.
“People betray each other all the time,” he finally said. “Look at Maxar and his parents.”
“And he is still in pain over it,” I argued. Growling again, I shook my head. “Are you really that much of a robot?”
“Vampires are taught from birth that emotions are for the weak. And as a highborn, we’re taught so even more. Babies and children don’t even cry, as they learn quickly that it won’t get them what they want.”
“Emotions aren’t for the weak , they’re for the … for the normal ,” I exclaimed. “Everyone has emotions.”
“Vampires are taught not to show them, and in turn, we eventually feel them less than most.”
“So you shove them down so far you become numb?”
“Yes.”
“That’s fucking bullshit!” I exploded. “Fucking. Bullshit. Once all this garbage with Howar and Lerris is over, I’m going to make a fucking royal decree or something, that vampires need to start feeling things. They need to start expressing themselves.” Another twitch of his lips, this time a smirk, made my blood bubble in my veins. The anger at Drak was a welcomed distraction from the terror in my heart over Gemma’s fate. “What’s so funny?”
He shook his head, steeling his expression again. “Nothing.”
“No. Clearly, I’ve said something amusing. You are amused , which is an emotion. So what did I say to make the veneer you’ve so carefully constructed on your face crack a little?”
The sharp glare I gave him conveyed that I wasn’t willing to accept silence as an answer. So with a weary sigh, he replied, “It will be amusing to see you force centuries-old vampires who have perfected the art of not feeling, to suddenly feel. I look forward to their reactions and the outcome of such a declaration.”
I growled again, and this time it was more bear-like than ever. “Just you wait, Mr. Roboto. I’m going to make you feel. I’m going to make you feel so fucking much. You’ll weep from the overwhelming surge of emotions.”
The door to the restaurant opened and out lumbered my big bear and my fire-mage, carrying eight enormous paper bags with them.
They put them in the trunk, then climbed into the vehicle. “Our B&B is only half a mile down there,” Zandren said, turning on the SUV. His belly rumbled as he reversed out of the stall.
“Any word from the bears?” I asked, spinning around to face Maxar.
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
The pit in my stomach grew wider.
We reached the bed-and-breakfast, which was located on an enormous patch of acreage with horses and cows in the field. The laneway from the road to the house was nearly a mile long, and a red barn welcomed us front and center.
The scent of fresh hay and manure rushed into my lungs after my first big inhale when I stepped out onto the gravel driveway. A cacophony of moos, whinnies, quacks, and clucks filled the evening breeze the moment Zandren climbed out from behind the steering wheel.
“They can smell a bear,” he said nonchalantly as he opened up the hatch and removed the takeout bags and our go-bags of clothes. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to also bring in the duffel bag of weapons as well.
Once we divvied up the luggage, we headed toward the carriage house over the stables and climbed the stairs to our suite. It was advertised as a bed-and-breakfast, but really, it was an entire apartment. It had a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. The hosts were a nice family who raised dairy cows, grew wheat, and boarded horses.
Immediately, I headed to the bedroom with my bag and flopped face-first down on the bed. It didn’t take long for one of my mates to check on me.
Maxar’s hand landed on my back.
“Any news?” I asked, reading his emotions and knowing already that he hadn’t heard from the bears yet.
“Not yet, babe. You should eat.”
“I’m not hungry. I’m just worried about Gemma. ”
“I know, but you need your strength for tomorrow.” He gently massaged my shoulders. “If the roles were reversed, would you want Gemma to eat?”
That made me roll over and glance at him. “Hypotheticals are not what I need right now.”
“What do you need then?”
I shook my head and ground my knuckles into my eye sockets. “I need to know if my best friend is okay. That’s what I need.”
“And we’re working on it. But right now, what do you need?”
“Bathroom has a big, free-standing soaker tub,” Zandren said, coming to stand on the threshold of the bedroom. “I’m going to run you a bath, Little One.”
“I don’t want one.”
“You’re having one,” he said, the tone of his voice leaving absolutely no room for negotiation. A moment later, the sound of water running in the bathroom echoed through the small apartment.
“Go eat,” I said to Maxar. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’re not fine, Omaera.”
“No. I know I’m not. But I will be. Go eat.”
He didn’t move. He just sat on the edge of the bed and continued to massage my shoulders, which I will admit, felt wonderful.
Eventually, the faucet in the bathroom shut off, and Zandren re-entered. He scooped me up, carried me to the bathroom, and plunked me down on the counter. Then, without saying a word, he peeled me out of my clothes.
His gaze when it landed on me was all kinds of gentle. Swirling pools of browns, coppers, and honeys. “Whatever happens, Little One, we’re in this together. All of us. You’re not alone anymore.”
Tears stung the back of my eyes, and my throat grew impossibly tight as he scooped me up again and gently set me down in the steaming water. He’d even found bubble bath that smelled strongly of jasmine. A few white pillar candles lined the black windowsill, flickering gently from the mild draft.
“We’ll let you know when we hear something,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head before closing the door behind him when he left .
I sunk down into the water completely, holding my breath and letting the world around me fade into nothing more than an indecipherable echo. I counted in my head, surprised that I was still under water after over a minute. Then another minute passed. Was this another perk to being a demon, and mate-bonded with a bear and a mage? I could hold my breath for an inhuman amount of time?
Eventually, after nearly four minutes, my lungs started to burn, and I was forced to come up for air, and when I did, both Maxar and Zandren were standing there staring down at me. Drak was behind them.
Even though the water was still plenty warm, my body instantly went ice cold. They wouldn’t all be there if the news of Gemma wasn’t terrible.
“What is it?” I asked, sitting up against the back of the tub. “Just tell me.”
Zandren Adam’s apple bobbed thick in his throat. “Ottvo called.”
“And?” I probed.
My bear swallowed again, his eyes sad, mouth down turned. “They smelled … vampires when they got there. Phaceanesh, to be specific.”
My pulse thundered in my ears. Then Zandren’s mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. My limbs began to shake, my breath came out in ragged pants as a panic attack clutched my body and made my brain throb.
I couldn’t even keep my eyes focused on my mate as he spoke. My hands trembled, and thank god, I was sitting down, otherwise my knees surely would have buckled beneath me. I reached for the edge of the tub on either side in an attempt to ground myself, but that did very little.
Suddenly, Drak pushed past the other two and without taking off any of his clothes, he climbed in the tub behind me. “Breathe,” he said, wrapping his arms around me tight. “Breathe, Omaera.”
I shuddered in his arms, but did as he commanded as best I could.
“In through the nose … two, three, four … and out through the mouth … two, three, four. Again.” He squeezed me tighter, the deep pressure welcoming. “Good girl,” he praised. “Good.”
My breath stuttered out as I continued to inhale and exhale the way he told me to. If he wasn’t squeezing me, water would be on the floor from how hard I trembled.
“Tell me five things you can see,” he whispered deep and quiet in my ear.
“Huh?” My head shook.
“Just do it. Don’t think too hard.”
“Uh … Zandren’s beard.”
“Good. Four more.”
“The … the pillar candles. Maxar’s weird genie pants. And um … the gray towel hanging on the towel rack.”
“One more.”
I blinked and swallowed, forgetting that I still needed to breathe, so I took a deep inhale. “Uh, the tub faucet.”
“Four things you can hear,” he said without hesitation.
I tuned into my surroundings for a moment. “Cows … and … and chickens.”
“Good. Two more.”
“The bathroom fan … and Maxar’s fingers snapping behind his back because he makes finger flames when he’s anxious … or happy … or bored.”
“And now, three things you can smell,” Drak said, his voice even gentler next to my ear.
“You,” I said instantly. “Cold, wintery, minty. Like fresh snow in a mountain forest.” I pulled in another deep breath and held it in my lungs for a moment, held his scent in my nose and lungs as the dark spots on the fringes of my mind slowly faded. “And the bubble bath—jasmine. And the candles—vanilla.”
“Good,” he said, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. “Good girl.”
Slumping back against Drak a little, knowing he could keep me from sinking into the water and never resurfacing, I closed my eyes for a moment to just collect my senses and thoughts.
The men remained quiet.
Blinking my eyes open, I glanced up at Zandren and nodded. “What else did they find?”
My bear nodded. “From what they could tell, there were no signs of a struggle. The disarray of
the house was from the Phaceanesh looking for Melissima and Gemma. But there was no blood. And the infirmary looked to have been looted, but in a very calculated way.”
“Like Melissima took what she knew she would need for Gemma,” Maxar added.
“They searched the woods extensively as well, but found no trace of them,” Zandren went on. “Which we’re going to take as a good sign. Melissima covered her tracks well.”
“Or whoever took them covered their tracks,” I said, a sudden shiver racing through me and causing Drak to tighten his hold.
Maxar shook his head. “We don’t think anybody has them. The Phaceanesh were sent to take care of them, but Melissima escaped with Gemma. For now, we need to believe that they are safe.”
Zandren nodded. “Ottvo and his sons are going to keep looking for Melissima and Gemma and keep us posted. Hopefully, they find them, and they will provide them with refuge until we get back. We’re not going to give up the search. We will find them.”
Fresh anger replaced the fear inside of me, heating my icy veins until sweat prickled along my hairline.
“That’s my girl,” Maxar said, clearly feeling my change in emotion. “Channel that anger into something productive. Tomorrow, we settle this challenger bullshit once and for all.”
Nodding, I stared down into the fading bubbles. “Thank Ottvo and his sons, please. Let them know I am in their debt.”
“Spoken like a true queen,” Zandren said with a smile and a nod before turning to go. Maxar followed him, though they kept the door open.
“Would you like me to go?” Drak asked, having loosened his grip on me significantly .
I shook my head and leaned back against him, pinning him between the tub and my body. “No. Stay, please. Just stay and hold me. We don’t need to say anything.”
He wrapped his arms around me, but didn’t squeeze like before. His lips fell to my neck. “Okay.”
Drak remained quiet as we sat there in the bubbles. But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t shut off my brain. I’d always been a curious person, and now that I had an entirely new world to learn, I was hungry for information.
“Tell me about Howar,” I said after several moments of silence passed between us. “What was he like growing up? What’s his mate like?”
Drak was still quiet, and if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought he fell asleep. He wasn’t asleep though, he was just thinking. Selecting the perfect words before he spoke.
“Howar was like any other boy growing up. Wild, energetic, cheeky. We all were when we were children. For a while he thought he’d never be king. That his father would always rule, and he seemed content, if not relieved with that notion. Not all kings and queens have long reigns. A lot of wars over the centuries led to high turnover in the courts. But as his father’s greed for power took over, Howar knew his time to become king was approaching. That his father would probably die in war at the hands of a foe. So he stopped playing around—we all did.
“Everyone was thrilled when Calliope van Cortlandt and Howar Volmark were determined Fated Mates. The van Cortlandts are one of the oldest vampire families alive. Both Howar and Calliope’s parents were thrilled. However, as wonderful as their union was, that also gave King Dren—Howar’s father—an ally with deep pockets and an even deeper influence. The van Cortlandts are some of the most vocal in the Realm about their dislike for humans. About all other species, really. They strongly believe vampires should be in power as we are the superior species. They also carry a lot of influence. A few calls from Ivar van Cortlandt and Howar could have an army of ten thousand strong at his disposal.”
“That would explain why Queen Calliope went all weird with me on the phone when I told her humans bleed every month.”
He made a noise of agreement. “Indeed.”
“Do you think the van Cortlandts could be a problem?” I asked. “Could they dispatch a ten-thousand-person army to the doorstep of the cave tomorrow?”
“The van Cortlandts have always been a problem. Your father had the friendliest of relations with them out of all the Demon Kings, but there was still tension there. I’m sure news of you being half human has reached them by now and they’re not happy. However, Ivar is also not a fool, and bides his time. He waits for the war, staying out of all the minor battles. I also know he absolutely hated Lerris. Thought he was a spineless, slimy, untrustworthy abomination to your family name. So he may have something to say about Howar and Lerris joining forces.”
“But either way, you think they’re quietly rallying their troops, to oppose me and to go stand on the corner with signs like those pro-life whack jobs we see everywhere?”
“It’ll be more discrete than that, but yes. He could also be putting his funds and resources into an entirely different challenger. That wouldn’t surprise me. As much as they were happy about Calliope’s union with Howar, Ivar has always looked out for himself and his family name first. His loyalty will be with Howar until it no longer suits him.”
I sighed and snuggled in deeper against him. “The list of people who hate me just keeps growing.”
“Yes, but the list of people who adore you does as well.”
I glanced over my shoulder at him, staring up into his beautiful blue eyes and whispered, “Thank you.”
He nodded, a small smile tipping up one corner of his mouth. “You’re very welcome.”
“Do you think we need to worry about Ivar van Cortlandt showing up tomorrow?”
“I think we need to entertain the possibility. To disregard him as a player would be foolish. However, we should focus on determining where Anysa’s fealty lays, and deal with Howar and Lerris. One thing at a time. If Ivar shows up, maybe you could strike a deal with him. He was cordial with your father. Perhaps that carries some weight.”
I slid into his mind long enough to know that he didn’t think Ivar van Cortlandt would speak with me, let alone strike a deal with me. But I couldn’t dwell on that right now. If Ivar showed up, we’d take him and his army out just like we planned to take out the rest of the traitors.
I kissed his jaw, then faced forward again, focusing on the bubbles while my mind reeled with all Drak just told me. The threats were coming from everywhere now.
I crossed my toes beneath the water that Queen Anysa wasn’t with Howar or Lerris. It would really suck to have to imprison a fellow queen.
My sleep was awful. I was up and down so many times throughout the night. One minute I was too hot, the next too cold. The guys even alternated who slept in the bed with me in case it was their body heat that kept me from getting any sleep. In the end, they left me alone, and that was what finally allowed me to get some rest.
It wasn’t particularly restful rest, and I felt better when I woke, but I was still exhausted and an emotional wreck over Gemma.
When I trudged my way out into the living room and kitchen area, the guys were all already awake and drinking coffee.
“Have you messaged Howar yet?” I asked, accepting a mug of coffee from a half-naked Zandren.
Drak shook his head. “We were waiting for you.”
“I’d like to speak with him on the phone, not on speaker,” I said, having spent a large portion of my tossing and turning, devising my speech to Howar, in my head.
Drak’s eyes barely flared, but he nodded and handed me his phone. “As you wish.”
I sat down on the black leather couch that was positioned up against a big set of square windows overlooking the field. Thick dewdrops clung to every blade of grass and, as the sun slowly rose in the east, it cast the field into a blanket of diamonds. I gave myself a minute to admire the beauty of the morning, take a couple of sips of my coffee, and just wake up before I found Howar’s number.
“Drak,” came Howar’s voice after a few rings. “Where are you?”
“Good morning, Your Majesty,” I said in a sweet sing-song voice.
“Oh, uh … Y-Your Majesty,” Howar stammered loud enough they could all hear him. The guys snorted and smirked. “My apologies. Good morning. How are you?”
“I am afraid I am unwell.”
“Oh, how terrible. Are you calling to reschedule?”
“Not at all. I’m sure I will rally soon. However, I am changing the location of our meeting. We had to stop for the night and have decided not to travel any further south. Where I am should be fine.”
The next sound to come out of Howar’s mouth made me think a seagull just stole his phone. “B-but we are already here. At the Palace of Venixe.”
“How did you get there?” I asked, taking another sip of my coffee.
“By helicopter, of course.”
“Then it will take no time at all for you to hop back on your little chopper and meet us in Antruminus Neutralitima.” While Drak and I sat in the bath last night, I asked him what the official name of the cave was, and he said that they used the demon term for Cave of Neutrality. So I chose to use the demon term when speaking with Howar. To just further drive home that I was learning the ways of this realm and for him to not fucking underestimate me. “We’ll see you there at one o’clock. Please extend this modification to Queen Anysa. I look forward to finally meeting all the leaders of the Realm. Goodbye, King Howar.”
Then, before the asshole could say another word, I hung up.
“Fuck, that was hot,” Maxar said. “I love it when you go all queeny . Get’s me hard so damn fast.” He pointed to his erection in his genie pants and bobbed his eyebrows playfully.
I snorted and rolled my eyes, smiling as I took a sip of my coffee. “Well, we need to get a move on,” I said, swallowing the delicious medium roast. “We won’t let them get there before us.”
My mates all nodded .
Even though my heart was still in tatters over not knowing where Gemma was or if she was safe, I knew I needed to deal with one thing at a time. Right now, I needed to deal with Lerris and Howar. Then, we’d find Gemma, and put an end to the Phaceanesh who tried to kill my best friend. My to-do list just kept getting longer, but I suppose that was the life of a queen. While I would always wish I could have met my father, it was times like these that I really wished for some royal guidance. He would have been able to show me the ropes of what it meant to be a ruler. I was going into this with no knowledge, besides what I watched on television.
My mates made me eat breakfast, even though I still wasn’t hungry. But they wouldn’t take no for an answer. So I nibbled on some leftover mac ‘n’ cheese from the Sunset Bar & Grill, washing it down with another cup of coffee.
Then we were back on the road, our bag of weapons in the back, along with six roast chickens, two for each of the bears in the woods.
“Dad loves a good roast chicken,” Zandren explained as we climbed into the SUV. “He’ll eat anything really. But his favorite is roast chicken with mashed potatoes.”
The affection for his father that came across in Zandren’s tone made me smile.
We were quiet for the most part as Maxar drove us back toward the cave, all of us deep in our own thoughts about how today was going to go. I caught snippets of Maxar and Zandren’s thoughts—all of it worries about me, and Gemma—but mostly I stayed out of their heads. I had enough going on in my own brain to worry about. I tried to get Drak to open up a bit more in the tub last night, but he wouldn’t. So I stopped pushing. Maybe when we finally mate-bonded, he would open up to me. But at the same time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to mate-bond with someone who remained so closed off.
We reached the place where we parked yesterday, but the plan this time was to park the SUV in a hidden location a quarter of a mile away. Drak, Maxar, and I climbed out of the vehicle, along with the bag of weapons and the food for the bears. The weight of Moloch’s Sacrifice slung across my back in its scabbard was a much-needed reassurance. Zandren told us to walk to the cave without him while he drove to the new parking spot. He planned to shift and then meet us there.
“Do you think they can already smell the chicken?” I asked as we stalked through the quiet, dark forest, yet to be touched by the morning light.
“Without a doubt,” Maxar said. “Bears have an impeccable sense of smell. They can smell a deer like three miles away if the wind is right.”
I made a pouty face. “I was hoping we could surprise King Ryden with the chicken.”
Maxar chuckled and glanced over his shoulder at me. “I think he’ll still be very appreciative, regardless of whether it’s a surprise.”
After another thirty minutes of walking in mostly silence, we reached the dark slate base of the mountain. The hole where Zandren dug for the handle to lift the door was still there, as were the slight markers we left in place to see if anybody else had been by and disturbed things. There was no evidence of anybody else, thankfully.
Maxar reached into the hole and grabbed hold of the handle just as the sound of a twig snapping in the forest behind us made us all freeze. A distinct scent swept up my nose with the cool morning breeze, but it didn’t send my hackles up or make my blood run cold. It was a familiar scent.
We spun around just as four enormous bears padded toward us. I recognized my mate right away, and he picked up the pace, separating himself from his father and the lieutenants to come over and lick my hand. “Hi, Pooh Bear,” I said, bending down and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
King Ryden and the other two bears joined us, their noses working overtime, picking up the smell of the chickens. I laughed and grabbed the bags of food.
“While I’m sure you three have been dining on succulent rabbits, squirrels, and berries, Zandren did say that you’re a big fan of roast chicken and mashed potatoes. So we brought you some.”
All three bears made the same purring noise that Zandren made as I opened up the containers for them.
King Ryden stepped forward and licked my hand, purring like a gigantic kitty cat, before backing up and going to town on the chicken and spuds. They crunched and swallowed the birds, bones and all.
Behind us, Maxar yanked up the door for the cave, and once the bears finished their breakfast we all went inside, with the exception of the lieutenants who were staying out as sentries. They also shifted and put on clothes that Zandren had us pack for them, as they would communicate with us via phone while we were in the cave.
Zandren and King Ryden shifted too, and I turned away while my father-in-law got dressed.
Maxar snickered. “What? You don’t want to see your mate’s father’s naked body? What’s wrong with you?”
I stuck my tongue out at him, then flipped him the bird, which made the mage bark out a laugh.
“Little One,” Zandren said, prompting me to turn around and find my handsome mate standing beside a very handsome man who could have just as easily been Zandren’s twin rather than his father. King Ryden’s eyes were the same mesmerizing swirling shades of brown as Zandren’s, and he had shaggy, dark-blond hair as well. His features were more weathered though, telling of his abundant centuries on this Earth and the things he must have seen. Deep creases surrounded his eyes and mouth, but he had tangible kindness to his smile and in his eyes that made me instantly love him.
I stepped forward, slightly nervous—if I’m being honest—and stretched out my hand. “King Ryden, it’s an honor to meet you.”
Before I knew what was happening, I was lifted off my feet and brought into a tight bear-hug. “We’re family. We don’t shake hands. And it’s me who is honored to meet you. My boy is so happy, and it’s all because of you.” He set me down on my feet after a moment, cupping my head in such a caring and fatherly way as he grinned widely and his eyes darted across my face. “Smart, powerful, and gorgeous. What a formidable combination. I knew your father, and he was a good, kind leader. I am terribly sorry for your loss and wish you’d had the chance to meet him. But, I am confident his daughter will rule this realm even better than Donovar ever could.”
Fresh tears pricked the back of my eyes and I swallowed past a tight throat. “ Thank you, Your Majesty.”
He released my head and pulled me in for another hug. “Oh, darlin’. Remember what I said on the phone. You call me Ryden, or Ry, or Dad, or Gramps. Whatever you want. But none of this formal bullshit, okay? We’re family.”
“How about ‘Old Bugger’?” Zandren asked with a laugh as he slapped his father on the shoulder and wrapped an arm around my waist, beaming as his gaze bounced between his father and me.
King Ryden guffawed. “If the Queen of the Realm wants to call me Old Bugger, then she can.”
Now I was grinning so wide my cheeks hurt. “How about we start with Ryden? And you must call me Omaera. We are family. No need for such formal titles.”
I wasn’t sure Ryden’s smile could get any wider, but it did. Then he abruptly clapped his hands together and rubbed them diabolically. “Let’s get to work, shall we? We’ve got much to plan, and even more to discuss.” He looped an arm over my shoulder and steered me away from his son. “But first, I need to know, what do you think about the name Ryden Junior for a cub, hmm?”