Single dad seal, p.46
Single Dad SEAL, page 46
"You know if I drop her she won't die," he told her ministers. "But there will be damage. Perhaps even too much for her to fully heal from. And there are plenty of other things that can happen to a vampire without killing them. So I will ask you one more time. Where are the humans she had stolen from my kingdom?"
Monique shook her head. The ministers glanced at each other, looking torn. Gavin feinted letting her go. The three ministers all jumped forward, shouting in unison.
"Your queen's life is valuable to you." He pulled her back inside and threw her to the floor. Monique glared up at him, rubbing her throat. Gavin stared down at her coldly. "Well? Where are they? If I don't get an answer from one of you in three seconds—"
"Don't tell him anything," Monique seethed. "Right now he is attacking a fellow sovereign without provocation. If you speak—"
Gavin reached for her again.
"She did it," one of the ministers shouted. "My queen, forgive me, but if we do not speak, you will die. The other nations will be sympathetic to you."
Monique spat and hissed like a cat, but Gavin ignored her, focusing on the minister.
"She ordered for your subjects to be taken. They were meant to be individuals that no one would miss, but our first takes were too weak. Stronger subjects were needed. So we took more. None have been killed, I assure you of this. We have kept careful records. The humans are being moved to another location—"
"Bring them back," Gavin ordered. "All of them. I want them here where I can see them myself. And then I will be taking them home."
Monique scrambled to her feet. Her fists clenched and she started for him. She stopped when he gave her a glare. Her face twisted and she spat at his feet. "You're weak. This program would strengthen us all, but you've condemned us. We need stronger blood to sustain ourselves. We need—"
"Monique, you performed an illegal action against my kingdom. Expect that there will be consequences. A person like you can't stay in power."
He nodded at his men, and they came forward to grasp her by the arms. She snarled at him, but didn't resist as they pulled her out of the room. Gavin watched her go, his brow furrowed. He would need to handle the situation delicately from here on out, but there was no way that she would go unpunished. His first priority was the humans, though. He turned to the ministers.
"Bring my people back."
Chapter Eleven – Aria
She still felt sore even though it had been a couple weeks since the baby had been born. Aria sat on the couch, her feet propped up as she watched Sonya gently rocking little Elizabeth back and forth. She had been big baby: ten pounds, but perfectly healthy. Aria smiled and shifted slightly to relieve the pressure on her lower region.
"She's beautiful," Sonya said, smiling up at her.
"Yes, she is."
Her father, who was making tea for her, grunted. "Speaking of the vampire king, where is he? After you were born, I didn't leave your mother's side for a month."
Aria couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that. "He'll be here soon, Papa. He just had to deal with some things with Monique's kingdom. Getting a suitable replacement for her wasn't easy, you know. And it's not like he could just appoint the ruler himself. He has to get cooperation from the other kingdoms. But things are finally starting to calm down there."
"Good," Sonya said. She shivered. "I can't even watch the news anymore because it's all about her and what she did. I don't like thinking about it. I still have nightmares if I don't have Laura right by me."
Aria nodded. For the first few months after the humans were brought back home from Monique's 'program', Sonya had stayed at the palace, too distraught to go to her empty house. She had recently returned home, but not alone. During her time at the palace, she had gotten quite close to a vampire by the name of Laura, and sparks were flying between the two of them.
"And what about you?" Aria's father handed her a cup of tea. "Are you happy here?"
"Yes. Gavin and I are figuring everything out. We're still not entirely certain why I was able to get pregnant by him, though. The nearest we can figure is that his drinking my blood actually stimulated some of the dead, for lack of a better term, systems in his body."
Gavin came through the door. He smiled at Aria, then gave a small bow towards her father. "Mr. Taylor. Sonya. It's good to see you both again. And you, beautiful one. How are you feeling?"
"Sore, and I'm feeling a little cooped up. I thought that you and I should go for a little ride while Sonya and my dad were here to watch Elizabeth…"
She rose her eyebrows and gave him a sexy grin. He couldn't drink from her until she was fully healed, but that didn't mean she wasn't craving some snuggling and kissing. She'd heard that most women lost their libido after having a baby. Not her. While she certainly wasn't interested in sex right now, that didn't mean she didn’t crave physical intimacy.
Gavin grinned back at her. He went over to Sonya and gently took Elizabeth. "It's been hours since I saw this little cupcake here. I can have fifteen minutes with her first, right?"
"Of course."
A grin crossed her face as she watched Gavin rocking Elizabeth. The smile on his face made love swell in her chest like a hot air balloon, making her whole body feel lighter. If she had any doubts about Gavin, they all disappeared the moment she first saw him hold their baby. He was so gentle with her, so cautious and caring. She knew he'd do anything for Elizabeth. And her.
The baby fell to sleep quickly in Gavin's arms, and he settled her into his crib. "Are you sure that you two can stay with her?"
"Of course." Sonya smiled. "Go. Have fun."
Gavin scooped up Aria and headed for the door. Aria laughed, throwing her arms around his neck. She thought about telling him she could walk, but decided she liked being carried. The air was fresh and clean outside. Aria pulled in deep breaths, enjoying the feel of the sun on her face. Gavin nuzzled into her neck as he crossed to the garage.
He settled her into the limo, then called for a driver. Aria curled herself under his arm as they headed out. The last few days had been very sleep-deprived, and she found herself drifting off, rather than embracing him. Gavin carded his fingers through her hair, further relaxing her.
"Are you awake?"
"Barely."
"I wanted to give you something."
Aria pulled herself up and yawned. "What?"
Gavin grinned at her. He kissed her gently, grasping her hips. "You know, this is the same car that Elizabeth was conceived in. Who would have thought that pure animal lust would have turned itself into something so beautiful?"
"Animal lust?" She laughed. "Come on, really? Is that you trying to be romantic? Because I have to tell you it's not working."
"Not even the beautiful part?"
Aria shrugged. "Okay," she admitted. "Maybe that part."
"Good. Because I wanted this to be romantic. I know that it's traditional to have it in a bit more of a splashy setting, but considering this is the first place that you and I… Well." Gavin reached into his pocket, pulled out a small velvet box and pressed it into her hands. "Open it."
Aria's heart jumped around erratically. She was almost afraid to open the box. If it was what she thought it was… but what if it was disappointing? And if it wasn't what she thought it was? She swallowed hard and cracked it open a smidge. The sparkle inside had her opening it all the way. She gasped.
The ring was made of white gold with two pearls in its center. One was black, the other white. An 'S' of tiny diamonds separated them, and a cluster of three gems lined either side.
"This… this is beautiful."
Gavin grinned. "Aria Taylor. I love you. Will you marry me?"
"Yes. Yes, of course!" Aria kissed him hard, then grinned as he slipped the ring on. Of course, it fit perfectly. Gavin never missed anything.
Her eyes welled as she looked at her ring and then up at her king.
Gavin saw the tears and jumped, startled. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." Aria kissed him again. "It's just… it's everything I wanted. And we almost didn't have it. If we hadn't found a way past our differences…"
"Shhhh." The king pressed a finger to her lips. "We did. And nothing will ever come between us again. I promise."
*****
THE END
The Vampire King's Virgin
Description
A desperate curvy virgin PLUS a vampire king who needs fresh blood PLUS lethal beasts and enemies out to kill!
Curvy Sofia Velásquez is desperate and poor. So when the vampire king offers her a million dollars a year to be his new blood donor, she doesn’t hesitate.
She just needs to make sure she doesn’t faint every time he flashes his firm abs and delicious V. Her virginity needs to be protected at all cost.
Vampire king Aaron is every woman’s fantasy. Tall and square-shouldered, his body radiates power and confidence. He gets everything he wants. And what he wants is his new blood donor and her curves. He can just claim her, right?
Um, wrong. Turns out the path to love is paved with curses, potions, witches, and beasts. And all of them are out to get Sofia and Aaron.
Can Aaron protect Sofia against evil? Will they risk everything for a chance to live? And can Sofia stay a virgin and get pregnant at the same time?
It’s time for Aaron to show what he’s worth. He’s the king, and they’re about to find out what that means.
Chapter One – Aaron
Bright blue eyes glowed in the dark as the vampire king slipped into the sleeping woman's bedroom. He crept up to the canopy bed and brushed aside the filmy curtains. As always when he saw her, his heart swelled. It was times like this that he almost expected it to start beating again, and for the love warming his chest to spread throughout his body with a rush of blood flow.
But of course, that didn't happen. His witch-physician could help diminish some of the traits his kind were cursed with, such as letting him walk outside in the sunlight, but she couldn't give him back a heartbeat. There were certain strains of magic that could allow a vampire to become human again, but if that happened to him, the whole kingdom would destabilize.
Aaron slipped under the blankets, curling his body against his sleeping bride's. Well, fiancée for right now, but soon Sofia Velásquez would be his wife. She was beautiful, all curves. Her Colombian heritage showed through in her beige skin with its warm, earthy undertones. Her thick, shiny hair fell in a mess around her face, a few strands fluttering in the breeze created by her breathing.
The vampire pulled her tightly against him, loving how soft and warm she was in his arms. A fierce grin lit his face as he nibbled at the back of her neck. His actions were rewarded with a moan. As usual, his woman turned her face to him, smiling sleepily as she welcomed his kiss.
"Good morning, my love," Aaron whispered, moving his hands down her curvy body to grasp her hips. "How did you sleep?"
"Good." Sofia smiled at him, her eyes still half-shut. "Now get out."
Aaron chuckled and kissed her neck. "Why?"
"You know darn well why. I'm not sleeping with you until after the wedding."
"I think I might die if I have to wait that long to taste your blood. Just one a little sip?"
Sofia pulled away from him, shaking her head. Though she tried to look stern, the corners of her mouth twitched. "I know what drinking my blood will lead to. I promised my mother when we started seeing each other that I wasn't going to let your vampire wiles convince me to surrender my virginity to you before we were properly married, and I am going to keep that promise. So get out, Aaron. You've lasted a year, you can wait a few more days."
Aaron sighed, exaggerating his disappointment. He didn't expect her to change her mind… and honestly, after getting to know her like he did, if she did change her mind, he'd be suspicious that there was some sort of magic at play and she wasn't in control of her actions.
"Okay, I can be patient," the king conceded. "But I need help to decide what charity I'm donating to today."
Sofia pulled her blankets over her chest, even though literally nothing showed. She'd taken to wearing old flannels rather than any of the copious nighties that he had bought for her. It was her rebellion, she said. She also insisted that he donate as much to charity every day for a month before the wedding as he was spending on the wedding.
By the time they were wed, he was going to be almost three billion dollars poorer. Even for him, it was a significant amount of money. But he wasn't just a king. He owned nearly fifty businesses, in everything from the development of renewable energy to electronic technologies. Depending on how stocks did, he would get the money back within a year. It wasn't like he really needed that much money, anyway.
Sofia tilted her head as she studied him. "Have you given to the Food Bank Association yet?"
"Just the normal monthly donation."
"Well, give them something extra, then," his human fiancée said, nodding as though it was decided. "The food banks kept my brothers and sisters from starving when Papa broke his back and Mama went through chemotherapy. They deserve our support."
Aaron nodded in agreement. "Food bank it is, then. Now, you were planning on visiting your family today, yes?"
Sofia nodded. "And I can feel your hand on my thigh, don't even think about moving it higher."
With a grin, the king spidered his fingers a little higher. Sofia shrieked and slapped his hand before jumping out of bed. She shook her head, wagging a finger at him with narrowed eyes.
"Uh-uh. Not happening, vampire-boy. Don't you have a caterer to terrorize?"
Aaron scowled. "I wouldn't have to if they didn't keep making terrible suggestions. Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean I want blood sausages and blood oranges at my wedding feast."
Sofia laughed and threw a pillow at him. "I'm serious. You need to get out of here. I'm going to have a dress fitting in an hour, and I don't want you to see it before the wedding. And I have to get ready, and I don't want you to see me until our wedding night."
The king bowed at his future queen and jumped across the bed, crushing her to his lips one more time before he left. The longing sigh that escaped from Sofia as the door closed nearly made him change his mind, but he ignored his instincts and headed down to the kitchens. He'd hired the best chefs worldwide for this meal, and none of them were living up to their reputations at the moment…
He was almost at the kitchens when a soft, strange scent made him stop. It was highly aromatic, but a little bitter. Like the smell of vanilla extract masked by the taste. Aaron whirled on his heel, striking out. His fist connected with a soft, warm human body. He was met with a grunt, and a woman flickered into view. She screamed as she thrust a knife towards him.
Aaron winced as the knife bit through his ribs. He grasped the woman's wrist and drew the knife out. His frown turned into a glower as he saw the blackish stain on his shirt. "Well, that's ruined. Honestly. You're part of that radical witch group determined to drive out vampires, aren't you?"
The woman stared at him with wide eyes. He could hear her heart pounding.
"Let me guess," he continued, plucking the knife from her hand. He sniffed at the blade. "Wormwood? Said to be useful against demons. I'm not a demon, and there is no poison known to work against vampires. Your superiors would have known this."
"Let go of me," the woman rasped, twisting her hands this way and that, trying to free herself.
"This must have just been a trial run."
Aaron's glare increased. These radicalized witches were becoming overly troublesome. He had been a king among the vampires since the American Revolution, and it was only through his actions that the horrendous events at Salem hadn't reoccurred in their community. But apparently, the fact that he required their magic usage to be regulated meant he was a tyrant to this small group. How long until the radicals ruined it for everybody?
"So you sneak into my palace invisible with a useless poison… No, it doesn't make sense for your superiors to send you with wormwood, not when there was a chance that you might actually be successful. Were you working alone, girl?" Aaron tightened her grip on her wrist. She punched at his ribs, but he hardly felt it. Vampires were much, much stronger than the humans they used to be. "Well, we'll find out your story soon enough."
"Let me go, you monster! You won't drink my blood, I have been drinking arsenic and cobra's venom for months, any taste of my blood will kill you!"
Aaron resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he dragged her to that floor's security office. The two guards inside had their arms wrapped around one another, kissing passionately. They jumped apart when he dragged the little witch in, hastily trying to straighten their clothes.
"Take this would-be assassin to the dungeons and send a physician to look at her. She's been poisoning herself for months. And when you are done that, report yourselves to your superiors for punishment and reassignment. I don't care what you do on your off time, but when you are on duty you are on duty."
One of the guards ducked his head and nodded. "Yes, sir. At once, sir."
"You can't keep me here!" the witch shrieked.
"I can until your trial," Aaron replied coldly. "Take her away."
After the two guards were gone, Aaron fished his cellphone from his pocket, ordering the head of his security to send new guards for the level. He sat down to wait for the replacements, frowning at the images being sent in from the security cameras. The radicalized witches were getting bolder, and not only was it putting his life in danger, as proven by this incident, but it was also causing political troubles for him.
There had been several incidents of magic being used against the human population in the city. The call for more stringent regulations of magic was getting louder and more aggressive. Some people were demanding it be banned outright.
What they didn't seem to realize that for every one of the radical witches, there were thousands of other witches living as their friends and neighbors, using their magic for the good of others. Even Sofia had a little magic to her. Her grandmother had been a powerful healer and taught Sofia a few things before her death. Not much, but it was passable.
