George woke up and was aware of the passing of time first. Then his mind registered an urgent need to be aware of the passage of time. Before he could dig out his watch fob from his trouser pocket, his mind registered a warm body entwined around him. He’d have to disentangle himself first before he could get to his trouser pocket, that currently rested somewhere around his ankles or knees. Then he realized why he felt so great and relaxed. He could taste her blood in his mouth and when he finally dared open his eyes. Ana lay entwined around him, asleep, and there was no questioning what they’d done. He was still seated within her. He cursed himself for several minutes as he eased from her body and arms reluctantly. George knew it had been his duty to keep her safe from any and all harm. That included himself. Why hadn’t he left the cabin when it became too hard to keep his hands and gods his teeth off her? That’s
Ana was no saint. But she’d never crossed the line this badly before into breaking the law. George had a point. Nothing that happened between them felt wrong or out of place. She’d never felt her body respond like that. It had been electrifying in the best way. Well, it was done and there’d be no going back from it. What got her goat, though, was how he’d taken control of her. He’d used a form of mind control to lower her inhibitions. She’d learned to resist it as part of her training so no one could use her against her father. The emperor even tested her and wasn’t happy until she could resist him as well. She’d thought it was a selfish thing to force her to do at the time. But now, after feeling her emotions manipulated like that, she understood. George could have easily persuaded her to kill herself, and she’d have gladly done it. Truly, only a master manipulator with this skill could do it. She led the way to
Franco watched Eva work of fixing a jacket of his that he’d damaged some time ago. It sat in his dressing room waiting for the next time his valet did repairs on his clothing. Eva claimed she felt bored and needed to do something. She’d found the basket and made steady work through it. A knock on the heavy gilded doors to his private suite interrupted them. “Come!” A door swung open, and Edger enter the space. “What have you Edger?” “Emperor, we are in a bit of a situation. The court is champing at the bit with excitement. They want confirmation that you yet live and that Tatiana is not the new empress.” Franco sighed heavily. It had been nice while it lasted. Now his days would fill with the inane demands of courtiers and petitioners again. He’d have less time to be with Eva. “Fine. Set up an event celebrating my triumph over the murder plot. Gad, I’m not allowed to mourn my life’s partner and o
Tatiana slipped from the palace. She found this to be harder now than ever before. There were people everywhere with their eyes on her. As if they expected to catch her doing something wrong and were ready to sing about it from up on high to anyone that would listen. The gossip flew fast and furiously through the court. Tatiana could barely keep up with it. Now she needed desperately to feel her lover’s sweet lips and know what she thought of all of this. Tatiana didn’t know how she could fix things. Her father hadn’t died. He and her mother had to die to clear the way for Tatiana’s place on the throne. Now she didn’t know how to go about making a second attempt on the throne. So here she stood in the cool shadows of the early night, cloaked within a heavy cloak to obscure who she was. She slunk from one building to the next, always staying within the shadows. Tatiana knew the route and Tatiana desperately wanted
“The Crown Princess has arrived and is waiting upstairs for you.” “She followed you up those stairs?” “Yes, because told her Sabre would see her there. She’s eager to see Sabre.” “Then she’ll see Sabre just so that Sabre can punish her for being so incompetent.” With his wig and lipstick in place, he’d transformed himself into Sabre again. This was the perfect disguise. She never knew it was him and he could have his fun with her. Tatiana didn’t know he used her as much as she used him. But in the end, he’d triumph over her, and she’d fall just like her father. He’d see to it. There’d be no empire by the time he was done, and history would blame Sabre and he’d come swooping in as himself and take over. If things went wrong like this, he’d be able to walk away from it unscathed because everyone would place the blame on Sabre and search for her. While he sailed in commanding action and playing the
Tatiana shivered. This is what she secretly desired. Someone who would take over and let her calm. Allow her not to struggle with decisions. She champed at the bit when her mother or anyone else did it. Somehow Sabre felt different. The work ruling the empire didn’t bother her. What bothered her were other people forcing limits on her. Sabre didn’t limit her. They opened up new possibilities and strengths Tatiana didn’t know about. Even now, in the back of her mind, a little voice reminded her that Sabre made her question her intelligence mere moments ago. That Tatiana wouldn’t look at. “What? What are you going to do with that?” She stared at the flexible rod in Sabre’s hand. “All in due time. Drop the cloak, now Tatiana.” Sabre’s voice hardened, and she knew that meant business. Her hand went to the clasps and the heavy cloak fell to the dusty floor. “Good girl. Pick up the blindfold and put i
“George, I really hate to say this. But could there be a car following us?” Adriana looked in the mirror again to double check. “That car behind us looks familiar, and so does the driver. I swear it’s the same licence plate number.” George gave an aggravated sigh and looked in the mirror. “Great, that’s the last thing we need. I don’t know how this could have happened. Who would know to follow us and where did we pick him up?” “There’s one person in the car and I think it’s the man from the corridor of the boat. How would he have found us? I mean, he had to get that car and keep an eye on us at the same time. He’d have to have known something of your plan. Wouldn’t he?” George now appreciate Ana’s sharp mind all the more. He didn’t need to tell her what he’d been thinking, because she knew already. That made him happy, even though the car behind them didn’t. It concerned him to no end. George thought they’d escape
They were finally approaching the road into the city, and Ana continued to insist that the same car drove directly behind us. They never changed direction or allowed another car to stay between them for more than a few miles. “If they are going to do anything, Ana, it will be soon. That’s the first turn up ahead. So brace yourself I’ll slow down, but if they try anything, I’ll be forced to speed up.” George hated this part of the road, even when he rode a horse, but this would be the first time he’d taken this part of the journey driving a car. He’d been warned that it could be dicey here if one drove too fast around the curves. The guards he’d spoken to about the road during a casual conversation. All mentioned driving in this spot as a place where several accidents like the one he’d walked away from had already occurred. However, in their cases, no one walked away from these accidents.George was surprised with Ana because she’d climbed into the c
Please Note: If you hate the idea of it never happened that way or a cliffhanger ending. Please don’t read past Chapter 153. Ragnar, you can’t do this. I know the timeline is altered and I understand it could have devastating consequences. But we can’t go around using magic to change things back the way they should have been. I’m sure things have changed like this before, and you didn’t do anything then.” “It’s out of my hands. The Dragon Council is sitting right now discussing this issue. I’ve got no say in it beyond my report. If they feel everything that’s happened must be changed, then that’s what will happen. It’s a last resort. But Maximus Lioness isn’t the vampire who should have that name. Something went wrong there, and that’s just one problem with the timeline, as you call it, is wrong. Adriana and George shouldn’t be in the positions they are in. All the things that happened to Adriana weren’t supposed to happen. Her mother shouldn’t be h
North American Ruling Council - Two Weeks Later Ana walked the halls again of the NARC Headquarters, doing her thing. The meetings did not differ from they’d been before. Her plans were falling into place. Her father was pleased and Caun finally could do his original job before easing into his position as a titled royal. The talk around the building didn’t stop with creatures awake at all hours of the day and night. From wild affairs to several battle royale, Ana was busy catching and keeping up with it all. She’d already been requested to assist with preventing a war from breaking out between the Nanaue, a Hawaiian shifter race of sharks, and the Merfolk, mermaids, and mermen. Fun times for all, as there are more than enough sharp teeth and injured pride to go around. This wouldn’t be a simple mediation, and Ana craved the challenge. The Dragon Ambassador did something. Ana suspected magic, because when she retur
Four Days Later - Meeting About the Future Ana woke that evening to find Caun wasn’t beside her, which was odd. When she found him, which took some effort, he was in Tatiana’s night garden exploring it with several of their guards. She had to ask several people to track him down. “Caun, what’s the matter? Why are you here?” “Oh, good evening, love. I was speaking to your father and the attacks on Tatiana came up in our conversation. You were still asleep, and I didn’t want to interrupt you. While we were talking, your father said that no one could tell me how her attackers from the first incident entered here. Since we have several excellent investigators as our guards, I thought we’d take a look around to see if we could find something that could explain how, if not, who did this.”“Oh, good grief I can understand my father not asking me how she pulled this foolishness off, but Caun I’m surprised you didn’t ask me.” That had Caun
Caun stood in line with the last of the guests filing through past him. He’d lost count of the hundreds of hands he shook. There were guards everywhere, and it made him uncomfortable, be he as George, who he still identified as, belonged with them. He kept his eye on his mate and marvelled at how she pretended not to be bored and uncomfortable with the many comments on her unique dress. The side-eye glances and the judgemental glares. It would be a difficult and busy evening. Caun hoped things would get better from here on out. That they’d be busy enough that she wouldn’t be able to brood or her the courtier’s opinion on anything.“So far, so well, this evening. Let’s see how far we can go with no scenes with any of the superficial fools who think they are powerful people.” He whispered this into Ana’s ear. It was a joke, because no matter what he said to Ana, she wouldn’t believe him. She now was a secretly powerful person. “We’ll see the night is sadly still young
Evening of the Celebration of the Life Partner Pairing Adriana thought it was crazy to see the clothing laid out for Caun and her. She’d never seen Caun every in such regalia and her own unique sense of fashion so intricately woven into the more traditional garb of a formal event. Instead of a full-length gown with sashes, ruffles, and silk flowers enveloping it. Ana wore a full dress with a closed slit up the front of the gown. Beneath it, she wore a pair of trousers and boots. Her bodice was a beauty with false draping that allowed her to wear a short, cropped jacket that Matched Caun’s jacket only it was far shorter. It was feminine, but allowed her to show her rank as the Vampiric Ambassador and a soldier within her father’s military. Which pleased her greatly because it meant her skills weren’t a dirty secret or an embarrassment to her father. Ana’s lady’s maid didn’t have a comment or criticism about anything she assisted Ana
Ana could see the sigh of relief at her words in the way her father relaxed and Eva, too. As if even this setting didn’t quite keep her father’s anxiety at bay and Eva somehow shared in it. Could she really be supporting this?Ana couldn’t see how this would be in her best interest to let this happen. If she even pretended to go along with it and encourage it, then Ana could, too. “I am relieved to hear you say this. Eva has been pressuring me to get this done before we celebrate anything because she doesn’t want there to be any miscommunication between us. I admit I agree with her. There’s been too many things keeping me from being fully in your life and now with most of that gone, I hope you will accept my attempts at rectifying that.” Her father stood up at saying this. “Come here. There’s one thing I’ve missed since you could talk.” Ana frowned because she wasn’t sure what he was speaking about and took a step back.
Ana couldn’t help it. When they entered the private well-lit moon garden of the Vampiric Emperor, she had to marvel at the artistry of it’s many curated garden paths. It was like a maze laid out before her and put Tatiana’s garden to shame. Here her father could find a little quiet solitude away from the prying eyes of his courtiers and guards alike and he guarded that privacy as if it were more precious than gold itself. She held onto Caun’s arm as they entered the space and stepped down toward the pathway Edger used to lead them to her father. The gravel that made up the surface of the path crunched softly under their feet as they followed. The sounds of night birds in the trees floated down to them as a few random lightning bugs flitted between the trees, and the space looked like someone had infused it with a sweet healing magic that was full of warmth and gentleness.“I have to say I like your father’s choice of private spaces. Between this and
Edger did return after they’d relaxed a little and changed. Ana still couldn’t help it. When she discovered the clothing, her father had commissioned for her, she’d stopped dead in her tracks in disbelief. Her new lady’s maid gave her a note written in her father’s handwriting which spoke volumes that he’d not dictated it to someone. He’d taken the time to write to her. Ana knew that wasn’t a normal relationship between child and parent, but they weren’t exactly normal people. [Adriana love, this note is to ensure you understand that situations of safety and security forced my hand to do and say things I never wanted to say to my daughter. You aren’t hidden or an embarrassment to me. I am relieved to have proven you are my daughter. Your mother tied my hands when it came to raising you, but I kept eyes on you at all times. Your life partner and you will find I’ve arranged for clothing for you in the tastes you are comfortable in, with a touch of nob
Ana entered the suite first, followed by Caun and finally Edger. A smartly dressed couple stood there waiting for them. They weren’t in the royal livery, though they clearly wore a livery. It wasn’t unusual in the days before Adriana’s birth for other leaders to have their servants in their own livery. There were a few these days, but many were no longer used since the houses no longer existed. “The Emperor took it upon himself to outfit your servants in your personal livery. This is Jacque and Rachel. They will ace as your personal maid and valet.”Ana nodded at them in recognition. These were people her father hired for them, and that was fine. They knew enough not to say anything suspicious in front of them. The pair curtseyed and Ana dismissed them. “We’ll speak later. I’m sure you have plenty to keep you busy. Are my weapons going to be a problem for her Edger?”“No, Princess, she has received training to look after, maintain, and store your weapons appropriately should the need