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Ana couldn’t believe how long it took. Yes, everyone was so civil to each other, but it was constant bickering. Nothing knew for her. It reminded her of a lot of the debates the emperor allowed within the court for his entertainment. He’d never listen to what they said, or more likely, he didn’t let anything said to influence his decisions. It was his way of ferreting out the liars, disloyal, and traitors. As the debates became more heated, there was a greater chance he’d find clues to those preparing to betray him. Ana now got the chance to watch George at work. The vampire looked intimidating dressed in his dress uniform and glaring at everyone who got within two arm’s lengths of her. She suspected she liked it a little too much. It made her feel like she was his everything and it made her feel almost warm inside. There must be something wrong with her. She felt the urge to get close to him. Closer than close. She wanted to touch him, but it shocked her she felt clothin
Ana didn’t have a clue how she’s ended up lying beneath George, but she could feel his solidly built frame pressing down on hers. His eyes locked with hers. She could feel his breath against her cheek, and then Ana watched his eyes shift to her lips. That was the only warning she got before his lips came down on hers. In surprise, Ana did nothing. She couldn’t. His hands held her wrists against the floor on either side of her head. He’d effectively had her pinned to the floor. The suddenness of his urgent kiss didn’t prepare her at all. Ana felt like she was drowning as she responded to the demanding need within his kiss. George’s need was there in his kiss, but he didn’t rush anything, nor did he push the boundaries further. The thrill of Ana’s response was more than enough to have him savouring this kiss, and the feel of her soft curves under his. His brain was just registering what his senses were telling him, when his tongue en
What in the world was that? How did that happen? Were just a few things that ran through George’s head as he berated himself for such a foolhardy action. He couldn’t be more unprofessional and with the emperor’s daughter. It could only have been worse if it had been the empress herself. He groaned as he entered his apartment and punched the wall beside the door. He leaned against it so he could catch his breath and sort out his thoughts. All he wanted to do was hunt her down and finish what he started. George couldn’t remember any woman tasting that sweet before. It was like an explosion of pleasure in the form of a taste. He wanted to know what the rest of her tasted like and all he’d done was kiss her. How could it be like that? So sudden and fierce, he felt like he’d been swept away by some sudden storm. Was he cursed by a mage to want, no crave, what he can’t have? Or has fate turned it’s anger on him and sent her to punish him
Ana couldn’t decide how she’d handle seeing George. Did she pretend the kiss never happened? Tell him off and set stark limits? Fire him and hope her father doesn’t ask questions when she requests a new head of security or personal bodyguard. Whatever his job title was, she didn’t care right now. It was all so much to think of because that wasn’t what her mind or body was truly focused on. She was still obsessing over the entire experience. It wasn’t every day that Ana was kissed like that. In fact, she didn’t believe she’d ever been kissed like that. Most males avoided getting entangled with her, believing she was more of a liability than a benefit. She’d never felt the need to rend and tear at anyone’s clothing. Never felt the need to feel skin on skin from only a single smouldering kiss. She had to come at this from a position of strength. She was the leader here. The highest ranking member of any caste. If Ana failed to maintain her power over George, how coul
Ana sat in her living area at the tiny secretary desk. She tried to make notes for the next sitting that would happen in a matter of a few hours. After the meeting, she needed to write a report to be sent to the emperor on what was going on there and she didn’t know how to phrase any of it. What caused the distraction, and her anxiety, was she had to call George in to investigate her office? She’d noticed more noises coming from the office when no one should be in there. Every time she entered, no one was there, and nothing appeared to be disturbed. This was distracting and annoying. Ana made a decision that she wouldn’t let it scare her. They’d still not spoken about the training session or the kiss. His disgruntled mood showed itself again and Ana felt sure it was all because she’d not called him at the first noise. Ana now waited for him to come in and lecture her for that as well. The look he threw her when he’d gone into the small office warned her that the co
All this time and effort trying to find the person wishing Adriana dead, and it turns out to be a mutt. A mutt. The problem is that the mutt wasn’t anywhere before this. She may believe the dog killed that cat and left it there. But that cat wasn’t killed with claws and teeth. It’d been killed with a blade, which George knew meant this mutt was placed here to throw them off the hunt for the real guilty parties. Adriana is correct, but she doesn’t need to be rude about it. Mary still hadn’t been found, and that George believed was far more than a little concerning. The longer Mary was unaccounted for, the greater the chance that she wasn’t alive. What George wanted to know was why she left here after finding the cat. She didn’t tell anyone that she’d left. That, in George’s eyes, meant Mary hadn’t planned on leaving. So, he must find out what happened to her. “Evening George. So what brings you do
This sitting looked like it would drag on, just like the other one. Ana could only sit there and wonder if this was going to be the rest of her life. “Good sir. I do object with your assumption that the Vampiric Empire would do any such thing. Why would we? Please enlighten us on why you think we would be that petty and ridiculous?” Annoyed didn’t describe her mood right now. Why some of these ambassadors thought it was permissible to throw question onto other factions’ motives with no explanation at all? Well, she’s never understand it, but they wouldn’t be allowed to do that with the Vampiric Empire. Ana wouldn’t allow it. It only became worse when the ambassador speaking avoided her request for clarification. “Please stop there. If you can’t answer my question, it means your reasoning has no grounding in fact or reality. It’s just prejudice. We aren’t here to play politics, sir. We are here to deal with politics. May I request t
George left Ana to her own devices after the meeting. He’d sent a message that informed her that her training session and their promised meeting after the formal sitting had to be postponed as something came up and he needed to address it. That was all he planned to tell her. She didn’t need to know more yet. George wouldn’t tell her about Mary’s death until he could get more details about it first. There wasn’t any point in telling Adriana about it until he could answer the questions, she was bound to pepper him with. He found it interesting to see how often Maximus lurked around the security office. Clearly, he was listening for information. George couldn’t be sure what information Maximus was fishing for as he struggled to befriend their security force. Maximus was not naturally what George would call a friendly person. The vampire was what he’d call a stereotype elitist and security staff, royal or otherwise,
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