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Threats of War
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Luna's Vampire Prince Reunited
*Rafe*Servants scurry around, preparing for the king’s return. For Ainslee’s return.I somehow managed to be productive one late night after taking hold of myself in the shower while daydreaming about Ainslee. That meant the paperwork on my desk is far less daunting, and King Axel might even be impressed with how I’ve held down the fort.Perhaps if he’d been more impressed with me, I would be the one marrying Ainslee and ascending the throne. But, it was a task ‘too important’ to be left to me.Fucking political alliances.I kick a pillar and regret it immediately as pieces of marble tumble to the floor. That’ll need to be cleaned up and patched.“Problem?” Sophie asks, descending the stairs next to me.“More than you can count,” I say through my teeth. “But that’s the prince’s lot, right?”Sophie looks at me askance. “I don’t think it’s your princely duties that are bothering you.”My blood freezes. Could she know? “What do you think is bothering me, then?”“Ainslee.” Sophie’s expre
The Luna's Vampire Prince Kissing Him
*Ainslee*Rafe’s arms are around me again. I take in deep breaths of his floral, woodsy scent, and want to stay this way forever. We stand like that for minutes, or maybe hours, I can’t tell. Then I pull away. “We can’t,” I say brokenly, pressing my hands against Rafe’s marble chest. “We just… we can’t. I can’t, right now.”“Okay.” Rafe captures one of my hands and kisses my fingertips. “Not now.”I want to say the responsible thing. I want to say ‘not ever,’ but I know I won’t. I can’t. And it will happen again. And again. It’s just a matter of time.“Tell me about your big adventure,” Rafe interrupts my thoughts. “Did you… spend a lot of time with… the king?”I know what he means, and I know how hard it was to force himself to say it. “I didn’t spend time with the king except in the carriage and in public. When we stopped at various places, I had my own room.”Rafe sags with relief.“Would that mean so much to you?” I ask slowly. “I mean, someday, I’m supposed to… spend time… with
The Luna's Vampire Prince War Is Coming
*Rafe*Zeke was waiting right outside Ainslee’s door. I nearly slam into him as I leave. So much for keeping secrets. “Have fun?” Zeke deadpans, though the corners of his lips are twitching. I walk away, putting some distance between us and the spot a few feet from Ainslee’s chambers where Zoey is waiting.“Shut up,” I grunt. I motion for Zeke to follow me down the marble-floored hall and staircase, taking him to my office. “What did you find out?”“The Blacks were hoarding thirty percent or more of the blood supply in order to make it look as though the town needed a culling. We were right,” Zeke says. He indicates some new reports on my desk. “Those should present some pretty damning evidence against the Blacks, though that’s Kris’s problem now.”I laugh. “I’d have paid a thousand vlads to see the look on that man’s face when King Axel told him he’d be stuck out in the boonies forever.”“Not forever. Just until things are under control to King Axel’s satisfaction,” Zeke warns me. “W
The Luna's Vampire Prince Who Else Knows the Truth?
*Ainslee*“Once again, Princess. This is eggshell. This is ecru. There’s a difference,” Mrs. Dotty says, holding the napkins half an inch from my nose.“Really?” I reply, wide-eyed. “Now, you say this one is eggshell and this one is ecru? Maybe we should go back to the alabaster or the ivory…”Mrs. Dotty, who I have dubbed ‘Mrs. Snotty’ in my head, turned so angry red she was almost purple. “We already ruled out the alabaster and the ivory, Princess.”“Did we? I’m sorry, it’s all mixing together in my head. Maybe we should look at them again just in case,” I simper, for all the world a woman without two brain cells to rub together.Mrs. Dotty has decided this, at least. But she is too prim and proper to say so. And she is too prim and proper to outright correct me, contradict me, or blow up at me. Since I have to approve all this crap like it matters, I’ve decided I’m going to do my level best to make this woman lose her cool. It would be entertaining, at least.The wedding planner sn
The Luna's Vampire Prince Following Her
*Rafe*“Since Bertha and Brenda have been dealt with, everything has gone smoothly,” Jerim beams. He pats George on the shoulder, who is in on the donating rotation once more and currently giving blood, healthy as a horse.“I’m glad to hear it,” I say. “And I’m glad we caught them before George here got any sicker. I am sorry, George, that you suffered so. That should never have happened.”George’s eyes nearly bug out of his head. Apparently, a prince apologizing to him is not anything he ever expected to happen in his lifetime. “Your Majesty, I am just glad I was the last. That none of my other friends had to go through that… wolfsbane poisoning.” He shuddered.I also pat George on the shoulder. “That’s very noble, George. And like we said, you didn’t have to go back to donating blood if you didn’t want to…”George straightens. “Your Majesty, I consider it a duty and a privilege to make sure you are all well-fed. You give us a lot, and I want to give back. I am still young enough to
The Luna's Vampire Prince You'll Never Be Queen
*Ainslee*Rafe stares at me all through dinner. Not his usual coy glances. No, he has decided to openly moon over me.Maybe I just should have let him have his taste back in the hall near the feeders’ quarters. Maybe that would have stopped him from being an idiot. But then, I think, trying not to watch him watch me, maybe not.“Your Majesty,” I say, leaning over to whisper in King Axel’s ear just as dinner is ending. “Would you mind if I took a turn around the gardens? I could use some fresh air.”King Axel who, blessedly, hasn’t noticed Rafe’s staring, smiles at me and gives me an indulgent nod. “Of course, my dear. Do whatever makes you happy.”I smile back with little feeling. King Axel has become more and more doting. He won’t be a bad husband. He just won’t be Rafe.Gathering my skirts, I stand and head for the palace gardens. These are, obviously, more opulent and brimming with plantlife than the feeders’ garden, but personally, I prefer the feeders’ gardens. There’s more… happ
The Luna's Vampire Prince Back On Top
*Rafe*Ainslee did not come out of the gardens through the front entrance that night. Or any of the three nights after.I slam my seal onto the papers in front of me with enough force to crack the handle. And the blotter. And the desktop, for that matter. I don’t care. Ainslee has avoided me most of the week. Her wedding is two days from now. We have things we should talk about.Things that won’t make a damn bit of difference, but hell, I want to talk about them anyway!To add to my foul mood, Kris saunters into my office without knocking. He came back a few days ago. So far, I’ve avoided him, but here he is, invading my personal space. “Kris,” I say in a clipped tone.“Prince Rafe,” Kris grins. It can never be good news when Kris is grinning.“How are things in the hinterlands?” I ask nastily.Kris’s grin widens. “I’ve appointed Nelson as the mayor of Beoutown. I thought you’d appreciate that. The townsfolk fell in line quite quickly. I actually let them think they were voting on the
The Luna's Vampire Prince For My People
*Ainslee*The dress is alabaster white. I know this because both Mrs. Dotty and Princess Sophia told me. I would be wearing alabaster white. Now, I am wearing alabaster white.My mother hovers over me, tears streaking down her cheeks, resplendent in a gown of her own, tailor-made for her. She isn’t ill anymore, now that Nelson is mayor and people in Beoutown are eating. Still, the way she was staring at the huge steak the servants put in front of her last night told me I am still living a much higher life than she is.“You’re just so beautiful, my darling girl,” my mother whispers, gently brushing the smallest stray lock of hair back into its carefully-pinned curl.Zoey frowns at my mother briefly, but only for a moment. They’ve actually become fast friends. The only thing I’ve seen them get into a snit over is dressing and primping me up today. Both want me to look perfect, but they have differing ideas of what ‘perfect’ is.I look back in the mirror and see a person I don’t recogni
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The Luna's Vampire Prince A Hopeful Future
*Ainslee*Sophia and Karl kiss, and the ceremony is over in a cacophony of cheers.The High Priestess sets the goblet of blood Karl had grudgingly shared with Sophia back on the altar, and the king waves at the crowd to be silent. “I know you are all excited to begin your celebrations. But we would also like to thank the Moon Goddess for the miracle of Paisley Poe’s birth.”Rafe squeezes my hand and waves while I hold Paisley against my chest.“And for the fruitful union of Marcus and Lucia Lightfoot,” the king continues. It’s kind of him to do this during his wedding ceremony.Lucia blushes, and Marcus pats her belly fondly.“And, let us not forget, Zeke and Annamarie Winters, who were unable to join us today, but I hear are expecting a beautiful baby themselves,” Karl concludes.Everyone claps.“Now, you may all adjourn to your celebrations.” The High Priestess waves us all off.Karl kisses Sophia passionately, and they walk hand-in-hand down the aisle.“Were we that cute when we we
The Luna's Vampire Prince A New Life
*Ainslee*Drake blinks down at Paisley, who is nestled in my arms.Rafe holds him just close enough to get a good look at her but not close enough to reach her nose, which he is trying to grab anyway.“This is your sister,” he says to Drake, pointing a finger. “You’re going to torment each other terribly.”I laugh. “Oh, come on. It won’t be that bad.”“It sure will be. Siblings this close in age are notorious for tormenting each other. Didn’t you see it with Brock and Sinead?” he asks, referring to my half-siblings.I think for a moment then grimace. “Yes, they do torment each other quite a lot.”“Exactly. They’ll fight over toys and chase each other around. It’s going to be chaos,” he says.“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now,” I remind him. “They’re both here, and we adore them.”He chuckles and kisses each little head, then kisses me on the mouth. “It will be the best kind of chaos.”Drake gets a hold of Paisley’s nose and our little girl squawks in protest.Rafe grins. “
The Luna's Vampire Prince Back at Shadowmanor
*Rafe*The ride home gives me a mix of elation and sorrow. Being by Ainslee’s side in the carriage with our son on her lap makes me feel complete, and Ainslee’s family was so happy to get to spend a few days with her and the baby before we left for home. We’re met along the way by my people celebrating our victory and sharing our joy, but among those are those who have lost so much.We stop the carriage when we notice a young girl crying as she is comforted by a woman whom I learn is her aunt. She explains that the girl’s home is in the north and was destroyed in the carnage. Her parents were killed, leaving her with nothing.“I think the gods that she was staying with us,” the woman tells me.Ainslee speaks to her while I pull Zeke aside. “Ensure this family is taken care of.”He nods with understanding. Anger churns inside me at this encounter and dozens more like it along the trip. It makes it that much easier to deal with the evil men responsible upon return.The day after our ret
The Luna's Vampire Prince Feels Like Home
*Ainslee*“Why does it still hurt?” I ask after we’ve been holding each other for a while. This is the second thing I ask Rafe after I demand to know where Drake is. While I’m aching to see my baby, Rafe explains to me that he’s the only reason my father is allowing us to be together, so I’ll have to be patient a bit longer. Just knowing that he’s safe and near me is a comfort.“Maybe because we were separated for so long,” Rafe replies. He strokes my cheek. “But I have an idea of how to make it better.”I raise an eyebrow at him. “I’m sure you do.”“Honest. It’s not about sex, it’s about reuniting,” he tells me.“Hmm.” I wonder if either of us have the energy for sex.“It’s worth a try,” he says.“All right,” I agree. I sit up with some effort, and he scoots out of bed to start taking off his clothes.When he looks over at me, he blinks. “I didn’t realize you were in full ballroom attire.”“This was for the mating ceremony that was supposed to happen yesterday,” I explain.His eyes n
The Luna's Vampire Prince A Final Plea
*Rafe*“Are you ready?” Percival asks.The man looks ragged. Whatever he does to make sure I don’t keel over is really taking its toll. For that reason alone, I need to make sure Howard sees the light. I’m afraid Percival is going to die instead of me.“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” I admit. I step out of the carriage as it rolls to a stop in front of Howard’s very luxurious looking home.Karl is there to greet me with a wide smile and a warm arm clasp. “Rafe. You look like shit.”“Thanks,” I reply with a laugh. “You look great.”Howard stands off to the side, eyeing me contemptuously.We are already off to a bad start, it would seem. “Alpha King Howard,” I say with a slight nod.“King Rafe.” He responds coolly. “Shall we retire to the conference room? It seems we have a lot to discuss.”“Where is Ainslee?” I ask.“In her bedroom. Lying down. I didn’t think she needed to be here for this,” he replies.My heart thumps in my chest, screaming to tear past the two Alpha Kings and find he
The Luna's Vampire Prince The Marriage Ceremony
The wind swirls the skirt of the emerald dress around my ankles as I walk to the temple with Lucia at my side. She is somber and silent. I think she has finally accepted the inevitable. Rafe isn’t here, and my father will have his way.Marcus stands at the door of the temple, looking just as somber as Lucia. He is wearing Longclaw black and silver and looks quite nice in it. It should be Lucia approaching him now in a dress suited to her. But instead, it’s me, and my father, standing at the other side of the door, is the only one who looks happy about it.“You don’t have to be here, Lucia,” I whisper to her. “This is going to be terribly difficult for you.”She squares her shoulders. “I would walk through fire for you. Do you not remember the temple where you saved me? I know it’s been a long time, but you hid me in a spot just like that one over there.” She points to a little area near the back of the building where there’s a statue of the Moon Goddess that sort of reminds me of the
The Luna's Vampire Prince Broken Hearts
*Ainslee*I sleep more now. Lucia is concerned, as is Marcus, but my father is convinced once I marry Marcus, all of this will change. I know it won’t.The ceremony is tomorrow. I know I have to go through with it. I don’t want more people of Shadowglade or of Longclaw to die. This constant war business has to end.I’m glad that my mother hasn’t seen me since my illness worsened. She’s been so busy helping with the troops. I don’t want her to see me like this. Only now I realized that on the same occasions that she visited since I’ve been here, my father found excuses to be away. He’d insisted that he felt no pain since she’d remarried, and I wonder if his brain injury had some effect on the severed mate bond.I’m staring at my canopy again when Lucia comes in with tea. “This is chamomile,” she says, helping me sit up and then pressing the teacup into my hands. “It should help your stomach and settle your nerves.”I look at her, and my heart sinks. “I’m sorry, Lucia. I promise, I won’
The Luna's Vampire Prince The End of a Claim
*Geoffrey*Boris tells me we are within a day and a half of Shadowmanor Castle when we meet a real force to stop us. Soldiers in three different liveries come up over a hill as we are marching through a valley. They are very angry, and we are in a bad position, not having the high ground.“Why are there Longclaw and Warfang uniforms among them?” I ask Boris who, thus far, has kept me off the battlefield.“I guess because they’re fighting with the Shadowglade forces,” he replies as though I’m stupid.“If we’re liberating Shadowglade, why would the wolf shifters join forces with Shadowglade’s soldiers?” I ask, confused.Boris looks at the armies bearing down on us, looks at me, then laughs. “Oh, boy, King Maximus said you’d be easy to manipulate, but you really are an idiot. We’re not ‘liberating’ anybody. We’re taking Shadowglade by force.”My blood runs cold. “We’re the aggressors?” I gape.He pats me on the shoulder. “Welcome to reality, Your Majesty. Shadowglade is actually well kno
The Luna's Vampire Prince Disturbing News
*Rafe*Zeke, Percival, and I lean over my desk in my office, looking at the new numbers. “I think you should also push into Tormentia,” Percival says.“You just want King Dartmoth Croft to get it right up the ass,” Zeke snorts.“Why not? He deserves it,” Percival replies.“I’ll have the army push forward into Tormentia,” I agree. “King Dartmoth doesn’t deserve to be responsible for a pet rock, much less an entire people. Reports say soldiers’ families are being threatened. I’d like to take that off their chests so they might surrender instead of fighting for a king who abuses his power.” I rub my chest.Percival puts his hand over my heart again, and the warmth spreads, taking away most of the terrible pain. But I can see it costs him as his shoulders droop when he finishes.“Thank you,” I say. “Really. I know whatever you’re doing isn’t easy on you.”“I’d rather have my king fighting fit and take a few more naps than have you curled in agony on the floor while Zeke and I try to strat
