I felt as if I had walked into a wall when I entered the cafe. I hadn’t been here in a while. I had been in Sicily for the last two months. I was king of the vampires here in the States. My home was here in Miami. I still laugh when humans talk about vampires and what hurts or can kill them. Sunlight is not a threat to us, nor is garlic. In fact, I love garlic. I add that shit to just about everything I cook. While sunlight doesn’t kill us, many of my kind choose to live in colder, darker climates. My family originated from the Mediterranean and was close to the royal family. Hence the reason I was over there these last two months. I was still trying to sort through all the information that I was told.
“Is it true that the dead princess had really found her beloved and had a child with him?” Rico asked.
“Yes, not only had she found her beloved, but he was human. From what his majesty told us, she met him when he attended a friend's wedding in Sicily. The princess somehow managed to keep their relationship a secret. It was easy for her since she travelled to the states often due to her job. We would have no idea if he knew she was a vampire, and if he did, if he knew she was part of the royal family.” I answered.
“What about the child?” Viktor asks.
“The child would be 18 or 19, depending on his/her birthday. They weren’t able to find out if the child was a boy or a girl. They also haven’t been able to find out who the princess's beloved is. They went to the last known address, but the family that lived there now told them that they had bought the house 14 years ago and had no idea where the previous home owner had gone. They asked about a child, and the current home owners said they never saw anything signifying a child living there. I am guessing that the man had probably packed up all their belongings and staged the house without any toys or furniture that would tell someone that a child lived there.” I explained.
“What about neighbours or anyone that lived there when he was there?” Rico asked.
“I went there before coming back here and asked around a little. No one could remember his name. They did say that he was a lawyer but couldn’t tell me anymore than that. They didn’t even remember a woman ever living there or coming around.” I tell them.
The three of us continue to talk as we walk toward our favorite cafe. It has been a while since the three of us have been here. We like this cafe because it is close to the university, and the aura the young ones give off is refreshing. The three of us are by far the youngest rulers considering that the other three kings are well over 1000 years old. Rico, Viktor, and I are 500 years old. My father handed everything to me 100 years ago. He and my mom were more than ready to retire. Rico is my second in command, while Viktor is my third. Their fathers were also ready to retire since they were my father's second and third in command.
I almost stumbled backward as I walked into the cafe. The scent hit me like a brick wall. I had never smelt anything so alluring in my life. I knew what that scent meant. It meant my beloved was somewhere in this cafe. I followed the other two up to the counter to order. I casually looked around until my gaze found a girl sitting in the corner booth. She had several books, and her laptop was in front of her. She had her head bent down, focusing on one of her books. Her hair, which can only be described as the color of the sunrise, was partially blocking her face. I looked back at the lady behind the counter when she asked what I wanted to drink. As soon as I was done ordering, I returned my gaze to the girl. I saw her tense up and watched as she lifted her head. I stopped breathing when her emerald green eyes locked with mine. She was absolutely stunning. Even though she wasn’t standing, I could tell she was much shorter than me. Her hair fell in soft waves down to the middle of her back. Her slightly tan skin looked smooth as silk, with no blemishes. I did see a hint of what I am guessing is a tattoo just barely peaking from where her shirt was pulled down on her back. I watched as she shook her head and returned to her work.
“Hey your drink is ready.” Viktor says.
“Good.” I mumble.
“You have been off in your own little world since we walked in. What is up?” Rico asked.
“I found my beloved.” I say.
They look at me and then follow where I am looking. I hear one of them let out a gasp. Rico’s phone rings right then, breaking us out of our trance. We leave the cafe, but I tell them to go ahead and return to the house. I told them to let my parents know that I would be home later and that I would explain everything to them at that time. Viktor tells me fine, and I watch as they walk away. I return to the cafe and sit at one of the outside tables. I can see her from where I am sitting. I watch her pack her things and wiggle her backpack onto her back. She grabs another drink and walks out the door. I follow her as she walks toward the campus. It makes sense that she is a student there. I am guessing she is a freshman since she can only be 18 or 19. I stop and step off to the side when she slows down and turns around, looking for something or someone. She must have felt me staring at her. I stand still when she looks at where I am, but luckily one of my powers is being able to hide within the shadows. I stayed hidden until she turned around and started walking again. I followed her until she reached a large house. I was surprised when she walked up to the large house. Two girls were standing outside as she walked up.
“Coming from the cafe?” The black-haired girl asked.
“Yeah, went there after class to finish work and sketch out some new art.” My girl said.
I laughed internally when I called her my girl in my head. I had yet to hear someone say her name. I continued to listen to their conversation. Something was pulling at the back of my mind. This girl reminded me of someone, but I had no idea why. Her eyes and hair color were very unique. I had never seen hair this color before.
“I might stop by work tomorrow night with Jackson. He wants a new tattoo. Do you think you would have time to draw it for him Sienna?” The blond girl asked.
“Sure, I checked my schedule, and I actually had a cancellation tomorrow night. I have four free hours I can put him in then. I can draw it for him, and if he wants, we can get it done or start it tomorrow night. The time slot was for 9 pm.” Sienna explains.
Sienna, what a fitting name for my girl. I watched as the three of them walked into the house. Once the food was shut, I turned around and walked away. I didn’t like leaving her, but I knew where she lived. I could tell by their scents that the two girls were werewolves and that they were from the same pack. They even had a similar scent. I am guessing they are cousins or related to each other somehow. I also caught the scent of another vampire, and it smelled very familiar. I walked up to my car and slid into the driver’s seat. I headed back towards the house. I was just in time for dinner; everybody was already at the table as usual. I could tell my mother was itching to ask why I was late. I looked at Rico and Viktor, and I knew they had told them I had found my beloved. I took a seat and started loading my plate with food. Yes, vampires each regular food. We do need blood but not every day. I, being pure blood, need it once a week.
“Before all of you explode from excitement, yes, I found my beloved.” I state.
“Where is she then?” Mom squeals.
“She is at her house. She lives near the campus with three others, and I am guessing a student.” I explain.
“What is her name?” Dad asks.
“Her name is Sienna. She and a couple of the girls she lives with were talking when she arrived home.” I tell him.
I look at my brother Andre, Sven, and his wife Neveah when their forks slip from their hands and land on their plates. They are staring at me like I said something crazy.
“What?” I ask.
“Sienna, beautiful emerald green eyes, that Sienna?” Andre asks.
“Yes, but how do you know her?” I ask.
“She is in three of my art history classes. She is double majoring in both art history and art.” Andre explains.
“There is no way she is in your classes. She can’t be more than 18 or 19 and that would mean she is only a freshman.” I point out.
“I promise you, brother, she is in my classes.” Andre says.
“He is right, your highness. Sienna lives with Avalon. Those two, along with Alpha Preston’s daughter Whitney and her cousin Lainey. Sienna has an IQ of 150 and graduated high school when she was just shy of 16. She just turned 19 a month ago while you were still in Sicily.” Sven explains.
I sit there speechless. I am both thrilled and impressed with my beloved. She is both gorgeous and intelligent. At least I guessed her age right. From what they tell me, she is in her junior year. Neveah explains that Sienna was taking college courses and her regular high school classes her senior year, so she was a year ahead when she started college. That little part of my mind is still nagging at me that there is something else special about Sienna, but I push it away for now. Dinner continues as planned with more talk about Sienna.
It has been a busy week. Our business ran fine while I was gone, but I returned to a month's worth of meetings all being piled into this week. I have been in meetings from when I got into the office till it was time to leave. I haven’t been able to see Sienna this whole week, but Andre and Avalon have told me that she is okay. I spoke with Avalon the very next day about Sienna being my beloved. She said Sienna had told them about seeing a guy in the cafe. I guess she had drawn me a couple of times in one of her books. Avalon had seen the drawings and asked her about them. She didn’t tell her who I was or what she was to me. She told me I needed to do that, and I agreed.
“When are you going to introduce yourself to your beloved? The longer you are away, the more painful it will become. We are not meant to be away from our beloveds for that long once we find them.” Rico points out.
“I know that. I was hoping to run into her this weekend accidentally, hopefully at the cafe. I want it to be in public where she won’t feel like some creep is cornering her.” I tell him.
“Remember, we are attending William’s bar-b-que on Sunday.” Viktor states.
William is our lawyer and long-time family friend. Dad has known him since he moved here 15 or so years ago. He is the only lawyer we know that is familiar with both human and supernatural laws. I know he has a child, but I have never met that child. I don’t think Mom or Dad has met his child either. His wife died in a terrible accident when the child was very young, but he has never gone into details. I tell Viktor that I remembered about the bar-b-que. I wonder if I could run into Sienna before then; maybe she would attend it with me.
“I am fucking glad this week is over. We need to make sure Sylvia never schedules that many meetings in one week again.” Rico points out.
“I agree and I will talk with her on Monday about that.” I reply.
This week was brutal, but I guess it was make-up since I was out of the office for so long. We are on our way to William’s house for the barbecue. I was able to see Sienna briefly Friday night. I watched her as she drew and started the tattoo on the Jackson guy, who I learned was the next Alpha of the Dark Coastal Forest pack. I know the current Alpha, and we are on good terms. I am scheduled to meet Jackson in the next few weeks. Viktor pulls into the driveway, and we step out of the car. William is standing at the front door as we walk up.
“It is good to see you again, William,” I say.
“It has been a while, Luca. Come in, the three of you. Please go ahead and go out back. There are a few guests already here. I am just waiting for my daughter to show up.” William tells us.
So it is a daughter that he has. We walk out back, and I recognize a couple of the guests. William joins us a few minutes later, saying his daughter is on her way. I watch as he checks his phone and hurries into the house. I am standing there talking when that scent hits me again—her scent, Sienna, with her mouth-watering blackberry vanilla scent. I see William walking out towards us, with Sienna following. He has a massive smile on his face, as does Sienna. I see her eyes widen when she spots me standing there. I am as surprised as she is that we are staring at each other.
“Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my beautiful daughter Sienna. She is a student at the University of Miami.” William announces.
I felt it when I stepped into the house. It felt as if something was pulling me toward the backyard. As I approached the sliding glass door leading to the enormous backyard, I caught a whiff of that same scent from the other day. It had lingered in the air the first time I stepped into the cafe. It smelled of leather, teakwood, and the beach. The last time I was at the cafe, it was heavy in the air. His eyes still haunted my dreams, but not in the wrong way. He did not frighten me when I saw him that day in the cafe. I had actually never felt safer than when he was standing there, and I had no idea why. I followed Dad through the house and outside. I stopped in my tracks when I saw him standing there. I knew Dad worked with vampires, but I had no idea he worked with him. Dad introduced me to everyone as I waved at them. Gwen came up and walked me over to get a drink. I grabbed a bottle of water and smiled at her. Dad didn’t date anyone as I was growing up. He told me he
It’s been a week since Luca left the house that night. I hadn’t heard from him, and Avalon hadn’t seen him when she visited the main house. I wasn't expecting to hear from him since I realized that we never exchanged numbers. It is probably a good thing we didn’t. Avalon told me he had to fly to Sicily for an emergency meeting with the royal family. I believe her, but I still think something or someone else exists. Either way, I have gone on with my life. School is going well. It was hard for me to concentrate the first few days he was gone, but it has been much more manageable these last three days. His parents might not care that his beloved is a human, but when the royal family heard that he was human, they freaked out. I am sure that was who called him that night. They probably wanted to stop him from making a huge mistake and making me his beloved. I have to admit thinking this hurts, but it is true. They probably don’t want their pure bloodlines contaminated with hum
I was pissed when Thomas called and told me the royal family needed me to return to Sicily. I was sitting there in front of Sienna when the call came through. We needed to talk. I needed her to understand that she was not just a human. There was something about her that I couldn’t place. I talked with Mom about it, and she said she would need to meet with Sienna to see what I was talking about. I could tell she thought I was blowing her off after taking that phone call. I was not; I would have if I could have taken her to Sicily. I knew there was no way she would miss that much school. One thing I love about her is how serious she is about her education. I hated being away from her and tried to make her see this. I had asked William for her number when I had seen him earlier that day. I wrapped her in my arms and held her for as long as possible. I felt her tense up at first, but then her arms wound around my waist as a smile spread across my face. I force myself to pull
I have been here a week, and I want more than nothing to go home and see Sienna. I have not talked with her since that day I left in such a hurry. I was going to call, but we had found a bug implanted within my phone, and I didn’t want them to know she existed yet. I don’t want whoever this is hurting her in any way to get to me. I will kill anyone who touches her. Viktor says that she is doing well. I wasn’t too happy to hear she went to a college party. However, Andre told me that he was there and that Sienna and the guys who threw the party are good friends, and they treat her like a little sister. That made me feel slightly better. I knew Andre was looking out for her as well. I am thankful they were friends before I discovered she was my beloved. After the king told me everything he had learned from Yesaria, I contacted the fae king and asked him to speak with his daughter. He told me he would talk with her and have her call me if she would meet. She called me the nex
I slowly opened my eyes to find myself in a strange room. I turned over and buried my face in the pillow I was lying on. This bed has to be the softest bed I have ever slept on. I turned back over and slowly sat up. The room itself was gorgeous. The walls were a light grey except for the wall the bed was against. That wall was a royal blue. All the furniture looked like antiques, but it was all beautiful. There were numerous pictures along one wall, and I noticed two doors off to one side of the room. I climbed off the bed and walked over to the two doors. One led to a ginormous walk-in closet and the other to a large bathroom I could fit half the college in it. I walked over to the sink and splashed some water on my face. I looked in the mirror. I was pale, and I looked like shit. I picked up a bottle of cologne, and that is when I realized I was in Luca’s room. I am not sure how I ended up in his room. I remember being downstairs, heading for the front door. I was le
I sat there while William told us everything. I was just as skeptical when he said Eynni had the same hair color as my Sienna. I was skeptical until he pulled a picture of her and him standing in the living room of what I was guessing was the house they lived in. Eynnia was holding Sienna as a very tiny baby. That picture clearly showed Eynnia having the same sunrise-colored hair as Sienna. I looked at the picture and then at Sienna and was amazed. If Eynnia had been here with us, they could have passed as twins. I kept my eyes on Sienna throughout the whole conversation. I could tell she was anxious, but I wasn’t sure why. I also had no idea why she had decided to participate in this meeting. Yesaria had disappeared. I suspect she went and talked with Sienna, which is why Sienna called her father and came to this meeting. I knew Sienna hadn’t been staying at the house. Avalon had told me that she had given them some stories about petsitting. Avalon had said they knew she
It was only mid-week, and I was already done. I swear this week was dragging. I hadn’t seen Luca in two days and was getting grumpy. His mother had stopped by, and we had talked. She explained a lot about the bond to me. I knew I was grumpy because of the bond, and she told me that the longer we were apart, the more irritable we would become. Luca had mentioned something to me about moving in with him, but I don’t want to do that. I like living with these girls. We have lived together for two years, and I am not ready to move out. I am not ready to live with him and don’t want to live alone. He said we would talk about it more when he came over next, but there was nothing to discuss. I still have two more classes to go. I am sure he will be waiting when I walk into the house. Walking to my final class, I notice a girl standing by the building. I have never seen her before. She looks at me as I continue to walk towards the building. She stares at me as I walk by, but I ig
“What did that glass do to you?” Donatello asks. I glare at him and then look at the mess on the floor. I am fucking frustrated. The glass shattered when it hit the wall flinging ice and the remains of the liquid inside all over the wall. I let out a growl and fell into my chair. I can’t understand why one child is so fucking hard to find. I knew Eynnia had a child. I have no idea if the child is a girl or a boy. None of my guys had been able to find that out. Eynnia concealed her pregnancy well. I know the king and queen didn’t even know she was pregnant. I have no idea how she was able to hide the pregnancy. Granted, she was not around the king and queen that much, but how no one else noticed was beyond me. I asked around, and no one could tell that she was pregnant. “What if she had a glamour placed on her?” Donatello asks. “It is possible, considering that we know that she and the kid had one placed on them once the kid was born. I know that whoever it was that pl
Sienna One Year Later He had better be fucking ecstatic with this outcome. If he thinks I am doing this again, he has lost his fucking mind. I watch as Luca holds both of our boys. Yes, I just had twin boys. They both have my hair color, but they have his eyes. They are identical, and they are super damn cute. Iyrandi is almost two now and carefully watches her father hold her brothers. She was very excited when she learned she would be a big sister. I was happy when I learned that I was pregnant again. I knew something was off with this pregnancy by the third month. We were told we had twin boys when we went in for our ultrasound when I was four months along. Luca fainted as I started laughing. Uncle Jakari had warned us that the fae is famous for having multiples. He was not wrong. Andre found his beloved in Grandpa Linus’s kingdom. She is a very distant cousin of mine, and we get along well. They also just found out they are having quadruplets. I thought Andre wa
Luca Six months Later I lean back in my chair, looking down at the little girl lying on my bare chest. My little Iyrandi was born two days ago. She was born a month earlier than expected, but she is perfect. She is tiny with a head of chestnut brown hair and eye, the perfect mix of mine and her mother's. She looks more like Sienna, which I am fine with. She is perfect and is my little princess. I glance over at her mother, who is sleeping on our bed. I was surprised at how smoothly the delivery went. I was terrified that she was a month early, but everything turned out fine. I carefully stand up, place my little princess down, and quickly slip a shirt on. I pick her back up as Tigo makes himself known. I look down at the little demon. They have been fascinated with my little princess since we returned home. They slept in the crib with her last night. I feared they might lay on her, but they were cuddled along Sienna when I woke this morning. “Did something happen?” I
I left the castle for a few hours while Luca slept. The shadows kept an eye on him, so I would know when he was awake. I had to ensure no one saw the three of us, so we used the shadows. I laughed when we arrived, where we met Linus and his father. Deter and Palamo damn near vomited, which happens if you are not used to traveling using the shadows. I am used to it, but it never bothered me, even the first time I used them to travel. I have no idea why, but whatever. I let them rest for a bit before we entered the building. “I am going to guess that they haven’t travelled using the shadows before?” A male voice said. I whipped around, ready to kick some ass, when I stopped. Standing there were two faes, and I knew right away that they were my father’s father and grandfather. My dad looked more like his mother, but I could see a family resemblance in both men before me. They took a few steps towards us but stopped when I growled at them. We might be meeting them, but that s
I let out a groan as I try to move my arm. I can’t see to move it, and I slam my eyes shut when the bright light assaults them. I try to turn over, but again something is stopping me. I opened my eyes and saw my little sunrise pressed against me. She had her arm across my chest, and one leg was thrown over mine. I bring my other across my body and run my finger along her cheek. She has this glow to her, and I know it is because she is carrying my child. She moves but doesn’t wake up. I look around the room, and that is when I realise I am in the hospital. That’s when it all comes back to me. “Calm down, if you get upset then she will feel it.” Bernard says. “How long have I been out?” I ask. “Just over 24 hours. The others are just waking up too. Everyone is fine. No one was seriously injured. All of you had minor injures and allof you will be sore for a few days, but thankfully that is it.” Bernard answers. “Sienna hasn’t left your side since you were brought in.
I was not happy to find out that my father’s fae family had spoken with Cavallo. That guy is on my last nerve. He had been on my last nerve for a while, but now that I am pregnant, my nerve is much shorter. It is time for him to get lost. Luca told my dad and me they wanted to sit down and talk with us, but I am unsure about that plan. I don’t trust them since they threatened my dad’s mom. I find this whole situation highly suspicious. I would like to talk with them, and I want Quade and Deter there. Those two can both sense when someone is lying. I can tell that Luca is not on board with this idea. Between his facial expressions and the fact that I can feel everything he is feeling in our bond tells me that he would rather I not be in their presence. “I think our first meeting should be over the computer. I want Quade and Deter in the background since they both can sense when someone is lying. This isn’t sitting well with me but the shadows are calm and don’t seem to have
I kiss my little sunrise’s shoulder as I wake up. I was not expecting that last night from her. Jakari had warned me that pregnant fae women are more demanding and will take what they want, and he was not joking. I wasn’t expecting her to use the shadows to restrain me but fuck; it was hot. She kept telling me I didn’t need to baby her, and she was right. She gave as good as she got last night. I peel myself from her soft creamy skin and walk into the bathroom. Fuck, every muscle in me is sore, but considering why I don’t care. I smile as I walk out of the bathroom. Sienna is still sound asleep. I kiss her temple as I quietly leave the room. I ran into Liam and Jaraki as we walked down the hallway. I heard Laim snicker and caught a slight smirk on Jaraki’s face. “What is this?” I ask. “It will help your aching muscles. I can tell you didn’t heed my warning the last time we talked.” Jakari comments. I roll my eyes, but I am not mad—these assholes. I smirk at Laim whe
I would have enjoyed my day with the others if the shadows hadn’t started whipping around me and talking. They were talking so much, not to mention they were talking over each other, that I couldn’t understand a fucking thing they were saying. They sounded like a bunch of gossipy women. I was getting a migraine the more and more they talked. I wanted nothing more than to tell them to shut the fuck up, but I couldn’t without looking crazy. I do catch a few words they say. Of course, one stands out, Cavallo. We knew he would be here, so that is not a surprise. What is a surprise is that he is close and watching us. I’ll give him this much; the guy has some balls. I could calm the shadows down enough for them to tell me that Cavallo and his goons were talking with two faes as we spoke. I peek through the shadows, and I know who they are. I recognize one, and since the one I recognize looks like the other one, I figure he must be the other’s father. “We have a fucking proble
We had left a week before they had. I wanted to get there and get everything set up. I informed my guys that we needed to engage them right away. I want them to think that they are out of the woods and that nothing will happen. We are currently staying in a house in the closest city to the royal kingdom we can get. It is on neutral ground but still an hour away from the royal kingdom. This is as close as we could get and not be seen. I had my guys stationed at both airports waiting for them to show up and depart. We no longer had anyone on the inside of the royal kingdom that could keep us updated on what was going on. Liam and my father had brought someone who could read minds, and they swept everyone who lived or worked there. Several had been banished, and a few had been put to death. It all depended on how closely they were working for me. Most I could care less about but a few I had been pissed when I had heard what had happened to them. Some had escaped and made thei
I may have to kill a few of the annoying fuckers that live here. As I knew they would, these assholes have been giving me shit since I had Quinton bring in those kittens. They also laughed at Derick and Quade, but none of us cared. The women are happy, and that is what matters. I caught my dad talking with Quinton. He might get Mom a kitten once Sienna and I move out. She has become very attached to the two that Sienna now has. Sienna and I had just returned from looking at some land far from the castle. My family owns the land, so we only need to build a house. Rico and Viktor tagged along since there was more than enough land to build a house. Sienna brought up the idea of building something like the packhouse like Jackson or Rosalynn have. Honestly, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I am actually on my way to see Jackson. Sienna is working tonight. I still don’t like her going to work, but I know I can’t stop her. My car stops in front of the packhouse, and I smile