3#Awakened by the Vampire Prince (Thorn) (6 page)

Keto
shook his head. “Next you are going to tell me that the blossoming ceremony is
not going to happen and that York was a big mistake. What…?” Keto ducked his
head under his desk for a second. “Is he hiding out under here ready to jump
out screaming
surprise
followed by
got you good
?”

Xavier
felt his jaw tick. “This is not a fucking joke.”

“No!”
Keto growled through clenched teeth. “This is deadly fucking serious. I feel
for you both if this is true, but Esral will mate with York in two days and
that’s final.”

“I
understand your feelings in this but think about your sister, think about
Esral. I know it must be difficult for you but try hard.”

The
male choked out a laugh. “This goes way beyond Esral. What of our royal oak?
Her reputation…”

“That’s
all a bunch of bullshit and you know it. So your royal oak would be covered in
egg for a few months…a year. You are going to make your sister mate with a male
she doesn’t love to save face? How fucked up is that?”

Keto
was so red it looked like he might actually explode. “It would fucking kill my
father and it is the last I am hearing of it. You can leave. I don’t want to
hear of it again.”

“Too
fucking bad, Keto.” Xavier found himself leaning over the large desk. “I had
hoped that you would be on our side. That you would at least be willing to talk
about it. Even if we could delay the ceremony until your father was well.”

“Not
happening so forget it.”

“Why?”
Xavier snarled, using every ounce of willpower he had not to tackle the male.

“My
father is better today than I’ve seen him in a long while. All because my
sister is to be mated.”

“You
don’t know that for sure. I can’t believe you are willing to sacrifice Esral so
easily.”

“She
made her fucking bed
and
she can lay down in it.” His jaw was clenched
tight and tension radiated off the male in menacing waves. “She did this to
herself.”

“What
the fuck does that mean?” Every muscle inside his body was pulled tight. Ready.
“I have told you that the rumors are untrue yet you continue to believe the
worst of your sister. It’s fucking unacceptable.”

“Her
fucking around with every vampire male is what I would deem unex—” Keto didn’t
get to finish the sentence because Xavier punched him so hard that his head
snapped back and his jaw cracked. Keto hit the wall behind him with a loud,
reverberating crash and crumpled onto the ground.

Pussy
fucking elf.

Xavier
moved around the desk and went on his haunches next to a half unconscious Keto.
“I never want to hear you say another bad word about your sister. Not ever
again.” He grabbed a handful of blond hair, pulling back so that he could look
into the male’s half focused eyes. “Are we fucking clear?”

Keto
mumbled something that sounded like an acknowledgement.

“Good,”
Xavier growled. “I can see we are not going to see eye to fucking eye on this
so I’m leaving. If you decide to stop being such a dickhead, then you know
where to find me.” He started to rise but moved back in beside Keto. “Esral is
the sweetest, kindest, most honest female I know. She is the fucking best. You
would be better off if you looked for similar qualities in a mate of your own.”

Without
waiting for a response, Xavier rose to his full height and left the room. He
was beginning to think that the male was a lost cause.

Esral
tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. She’d been making polite
small talk for the last half hour and was beginning to tire from the whole
charade.

His
familiar scent enveloped her just as York clutched her elbow. Esral still had
to suppress a gasp.

He
glanced down at her. “Sorry I’m late, I only just got word about this dinner.”

She
smiled. “No problem. The guests are still arriving as you can see.” Esral
looked about the quaint dining hall. The chamber was beautifully decorated with
large bouquets of flowers and little, twinkling fairy lights. Her brother, with
Cheri on his arm, was making his way around the room greeting all the various
guests. It seemed as if all the most important highborn elves were in
attendance wearing expensive, colorful robes.

Esral
had chosen a plain white robe with gold trimming. The garment hung to the tops
of her feet.

“You
look beautiful.” York’s eyes dipped briefly to the hint of cleavage at the vee
of her robe.

Esral
couldn’t help but to blush. She thought that Xavier was going to have a word
with him. Maybe they were disturbed earlier.

“You’re
looking a little flushed, princess.” His eyes twinkled mischievously. “Maybe we
should get some fresh air.”

She
nodded, allowing herself to be led from the room. Thankfully no one tried to
stop them with small talk. The air was cool but not unpleasant. The giant
vampire, Lazarus, stood just outside the front entrance. He inclined his head as
they made eye contact, he moved a little further away to allow them some
privacy.

“I
must say.” York put both hands on the railing in front of him, looking out
through the trees. It was dark and quiet, except for the laughter and noises
coming from inside. “I was looking forward to us mating. In hindsight, it was a
bad idea though. I knew all along that you had feelings for Xavier and he for
you. I just didn’t realize how deeply the two of you felt for one another. I
had hoped”—he shook his head—“never mind. It doesn’t matter. I want you to know
that I understand and am here to help the two of you. Lazarus feels the same.”

A
grunt of agreement could be heard from deep in the shadows. Esral could just
make out his hulking form.

“When
Gideon finally stops rutting long enough to show his face, I’ll have a word
with him but I know that he will be on board as well. Together we’ll find a
solution.”

Esral
let out a pent up breath. “Thank you for understanding.” She put a hand on his
arm for a beat or two. “There is a female out there for you, York, of that I am
certain.”

His
eyes lit up like he had already found the one for him. He nodded. “I’m sure you
are right, princess. I can only hope that she looks at me in the same way as
you look at Xavier. When that day comes, I will grab ahold with both hands and
I won’t ever let go. That much I am certain.”

She
smiled at him. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you understand. The
guilt was eating away at me.”

“You
need to follow your heart. Don’t ever apologize for that.” York’s eyes softened
as he spoke.

Sound
grew louder as the door opened and Keto moved towards them, a smile on his
face. “The happy couple. I hope I’m not interrupting. I’m sure the two of you
are discussing the future. Have you decided how many babies you plan on
having?”

“One
step at a time.” York said, turning to face her brother.

“Nonsense.
I can’t wait to become an uncle and look forward to many nieces and nephews to
dote on.” He smiled broadly before clapping York on the back.

Was
he trying to get them to admit that she was pregnant already? Was this his way of
condoning her phantom pregnancy? She wasn’t sure which it was, she only knew that
she had just about enough of all of them and their false claims.

“I’m
still young. There won’t be any babies for at least a couple of years. If it’s babies
you want, you should hurry up and have some of your own.”

Something
flashed across his face. It was hard to read. Could it be? It seemed that maybe
Keto wasn’t as set on mating Cheri as they had both let on.

He
smiled warmly, his face an unreadable mask once again. “Let’s first get through
your blossoming ceremony shall we?” Her brother touched her arm lightly. “Xavier
came to see me today.” He looked at each of them pointedly.

Esral
had to work to keep from reacting.

“He
had a couple of interesting things to tell me. I want you to know”—he turned
all of his attention on Esral—“although I sympathize with your predicament…” He
briefly glanced at York before his cold eyes settled back on hers. “This
doesn’t change anything. Not a damn thing.” His voice dropped low. “Father could
not take an upset like this. Do not be selfish, Esral.”

“The
princess may be a lot of things but selfish is not one of them and as her
brother you should know this.” York sounded like he was ready to beat Keto.
With his eyes hardened and narrowed, he looked every bit the warrior he was as
he continued. “What happened to your jaw?” It was only then that she noticed
that one side of his jawbone was blue tinged and ever so slightly swollen.

“I
had a little bit of an accident. A fall.” His face was an unreadable mask.

“That’s
terrible. We wouldn’t want it to happen again would we?” York sounded like he
knew what had happened to Keto and it wasn’t just a simple fall that had caused
the mark.

“It
doesn’t change a damn thing.” Her brother’s eyes flashed red for a split second
just before he glanced at York. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s settled. I don’t
want to hear another word about it. Let’s go back inside.” He smiled at York.
“My guests are dying to meet with the vampire that stole my sister’s heart.”

York
muttered something about not being that vampire but he filed in behind Keto
taking ahold of her elbow as he did. Esral had to work hard not to roll her
eyes. It was a terrible habit that she learned from her friend Tanya. She
missed the vampire castle and her friends greatly. Life had been so simple and
carefree there. Right now she felt like she was trapped in a nightmare with no
hope of escape.

“There
you are.” Cheri gushed, narrowing her eyes on Esral. “You two”—she motioned to
her and York—“get inside here this instant. Appetizers are about to be served.”
She waved her fingers, motioning for the servers. Large silver platters and big
jugs of wine were brought into the room by a whole team of servers.

“I
want you to stay until after the party.” She whispered in Esral’s ear. “We
still have a lot to discuss with the blossoming ceremony just around the corner.”

Esral
shook her head. “I’m really tired. Please, can it wait till tomorrow?”

Cheri
looked at her like she was a small child who was acting out. “There is not much
time.” She made a clicking noise with her mouth. “I’ve heard stories about
these vampires.” She whispered. “Their prowess in bed. Is York tiring you out?”

 She
had to work hard not to respond to Cheri’s words.

When
Cheri didn’t get the reaction she was after she continued. “Oh, I get it. You
can’t wait to get back to your chamber to be with him.” Cheri had the audacity
to wink at her.

Esral
frowned at Cheri. “It’s not like that and you know it. I would really
appreciate it if you could drop the act.”

Cheri
raised her eyebrows. “Whatever do you mean?” She smiled warmly at Esral. Cheri then
winked at her again. “I’ll meet you in your chambers at sun up. Make sure you
are well rested.”

Esral
nodded once, glad the female had decided to drop it. She was not about to put
up with her crap for a moment longer. It seemed that Cheri had picked up on
that. York put his hand to her lower back and ushered her to one of the tables.
They were seated next to Keto and Cheri. This was going to be the longest evening
of her life.

“I
am here for you, as a friend.” York whispered into her ear. “Don’t let her get
to you.”

“Thank
you and I won’t.” Her eyes threatened to fill with tears. “For everything. Out
there…”

“Don’t
think of it. Your brother can’t help that he is a grade-A prick.” He smiled,
looking every bit the scary vampire as one of his fangs flashed for a second.
Females on the other side of the large table sighed and gushed. Then the
chatter around the table died down and she noticed a few of the guests were staring
at her brother. More and more turned their attention to the elven prince by the
second.

She
glanced his way and saw that one of the servers was whispering into Keto’s ear.
Her brother’s complexion changed before her eyes. His healthy, glowing tan
turned a pasty white. She could see how his chest heaved and how his hands
clenched. The very air seemed to fill with tension. His wide, fearful eyes
darted to her. He whispered something back to the server who scurried off,
leaving through the main entrance. The helpers normally used the side or even
preferably back entrances. Keto didn’t even blink, he had obviously given the
server permission. Esral could feel her heart beating in her chest. Could hear
the blood rushing in her ears.

Even
York picked up on the tension because he turned to her, his eyes filled with
concern. “Oh hell,” he whispered as if he knew what was going on.

Lifting
a hand, she shook her head. Her eyes firmly on Keto. Then she realized that he
had most likely heard the whole conversation. “What is it? Tell me.” Even as
she begged to know, she dreaded what the answer would be.

Her
brother rose to shaky legs, using a fork, he tapped one of the many crystal
glasses on the table in front of him. “There has unfortunately been a turn of
events.” His voice was high pitched. With a start, she realized that he sounded
afraid. “Myself and Esral need to excuse ourselves. Please”—he forced a smile—“enjoy
yourselves. You are in great hands.” He squeezed Cheri’s shoulder. Although Esral
could not see the female’s face, she knew Cheri would be looking at him
questioningly. Keto whispered something into Cheri’s ear but the female didn’t
react.

It
took several long moments before Cheri nodded before turning to face the room,
a fake smile across her pretty face. “Please, help yourselves to the entrees. I
am sure that Prince Keto and the princess will join us as soon as they are
able.”

Esral
was already on her feet by the time Keto arrived at her chair. As was York.

“You
can stay.” Her brother growled while only briefly glancing in York’s direction.

“Whatever’s
going on, I want York at my side,” she said. It was clearly bad. Her mind
instantly went to her father but it couldn’t be that. He was healing. She’d
seen him only hours earlier. It had to be something else. A wave of nausea
caused her stomach to clench.

“I’m
not arguing with you right now. Follow me.” Keto turned and strode from the
room. She tripped several times just trying to keep up with him. Lazarus fell
in behind them. Was it just her imagination or had the temperature dropped
several degrees? She hugged her arms around herself, feeling goose bumps rise on
her arms. “Please tell me what’s going on.” She pleaded to Keto’s retreating
back.

“Father
has taken a turn for the worse.” When he glanced back, she saw the fear
redoubled in his eyes.

“What
do you mean? In what way?” She clutched her throat with her hand. Her body
turned numb and she ground to a halt unable to put another foot in front of the
other. “He was so much better earlier when I went to see him. This can’t be.”

Keto
must’ve realized that she’d stopped because he sighed deeply and turned to face
her. “We need to go and see father, as well as the healers. We must do so right
now. I’m just as shocked as you are. It seemed like he was getting better
dammit.” Keto swallowed thickly. His nostrils flared for a few moments and his
eyes turned to the canopy above. For a second it looked as if tears glinted in
his eyes. Then he closed off his emotions once more. “We need to stay strong.
For his sake. Can I count on you to do that, Esral?”

She
nodded. “Of course. Anything for father.”

Keto
nodded once. “Let’s go then, he’s asking to see us. I only hope…” Her brother
scrubbed a hand over his face looking more upset than she’d ever seen him
before. He took a deep breath. “I’m not sure what I’ll do if this is the end,
Esral. I’m not ready to be king. I don’t want him to die.” There was no doubt
this time that it was tears that shone in his eyes.

Her
whole body shook, so she clasped her hands in a tight knot in front of herself.
If she fell apart now, she would not be able to pull herself back together. “Like
you said, Keto, we need to stay strong. This is not necessarily the end.” She
felt her lip wobble but ignored it. There was no way she was crying. “Let’s go
and see him.” She sniffed. “We can talk and make the necessary decisions after.
We have to stay positive.”

His
teeth were clenched when he looked back at her. Keto nodded once. She longed to
go over and give him a hug but knew that it was something he probably wouldn’t
want. The anguish on his face made her heart bleed.
To hell with it
. She
crossed the small distance between them and threw her arms around him, hugging
him tight. Her head reached about chest level and she buried her face into his
robe, fighting to keep control of her emotions. As expected, he didn’t hug her
back but neither did he push her away. She looked up as she released him
noticing that he did look somewhat better.