A Mate for Kai (The Program Book 6) (9 page)

The commotion from earlier reared up again. Only, this time, the noises came from the stairs that led to the Royal Suite.

Blaze paced to the other side of the room and then back again.

Kai’s heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest.

“Unhand me.” It was her. Ruby. The dragon shifter.
Her
. “I can walk. I’m not some invalid. You don’t need to touch me,” she snarled.

There was a loud sounding crack. “Oww!” A male growled. “Female, you need to stop hitting me.” His voice held a pleading edge that made Kai want to smile. Ruby was one hell of a female.

“Don’t touch me again.” She said, just as she walked through the double doors leading to the chamber. Her eyes shone with defiance. Her chin was tilted up. Her shoulders were back. She was naked and magnificent and pregnant.

Fucking pregnant.

Fuck.

“Ruby.” The dragon shifter King sounded bored.

“Blaze.” Ruby tilted her chin even higher, looking down her nose at her brother, through long lashes.

Brant’s eyes widened and he diverted his gaze. Zane did the same. The two royal guards turned their gazes to the ceiling.

Good.

They were right to look away, at least, they were if they valued their eyes.

Where had that come from? She wasn’t his female. He felt actual relief when the males kept their gazes elsewhere. Although vampires were far from being prudes, they didn’t walk around stark naked. Shifters seemed to hold no such reservations.

Kai could feel his mouth hung open. That his eyes were wide in his skull. Fucking pregnant. Her belly looked tight, it was neat yet well-rounded. His child. His. Fuck.

“No.” He growled. “It can’t be.” Another loud growl was torn from him. It had to be a mistake.

Brant slung his dress shirt over her shoulders, which Ruby accepted with a small nod of the head. She worked her hands through the sleeves, quickly doing up two or three of the buttons, to secure the garment, which fell high on her thighs.

The younger looking shifter gave a haughty laugh. “What, are you such a damned idiot that you can’t recognize a female in the middle of her heat?” Inferno scoffed. “Then again, you are a lesser male and a vampire at that. So maybe it’s not so surprising. Idiot.”

“Fuck you.” Kai pointed a finger at the dickhead shifter. “I was told that…never fucking mind.” He snarled. For some reason, he still couldn’t dump this female in the shit. Blame it all on her. He couldn’t. If it made him an idiot. A fool, then so be it. The thing that got him the most was that the shifter male was right.

“Everyone needs to calm the fuck down,” Zane said. “You need to calm down.” He looked directly at Kai. “We need to be calm and rational about this. What’s done is done. It cannot be undone.”

“That’s for fucking sure,” Brant muttered.

Calm down.

Now.

Like fucking hell.

“There is nothing to talk about.” Those vivid green eyes locked with his. “You will mate my sister or you will die by my own hand. Choose. Now.” The male had similar golden tattoos across his chest. They seemed to shimmer and brighten. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it was as if scales appeared beneath the ink. Maybe they were melded together with the ink. It was hard to tell. It wasn’t his imagination though when the male’s teeth elongated. When tendrils of white smoke drifted from his flared nostrils.

“Stop this,” Ruby said. For the first time since arriving this evening, her voice was timid and unsure. “I resigned myself to doing this alone. You know that. I have no need of a male in my life.”

Kai hated hearing her say that. If it were up to this female he would never have known about this. She didn’t need or want him. The knowledge burned him.

“You should’ve thought of that before.” Blaze snarled, taking a step towards his sister.

Call it instinct. Call it more of the same stupidity. Kai snarled right back at the shifter king, taking a step towards the male. King or not, his show of aggression towards Ruby, towards his unborn child, was unacceptable.

Ruby might not be his but the child she carried inside her belly most definitely was. Everything in him bristled. Every nerve ending, every muscle, every goddamned tendon. Everything readied itself to protect what was his. So this is what an angry dragon shifter looked like. Bring it on!

Zane instantly stepped between them. The male’s hand felt heavy against his chest. “Everybody needs to calm down. Kai was not aware that the female was in heat. This has come as a shock to him. A shock to us all, I assure you. We need some time to digest this.” He took a deep breath. “Kai is struggling to think clearly right now.”

Like fuck.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood. Zane went on. “They need to be granted an opportunity to discuss this. We need to be given some time to come to terms with this. We can discuss it further in the morning.”

Blaze frowned. “We’re not staying. This isn’t some game. It’s not a discussion. It’s fucking simple. Either he mates with my sister or he dies.” The male raised his brows.

“There is no way I will mate a female that lied to me.” Kai shook his head. There were so many things on the tip of his tongue. Things he wanted to say to hurt her. She deserved to be hurt. Yet, he couldn’t help but remember the sadness that had been in her eyes. It was still fucking there. The unshed tears that threatened to fall. The way she apologized to him with such sincerity. At the time, he believed it was because she had abducted him, but now he knew there was more to it. So much more.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Those purple orbs focused solely on him. Once again they were filled with tears. For just a second it felt like they were the only people in the room. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Kai wasn’t falling for her vulnerable act. Not again.

He shook his head. “It’s not good enough. You lied to me.” He worked his jaw. Mistake. The throbbing started up again. Kai ignored it. “You lied about something so important. You stole from me.” Then he turned and walked out. He didn’t give two fucks. The Dragon shifters could come after him. They could fucking kill him for all he cared.

“Please give me a chance to explain.” Her voice followed him as he fled down the stairs. No way. No fucking way.

The next morning…

Ruby watched as Blaze paced. Up and down…and up and down. His feet sank into the woolen rug with every step. Dawn had long since come. Dragons were early risers. It seemed that vampires were not.

They were in one of the towers. It had numerous bedrooms, a living area, dining area and a station for preparing food. Although she wasn’t sure why since meals had been brought to them.

“You should never have come. I can’t believe you risked…yourself like that.” He looked angry. His eyes shone. His muscles bulged and his jaw worked. Tension radiated off of him. This was the first time he had addressed her since last night.

“I’m fine. The young one is safer when I’m in dragon form. I was hoping to spur on my release.”

His only answer was to growl before continuing with his pacing.

What looked like anger clouded his featured but Ruby knew better. It wasn’t rage. It was worry.
Over her
. He treated her unborn child like he was nothing. Less than nothing. Making a face of disgust every time he spoke of his nephew, yet, she knew his fear was not just over her. It was also for the child. Her brother was greatly afraid. Though he would never admit it. Not even to himself.

That’s what this was all about. This sudden urge to find the male responsible. To make him do the honorable thing. It was borne of his fear.

Two weeks late. No one had ever been so late before.

She touched a hand to her stomach and sucked in a deep breath, willing her racing heart to slow and her breathing to normalize. Everything was going to be fine. It had to be.

“Please stop this craziness. Let’s go back to the kingdom of Fire.” Her voice hitched from the emotion that coursed through her. Seeing him again. The big vampire male. So beautiful, kind and trusting. So sweet and yet fierce. He was a good male.

She hated the anguish and the pain that had rolled off of him. The anger that burned in his eyes. What she really wanted was a chance to explain.

“No.” Blaze was resolute in his response. His stature stiff and unyielding. “He will do the honorable thing or he will die.”

“He didn’t even know I was in heat. I tricked him. I abducted him and held him against his will. It was all my doing and yet you’re going to make him pay.”

Blaze laughed. “Against his will.” He made a noise of irritation. “Yes. The male must pay.” A rough snarl. “He lay with you. Any male that lies with a female must understand the potential consequence and be ready to face up to his responsibilities. I can only hope that the vampire healers have some sort of explanation for your condition.”

And there it was. The truth. The real reason why they were here. “I can speak to the healers.” She held her breath a few beats, trying to rein in her emotion. “I’m sure they will be just as much in the dark as our own healers though. This is the first vampire/dragon pregnancy. Try and think logically about this. Let’s just say that he agrees to becoming my mate, where would we live? I would not be happy or comfortable living amongst the vampires and I’m sure he would feel just as out of place on top of a mountain peak in the middle of nowhere. He would be surrounded by dragons. A lamb amongst the wolves.”

“Then you would need to remain here.”

“What?” A shudder raced through her. “And raise my dragon son amongst vampires?”

“We still don’t know exactly what it is you carry. A bloodsucker? A fire breather? Neither? The child…if there even is a child…might not be strong enough to hold his own amongst our young.” She heard his voice catch for the briefest split second. Most would’ve missed the subtle sign. Her health and that of the child affected him
. It did.

“There will be a child and he will be strong.” Ruby clutched her belly with both her hands.

“We don’t know if…” Blaze didn’t finish his sentence at the sound of others approaching. “We’ll talk about this later. You need to know that I haven’t changed my mind.”

Arghh! He could be infuriating. There was no time to think on it because there was a knock at the door.

“Enter,” Blaze said.

The door opened and the vampire kings filed in along with several of their guard. Of her vampire male there was no sign.

“Good morning.” It was the taller of the kings. He dressed strangely. In many different layers that looked stifling. There was a string knotted around his neck. Gold trinkets glinted on the edges of his sleeves. A bizarre ensemble. It didn’t seem to serve any function that she knew of. The other king was dressed in leathers from head to toe. She could see how this might afford some protection. Both forms of dress still struck her as peculiar. Then again, the vampires didn’t have to worry about undressing quickly or wearing garments that broke easily if one was unable to undress before shifting. For a shifter, the leathers might prove to be a tad…uncomfortable. The two species were so different.

“Morning.” It was the more built of the two males. His head was closely shaven, reminding her of Coal. Her brother was going to be mad. Fire breathing mad. He must’ve been completely captivated by Scarlet because Ruby was long gone before he could have made any attempt to follow her. The male would never have caught her though, even if he had tried.

Blaze had the good grace to nod in response. Inferno just stood there, his hands folded behind his back.

“Where is the male?” Blaze locked his jaw.

The king wearing the leathers stepped forward. “We requested that Kai not attend this meeting.”

Kai.

His name.

The father of her child. Kai. Disappointment rushed through her. Ruby had been hoping to see him.

“I told you.” Blaze’s eyes seemed to glow. His whole frame tensed. “This is not up for discussion. Either he mates Ruby or he dies.”

The male in the leathers narrowed his eyes. “I understand your feelings about this.”

“You couldn’t possibly understand...you couldn’t begin to understand.” Blaze shook with anger.

“You’re right.” The vampire king paused. His jaw tight, his fists curled. “Kai still refuses to talk about those two days. Whether out of some misguided respect for the princess or fear of retribution…fuck…” He snarled. “For all I know he’s afraid of being singled out as a pussy. It sounded like he didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

“He didn’t but that doesn’t change things.” Blaze’s stance softened somewhat.

“If he didn’t have a choice then how can he be held liable for his actions?” The vampire king bristled.

“Easily. The detail is not important. That male impregnated my sister. He must do the honorable thing or I will be forced to take action.”

The vampire king sucked in a deep breath through his nose. “You are right.” He allowed his gaze to fall to his booted feet before locking once again with Blaze’s. “You mentioned that the pregnancy might be in jeopardy.”

Ruby couldn’t help but to gasp. The males ignored her. Somehow, hearing it said out loud made it worse. More real perhaps. She squeezed her eyes shut for a half a second.

Blaze nodded. “It is not something that I wish to discuss in an open forum. It is part of the reason why we are here. That male needs to mate her and she needs to see your healers.”

“There is nothing that can be done.” There was a tremble to her voice. It irritated her. “You know that.”

“We know nothing,” Blaze grit out. “This is not a dragon child.”

“He is part dragon.” She stood taller, looking Blaze in the eyes.

Her brother cocked his head. “And part vampire.” There was a rough edge to his voice that warned her to stay out of it. To remain silent.

“We do not need to discuss the details.” The king in leathers spoke up. “You wish for Kai to mate with this female because she is with child. His child, yet, the pregnancy is in jeopardy. You have my word that we will do whatever it takes to ensure Princess Ruby is well looked after. That our best healers assess her condition immediately. When the child is born, safe and healthy, Kai will mate with this female. Not a moment sooner. Can we agree to those terms?”

“Kai doesn’t want to be with me.” His name rolled off of her tongue. It’s was a beautiful name and suited him perfectly. She licked her lips. “It’s wrong to force him. To force us.” She knew arguing was fruitless but had to try anyway. She’d gotten the vampire into this mess.

“You should’ve thought about that before you lay with him.” Blaze’s words cut her because they were true.

“You left me with no other option.” Another hard truth. She thought she had been doing the right thing. Not just for herself or for her child but for the good the kingdom. All four kingdoms. Right now, she wasn’t so sure. What if she had been wrong?

She felt tears and blinked them away.

Blaze’s eyes smoldered. Their heat aimed solely on her. “I gave you several choices.”

“None of them were right for me.” Her voice came out surprisingly strong.

“You will mate with that male or so help me.”

Stress was not good for the baby. She felt tense. Her stomach was tight. Adrenaline surged within her veins. She needed to calm down and right now. For the good of the baby. For the good of her son…or daughter. There was a small chance.

“Please think about it.” It was the strangely dressed taller king that spoke. His stare was locked on her brother. “Princess Ruby can remain with us. Free to go at any time of course.”

Her younger brother laughed. “As if you could keep her here against her will.” Inferno shook his head.

The vampire king with the close cropped hair worked his jaw. “Once the child is safely born, Kai will mate with the princess. I will ensure personally, that he acts with honor. That is, if the princess wishes it. I will not force her to accept him.”

How sweet. It seemed vampires weren’t the blood drinking monsters they had been made out to be. It was quite possible they were more civilized than the dragon shifters. Certainly more civilized than the royals of her species. Ruby pulled in a deep breath. Kai didn’t want her. She’d never even entertained the possibility of them being together and therefore she had never envisioned a future with him in it.

This was not the time to discuss such things, she’d already said too much. At best, this would give her an opportunity to explain things to Kai. At worst, it would buy them some time to try and think of a way out of this mess. That is, if Kai would even talk to her.

Blaze ground his teeth. “Let me think on it.”

Unexpected.

Maybe he would concede after all. Probably not.

“Take as long as you wish.” The king in the leather outfit nodded once. “You are welcome to stay as long as you like.” Then he turned and walked out.

“Yeah.” The strangely dressed king picked some lint off of his clothing. “Give it some thought. Let one of the guards know when you are ready to discuss this further. Let us know if you have any further requirements.”

“A willing female perhaps.” Inferno’s brows were raised. He hadn’t just said that.

“Ignore him…” Blaze gave their idiot younger brother a dirty look. “We don’t need anything.” He said the last in such a way that sounded like a dismissal.

She couldn’t blame Inferno. The dragon males were starved of female company.