A Mate for Lance (The Program Book 5) (2 page)

“Attention please.” A tall, elegant woman waved her hand. She had beautiful dark hair and the most striking green eyes Amber had ever seen.

“Don’t worry,” Beth whispered, she touched her lightly on the arm to draw her attention. “You can go and change because the meet and greet isn’t for another two hours.” She glanced at her watch. Her eyes brightened up and she arched her brows. Amber wasn’t changing. She liked her outfit. It was her. The pants were comfortable. It didn’t hurt that they made her ass look smaller. Her blouse was sheer, showing the camisole underneath and just a tiny, teeny hint of cleavage. Sophisticated with just a hint of sexy. The turquoise blue looked good on her.

“Attention please,” the vampire woman repeated, louder this time. Everyone was still chatting and giggling.

Amber turned her full attention to the lady even though Bethany gripped her elbow. “I could come by your room and help you pick out something.”

She glanced at Bethany and gave a quick smile. “I’ll manage, thanks.” She turned back to the vampire.

“I’m Allison,” the woman said. She held a clipboard and pencil. “A couple of house rules. You’ve all attended training and a record of each of your contracts is on file.” She looked down at the paper and gave a tick. “You have all been assigned a room. Your room will be cleaned daily and all meals will be provided for. A detailed itinerary will be handed out at the end of this session. You will be expected to attend all functions and excursions without exception. The whole idea is that you get to know the vampire males. You will notice that there are gaps in the itinerary. During these gap times, you can relax here at the hotel.” She paused. “It is also an opportunity for one-on-one dates with our males.”

The chatter immediately picked up once again and Bethany gripped her arm and gave a soft squeal.

“You are welcome to ask the males out. You need not wait for them.”
Yeah right!
There was no way she was chasing any of the guys. She was old school like that. Then again, maybe that’s why she didn’t go out…ever.
No!
She couldn’t possibly ask a guy out. She just couldn’t. If a guy expected her to do the chasing then maybe he wasn’t for her.

“Please remember that you are not permitted to leave the hotel without a vampire escort. An acceptable escort would be either one of the Elite Ten or a guard. You are only permitted to date and have any sexual contact with one of the Elite Ten. All vampire males outside of the Ten are off limits.” She wrote something on the paper attached to her clipboard before looking back up. “All of you should be on a contraceptive.” Alison seemed to look pointedly at Amber.

Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to thin. Having to go and see Dr. Simons in order to get a pill prescription was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. Especially when he asked her if she planned on having sex and she had answered yes. There was no way a person could lie about a thing like that. Dr. Simons had been her physician since she was a baby. He knew everything about her and her medical history. The mortification had been all consuming because she might not even end up having sex at all.

“Your contraceptive should either be in the form of birth control pills or an injection. The reason for the contraceptive is to not only prevent unwanted pregnancy but also to ensure that you do not go into heat… I believe you humans call it…ovulation. The scent of a female in heat drives our males a little crazy. As a second precaution, it is required that condoms be worn during sex. This is without exception. The only time a male is permitted to ejaculate inside a female is if he intends on mating her.” Amber felt a little flustered. Suddenly the neckline on her blouse seemed a little tight and her armpits felt a little sweaty. She was really here, on vampire territory, about to meet a whole bunch of guys. All of whom wanted nothing more than to take a human wife and to make lots of vampire babies.

What would her parents say? They would never approve. Best she not think about that right now. She was living. This was it. She wanted to do this, for herself, regardless of what her parents would say or think.

Back to the vampire hunks. What if one of them actually wanted to have sex with her?
What then?
Would she be able to do it? He would need to be more than just good looking. He would need to be sweet and caring and would need to prove that he had feelings for her. Genuine, real feelings. It could never be just about the sex.

“Here, Amber.” Something was thrust into her hand.

“Um…what…?”

“It’s a box of condoms. We’ve all been issued them.” Bethany giggled. She read off the side of the box. “Ribbed for
her
pleasure and they’re a size extra-large.” She grinned, wide. “The rumors must be true.”

Amber looked down at the box in her hand. “What the hell am I going to do with a hundred condoms? I mean, seriously? We’ve all been issued a hundred condoms?”

“More than one rumor must be true.” Bethany winked. “They have big you-know-what’s and like to use ’em.” She winked again. Amber swallowed thickly before stuffing the huge box into her oversized purse.

Without so much as taking his eyes off of Zane, Lance caught the box of condoms on reflex. He immediately tossed them back to the male. Zane casually glanced down at the box, as it bounced off his chest and landed on the floor with a solid bang.

“I’m good…thanks,” Lance quickly added, when he saw the look of reproach that tightened his king’s features. “I still have the last box issued before the previous round.”

Zane’s eyes narrowed.

“The box is still unopened and will stay that way.” Lance narrowed his own eyes, refusing to be intimidated. “I don’t need another one.”

“I don’t know how you survive.” Brynn made a groaning noise. “Surrounded by all of those lush females and not so much as tempted to touch even one.” He held up a finger.

Kai chuckled. “Lance rutted more females in the first heat than most of us will see in a lifetime. He was all rutted out by heat two.” He raised his brows before continuing. “Thing is, you should be ready to get back into the game by now…surely?”

Lance had to bite back a response he’d regret. It was his business what he did, when he did it and who he did it with. His fucking business. It sure as hell wasn’t a game. Not for him.

“I, for one, plan on checking compatibility as soon as possible. It’s a pity that rutting on the first night is forbidden,” Brynn complained.

“Human females like to talk. They like it when a male shows interest in them first. Talk to a few of the females. If there is one that attracts your interest, then see about taking it further.” Zane let his focus wander about the room.

“They did mention that in training.” Brynn frowned. “It’s a very strange concept. It doesn’t matter how much I enjoy talking with a female, if we are not compatible then what’s the point? I would rather rut first and ask questions after.”

“You make a valid point. There is no reason to pursue a relationship if there is no compatibility. That’s the vampire way of thinking. Humans do not always feel the same though. Especially the females of the sex. Trust me, Brynn, talk with them this evening. There will be plenty of time for establishing compatibility.” He gave the male a slap on the back. “Also…” Zane smiled. “Trust me on this one…if you like a female, do not rut with others while you pursue her. If she finds out…” He shook his head. “It will be over before it even starts. They do not share well.”

“You mean even if we have not rutted? Even before there is a relationship?” Kai asked, confused.

Zane nodded. “If you are pursuing a female but not yet in a relationship, per se, you should avoid sex with others. This courting phase can take time. Some females will make a male wait…sometimes days, sometimes even weeks.”

One of the males cursed and another growled. “Weeks without rutting. Is that even possible?” Kai asked, his forehead creased with a deep frown.

“Not a fuck,” another male swore.

Zane chuckled.

“That can’t be healthy,” Brynn noted, looking appalled.

Zane shrugged. “You would not be at optimum strength but it is possible. It is not natural but you won’t die or suffer any ill effects. It will be taken into consideration when evaluating elite males but please be sure to disclose this information to your team leaders. Look”—he paused— “it’s up to you how you deal with the humans. All I am saying is that if you like one of them but continue to rut others and she finds out, then you will have no chance. Females like to feel special. They like the idea of a male caring so much that he is willing to abstain. To sacrifice his needs over hers.”

Brynn muttered a curse. “Thanks for that, my lord, you just ruined it for me.”

Zane, however, looked pointedly at Lance. “Do not fuck your way through the humans and expect one to welcome you with open arms.” He looked away for a second before looking back. “Do not fuck your way through the vampire females while courting a human and then expect any type of a future with her either because, if she finds out, and she
will
find out, it won’t happen. If you find one that draws you, by all that is red, stop and think. Commit to winning her. You need to be willing to sacrifice, to get on your fucking knees if you have to. Human females are not forgiving. They attach emotion to sex. Respect that and respect them and you will be fine. There will be females that throw themselves at you, but fate can be a bitch; she will make you want the female you can’t have.” He smiled. “All I can say is thank fuck that I’m mated. I would hate being in your shoes.”

Brynn nodded his head, glancing over at their king. “Makes sense. And because I want a mate, I will heed your words. A life partner and not just a good time. I can only pray that she is amongst the females in this heat.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Relax, pup. This is the first round of your first heat. There is still time.”

“Out of curiosity, why have you stopped…interacting with the humans?” Brynn asked as he turned his gaze to Lance. Kai and Zane were also looking at him closely.

“Because everything our king just said is true.” He turned to Zane. “Are we done?” he asked, impatient for the conversation to be over.

Zane picked up the condoms and threw them back at Lance. Once again, his reflexes kicked in and he caught them.

“We are now.” Zane gave him a smirk. “I need to talk with you.” He held Lance’s gaze for a few beats. “The rest of you are excused.”

The others filed out. Zane waited until the last had left before turning to Lance. “I’m glad to see that things are going better with you,” his king said, keeping his voice low. “I was worried.” The male turned to face him. “It hurt me to watch you pining for a female you could never have.”

Fuck!

He didn’t want to have this conversation. Certainly not with Zane. Not again. The male might be a friend…one of his best friends, but he was still the king. Telling his king to go and fuck himself was not an acceptable thing to do. He used to be able to get away with outbursts like that but those days were long gone. There was a ton of water under that bridge. Maybe too much to ever get past it completely but he would try.

Zane’s eyes were dark. Their focus directed at him. “I know I fucked you up when I showed you those pictures of Stephany and her children. When I showed you her and the wolf playing happy fucking family, but it needed to be done.” He paused. “It was no coincidence that you reacted the way you did that day. Maybe I could’ve timed things a little better.”

Lance nodded. That was for fucking sure. Zane had showed him the pictures just before he had gone into a sparring session with his best friend, Griffin, and he’d ended up killing the male like a ruthless fuck. He’d cut his throat and without a moment’s hesitation.

Thank the gods the male had come back. Then again, it was Griffin, if anyone could come back from the dead, it was him. It still should never have happened and although he knew the male meant well, he wished Zane would stop his shit.

“Wait a minute,” Lance said, putting up his hands. “If you plan on showing me snaps from their latest family holiday, you can spare me. I’m fine… I’m over it.” As in, not so much. As in, never going to happen.

Stephany may have been his estranged mate but she was his mate. What putrid luck to realize what she meant to him, but only when it was too late to have her. Life was so unfair.

He realized that he’d gone about things the wrong way, that he had been a grade-A asshole. He had gone too far in trying to get her back as well. Those had been dark days. It was no excuse but they had been dark. Pitch fucking black. He was glad that he had been able to put them behind him. He would never be able to fully move on or forget. He didn’t want to. To do so would mean to fall back into the same trap.

“I’m not going to show you any more pictures or lecture you or any of that stuff. You know my feelings.”

“Yeah…” Lance smiled. “I should find a nice female and settle down, raise a few kids.”

Zane chuckled. “Something like that.”

Lance shook his head. He felt himself smile even though it was against his will. “Mmmmm…sounds fucking riveting. I think I’ll pass.”

“You might be pleasantly surprised at how awesome it is. I love being a father. It is hands down the best thing that has ever happened to me. My female doesn’t know it yet but when she goes into heat again…” Thankfully Zane let the sentence die, a faraway look in his eyes. “Eleanor said that there is a good chance it will only happen once Sam is weaned. I am trying to convince my mate that a nine month old boy does not need to spend his days attached to her breasts.”

“Forgive me, my lord, but that’s rich coming from you. I’ve watched you with Tanya and you can’t keep your hands off of her in public, let alone in private. Brant is just as bad.”

Zane raised his brows. “Her breasts are mine and I want them back.”

“What, so that you can get her with child again? It doesn’t make any sense.” Lance thought on Zane’s little boy. The little tyke could sit on his own and one of these days he would be mobile. It wouldn’t be long now. “How is little Sam?”

“He’s crawling as of this morning.” Zane beamed. His smile spanned across his entire face. It was freaky.

Lance smiled. “That’s great.”

Zane raised his brows and his smile died. “Actually, it’s pretty scary. We can’t take our eyes off of him for a second. He’s into everything, but”—the male grinned all over again— “it’s great.” Again, the smile faltered.

Lance raised a brow. “What?”

“There is something I wanted to ask,” Zane started, his expression serious.

Lance nodded, wearily, not sure what to expect now.

“Would you agree to becoming Sam’s godfather? Before answering…” Zane put up his hand. “It would be in conjunction with Xavier. There will be two godmothers. I know it’s a little out of the blue and Tanya tried to talk me out of it but…” The big male sighed. “I can’t think of anyone else I would like at my son’s side…at my side for that matter.” He put a hand on Lance’s shoulder and squeezed. “You were there that day. You’ve seen me at my worst just like I’ve seen you at your worst.” He hesitated, a pained expression flickering across his face, briefly. “Becky is one of the godmothers and she pretty much hates your ass. I have noticed how you do everything in your power to avoid her.” Zane smiled. “I’m hoping that you would do this for me.”

Lance clenched his jaw. He felt a lump rise in his throat. After everything that he had pulled, Zane still wanted him there. He cleared his throat and stood a little taller. “I would be honored. Thank you.”

“Are you sure?” Zane inhaled sharply. “Becky is going to give you hell. It won’t be fun being around her. There is a rehearsal as well as the actual event. Plenty of time for her to rip you a new one.”

Lance shrugged. “You are my king and my friend.” He gripped the male by his shoulder. “I will deserve it.” He nodded his head. “I will deal. I’m an elite warrior.”

“I would rather go to war then face a pissed off human female…especially one like Becky.” He nodded. “But I’m grateful that you have accepted nonetheless. Besides, she is running the human medical center so it is just a matter of time before you run into her.” He paused. “You would be welcome to bring a date.”

“I’m sure that one of the vampire females would be—”

“A date, Lance…not a fuck buddy. I wouldn’t mind if she was vampire, human…fuck, I wouldn’t mind if she was an elf or a wolf…hell, you could bring a dragon-shifter for all I care, just as long as she’s a date…the real deal.”

“Firstly…vampires don’t date.
I
don’t fucking date and secondly…a dragon-shifter?” He choked out a laugh. “Dragon-shifters are a myth.”

“If you say so.” Zane looked amused.

“They’re a myth,” Lance repeated.

Deadpan, Zane said, “They exist.”

“No fucking way. With all due respect, my lord, you’re talking bullshit.”

“Drop the
my lord
crap. I mean it. And some members of the species visited with my father. It happened twice… I saw them shift and fly away. Real dragons.” His eyes glazed over in thought. “The real fucking deal.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?”

Zane shrugged. “We were sworn to secrecy but since I’m the king...” He shrugged again. “I trust you not to say anything.”

“I won’t…no one would believe me anyway. I’m not sure I believe you.” Lance smiled.

Zane’s expression turned thoughtful and he cocked his head. “You don’t have to. It’s not important anyway.” If it was true, it made sense why Zane pushed so hard at practice. They always had to work harder. Be faster. Be better. Where non-humans were concerned, the vampires were top of the food chain. At least, Lance had always believed that to be true.

“Are they a threat?” Lance failed to keep the sharpness from his voice.

Zane exhaled, slowly. “They have kept to themselves for all of these years. I doubt that it will change anytime soon. They live deep within the highest mountains. Their lands untouched by humans and the other species alike. They have existed like that for so long that they’ve become creatures of myths and legends, even to us non-humans.”

“You still didn’t answer my question,” Lance observed.

Zane raised his brows, nodding. “In one of my father’s journals, he mentions that one of the dragon-shifters let slip that there were very few females of the species, so maybe they suffer from the same fertility problems that the rest of us do. If that is the case, then they may just become desperate enough to come out of hiding. If their numbers of offspring diminish…who knows.”