Touchdown Daddy (105 page)

Her head felt like it had been packed with sandbags. Naya's eyes slowly blinked open. Sounds blurred all around her, but the sky was clear and blue above her. She was being moved. She was lying on something that was being pushed. She strained, trying to remember where she had been. She remembered a gray room. And Ivanna…

Ivanna! Naya jerked, opening her mouth. She groaned out her daughter's name, and a face leaned over her. It was not Gabriel. She recognized the face, but all she could think was that it wasn't
her
vampire.

"She's safe," the face said. "She's right here. Asleep."

Naya's head lolled to one side as she searched for Ivanna. Her vision swayed, but it soon settled. Ivanna was close to her, laying on a stretcher parallel to her. Her eyes were closed, but blankets were tucked in around her chin and her thumb was in her mouth. Naya smiled. She was okay.

"The king was shot."

The relief at seeing her daughter vanished. Her clouded head cleared long enough for her to push herself up onto her elbows. There was another stretcher nearby. Gabriel lay on it, his body utterly unmoving, eyes wide and glassy. His skin had an unnatural pallor, chalky almost. Naya screamed, lurching towards her vampire.

Something caught her around her waist and hands pressed her back onto the stretcher.

"He can still hear you," a voice said in her ear. "The silver has paralyzed him but there's still time to save him. And he can hear you. Don't scream, don't scream."

Naya held her breath, her heart pounding. She tried to escape the hands that kept her in place, but they were too strong.

"We need blood!" a vampire shouted from somewhere. "Get blood out here now!"

Naya and Ivanna's stretchers were both brought to a halt so that Gabriel's could pass. Naya slapped a hand over her mouth as he was brought by. He was dead. Whatever she had been told, he was dead.

"Let me kiss him," she blurted. Maybe if she could get to him, her love would call him back. Maybe she could save him! She struggled. "Let me kiss him!"

"There's no time. He needs the bullet removed and to be fed blood."

"Give him my blood."

"We have medical stores for this sort of event."

Naya stopped struggling as she watched Gabriel's stretcher be carried up the stairs. Her blood rushed in her ears, drowning out the nervous chatter around her.

"I love you!" she shouted. "Gabriel, I love you!"

***

She was examined by both a human and vampire doctor and given a clean bill of health. Take Back the Planet hadn't harmed her or Ivanna in any way.

But then, they hadn't been the target. Gabriel had been.

Ivanna seemed no worse for wear. She was a little quieter than normal, but Angel had put her in a bathroom when she realized they were about to be attacked, and the little girl hadn't witnessed any of the violence that had happened in the zoo. Naya didn't want to press too much about her time in captivity, but Ivanna told her that she was kept in an ugly room and she had watched cartoons the whole time she had been kidnapped.

It was a small relief, but even that tiny blessing was something that Naya could cling to.

It was a full two weeks after the incident before she was allowed to see Gabriel. By that time Angel was fully mobile and, though she winced once in a while, she bore no outward scars of the attack.

"Stay here and be good for Angel," Naya told Ivanna, just outside Gabriel's bedroom.

"But I wanna see, too," Ivanna protested.

Angel pulled her into her lap. "Mommy wants to talk to Gabriel alone for a little while first. You'll get to see him soon."

The baby was kicking, and Naya laid a hand on her belly as she entered Gabriel's bedroom. He sat up on the bed, his skin having regained its normal healthy, dusky glow, dark eyes bright and clear. A dozen or so empty blood bags were scattered on the floor to one side, and a cooler sat next to his bed, presumably full of fresh ones.

A smile broke over his face at the sight of her and he held out his arms. Naya gratefully ran to him, wrapping herself in his strong embrace. She breathed in his deep, manly scent as his hand stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Your daughter was in danger. You did what you needed to do." Gabriel put his hand on her shoulders and gently backed her away. "They told me you were fine, but I am glad to finally be able to see it with my own eyes. Naya… Naya, I love you so much."

Naya pressed a hand gently to his chest. Beneath the silk pajama top, she felt bandages. "Does it still hurt?"

"Yes. Quite a bit. But it missed my heart, and they were able to get the silver out in time. I'm going to be fine. I just need a lot of blood." He made a face as he gestured to the bags. "They're making me drink this medicated stuff. Tastes awful."

Naya held her wrist out to him, but Gabriel shook his head. He kissed her wrist, then moved it to his lap and smiled gently.

"I'm still not strong enough for that yet, love. There's a reason I didn't want you to see me before now. The thirst… it can get overwhelming. I dare not drink from you again until I'm fully healed.

"Of course," Naya whispered.

Gabriel cupped her face in his hands. "What happened? When I arrived at the building, you were already unconscious. Did they say anything to you?"

Naya shivered. The question of why Take Back the Planet hadn't killed her outright had haunted her for the past two weeks, but she still had no answers.

"They took me to see Ivanna. I remember going into a room, seeing her laying on the floor and then feeling like I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to be killed and I was so… angry that I hadn't been able to save Ivanna. The next thing I remembered was waking up here again. And seeing you on that stretcher."

Gabriel's hands tightened slightly. "Take Back the Planet was probably hoping to use my child as a way to control the vampires somehow, and that's why they didn't... But let's not dwell on them right now. Alberto is hunting the organization and soon they will no longer be a threat. You're okay, Ivanna is okay and that's all that matters."

"You're okay. Or, you will be." Naya pressed her lips to his. "That matters, too."

Gabriel smiled. "Yes, that does matter. I can smell Ivanna out there. Does she want to come in and see me?"

Naya nodded and hurried back out to the living room to retrieve her daughter. Angel stayed on the sofa. Ivanna wrapped her arms around Naya's neck and then, when she was put on the bed beside Gabriel, the little girl twisted her hands into the blankets.

"Hi, princess," Gabriel said, smiling. "How are you doing?"

"I'm not a princess."

Naya's brows rose at Ivanna's angry tone. "What do you mean?"

Ivanna glared up at her mother. "Gabriel's not my daddy. That means I'm not a princess."

"Oh, honey." Naya reached for her daughter, but Gabriel was quicker, pulling her into a hug.

"Ivanna, there are different types of daddies. I might not have put you in your mommy's tummy like this baby." Gabriel touched Naya's stomach. "But that doesn't mean that I can't be your daddy. I love you, princess."

Ivanna sniffled, her big, dark eyes full of tears. "Do you love me as much as the new baby?"

"Yes," Gabriel said firmly. "I do. And I'll always love you. I promise."

"Okay," Ivanna smiled, laying down beside Gabriel. Her tiny head rested against his shoulder, and she looked over her shoulder at Naya. "Come snuggle, Mommy."

Naya laughed softly and joined them. Gabriel's fingers combed through her hair, and more love than Naya thought was possible welled in her heart. The baby began kicking and she took both Gabriel and Ivanna's hands and pressed them to her stomach, helping them to feel it as well. Ivanna laughed, squirming between them.

"Look! I think the baby loves us, too, Daddy."

Gabriel's eyes widened slightly. A smile blossomed on her face and he nodded. "Yes. Yes, I think the new baby loves us. Just like I love you and Mommy." His eyes met Naya's. "Forever."

***

THE END

Bonus Book 21: Claimed by the Dragon Shifter

By:
T.S. Ryder

Description

A curvy young witch with a large responsibility PLUS a hot Dragon Shifter assigned to protect her PLUS someone trying to kill her!

Avalon Grey has always known she was born to a noble heritage and with a heavy responsibility. As a direct descendant of the famed Morgan le Fay, it will soon be her duty to protect the gates of Albian until the time King Arthur returns to this world.

However, before she can protect the gates, she first must gain control of her magic.

To achieve this goal, her parents send her to the prestigious University of Magic Vancouver. There she meets Vaughn Albanesi, the hunky Red Dragon assigned to be her protector while she is at the school.

With his intoxicating presence everywhere she goes, Avalon finds it increasingly difficult to focus on her studies. She only has ten months until Samhain Eve to bring her magic under control and that may not be enough time.

With Samhain Eve drawing ever nearer, Avalon must prove herself worthy and able of claiming her birthright and protecting Albian's gates, both to herself and to the world at large. If she can't, then it will be letting down generations of her ancestors, as well as putting the world at risk of war.

To make matters worse, somebody at the University might be trying to kill her...

Chapter One

The University of Magic Vancouver, or Ma-Vic as it was affectionately known by its students and alumni, was the premier magical university in the world. It only accepted the most talented, the most prestigious, the most promising students to be taught by its masters.

At least that was what Avalon's mother kept telling her. In truth, it had cost a tidy donation, enough to build a whole new wing onto the university library, to get her admitted. Avalon had seen the letter the board of trustees had sent her parents, though she hadn't told them that.

Sitting in the backseat of a rented Mercedes-Benz sedan, Avalon stared glumly out at Vancouver. She had expected more from the city, somehow. The tall buildings with their glinting windows in the downtown area were nothing really unique. Crowds of people moved along the streets, moving with a sense of purpose and haste that usually thrilled Avalon.

Vancouver wasn't as energetic as New York, nor was it filled with a historic air like London. Given the amount of bohemian scarves, vintage clothing and distressed designer jeans, it was also far more hipster than Avalon cared for. She had spent most of her life in luxury hotel rooms and at diplomatic parties, shaking hands with people from all over the world. She had acquired more
refined
tastes.

Still, she would only be here for a few months. Ma-Vic prided itself on turning out top notch witches with incredible skills within a single semester of their intensive programs.

Avalon tugged at her seatbelt, wincing as she heard the child lock engage. She tried to find a position for the belt that was neither squashing her breasts nor cutting into her neck. She succeeded only in losing what little space the belt had given her.

Her mother, Elaine, smiled in the rearview mirror at her, noticing the signs of Avalon's restlessness. "We'll be there soon."

Avalon tried to smile back at her, but her stomach twisted in knots. If the best tutors available were not able to help her get a good handle on her magic, how was this school supposed to?

It was desperation, bribing her a place among other students who were no doubt going to be talented, prestigious and promising.

I'll just have to try harder,
she told herself.
What does Dad always say? Failure to quit is the only acceptable form of failure?

Thinking of her dad made her smile, but it didn't last long. It was going to be her birthday soon. Once she turned twenty, it was time for her to take the keys to the Gate of Albian from her mother, and protect King Arthur while he slept.

Of course, her mother wouldn't actually transfer the keys to her until a special ceremony on Samhain Eve at the end of October. But it still didn't give Avalon much time to prepare for the responsibility.

Daughters inherited the keys from their mothers when they were twenty years old. It was the way that Morgan le Fay, Avalon's distant ancestress, had decreed when she locked the gates, sealing Arthur in his sleep for his mortal wounds to heal. If her mother did not give her the keys this year, both would be driven mad by Avalon's twenty-first birthday.

"Don't look so glum," Stane, Elaine's bonded dragon, her lifelong protector, twisted in the passenger's seat to look at Avalon. If continuously scanning the other cars past Avalon's head was actually looking “at” her.

"Be bold and confident. You are a Lady Grey, born of the Fey, wielder of magic. Put your shoulders back, hold your head high—"

"I'm fine," Avalon interrupted, smiling slightly. "I'm suffering some self-doubt, but I'm fine. After all, how can I not be confident when I have all this?"

She gestured down her body, indicating the tight corset top and knee-length pencil skirt she wore. The clothes hugged every curve of her bounteous figure. Not so comfortable to travel in, but it looked good on her. She snapped her fingers, creating a small spark and let it steam to emphasize her hotness.

"All I have to worry about is how to handle all my dates," she quipped.

Stane chortled and turned back to the front. He never drove if he could help it. It was easier to fight off villains or use a semi-automatic weapon. Like the one he had resting against his leg if he didn't have to concentrate on not crashing as well.

Avalon would be getting her own bonded dragon soon, though she hadn't met him yet. She wondered what he would be like. Hopefully, he wouldn't be like Stane and insist she eat fewer sweets. Life without sweets was no life at all.

***

Ma-Vic was located away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, close to the Pacific Ocean, making the weather mild and wet all year round. It was drizzling when the car stopped. Avalon stepped out, glad to escape the seatbelt and get a first look at her new home.

It was a smaller campus than she expected with the buildings closer together. There were half a dozen of them, each of them three stories high, scattered in a circle around a large grassy field that sported several stone picnic tables and a fountain right in the middle. Despite the rain, students were lounging about. Some had swirls of cloud hovering over their heads, keeping them dry.

Well, that was an easy enough spell to do. Avalon twirled her fingers in the air, summoning her own cloud umbrella.

Stane embraced a young man. She arched a brow, interested in this display of affection. In all the years she had known Stane, which was her whole life, she had only ever seen him hug one person besides his husband, and that was her mother.

"Avalon, Elaine, I would like you to meet my nephew, Vaughn," Stane said.

Avalon nodded in greeting, eyeing Vaughn. He could not be much older than she was. Like Stane he was well-muscled, his tight V-necked sweater emphasizing that fact. Both had dark, impossibly red hair. Stane wore his long and tied back, but Vaughn had his in short curls that clung to his scalp. They both had the same dark blue eyes, too. But while Stane's skin was a dark russet, the younger man was pale, with a scattering of freckles over his face. His cheeks and nose were both red, as though he was sunburned.

"Pleased to meet you." Vaughn nodded first to Elaine and then to Avalon.

"And you, Mr. Vaughn…?"

A smirk spread over his face, looking rather smug. What did he have to be smug about? "Albanesi."

"Vaughn is going to be watching after you," Elaine said, stepping to Avalon's side and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Watching after me?" Avalon frowned. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Like my uncle, I am a Red Dragon. I have been trained as a protector and guard from before you started learning magic. I'm here to make sure you don't get yourself killed or kidnapped."

Avalon's face got hot. She was used to having bodyguards around her, but they were usually Stane or people of similar age.

Why would she need a bodyguard
here,
anyway? In all her life there had never been an attempt on her or her parents. Stane mostly protected them from annoying diplomats that had a little too much to drink at parties. Certainly the school would have its own security?

"I don't have a habit of getting killed or kidnapped, but thank you," she said coolly. He must be more of a guide, to help her acclimatize to the school's culture. "Would you be so kind as to show me to my dorm?"

Vaughn inclined his head.

"Call your father," Elaine told Avalon as they embraced. "He'll want to tell you how much he's sorry for not being able to be here. Again."

Avalon's nerves twisted again, though she kept a smile plastered on her face. "I will. You have a safe flight home."

"Oh, I'm not going home. Some business in London has popped up and the queen is desperate for a little bit of magic to help smooth things over." Elaine's eyes twinkled. "Just think, by this time next year it will be you instead of me that everybody is trying to get a piece of."

"I'm never going to be as strong in magic as you are," Avalon whispered, letting herself voice her fears for the first time.

Elaine's face became serious. "Of course you are, Avi. You have far more potential than I ever had. That might actually be your problem. It's hard to focus and contain that much raw energy. But don't worry. With the intensive programs here and nothing to distract you, you'll be moving mountains before you know it."

Out of the corner of her eye, Avalon saw Vaughn loading all her suitcases into his arms. His muscles strained at the load, but he laughed and chatted with Stane as though it was no effort. His tight shirt showed off his well-formed back, making Avalon's cheeks warm.

"Yeah. No distractions."

"Just don't look at his butt and you'll be fine," Elaine whispered.

Avalon's face went red. "Mom!"

Elaine laughed but sobered quickly. "I'm serious, though. You only have until Samhain Eve until I pass the keys to you. It's a lot harder to concentrate on your magic when that happens, believe me."

Samhain Eve. It was still ten months away. Avalon shook her head. Stressing about something that far away was not going to help her.

Yes, she had a lot of work to do, but even though she hadn't seen the progress she wanted with her tutors, she had to admit that her magic blossomed over the last two years. She was even able to levitate multiple small items these days, something even her mother had trouble with.

As Elaine hugged her mother one last time, Stane told Vaughn not to let anything happen to her, and then they drove away.

Avalon turned to Vaughn. "Want some help with those suitcases?"

"I'm good."

"Are you sure? They're heavy."

A wicked gleam lit in Vaughn's eye, as if what Avalon had just said was a challenge. "I've dealt with heavier. Come on. I'll take you to your dorm."