CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR | England, 1901

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

England, 1901

VINCENT WATCHED KATE sleep. His queen was a beauty, and over the last ten years, she had won the hearts and minds of the vampire race. She was also the reason they were still living in this damn freezing weather.

He ran his fingers across her forehead, gently moving a lock of hair. She snuggled into him, and his heart roared as it always did. So did his cock, but he attempted to ignore it.

When he’d brought her back to England from Rome, she had convinced him to remain while they sent a team ahead to begin building the castle. A team had been sent to find land and begin construction, and Brayden and Craig had visited to ensure the security was to their liking. Now, the castle was complete, and the royal household could begin their journey.

She had both beauty and brains.

Kate had also wanted to spend time learning and adjusting to being his mate and queen, which was about more than just becoming a member of the royal family. If Kate had been human, Vincent would have drained her blood and replaced it with his own, triggering the change and turning her. That hadn’t been necessary, and the two of them had simply bitten each other during a deliciously sexual moment to finalize their bonding.

However, as queen, Kate was required to be infused with the potent Moretti blood.

No one outside the family knew of the secret that their blood held immense power. It made them stronger and helped them heal faster. No one knew exactly how it worked, but after Vincent had received the energy transfer from his father, the old king, he now truly understood the immensity of its power.

So instead of a simple bite and fuck, Vincent had continued drinking from Kate as she drank from him until he’d felt her become stronger and full of the Moretti power. Afterward, Kate had told him she felt amazing.

However, she had shared with him in those early days that she was feeling overwhelmed with all the changes. The loss of her king and queen, losing her own parents tragically, and them finally being together was a lot. And now, her body had changed and been infused with enormous power.

He had no idea what that must be like; he and Brayden had been born with it. So he had felt that loading Kate onto a ship for months and moving her across the world would be selfish.

Once he’d understood, he was happy to stay put. His urgency had only been to escape the agony of not having her. As an immortal, there was never any rush in life.

She flopped onto her back, and he nuzzled into her neck.

One thing that had been a pleasant surprise was how supportive and important his queen had been in helping him become a strong king. He was able to share his concerns, talk through ideas, and listen to hers. Together, they were stronger and so much more.

Thank God for Brayden, or he may have lost her.

“Is it Monday?” she asked, flicking open her eyes gently.

“Yes, my love,” he answered excitedly. “Tonight’s the night.”

The day had finally arrived. They were leaving England and beginning their journey to New York on four ships. With more time, planning, and some thought, they had discovered they needed much more space to move the entire royal household across the seas. They would then make their way up the coast to Maine, where the new Moretti Castle was being built.

Vincent was excited.

The prince was excited.

Their teams were excited.

And now, his queen was excited.

“Well, I’m just going to lie here for a moment longer. I can’t imagine the beds on the ships are all that comfortable,” she said, turning her back to him.

Vincent laughed and wrapped his body around her. “I had other plans for our last moments in this bed,” he whispered, nipping her earlobe as he ran his hand along her smooth, bare bottom.

“I know. I’m just making you work for it.” Kate smiled into her pillow.

Vincent lifted her thigh, giving him access to the heat at her core. He ran his finger through her folds, which were already a little wet. “Am I working hard enough, my queen?”

As he circled his fingers, Kate began to move under him and moan into the plush pillows.

“Mwahgushup.”

He raised a brow and smiled to himself, pressing two fingers inside her.

“Goddddd, Vincent,” she gasped.

“King will do, baby, just king,” he teased, gripping his cock while Kate fought a battle between laughter and pleasure. He needed to be inside her right now.

There was something poignant about their last few hours in England and taking his queen with him. Vincent had overcome his concerns of being a good king with the love of his amazing queen. He was now stronger and more confident with her by his side, and felt he could take on the world.

He pressed his swollen cock inside, holding her hips to go balls deep. “Take me all the way in, baby.” Vincent reached to tweak her clit. “I want you dripping wet, baby.”

“Yes,” she moaned.

Thrusting in and out, he felt her juices surround him. His thumb circled around and around, stimulating her pussy. “More, more , yes, God ,” Kate cried.

Never would he get enough of this female he loved with all that he was. As she fell apart in his arms, he poured into her.

One day, they would produce an heir to the throne. A little piece of both of them to take the vampire race into the future when they were ready to step down. Vincent would make sure there was a different way forward for the Moretti royal family. There was no way he was going to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by losing his head. And fuck, no way would he stand there and let someone take Kate’s head. Fuck that.

Vincent intended to create new laws allowing the queen and him to step down and pass on the leadership when their heir was ready. It was a wonderful plan; one Kate was behind. She had been there the day he and Brayden had beheaded their parents at their request.

Yeah, fucked up beyond belief, alright. Nobody wanted to see it happen again.

Except it raised one enormous question: how did he pass on the Moretti power without dying?

The day had finally come. Someone had to solve the eternal mystery behind the source of the power in the Moretti blood, and he had no fucking clue how to do that, given the three of them were the only ones who knew about it.

Weren’t they?