CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

K ate rolled her eyes at her mate.

“Not on your life, sunshine.”

Vincent laughed. “Sunshine would end my life, so another reason to consider one.”

“I am not getting a vibrator. You’re still here and functioning fine, thank you very much.” She wriggled in his lap and felt his body confirm her statement. He slid his hand up her thigh, under her dress, and she slapped him playfully. “Stop, someone could come in.”

“I’m the king. What the hell are they going to do? Tell me off?” He laughed. “Plus, you know I can lock the door, just as you can, from here.”

Kate had planted herself on Vincent’s lap after finding him seated in the large chair behind his desk. She’d been going stir crazy since speaking to the prince. How could she have done it? How could she not?

Admitting to herself that she had done it partly due to self-preservation was hard, but the truth was, she was terrified of losing her mate. She loved him more than life. To produce an heir would mean the world to him. Vincent had always wanted children, though he never said so to anyone outside of their relationship.

Both had suffered from guilt for their lack of procreation, yet chided the other when it rose to the surface. Producing vampire children was not easy; they didn’t breed as abundantly as other animals on the planet. It was a rarity, which is why their population was low. However, after one hundred and thirty years and still no heir, it wasn’t looking hopeful.

Such things were not talked about openly, but it was a concern for the race’s long-term existence. Just another thing the resistance pushed back against. They thought a recruitment program to change humans was a bright idea.

Fortunately, the king was highly opposed to it.

Kate was now in a fertile window, and they had been making love frequently, but these days, it was done with little expectation it would result in a child.

She knew it was a long shot with Brayden, but should they be successful, it would change everything.

Whether the prince was willing and whether the two of them could follow through on the act was another story. The prince was a wildly attractive vampire, yet the thought of sex with someone other than her mate made her sick to her stomach. That was the way of mates.

“So back to this vibrator. Do you think they come in extra-large? Because obviously—”

“Oh my God, please stop talking about this.”

“We could get a custom one made.” He grinned, and she raised an eyebrow. “What? They could make a mold of my cock and then you’d...” He caught sight of her expression and grew quiet. “Too much?”

She nodded, eyes lowered, heart clenching at the thought of losing him.

“Sorry, my love.” Vincent pulled her closer and nuzzled into her neck gently.

“Please don’t give up,” she said in a small voice. As if on cue, the king started coughing, and she handed him a ball of tissues to soak up the blood.

If only it were as simple as replenishing it with her own, she would do anything to keep him alive. Slowly his powers were fading, his movements slowing. It pained her to watch such a powerful male suffer, especially since he was supposed to be immortal. Heck, they all were meant to be.

For those in the know, keeping the situation contained had been a priority. Word of a potential coup by the rebellion grew every day, and if the king were challenged today, he would lose.

Brayden wouldn’t. He was the most powerful vampire among them. They would lose the king, but it would mean the Moretti bloodline would be safe.

Safe enough for her to bring an heir into the world.

She hated that this was happening to the vampire she loved, to his beloved brother, and to her. Together, the brothers were a great team, with Vincent as the diplomat and Brayden as the muscle. Vincent had evolved his father’s reign, and the race was now thriving under his lead. Modern times and modern thinking had been contributing factors. The only thing the Moretti brothers disagreed on was Brayden’s belief they needed to take a stronger stance against the resistance.

She suspected that was about to change.

“I’m trying my best, darling. For everybody.”

Kate nuzzled into his neck, allowing herself a rare moment of weakness.

“Hey, did you guys...oh, fuck. Sorry.”

Kate turned to see Brayden standing in the doorway looking apologetic and beginning to back out.

Shit.

She tensed.

Vincent glanced down at her in question, and after a moment of panic, she realized what he was asking.

She nodded.

He rubbed her arms as he called to his brother, “Come in, Brayden.”

“I’ll come back.”

“I doubt it. You are rarely here.” The king scowled.

“I’m here enough. Don’t start, brother, we have more important things to discuss.”

Kate moved to the seat next to the king and smiled as he took her hand. His thumb rubbed over her knuckles unconsciously.

“Is there something wrong?” She wasn’t worried he would betray her; he loved the king. He might not agree with her crazy request, but he wouldn’t hurt Vincent.

“I’m being followed by some of Russo’s men.” He crossed his arms. “I don’t quite know how or why, but I think Regan has something to do with it. We’re investigating further, but I wanted you to know. Limit what you share with him.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Trust no one, brother. He asked Craig to double Kate’s security.”

Vincent frowned. “Why?”

Brayden nodded thoughtfully, as if this confirmed what he was thinking. “Then it wasn’t at your request.”

“No, for what purpose? She is not in any danger.”

Brayden nodded. “Craig is going to monitor him.”

“So everyone is following everyone.”

Brayden rolled his eyes at the king and walked to the floor-length windows, gripping the top of the frame with his hand. The windows in all their properties were coated to protect them from turning to ash. Handy, but daylight still drained them rapidly if they did not sleep, just as night did with humans.

“Pretty much,” he replied. “I’ll bring more information to you as soon as I hear anything. We need to be more alert. Something feels very off about all this.”

The king stood.

“Why is Regan interfering with the queen’s security, in any case?” Irritation turned to anger as he spoke.

Kate watched Brayden turn to the king, relieved his brother had finally begun to take this seriously. “It’s an interesting question.”

The king frowned.

Kate placed her hand on his arm. “Regan is probably just overstepping his boundaries, as he’s prone to do.”

“Possibly, but Brayden is right to be cautious. I want to be kept informed. Immediately. I don’t give a fuck who does what around here, when it comes to the queen, I get told first. Capisci ?”

The prince nodded. Then he glanced at her, just a little, enough to know...yes, she should go to him. Her chest tightened, heart pounded, and there was nothing she could have done to stop it.

“What’s wrong, my love?” Her mate was attuned to her heart, just as she was to his. Brayden glared at her, and she winced.

“I just don’t want this to upset you or make you any more ill.” It was a half-truth. “Let the prince take care of it.”

Vincent shook his head. “If my advisor is up to something, Kate, I need to know about it. Especially if it involves your safety.”

“Do not confront him, Vincent. Give us time to watch him and the others.”

The king nodded.

Brayden began to walk out.

“Have you finished playing with your little human now, brother?”

Kate could nearly hear the prince’s teeth grinding.

“Her name is Willow.”

Vincent’s face remained blank, though she knew him too well not to notice the flicker of interest in his eyes. Like her, he had noticed subtle changes in the prince. Brayden might think he was fooling everyone, but he most definitely was not.

This woman was important to him. There was every reason to believe she might be his mate, and no reason to believe she was.

She would check his irises again when she visited, though the fact that he appeared to have agreed to her proposal gave her pause.

Surely, he wouldn’t go through with it if he had bonded.

Then again...how could she?