CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

T he king suddenly slowed his walk down the aisle and looked back and forth between her and Brayden.

She lifted her hand in a small greeting.

He was an intimidating man. He seemed to always wear black leather pants and a matching black shirt. On his arm was an enormous watch. Like Brayden, he had dark hair, except his was shorter and appeared to have no curl. His eyes were dark brown. Their face shape, solid jaw, and big eyes made it obvious they were brothers.

Both gave off powerful vibes, yet with Vincent, there was something different. He was the king. It was in the way he stood tall with his legs wide, his shoulders back, and complete authority in his face.

He’d shown her kindness whenever they had met, but Willow couldn’t help feeling that if she met him alone in a dark alley, she would be fearing for her life.

It was different with Brayden. She’d been overwhelmed with attraction and sensed his protectiveness right from the start. Yet his power was his own.

“Your majesty, welcome on board.”

“Thank you, Margaret. I’ll have an ale for takeoff. Kate?”

The queen stepped into the cabin, looking as beautiful and graceful as she had the first time Willow had met her. How she got her blonde hair so shiny was a mystery. Likely some vampire magical power.

“Just a small glass of plasma, Margaret.”

Brayden squeezed her hand.

“Oh God, I’m sorry, Willow,” the queen said. “I hope it didn’t freak you out.”

“I guess that’s what I’m here to learn.” Her voice came out all squeaky, which was completely embarrassing.

The couple took a seat on the opposite side of the plane as their drinks were served.

“Can I get another one of these now, please,” Willow asked Margaret, pointing to her own drink, knowing she was going to need it.

Another woman stepped on board, followed closely by a tall man in what looked like a black military outfit. “Sorry, sorry we’re late.”

“Hey,” Brayden said, sounding surprised. “What are you doing here?”

The man lowered his head. “Captain. Your majesty.”

“Welcome. Sit!” Vincent bellowed, then shot an apologetic look at her. “The queen and I invited Sera and Carlos to join us on the flight home.”

“Please find a seat,” Kate said.

Willow glanced at Brayden, whose narrowed eyes suddenly softened before he nodded.

“What’s going on?” she asked quietly.

“It’s okay. Seraphina is the king’s secretary and Carlos is her mate. He’s also a lieutenant in our army.”

Which did nothing to explain why he had tensed when they arrived. “And?”

He shook his head. “No one usually flies on the royal jet except family—”

He was interrupted by the queen. “Sera was a human before she met Carlos.” Willow glanced at the female and nodded in greeting. “I thought you could ask her questions. Learn about her experience. If you wanted. There is no pressure.”

Willow turned to Brayden.

“Kate, I know you’re trying to help, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to Willow about anything. At all.”

He looked down at her. “I’m sorry. This is all too much, too fast.”

Her palms began to sweat as the aircraft lifted into the air, and not from fear of turbulence.

“Your highness, if I may.”

“Speak freely, Seraphina,” Vincent prompted, though her question had been directed at Brayden.

The brothers glared at each other.

“Keeping the information from Willow will only increase her fear as her imagination runs wild.” Willow nodded slowly, giving the female a little smile.

“That may be true, but I will be the one to tell my mate what to expect.”

Vincent waved his hand. “The floor is yours.”

“Stop, brother! I will not do it while we are thirty thousand feet in the air with nowhere for her to run.”

The king shrugged and mumbled, “Seems like the safest place to me. She can’t run.”

The queen told him off, and beside her, she heard a groan.

“I’m not going to run.” Maybe. Probably. “Seraphina is right. I need to know.”

“Christ, this is an absolute ambush,” Brayden growled, mad. “She’s my fucking mate! Do not”—he pointed to the king and queen—“try another stunt like this without my knowledge. You hear me?”

His voice was low and dark, but the message was clear.

“Be careful with your tone, prince,” the king warned, glancing at his queen.

The air was thick with testosterone, sending panic through her body. Her heart began thumping wildly in her chest as she prepared for violence to erupt. These people were predators— who knew what they were capable of. Instead, she noticed they were all staring at her.

Brayden wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry.”

“Okay, look, I’m sorry too. I just wanted to help,” the queen apologized.

“I want to hurry things up!”

Brayden growled again. To break up the two alpha males, Willow squeezed Brayden’s leg.

“Fine. So tell me. How does it happen? Becoming a vampire.”

Well, that shut everyone up. There was a whole bunch of silence all of a sudden.

More silence.

“I’ll tell her if you—”

“You will not!” Brayden snapped at his brother. “Come with me.” He led her down to the rear of the aircraft, into a bedroom. Inside was a large bed, a bathroom, and some furniture affixed to the walls.

“We do this alone. Well, as alone as one can get with vampire hearing.”

They climbed onto the bed, and she sat facing him, cross-legged. Brayden leaned against the headboard, one knee up with his arm flopped over it. With his other, he took her hand.

“I’ve never turned a human,” he started. “There is a reason, one which I am blood bound not to share with you. Until, or unless, you become my mate.”

She nodded, not understanding.

“Even telling you, this is crossing the fine line. Right now, Vincent will be wiping the minds of Carlos and Seraphina. As I will have to do with yours, should you choose to leave.”

“Yes.” Her mind whirled. There was so much to learn and understand, most of all the decisions she had to make at the end. To become a vampire or lose Brayden.

“If you decide to change—”

“To become your mate.”

“No, you are already my mate. We are bonded in ways you do not understand yet.”

She narrowed her eyes in confusion.

“One thing at a time,” he placated, rubbing his thumb over her fingers. “If you choose to spend your life with me, you must become a vampire. For your safety and because it is our way. The hours I have been keeping are not sustainable long-term, nor could you function in our world.”

Brayden’s eyes ran over her face, watching her reaction. Her chest barely moved; her breathing was shallow from the trepidation of hearing his next words.

“If you do...”

“God, Brayden, spit it out.”

“Then I will bite you.” His eyes looked apologetic, yet full of determination. “I will drink your blood to connect us. Blood has power, even yours as a human. Then you will drink some of mine.”

His fingers tightened around her as she sat frozen, listening. “It will trigger a genetic change in your body. Over the next few days, I will continue to feed you until the transition is complete.”

She attempted to swallow what felt like sand. “Is it painful?”

He nodded.

“Could I die?”

He held her stare for a long time. “No.”

She looked at him in disbelief.

“No, Willow, you will not die. Some have, but I swear on my life you will not die.”

She choked and started coughing. “What, because you decree it, or some other reason?”

Cough, cough.

Brayden looked around the room, his jaw set in frustration.

“Both,” he said firmly. “For the reason I mentioned earlier which I cannot divulge more on. You will be an immortal once the transition is complete. After that, the only ways to end your life is a knife in the heart or decapitation.”

Her mouth gaped at his words.

“To be fair, you can die those ways right now.” He shrugged.

She couldn’t argue with that. He was right.

“So I’d live forever?”

He nodded.

“What do you do all day?”

Brayden let out a little laugh and pulled her into his arms. “Prince stuff. I’m also the Captain of the Royal Vampire Army, so I keep busy when I’m not wooing my mate.”

She snorted. “What would I do?”

He brushed her hair off her face and kissed her lips gently. “Anything you wanted. The world will be your oyster. There will be royal duties as my mate; however, if you want a job, we could create one or find something you want to do. Or you can keep running your business for a while.”

She realized what he meant. Eventually, she would draw attention when she didn’t age.

“What about my friends?”

He frowned. “It’s tricky. Most of the turned vamps seem to leave their human lives behind. Those are the things you could ask Seraphina. There can be no risk to the race, for our survival and safety.”

She snuggled into him, her mind ablaze with information and thoughts, which were both terrifying and confusing. The idea of losing her friends, of never seeing Brianna again, was heartbreaking. Yet for reasons she couldn’t explain, the idea of losing Brayden made her body shake and her stomach nauseous.

“Tell me about being a mate.”

He pulled back from her and tipped her chin up. “For a vampire, there is only one mate. When he mates with a female, the other is impacted whether they are human or vampire.”

Oh.

“We don’t understand why it’s possible to cross-mate, we just know it does happen. It’s a chemical reaction chosen by both parties, so I want to be clear this isn’t something I have forced upon you or vice versa.”

The desire to kiss him came over her. She knew she should be paying closer attention, but she suddenly couldn’t keep her lips to herself. He moaned, and with surprising speed, bit her lip gently in response, then pulled away and smirked at her. She giggled.

“Mates are, for the most part, inseparable. Being apart is painful. An ache in your chest you can’t relieve. A need which can’t be fulfilled any other way.”

“Do humans experience these feelings as well?” she asked, curiously.

“Yes, but it may be more visceral for vampires. Have you ever felt the same way with a man as you do with me?”

She shook her head. It was true; she hadn’t. However, she’d assumed it was because she’d fallen in love with Brayden. Their sex life was incredible, and she never felt happier than when he was around. The pull to be near him was palpable, for sure.

“Once we are officially mated and you’ve become a vampire, those feelings will intensify.”

“If.”

He nodded sadly. “Yes. If .”

“I can’t imagine wanting you more than I already do, Bray.” Willow nudged up against his erection, which had appeared not long ago.

“You will.”

He cupped her bottom and pulled her into his body, plunging his tongue into her mouth. Melting in his arms, she let herself forget for a moment what they were talking about.

“If we didn’t have an audience, I would fuck you right now,” he said against her lips.

Wet pooled between her legs.

“Do it,” she whispered.

Brayden shook his head.

“I share you with no one.”

He rubbed a thumb over her nipple, and it hardened. Lifting her top, he took it in his mouth and flicked it with his tongue. “As much as I want to.”

Willow gripped his cock.

“God...”

She unzipped his jeans, and knowing he would be commando, reached in.

“Fuck.”

Taking advantage of his surprise, she slipped out of his arm and climbed down his body to take his hard shaft in her mouth.

Holding the base of it, she opened his top button to gain better access.

“Willow, fuck, baby.”

Taking him into her mouth, she slowly eased him to the back of her throat. In and out. In and out. Teasing his cock with her tongue.

He threw his head back and clenched the sheets. She let him fall out of her mouth, and she slapped him on her lips. Back in he went, and this time, she sucked harder, wishing he were inside her.

A hand grabbed her hair and tugged.

“Deeper, baby,” he said quietly, but they both knew it was useless. Everyone could hear them. Gliding him in and out of her wet mouth, Willow felt him grow bigger, getting close. “Put your fingers in your pussy for me, baby.”

Heat flushed through her veins, roaring her body to life. She reached down, slipping her hand under her panties, feeling her wetness. Further she went until two fingers were inserted. She groaned.

“Yes. Yes, God, that,” he cried as quietly as he could. “Now, let me taste you.”

Brayden all but ripped her arm up to his mouth and sucked her fingers hard. “Fuck, yes, fuck.” One hand in her hair, he pushed his cock into her mouth, forcing her to take him deeper as he sucked on her fingers coated in her wetness.

He came hard and fast while she swallowed deep. When he was spent, he pulled her up his body, swiftly ripping off her panties and spreading her over his open jeans.

“Sit down on my cock, Willow.” He was hard again. It no longer surprised her. He lifted her and placed her on his cock.

“Mphhm,” she let out, trying to muffle her cries into his chest.

“That’s it, oh God.” He groaned. “Ride me.”

Again doing all the work, he gripped her hips and moved her up and down his cock. The denim from his jeans rubbed harshly on her bottom, but she didn’t care.

“Come. Now,” he instructed, and her body obeyed.

“FuckfuckBraydenohfuck.”

“Yeah, baby, milk my cock dry, that’s it. Oh God.” He came again, grabbing her head and slamming his lips against hers.

Together, they collapsed and lay panting. She could feel his heart under her chest and enjoyed just listening to it beat.

Finally, she raised her head and said, “Good talk.”

He smirked.