Touchdown Daddy (50 page)

Time would tell if her back would fully recover, but with stlozyn healing techniques, Gemma was healed from the birth within a matter of days. Shay still wanted her to stay on bed rest, but she felt good enough to get up and moving. Just lying in bed was boring. And her desire for something spicy had returned.

Gemma slipped a negligee over her head, checking out her reflection in the mirror to make sure it fit right. It felt strange to have lost so much weight so quickly, like she no longer fit in her own skin. She had to say, she didn't like it. She preferred being a little curvier. To hell with people telling her she weighed too much, she had felt like herself before.

She slipped from the bedroom into the living room of her and Shay's apartment. Ishoel was down for a nap, giving them a couple of hours for a spicy dessert.

Her dragon sat on the sofa, watching a holographic simulation of something that looked like DNA. Now that Ishoel had been born, Gemma felt comfortable giving small amounts of blood to him for his research. It was really helping him out.

Shay suddenly jumped from the sofa and clapped his hands. The holographic projection flickered off. The dragon began doing some weird sort of jig. Gemma had to stifle a giggle. He looked so ridiculous with his robes flapping around him.

"Good news?"

"Great news!" He turned, scooping her into his arms. He swung her around before setting her back on the floor and looking at her ensemble. "Wow."

Gemma pushed back her shoulders, making her chest pop. "What's the good news?"

"Ummm…" Shay looked back at her eyes. "I've been working on an infusion of human DNA into stlozyn DNA to try to vaccinate against the disease."

"And it works?"

"Better. It's actually reversing the effects of the disease. Simulated DNA works just as well, so it's not like we have to go and harvest human DNA from Earth."

A grin blossomed over Gemma's face. "I knew you'd do it. You cured your people."

"I'm going to accept the position on the Science Board. I've earned it now." Shay seized her and pulled her to his lips. He kissed her hard, making sparks erupt in her brain. "And I never could have done it without you."

Gemma moaned and slung her arms around her dragon's neck, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Shay responded with the same fervor, hands sliding down her back to grip her buttocks. With one quick motion, she tugged on the ties of his robe, loosening it, and pushed it off his shoulders. His flesh was so warm, so perfect. The tiny scales that glittered over his body were as smooth as skin but had a slightly different texture, a little harder. They didn't give under her touch.

"You are so beautiful," she whispered, exploring the contours of his chest and abs with her hands. He was so strong, so solid. What had life been before they were together? It seemed a distant dream, too far away to be bothered with.

"
You
are beautiful." Shay ran his fingers through her hair, moaning.

"Are you ready for something spicy?"

In response, Shay lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist. He moved her to the wall, propping her up in their favorite position. Gemma's whole body felt warm, almost as if the fire inside of her dragon was moving from him to her. She gripped his short hair, using her legs around his waist as leverage. Their mouths met, tongues clashed. Gemma giggled when Shay ground against her.

"I love how ready we both are right now." She moaned as he ground harder.

"Me too. I love you. More than you can know."

"And I love you more than you can know," Gemma shot back, not about to be beaten.

She kissed her dragon's neck, suckling gently on the sensitive patch right at the base of his throat. That undid him, and somehow without releasing her, he removed the barriers between them and was inside her. He fit so perfectly, just like he had before Ishoel was born. Gemma groaned in pleasure, arching her back to his movement, her eyes sliding closed in bliss.

This was all she wanted, all she needed. She was home in his arms, it was where she belonged. And right now, with his strength filling her, she couldn't imagine why she had ever wanted anything else.

***

"Gemma."

Gemma opened a sleepy eye. She propped herself up on an elbow, suppressing a yawn. "Did I fall asleep?"

Shay brushed her hair from her face, smiling. "It's been a while since we did this, it's no surprise that it wore you out a little. I promise to be less… enthusiastic next time."

"No!" Gemma shook her head, glaring at him. "You will do no such thing, you hear me? That was amazing."

Shay laughed. "I only meant that I'll try not to wear you out so badly."

"I'm not worn out. I'm ready for round three. Or four."

She tried to think how many times they had made love, but couldn't. They had had to stop a couple of times to take care of the baby, but other than that they had been going at it for hours. Those hours felt
good
. Gemma couldn't even remember the last time she had felt so relaxed, so at peace. And so satisfied.

"You always went easy on me back when we were on Earth," she accused. "Why?"

"The shimmer cloak is only good if it isn't overtaxed. But I want to tell you something."

Gemma pressed herself to her elbows, stretching her lips to his. "What's that?"

Shay indulged her kisses for a moment before he pulled back, laughing. "Stop that. This is important to me."

"I'll behave," Gemma promised, folding her hands into her lap to prove it.

Her eyes went to Shay's lips, wanting even more of the taste he left on her lips. He was delicious. Like Applewood smoked bacon. Only even better. Like chocolate ice cream. Bacon and ice-cream together. Delicious. Utter perfection.

"Stop," Shay warned.

Gemma pulled her eyes to his with difficulty. The blood-red ruby eyes twinkled and a smile played about his lips. From the way he moved closer to her, she wasn't the only one fighting some serious hunger pangs.

"I told you once that stlozyn have real names and then public names."

"Ummm…" She vaguely remembered something about that, so nodded.

"Well… I have been waiting a very long time to find somebody I could share this with." His smile actually became a little nervous as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not to be used, not even in private. Real names are only spoken when one individual tells another, and then at their funeral. It's one of those silly superstitions—"

"It's not silly." Gemma forced herself to remain still, though her heart was pounding. She could tell by her dragon's nervousness that this meant a great deal to him. It touched her that he would trust her with this, even if she didn't understand the full importance–or perhaps because of that.

"My true name is Isthæshlyn."

"That's beautiful." Gemma stroked his face, repeating it in her mind. Isthæshlyn. "What does it mean?"

"It's the name of a hero in an old folk tale. I always admired him, and when it was time to find my true name, that is what came to me." Shay pulled her closer.

Gemma hummed as she snuggled into his arms. "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you. You don't know how long I've waited to be able to tell somebody that… I love you."

"I love you, too."

They held each other, eyes closed, revelling in the warmth of being together. Of being home.

*****

THE END

Bonus Book 10: Abducted by the Vampire Prince

By:
T.S. Ryder

Description

A curvy witch chosen as a bride PLUS a vampire prince fighting fate PLUS a deadly prophecy!

She loved him before she met him.

Rachel is a witch and a Seer, capable of seeing the future, and what she has seen is the vampire prince, Henry. When she and her younger sister, Leila, are kidnapped by vampires, she already knows that he will choose them both to be his brides. She already loves him, and can't wait until her belly grows with his baby.

On the day Henry was born, it was prophesized that one day he would kill his father. He has always shrunk from that knowledge, determined to change the foreseen future...

But the conception of the prince's child heralds the death of the prince's father. He has no way of knowing when he first sees Rachel that he will love her, or that, when she gets pregnant, his father will order him to kill her.

With fate dictating that he must kill somebody he loves, his father or his bride, Henry takes the only choice available to him: with his brides at his side, he flees the underground kingdom.

But there is no running from fate. It will always follow, and Henry's father will never stop hunting them…

Can they survive and change their destiny? Will their love conquer all?

The only light in the sky was the moon. It was full and round. Pregnant. If she peered close enough, Rachel could almost make out the image of a baby in the dark spots on the glowing orb. Her heart pounded against her ribs and her mouth was dry as she gazed upward, her eyes bright as she searched the moon, as if it could confirm she had made the right choice. A gentle breeze blew through her long, dark hair.

"This is it," she whispered, hardly daring to break the silence. She tore her gaze from the sky and scanned the area around them. They would be coming soon, eyes glowing in the inky black. "As soon as a cloud moves over the moon."

Beside her, her younger sister, Leila, scowled fiercely as she shifted. She flipped a coin nervously through her fingers, making it disappear from one palm and reappear in the next. "I hope you're right about this… scratch that, I know you're right. I just hope you know what you're doing and that your visions haven't blinded you."

Rachel allowed a smile at her sister's growl. It was a calculated risk, after all. Visions couldn’t always be interpreted exactly. Precognition was a rare magical gift, especially among witches with only minimal training, like her and Leila. If things happened the way she thought, they would never see the surface again.

But humans were becoming more and more aware of the magic in the world around them, and it was only a matter of time before the sisters were caught and locked up. Going underground was the best choice. Even if Rachel didn't know exactly what was waiting for them below, she knew enough.

"I can't just stand around waiting for them to take us," Leila said abruptly, shaking her head. "They're vampires, for Hela's sake. This is a bad idea."

"Hela's sake?" Rachel arched a brow at her sister. "Since when have you started worshiping the Norse gods?"

"I haven't. But I certainly don't worship any asshole named Pete."

Rachel laughed. She dug into her backpack and pulled out a kindle reader, handing it to her sister. "I got a bunch of those comics that you like. I thought it might help relax you a bit."

Leila made a noncommittal noise in her throat and plopped down on the bridge, bracing the kindle against her knees. Rachel lifted her face back to the pregnant moon, watching it. Unconsciously, her hand drifted to her stomach. What would it feel like, to be full of life?

She closed her eyes, trying to remember the vague impressions she had got from dreaming of a baby inside her. The dreams had been getting stronger lately, and she knew tonight was going to be the night. She was going to meet the man she already loved. They would be parents within the year.

It was difficult being patient when she wanted it so badly.

When Rachel opened her eyes again, her heart stopped. The lights along the path around the lake had all gone off and the sky was black. Dozens of stars along the lake level blinked on and off, drifting closer to the sisters.

Fear rose up Rachel's throat, choking her. Even though she had known this moment was coming, had lived it dozens of times in her dreams, now that it was happening, she couldn't stop the tendrils of doubt curling around her heart. What if she had interpreted her dreams wrong? What if the future had changed?

"Leila."

Her sister looked up and jumped to her feet, clutching the kindle tightly in her hands. She cursed when she saw the eyes surrounding them.

Rachel took a deep breath. "Put the kindle back into my pack. We don't want to lose it."

She stood still as Leila did as she said, and then the sisters joined hands. Rachel could feel Leila shaking, and knew she was fighting to keep herself from lashing out. She was used to finding a way out of a situation and worrying about consequences later. Rachel always took her time to assess and plan. Both strategies had gotten the sisters into trouble in the past, and both had gotten them out of trouble as well.

Was this one of those times when Rachel was getting them into trouble?

"They're not running," a voice right behind her said. "Odd."

Rachel jumped, just stopping herself from screaming, and turned. She couldn't see anything of the man who had just spoken expect his glowing blue eyes.

"We don't want this one, anyway," another voice said, and strong fingers pinched her arm. "Her blood will be useless. The king has to watch his cholesterol, after all."

Leila snarled. "Forget this!"

Rachel opened her mouth, but Leila had already ripped her hand away. Fire coated her sister's hands, illuminating a dozen men surrounding them. There were a few cries, but even as Rachel started to shout at Leila to put out her magic there was a sickening thud. The light went out and Rachel felt Leila collapse beside her. An arm wrapped around her throat, choking her.

"Witches," the vampire holding her hissed.

"Bring them," another, deeper voice said. "And whatever you do, don't taste their blood."

The arm tightened around Rachel's neck. She struggled instinctively, but the glowing eyes staring at her were fading. Her lungs cried out for air, and then there was only darkness.

***

When Rachel woke, she found herself lying on a thin mattress directly on a cold, stone floor. Her head hurt, but the familiar black walls around her had her sighing in relief. This was the vampire palace, and soon they would be taken to see the king. Her heart sped as she pushed herself to a sitting position. Leila lay on a mattress similar to hers nearby. From the dim fluorescent light overhead, Rachel saw some dried blood on the side of her face.

Her eyes were open, though, and she shot Rachel an annoyed glance. "You didn't mention that I’d get knocked in the head."

"You wouldn't have if you hadn't started threatening them."

Leila shrugged. "How long do we wait now?"

"I don't know. Time doesn't really mean much in visions." Rachel sighed, rubbing her temples. "Do you need to be healed?"

"No, I've already healed myself."

That sounded like a good idea. Rachel closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest, focusing on the aches in her body. She called the magic that pooled in the center of her body, drawing it through her veins and to her injuries. The dull ache in her head disappeared.

The door opened and four vampires came into the room. Rachel had to stifle a gasp–even though she knew what they looked like from her visions, seeing them in person was something completely differently. These vampires were broad-shouldered and bare-chested to show off their impressive muscles. All were so pale their skin was almost gray, and their hair was long and pulled back into braids down their backs. One of them had a whip secured to his belt.

"No funny business," this one warned the sisters, reaching for Leila. "Witch blood might be deadly to vampires, but that doesn't mean we can't snap your necks like twigs. Behave yourselves and you won't die."

"Get your hands off me," Leila snarled, as the vampire grabbed her. "I'll walk."

Rachel was already on her feet. She twisted her hands. They were being taken to the king now. At least she hoped they were. Her eyes flickered between the four vampires that stared at them, and she stepped over to Leila, taking her hand.

"We came to you willingly. You don't have to threaten us."

The vampire with the whip snorted but nodded to the other three, who surrounded the sisters and ushered them from the room. There were no lights in the corridors, and when she stumbled, she allowed one of the vampires to grip her elbow to help her walk. From the hiss and thump that came from Leila, she was being a little more stubborn.

After what felt like hours navigating the dark corridors accompanied only by glowing eyes, Rachel saw a light. She started walking faster, impatient to finally embrace her destiny. The vampires chuckled a little, but they picked up their pace as well. Soon they emerged into a well-lit chamber.

Rachel blinked as her eyes adjusted, ignoring the golden decorations and the brightly-dressed attendants. She even ignored the dozens of young women huddling together on the floor, some weeping openly. Her gaze briefly dwelled on the king before she swiveled, searching the chamber, looking for
him
. Her vampire.

Henry
.

He was nowhere to be seen, and disappointment crashed into Rachel.

Patience
, she chided herself and glanced at the huddled women. At seventeen, Leila looked like she was the youngest. Rachel was the oldest at twenty-one. The sisters were also the only two with dark hair. All the others were varying shades of blonde. One redhead stuck out of the crowd and Rachel broke away from her escort to join the trembling girl, Becky. They would become good friends.

"This is the harvest, my lord." The vampire with the whip bowed to the man sitting on a golden throne.

Rachel pulled Becky to her feet, putting an arm around her waist, and looked at the vampire king. He was bigger than the other vampires, with wheat-gold hair and blazing blue eyes.

He focused on Rachel and a disgusted look twisted his face. "And what is
that
? Did I not say I only wanted great beauties?"

Rachel scowled at him. She might not look like the blonde supermodels who were huddled on the floor, she might carry extra weight around her midsection and arms, but she carried it well, and she was hardly hideous. She raised her chin in defiance.

"A witch," the first vampire said, sounding nervous. "She and her sister both. It's always better when they're brides, rather than put into training."

The king's eyes narrowed and he shrugged. "If any of the Elite want them, they can have them. Otherwise, they'll be put into training. Where is my son?"

"Here, father."

Rachel shivered at the familiar voice that spoke behind her. Her heart pounded. She wanted to turn but suddenly felt overly shy. What if her dreams lied to her, and the future she was counting on didn't happen? What if Henry didn't love her the way she had grown to love him?

The king stood, gesturing, and a vampire dressed all in black strode through the gathered women. A scowl marred his brow and he didn't look at any of them as he passed. Rachel tensed, staring at him, but he didn't turn in her direction. He came to the foot of his father's throne and bowed. He had the same golden hair as his father, and his skin, while still pale, was not quite as pale as the others around him, indicative of his still-beating heart.

"My son," the king said, standing. "You have the honor of having the first pick of these new brides."

Henry's scowl deepened.

"Your last bride is old and will die soon," the king added in a gentle tone. "Take a look at this year's harvest and pick the three you like best."

"Father, I don't need brides who have been kidnapped from their homes," Henry muttered. "This is a barbaric tradition—"

"One you can change once you are king. For now, you are my subject and will not insult me." The king's voice took on a hard edge. "Three brides. You can seduce them at your own pace after they are in your chambers, but you
will
choose."

Henry's hands clenched. He turned on his heel, barely giving the women a glance. His gaze lingered on Rachel, Leila and Becky. His eyes narrowed, then he pointed at them. "Those three."

The king's brows rose. "
Those
?"

"I'm tired of blondes," Henry said, sounding bored. "And I like how the little one is glaring at me."

"I'll do more than glare," Leila muttered fiercely. "If he tries to touch me, I'll rip off his—"

Rachel shook her head, cutting her off. She thought Henry had heard Leila's whispers, though, because a smile tugged at his lips. He looked at Rachel again and a puzzled expression crossed his face. Her heart leaped to her throat. She wanted to taste his lips on hers so badly…

"Are you certain you want those three?"

"Yes, father. Can I take them now?"

The king frowned, but nodded. "Do as you wish, Henry. But the two dark ones are witches. Don't drink their blood."

Henry's gaze swept down Rachel with renewed interest. He nodded. "Understood, father."

He strode towards them, and Rachel stepped forward, meeting him. Her heart flip-flopped in her chest and a smile grew on her face. Henry. At last.
Her
Henry. She had wanted so long to see him, to be near him, that she couldn't stop herself. The moment he was close enough, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself to her toes, planting a firm kiss onto his lips.