Freed (Vampire King Book 3) (7 page)

“Why
are you holding a corpse?”

“Her
name is Phinova.”

Dear Ambi and Ressi together. Is
this my future? A deranged vampire clutching his only love?

“I’m
sorry.” It seemed like I’d been apologizing all night. “Why are you holding
Phinova?”

“It’s
a long story, but not as significant as to why the Quiet King’s castle is
soaked in blood and death, or why most of his dominas and royal guards are resting
in your sewers, or even more significant…why in the moons’ god’s name are you
still in your king form?”

“Does
it matter?”

“Yes.”
He spat the word out in disgust. “That form is madness formed of flesh. I barely
shift into the form unless I’m faced with an emergency so dire I may die. How
long have you been like this?”

“Not
long.”

“Several
hours at least.” Brie edged off the bed and stepped Ian’s way. My claws
exploded from my fingers.

Ian
held his hand up to her. “Stay there, Brie.”

I
leaned my head to the side. “You command my queen now?”

“No.”
He laid the corpse down on the carpet next to him. “I thought it would be
better if she stayed next to you.”

“Good.”

“You
should change back.”

“Because
it causes you fear to be near so much power.”

“Yes.”
His cheeks twitched as if he were laughing inside of himself.

“Are
you mocking me in your head?”

“Never…Your
Majesty.” He bowed. “Do you remember how I helped you push your horns back into
your head?”

“You
touched them.” I lifted the right side of my lip into a sneer. “You won’t be
touching them again.”

I’ll kill him first.

“Well,
it wasn’t just my touching them that made them withdraw. It was me disgusting
you by touching them.” Ian unbuttoned his leather pants and opened them with a
snap. Two huge dicks plopped out in front of me. I drew back and cringed,
closing my eyes.

The
first thing I noticed was how my body lowered. My hooves twisted with a crunch
and broke into pieces of bone that cracked with a sting and reformed into the
arch of my foot. I screamed and balanced my weight on the wall in front of me. Smaller
bones pushed out into toes. Blood bled through the bone. Flesh skated up the
bone and sewed together with crimson sparks.

A
weird clarity rushed back to me as if a thick fog had seeped out of my brain.
All the thoughts I’d had earlier now seemed irrational, from the need to force
the mental bond to thinking Brie would ever cheat on me with Ian.

How could I ever think those
things? How could I ever hurt her? What have I done?

Inch
by inch, my horns submerged themselves into my skull. My fangs snapped into my
gums. My legs gave out under me. I crashed to the floor, exhausted. A
smoldering ache painted my skin. Sweat glazed me.

“He’ll
need to feed from you tonight.” Ian picked up his dead queen.

“He
already fed from me by taking advantage of my weakness. He won’t feed from me
again.” Brie got off the bed, came over to me, and kneeled.
I should comfort him.
Her thoughts
merged with confusion.
I can’t. He’ll
just take advantage of me again. I have to let him go.

I
shut my eyes. “I hurt her.”

“You
hurt who? Brie?” Ian asked.

Brie
explained what happened from me killing everyone in the Quiet King’s bedroom
until the moment when I forced the bond. I rose from the floor the whole time
she talked and maintained distance between us.

“So
you bit her without getting her permission?” Ian had sat down on the ground
with his queen cuddled in his lap. Every few minutes he directed his attention
to her as if she’d said something.

We’ll have to address the corpse
once…once what? Once Brie leaves? Once Brie decides that I took it too far and
vein-raped her?

“Being
in that form for so long is dangerous.” Ian’s fangs peered out from his top
lip. “You should never be in that form around her unless you’re trying to
protect her.”

“He’ll
never get that chance again.” Brie averted her eyes.
I won’t be with someone who scares me.
Her thoughts lingered in her
head as she traced her thumb along the dagger’s blade.

“Brie
shouldn’t be around me.” I rose, yanked another sheet off the bed, and wrapped
it around my waist. “Take her somewhere safe. I can’t do it and I don’t want to
risk…hurting her again.”

Brie
stared down at the ground. I forced myself to leave her mind to herself and
glided out of her head.

“Are
you talking to me?” Ian touched his chest. “You think the vampire holding the rotting
body is a good choice. Why not Leeta or—?”

“You
know mage territory. At least that’s what Brie said before, that you would take
her there.”

“That
was the promise. Clearly things have changed.” He waved his hands in the air.
“For one, you have over fifty dominas in the sewers tonight. Will you replace
one of them as your queen?”

Brie
stood and parted her lips. Even though the sheet wrapped around her, I could
still make out her sexy curves and wished I could touch her.

“Yes,
little queen?” Ian smirked. “Do you have something to say?”

“No.”
She bit her lip.

“Brie
can leave some of her blood here. I’m not making anyone else my queen.” I
rubbed my eyes.

Ian
snorted. “You think you’ll be satisfied with drinking a tube of her blood?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll
need to take on a domina for more than feeding. You’re a young king now. Your
hormones will surge with the desire to breed—”

“We’ll
discuss this after she’s gone.”

Brie
never sat back down. Several feet stood between us, but neither one would move
closer. I stayed in my spot due to anguish and regret and was sure she stayed
in her area because of fear.

“And
are you planning to fight my brother?” Ian interrupted my thoughts.

“There’s
no other choice. He’ll go after Brie and if he can’t find her, then he’ll grab
her daughters.”

Brie
glanced at me with sad eyes. How I wished to know what she was thinking, but I
didn’t try to break her mental walls. Instead, I put my back to her.

“You
and I in our king forms may be able to take on my brother.” Ian combed his
fingers through the dead woman’s red hair. “But who will hold back his army
while we’re fighting him?”

I
considered the few royal guards that had followed me from the castle. I counted
barely ten and who knew if they would remain loyal to me once the king
returned.

“You
need an army.” Ian spread out his hands. “You’ll need one twice the size of my
brother’s army to even increase the odds against us.”

“What
do you want me to do?” I went to the bed and sat down. “The king makes sure to
keep all strong vampire men in his army. The only people left in the vampire
cities are weak men, scrawny aristocrats, and the old. Where will I get an
army?”

“The
same place we’ll take Brie.” Ian shifted his lips into a huge smile. “Mages can
be your army. They have no problem killing vampires. They’ll be happy to
dethrone the Quiet King.”

“Mages.”
I laughed. “Why would they follow me into battle?”

“They
won’t follow you. A vampire, king or not, cannot rule mages, but they will race
into battle with you as your equal. If you ask and say please.”

“That’s
it?” My voice laced with skepticism.

“Well,
I’m sure you’ll make promises of land, money, and whatever mages want these
days. You’ll say you’ll give it to them if you’re king.”

I
directed my attention to Brie as she sat down on the bed. Space still flowed
between us, but her scent rushed to my nose and calmed me enough to not beg to
hold her.

“I
know you hate me right now.” I gritted my teeth and forced myself to look into
those hurt eyes. “Sorry won’t be enough for what I did. I promise to get you to
safety. I’ll break the bond between us.”

“Okay,”
she whispered.

“I
just ask that…while you’re near me…you’ll let me drink from you.”

She
returned to fingering her dagger. “If you drink, it will be from a place on my
body of my choosing.”

I
bobbed my head.
In other words, there
will be no sex. I’ll be lucky to drink from her wrists.

“You
force yourself on me again and I’ll stab you in the heart.” She didn’t blink or
avert her eyes. Again, adrenaline surged inside of me. Her determination and confidence
turned me on. My dick clenched.

Calm down. We won’t be touching her
tonight…or possibly any other night.

Ian
cleared his throat. “And the mage army? What do you think? My thinking is that
we barely have two to three days before Nai begins searching for you. As I ran
here, whispers swirled the city about the Horned King who conquered the
kingdom.”

“And
I am this Horned King?” I sighed.

“Yes.
Nai will hear of it by next dusk or the dusk after that. When he does, murder
will swim in his head and he won’t calm down until your heart is beating in his
hands.”

“We
can’t let that happen.” Brie’s fingers shook in her lap.

Even though I hurt her, she still
worries for me.

“Do
you think it’s a good idea to recruit mages for my cause?” I asked her.

“Don’t
ask her.” Ian shook his head. “Look within yourself for the answer.”

“Says
the vampire snuggling a dead body.” I turned back to Brie. “What do you think?”

Ian
snarled.

“Ambi
believes that we must all unite against the Quiet King.” She set the dagger on
the bed. “He’s blessed you in this war.”

“What
do you mean Ambi believes?” Ian studied her as if for the first time. His gaze
traveled down her body. The glowing marks on her arms glimmered in the light.
His hand went to his mouth. “You died and returned? Or are my eyes playing
tricks on me like my mind tonight? I’ve heard legends about the Returned.
People who die and come back with stars in their skin—”

“Yes.
I returned, but I don’t know what’s in my skin.” She tossed him a weak smile
and looked at me. “I think connecting with the mages is a good idea.”

“Then
we’ll sneak into mage territory at dusk,” I decided aloud.

“No.”
Ian held up his hand before him. “We’ll do it during daylight. We don’t have
time. We’ll rest in Tribe Flame’s land. They’re the closest and Phinova’s old
tribe. They held connections with my father and will be the most willing to
talk to vampires compared to the others.”

“If
the other tribes won’t talk to you both, then they’ll talk to me,” Brie
offered.

“No.
You’re out of this.” I got up and headed to the bathroom. If we were leaving
soon, I’d need to shower again and release the ache inside my cock from being
next to her yet unable to touch her. “When we arrive at Tribe Flame, you’ll
remain with them. Ian and I will continue to build the army. You’ll be far
away.”

Brie
stirred in her seat. “And then we fight—”

“We
will not be fighting,” I roared, backed up, and made myself calm down. “You
won’t be near that battle or me. I’m done with you being hurt or harmed.”

“I’ll
decide what I will and will not do.” She crossed her arms over her chest. I
yearned to fuck her right there, to lay her down on the bed, spread open those
thighs, and enter her with no mercy.

Ian
rose with the corpse in his arms. “Let’s just plan on each day and not think
too far ahead. You both acted already with this castle debacle. No more moves
unless you talk with me.”

“We
didn’t act on anything,” Brie argued. “His mother surprised us in the Quiet
King’s room and stabbed me. I told you this.”

“You
shouldn’t have been in my brother’s room to begin with.”

“I
needed to find out information.”

“Well,
now you have it.” Ian displayed Phinova’s spider-webbed face to us. “Nai is
insane and has been filling up Phinova’s…body with domina blood to preserve
her.”

“And
why do you have her?” Brie stood as if to get a better look at the dead woman.

“I
just do.”

“For
what?”

“You
wouldn’t understand.” Ian hugged Phinova close to him. “Trust me. I’m not
crazy. You…you just wouldn’t understand. Now focus on the plan!”

Neither
Brie nor I took our eyes away from the dead queen.

“Have
we all agreed?” Ian backed up to the door.

“Yes,”
Brie and I both said.

“Shower,
eat, and pick some of the dominas and guards to journey with us.” Ian opened
the door. “We’ll need hands to carry things to trade. We’ll need women to peak
the interests of chiefs. Brie should be clean, calm, and enchanting as always,
since she is mage-kin. She may, in fact, be the person who speaks for us most
of the time. Ambi help us.”