Blood Rider

Lee had a whack load of people pissed at her, but it had been worth it. In the end, she thought they should be pleased she was more vampire than Council peon. A Council worker would have killed Drake and Richard for raising the horde and tormenting Will. Will still hadn’t fully recovered from the trauma. She wasn’t sure he could. A vampire looked at the advantages and setting herself free and clear of everyone. It was a lure she couldn’t resist, even if it meant leaving a few bastards alive and kicking.

She snickered and sipped on her beer. With Charlie within her, her instincts alive and so very vampiric, it was hardly surprising Lee had felt so territorial over her breed of fledglings and desired to set a territory of her own. She and all her fledglings, which were better than average fledglings, all had created a nice nest within the northern tip of the city, converting old warehouses. The Elite had helped set things up nicely. When it was all said and done, she was still Jak’s consort and her resting place should be secure. Some of her fledglings were a little unstable, some less human than they used to be, but Lee didn’t think this was a disadvantage.

So she relaxed on a soft couch in a loft style apartment in one of the many warehouses that now set her vampire district aside from the Chosen territory. William was curled up with his head resting on her lap, his eyes vacant. Sometimes he was aware. He was only relaxed when she was around. Even when he was alert he only felt safe by her side. She had to let him feed off her since he would not hunt.

Times like this she was glad she let Richard live because it gave her time to mull over suitable ways to punish him for his hubris. The Queen had only commanded her will be fulfilled, not how and apparently she couldn’t care less on the how it had been accomplished. The woman was ruthless and heartless when it came to anyone but her own people and part of Lee understood that.

Drake had really just been siphoning off vampires to prolong his own life until Richard came along. Drake was as obsessed as the Queen with prolonging his life, as brilliant as Richard and two evil geniuses were enough to create a horde. The difference was Drake wasn’t all cool with the horde slaughtering innocents especially when there had been no viable solution available right away. He had at least tried to grow a backbone and help Viona out. So Lee wasn’t concocting elaborate plans to punish him for his sins, yet, figuring Justina would sufficiently do that for her.

Lee brushed Will’s hair with her fingertips and took another chug of her beer with the other. Revel and Laura walked in, bickering about something and sat down in two chairs to her left. “Laura, you’re stinking the room up with the scent of silver again,” Lee said. “You have any idea how hard that is to get out?”

“Deal with it. You need some backup to deal with this Council Handler. I hear he’s immortal and an Essence wizard.”

“Yeah. And godlike as well.” Laura was a gift from the Queen if it could be called that. A sort of ambassador to help Lee guide the north side vampires so they meshed well with the rest of the citizens. Lee thought it was working out well. Her vampires hunted the streets for criminals, fed and then handed them over to the authorities. They would do the same for some northern towns once Lee was more established. Not that Lee knew anything about running her own vampire establishment. She was learning a lot of that from Sine and Sine was training those of her little clan to be the movers and shakers. Revel was training some to be the blockers. Lee had yet to learn what those code titles meant but at least she would have them. Laura was an asset and made the Queen feel better about their bargain. And Lee made sure to feed Laura enough information to keep the Queen content, but then Lee was sure the Queen had plenty of other spies on the payroll. “What sort of defence are you going to produce to protect from that?”

Laura shrugged. Lee had to wonder if she liked her assignment, given her skin would say bluer than blue until she was away from vampires for a bit. Although it was astonishing how her defence mechanism rapidly produced biochemistry changes to suit her environment. It wouldn’t take her long outside of vampire contact to regain her normal hue, nor did it take long to add in protection if exposed to some other race. Didn’t protect her from a sword though. “Not sure really. Does something on an energy level, so when an Essence mage tries to tap me, they get something unpleasant. Or so Drake told me.”

Lee smiled thinly. Drake had probably tried to drain her when he realized how screwed he was. Oddly enough having Drake and Justina in her territory, her allies, made Lee feel better. Perhaps because if the Queen fouled up their deal killing Drake would sever the spell connection they had. Or Lee would sever him. Either way.

The air seemed to crackle with power when Wilhelm sauntered in. Lee knew he was close. She knew the moment one of her turned sensed him as he crossed the river. She had been told when that fledgling had traced back to inform her. Sine, who she had no link to, was escorting the wizard in. Sine who served as her senior guard, her one Elite bodyguard, whether she liked it or not. Revel, of course, always ran with Sine. The two were inseparable. But his job seemed to be solely to mock her or find his own amusement.

Wilhelm didn’t bother announcing himself; his aura did that well enough. He entered the room, with Sine close behind and then narrowed his eyes at Lee. She could have been more formal, or at least have turned Will over to someone else, but she didn’t owe him a damn thing.

“Lee, the powers that be are quite disappointed in you.” If people thought Lee was self-destructive, they must think Wilhelm was completely indifferent. He walked into enemy territory, into a vampire district, with not even a hint of fear or anxiety. That was a tad insulting and was likely meant to be.

Laura apparently shared that personal indifference, since she stood up and glared Wilhelm down. Impressive, given she was about a foot shy his height. “You will address her with some respect.”

Wilhelm smirked and sat down. “Because she is your new pet vampire Sire or because she lucked out with the gene pool and is called a born vampire?”

“The Changed are all about status, Wilhelm. At least they have some respect. I understand a war over territory with their Queen would be premature and she gets that too. So we compromise. Something the Council ought to learn.”

“You have no idea what you have done. No idea. You are supporting a monarchy which actively rejects Council rule. That makes them isolated from every other region.”

Lee waved a hand dismissively. “Whatever. That’s none of my concern. What is my concern are me and my fledglings.”

“Your half-crazy fledglings without the protection of the Clans, supporting humans without the protection of the Council.”

Lee grinned, flashing a little fang. “I’ll take my chances. Town humans are no threat to the Changed, because they are so self-isolated and are afraid to leave their walls. The Council and their strong southern influences are just as isolated no matter their hype. The Chosen have such long memories for their decades of persecution that they have no love for mundane humans, or to hand their fate back to them. This Queen, with her fresh monarchy, has strong alliances with the Northern Tribes of humans and shifters.”

“She has a great deal of blood on her hands for keeping that monarchy.”

“Like the Council doesn’t. Please. And like I care. Humans are a brutal, vicious race. The Dons are not all sunshine and kittens if you haven’t noticed. So my support, such as it is, means very little except she can continue her progress in the north. And this shouldn’t bother the mundane so much, because the north is near inhabitable by them. Excellent for vampires though.”

“You will not be able to handle the Clans. They will eradicate your line if they feel threatened.”

“Well, not so much. My line my rules. That is the point. All their rules, so outdated and bothersome. They would suffocate me. They will not get rid of us though. Ever heard of alliance through marriage? Very similar. I am a born vampire. Their prince is a born vampire. We belong together, or so I’m told. Sort of a soul mate situation. Which means, via him, technically I am Clan. Which means technically, via me, he has an alliance with my line. Every line started somewhere with some Sire.” She smirked. “They just think I’m all eccentric. So are my ‘children’ though, so it works.”

Wilhelm smiled thinly. “I did tell them they couldn’t play games with you forever. That you would turn on them. Mortals have such a curiosity and plans that span generations. But the next generation never quite has follow through. I told them to kill you.”

“Gee, thanks, Wilhelm.”

“Nothing against you personally. It’s your bloodline and how it could cause problems with the local Clan. Which it did and has. Your decision to break from us was ill-founded, but do not merge with them was at least prudent on your part. You will bore of this political dance soon enough. Trust me, I know that. The Queen you grant the gift of extended life to will show her true colours. Mortals cannot handle the passage of time like the other races. You will be the one to kill her eventually, simply by withdrawing your favour. She is smart enough to know that and she will try to find a way to control you. That, too, is inevitable. Would you consider taking your line and making an alliance with the Council?”

Laura raised a brow at his opinion but Lee didn’t.

“They killed my mother, drove my father insane, stole me, studied me and locked me up in a hell hole. Essentially severing me from my own nature and crippling me for centuries.”

Wilhelm shrugged. “And this Queen stole young William, tormented him and used him to grant her youth. Then made him turn others, who then became crazed and feasted in the south. Then they lured you in to replace him.”

Lee had to admit the Council had one fine spy network, assuming Richard hadn’t told him. He likely had, since he had to admit he had come north with Lee but didn’t want to admit working with the Queen. Since it didn’t benefit the Queen to reveal that either she released him to the south to be her little double agent. “Yeah, but I can use them, rather than the other way around.”

“And you think this makes you safe? Do you think I could not kill you now and rid myself of your annoying interference in matters that are not your concern?”

“I think you could try. And by draining me you would drain, perhaps even kill, some of my fledglings.”

“You are not in a position of strength. In fact, I would say you are in a precarious situation, that you think gives you more control, but will be far harder to hold. William is bonded to you and all the others are bonded to him. Someone kills him and all of his line will either die if they are weak or be released from your hold. Leaving you vulnerable.”

“Is that a threat? Or do you just want me to turn others to create a more secure buffer?” Lee mocked.

“I merely point out your weakness and that the Clans could easily take what they flippantly grant you. Then force you into the Clan, just as this Queen forced you to take on this line, to begin with.”

“You forget; I am the mate of their Vampire Prince. I am his consort and he is mine. They can’t force me into the Clan when I head my own line. I have too much power from my fledglings. Nor would the Vampire Prince allow any of his own to attempt to force me under someone else when I am mate bonded to him.”

“You have made an enemy of the Council. I understand your reasons. But you don’t even remember your whole life, just parts. The fact is you linked yourself to this new monarchy and maybe you can help preserve it and maybe the Council will further our alliance with them. We might very well be working with each other again.”

Lee leaned back with a smug smile. “I don’t have my hate on for the Council. If they play nice. But I suspect you will have your hands full in the south for some time. Have fun with that.”

He stood up. “We will talk again.”

“Of course. Look forward to it.”

When he was escorted out Lee let the others go about their business

Lee lay Will down on his cot. She went into the bedroom connected to her office and smiled at Jak. He stretched out on the bed, naked and glorious. Lee began to strip her clothing off as he gazed at her with desire sparked eyes.

“You heard?” she asked, smiling slightly.

“Hmmm. Politics is endless.” He sat up onto the edge of the bed as she stripped off her shirt.

“Where do I place in this new regime of yours?” he asked lightly, but through the pure bond, they now shared Lee knew he was worried. Worried she would only grant him a fraction of herself.

“We have an alliance, yes?”

“Of course. I am the blood prince. If I say my consort can have a line of her own fledglings outside of Clan rules, then she can. If I decide to change the law, I can. What else am I to you?”

“You are my consort. We are linked by our bloodlines. Someday we will bear pure born children.”

She stripped off her pants and took a few steps forward until she stood between his legs. He groaned and slid his arms around her waist, licking and nipping her breast then teasing the nipple. She shivered as their auras merged, desires shared and sensation magnified.

“And?” he asked, turning to the other nipple.

“You are my mate. We are bonded. Undeniably linked. I am yours and you are mine.” She pushed him up onto the bed and onto his back, following him until she straddled his waist. She ran her hands down his chest. “Beyond the clans, beyond the politics, we are linked forever. Nothing will change that. Nothing can change that.”

She leaned down and gently kissed him. “I am not afraid to claim and hold what is mine. My fledglings, my line and my mate.”

In fact, her spirit soared. With her whole nature meshed she was finally in control of her own destiny.

She sat up, took his erection in hand and slid down it was a moan of pure bliss.

“Good, because this is where you belong.” He gripped her hips and thrust upward causing her to arch back with a gasp. “I would not let you deny it.”

“I will never deny it. This is exactly where I belong,” she gasped out.

To think at one time she had feared her own vampire nature. She had shied away from the bond to one of her own kind. She had never turned another and never felt the need to claim territory. Hell, she had scorned those of the Clan that gave themselves to Clan rule. Yet the freedom she had always craved came with the small price of uniting herself and becoming what she always was. When her father had drained her mother dry and she had seen the hungry beast in his eyes she had tried with her entire essence to cut that part of herself out. She had denied her own being and therefore ran from her own freedom. Never again.

Jak’s purple eyes sparked with desire and she felt a surge of possessiveness. Now she knew what other vampires felt when they fought over territory, but she felt it threefold. She would fight to the death over her territory. For each of her fledglings. For her mate.

“Mine,” she whispered leaning down to nip his neck feeling both passion and contentment roll through her.

END