Awakened by the Vampire Prince 2(4)

There were two taps on the door and Esral heard it open and then close with a soft click. She could hear footfalls behind her but didn’t bother turning around. From the strong scent of daffodils, she knew it was Cheri who had entered and now stood just behind her. The last thing she felt like doing right now was dealing with this female.

“What are you doing holed up in here?” If she didn’t know Cheri better then she might have actually thought that she could hear true concern in the female’s voice. “You really need to be out in the sunshine, in the fresh air. Staying closed up in your chamber is not good for the baby.” There it was—the female’s voice held a sharp edge. Her words cut.

Esral squeezed her eyes shut. If it weren’t for the fact that her father was so ill, she so wouldn’t put herself through all of this.

“Please, Esral…” Four seasons in one day. It amazed her how soothing and sweet Cheri sounded. “Let me help you. Who is the father of your baby?”

Esral pursed her lips, feeling her blood reach boiling point. It was becoming more and more difficult to find control. With reluctance, she turned to face the female. “Let’s cut right to the chase. What do you want? We both know that my thorn is very much intact and that I’m not pregnant.” She took a deep breath. “Why is it that you seem to be making it your mission in life to destroy my reputation? To bring shame to the royal tree?”

Cheri actually smiled and Esral’s blood turned cold. “All I want is for your brother to be happy. That is my life mission as his future mate. The last thing I want is to bring shame to our royal house…”

She had to fight not to roll her eyes at Cheri’s inclusion of herself as a member of the royal family.

“I don’t know how many times I need to say this to you, Esral, but all I want is to resolve this. I greatly look forward to taking up my rightful place at your brother’s side and I don’t want anything to get in the way of that.” Her eyes narrowed, irises flashing red. Then she smiled, quickly schooling her emotions. “You need to mate, Esral. The quicker, the better. Take one of those bloodsuckers and head back to the vampire castle. Don’t get in my way and we will be just fine.”

“I will stay at my father’s side until he is well. As for taking a vampire mate, I told you that there is someone. The announcement will be made soon.” Her gut churned with worry after Xavier’s abrupt departure, she only prayed that the feelings she had seen reflected in his eyes were true. That the male she had grown to love would be the one at her side at the blossoming ceremony. She couldn’t picture herself spending forever with anyone else. “My brother can mate with whomever he wishes. We may not always see eye to eye, Cheri, but I would never stand in the way of his happiness.”

Cheri smiled, looking more evil than the devil himself. “Well, I’m really glad to hear that.” She paused. It looked as if she was contemplating whether or not to tell Esral something. Then she took a deep breath. “I met the vampire prince today. I certainly hope that he is not the male of which you speak. It makes sense that he would be since he is vampire royalty, on paper at least, the best choice for you.”

Panic gripped her as she fought to keep her breathing even. This was another one of Cheri’s ploys. It had to be.

Cheri’s smile broadened. “Still tightlipped I see. Well, I suggest you find yourself another mate if he is the one you’ve set your sights on. That male tried to touch me earlier”—she smoothed her robe, her lips pursed—“even though I wasn’t wearing yellow, he must’ve thought I was one of the servers because he offered to rut me.” She shivered in obvious revulsion. “Despicable creature even took my hand and put it between his legs. As if I would ever lower myself to that level.” She shook her head, her beautiful locks flew about her face. Then she giggled, locking eyes with Esral. “One thing I can say though, if the vampire prince was anything to go by, they are certainly well endowed . His root was—”

“Thank you. I think I get the picture.” She was surprised to hear how calm and clear her voice sounded even though chaos spun around inside of her head.

“I’m not going to tell your brother. He hates those vampires enough as it is. Something like this could start an all out war. I won’t do that to my people.”

Esral tasted bile, she swallowed down the bitter tang praying that the small amount of lunch she had consumed would not come back out.

“Oh yes, I almost forgot the reason for my coming to see you.”