2#Awakened by the Vampire Prince (Flower) (3 page)

“Speak.”
Xavier added, finally looking at York.

“It’s
me. I am the male of which the princess speaks. I would like to hereby publicly
claim Princess Esral. “

Esral
felt her blood drain and for a second she thought that she might faint. When
she regained her composure, she realized that her hands were twisted into the
front of her robe. Her breathing was erratic, like she couldn’t get enough of
it into her lungs.

Her
mouth opened and closed a few times but she didn’t know what to say.

 “Fucking
finally,” Keto snarled. “It’s about time.”

Xavier
snarled and she unwillingly looked at him. He was pissed, looking between York
and Keto like he wanted to take both males down. Cheri giggled and danced. “Oh
yay! We’re going to have a blossoming ceremony. I will stand at your side. I
can’t wait.” She clapped her hands.

Her
father fell back onto his pillows, heaving a contented sigh. “I will attend as
well. I don’t care how but I will be there. I am happy for you, daughter.”

She
didn’t know how she managed it but somehow she found herself smiling at him.
Her life might be in complete shambles at the moment, but at least her father
seemed happy.

“Let
it be recorded that it will take place three days from today. You females”—Keto
gestured to her and to Cheri—“have much to plan.”

Her
father smiled. “You have given me something to work towards. Go now so that I
may rest.”

Esral
kissed her father’s brow and stood to leave. She noticed that Xavier was
nowhere in sight. Her heart clenched painfully. It seemed that he had given up
on them already. It seemed that Cheri had not been lying after all. Either way,
it was too late now. Her father was happy, there was no going back.

Xavier
was in a state of shock. He actually felt numb for a while after leaving King
Katar’s chambers. It didn’t take long for him to start feeling confusion and
anger as well though. What the fuck was York thinking? Why had the male claimed
her?

Xavier
planned on doing his damndest to get that motherfucking elf prince to agree to
a little more time and failing that, he planned on claiming the princess
himself. She belonged at his side, not at York’s. This was a right, royal fuck
up. How the hell was he going to fix this mess?

The
thing that tore at him the most was that Esral had just accepted the whole
thing. She hadn’t even tried to rectify the situation. Why hadn’t she turned
York down? It didn’t make any sense. Pale and shivering, Esral hadn’t looked
herself. Maybe she was ill and wasn’t thinking straight. She had refused to
look him in the eye. That fact alone ate at him like nothing ever had.

The
princess was not in her chamber, and since York was with her, there was no one
to explain to him what the fuck was going on. Out of sheer desperation, Xavier
sought out Gideon.

After
knocking on the male’s door several times, he put his forehead to the wood,
feeling helpless for the first time in his whole life. Xavier could hear that
the male was rutting and could either stand out in the hallway and wait for him
to finish or he could go in anyway. His patience had dried up some time ago along
with his sanity.

“Gideon,”
he growled. “Stop for one second. I need to ask…”
To fucking hell with it
.
Xavier opened the door so hard that he nearly pulled it from its hinges. The
big male had an elven female caged under his body and was thrusting into her
like his life depended on it. The female’s eyes widened and she gasped mid-shriek
as she caught sight of him. Xavier kept his eyes on Gideon, but out of the
corner of his eye he could see her scrambling to cover herself with a sheet.

Gideon
slowed his thrusting but kept rocking into the female even though he clearly
knew that Xavier was there. The male’s hands closed on her hips so that she
couldn’t escape. At least Gideon had the good grace to nod his head. The male’s
lips were a thin white line as he pushed back into the whimpering elf. A yellow
robe lay strewn on the floor at Xavier’s feet. He stepped over it as he walked
further into the room.

“Hungry,
my lord?” The male grunted. “I would recommend the local offerings.” He smiled,
looking down at the female who had dropped the sheet and was pushing back
against Gideon matching him thrust for thrust now.

“No
thanks,” Xavier growled. He had shared a female with Gideon on occasion so it
was only natural that the male would assume it was why Xavier was here.

Gideon
shrugged, finally stopping moving but he kept his dick buried deep inside the
elven female. “Is there something else I can help you with?” The male’s chest
heaved. “I can be ready in five minutes.” A light sheen of sweat covered his
body.

“Hey,”
the female moaned.

“Relax,
honeybun. I will make you come first. I promise” Gideon shook his head and
grinned at Xavier. He then leaned forward and cupped his hand between the
female’s legs. She squirmed and panted, clearly enjoying Gideon’s
ministrations.

“Where
is York?” Xavier tried to keep the snarl of desperation from his voice.

Gideon
looked confused. “He’s with the princess. Why? What has happened?” He must’ve
quit playing with the female because she made a frustrated noise.

Xavier
shook his head, not wanting to relay the events of the last half hour. “Do you
have any idea where he and the princess could be?”

Gideon
shook his head. “The only places that she visits are her chamber, the eating
hall, her father’s chamber and the healers’ chambers…oh, and York mentioned
that she visited with Keto once. That’s it. Do you want me to help you find
them?”

Xavier
shook his head. “Enjoy your time off.”

Gideon’s
grin turned into a groan as he withdrew and plunged back into the female. “I
will.” He said through clenched teeth as he picked up where he had left off
rutting the female in deep fast strokes. Not even waiting for Xavier to leave. Flesh
slapped flesh and the female screamed loudly as the door closed. He knew that Gideon
had to be drinking now, because the sounds indicated that the female was having
the orgasm of her life.

****

It
took two hours and a fucking public announcement, made to all the elven folk,
for him to finally find the happy couple. Xavier looked to the heavens and
asked for strength. The sky was a riot of pinks and yellows. They were standing
in a clearing in the forest. In any other situation it would’ve felt good to
have solid ground underneath his feet and the open sky above his head.

Keto
had wasted no fucking time in calling the eleven folk together. Xavier watched as
hundreds of the fuckers gathered around a rocky formation. One wide, flat looking
rock seemed to balance on an outcrop of rocks. The royals and their elven guard
stood on top of the rock which was covered in what looked like rose petals.

Xavier
chose to stay on the outskirts of the clearing, as far away from the proceedings
as possible. He folded his arms across his chest and grit his teeth to prevent
himself from roaring as York clasped Esral’s elbow. They smiled at one another.
Fucking smiled
. Looking every bit the happy couple, as Keto announced
that they were to be mated in three days. The male extended an invitation to
all present to attend the blossoming ceremony. The elves erupted. They clapped
and danced. Some of them even pulled flute-like instruments from hidden pockets
and began to play. Xavier tasted bile, he spat on the grass next to him, unable
to take his eyes off of Esral who looked wide eyed at the sea of silken robes
surrounding her.

When
York and Esral, together with the rest of their entourage, descended from the
rock on a steep staircase, Xavier followed slowly behind them as they made
their way back to Pulamor. Keto and that female who had tried to seduce him, were
walking together a little behind the rest. The two were in deep conversation
and by the way the elven female touched Keto’s arm every now and then, Xavier
was sure that they were intimate.

Thank
fuck he hadn’t taken the female up on her offer. Rutting the elven prince’s
female would not be a good move when trying to improve vampire/elf relations.
The sad thing was that he didn’t think at this point that he would be able to
rut another female again without thinking of Esral anyways. He didn’t want
anyone else. He really needed to gain some understanding of this whole fucked
up situation before it ate him alive.

A
great number of elves surrounded the couple. Xavier didn’t want to make a scene
so he followed in silence. The main party disappeared into Keto’s chamber.
Xavier overheard the male mention a celebratory meal. The elven fucking prince
even put his arm around York’s shoulders as they entered. Xavier could hear
Cheri’s high pitched laughter. It made him want to hit something…repeatedly.

Xavier
pulled his phone from his pocket and speed dialed Brant.

“It’s
done.” He said, after his brother answered.

“What,
Katar is well again and you’ve mated the princess?” Brant sounded like he was
smiling, which infuriated Xavier.

“Katar
is no better but the healers are convinced that a cure lies just around the
corner and Esral and York are to be mated in three days.” He choked out the
word mated. His throat seemed to have closed.

“What?”
Brant growled.

“You
heard me. After I… congratulate them, I will be coming back to our own
territory. There is nothing to be concerned about regarding the vampire/elf
relationship.” Xavier replayed the vision in his head of how Keto had put his
arm around York.

“Bull–fucking–shit,”
Brant spat. “York may be an elite but he does not represent the vampire royals.
I can’t believe you would roll over so easily and watch your female be taken by
a male that you command. I thought you had fucking balls.”

“Esral
is not my female. She has made that infinitely clear.” It hurt him to say the
words out loud. If she were truly his then she wouldn’t be agreeing to this
whole farce.

Brant
had the audacity to laugh. “If you say so. I’ve seen the way you watch her. If
I thought it was only lust I would say
the way you
look at her
but it’s not. You keep an eye on her. Would protect her with your life if need
be.”

“It
was my duty to watch her, to protect her,” Xavier interjected.

“You
beat males for looking at her, let alone approaching her. That wasn’t for her
protection, so don’t try and feed me that bullshit.”

“I
know how males think. Anyway, none of them are good enough for her.” Xavier
said, trying not to growl.

“None
of them are good enough except for you.”

“Even
me dammit.” This time he couldn’t help but to growl.

“What?
So you’re going to let a lesser male take her?” There was a long pause. “This
isn’t how this was supposed to go down.”

“What
are you talking about?” Apprehension rose up in him and he found himself
clutching the phone tighter.

“You
were supposed to realize that she was the female for you and claim her.”

“This
was all a game to you?” His anger carried through each word.

“I
can’t help it, you’re so fucking stubborn. You don’t see what’s right in front
of you.”

“Bullshit,
Brant. Esral has agreed to mate with York. I think that speaks volumes.”

“The
princess is head over fucking heels in love with you, you idiot. She pretty
much admitted as much to me. I gave her advice to make you jealous, seems like
she might be taking it a bit far.”

Xavier
ground his teeth together. “Why can’t you just stay out of things that have
fuck all to do with you?”

“The
future relations between elves and vampires has everything to do with me.”

“I’m
not a fucking pawn. Don’t try and use me as one.” His voice had dropped.

“If
you had just claimed the princess instead of fucking around none of this would
have happened,” Brant growled back.

“That’s
just it”—Xavier sighed—“I told the princess…” He paused, deciding not to
confide in Brant.

“What?”

“Nothing,”
Xavier said.

“Just
tell me. Maybe I can help you.”

“I
think you’ve done enough,” Xavier ground out between clenched teeth.

“I’m
sorry. I really thought it would all work out. Aside from wanting this union
for political reasons, I really wanted to see you happy.”

His
brother could be a dick but they had always gotten along well and Xavier found
himself believing the male. “She admitted to having feelings for me. I don’t
understand the sudden change of heart.”

“Something
isn’t right. It doesn’t add up. I’m telling you, Xavier, she is nuts about you.
Don’t give up on your female so easily. The elven ways are different from ours.
Maybe you did something to piss her off or offend her and you don’t even know
it. She has probably been forced into this.”

Maybe
the princess was angry at him for touching her earlier. He was sure that he
could’ve had her fully if he had wanted to. Maybe she hated him for the loss of
control? Or for making her feel things that she shouldn’t. “I will talk with
her before I leave.”

Brant
made heavy sniffing noises. “I scent pussy. Since when did you grow one? I hope
you plan on making that male, York, bleed for disobeying you. I thought you
were going to put strict rules in place where her guards were concerned. Why
the fuck did he claim her in the first place? He must be punished.”

“I
will get to the bottom of it. I think he may have been trying to protect her
though. Elves have some barbaric customs where their females are concerned. I
can’t punish him if his intentions were good.”

Brant
growled. “I don’t give a fuck. It was not York’s place. I am going to assume
that you were ready to claim her and he beat you to it.”

Xavier
sighed, feeling defeated. “Yes, of course. I was trying to buy some time. I
didn’t want to claim her under duress. Females don’t tend to like that in the
long run.”

“I
can hear that this has…affected you badly. Go after your female. Don’t let
anything stand in your way. York is your fucking subordinate. Every fucking elf
in that place is your subordinate for that matter. Take what is yours.” Brant
snarled the last.

The
only problem was Esral herself. What if the princess had decided she didn’t
want him after all? As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t throw her over his
shoulder and force her to accept him.